Somali and world news

US President Barack Obama has lashed out at Republican senators for undermining his administration’s efforts in nuclear negotiations with Iran. "I think it's somewhat ironic to see some members for Congress wanting to make common cause with the hardliners in Iran. It's an unusual coalition," Obama said Monday. The US president made the comments during a meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk. On Monday, a group of 47 Republican senators wrote an open letter to Iran, warning that the outcome of the nuclear talks would not be acceptable without Congress approval and could be revoked when Obama leaves the White House in 2017. The letter said a potential nuclear agreement with Iran would be a “mere executive agreement” that could be revoked “with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.” President Obama, however, said that he is confident that a potential deal would be implemented. &quo

Hundreds likely injured after massive explosion at fertiliser plant near Waco, Texas. An explosion at a fertilizer plant has left the factory in ruins, causing major damage to nearby buildings, injuring numerous people. A dispatcher with the West, Texas Fire Department said the explosion happened on Wednesday night at a fertiliser plant in the community north of Waco. She said any casualties would be taken to hospitals in Waco. There was no immediate reports from officials about fatalities or the severity of the explosion, as Texas Gov. Rick Perry said state officials were also waiting for details about the extent of the damage. "We are monitoring developments and gathering information as details continue to emerge about this incident,'' Perry said in a statement. "We have also mobilized state resources to help local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene.'' Gayle Scarbrough, a sp

President Bashar al-Assad accused the West on Wednesday of supporting al Qaeda militants in Syria's civil war and warned they would turn against their backers and strike "in the heart of Europe and the United States". Assad also launched his strongest criticism yet of neighboring Jordan for allowing thousands of fighters to cross the border to join a conflict he insisted his forces would win and save Syria from destruction. "We have no choice but victory. If we don't win, Syria will be finished and I don't think this is a choice for any citizen in Syria," the defiant president said in a television interview. Assad's forces have been fighting back across the country against rebels who have taken control of much of rural Syria and seized a provincial capital in March for the first time in two years of fighting. The conflict started with mainly peaceful demonstrations but descended into a civil war in which the United Nations says at least 7

Moscow, Dad tiradooda lagu qiyaasay Kun qof ayaa la sheegay in dhaawac ka soo gaaray dhagaxaan olalaya oo iyagoo sida kubada u duuban, xawaare sida gantaalada oo kale ahna ku socda ku habsaday jimcihii shalay dhinaca bari ee gobolka Ural ee dalka Ruushka. Sida ay ku warameen wakaaladaha wararka dunida, waxa gobolka Ural ee dalka Ruushka Jimcihii shalay, ku habsaday dhagaxyo hawada sare ka soo dhacay, kuwaas oo sida gantaalka u socday iyaga oo olalayana laga arkayay cirka ka hor intii aanay ku habsan degaankaas ee aanay sababin dhaawaca iyo khasaaraha tirada badan. Dadka ku wax yeeloobay ayaa la sheegay in badankoodu ay ku dhaawacmeen daaqadaha guryaha oo markii ay burbureen, ku soo firaray, waxaana burbur wayni soo gaaray guryaha degaankaas oo markii dhagaxaas olalayay uu ku habsaday degaankaas sida dhul gariirka oo kale ugu burburay ama ugu dumay. Dadka ku dhaawacmay shilkaan ayaa badankoodu arkayay oo daawanayay markii dhagxaantaas oo sida kubad wayn oo kale ahi cirka ka soo

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Cairo, marking the first visit to Egypt by an Iranian president since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Ahmadinejad flew into the capital, Cairo, to attend a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC), which begins on Wednesday. Al Jazeera's Rawyah Rageh reports from Cairo.

The Somali President is in Europe, where he's trying to persuade leaders to invest in his country. Among the issues he hopes to address is the state of the Horn of Africa nation's judiciary. Speaking to Al Jazeera from London, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president, said though his government "is the only government that has proven" it is dedicated to improving the lives of women in the nation, he will not directly interfere in an ongoing court case a woman allegedly gang-raped by soldiers and the journalist who conducted an interview with her about the sexual abuse.

Activists call to reenvision Canada's relations with its indigenous people. Canada's colonial reality is now in the spotlight, as Idle No More protests voice the struggles of indigenous people against sustained political and economic oppression. Thousands are joining historic actions to call for fundamental changes in Canada's relations to aboriginal people. Central to Idle No More are longstanding indigenous demands for justice around land rights, economic resources and self-determination that rest at the heart of both Canada's history and future. Winter hunger strike Idle No More protests first took place across Canada to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012. Early the next morning Chief Theresa Spence, from Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario, began a hunger strike in a tepee on Victoria Island, just minutes away from Canada's Parliament in Ottawa.   After surviving on only broth and medicinal tea for over six we

At least four people have been killed by deadly floodwaters, and thousands of homes and businesses flooded by torrential rain, along Australia's east coast since the weekend. Floodwaters swept down the coast on Tuesday, with Queensland's state capital Brisbane bracing for its river to peak as other towns waited anxiously to see just how high the water would rise.

French and Malian soldiers have captured Timbuktu airport as they continue to re-take territory from al-Qaeda-linked rebels in Northern Mali. On Saturday, they claimed the city of Gao.   Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland is with the troops and sent this update from the airport.

At least 245 people have been killed and 200 others injured in a nightclub fire caused by a pyrotechnics show in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria. It happened at the Kiss nigtclub in the southern town. Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo reports from Fortaleza in Brazil.

From all walks of life and all parts of France protesters marched in Paris to demand the introuction of gay marriage. The demonstration is in response to a huge march two weeks ago by opponents of the new law. There's a sense from the protesters that they want to remind the government of Francois Hollande of its committment to deliver gay marriage. Al Jazeera's Simon McGregor-Wood reports from Paris.

USA; Newtown shootings stir gun control debate (Video)

Kenya has ordered all refugees in the country to one of two refugee camps in, Dadaab and Kakuma, and has halted the registration of all other refugees in the country. The move comes after intelligence information surfaced that armed Somali group, al-Shabab has been offering a bounty for the killing of security officials in the country - as well as a rise in a spate of attacks in major cities of the country. This drastic move is hoped to curb the attacks but it will also place greater strain of the refugee camps, which are already over capacity with more than 500,000 people in Dadaab. Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Nairobi.

After Egypt's president rescinded decrees, former advisers have been left wondering how Morsi makes decisions. In the past week, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has rescinded two controversial decrees he made after coming under pressure from the opposition and from within his own political party, raising worries among former advisers about the president's decision-making process. The first edict was a constitutional declaration issued on November 22 that gave Morsi sweeping powers and forbade the courts from striking down his decisions. The decree divided the country, sparked huge public protests, and led several Morsi advisers to resign in protest. The second decision, issued on December 9, would have increased taxes. It was rejected by Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party just hours after it was published, out of fear it would upset voters ahead of Saturday's referendum on a new constitution. Morsi rescinded the decree the same day. Since taking office in late Ju

HSBC Holdings Plc agreed to pay a record $1.92 billion in fines to U.S. authorities for allowing itself to be used to launder a river of drug money flowing out of Mexico and other banking lapses. Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and Colombia's Norte del Valle cartel between them laundered $881 million through HSBC and a Mexican unit, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. In a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department, the bank acknowledged it failed to maintain an effective program against money laundering and failed to conduct basic due diligence on some of its account holders. Under the agreement, which was reported by Reuters last week, the bank agreed to take steps to fix the problems, forfeit $1.256 billion, and retain a compliance monitor. The bank also agreed to pay $665 million in civil penalties to regulators including to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, and the Treasury Department. "We accept responsibility

Egypt's army chief will host national unity talks on Wednesday, seeking to end a growing political and economic crisis in the Arab world's most populous nation. The meeting scheduled for 1430 GMT was called in response to a wave of protests since President Mohamed Mursi awarded himself sweeping powers on November 22 to push through a new constitution shaped by his Islamist allies, which is due to go to a referendum on Saturday. "We will not speak about politics nor about the referendum. Tomorrow we will sit together as Egyptians," armed forces chief and Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said at a gathering of army and police officials on Tuesday. Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled him to power in a June election, were expected to attend, while the main opposition coalition said it would decide on Wednesday morning whether to participate. The opposition stayed away from an earlier reconciliation meeting called by Mursi last weekend. The judici

Colleen LaRose answered the door of her duplex near Philadelphia to find an FBI agent standing on the porch. He had questions about her interest in Islamic websites. For LaRose, whose online name was Jihad Jane, it was the second time the FBI had questioned her that summer. Weeks earlier, she'd spoken with an agent by phone and offered a series of lame lies: She had denied any interest in jihadist forums, denied wiring money overseas, denied that she went by Jihad Jane. This time, on August 21, 2009, LaRose lied less. Yes, she visited Muslims websites, she said. As a recent convert to Islam, she wanted to learn as much as possible. Yeah, she said, maybe her political views had angered others online. But she denied raising money for al-Qaeda or having any connection with extremists. Lying to the FBI is a crime, the agent told her. OK, she said. Then he asked if she planned to travel to Holland. She was thinking about it, she told the agent, but there had been a death in t

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has cancelled a decree that gave him sweeping powers and sparked violent unrest but did not delay this month's referendum on a new constitution that was a major demand of his opponents. Islamist supporters of Mursi have insisted the referendum should go ahead on time on December 15, saying it is needed to complete a democratic transition still incomplete after autocrat Hosni Mubarak's overthrow 22 months ago. Ahmed Said, a leading member of the main opposition National Salvation Front said the decision to press ahead with the referendum was "shocking" and would deepen a political crisis. "It is making things a lot worse," Said, head of the liberal Free Egyptians Party, told Reuters. "I cannot imagine that after all this they want to pass a constitution that does not represent all Egyptians." He said the Front would meet later on Sunday to give a formal response. The announcement that Mursi had scrapped his No