News In English

Justin Trudeau vows to speak out on human rights, refuses to back down in Saudi Arabia dispute

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that Canada will continue to speak out "clearly and firmly" on human rights around the globe, refusing to back down in an escalating dispute with Saudi Arabia sparked by Ottawa's criticism over the detention of activists in that country. In his first comments…

Ethiopian army takes over Somali region security

Ethiopian army has taken over the security of the volatile eastern Somali region after heavy fighting over the weekend left an unknown number of civilians dead and thousands displaced. The region's president Abdi Mohamoud Omar, commonly known as Abdi Illey, was forced to resign on Monday and replaced…

Conference examines charcoal smuggling and terrorism

The inaugural conference on combatting the illicit smuggling of charcoal was held at the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) headquarters in Bahrain on 23 July 2018. The conference was attended by representatives from GCC countries, as well as CMF members. With the majority of the Gulf Cooperation Council…

Minneapolis man sentenced in ISIS case gets extra time at halfway house for gambling on soccer matches

A 23-year-old Minneapolis man who is now the second Minnesotan released from prison for trying to join ISIS has been ordered to serve extra time in a halfway house after admitting he bet on soccer matches last month. According to court records, Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame told staff at his residential…

Djibouti Strongly Condemns Canadian Intervention in KSA Internal Affairs

The Republic of Djibouti has expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the Canadian interventions in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Djibouti affirmed its absolute solidarity and full stand with the Kingdom in countering such interventions and confronting all those who seek…

Internet in Ethiopia's Somali region shut down after regional violence

Authorities have shut off Internet access in eastern Ethiopia amid an outbreak of violence there, residents said on Wednesday, a sign of the challenges facing reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in containing ethnic tensions in parts of the country. The residents, one speaking from Oromia region and…

US-Somalia forces 'take over' Al-Qaeda hideouts

The United States-backed Special Forces have taken over a strategic base from the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab in Southern Somalia. A surprise dawn attack was launched by American Special Forces along with the "Danab", Somalia's Special Forces unit, triggering a lengthy gun battle. The operation…

Abdi Mohamud's resignation ushers in new era for the Somali region

Somalia region's president, Abdi Mohamoud Omar, known by his nickname 'Abdi Iley', has resigned, bringing an end to eight years of autocratic grip and sparking jubilation in parts of region and country.

Uhuru to meet Trump for trade talks as ties improve

President Uhuru Kenyatta will hold talks with his US counterpart Donald Trump on August 27 in Washington, the White House confirmed on Monday. The meeting will focus on growing trade between the two countries and finding a long-lasting solution to insecurity in neighbouring Somalia and South Sudan.…

Security forces in eastern Ethiopia kill four protesters -witness

Security forces in Ethiopia's eastern Somali region on Monday shot dead four people who were protesting against the looting of their shops and homes during unrest at the weekend, a witness said. Violence broke out in the provincial capital Jijiga on Saturday, with mobs looting properties owned by…

Trump administration's use of sanctions draws concern  by Carol Morello

February was a typically busy month for U.S. officials who announce government sanctions. One package of measures issued by the Treasury Department targeted North Korea, with dozens of ships, companies and other entities cited for shipping coal and fuel to the country in violation of previous sanctions.…

How solar energy is powering off-grid areas in Garissa and lighting up lives

Kenyans can expect to pay less for electricity upon the inauguration of the region's largest solar plant next month, in the northeastern part of the country. The 55MW Garissa plant comes as East Africa is increasingly feeding solar into the national grid, and two years after the launch of Uganda's…

Breaking: Huge explosion hits Somali capital Mogadishu

A huge explosion was heard in the center of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Sunday evening.

Venezuelan officials say President Nicolás Maduro is unharmed after drone 'attack'

Venezuelan officials say that President Nicolás Maduro has escaped an assassination attempt unharmed. Maduro was giving a live televised speech in the capital city of Caracas on Saturday when, a government spokesman said, explosive-carrying drones went off near the president. Communications Minister…

Fighting breaks out betwen Ethiopian army and Somali state government security forces

Ethiopian troops move in to Jigjiga following dispute with Somali regional president Abdi Iley

The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) have moved into Jijiga, the capital of the Somali Regional State (SRS) in Ethiopia, and have strategically positioned themselves in key installations after a break down of relations between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Somali regional President…

DP World CEO: All options open following Djibouti port court ruling

DP World's chairman and CEO has told CNBC that he is looking at all options after a ruling by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) found that its operating contract for a port container terminal in Djibouti was "valid and binding." The Djibouti government wrested control…

Mandera miraa traders demand Sh70m for illegal cess collection

Miraa traders in Mandera have filed a suit at the High Court in Garissa seeking compensation for illegal cess collection by the defunct county council and the town council of Mandera. Trader Ali Ahmed said the group wants to be paid Sh70 million. This comes after the Court of Appeal in Nyeri declared…

My Son, Osama: The Al-Qaida Leader's Mother Speaks For The First Time

Yemen's Government, Rebels to Hold Talks, U.N. Envoy Says

A United Nations special envoy announced Thursday that the warring factions in Yemen's long-running conflict would meet Sept. 6 in Geneva to begin discussions on a cease-fire. Martin Griffiths, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, briefed the U.N. Security Council in closed session on his efforts to…