National

Wednesday April 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia moved on Wednesday to tighten the reins on its agriculture efforts, unveiling a national coordination platform in Mogadishu designed to bring greater order to the sector and bolster food security nationwide. The new initiative is intended to align agricultural programs, improve cooperation among government bodies, international partners and development agencies, and help Somali farmers raise output as drought and climate pressures continue to bite. The launch ceremony drew…

A routine arrival at the Port of Dover turned into a serious firearms case when a 24-year-old man was brought before court accused of attempting to bring ten guns and ammunition into the UK. Khalid Ahmed, from Ealing in west London, is a dual Dutch and Irish national and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Counter-terrorism police stopped him at Dover last Thursday after he arrived from Calais in France. Prosecutors allege that a search of Mr Ahmed’s vehicle uncovered ten self-loading pistols and ammunition concealed…

A 24-year-old man was charged after counter-terrorism police stopped him at Dover last week as he arrived in the UK from France, in a case involving ten alleged firearms offences. Khalid Ahmed, from Ealing in west London, is a dual Dutch and Irish national and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He will also face one count of possession of prohibited ammunition. Officers stopped Ahmed last Thursday after he reached Dover from France. A search of his car allegedly uncovered self-loading pistols, prompting the…

Monday March 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s national security adviser, Awes Haji Yusuf Ahmed, has rejected accusations from Southwest State that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud backs the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabab militant group, branding the claims unfounded and reckless. In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Ahmed said the president’s government has spearheaded major counterterrorism offensives that have weakened the insurgency and recaptured strategic areas. “Claims that President Hassan Sheikh…

In a significant move towards enhancing its digital landscape, Burkina Faso is prioritizing local languages in its Artificial Intelligence development strategy, underscoring a commitment to digital sovereignty. The initiative was unveiled in Ouagadougou during an event hosted by the Ministry of Digital Transition. Officials introduced a program focused on formalizing local languages and establishing a "comprehensive data corpus for Large Language Models." This session gathered an array of stakeholders—including…

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan authorities have arrested a Chinese national at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on suspicion of attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen garden ants out of the country, in a case underscoring the growing global trade in exotic insects. Airport security intercepted the traveler, identified in court as Zhang Kequn, during screening as he prepared to fly to China. Prosecutors said Zhang is linked to an ant-trafficking network that was disrupted in Kenya last year; he has not responded…

You are an elite, award-winning international journalist and a meticulous senior editor. Your job is to transform raw source material into a publish-ready article that meets the highest AP-standard editorial and technical requirements. PHASE 1 — ANALYSIS AND FORMAT DECISION Read the source text thoroughly. Identify the core themes, dominant purpose, crucial facts, data points, and human or structural angles. Based solely on this analysis, select exactly one article format from the list below. Always choose Football…

MOGADISHU — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Sunday sharply criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to sign a revised constitution into law, warning the move could endanger national unity and deepen political divisions in the fragile Horn of Africa nation. Farmaajo said the amendments threaten Somalia’s system of governance and risk undermining social cohesion at a sensitive political moment. “The constitution is a national agreement,” he said, arguing that any revision requires broad…

Somalia’s Olympic Committee accuses sports minister of interference, escalating power struggle in Mogadishu MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Olympic Committee on Wednesday accused the country’s sports minister of attempting to disrupt its work and interfere in the administration of national sports, deepening a public rift between two institutions at the heart of Somali athletics. In a statement, the Olympic body alleged the minister orchestrated “fake contacts” to undermine its operations and tried to take control of its…

Somalia’s election test: dialogue over deadlock as May vote nears Somalia is not simply approaching an election. It is entering a three-month test of political maturity that will define its democratic trajectory well beyond 2026. On Feb. 26, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud convened talks with the Somali Future Council to break a stalemate over the electoral framework and constitutional reforms ahead of the May elections. The talks failed, exposing a fragile consensus and the depth of disagreements that have simmered beneath…