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Uganda eyes Tanzania rail link to open new mineral export corridor via Dar es Salaam Uganda plans to connect a new standard gauge railway to Tanzania’s line now under construction, potentially opening a second ocean outlet for its exports through the port of Dar es Salaam and offering a fresh route for gold, copper and iron ore, according to a government document seen by Reuters. The move adds a southern corridor to Uganda’s long-standing plan to tie its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Kenya’s network that runs from the…

Puntland State backs federal-led local council elections, warns against interference MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State’s Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation on Tuesday said local council elections in Somalia’s northeastern state will proceed under the leadership of the Federal Electoral and Boundaries Commission, signaling a renewed push for direct polls despite fraught federal–state relations. In a statement, the ministry said it fully supports implementation of the vote in line with Articles 104 and…

Somalia’s Yeheb tree is vanishing. Turning Cordeauxia edulis into a domesticated crop could secure food, fodder and fragile drylands. In the sun-scored rangelands of Hiiraan, Galmudug, Mudug and the Somali-Ethiopian borderlands, a native lifeline grows almost nowhere else on Earth: the Yeheb tree (Cordeauxia edulis), known locally as Jicib. Long relied upon for its edible nuts, livestock fodder and soil-restoring roots, this wild leguminous shrub is quietly slipping away—its populations down as much as 70% under pressure…

Monday, February 23, 2026 Eberechi Eze tormented Tottenham yet again, striking twice as Arsenal crushed its North London rival 4-1 away to restore a five-point cushion atop the Premier League and reignite a title charge that had stuttered with back-to-back draws. Three months after a hat trick against Spurs, Eze’s brace — bookended by two finishes from Viktor Gyokeres — underlined Arsenal’s authority in a high-stakes derby and reset the tone of the title race. The leaders rebounded emphatically after dropping four points in…

Premier League: Eze and Gyokeres fire Arsenal to derby rout at Spurs as Mac Allister snatches late Liverpool winner LONDON — Eberechi Eze tormented Tottenham again, striking twice as Arsenal stormed back to winning form with a 4-1 victory in the north London derby that restored a five-point Premier League lead and steadied a title bid wobbling after two straight draws. Three months after a hat trick against Spurs, Eze reprised the role of derby scourge with a brace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Viktor Gyokeres matched…

Monday, February 23, 2026 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia (AX) — North Western State of Somalia said it is prepared to grant the United States exclusive access to mineral resources and potentially host U.S. military bases, sharpening its bid for international recognition three decades after declaring independence from Somalia. In comments published Saturday by Agence France-Presse, North Western State of Somalia’s Minister of the Presidency, Khadar Hussein Abdi, said the territory is open to exclusive agreements…

Kenya’s spy agency says a trafficking pipeline aided by rogue officials has funneled up to 1,000 Kenyans into Russia’s war in Ukraine, with at least one death and dozens injured or missing, according to a report presented to parliament. The National Intelligence Service report, tabled Wednesday by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, details alleged collusion by airport staff, immigration officers, investigators and labor officials to recruit and move Kenyans into Russia under false pretenses. It says 89…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia plans to recruit 12,000 government-employed teachers by the end of 2026, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said Saturday, framing the effort as the centerpiece of a drive to rebuild a long-fragile education system and place it on a domestically financed footing. Barre said his administration has already recruited and deployed 6,000 trained teachers in less than two years, a dramatic shift from the roughly 900 teachers on the federal payroll when the government took office. “In just two years, we…

Somalia to recruit 10,000 teachers, shift salaries to domestic revenue in education overhaul MOGADISHU — Somalia will hire 10,000 teachers over the next 45 months and pay their salaries entirely from domestic revenue, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre announced Friday, framing the move as a cornerstone of state-building and economic independence. “For the first time in Somalia’s history, teachers’ salaries will be paid entirely from domestic revenue rather than external support,” Barre wrote on X. “This is not just politics,…

WFP warns Somalia food aid could halt by April without new funds, putting millions at risk The U.N. World Food Program warned Friday that its life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Somalia could grind to a halt as early as April unless fresh funding arrives, threatening to push millions deeper into hunger after years of failed rains and conflict. The agency said an estimated 4.4 million people in Somalia face crisis-level food insecurity, with nearly 1 million already enduring severe hunger. A sharp drop in…