Kasmaal  Independent Somali news and analysis website .

President Vladimir Putin waded into a frozen lake in a traditional celebration of Epiphany. The annual baptism is a long-running staple of the Orthodox Church, with believers across Russia taking the midwinter dip. © RT Putin took the plunge into an ice-hole in Lake Seliger, north of Moscow, to commemorate the baptism of Christ in the […]

U.S. military helicopters fly near the Futenma No. 2 Elementary School in Ginowan, Okinawa, on Thursday.  Photo: KYODO The U.S. Marine Corps flew helicopters above an elementary school next to a U.S. air base in Okinawa on Thursday despite promising Japan it would try to avoid such flights after a window from a CH-53E chopper fell on […]

The Syrian government warned Turkey against launching a bombing campaign in the Syrian province of Afrin, saying its air defenses may be used. Ankara had threatened airstrikes against Afrin-based Kurdish militias. “We warn the Turkish leadership that if they initiate combat operations in the Afrin area, that will be considered an act of aggression by […]

couple in Perris beat, strangled and shackled their children for years, the abuse escalating from neglect to torture over time, prosecutors said Thursday. Members of the news media are staked out in front of the Perris home of David and Louise Turpin. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Formal charges were announced Thursday against the […]

Damascus, SANA- Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad affirmed on Thursday that Syria will confront any Turkish aggression or military action against its territory with appropriate response. “We warn the Turkish leadership that in the event of initiating hostilities in the area of Afrin, this will be considered an act of aggression by the […]

Ukraine‘s far eastern region is “occupied” by Russia, the parliament announced on Thursday, as Moscow warned the declaration could reignite a new war. Ukraine’s parliament adopted the “Donbass reintegration law” with 280 lawmakers voting in favour in the 450-seat body. The bill was submitted by Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko. Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine with three soldiers […]

President Donald Trump said Thursday a government shutdown “could happen,” as lawmakers continue to scramble to reach a deal to avert it. “We’ll see what happens. It’s up to the Democrats,” President Donald Trump said on Thursday. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images Addressing reporters outside the Pentagon, Trump added: “We’ll see what happens. It’s up to […]

All long-distance trains in Germany have been cancelled, Deutsche Bahn (DB) said on Thursday as the company took precautions against storm “Friederike” which has since been upgraded to hurricane status. A high-speed train among fallen trees between Hanover and Goettingen in Lower Saxony on Thursday. Photo: DPA For safety reasons, long-distance trains will not be […]

Security agencies are hunting for five al Shabaab abductees who escaped from cells in Somalia. Sources within the security circles said the five were due to be executed by the militants for communicating with al Shabaab fugitive Ahmed Iman Ali. People go about their business on a street in Somalia. /FILE They suspect the five have […]

A bus caught fire in a remote part of Kazakhstan on Thursday, killing 52 citizens of neighbouring Uzbekistan, the Kazakh Interior Ministry said on Thursday. A handout picture provided by the Kazakh emergency situations ministry on January 18, 2018 shows the charred bus in the city of Aktobe. (AFP) The bus was travelling along a […]