Kasmaal  Independent Somali news and analysis website .

Military (centre) and civilian police closed off all access to the Tham Luang cave Sunday morning and ordered all “unnecessary personnel” including media to move 2km back as final rescue preparations began. (Reuters photo)  Rescuers have begun final preparations to bring the 12 trapped children and their football coach out of the Tham Luang caves. […]

Map of Somalia highlighting Mogadishu.  More than 15 people have been killed and more than two dozen others were wounded in two assaults Saturday on the compound of Somalia’s interior and security ministries in capital city Mogadishu, according to witnesses. The first attack began when gunmen set off huge explosions outside the main gate of […]

People wait to be evacuated from the roof of a house in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, on Saturday afternoon.  Photo: KYODO OSAKA At least 50 people are dead and about 50 missing due to torrential rains which continued to fall Saturday across a wide area of western Japan, causing landslides and flooding that destroyed homes and swept away cars. […]

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official. July 7, 2018. ©Andrew Harnik / Reuters Pyongyang has voiced its regret over America’s attitude during high-level talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and accused Washington of seeking unilateral and forced denuclearization from North Korea. “We […]

The Yemeni legitimate army has taken full control of al-Tahita directorate south of Hodeidah. (File photo: Reuters) A Yemeni military source announced on Friday that al-Amalika brigade of the legitimate national army has taken full control of al-Tahita directorate south of Hodeidah governorate following intense clashes with the Houthi militias. The clashes resulted in heavy […]

FILE PHOTO: A Lockheed Martin F-35B fighter jet © Peter Nicholls / Reuters The anti-establishment Italian government’s defense minister has said that the country won’t purchase any more Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets from the US and will review the existing order for 90 planes. Elisabetta Trenta, the country’s new minister of defense from the […]

Relatives of the 12 boys received handwritten letters saying not to worry [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters] The coach of the youth football team that has been trapped in a cave in Thailand for the past two weeks has sent his “apologies” to the parents of the boys in a scrawled note handed to divers, as officials appear to have ruled […]

For the Chinese, it’s an opportunity to maintain good relationships with business leaders who invest heavily in their economy. | Getty As China and the United States escalate a trade war, the Chinese government is turning to familiar Wall Street and Washington insiders for advice on understanding President Donald Trump — with underwhelming results. Corporate […]

Smoke rises above rebel-held areas of the city of Daraa, during reported airstrikes by Syrian regime forces on July 5, 2018. (AFP Photo) Syria’s armed opposition has agreed with Russia to surrender its heavy weapons in the southern part of the country, an opposition spokesman said Friday. Hussein Abu Shaimaa told Anadolu Agency that the […]