English News

Germany bans Iranian airline, Mahan Air, from its airports

Following heavy US pressure on Berlin to act, the foreign ministry announced the measure, saying Iran has been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other Middle East war zones. The move was necessary to protect Germany's "foreign and security policy interests", said…

Sudan's Bashir to visit Qatar amid ongoing unrest at home

CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will visit Qatar this week, Qatar's state news agency QNA said on Monday, as widespread anti-government protests rage at home. Sudan has seen near-daily demonstrations since Dec. 19 triggered by an economic crisis, and protesters have blamed Bashir…

Will energy be the next point of Israeli-Egyptian convergence?

The current convergence of interests between Israel and Egypt comprises several layers that result from the dramatic developments in the Middle East in recent years. The mid-January regional meeting in Cairo, during which a new regional gas forum was announced by seven eastern Mediterranean countries,…

Trump marks MLK day with brief memorial visit

Luther King Jr. Memorial, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump paid a brief visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington on the holiday honouring the civil rights leader. Trump was joined by Vice-President Mike Pence on a frigid…

$1.08 billion required to support 3.4 million Somalis with life-saving and livelihood assistance

MOGADISHU - The Federal Government of Somalia and aid agencies operating in the country have today launched the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and called on donors to provide sufficient and early funding to sustain aid operations in Somalia in 2019. The response plan seeks $1.08 billion to provide…

Turkey ready to take over Syria's Manbij, Erdogan tells Trump

Turkey is ready to take over security in Manbij, a town in northeast Syria held by Kurdish forces where four US personnel died in a bombing last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told his United States counterpart in a phone call. A statement by the Turkish presidency said that Erdogan on Sunday…

Dusit hotel suicide bomber linked to Garissa attack

They had his photos, names and contacts of his relatives and friends yet it is not clear why they failed to stop him from blowing himself up. In a widely-shared CCTV footage, the suicide bomber is captured outside the Secret Garden Restaurant in the Dusit Complex moments before he blows himself up,…

Taxi Driver Tricks Al Shabaab Suspects Into Police Station

Aden Hassan Mohammed (22) and Ibrahim Ali Guyo (19) were apprehended after a taxi driver drove them into a police station. The driver, whose name was withheld for security reasons, had picked Aden and Ibrahim from Hoosingo area in Somalia. The clients of the cab operator who was driving a Toyota Succeed…

Kenya to arm private security guards after al-Shabab attack

The siege, which lasted 18 hours and left 21 people dead, was claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked Somalia-based armed group, al-Shabab. Armed contractors will "guard key installations" where there is "a lot of human traffic", Fazul Mahamed, director general of the Private Security Regulatory…

USA: TSA Agents at Hector Working Without Pay are Served Lunch from Somali Community 25Shares

The Somali Community Development of North Dakota, along with the Islamic Center of Fargo, teamed up to serve traditional Somali food to TSA agents. Abdiwali Sharif, executive director of the Somali Community Development of North Dakota, first came through Hector International as a refugee. "A decade…

Senior al-Shabab fighter arrested after attack on Ethiopian troops in Somalia

Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency said the militant, who is a member of al-Shabab's intelligence branch Amniyat, was arrested by security forces in a major operation in Mogadishu on Friday night. The arrest came hours after the militants reportedly attacked the Ethiopian forces under…

Safari Market's new location continues to draw local Somali community

Women in colorful hijabs sell clothing, tea and food as customers' conversations flip between Somali and English. The smell of Somali cuisine — goat meat, lamb, rice — wafts from the kitchen as men gather around a television set near the entrance. Originally opened as a grocery store and coffee…

73 al-Shabab militants killed in operation in southern Somalia: reports

The Somali National News Agency (SONNA) said the joint forces foiled an attack from al-Shabab at a military base at Bar-Sanguni neighborhood near Kismayo town in Jubbland. The news agency said international partners conducted airstrikes in the area that targeted al-Shabab militants. Independent sources…

Muslim community in Eastleigh marches against terrorism

While condemning the 14 Riverside Drive attack that left 21 people dead, Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan joined by area residents said Somalis and Muslims are peaceful and do not advocate such killings. Ali Salim Gichunge, the main planner earlier thought to have been killed, is among 11 suspects in police…

Turkish authorities want Interpol arrest warrant for NBA basketball star Enes Kanter

Fearing retribution and possible assassination for speaking out against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, New York Knicks basketball team center Enes Kanter did not travel with the team for a game in London on Thursday. On Wednesday, Turkish daily newspaper Sabah reported that Turkish prosecutors…

Somalia President calls Uhuru, offers support in fight against al Shabaab

"I spoke on the phone with [President] Uhuru [Kenyatta] this morning. We stand by Kenya at this difficult time," he said via Twitter on Thursday. "The government of Somalia is always ready to cooperate with our neighbours in all efforts to stop, eliminate and defeat the evil of terrorism."

Identity of two Somalis killed by Alshabaab in Kenya attack revealed

In a statement to media houses on Wednesday, their employer company Adam Smith International (ASI) identified them as Abdalla Dahir and Feizal Ahmed. The two met their deaths at a restaurant based in the 14 Riverside premises on Tuesday afternoon. The premises is where ASI offices are based here in…

Cracks Start to Show for U.A.E. Banks With Bad Loans on Horizon

One of the country's smallest banks is being bailed out, problem loans are expected to rise this year and lenders are exploring mergers to stay competitive. Slow property sales, higher interest rates and a rise in lending amid improved economic growth could mean provisions jump as much as a quarter,…

DefendDefenders Newsletter - December 2018

Dear Friends and colleagues, Happy new year! I hope you found time to rest, regain energy and spend time with your loved ones over the holidays, and that the new year started in a positive and confident manner. As we leave 2018 behind us, I wish to take some time to reflect on DefendDefenders' achievements…

Shabaab kills pro-Islamic State commander

Yahya Haji Fiile, known as Abu Zakariye, was killed in the district after Shabaab intelligence linked him to the Islamic State in Somalia." Fiile, a former top Al-Shabaab commander, initially fell out with the jihadist group in 2016 after it killed Bashir Abu Numan. Abu Numan was one of the first…

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