Monday April 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has renewed calls for political talks in Somalia, urging the country’s traditional elders to step into the center of efforts to ease the worsening standoff. In a statement released Saturday, Farmaajo said the elders could help narrow the rift and reduce the risk of further turmoil, joining similar appeals made by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. “The presidents’ call highlights the important role that…

Monday April 27, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A family in Indonesia is pressing its government to step in after Somali pirates seized an oil tanker off the country’s coast last week and took an Indonesian captain hostage. Ashari Samadikun, 33, is among 17 crew members captured when armed men hijacked the UAE-flagged tanker Honour 25 about 30 nautical miles offshore, security officials in Puntland State said. The vessel was traveling from Oman to Mogadishu when it came under attack. Speaking from their home in Gowa regency,…

Friday March 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Confronting soaring prices and a deepening hunger crisis, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday urged business leaders, religious scholars and charitable organizations to rally support for drought-stricken families, with a special emphasis on orphans and other vulnerable groups. Delivering an Eid address to the nation, the president called for solidarity as nearly 6.5 million people in Somalia are projected to face crisis-level or worse food insecurity by the end of March,…

Salah returns, Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 as Arsenal escape via two own-goals to stay five points clear Sunday December 14, 2025 Mohamed Salah’s uneasy week at Liverpool ended with a rousing ovation and a decisive contribution as the defending Premier League champions beat Brighton 2-0 at Anfield, while leaders Arsenal needed two own-goals deep into stoppage time to edge last-placed Wolverhampton 2-1 on a nervous Saturday. Salah, who publicly vented his frustrations last weekend and was omitted from Liverpool’s midweek…

Trump unveils $12 billion farm aid as he threatens new Mexico tariffs, presses China on soybeans WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday announced a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers hammered by low prices and trade disputes, pairing fresh relief with a new tariff threat against Mexico and fresh pressure on China to accelerate soybean purchases. The White House said $11 billion will flow as one-time direct payments to row-crop producers through the Agriculture Department’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program.…

International aid groups said on Friday that at least four workers had been killed in the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) said that its three employees who were killed last month had worked as guards at a project site. "Unfortunately, due to the lack of communication and ongoing insecurity in the region, it has not yet been possible to reach their families," it said. Separately, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said they were still working to confirm the…

The UN said Friday that fighting continued "in many parts" of Ethiopia's Tigray, complicating efforts to deliver humanitarian aid despite an agreement that gave the UN access to territory under federal control. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced military operations in the northern region a month ago, saying they were targeting the leaders of its ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Last week, he declared victory and said the fighting was "over" after federal forces entered the…

A global need for humanitarian aid has risen to unprecedented levels this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN humanitarian office said on Tuesday, as the outbreak has exacerbated the risk of many famines threatening many continents, in addition to global conflict challenges, forced migration and the effects of global warming. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated in its latest annual global humanitarian survey that $ 35 billion would be needed for aid in 2021,…