TEHRAN – The national specialized working group on sand and dust storms (SDSs), in cooperation with other governmental bodies, has approved a comprehensive plan to address SDSs, which will be used as a national reference document to enhance the country’s resilience against one of the most acute environmental threats.

TEHRAN – Shanghai University ranking 2025 has placed six Iranian universities among the top 1,000 institutions worldwide, down from 9 in 2024.

TEHRAN – According to the latest Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) data, Iran, with a total of 1,003 indexed journals, is one of the top five countries among 138 countries publishing the most open-access journals.

TEHRAN – The sixth international conference on the Persian Gulf oceanography is scheduled to be held on January 27 and 28, 2026.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (HOL) — The Somali Association of South Africa (SASA) has rejected allegations linking it to an attempted bribery case involving Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya, warning that the false claims amplified by local media have endangered its staff and leadership.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (HOL) — Somali American state representative Ismail Mohamed is facing a wave of far-right attacks after posting a video in Somali to update his constituents about legislative work and community initiatives.

In January 2024, Ethiopia nearly broke Somalia’s sovereignty without firing a shot. A single memorandum of understanding with Somaliland (region in Somalia) — now paused — exposed Addis Ababa’s willingness to redraw the Horn of Africa’s political map and Mogadishu’s inability to stop it. This was not an isolated provocation, but part of Ethiopia’s long, calculated rise to regional hegemony.

Defense companies were thriving as Western nations armed Kiev and boosted their own capabilities citing an alleged threat from Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s military court on Wednesday executed two al-Shabab members convicted of killing government soldiers and a prominent businessman in the capital, Mogadishu.

LONDON, United Kingdom (HOL) — Police have launched a murder investigation after a 27-year-old woman was found fatally injured on Chadwell Heath Lane in Romford early Saturday morning.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali international football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has accused government insiders of widespread corruption in the country’s passport system, warning that the misuse of official travel documents is damaging Somalia’s security and international credibility.

This week’s Irrawaddy editorial discussion asks if China can achieve its goal of creating a stable Myanmar.

Shutdown of No. 2 Friendship Bridge from Myawaddy to Mae Sot catches Thailand off guard, disrupting $120 million in monthly trade and boosting fuel prices in Karen State.

[allAfrica] Over the past decade, African farmers and workers have done what many thought impossible - reshaping the continent's trade into a force for good. By leading from the front, they have built resilient systems that have accorded them fairer prices, built stronger communities, and advanced inclusive practices; all emerging from their urgency and knowledge of what works for them in their local communities.

A football player in Ukraine has been disciplined for speaking Russian Read Full Article at RT.com

A senior Ukrainian diplomat has claimed that Kiev could teach NATO how to “kill Russians” Read Full Article at RT.com

The US President has used “tremendous public pressure” to bring the hostilities to a close, Karoline Leavitt has said Read Full Article at RT.com

The 10% markup will offset the cost of potential air support Washington will provide to Kiev, the Treasury secretary has claimed Read Full Article at RT.com

The conflict between Moscow and Kiev will not be settled overnight, Monica Crowley has said Read Full Article at RT.com

The Ukrainian military command left behind the 237th battalion of that brigade

«Serbia is paying a high price for pursuing a sovereign policy, not abandoning Kosovo and Metohija, providing assistance to Republika Srpska and refusing to impose sanctions against Russia,» Milos Vucevic emphasized

Kristy Noem said that the wall is very difficult and almost impossible to climb

The group consisted of career officers of the Special Operations Service curated by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, who planned to carry out acts of sabotage and terrorism in Russia, targeting transport facilities

Poland is ruling out sending troops to Ukraine because «it cannot weaken the forces needed to prevent an attack,» a senior Polish official told Politico

Kevin Costner has hit back at stuntwoman Devyn LaBella's lawsuit in new court filings containing images that appear to show she was smiling and 'comfortable' on set while rehearsing a 'rape' scene.

The recent cut in interest rates was meant to take the heat off the economy, bolster confidence for business and provide respite to homeowners.

It's the last thing hard-pressed homeowners need - a tax raid by a cash-hungry Chancellor that could hit those in the South and older people hardest.

Diddy's twin daughters were kicked off of a rollercoaster ride at the Orange County Fair after reportedly failing to follow a simple rule. The Daily Mail obtained footage of the dramatic moment.

The influencer, 18, was praised by viewers for her four-part show The Princess Diaries, where she offered insight into her 'chaotic' childhood.

Les sociétés Mana Ito et Mana Gaz, par la voix de leurs avocats, répondent au recours déposé par Gaz de Tahiti devant le tribunal de commerce pour concurrence déloyale. Alors que l’opérateur historique réclame plus de 107 millions de Fcfp de dommages et intérêts, ses adversaires défendent une concurrence « saine » qui fait baisser le prix du gaz et profite aux consommateurs polynésiens.

A leadership development programme designed to train the next generation of leaders for Chinese community groups, including clan associations, will receive funding support from the government. This follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement of a new training programme to «systematically nurture the next generation of community leaders».PM Wong made the announcement at the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 17).During his Mandarin speech, PM Wong paid tribute to the Chinese community for playing a «crucial role» — through their philanthropy, nurturing bilingual and bicultural talent for Singapore - in championing and fostering a strong Singaporean identity.Providing further details on the programme on Wednesday (Aug 20), National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said that participants of the programme will be nominated by Chinese community groups and selected by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA). The programme targets to develop about 100 active Chinese community leaders, in theirs 30s and 40s, over the next five years. 

SINGAPORE — People in Singapore will be alerted to emergencies on their mobile phones via a disaster alert system that will be progressively implemented in Singapore by early 2026.Law Minister Edwin Tong said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is currently working with local telco companies to set up the Cell Broadcast System.The system will enable authorities to quickly alert the public in the affected area of an incident and broadcast emergency messages directly to their mobile phones, he said on Aug 20 at the Asean Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management.“The messages will provide the public with very clear guidance on the protective measures which they can take.”Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, was addressing around 230 guests at the dialogue held at Grand Hyatt Singapore, including government officials, representatives from non-government organisations and professionals in disaster relief and management.

Local ride-hailing platform Grab has cited a «temporary system issue» that led to «abnormally high prices» being wrongly displayed on the app on Wednesday (Aug 20).At around noon, many users noticed unusually high fares for rides within the country.In a post on Complaint Singapore Facebook page today, a user shared a screenshot of how a 20-minute trip from Changi Airport T2 to Punggol would cost him $1,516.A quick check by AsiaOne showed that a short 10-minute drive from Boon Keng to Middle Road would have cost over $1,500.The outage on Grab's app lasted for a total of 17 minutes.In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from Grab said that the issue has been resolved and that the app is now functioning as usual.«We deeply regret the inconvenience caused,» the spokesperson said.Grab's system is designed to detect bookings with such abnormally high fees and typically blocks them. Grab is conducting checks to see if any rides went through, where affected users will be compensated.[[nid:716510]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

On Wednesday, August 27, President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and former President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will lock horns in a live televised debate at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe. The debate, organized by Democracy Milestone (DI)—a continental consortium of media, civil society and human […] The post New Presidential Debate Format: APM Vs Chakwera Stand-Off To Test Strength, Stamina And Substance appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.