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Israel’s Somaliland recognition ‘direct assault’ on Somalia’s borders, Pakistan tells UNSC
- Pakistan calls move unilateral, unlawful, violation of int’l law.
- Envoy urges UNSC to reject actions undermining Somalia’s unity.
- OIC, UK, China reject recognition of Somaliland as independent.
At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Pakistan has strongly condemned the “unilateral and unlawful” recognition by Israel of the “Somaliland” region of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which drew condemnation from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other countries.
“It is a direct assault on Somalia’s internationally recognised borders,” said Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, while addressing the UNSC’s briefing on Monday.
He added that Tel Aviv’s move “constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.”
Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday. This decision could reshape regional dynamics and test Somalia’s longstanding opposition to secession.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office had strongly reacted to the Israeli announcement, terming it a violation of international norms and affirming Islamabad’s complete support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia.
The OIC and other countries, in a joint statement issued on Sunday, slammed Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, terming it a threat to international peace and security.
China and the United Kingdom (UK) are also among the countries that refused to recognise the Somaliland region as independent.
“The ‘Somaliland’ region remains an integral, inseparable, and inalienable part of Somalia. No external actor has either the legal standing or the moral authority to alter that fundamental reality,” said the envoy.
“A group of OIC countries, including Pakistan, has unequivocally rejected Israel’s unlawful move, noting its serious repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and international peace and security as a whole. The joint statement terms the ‘recognition of parts of States’ a violation of the cardinal principles of international law and the United Nations Charter,” said Jadoon.
The ambassador praised the President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud-led Somalian government for making progress on national reconciliation, constitutional reforms, and the revitalisation of state institutions.
“Similarly, the phased two-year transition of the United Nations presence in Somalia is progressing smoothly. The handover of responsibilities under the first phase of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) has been completed, and the roadmap for the second and final phase has been finalised, with the Mission scheduled to cease operations on October 31, 2026.”
Islamabad also acknowledged the sacrifices and resilience of the Somali people and their security forces, supported by AU-UN missions, against terrorism.
Pakistan urged that the positive momentum must be protected and reinforced, not undermined by actions that risk fragmenting the country and reversing hard-won progress.
“Therefore, at this pivotal juncture, when Somalia is focused on defeating extremism, any action that diverts attention, weakens cohesion, or fuels division is profoundly irresponsible.”
Against the backdrop of Israel’s previous references to Somaliland as a destination for the deportation of Palestinian people, especially from Gaza, Jadoon said that its unlawful recognition of the region is deeply troubling.
“For decades, Israel’s dispossession and occupation of Palestinian land have been a central source of instability and conflict in the Middle East,” said the envoy.
“It is now exporting this destabilising conduct to the Horn of Africa, with serious implications for regional peace and security,” he added.
In conclusion, Pakistan called upon the Security Council and the broader international community to speak with one voice and reject all actions that undermine Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity.
King Charles, who was diagnosed with undisclosed form of cancer in 2024, has reportedly been making good progress in his health.
In a message shared on December 2025, to mark World Cancer Day, the monarch had shared the “good news” that his treatment will be “reduced” in 2026 which he described as a “personal blessing.
However, there are whispers that this has been a deliberate move to conceal any negative update about the King’s health, as the true story is different than what it seems, according to royal experts.
Royal correspondent Robert Jobson stressed that journalists were “pushed” by the Palace to “put a positive spin on the King’s health bulletins” when the reality is rather “sobering”.
He said during the The Royalist podcast that Palace aides had been focussed on only releasing positive news.
“I think it was overhyped in December. I think that the Palace were over-emphasizing the ‘good news’.”
The press spokespeople were saying, “Oh, this is good news.” They were trying to say to the journalists at the time, “Don’t interpret it any other way. This is good news.”
Meanwhile, royal editor Tom Sykes pointed out that since he shared the story about Charles having “live with cancer”, he was removed from the international media pool by the King’s powerful press office.
“Indeed, I was removed from the international media pool by the King’s communications secretary after I noted the King’s cancer was incurable, a fact the Palace has since acknowledged. My expulsion was used as an example to intimidate other journalists into toeing the Palace line,” Tom said.
He pointed out from then on, the press has been supressing the health updates as per the “privacy rules” of the King’s “powerful” press office.
Laufey is about to release the music video for her new single, Madwoman, and it stars many familiar faces, including KATSEYE member Megan Skiendiel.
The 26-year-old jazz pop star has been teasing the project on social media and revealed all her co-stars one by one in Instagram posts.
The From The Start hitmaker will be starring in the video alongside Olympics champion Alysa Liu, The Summer I Turned Pretty star Lola Tung, as well as Skeindiel in the video, according to her latest post.
The music video is set to be released on April 10, alongside the deluxe version of Laufey’s latest album, A Matter of Time: The Final Hour.
The announcement sparked an exciting reaction among fans who flocked to the comments and wrote, “OMGGG?????? HELLO WE WON,” and “ALL QUEENS.”
A third chimed in, “Friday will simply not come FAST enough,” while some joked that she is “collecting wasians like pokemon cards.”
Tom Holland declared Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey “an absolute masterpiece.”
In a recent interview with GQ, Tom Holland praised Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey, describing it as “unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”
Holland explained that Nolan’s reliance on practical, in-camera effects rather than CGI left him stunned by the sheer scale of the production.
“There were certain sequences in the movie where I’m watching it and I’m just sort of thinking like, ‘How on earth has he done that? That has to be CG,’” Holland said.
“And then after the movie asking him, ‘That was definitely CG, right?’ And he’s like, ‘No, no, no, that’s all in camera effects. Very planned, very prepared.’”
Based on Homer’s legendary poem, The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Holland as Telemachus, and Zendaya as Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war who guides Odysseus through his trials. The ensemble also includes Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron.
Holland explained that Nolan’s approach reminded him why audiences still crave the big-screen experience.
He added, “I am a real advocate for theatrical and the cinema and the communal experience of sitting in a dark room and being entertained. I think that is something for the next 10 years of my life that I will be very focused on.”
With a reported $250 million budget and a July 17, 2026 release date, Nolan’s film is shaping up as one of the year’s most ambitious projects.
More than just a film, it is being positioned as a cultural event: one designed to remind audiences of the enduring power of myth and the magic of theaters.
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