safeguarding

EU ready to bolster Middle East maritime missions as Hormuz traffic stalls, oil nears $120 European Union leaders said the bloc is prepared to strengthen its naval operations in the Middle East to protect critical shipping lanes, as the war triggered by U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran disrupts maritime traffic and sends energy prices surging. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “expressed their openness to further tailor and enhance these operations in order to better…

Garowe, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has launched a broad diplomatic and political push to reinforce the country’s unity and sovereignty after Israel moved to recognize North Western State of Somalia, a step Mogadishu says violates international law and Somalia’s territorial integrity. Officials said the president has been in regular contact with leaders of foreign governments and international organizations to urge opposition to the recognition. Somalia’s government argues the move undermines principles of…

No democracy without a free press: Somalia’s fragile transition under threat On the International Day of Democracy this year, Somalia’s journalists — battered, detained and censored — were given a blunt reminder of what is at stake. The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) recorded 59 incidents of assaults on media freedom across the country in 2025 alone, and warned that Somalia’s long-promised democratic transition will be hollow if those who inform the public cannot work without fear. That message should…