Somali pirates have hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, according to multiple Somali security officials that spoke with the BBC.

Opposition forces that make up the Somali Future Council (SFC) oppose the idea of extending President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mandate by another year and refused to recognize him as the legitimate head of the state after May 15.

The Somali defense ministry reported that recent air strikes targeting the Al Qaeda-linked group Al Shabab killed 54 militants and injured several others.

American livestreamer Johnny Somali has been sentenced to six months in prison in South Korea after sparking widespread outrage for kissing a statue commemorating women forced into sexual slavery during World War Two.

A passenger aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, but all passengers and crew were safely evacuated, Somali officials said.

Somalia’s president has called on the international community to keep Gaza at the center of global attention, warning that failure to reach a long-term political solution could lead to continued instability.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has directed government agencies to prioritize emergency drought response and redirect the majority of their work and resources toward urgent humanitarian action.

Editor’s note: Moses Becker is a special political commentator for News.Az, holding a PhD in political science and specializing in interethnic and interreligious relations. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of News.Az.

Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi on Thursday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest remarks insulting Somalis, emphasizing the country’s resilience and hard work.