MOGADISHU, May 16 - Somalia’s economy is expanding at only about 3%, a marked slowdown highlighted in a recent World Bank report cited by Al Jazeera and raising alarm among officials and ordinary Somalis alike. Economists say the downturn is closely tied to escalating political uncertainty in the Horn of Africa country, where tensions among leading political actors have deepened into a damaging stalemate. That prolonged impasse has shaken investor confidence and delayed key international development initiatives, according to…

Somalia’s economy is entering 2026 with improving reform momentum, but growth plans remain tightly linked to political decisions, security funding, and the stability of external support. International assessments point to a central theme for 2026: when politics disrupts institutions and public finance, it can slow investment, weaken revenues, and reduce social spending—affecting household demand and jobs. This explainer reviews what major official forecasts say about 2026, and why political…

Netflix is heading into a pivotal stretch without the executive who helped build it from scratch, as Chairman Reed Hastings prepares to leave the streaming company he co-founded 29 years ago. Hastings, 65, is stepping away at a difficult moment for the business. Netflix is trying to unlock new growth as sales come under pressure from intensifying competition, while a potentially transformative merger with Warner Bros Discovery collapsed in February. Late yesterday, Netflix projected current-quarter earnings per share below…

Friday March 27, 2026 In Mogadishu, a crowd of hundreds turned a football match into a statement of change—watching two women’s teams compete at Eng. Yariisow Stadium on February 17, 2026, after years when such scenes were nearly unthinkable in the conservative, conflict-torn country. The U17 Somalia players trained as the women’s game continued despite criticism from some religious conservatives who describe it as “un-Islamic.” (Photo by Hassan Ali ELMI / AFP) For many in the stands, Tuesday’s match felt like a…

Zimbabwe imposes immediate, indefinite ban on export of lithium concentrates Zimbabwe announced an immediate and indefinite ban on the export of lithium concentrates and other unprocessed ores on Wednesday, saying mining companies rushed to ship raw lithium ahead of a planned 2027 restriction and that large volumes of the mineral have been illegally stockpiled outside the country. Mines Minister Polite Kambamura said the decision followed reports that some firms accelerated extraction and exports instead of investing in…

Europe’s race for economic self-defense has moved from white paper to red alert. Mario Draghi warned in 2024 that, “for the first time since the Cold War, we must genuinely fear for our self-preservation.” A year later, with Donald Trump’s 15% tariffs on EU goods in force and a deteriorating global backdrop, Brussels is scrambling to convert a decade of stalled ideas into hard law and money. The stakes are stark. Global trade is slowing. Cheap Russian energy is gone. The EU, Draghi argued, needs to mobilize up to €800…

Somalia unveils revised labour code to strengthen worker protections, modernize employment rules MOGADISHU — Somalia on Sunday launched a revised Somali Labour Code (Law No. 36), a sweeping update that officials say will reshape employment relations, reinforce protections for workers and help underpin long-term economic development. Unveiled at a national ceremony in Mogadishu, the reform was presented as a cornerstone of efforts to modernize the country’s labour system and align it with international standards and…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump used a rare prime-time address from the White House to promise an economic boom and blame Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for stubbornly high prices, even as fresh polling shows voters increasingly sour on his handling of the economy at the close of his first year back in power. “Eleven months ago I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” said Trump, 79, casting his stewardship as a course correction from the Biden era. He insisted that gas and grocery prices that have strained household…

Somalia’s growth is hitting an avoidable ceiling: the price and reliability of electricity. The country’s telecom sector—quietly swapping diesel generators for sunlight—offers a clear, local blueprint for how to lower costs, cut emissions and power a modern economy. If energy is the missing link, renewables are the bridge.

Somalia faces a growth squeeze as international aid ebb slows recovery Somalia’s recent economic gains now face a stark test: a sharp drop in development assistance from major donors that, according to the country’s finance minister, has reduced projected growth from roughly 4% in 2024 to nearly 1% in 2025. That slowdown is not simply a statistical wobble. It is a signal that Somalia’s fragile, donor-dependent development model is colliding with new global priorities and domestic limits to revenue generation. From aid-led…