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U.S. pulls some personnel from Middle East bases as Iran warns of strikes if attacked The United States is withdrawing some personnel from key military bases in the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran, a U.S. official said Wednesday, as Tehran warned regional neighbors it would target American facilities if Washington launches strikes. The U.N. Security Council is due to meet on Iran on Thursday at the request of the United States. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the drawdowns are…

U.S. names Justin Davis chargé d’affaires in Somalia amid regional tensions Friday January 16, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States has appointed veteran diplomat Justin Davis as chargé d’affaires ad interim at its embassy in Somalia, putting him in charge of one of Washington’s most complex and high-risk diplomatic missions at a politically sensitive moment for the Horn of Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu said Davis formally assumed the role this week, taking over day-to-day leadership following the departure of…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s abrupt decision to cancel port management and security cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates caps years of friction and crystallizes a new geopolitical split in the Horn of Africa. Triggered by Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia as an independent state — the first by any country — the rupture threatens to reorder alliances, stress Somalia’s fragile federal compact, and unsettle maritime security along one of the world’s most strategic coastlines. The move,…

Israel’s formal recognition of North Western State of Somalia has thrust the breakaway territory into the international spotlight, jolting the Horn of Africa and the Middle East with a new flashpoint that blends diplomacy, security and great-power rivalry. The move marks the first international recognition of North Western State of Somalia as an independent nation and opens the door to cooperation that could reshape regional dynamics — from the Red Sea to the Gulf states. For Israel, which is contending with Iran-backed…

Washington (AX) — Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would seek to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans convicted of fraud, singling out immigrants “from Somalia or anywhere else” as he outlined a tougher immigration and enforcement agenda during a speech in Detroit. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said a future administration would pursue denaturalization and deportation proceedings against immigrants found guilty of defrauding U.S. citizens. “If you come to America to rob Americans, we’re…

North Western State of Somalia’s ‘island of peace’ narrative falters as leadership courts Israel and conflict deepens in SSC For more than three decades, North Western State of Somalia presented itself as an island of peace in a turbulent Horn of Africa — a self-governing enclave whose stability underwrote a drive for international recognition. That story, fused into a powerful claim of moral distinction and political maturity, is now under its most serious strain. As North Western State of Somalia’s leaders explore closer…

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Türkiye on Saturday reiterated its support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejected Israel’s move to recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, using a high-level gathering of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to rally diplomatic backing for Mogadishu. Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklıkaya delivered Ankara’s message while chairing the 22nd Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, convened in Jeddah to address Israel’s…

Ethiopian Airlines breaks ground on $12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport, billed as Africa’s largest by 2030 Ethiopian Airlines has launched construction on a $12.5 billion greenfield hub in Bishoftu, a town about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, in a project officials say will become Africa’s biggest airport when completed in 2030. The state-owned carrier has been awarded the contract to design a four-runway complex at the site, where earthworks have begun. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, announcing…

Sunday January 11, 2026 JEDDAH — Foreign ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Saturday condemned Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia and reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, warning the move sets a dangerous precedent and threatens regional stability in the Horn of Africa. The rebuke came at the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ 22nd extraordinary session, held at the organization’s headquarters in Jeddah and convened to address developments in…

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia and fellow members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Saturday condemned Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia and reaffirmed support for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, warning the move risks destabilizing the Horn of Africa. Representing Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji told an extraordinary OIC meeting in Jeddah that the kingdom “categorically rejects” what he described as a…