HELSINKI, Finland (HOL) — Three Somali-Finnish teenagers drowned last Friday while swimming at Kalajoki’s Hiekkasärkät beach, prompting widespread mourning and renewed calls for lifeguard supervision at one of Finland’s most visited summer destinations.

DOHA, Qatar (HOL) — Kuwait has urged the international community to coordinate efforts in support of Somalia’s rebuilding and reconciliation process, calling the East African nation’s recovery a critical test of global commitment to stability in the Horn of Africa.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Ambassador Mouktar Osman Karie has officially assumed the post of Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and Deputy Head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), as the country transitions toward Somali-led security and governance.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (HOL) — The squeak of sneakers echoed through Renton High’s gym as Rochester’s Somali-American team, one of the smallest and youngest squads in the field, stormed to a third-place finish at a Somali diaspora tournament in Seattle, defying expectations and sparking pride.

On July 1st, Somalia marked 65 years of independence. It was a day of patriotic reflection, of remembering the Somali Youth League (SYL), the young visionaries who dared to imagine a sovereign nation long before independence was won. But this year’s celebration carried a sobering contradiction. While more than 40,000 Somali students sat for national secondary school exams—a testament to the resilience and aspiration of the country’s youth—two recent graduates drowned trying to migrate abroad in search of work.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Heavy fighting broke out Tuesday in the town of Beled Hawo, as Somali federal forces and troops aligned with the Jubbaland administration clashed for the fourth time in 10 days as the sides struggle for territorial control in the Gedo region.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Taiwan has rejected China’s condemnation of its recent maritime cooperation agreement with Somaliland, calling Beijing’s objections baseless and reaffirming its commitment to regional security and international partnerships.

Addis Ababa (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called for strengthened international solidarity to support sustainable and inclusive food systems, emphasizing that transforming agriculture is not merely a strategic choice but a moral obligation and national imperative.

Doha (HOL) – A high-level ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Somalia was held in Doha from July 27–28, focusing on Somalia’s security and development challenges.

Bosaso (HOL) – Puntland security forces have intercepted a small truck allegedly transporting food and solar panels to ISIS militants stranded in the Baalde River area following recent military operations.

Mogadishu (HOL) — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has appointed Bilan Bile Mahmoud as Secretary-General of the Banadir Regional Administration, replacing Faysal Arale Afrah.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Eight Somali families fleeing intensified fighting in the Gedo region have arrived in Mandera, a Kenyan border town, after crossing into the country in search of safety, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society.

(ERGO) – Families living in Qurdubey displacement camp in Dollow say the allocation of cash aid to less than 10 per cent of the camp’s population is forcing everyone to eat less, as the resources are being shared among many other relatives and neighbours.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Al-Shabaab militants seized control of the strategic central Somali town of Mahas on Sunday, marking the group’s first breach of the area in more than a decade and raising alarms about its renewed strength across the region.

Garowe (HOL) – Puntland regional state has condemned the Al-Shabaab takeover of Mahaas district in the Hiiraan region on Sunday, following heavy fighting with the Somali National Army and local militia forces.

Gedo (HOL) – Heavy fighting erupted between federal government troops and Jubbaland forces, reportedly supported by Ethiopian troops, from Sunday night into Monday morning in the Doolow and Beled Hawo districts of the Gedo region.

Islamist militants took control of the strategic town of Maxaas in central Somalia on Sunday after heavy fighting with the army and local militias, military sources said.

Afgooye (HOL) – The Gaashaan Special Forces of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) apprehended two Al-Shabaab operatives during a special operation in the town of Afgooye, in the Lower Shabelle region, on Saturday night.

Doha (HOL) – Somali Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ali Mohamed Omar Balcad, has downplayed reports that the Qatari government is mediating between the Federal Government of Somalia and the breakaway Somaliland administration.

Addis Ababa (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday to participate in the United Nations Global Food Security Summit.

Beledweyne (HOL) – The Al-Shabaab militant group reportedly entered Mahas district in the Hiiraan region after heavy fighting with Somali National Army (SNA) and local militia forces on Sunday morning.

Mogadishu (HOL) The Himilo Qaran political party, led by former Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has strongly condemned the recent clashes between the federal government and Jubbaland state forces in the Beled Hawo district of the Gedo region.

Kismayo (HOL) – Jubbaland State Police Force destroyed sites used by the Al-Shabaab group to illegally collect taxes from farmers during a security operation along the riverbanks in the Jammaame district of the Lower Juba region.

Four people have been seriously injured after being hit by stray bullets from Belet Hawa, a town in neighbouring Somalia, during a fierce exchange of fire between the Somalia National Army (SNA) and Jubbaland Special Forces.

Missing Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi, who went missing in Tanzania on Wednesday, has finally been found dumped on the Kenyan coast.

The African Union (AU) on Saturday welcomed France's announcement to officially recognize the State of Palestine, describing it as a «significant step» that aligns with the AU's longstanding position.

Djibouti (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has arrived in Djibouti’s capital for an official visit aimed at strengthening relations with the neighboring Republic of Djibouti.

Mogadishu (HOL) — A small livestock carrier, Merinos Livestock, was briefly detained on Thursday while sailing near the Yemeni coastline, en route from Bosaso, Somalia, to the Port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

France will recognise Palestine as a state, President Emmanuel Macron has said.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali government has welcomed the French government’s plan to officially recognise the State of Palestine.

Garowe (HOL) — Puntland regional security forces, in collaboration with their U.S. counterparts, have captured a senior ISIS-Somalia leader during a coordinated counterterrorism operation in the mountainous areas of the Bari region, according to a brief statement published on the official website of Operation Hilaac.

Garowe (HOL) — The Puntland regional police have arrested a former officer, Abdirahman Mohamed Ali, who is accused of carrying out a deadly attack on law enforcement personnel in Garowe city on Thursday.

Baku (HOL) — Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdisalan Abdi Ali, met with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, in Baku to explore ways to deepen diplomatic ties and broaden cooperation across key sectors.