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Israel’s unilateral recognition of North Western State of Somalia as an independent state has jolted the Horn of Africa, triggering swift international pushback and raising fresh concerns about maritime security, legal precedent and regional stability. In Somalia, the move sparked immediate street protests. Abroad, governments across Africa, Europe and the Middle East — joined by the United States — moved quickly to restate Somalia’s territorial integrity. The African Union led with a reaffirmation of Somalia’s unity, a line…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Monday overwhelmingly approved a national tobacco control framework, a landmark move aimed at curbing tobacco use and tackling what lawmakers and health officials describe as a growing public health threat. The House of the People backed the measure with 139 votes in favor, three abstentions and none against, signaling rare cross-party consensus on the need to rein in tobacco consumption and marketing across the country. Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, widely known…

Raphinha’s brace seals Barcelona’s Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah thriller over Real Madrid Monday January 12, 2026 JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Barcelona retained the Spanish Super Cup with a breathless 3-2 win over Real Madrid on Sunday night, riding a two-goal performance from Raphinha and a wave of late resistance to lift the trophy in a raucous Jeddah final. The Brazilian winger struck first just before halftime and delivered the decisive touch in the 73rd minute, his second effort taking a fortuitous deflection off Raul Asencio…

MINNEAPOLIS — Three Democratic members of Congress from Minnesota, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, were blocked from entering a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center near Minneapolis on Saturday morning, escalating tensions in the Twin Cities after the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent earlier in the week. The lawmakers — Omar, Rep. Angie Craig and Rep. Kelly Morrison — said they were briefly admitted to the facility inside the Bishop Whipple Federal Building before officials rescinded access and…

Somalia on Saturday voiced concern over damage to Qatar’s embassy in Kyiv during a Russian attack and urged full respect for international law protecting diplomats and foreign missions. In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it regretted the damage to the Qatari Embassy building and emphasized the inviolability of diplomatic premises under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. “The Federal Republic of Somalia expresses its profound concern over the damage sustained by the Embassy of the brotherly…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the capital late Thursday to protest Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of North Western State of Somalia, waving Somali flags and chanting patriotic songs in a show of national unity. The rally at Taleh Square in downtown Mogadishu condemned Israel’s move as a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Protesters held placards rejecting what they called foreign interference in the Horn of Africa nation’s internal affairs. It was…

Somali, U.S. forces destroy al-Shabab explosives factory in Middle Juba, kill 18 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali National Army forces, working in coordination with U.S. troops, carried out a planned overnight operation in Middle Juba that destroyed what officials described as al-Shabab’s largest explosives production facility and killed 18 militants, the Defense Ministry said Saturday. The strike took place late Friday in the Saakow district and targeted a factory used by the al-Qaida-linked group to manufacture and prepare…

Somalia’s e-visa data breach has spiraled from a technical failure into a national test of digital governance, exposing at least 35,000 applicant records and prompting warnings from the United Kingdom and the United States. Launched Sept. 1, 2025, as a flagship Digital Public Good meant to secure borders and modernize services, the platform instead revealed how fragile the country’s digital public infrastructure remains without guardrails, oversight and trust. At stake is more than cybersecurity. The incident has triggered…

MOGADISHU — Somali religious scholars led thousands of demonstrators in Mogadishu on Wednesday to protest Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, denouncing the move as foreign interference that threatens Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and religious identity. The demonstration, staged at Daljirka Dahson in the heart of the capital, drew clerics, traditional elders, intellectuals and residents from across Mogadishu. Protesters carried banners and chanted that North Western State of Somalia — the northwestern…

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AX) — The Trump administration is preparing to deploy about 2,000 federal immigration agents to Minnesota, significantly expanding enforcement operations in the state as federal officials renew scrutiny of alleged welfare and child care fraud linked to nonprofits run by members of the Somali community, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the plans. The operation, expected to center on the Twin Cities, will include personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S.…