international

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…

Europe’s winter strategy for Ukraine: solidarity, symbolism and unfinished business When Volodymyr Zelensky stepped from the car onto the red carpet at Downing Street and later accepted a formal welcome at Windsor Castle, the choreography was unmistakable: the United Kingdom wanted to make a simple, public point. In the chill of an escalating war, Britain and a clutch of European capitals wished to show Ukraine that they would not drift away. “Ukraine's future is our future. What happens in the weeks and months ahead is…

International stabilisation force for Gaza is being sketched — but will it work? Plans are under way to assemble an international stabilisation force for Gaza — a concept pushed hard in President Donald Trump’s 20-point proposal for the battered Palestinian territory. U.S. advisers say Washington will back the effort and provide as many as 200 troops in an oversight and coordination role, with roughly two dozen already staged in the region to help assemble partners. On paper, it looks like a pragmatic answer to a collapsing…

Israeli navy intercepts international aid flotilla en route to Gaza; Greta Thunberg among those taken to port Israeli forces boarded and detained vessels from a high-profile international flotilla attempting to reach Gaza on Saturday, seizing 39 boats, according to the organizers, and leaving only one ship still underway. Live-feed footage verified by Reuters showed soldiers in helmets and night-vision goggles climbing onto decks as passengers — some wearing life vests and huddling with their hands raised — were taken into…

Flotilla departs Greek waters, heads for Gaza in tense standoff with Israel An international flotilla of roughly 50 civilian vessels set out from Greek waters this week, aiming to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver aid — even as governments and navies warned that the mission risks a confrontation on the high seas. Organisers said the Global Sumud Flotilla planned to transit international waters in the eastern Mediterranean and hoped to reach the besieged coastal strip early next week. Among those aboard…

Who killed Alexei Navalny? His widow’s claim reopens a fraught debate Yulia Navalnaya’s terse, emotional appeal this week — that two foreign laboratories have concluded her husband was poisoned — has turned a private grief into a renewed international crisis. Her demand that the laboratories publish their findings, and her insistence that “Alexei was killed,” sits at the intersection of personal loss, geopolitics and the fraught question of accountability inside a closed and increasingly securitized Russia. The allegation…

How a proposed Ethiopia–North Western State of Somalia swap for Red Sea access was stopped by multilateral pressure When former North Western State of Somalia president Muse Bihi Abdi unveiled a deal that would have given landlocked Ethiopia a slice of Red Sea coastline in return for formal recognition of North Western State of Somalia, it briefly reconfigured the diplomatic maps of the Horn of Africa. The pact — which Bihi says offered Ethiopia roughly 20 kilometres of shoreline for a port and a military base — was never…

Somalia Embraces Digital Transformation: E-Visa System to Enhance Travel and Security In a groundbreaking move aimed at modernizing its immigration protocols, Somalia has unveiled an electronic visa (E-Visa) and electronic travel authorization system (eTAS), marking a significant step towards digital governance. This initiative is set to become a mandatory entry requirement for all foreign visitors starting September 1, 2025, offering a seamless online platform for visa applications. The launch represents a broader trend of…

In a bold move towards sustainability, Somalia has officially thrown its hat into the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) ring. This step marks a significant chapter in the nation's quest to build a greener economy and shield its environment, gearing up to tackle and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. According to Khadija Al Makhzoumi, the Minister of Environment for Somalia, the decision to unite with GGGI isn't just a small leap—it's a substantial stride in the right direction. As quoted by the Somali…

Islamic State Ramps Up Recruitment in Somalia, Targets Al-Shabaab NAIROBI, Kenya - The aggressive recruitment of foreign soldiers by the Islamic State in Somalia is highlighted in a recent United Nations report, spotlighting a growing threat across the Horn of Africa and setting off alarm bells about potential regional turmoil. Previously, IS-Somalia was cash-strapped, struggling to recruit combatants, yet now boasts an expansionist zeal surpassing Al-Shabaab, who are currently under siege by the Somali National Army and…