Turkmenistan, Somalia, Bahrain.

Today's three stories you should know.

Turkmenistan

Surprise in Turkmenistan today as the government announced that authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is to step down and a snap election will be held next month. Berdymukhamedov, in power since 2006 and never convincingly democratically elected, said in a statement that he wants to hand the reins over to a younger generation. The catch? Most people think he’s referring to his son.

More from Euronews here.

Somalia

Somalia, and the wider Horn of Africa region, is going through its worst drought crisis for more than a decade. The World Food Programme has warned that 13 million people in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia face severe hunger in the coming months without immediate help. The Associated Press News agency today filed a report from Somalia, in which it spoke to families fleeing towards the capital Mogadishu.

More from AP here.

Bahrain

Bahrain today confirmed that an Israeli navy official is to be based in the Gulf nation, which will mark the first time an Israeli military officer has ever been based in an Arab nation. Bahrain was among four Arab countries, alongside the UAE, Sudan and Morocco, that signed US-sponsored deals to normalize relations with Israel in 2020.

More from the Jerusalem Post here.