by BRIAN ORUTAThursday April 30, 2026 Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has urged Somalis to rally around national unity and reinforce democratic institutions as the country heads toward a new electoral cycle, saying political calm must outweigh personal or factional ambition. Speaking in a recent interview with journalist Suleyman Hashi, Farmajo presented Somalia’s political path as a measure of how well its institutions can withstand pressure, rather than as a showdown between rival political camps. He…

By JEROME PUGMIREWednesday April 29, 2026 Paris Saint-Germain survived a Champions League semifinal unlike any other on Tuesday, racing to a three-goal cushion before hanging on for a breathtaking 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich in the highest-scoring semifinal in the competition’s history. And the tie is far from over, with the second leg still to come next week. PSG surged to a 5-2 lead early in the second half after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé each struck twice at Parc des Princes. “We deserved to win, we…

Wednesday April 29, 2026 Halimo stands at a dry water point in Somalia. Photo: CARE International Mogadishu (AX) — The war raging in the Middle East is now feeding another emergency far from the battlefield: Somalia’s hunger crisis is getting worse. Aid agencies and officials say the conflict is pushing up fuel and food prices, disrupting humanitarian supply lines, and deepening acute malnutrition among children. For pastoralist families, the first blow is being felt at the water point. Diesel prices are climbing, making…

Wednesday April 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is poised to widen its seafood exports after China unveiled a zero-tariff policy for imports from 53 African countries, a move that could reshape the country’s fisheries sector and give a lift to economic growth. The policy, which takes effect on May 1, will allow Somali marine products to enter Chinese markets duty-free, removing a major obstacle that has long held back direct trade. Fisheries Minister Ahmed Hassan Aden said the arrangement opens a direct route to one of…

Harry SekulichMonday April 27, 2026 Shipping routes off Somalia are once again under close scrutiny after a cargo vessel was seized in what authorities believe was a fresh piracy incident, prompting warnings that the danger to commercial traffic in the region is rising. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) lifted the threat level for the area to "substantial" after saying "unauthorised persons" took control of the ship on Sunday and forced it toward Somalia's territorial waters. At least four vessels have been targeted…

By  SEUNG MIN KIM, AAMER MADHANI, COLLIN BINKLEY, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and DAVID BAUDERSunday April 26, 2026 A burst of gunfire shattered the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night, sending President Donald Trump and hundreds of guests scrambling for safety after an armed man with guns and knives charged toward the ballroom at the Washington Hilton. Trump was unharmed and quickly hustled off the stage. Police said the suspect, identified by officials as a hotel guest, was taken into custody and was…

Olamilekan OkebiorunSunday April 26, 2026 Turkey and Israel are racing to deepen their footprint in the Horn of Africa, with Somalia and North Western State of Somalia emerging as prized territory in a wider contest over energy, military leverage and the sea lanes that feed global trade through the Red Sea. For Ankara, the push has already taken shape in concrete terms: signed deals with Somalia’s federal government covering offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration, plus an expanding military presence anchored by its…

Saturday April 25, 2026 Severe drought has driven at least 62,000 people from their homes in five districts across Somalia since the beginning of 2026, as the country faces mounting climate pressures, the International Organization for Migration said on Friday. The United Nations migration agency said its data shows drought is now responsible for three out of every four new displacements, marking a 22 percent increase from a year earlier and underscoring the worsening toll of climate shocks. Manuel Marques Pereira, IOM’s…

Joseph Gedeon in WashingtonTuesday April 21, 2026 Representatives from more than a dozen foreign diplomatic missions, United Nations offices, and the media view damage at sites previously targeted by US-Israeli strikes, on 20 April 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Donald Trump signaled on Tuesday that he expects the US to resume bombing Iran, even as a delicate 14-day ceasefire heads toward its Wednesday deadline with no agreement in place. “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better…

Tuesday April 21, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Iran on Tuesday sharply criticized Israel’s decision to appoint an ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, accusing Israel of violating international law and undermining Somalia’s territorial integrity as tensions deepen over the breakaway region. In remarks released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the move ran afoul of the United Nations Charter and amounted to an affront to Somalia’s sovereignty. “This unauthorized measure is in blatant…