Somalia Blocks Al-Shabaab Accounts on Social Media  

Al-Shabaab militants sit outside a building during patrol along the streets of Dayniile district in Southern Mogadishu, March 5, 2012. REUTERS/Feisal Omar 
Al-Shabaab militants sit outside a building during patrol along the streets of Dayniile district in Southern Mogadishu, March 5, 2012. REUTERS/Feisal Omar 
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Somalia Blocks Al-Shabaab Accounts on Social Media  

Al-Shabaab militants sit outside a building during patrol along the streets of Dayniile district in Southern Mogadishu, March 5, 2012. REUTERS/Feisal Omar 
Al-Shabaab militants sit outside a building during patrol along the streets of Dayniile district in Southern Mogadishu, March 5, 2012. REUTERS/Feisal Omar 

Somalia’s government has escalated its war against the extremist al-Shabaab Movement by blocking dozens of its accounts on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Tiktok and YouTube.

Deputy Minister of Information Abdirahman Yusuf Adala revealed on Tuesday that more than 600 electronic pages for al-Shabaab will be deleted.

The ministries of information, communications, and internal security will impose this ban, Somali National News Agency SONNA quoted him as saying.

Adala pointed out that the government is following up the terrorist cells and their attempts to publish the group’s ideology and false news.

He affirmed that the terrorist militias have been suffering since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched the military offensive against the extremists.

Mohamud announced on Monday that soldiers training in Eritrea will return to Mogadishu in late December.

He made the remarks during his meeting with the Somali community in the US city of Minnesota.

Mohamud underscored the importance of the army in building the government and fighting the al-Shabaab militias, which are affiliated with al-Qaeda organization.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking al-Shabaab official and three other militants surrendered to the Somali National Forces in HirShabelle State on Monday.

The armed forces also arrested eight militants who were hiding in the liberated areas of the Middle Shabelle region.

The government said it is committed to care for those who abandoned the al-Shabaab’s ideology, as part of its fierce war against terrorists 



New Zealand Prime Minister Says Israel’s Netanyahu Has ‘Lost the Plot’ 

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)
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New Zealand Prime Minister Says Israel’s Netanyahu Has ‘Lost the Plot’ 

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Wednesday that Israel’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu had "lost the plot" as the country weighs up whether to recognize a Palestinian state.

Luxon told reporters that the lack of humanitarian assistance, the forceful displacement of people and the annexation of Gaza were utterly appalling and that Netanyahu had gone way too far.

"I think he has lost the plot," added Luxon, who heads the center-right coalition government. "What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable."

Luxon said earlier this week New Zealand was considering whether to recognize a Palestinian state. Close ally Australia on Monday joined Canada, the UK and France in announcing it would do so at a UN conference in September.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached "unimaginable levels", Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said on Tuesday, calling on Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

Israel has denied responsibility for hunger spreading in Gaza, accusing Hamas fighters of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies.

Ahead of Wednesday’s parliamentary session, a small number of protesters gathered outside the country’s parliament buildings, beating pots and pans. Local media organization Stuff reported protesters chanted "MPs grow a spine, recognize Palestine."

On Tuesday, Greens parliamentarian Chloe Swarbrick was removed from parliament's debating chamber after she refused to apologize for a comment insinuating government politicians were spineless for not supporting a bill to "sanction Israel for its war crimes."

Swarbrick was ordered to leave the debating chamber for a second day on Wednesday after she again refused to apologize. When she refused to leave, the government voted to suspend her.

"Sixty-eight members of this House were accused of being spineless," House speaker Gerry Brownlee said. "There has never been a time where personal insults like that delivered inside a speech were accepted by this House and I'm not going to start accepting it."

As Swarbrick left, she called out "free Palestine."