A deadly shooting rampage in southern Turkey left six people dead and eight wounded, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, as media reports said police had launched a manhunt for the attacker. In a televised statement, Mr Erdoğan confirmed the death toll and offered "God's mercy" to those killed, but gave no additional details about the attack, which took place near the city of Mersin. Turkey's Anadolu state news agency and the Sabah newspaper identified the suspect as a 37-year-old man believed to have first shot dead his…

Monday May 11, 2026 Jigjiga (AX) — A long-awaited solution to Qabridaharre’s water problems took a major step forward on Sunday, when Ethiopia’s Somali Regional Government broke ground on a 407 million birr water purification plant aimed at easing chronic shortages and improving water quality in the town. Somali Regional State President Mustafa Muhumed Omar and Water Affairs Minister Ahmed Miraad Layli led the foundation-laying ceremony, joined by local and district officials. The plant is slated to supply clean, treated…

Sunday May 10, 2026 Jigjiga (AX) — The Somali Regional State in Ethiopia has kicked off campaigning for its seventh regional and national elections, with the ruling Barwaqo Party drawing large crowds to rallies across several towns and districts on Saturday. Across the region, thousands of supporters filled public squares, brandishing flags and banners as party candidates began courting voters for both local and federal parliamentary seats. In Dhahaxbuur, Somali Regional State President Mustafa Muhumed Omar spoke at a major…

Somalia Unveils $35 Million World Bank-Funded “Bulsho” Project MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation has rolled out the “Bulsho” project, a wide-reaching program designed to improve public services in some of the country’s most isolated communities. The World Bank-backed initiative carries a budget of more than $35 million and is aimed at expanding infrastructure and delivering essential services to marginalized populations through a joint effort by the federal government…

Saturday April 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s push to shore up its digital defenses moved a step forward on Saturday when the National Communications Authority (NCA) brought together a wide range of stakeholders to discuss a proposed Cybersecurity Risk Management and Compliance Framework. The national consultation drew representatives from government institutions, the private sector, education, civil society, and the technical community, all tasked with helping shape a framework designed to strengthen the country’s…

Saturday April 25, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Friday unveiled a new initiative in Doolow designed to bolster urban resilience for internally displaced people and the communities that have taken them in, as Somalia grapples with the twin pressures of displacement and economic hardship. Addressing the launch ceremony in Mogadishu, Barre said the project seeks to strengthen livelihoods and lay the groundwork for longer-term stability in areas strained by conflict and repeated drought. The project,…

Europe moved on Thursday to blunt the immediate shock of an energy crisis set off by the US-Israel war on Iran, with the European Commission unveiling a package of emergency and medium-term steps aimed at shielding households, businesses and heavy industry from surging costs. At the heart of the response is a temporary easing of EU state aid rules, giving member states more room to deploy public money to soften the blow of higher energy prices for consumers and industry. That support could take the form of price controls,…

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Tuesday inaugurated the start of a new Curriculum Development Center in Mogadishu, a project aimed at raising education standards and helping modernize Somalia’s school system. At the ceremony, Barre подчеркнул that education sits at the heart of Somalia’s long-term recovery, describing it as a major force behind economic growth and national stability. He said the government is pressing ahead with reforms designed to strengthen learning…

Monday April 20, 2026 Jowhar (AX) — Hirshabelle State President Ali Abdullahi Hussein Guudlaawe has directed his cabinet to accelerate preparations for Somalia’s planned one-person-one-vote elections, pressing for wider public engagement even as political fault lines and security worries grow around the process. Guudlaawe urged officials to step up voter education campaigns and bolster administrative readiness ahead of the expected polls. He also called on residents of Hirshabelle to take part actively in the electoral…

Lebanon endured one of its deadliest days of the war as Israeli strikes killed 182 people and wounded 890, according to an initial official toll, while Beirut came under its fiercest bombardment since fighting began between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel said Lebanon was not included in the Iran-US truce announced overnight. Live images broadcast by AFPTV showed thick plumes of smoke rising above Beirut, while AFP journalists reported scenes of panic in the streets and buildings collapsing onto residents without any prior…