to

Mohamed Salah’s first goal since November arrived with emphatic timing, capping a restorative week for the Egypt star and sealing Liverpool’s direct passage to the Champions League round of 16. Salah curled in a 50th-minute free kick to make it 3-0 in a 6-0 rout of Qarabag at Anfield on Wednesday, a result that locked Arne Slot’s side into third place in the new 36-team league phase. The margin mattered. Under UEFA’s revamped Champions League format, finishing in the top eight secures a bye to the last 16 and avoids the…

Lamine Yamal’s star turn powered Barcelona past Copenhagen 4-1 on Wednesday, clinching a top-eight finish in the Champions League’s new league phase and an automatic berth in the round of 16. The 18-year-old winger set up Robert Lewandowski’s equalizer and then struck the go-ahead goal before Raphinha and Marcus Rashford added late finishes to cap a dominant second half. Barcelona, winners in 14 of their last 15 matches in all competitions, finished fifth in the 36-team table to avoid February’s playoff round. Final:…

Somalia, Türkiye agree on Port of Mogadishu upgrades to boost trade, revenue MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia and Türkiye have agreed to develop new infrastructure projects at the Port of Mogadishu to expand trade, raise state revenue and improve efficiency at the country’s main maritime gateway, officials said Wednesday. The agreement followed talks in Mogadishu with a senior Turkish delegation led by Durmuş Ünüvar, Türkiye’s deputy minister of transport and infrastructure, signaling a renewed phase of cooperation…

MOGADISHU — The United States will resume World Food Programme food distributions in Somalia after the federal government accepted responsibility for actions that disrupted humanitarian operations at the Port of Mogadishu earlier this month, clearing the way for life-saving aid to reach millions facing acute food insecurity. U.S. officials said Somalia’s acknowledgment of accountability satisfied conditions set after Washington halted certain assistance on Jan. 7, when it accused Somali officials of demolishing a U.S.-funded…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Saturday approved a sweeping Cybersecurity Law designed to protect the country’s digital infrastructure, safeguard information systems and strengthen defenses against cyber threats amid rapid growth in online services. The legislation creates a national framework for preventing, reporting and responding to cyber incidents. It assigns policy leadership to the Ministry of Communications and Technology, gives the National Communications Authority a technical oversight role, and…

Somalia says WFP food aid fully returned after Mogadishu port warehouse dispute; U.S. pauses some assistance MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government said it has returned in full all World Food Programme supplies removed from a warehouse at the Port of Mogadishu, taking responsibility for the incident and pledging tighter coordination with aid partners after the United States announced a pause on certain assistance. In a statement issued late Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government “takes full…

Uganda to withdraw troops from Somalia after 19 years, reshaping AU mission and security calculus Monday January 26, 2026 MOGADISHU — Uganda has announced plans to pull its troops out of Somalia after nearly two decades of continuous peacekeeping, a move that could alter the balance of security in a country still battling Al-Shabab and test the resilience of the African Union mission. In a brief statement posted on X on Sunday, Uganda’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said the country’s…

CAIRO — The Arab Parliament said it will pursue regional and international political measures to support the security, stability and sovereignty of Somalia and Yemen, and rejected any foreign interference in their internal affairs, in a statement issued Saturday at the opening of its second general assembly session of the second cycle at the Arab League’s headquarters. Framing respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity as a cornerstone of international relations, the body called for peaceful solutions to ongoing…

Israel’s late-December decision to recognize North Western State of Somalia has collided with entrenched Arab and African interests in the Horn of Africa—and is unlikely to translate into lasting influence in Somalia, according to a prominent regional affairs scholar. Ali Bakr, professor of international affairs, security and defense at Qatar University, said Israel has sought to expand its presence in the Horn since 2023. He told the Novosti news agency that the recognition of North Western State of Somalia, a self-declared…

Somalia, Pakistan sign visa-waiver pact for diplomatic passport holders MOGADISHU — Somalia and Pakistan have signed an agreement abolishing visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports, marking a bid to accelerate high-level engagement and deepen political cooperation between the two countries. The agreement was concluded during a meeting in Pakistan attended by President Asif Ali Zardari and Somalia’s Minister of Interior, Ali Yousuf, underscoring renewed momentum in bilateral ties. Pakistan’s Special Secretary at…