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UK man charged over alleged links to al-Shabab militants

Thursday April 9, 2026 London (AX) — A British man has been charged in connection with directing terrorist activity tied to the Somali militant group al-Shabab, as he prepares to appear before a court, the Metropolitan Police said Thursday. Jermaine Grant, 43, who has no fixed address, was charged after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London. Prosecutors say he directed the activities of al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked group that has long operated in Somalia. Grant faces three counts of attending an al-Shabab…

Banadir authorities ban school gate locking to punish late students

Thursday April 9, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a move aimed at keeping children in class, the Banadir Regional Administration has outlawed the practice of locking school gates to punish late arrivals, saying the policy protects students’ right to education and helps curb dropout rates. The announcement came after a meeting between the Banadir Regional Education Directorate and principals from 48 public schools in Mogadishu. The talks centered on raising education standards and tackling the problems that continue to affect…

Bayern beats Real Madrid to seize Champions League initiative

Wednesday April 8, 2026 Kylian Mbappe (bottom) scored in the second half to give Real Madrid a lifeline in the Champions League battle with Bayern Munich © Thomas COEX / AFP Bayern Munich left the Santiago Bernabeu with a precious 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday, a result that moves the German giants a big step closer to the Champions League semifinals. Luis Diaz and Harry Kane struck for Bayern, while Kylian Mbappe answered for Madrid in a match that produced chances at both ends — though Bayern, the record…

Southwest to Hold Parliamentary and Local Elections on April 28, Electoral Body Says

Tuesday April 7, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission has set April 28 as the date for elections to the Southwest State House of Representatives and 11 district local councils, opening the way for the region to choose a president and lawmakers through a one-person, one-vote system within 45 days. Commission chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan announced the schedule Monday in Baidoa, framing the ballot as a major milestone in widening public participation and strengthening…

DR Congo to receive third-country deportees from US under new deal

By Edna Mohamed, Reuters and The Associated PressMonday April 6, 2026 Migrants deported last year by the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport, in Maiquetia, Venezuela, July 18, 2025 The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) says it is set to take in “third-country” nationals deported from the United States under a new arrangement with the administration of US President Donald Trump. According to a statement released Sunday by the…

Turkish drilling ship to start offshore operations in Somalia this week

Monday April 6, 2026 Türkiye's Çağrı Bey drillship is seen at a port, Mersin, southern Türkiye, Feb. 14, 2026. (AA Photo) Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on the cusp of a historic first in its offshore energy sector, with Türkiye’s drillship Çağrı Bey due to arrive on April 10 to begin the country’s first deep-sea drilling campaign, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Bayraktar, speaking at a gathering in Trabzon on April 4, said he plans to travel to Somalia before the vessel docks. “With the…

President Mohamud meets Southwest elders in Baidoa to advance reconciliation

Sunday April 5, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Sunday with traditional elders in Baidoa, stepping into the center of a delicate push to calm tensions and reinforce governance in Southwest State after recent political unrest. According to Villa Somalia, the talks centered on community reconciliation, support for Somalia’s democratization drive, the worsening drought and wider state-building efforts. The meeting comes days after federal authorities assumed control of Baidoa and installed an…

Somalia, Sudan sign diplomatic visa waiver deal to deepen ties

Sunday April 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia and Sudan have reached an agreement to waive visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders, a development both governments say will help deepen ties and make official travel easier. The accord was signed on April 2 at the second meeting of the Somalia-Sudan Political Consultation Committee. The session was jointly led by Hamza Adan Haadow, permanent secretary at Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Ambassador Muawiya Osman Khalid,…

Somalia’s constitution and federal intervention in regional state affairs explained

Saturday April 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal takeover of Baidoa and the swift naming of an interim administration in Southwest State have ignited a bitter constitutional showdown, with supporters of the move pointing to newly amended provisions and critics insisting the action breaches both federal and regional law. Federal government forces, working alongside fighters aligned with Southwest opposition groups, seized Baidoa after intense clashes with regional troops. Southwest President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed…

Soaring fuel prices push Somalia’s three-wheeler drivers to the brink

Saturday April 4, 2026 Fuel shortages and soaring prices have turned a familiar Mogadishu street scene into a snapshot of economic strain: three-wheelers sitting idle by the roadside, drivers stranded, and livelihoods slipping out of reach. On April 2, 2026, a staff member refueled a three-wheeler at a petrol station in Somalia’s capital as the ripple effects of war in the Middle East continued to push fuel costs sharply higher across the country.(Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua) Abdulkadir Sharif eased his tuk-tuk to the side…