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Japan and Australia said they are not planning to send naval vessels to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump called on allies to help reopen the vital waterway amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Trump, arguing that countries dependent on Gulf oil have a responsibility to protect the corridor through which about 20 percent of the world’s energy flows, said his administration has contacted seven nations to form a maritime coalition. He did not identify them, though over the weekend…

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian couple and their two young children in the town of Tammun in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said Saturday, as violence flared across the territory and in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry said four members of one family — a 37-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and two boys ages 5 and 7 — arrived at the Turkish Public Hospital in Tubas with gunshot wounds after troops opened fire on their vehicle. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams recovered the…

Puntland State forces clear Bosaso–Qardho highway after soldiers’ pay protest; at least one wounded BOSASO, Somalia — Puntland State security forces on Saturday dispersed soldiers protesting unpaid wages and reopened a key highway linking Bosaso and Qardho, ending a blockade that had halted traffic and stranded motorists for nearly a day. At least one protester was injured in a brief confrontation, authorities and preliminary reports said. The soldiers had sealed off the strategic route on Friday, choking movement on one of…

Sunday, March 15, 2026 BAIDOA, Somalia (AX) — Armed fighters aligned with opposition figures and clan leaders clashed Saturday with Southwest state security forces in the Qansahdhere district of Bay region, residents said, reporting hours of heavy gunfire and a tense, fast-moving situation. Local sources said both heavy and light weapons were used as the confrontation unfolded from early in the day and continued for several hours. Casualties were reported on both sides, though precise figures could not be independently…

North Western State of Somalia Coast Guard warns holiday travelers: Only it can designate safe swimming zones Hargeisa (AX) — The commander of the North Western State of Somalia Coast Guard urged holidaymakers on Saturday to follow official safety guidance as thousands prepare to flock to Berbera and other coastal towns during Eid and public holidays, warning that only the Coast Guard has legal authority to designate safe areas for swimming. “Anyone who wants to know safe areas for swimming should consult the Coast Guard,”…

Taiwan reports return of large-scale Chinese air force activity after two-week lull TAIPEI — Taiwan on Sunday said Chinese military flights around the island have resumed at scale after an unexplained pause of more than two weeks, with 26 People’s Liberation Army aircraft detected in the previous 24 hours, the defense ministry reported. The sorties — concentrated in the Taiwan Strait — mark the largest single-day tally since Feb. 25, when Taipei tracked 30 aircraft as Beijing carried out what it called a “joint combat…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government has rejected claims that Chinese fishing vessels are operating illegally in its waters, insisting the ships hold valid licenses and comply with Somali law and international maritime rules. The Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy framed the arrangement as part of a longstanding partnership with Beijing and said licensed activity falls within Somalia’s maritime governance framework. “All licensed vessels operate legally under official permits issued by the Federal Government of…

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said Sunday he has left the country after spending two months in hiding, accusing President Yoweri Museveni’s government of targeting him and his allies in the wake of January’s disputed election. In a five-minute video posted on X, formerly Twitter, Wine said he had traveled abroad for “critical engagements” and to mobilize international pressure, including targeted sanctions, against Museveni’s administration. He repeated his claim to have won the presidential vote, which Uganda’s…

MOGADISHU (AX) — The Banadir Regional Administration will allocate $288,000 this year to strengthen education services and support the construction of new public schools in Mogadishu, Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein, known as Muungaab, announced Sunday, marking a renewed push to expand access to free public education in the capital. The funding, approved for the current school year, is expected to rise in subsequent years as the city advances a wider plan to improve public schooling. “I recently signed nearly three hundred…

Gas prices, that unforgiving economic billboard on every American street corner, have turned against the White House. Two weeks after President Donald Trump touted falling costs at the pump in his State of the Union address, the national average climbed to $3.60 per gallon — up 23% in a month — and his approval rating on the economy hit a new low. For a presidency built on the promise of putting more money in people’s pockets, the glow from those red digits is politically scorching. Few in Washington understand the power of…