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America’s forever wars didn’t end. They receded from view — and risk roaring back. While Washington fixates on China, Iran and Russia, U.S. troops are still fighting, striking and being targeted from the Middle East to the Horn of Africa and the Caribbean corridor. The missions are smaller and quieter than the wars that defined the post‑9/11 era. They are also open‑ended, conducted under authorizations Congress passed more than two decades ago — long after most Americans stopped paying attention. The footprint shrank, not…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Kenyan doctor who says he was working on a United Nations medical evacuation team in Somalia has appeared in a video appealing to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Kenyan President William Ruto, saying he and colleagues have been held by al-Shabab for more than a year and a half following a helicopter crash. The man, identifying himself as Dr. Ambrose Kimiti, says the aircraft carrying the medical team crash-landed on Jan. 10, 2024, in territory controlled by al-Shabab while on an official…

MOGADISHU — The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts worldwide in a sweeping reshuffle aimed at aligning U.S. diplomacy with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, according to two State Department officials. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters, said chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their tenures will end in January. All of the recalled diplomats were…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s civil aviation regulator will shut Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport for a full day on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, as the capital holds local council elections, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority said Monday. The SCAA said no flights will arrive or depart during the one-day closure, describing the suspension as a security and technical measure designed to safeguard the public and ensure the vote proceeds smoothly. Airlines, passengers and travel agencies were advised to adjust plans and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport will shut for one day on Thursday, Dec. 25, as the capital holds local council elections, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority said Monday, suspending all arrivals and departures as part of heightened security and technical preparations. In a statement, the SCAA advised the public, airlines and travel agents that no flights will land at or depart from the airport during the 24-hour closure. The authority described the move as a precaution to “ensure public…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali security agencies say nearly 10,000 police officers have been mobilized to secure Mogadishu’s local council elections on Dec. 25, a vote billed as the capital’s first direct, one-person, one-vote poll in more than 50 years. Speaking to reporters Sunday, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail (Farataag) said the Somali Police Force has finalized a citywide security plan to safeguard voters, polling stations, election workers and critical infrastructure throughout the Banadir region.…

Somalia, Egypt deepen ties in Cairo talks, eye embassy move to Mogadishu and stronger security coordination CAIRO — Somalia and Egypt pledged to advance a broader strategic partnership after their foreign ministers met Saturday on the sidelines of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, focusing on economic cooperation, security coordination and regional stability. Somali Foreign Affairs Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Atty discussed plans to…

KISMAYO, Somalia — A coalition of Somali opposition leaders on Saturday gave President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud one month to convene an inclusive national dialogue on elections, warning they will move to organize an alternative process if he fails to act by Jan. 20, 2026. In a communiqué issued after a three-day meeting in Kismayo from Dec. 18–20, the Somali Future Council (SFC) said an urgent, consensus-based agreement is needed to avert a “constitutional vacuum, security crisis and the threat of terrorism.” The newly formed…

Trump signs order to fast-track marijuana to Schedule III, says move is not legalization Friday December 19, 2025 US President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order easing restrictions on marijuana in the Oval Office on December 18 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to expedite the federal reclassification of marijuana, setting in motion a shift from the most restrictive category of controlled substances to a less stringent tier. The…

Puntland State’s Deni urges inclusive national dialogue, warns of political instability in Somalia KISMAYO, Somalia — Puntland State State of Somalia President Said Abdullahi Deni on Thursday urged Somalia’s federal leadership and political actors to heed warnings from Somali intellectuals and reopen inclusive talks on the country’s future, saying failure to do so risks renewed political chaos and threatens national unity. Speaking at the opening of the Somali Future Council conference in Kismayo, Deni said repeated alerts…