Iran Vows Fierce Retaliation if U.S. Targets New Supreme Leader

Iran warns U.S. of ‘severe retaliation’ if it targets new supreme leader TEHRAN — Iran’s ambassador to Russia warned the United States that any move to target the country’s new supreme leader would invite “severe retaliation,” as hostilities among Iran, the U.S. and Israel entered a second week amid mounting casualties and regional disruption. Ambassador Kazem Jalali told Russia’s Sputnik news agency that Iranians demand revenge and that Washington would face severe consequences if it strikes at Tehran’s leadership. Iran…

Somalia and U.S. State of West Virginia Sign Minerals Cooperation Deal

Saturday March 14, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. state of West Virginia to develop the country’s critical mineral resources, officials said. The agreement, signed by Somalia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Dahir Shire Mohamed and West Virginia Senate Secretary Kris Warner, sets a framework for cooperation in the exploration, extraction and processing of minerals. Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama led Somalia’s delegation.…

Berbera Livestock Vessel Sinks Off Yemen Near the Bab al-Mandab Strait

Hargeisa, North Western State of Somalia — A cargo vessel carrying hundreds of livestock from North Western State of Somalia sank Friday off Yemen’s southern coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising urgent questions over the fate of its seven crew members and renewed concerns about the safety of the regional maritime livestock trade. The wooden vessel, which departed the Port of Berbera, went down near Ras al-Ara in Yemen’s Lahj province, according to local sources. It was reportedly transporting about 400 sheep and 150…

Somalia warns Israel against military base plans in North Western State of Somalia

Somalia warned Thursday that its territory cannot be used for foreign military operations, pushing back against reports that Israel is exploring an installation in North Western State of Somalia, the self-governing region across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. “Somalia does not want to see its territory pulled into external confrontations or used in ways that could further destabilise an already sensitive region,” Ali Omar, Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, told Al Jazeera. The statement followed reports by…

Chinese national arrested attempting to smuggle 2,000 queen ants out of Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan authorities have arrested a Chinese national at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on suspicion of attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen garden ants out of the country, in a case underscoring the growing global trade in exotic insects. Airport security intercepted the traveler, identified in court as Zhang Kequn, during screening as he prepared to fly to China. Prosecutors said Zhang is linked to an ant-trafficking network that was disrupted in Kenya last year; he has not responded…

U.S. military not ready to escort oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz, official says

Friday March 13, 2026 Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates on March 11, 2026 The U.S. military is “not ready” to escort oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday, as Iran keeps the strategic waterway largely shut and global oil prices whipsaw. Wright told CNBC that the market shock is a “short-term disruption,” predicting the war would last “weeks, not months.” He cast the current squeeze as “short-term…

Erdogan vows Turkey will steer clear of Mideast war after Iranian missile interception

Erdogan vows to keep Turkey out of regional war as Ankara says it intercepted Iranian missile ANKARA, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Friday that Turkey will not be drawn into the escalating conflict between a U.S.-Israeli alliance and Iran, even as Ankara said it intercepted another Iranian missile that entered Turkish airspace. Speaking at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner, Erdogan disclosed that Turkish defense systems had downed a third Iranian ballistic missile crossing into the country’s airspace. He said…

U.S. aircraft carrier fire injures sailors during Iran conflict support operations

Fire aboard USS Gerald R. Ford injures two; carrier remains operational in Red Sea RED SEA — Two U.S. sailors sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire broke out Thursday aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy said, adding the ship remains fully mission capable as it continues operations in the Red Sea. In a statement, the Navy said the blaze started and was contained in the Ford’s main laundry facility and was not combat-related. The sailors were treated and are in stable condition. “There…

Arab League Welcomes Somali Parliament’s Adoption of Revised Constitution

Arab League hails Somalia’s revised constitution as ‘historic milestone’ despite opposition backlash MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Arab League on Friday welcomed Somalia’s adoption of a revised federal constitution, calling it a historic step in the country’s state-building and a boost to political stability, even as domestic opponents questioned the process and timing. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, said the Somali Parliament’s approval of the new charter and its entry into force complete a…

How a Business Model Quietly Undermines Its Own Sustainability

Somali traders dominate entire swaths of commerce across East and Central Africa—fuel distribution, cross-border transportation, cement imports and wholesale food supply. Their shops are busy, warehouses stacked high, and trucks constantly on the move. Yet beneath this visible dynamism lies a quieter, more consequential truth: a set of habits that quietly erode margins, breed fragile businesses, and undermine the very institutions entrepreneurs depend on. At its core, the Somali trading model thrives on speed, trust networks…