strategic

G7 weighs release of strategic oil reserves as IEA signals no immediate action G7 finance ministers are expected to discuss a possible coordinated release of strategic oil reserves as the war in the Middle East rattles energy markets, a French government source said today. The International Energy Agency, which coordinates emergency actions among major importers, said there is “plenty of oil in the market” and no collective action is planned for now, even as it keeps “all options” open. The debate comes as U.S. benchmark…

Somalia calls for direct sea route with Türkiye as trade outgrows current logistics, minister says ISTANBUL — Somalia’s ports minister said Thursday that establishing direct maritime shipping routes with Türkiye has become a strategic necessity as trade between the two countries expands beyond the limits of existing logistics. “The current level of trade between Somalia and Türkiye has moved beyond the present logistics structure,” Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, minister of Ports and Maritime Transport, told Anadolu on the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey has deployed M48 and M60 Patton main battle tanks to Somalia, with a shipment arriving at Mogadishu’s port this week in a move that signals a sharp expansion of Ankara’s military footprint in the Horn of Africa. Footage obtained by Axadle and corroborated by eyewitnesses showed the armored vehicles being offloaded and moving in a heavily guarded convoy through the capital. The deployment is aimed at securing high-stakes aerospace and satellite infrastructure under development in Somalia, according…

DOHA, Qatar — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Doha on Friday for an official visit aimed at deepening Somalia’s partnership with Qatar as Mogadishu seeks stronger security, economic and political support in a shifting regional landscape. Qatari officials welcomed Mohamud and his delegation in the capital, where the Somali leader is set to hold high-level talks with Qatar’s leadership. The agenda centers on expanding cooperation across core sectors — security, the economy and political stability — as Somalia…

“Maybe climate change is not so bad in such a cold country as ours?” Vladimir Putin mused two decades ago, speculating that a few degrees of warming might cut fur-coat bills and boost harvests. The line, tossed off in 2003, reads today like an early draft of the world’s newest geopolitical script: As the Arctic thaws, the map of power is being redrawn — and it now runs straight through Greenland. That is the backdrop to a rupture between the United States and parts of NATO and the European Union that Canadian Prime Minister…

In less than a fortnight, President Donald Trump’s push to annex Greenland has done what Moscow long struggled to achieve: drive a wedge between the United States and its European allies in NATO. As Europe recoiled, Russia watched—and encouraged—the rift, framing the controversy as proof that the post–Cold War transatlantic order is fracturing under its own contradictions. Moscow’s messaging has been blunt and opportunistic. Russian state media has amplified the notion that the alliance is wobbling, while Foreign Minister…

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…

Al-Shabab stages multi-pronged attack on Beledweyne; Somali forces say they repelled assault MOGADISHU, Somalia — Al-Shabab militants launched a coordinated attack on the central Somali city of Beledweyne late Tuesday, firing mortar rounds into a residential neighborhood before engaging Somali National Army units in street combat, according to residents and military officials. The assault began with a barrage targeting Bundaweyn, a neighborhood on the city’s edge, and quickly escalated into direct clashes with government…

China’s top diplomat heads to key strategic points in Africa BEIJING — China’s top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa on Wednesday with a focus on the strategically vital east, as the world’s No. 2 economy moves to reinforce its influence along key trade corridors and showcase its market access offers to poorer nations. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho, a circuit that touches the Red Sea gateway, mineral supply lines and countries targeted by Beijing’s recent…

ISTANBUL — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned that Israel’s unexpected recognition of North Western State of Somalia risks destabilizing the Horn of Africa and could be tied to attempts to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, escalating tensions across a strategic maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In an interview with Al Jazeera on Tuesday from Istanbul, where he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mohamud said Israel’s move was “not merely a diplomatic gesture but a cover for…