Monday April 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) – The United States Africa Command said it launched an airstrike in Puntland State on Friday, hitting Islamic State fighters in rugged terrain roughly 30 miles southeast of the port city of Bosaso in the Bari region. In a statement released Saturday, AFRICOM said the operation was carried out on April 17, underscoring the continued expansion of U.S. air activity in Somalia. The command gave no additional information about the strike, including casualty numbers or damage assessments,…

By Maziar MotamediWednesday April 15, 2026 Photographs displayed in Tajrish Square place particular focus on the eyes of children who lost their lives in the Minab attack, as part of the 'Eyes of Minab' exhibition organised to commemorate the victims, in Tehran, on April 14, 2026 Iran is pressing its case for compensation for the destruction wrought by the United States and Israel, even as it maintains a defiant stance and regional actors scramble to broker a way out of the conflict. Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations…

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran escalated its standoff with Washington on Wednesday, warning that it could sever commercial shipping through the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman if the United States keeps up its naval blockade of Iranian ports. In a statement carried on Iranian state television, the head of Iran’s military central command said the U.S. campaign to stop Iranian commercial vessels and oil tankers could unravel the fragile ceasefire now in place. Ali Abdollahi, a senior figure in the Iranian military command,…

Breaking a long-running diplomatic lull, President Cyril Ramaphosa has named Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s next ambassador to the United States, filling a role that has stood empty since 2025. The move follows the expulsion of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, who was declared persona non grata in 2025 after comments he made during a webinar on US politics. Frictions deepened afterward when Trump launched a refugee programme for white South Africans, asserting that they face government-led persecution at home. Meyer, a…

Monday April 13, 2026 A ship at the Strait of Hormuz Oil markets surged back above $100 a barrel on Monday as trading resumed in Asia, after US-Iran talks collapsed without a fresh agreement and President Donald Trump said he would blockade Iranian ports. Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed 7.3% to $102.30 (£76.32), while US West Texas Intermediate rose 8.7% to $104.94. The breakdown in weekend negotiations has deepened fears that the worldwide energy crunch could worsen. Crude had fallen sharply below $100 last…

Monday April 13, 2026 The United States military said on Sunday it would start blocking all Iranian ports on Monday, escalating its campaign against Tehran after marathon peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. In a late-evening statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade would cover “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” beginning at 10am Eastern Time (14:00 GMT) on April 13. The order, it said, applies to “vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal…

Monday April 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — President Donald Trump has prolonged the U.S. national emergency over Somalia for another year, renewing a policy first put in place in 2010 to confront terrorism, piracy and the chronic instability that has long unsettled the Horn of Africa nation. In a notice dated April 8, 2026, the White House said the emergency, which was due to lapse on April 12, will now stay in force through April 12, 2027. The extension preserves U.S. sanctions and other legal tools intended to curb threats…

Saturday April 11, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — U.S. Africa Command, working with the Federal Government of Somalia, carried out airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on April 6 and 7, officials said. In a statement released Friday, AFRICOM said the strikes hit targets in the Golis Mountains, about 55 to 75 kilometers (34 to 47 miles) southeast of the port city of Bossaso in northeastern Somalia. AFRICOM said the mission was intended to weaken ISIS-Somalia’s capacity to plan and launch attacks that could endanger the U.S. homeland,…

The United States is urging its citizens to think twice before traveling to Nigeria, pointing to increasing threats of terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest. A recent update from the State Department has identified specific regions within Nigeria that pose heightened risks, placing them under a severe travel warning that advises against all travel to these areas. American citizens are cautioned that violent incidents can erupt suddenly in public venues such as markets, hotels, places of worship, educational institutions,…

After a week in captivity in Baghdad, US journalist Shelly Kittleson has been freed by Iraq's powerful armed faction Kataeb Hezbollah, according to statements from the Iranian-backed group and the United States. News of her release came just hours before the United States and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement, ending more than a month of war. "In recognition of the national stances of the outgoing prime minister, we have decided to release the American defendant Shelly Kittleson, on the condition that she leave the country…