Kasmaal  Independent Somali news and analysis website .

In 2017, the United States conducted twice as many airstrikes against al-Shabaab as it did in 2016 — 31 strikes compared to 15. Last week, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) launched an airstrike that killed two al-Shabaab members near Jilib, a longstanding stronghold of the Somali jihadist organization allied with al-Qaeda. Since the Trump administration  increased the military’s authorities to go […]

Trump’s long-awaited Mideast peace plan has yet to arrive, even as Palestinians and other critics insist it will be dead on arrival. (File photo: Reuters) President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reasons to celebrate but also ample cause for trepidation as they meet Monday at the White House. Trump’s long-awaited Mideast […]

FILE PHOTO SANA / REUTERS The Syrian leader vowed to continue the operation in eastern Ghouta, underlining its importance in the fight against terrorism. He said that it would be conducted in parallel with work on allowing civilians to leave the area “We will continue to fight terrorism… And the Ghouta operation is a continuation […]

© Ludovic Marin, AFP | French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian leavesthe presidential palaceafter a cabinet meeting on January 24 in Paris. Ahead of a visit to Tehran on Monday, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Iran needed to address international concerns over its ballistic missile programme or it risked new sanctions. “There are […]

The United States Embassy in Ankara will be closed to the public on March 5 due to a security threat and only emergency services will be provided, a U.S. mission statement said late Sunday. The embassy advised U.S. citizens in Turkey to avoid large crowds and the embassy building and to be aware of their […]

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales speaks to the AIPAC Policy Conferencein Washington DC, March 4, 2018. (Courtesy) President Morales promises 18,000 pro-Israel advocates he’ll relocate his embassy to holy city two days after the US does, for Israel’s 70th WASHINGTON — Guatemala’s president told the AIPAC Policy Conference on Sunday night that he will move his […]

The party leaders in Italy’s rightwing coalition. Photo: Livio Anticoli/AFP Media mogul Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing coalition was set to win the most votes but may fall short of a majority in Italy’s election on Sunday, with far-right and populist parties surging ahead, according to exit polls. Berlusconi’s grouping was expected to win between 31 and […]

President Museveni (right) speaks during the summit of the troop contributing countries to AMISOM at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on Friday. Left is Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. (Credit: Roderick Ahimbazwe)  DIPLOMACY | CONFLICT A thousand troops were withdrawn last year and another 1,000 are due to leave by October this year UGANDA – […]

There has been swift reaction to Donald Trump’s plan to impose steep new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the United States. Dire warnings are being sounded of its potential effect on trade, and thousands of jobs worldwide, although the US president is standing by his plan.Trump said on Thursday he would formally announce duties […]

Two people were killed in a fourth-floor room of a Central Michigan University residence hall early Friday morning, police and the university said. The two who were killed were not students, the university said. Sources told the Detroit Free Press that the victims are believed to be the shooter’s parents. The situation is believed to have started from a domestic […]