government

Baidoa flights halted in Mogadishu, stranding hundreds as Somali aviation agency denies issuing ban South West State officials call the stoppage a “political travel blockade” by the federal government; the Somali Civil Aviation Authority says it issued no suspension order. Flights to the South West State capital were halted at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of passengers — including regional officials — waiting for clarification. Halted departures to Baidoa stranded travelers for…

North Western State of Somalia opposition Kulmiye alleges politically motivated arrests, targeting of journalists Party cites detention of Warrame Media founder and arrests of protesters in Burco; government has not commented HARGEISA — North Western State of Somalia’s main opposition party, Kulmiye, on Monday accused the government of conducting politically motivated arrests and targeting journalists and dissenting voices, warning the actions risk deepening social unrest. Speaking in Hargeisa, Kulmiye spokesperson…

Southwest State suspends cooperation with Somalia’s federal government, third region to cut ties Move follows Puntland State and Jubbaland amid disputes over constitutional changes; Mogadishu yet to respond Southwest State said it acted over alleged federal interference and military mobilization in its territory. BAIDOA — Southwest State on Tuesday announced it has suspended all cooperation with Somalia’s federal government, becoming the third regional administration to sever formal ties with Mogadishu amid…

BAIDOA, Somalia — South West State authorities on Monday ordered senior military and security officers not to leave Baidoa, imposing an immediate travel ban that underscores rising tension with Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu. The emergency directive, issued by the South West State Ministry of Internal Security, requires all designated security officials to remain in the regional capital “until further notice.” The ministry framed the measure as necessary to “guarantee general security and stability” amid reports…

U.K. to release first tranche of Mandelson appointment files amid Epstein-linked probe The U.K. government will publish the first batch of documents today relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States, as police continue investigating allegations he passed sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary. Mandelson was arrested on Feb. 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was bailed and later released from his bail conditions, but remains under…

Flight carrying Puntland State lawmakers ordered back to Mogadishu; Puntland State suspends Daallo Airlines MOGADISHU, Somalia — More than 30 members of Somalia’s federal parliament from Puntland State were forced to return to the capital on Monday after their flight to Garowe was ordered back, intensifying a political standoff ahead of a planned consultative meeting in the regional capital. The lawmakers were en route to a meeting convened by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Somalia’s political situation.…

U.S., Israel launch major strikes on Iran as Trump urges uprising; Tehran fires missiles at Israel, U.S. bases The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes across Iran on Saturday, opening a new chapter of military confrontation as President Donald Trump urged Iranians to “seize control of your destiny” and rise up against the Islamic Republic’s leadership. Within hours, Iran said it fired a “first wave” of missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted U.S. military sites across the Gulf. Strikes reported near…

Trump orders U.S. to halt use of Anthropic tech as Pentagon clash over AI ‘red lines’ escalates President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to “immediately” stop using Anthropic’s technology after the San Francisco-based AI start-up rejected a Pentagon demand for unconditional military use of its Claude models, igniting a high-stakes confrontation over mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Anthropic accused the Pentagon of “intimidation” and vowed to sue, saying it would not allow its systems to be used for “mass…

France’s minority government survived twin no-confidence votes after pushing a new energy law through by decree, but the more consequential shift may be outside the chamber: a new poll indicates voters are now more inclined to block the hard left than the far right in runoffs, signaling a potential realignment of the country’s political guardrails. The motions were filed by the far-right National Rally (RN) and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), underscoring how both fringes sought to capitalize on the government’s reliance…

HARARE — A group of public health physicians urged Harare and Washington on Thursday to resume negotiations after the collapse of a proposed $367 million bilateral health agreement that health experts say would have strengthened Zimbabwe's fragile health system. The proposed package, officials and health specialists said, was aimed at bolstering priority programs including HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, tuberculosis control, malaria response, maternal and child health services and disease outbreak preparedness. Its…