Spotlight

Lisbon (Diplomat.so) - The government of Portugal confirmed Monday that the United States has sharply increased military activity at Lajes Air Base in the Azores archipelago, a strategically vital mid-Atlantic facility long used for trans-Atlantic operations.

Abuja (Diplomat.so) - The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, issued on Sunday a strong condemnation of the coordinated terrorist attacks that struck Zamfara State, Nigeria, on Saturday (21 February), leaving more than 50 civilians dead and several women and children abducted.

Washington (Diplomat.so) - A federal transparency dispute widened this week after The New Republic reported that allegations involving U.S. President Donald Trump had disappeared from the publicly released files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

Nairobi (Diplomat.so) - Kenya has intensified diplomatic pressure on Moscow, formally requesting the repatriation of its nationals killed or captured while reportedly fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine.

Warsaw (Diplomat.so) - Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday issued an urgent call for all Polish citizens to leave Iran "immediately," citing intensifying U.S. military activity and heightened Israel threats of a potential strike on Tehran. The warning, delivered in a televised…

Baghdad (Diplomat.so) - Iraq's Ministry of Justice confirmed it has placed 5,064 suspected Islamic State detainees transferred from Syria into a single high-security prison, marking one of the largest coordinated prisoner relocations since the group's territorial defeat in 2017.

Warsaw (Diplomat.so) - The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, announced Wednesday that Warsaw will not join the U.S.-proposed "Peace Council" initiative launched by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee post-war governance and reconstruction in Gaza, citing serious national reservations.

Cairo (Diplomat.so) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's "firm and unwavering" support for the Federal Republic of Somalia's territorial integrity during a joint press conference in Cairo on Sunday, following high-level talks with Somali President Hassan Sheikh…

Dakar (Diplomat.so) - Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced significant financial rewards and land grants for members of the national football team following their 1–0 victory over Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.

Seoul (Diplomat.so) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dismissed a senior official responsible for economic policy and publicly criticised party cadres for what he described as incompetence, according to reports from the country's state media.

Beijing (Reuters + Diplomat.so) - China's population declined for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, underscoring deepening demographic challenges for the world's second-largest economy.

Lasanod (Diplomat.so) - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Lasanod on Friday, emphasizing efforts to strengthen national unity and reinforce cohesion across Somalia.

Washington (Diplomat.so) - The U.S. State Department will pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning Jan. 21 while it reassesses how consular officers apply the "public charge" provision of immigration law, according to an internal department memo and public statements.

Kigali (Diplomat.so) - The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) has deployed a contingent of military engineers to Jamaica to assist in the rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Melissa, which struck the Caribbean in late October 2025.

Washington (Diplomat.so) - The U.S. government has announced it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in the country, requiring those covered by the program to depart by March 17, 2026.

Washington (Diplomat.so) - The White House has confirmed that Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday.

Jakarta (Diplomat.so) - Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reaffirmed its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

Cairo (Diplomat.so) — The League of Arab States has strongly criticized the visit of Israel's Foreign Minister to Hargeisa, a city in northwestern Somalia. Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit described the visit as an attempt to legitimize the secession of the region from the Federal Republic…

Algiers (Diplomat.so) - Algeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, on Tuesday took part in a ministerial meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council held via videoconference.

Addis Ababa (Diplomat.so) - The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) has strongly condemned Israel's unilateral recognition of the so-called "Somaliland," calling for its immediate revocation and reaffirming Somalia's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.