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Sunday April 12, 2026 Pakistan has made its first public military gesture under a newly signed defence pact with Saudi Arabia, sending fighter jets to the kingdom while it simultaneously helps broker ceasefire talks meant to halt weeks of regional conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. The aircraft, a mix of fighter and support jets, arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province on Saturday, according to the Saudi Ministry of Defence. The deployment took place under a collective defence agreement…

Thursday April 9, 2026 Rescuers stand amid rubble at the site of an Israeli strike in Tyre, Lebanon, on April 8 President Donald Trump said Lebanon was left out of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, a position that directly undercut Pakistan’s claim that it had helped secure a truce covering the wider region. The comment came after Israel unleashed a sweeping assault on Lebanon on Wednesday that killed and wounded more than 1,400 people in crowded areas. Trump brushed off the fighting between Israel and…

Thursday April 2, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a swift move aimed at steadying the Southwest regional state after weeks of political turbulence in Baidoa, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has named Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid as interim leader. A decree released Wednesday by the Office of the Prime Minister said the temporary administration will keep core government operations running, hasten consultations on Somalia’s planned one-person, one-vote electoral process and lay the constitutional groundwork…

Thursday March 26, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — Drivers and businesses across North Western State of Somalia are facing fresh fuel price hikes after authorities on Wednesday rolled out new official pump rates, pointing to surging global oil prices and tighter supply conditions. The revised pricing sets gasoline at 12,500 North Western State of Somalia shillings per liter, while diesel will sell for 10,500 North Western State of Somalia shillings per liter. Officials said the new rates were agreed after consultations involving the…

Wednesday March 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Reports of a Somali National Army (SNA) helicopter going down in Baidoa spread quickly this week, but both federal military leaders and Southwest State officials say the story is baseless. The SNA command said Tuesday that no helicopter crash had occurred in Baidoa — the interim capital of Southwest State — or in nearby areas, calling the claims false and unverified. “There is no truth to the reports circulating about a helicopter crash in Baidoa,” the statement said. “We call on…

Tuesday March 24, 2026 Somalia’s federal authorities have thrown South West State’s leadership into fresh uncertainty, declaring late Sunday that the president and his administration have reached the end of their mandate as a bitter standoff with Baidoa deepens. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said the central government will no longer recognise any appointments or dismissals issued by the current South West State administration. It said local administrations in South West State will continue their duties until new…

Monday March 23, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — In a fresh escalation of its standoff with Mogadishu, Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has moved to set up his own Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, a decision announced just one week after he cut ties with Somalia’s federal government. Under a presidential decree dated March 23, 2026, Laftagareen appointed a chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary and additional members to the commission, which is expected to steer both the groundwork and…

Sunday March 22, 2026 United States President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he travels to his Mar-a-Lago resort on March 20, 2026 With airport lines swelling and thousands of screeners still working without pay, United States President Donald Trump is escalating pressure on Congress — and now says he is prepared to send federal immigration agents into the nation’s terminals to “do Security like no one has ever seen”. “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY,'” Trump wrote…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Southwest State’s Ministry of Internal Security has barred designated senior security officers from leaving Baidoa “until further notice,” citing ongoing security operations and the need to uphold general stability across the region. In a directive issued Monday, the ministry said the travel restriction takes effect March 16, 2026, and applies to specified officers based in the regional capital. The order, framed as a measure to “ensure the security and general stability of the areas of the Government,”…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro urged Somalilanders to close ranks on Thursday as regional opposition intensifies to Israel’s recognition of the territory, calling unity essential to defend “nationhood and statehood” amid mounting diplomatic pressure across the Horn of Africa. “There are many conflicts going on around North Western State of Somalia. We have not harmed anyone, we have not taken anything from anyone,” Irro said in a speech in Hargeisa. “What is needed is…