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washington — President Joe Biden welcomed the reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces to the White House on Thursday, celebrating what he called a "banner year" for women's basketball. "It matters to girls and women, finally seeing themselves represented," Biden said during the celebration held in the East Room of the White House. "It matters to all Americans. That's why as a nation, we need to support women's sports." Both he and Vice President Kamala Harris were given the customary jerseys from the winning team. As he held his up, Biden yelled, "Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play!" In her own remarks, Harris praised the team for playing with "such joy" and being role models both on and off the basketball court. "You simply inspire people across our nation and around the world," Harris said. The Las Vegas Aces defeated the New York Liberty in the WNBA championship last October to win their second consecutive WNBA title. As he began his remarks, Biden made a not-so-veiled reference to his own reelection prospects, noting, "I kind of like that back-to-back stuff."

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johannesburg — What's the future of Artificial Intelligence in Africa? When that question is entered into the AI platform ChatGPT, it answers that it "holds immense potential for transformative impact across various sectors," notably health care, agriculture and education. Human experts tend to agree, and AI is fast becoming the latest frontier in U.S.-China competition on the continent. "To advance in AI research and innovation, African countries will need significant investments in computing infrastructure," said Chinasa T. Okolo, a Center for Technology Innovation fellow at The Brookings Institution. "The U.S. and China could potentially be good partners to help with such initiatives." In the coming years, researchers predict AI companies will run out of data in English and Western languages but that is not the case in Africa where much more data is still needed, Okolo said. "Thus, by investing in Africa, companies from AI superpowers like the U.S. and China stand to gain valuable data that they could use to build services and systems to be sold back to African countries," she said. South Africa's AI drive One country on the continent that is rapidly pursuing AI is South Africa. At a government summit on AI in April, Mondli Gungubele, the minister of communications and digital technologies, said, "The era of generative AI is just beginning, and as a country and a continent we cannot and must not allow ourselves to be left behind." South Africa has already established the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa, or AIISA, and it is rolling out "hubs" at universities across the country. It was created to ensure that the country's industries and sectors benefit from AI, said Hitekani Magwedze, spokesman for the ministry of communications and digital technologies. "Through the AIISA, we have now created AI hubs in manufacturing and services, farming and agriculture, automotive and transportation, and military and defense," with more sectors planned, Magwedze told VOA.  "South Africa has global partnerships with major countries such as U.S. and China in the G20 and BRICS," he said. "These leading countries see South Africa as a gateway into Africa and the developing countries agenda." Magewedze said AI can help with unemployment, inequality and poverty in the country. In May, Tshwane University of Technology will launch a new AI Career Tech Center in collaboration with U.S. tech giant, Intel. "The AI hubs across the country are partnering with strong partners from the international community to achieve the objectives of the AI institutes," said Anish Kurien, Acting Director of the university's AIISA hub. Earlier this month, South Africa's Department of Defense launched a Defense Artificial Intelligence Research Unit at the country's military academy. "There is a need for African solutions to African challenges, and AI is an enabling technology of the [Fourth Industrial Revolution] which will play a role in solving many of the social issues facing our beloved continent," Wayne Dalton, the deputy director of the new research unit, told VOA. When asked about U.S.-China involvement, Dalton said, "South Africa's AI strategy and goals are in their infancy" but "there will be plenty of opportunities for the U.S. and China to help us achieve these goals." The increased focus on AI in South Africa comes at a time when public opinion has increased for China and slightly decreased for the U.S., according to a new Gallup report released in April. Trends in public opinion may not necessarily apply to collaboration on the AI front, and African nations will partner with parties that can offer the most value, said Okolo. "While the U.S. government has provided substantial aid to African countries, China took a different approach by leading with infrastructure investments, which will increasingly become important as African countries aim to bolster their telecommunications and data infrastructure," she said. China and US interest The U.S. has already invested in AI in Africa. Silicon Valley giant Google opened its first AI lab in Ghana, while IBM has research facilities in Kenya and South Africa. At an American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit in Nairobi last month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced a partnership to enable U.S. companies to invest in AI and data centers in Kenya. Lisa Walker, managing director for Africa operations at Prosper Africa, a U.S. government trade initiative, told VOA the organization is advancing partnerships under U.S. President Joe Biden's Digital Transformation with Africa strategy. "Prosper Africa launched the Africa Tech for Trade Alliance in April of last year. Today, there are 24 private sector partners under this Alliance including industry leaders like Google, AWS, Intel, Cisco Systems, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, UPS, DHL, FedEx and others," she said. China also has taken an interest in AI in Africa. For over a decade, China has been investing in the continent's internet infrastructure and connectivity through President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. In April, a China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum was held in the China's southeastern coastal city of Xiamen and attended by representatives from some 20 African countries. "Africa is an important participant in scientific and technological progress. The development and application of AI is of great significance to the developing countries, including China and African countries," Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA. As for U.S.-China competition in AI, Liu said, "China is willing to carry out communication, exchanges and practical cooperation with all parties, including Africa and the United States, on AI global governance to ensure that AI always develops in the direction of human civilization and progress." During their meeting in San Francisco last year and a recent phone call, Liu said, Chinese and U.S. leaders agreed to promote cooperation in the field of AI. Liu added that the two sides will soon hold the first intergovernmental dialogue on AI. Prosper Africa's Walker had a different take when asked about U.S.-China competition, saying U.S. companies had "incomparable brand value." "It's the focus on mutual growth, local job creation and shared prosperity that continues to set American tech companies apart from international competitors," she said. However, Brookings Institution fellow Okolo is more pessimistic about U.S.-China involvement in Africa. "While I've seen rising interest in Africa from the U.S. and China, I believe it's honestly hard to say how well these countries are interested in specifically working with African countries to advance AI innovation," said Okolo. "While American and Chinese researchers often collaborate with each other in academic AI research, these countries themselves are vying to be leaders within the 'AI race.'" According to the recently released AI Index Report from Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, the U.S. was the leading source of top computer programs known as AI models last year, with 61 compared to China's 15. However, it found that China led globally in terms of AI patents with 61.1%, while the U.S. accounted for only 20%.

While both the Biden and Trump campaigns share their messaging on abortion, VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports on how the issue of reproductive rights is faring in the minds of citizens and lawmakers ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Tensions rise as the Israeli military makes a move into Rafah, while negotiations for a ceasefire hang in the balance. University protests across the U.S. are gaining momentum, with politicians racing to connect with the youth vote and make sense of the unrest. This week on The Inside Story...Gaza War: Widening Crisis.

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On April 29, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a new rule aimed at protecting workers on temporary H-2A visas and strengthening the agency’s oversight of their employers. The rule is set to go into effect on June 28, with a two-month subsequent grace period. The H-2A program allows migrant laborers to work in temporary […]

The post Biden’s New H-2A Rule Expands Protections and Increases Oversight for Migrant Workers appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits Turkey on May 13 for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The leaders hope to ease tensions that have brought the two NATO members close to armed confrontation several times in recent years. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. Camera: Berke Bas.

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jerusalem — Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed responsibility for two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage. Meanwhile, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader again threatened that Tehran could build a nuclear weapon if it chose to pursue atomic armaments.  The comments by Yemeni military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree and former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi come as the allies of Hamas continue to pressure Israel over its continuing war on the militant group in the Gaza Strip.  The Houthis insist their assaults on shipping through the crucial waterway leading to the Suez Canal and onward to the Mediterranean Sea will continue as long as the war goes on. Meanwhile, Iran launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid the war, bringing a yearslong shadow conflict between the two nations out into the light.  In a prerecorded statement, Saree claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a U.S.-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday.  "Neither were hit and all crew on board are safe," the center said. "The vessels were last reported proceeding to next port of call."  The center added that the vessels were "likely targeted due to perceived Israeli affiliation."  Both vessels were operating for Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there, according to local health officials. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.  The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.  Meanwhile Thursday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency carried the comments made by Kharrazi, a former foreign minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami.  Speaking to the Al Jazeera news network in an interview that appeared not to have been immediately aired, Kharrazi elaborated on an atomic bomb threat he made to the channel back in 2022 amid tensions with the West over Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.  "If Iran's existence is threatened, we will have to change our nuclear doctrine," Kharrazi said, according to IRNA. "Recently, the military officials also announced that if Israel wants to attack nuclear facilities, it is possible and imaginable to revise Iran's nuclear doctrine and policies and divert from the previous declaration considerations."  Tensions have grown between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehran's nuclear deal. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity — near weapons-grade levels of 90%.  Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and Israel have hit a new high. Tehran launched a drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month after Israel's apparent attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed two Iranian generals and others.  The Iranian city of Isfahan then apparently came under Israeli fire in recent weeks, despite being surrounded by sensitive nuclear sites. 

KUALA LUMPUR — A U.S. treasury official warned of environmental risks from illicit transfers of Iranian oil off Malaysia, news portal Malaysiakini reported on Thursday, as the United States narrows its focus on financing for militant groups routed through Southeast Asia.  The United States sees Iran's capacity to move its oil as being reliant on service providers based in Malaysia, a senior U.S. treasury official said this week.  The official also said the U.S. was attempting to prevent Malaysia from becoming a jurisdiction where the Palestinian militant group Hamas could raise and transfer funds.  Brian Nelson, U.S. Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said one of the main ways Iran raised money was through the sale of illicit oil to buyers in East Asia, Malaysiakini reported.   "Many of these shipments traverse the waters around Malaysia and are loaded onto vessels of questionable legitimacy that may also pose major environmental and safety risks," he was reported as saying.  Nelson expressed concern for any parties providing "ship-to-ship" transfers of illicit oil as such maneuvers could lead to accidents or oil spills that could threaten Malaysia's coasts.   The U.S. Treasury has also seen an uptick in attempts by Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, to raise and move money in Southeast Asia, Nelson added.   He urged those who wish to support humanitarian assistance to Gaza to donate to reputable charities to ensure the funds were not diverted elsewhere.  Nelson and Neil MacBride, Treasury general counsel, are on a visit to Singapore and Malaysia this week to advance efforts in countering financing and revenue generation by Iran and its proxies.   The office of Malaysia's prime minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  But Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he conveyed the country's stance regarding sanctions to Nelson during a meeting on Thursday. Saifuddin said Malaysia would comply with United Nations sanctions but would not recognize unilaterally applied sanctions.   He told reporters he also informed Nelson that Malaysia had investigated and taken action against an organization with suspected links to Palestinians. He did not name the organization.

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WASHINGTON — North Macedonia elected its first woman president Wednesday as the ruling Social Democratic Union of Macedonia suffered historic losses in presidential and parliamentary elections. With nearly all the votes counted, university professor Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the presidential candidate of the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE opposition party, won nearly 65% of the vote, with incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski winning 29%, according to the country’s State Election Commission. In the parliamentary contest, the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition Your Macedonia won 43% of the votes, giving it 58 of the parliament’s 120 seats, just short of a majority. Although it was uncertain on election day whether the 40% turnout threshold for the presidential election would be reached, due to calls for a boycott, the State Election Commission reported that turnout exceeded 46%. In her first post-election public address, President-elect Siljanovska-Davkova promised to “act as the president of all citizens, of all ethnic groups, of party members, of those who are not in parties, because a president, especially not if she is a woman, cannot unite and search for unity if he sticks to party lines.” VMRO-DPMNE party head Hristijan Mickoski called the election results a “historic victory for North Macedonia and the people of Macedonia,” adding that the ruling Social Democratic Union, or SDSM, lost because of "crime, corruption, incompetence, false values, the confiscated state, tenders, nepotism and a hundred other consequences that made the state suffer and the people disappointed." SDSM officials have repeatedly rejected these criticisms. SDSM head Dimitar Kovacevski congratulated the victors Wednesday while telling reporters that his party’s loss was “disappointing” and “a heavy blow.” EU and NATO considerations The country agreed to change its name from the Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia in 2019 following a decadeslong dispute with Greece over the designation. In a 2018 referendum, voters in North Macedonia approved an agreement with Greece that included changing the country’s name in order to clear the way for its European Union and NATO accession. However, turnout for the referendum was less than the 50% threshold required to validate the results, leaving parliament to approve the change. Mickoski has refused to acknowledge the country’s name change and the 2018 agreement with Greece. The opposition also supports standing firm in ongoing linguistic and historical disputes with neighboring Bulgaria, an EU member that has blocked North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations. EU membership negotiations with North Macedonia — and fellow-candidate Albania — began in 2022, and the process is expected to take years. Commenting Wednesday on North Macedonia’s elections and their potential effect on the country’s EU accession bid, Deputy U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Gabriel Escobar said, “I am confident and hope that regardless of the elections in North Macedonia, the road to Europe will continue.” On Tuesday, European Commission spokesperson Ana Pisonero told reporters in Brussels that “North Macedonia has committed itself to constitutional changes and, from our perspective, we believe that all political forces will focus on progress in the EU integration process." Pisonero added: “The European Council has clearly stated what the expectations are and we, for our part, fully support the perspective of North Macedonia's membership in the EU, and we hope that we will be able to open the negotiation process as soon as possible." Corruption is an issue The European Commission reported in November that corruption, another hot-button issue, “remains prevalent in many areas” of North Macedonia. In December, U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia Angela Aggeler said there was “an epidemic of corruption in this country that has affected every sector, every organization, and only by exposing the corrupt actors can we begin to help the country address these issues.” The VMRO-DPMNE has accused the SDSM and its junior coalition partner, the Democratic Union for Integration, the third-largest political party and largest ethnic Albanian political party, of causing a “corruption pandemic.” Wednesday was the third time that Macedonian citizens in the U.S. and elsewhere outside North Macedonia voted in the country’s presidential elections. According to the State Election Commission, more than 2,300 domestic and international observers monitored the voting.

 Washington    — Media mogul Jimmy Lai's trial for "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" and "conspiracy to publish incitement" is set to drag on longer than the 80 days initially planned. As of Thursday, the 73rd day of the trial, only six of 14 scheduled witnesses had testified.    Lai, the 76-year-old founder of Hong Kong's Next Media and three companies owned by Apple Daily, which has been out of operation for nearly three years, was charged under the Hong Kong version of China’s national security law.   Lai and his newspaper supported Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy movement, which the controversial law has been used to crush.   If found guilty, he could be sentenced to life in prison. Lai, who is also a British citizen, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.    The trial, conducted by three judges designated under the national security law, began December 18, three years after Lai was arrested, and has been slower than expected.  During cross-examination by the defense this week, Chan Tsz-wah, who was charged along with Lai but is now a witness for the prosecution, admitted he gave false statements to officers during interviews with police in October 2020, saying he was trying to distance himself from Lai and his personal assistant.  Legal experts say the admission will make all sides view Chan’s testimony with caution, which could stretch out his questioning time.    "So generally speaking, even if the court listens to and accepts his testimony, how much weight it will give his words is another matter," Hong Kong lawyer Frankie Siu told VOA.  Siu noted the trial is also slow because it is in English, while witness testimony is in Cantonese and has to be interpreted.    Chung Kim Wah, former assistant professor in the Department of Applied Social Science at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told VOA the prosecutor may also be trying to bolster the government’s charges through a lengthy trial.    "And through the statements of several accomplice witnesses, especially one or two of them, they hope to create the image that Jimmy Lai premeditated and colluded with the United States."  Rights groups and U.S. officials have condemned the trial as politically motivated.    In April, two U.S. lawmakers proposed a bill to rename the street and mailing address for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Hong Kong’s de facto embassy in Washington) to "Jimmy Lai Way" to honor the jailed media entrepreneur.  Lai’s case is the first in Hong Kong of "colluding with foreign forces" since Beijing enacted Hong Kong's national security law in 2020.  Beijing says the security law is needed to maintain stability, but has used it to arrest, jail and try hundreds of pro-democracy activists, stifling Hong Kong’s once vibrant civil society.  In March, Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously and quickly approved their own sweeping national security law known as Basic Law Article 23, strengthening the government's ability to silence dissent.  VOA’s Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

CAIRO — A leading rights group said on Thursday that attacks by Sudanese paramilitary forces and their allied militias, which killed thousands in the western region of Darfur last year, constituted a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the area's non-Arab population. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has been fighting Sudan's military for over a year, allied with armed militias to carry out attacks against the ethnic Masalit and other non-Arab groups in El Geneina, the capital city of West Darfur state, Human Rights Watch said in a new report. Sudan has been rocked by violence since mid-April 2023, when tensions between the military and the rival paramilitary erupted into open fighting. Clashes quickly spread to other parts of the country, and Darfur was engulfed in brutal attacks on African civilians, especially the Masalit tribe. According to the New York-based watchdog, the paramilitary forces and their allied militiamen targeted predominantly Masalit neighborhoods in El Geneina from April to June 2023, with attacks intensifying last November. At least thousands of people were killed, and hundreds of thousands were displaced during the attacks, according to the report, titled "The Massalit Will Not Come Home: Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in El Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan." Masalit who were captured were tortured, women and girls were raped and entire neighborhoods were looted and destroyed, the report says. HRW said it interviewed more than 220 people who fled Darfur into neighboring countries and analyzed photos, videos and satellite imagery connected to the attacks. United Nations experts have estimated that at least 10,000 people were killed in the city of El Geneina in 2023. More than 570,000 people, mostly Masalit, were displaced and sought refuge in neighboring Chad. Human Rights Watch said the campaign of attacks on the non-Arab people in Darfur, including the Masalit, with the "apparent objective" of pushing them out, "constitutes ethnic cleansing." "Governments, the African Union, and the United Nations need to act now to protect civilians," Tirana Hassan, HRW's executive director, said Thursday. "The global inaction in the face of atrocities of this magnitude is inexcusable," Hassan said. "Government should ensure those responsible are held to account." The group called for the United Nations, African Union and states from the International Criminal Court to investigate whether the atrocities documented in the report reveal a specific intent by the RSF paramilitary and armed allies "to commit genocide" by destroying the Masalit and other non-Arab groups in West Darfur. The media office of the Rapid Support Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press. In late January, the International Criminal Court's prosecutor, Karim Khan, said there are grounds to believe both the RSF and the Sudanese military may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Darfur. Two decades ago, Darfur became synonymous with genocide and war crimes, particularly by the notorious Janjaweed Arab militias, against populations that identify as Central or East African. The Rapid Support Forces were formed from Janjaweed fighters by former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for three decades before being overthrown during a popular uprising in 2019. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and other crimes during the conflict in Darfur in the 2000s.

harare, zimbabwe — Zimbabwe's prosecutor general — the former head of the country’s anti-corruption commission — says corruption is costing the country nearly $2 billion annually, devastating the economy and ordinary citizens. It is the first time a senior Zimbabwean official has made such an accusation publicly. Revelations this week by Loice Matanda-Moyo that billions of dollars are leaving Zimbabwe through illicit deals have contradicted the narrative of other government officials. They have often blamed economic challenges on targeted sanctions over election-rigging and human rights abuses. At a training workshop for government officials in Harare Tuesday, Matanda-Moyo called for immediate action. She said corruption remains one of the barricades to resuscitating Zimbabwe’s economy and estimated the country is losing $1.8 billion a year due to corruption. “That is a huge sum of money, and you can imagine what $1.8 billion could do,” Matanda-Moyo said. “Such illicit financial flows are unacceptable and bleed the economy of revenue meant to promote sustainable economic development and the betterment of all Zimbabweans. It is time that we eradicate corruption in Zimbabwe and recover stolen assets.” No one from the government has responded to her accusations. Economist Gift Mugano said Zimbabwe’s annual revenue losses to corruption are too much, adding that even the World Bank has never allocated that much to Zimbabwe within a one-year period. Mugano said $1.8 billion is a low estimate. “Remember $1.8 billion is just illicit financial flows leaving the country,” Mugano said. “We also have a larger chunk of internal corruption which averages around $1 billion every year — which is reported by the auditor general every year. If you then add those two numbers, you are then moving close to $3 billion, which is currently half of our budget which we are wasting.” VOA reached out to Zimbabwe’s Anti-Corruption Commission with questions, but has received no response. John Maketo is program director at the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development, a non-profit organization that fights for socio-economic justice. He said a moribund economy, inadequate regulatory oversight and legislative loopholes create a breeding ground for corruption. “The fact that we have a whole anti-corruption commission is not enough,” he said. “The commission must be supported with strong and sound systems in terms of prosecution of corruption cases. “We also need to have other support systems, starting with political will at the highest level to the lowest level of political governance, even the judiciary system, being tough on passing deterrent sentences on people that are charged with corruption.” Maketo said it is frustrating to see criminal cases launched by the anti-corruption commission “going nowhere.” Citizens, he said, can only imagine how much their communities could benefit from stanching those losses. “There is a whole system that needs to be propped up to reduce leakages,” he said. “You want to picture how much $1.8 billion can do, in terms of improving education service delivery, improving remuneration to teachers — how many rural teacher houses can be built, how many rural district clinics can be built using $1.8 billion?” Since coming to power in 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised to deal with corruption. Mnangagwa, however, has faced criticism for the government’s alleged system of arresting but then acquitting suspects with connections to the president. Some citizens say the system is known as catch and release. Paul Westwood was born in Zambia but made his home in Zimbabwe for a number of years before leaving the country. He has criticized the Zimbabwean government’s approach to corruption. “The issue I have with corruption is [it’s] not taken seriously,” he said. “It's so deep rooted. It's so hard to end the corruption because everybody's benefiting. The issue I have about corruption is nothing's going to get done internally until when?” Westwood said the current administration, as well as the previous government of the late President Robert Mugabe, ignored a businessman whom Westwood accused of corruptly taking over property Westwood owned. Westwood, who said he has British citizenship, left the country for the United Kingdom after that.

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WASHINGTON — The Somali government has asked the U.N. Security Council to terminate the U.N. political mission in Somalia that has been helping the war-torn African country since 2013.  News about a letter requesting the departure of the 360-member United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) when its mandate expires in October has been circulating through social media for about a day. The news also temporarily appeared on the website of the Somali National News Agency before the content was removed.  Government officials who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media confirmed the existence of the request to VOA.  Ahmed Isse Awad, Somalia's former foreign minister and former ambassador to the U.S., said the mission is still vital to Somalia and the decision to terminate is untimely.  “The U.N. political mission has advised and supported Somalia on governance, peacebuilding, security reforms and democracy for over a decade, and I think it is still vital for strengthening the capacity of the government institutions. I think it is not the time to terminate it,” he said.  The government’s request to end the mission comes at a time a U.N.-mandated African Union safekeeping mission, currently comprising at least 10,000 soldiers known as ATMIS, is due to withdraw and hand the country’s security over to the Somali state by the end of this year.  VOA’s calls to Somalia’s foreign and information ministries went unanswered.  According to the United Nations, UNSOM was established in 2013 by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2102 to advise the federal government of Somalia and the African Union Mission in Somalia on policy and peacebuilding.    The UNSOM mandate was subsequently renewed by Security Council resolutions more than 15 times. The current Resolution 2710, approved in 2023, expires in October.