As drug crime surges across the Netherlands, powerful criminal networks are recruiting a new generation of vulnerable youth, prompting a growing debate over the country’s liberal drug policy.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (HOL) — Somali-run spaza shops in Khayelitsha’s Site C township reopened Friday following a two-day shutdown in protest against escalating extortion by local gangs, which traders say has become unsustainable and life-threatening.

The reinstatement of the former chief of Somalia’s premier intelligence agency could have significant impact as the country approaches critical elections amid the ongoing battle against terrorists.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (HOL) — Somalia’s Muhidin Abubakar etched his name into the record books Friday night, defeating Brazil’s Victor “Sombra” Nunes by unanimous decision to claim the interim flyweight title at UAE Warriors 60—making him the first Somali fighter to win a championship in the promotion’s history.

Hargeisa (HOL) —Two young men in Hargeisa have become a lifeline for patients in urgent need of blood, operating a grassroots network that has helped hundreds across the self-declared Republic of Somaliland.

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called on citizens to actively support the building of effective governance, emphasizing that Somalia’s statehood should no longer rely on international support.

Mogadishu (HOL) – Former Somali Foreign Minister Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad has strongly criticized a recent letter from the Somali government that called for the dissolution of the C6+ international coordination framework, describing it as diplomatically improper and damaging to the country's international standing.

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday attended the official handover ceremony marking the transition of leadership at the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), where Mahad Mohamed Salad assumed responsibilities as the new director, succeeding Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe.

Garowe (HOL) – Puntland regional state leader Said Abdullahi Deni on Saturday reaffirmed that his administration would not allow development projects driven by political agendas to be implemented within Puntland territory.

Mogadishu (HOL) – A group of traditional elders on Saturday called on opposition leaders to participate in the National Consultation Forum convened by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, aimed at addressing the country’s pressing political and security challenges.

A community youth group in Dadaab has been shining a spotlight on the growing use of harmful substances among Somali refugees in the camps in northern Kenya, especially jobless young men.

Two Kenyan men who had crossed into Somalia and enlisted in the Somali National Army were on Thursday arrested in an operation in Elwak, Mandera County.

Mogadishu (HOL) – Nearly 40,000 students across Somalia began sitting for the 12th Grade Certificate Examination for the 2024–2025 academic year on Saturday, marking a major milestone in the country’s education calendar.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Just after fajr prayers, Mogadishu’s Shangaani district begins to stir. The low grind of asphalt rollers competes with the clatter of metal tools. In the orange dust, two Somali women move with practiced ease across the worksite in reflective vests and worn boots—part of a World Bank-funded project that is rewriting not only roads, but gender roles.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (HOL) — A 15-year-old boy was arrested last week in connection with a fatal shooting outside Northtown Mall in Blaine, the latest in a string of incidents involving Somali youth that has left the community alarmed and searching for solutions.

The sharing of lethal drone technology with al-Shabaab and IS Somalia could recast the conflict in the Horn and beyond.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s top opposition leaders have condemned the federal government’s decision to suspend the C6+ international cooperation framework, calling it a unilateral and politically motivated move that threatens to isolate the country and undermine years of diplomatic and governance progress.

NAIROBI, Kenya (HOL) — Kenyan President William Ruto said Thursday that the country has made significant progress in combating terrorism, even as Al-Shabaab-linked attacks have resurfaced in parts of northern and coastal Kenya.

Bossaso (HOL) – The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, carried out an airstrike targeting ISIS-Somalia fighters on June 10, 2025, in a remote area southeast of Bossaso in Puntland.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Three Somali fishermen who were stranded at sea for 45 days and later detained in Libyan prisons for six months were reunited with their families in Mogadishu on Thursday, following a complex repatriation effort.

Mogadishu (HOL) – At least four Muslim clerics were killed and four others wounded in a suspected clan revenge attack in Xaloole, a village in the Warsheikh district of Middle Shabelle region, on Thursday, local residents and officials confirmed.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday visited the Turkish seismic exploration vessel Oruc Reis at the Port of Mogadishu, marking the official completion of an extensive oil exploration mission off the coast of Somalia.

Oruc Reis Seismic Exploration Vessel, built by Turkish engineers, has successfully completed its first intercontinental mission according to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

Kenya’s National Assembly has pledged to strengthen parliamentary ties with Somalia through a comprehensive capacity-building program aimed at training Somali parliamentary staff.

Three hundred vulnerable displaced families living in an internal displacement camp in Merka, Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, are appealing for support following the cutting of cash aid in January.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa Annette Weber discussed pressing regional developments on Thursday, including the ongoing crisis in war-ravaged Sudan, security challenges in Somalia, and navigation in the Red Sea.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali government has formally called for the dissolution of the C6+ international coordination framework, arguing that the mechanism no longer reflects the nation’s current political and security realities.

Mogadishu (HOL) — The Governor of the Banaadir Region and Mayor of Mogadishu, Dr. Hassan Mohamed Hussein (Muungaab), has announced the replacement of two district commissioners as part of a broader push to enhance urban development, public service delivery, and community stability in the Somali capital.

Mogadishu (HOL) — The Somali National Army (SNA), with support from international partners, carried out a planned military operation in the Buurta Cadayga area near El-Baraf district in the Middle Shabelle region, killing at least 13 members of the Al-Shabaab militant group.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates, Badr Abdelatty, has praised the strengthening of Egyptian-Somali relations, emphasizing Cairo’s continued commitment to deepening political, economic, and security cooperation with Mogadishu.

Garowe (HOL) — The Puntland regional administration announced Wednesday that it will not participate in the upcoming national consultation forum convened by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, citing constitutional violations and lack of genuine federal commitment by the central government.

Galkacyo (HOL) — The Governor of Mudug region, Faysal Abdullahi Sheikh (Jifojabsade), has denied allegations that traders and elders from Somalia’s Southwest State were tortured after photos circulated on social media showing the men with their hands and feet tied.

Mogadishu (HOL) — The Governor of Banadir Region and Mayor of Mogadishu, Dr. Hassan Mohamed Hussein (Muungaab), has delivered a shipment of medical supplies to Community Defense Forces supporting the Somali National Army in ongoing military operations in the Hiiraan region.

Galkayo (HOL) — Federal lawmakers representing Somalia’s Southwest State have condemned the detention of several businessmen from their region in northern Galkayo, describing the incident as discriminatory and harmful to Somali unity.

Kenya has held a meeting with the government of Somalia on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to deepen bilateral engagement between the two countries.