MOGADISHU, May 18, 2026 – Somalia’s long-running electoral dispute took on fresh urgency on Monday as international partners opened virtual crisis talks with the opposition alliance and influential regional leaders, diplomatic sources said, in a bid to pull the country back from a deepening political impasse. The online session brought foreign diplomats face to face with the Future Council, a major coalition of opposition-aligned political figures, as well as Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland…

Monday May 18, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia on Monday marked 35 years since it broke away from Somalia, staging military parades, public festivities and fresh calls for wider international recognition. Tens of thousands turned out in Hargeisa and other major cities, including Burco and Borama, to observe May 18, the date North Western State of Somalia says represents its 1991 declaration of independence after the collapse of Somalia’s central government in Mogadishu. The main ceremony took place in…

Somalia: Protest Against North Western State of Somalia's May 18 Celebrations Erupts in Borama BORAMA, Somalia — What began as anger over events tied to North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 celebrations quickly turned violent in Borama on Sunday, as demonstrators confronted police after youths set tires ablaze in several parts of the town, according to witnesses and officials. Local reports said police responded by firing live ammunition to break up the crowd. No casualties were reported immediately. North Western State…

Monday May 18, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia on Monday sharply denounced drone strikes aimed at Saudi Arabia after Riyadh said it had intercepted and destroyed three drones that entered its airspace from Iraq. In a statement issued Monday, the Federal Government of Somalia called the incident a grave breach of Saudi sovereignty and warned that such attacks could undermine peace and stability across the region. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said the drones were stopped on Sunday morning after crossing into the kingdom’s…

Monday May 18, 2026 Borama (AX) — Police in Borama opened fire Sunday to break up young demonstrators who burned tires in parts of the city during a protest against North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 independence celebrations, according to residents and officials. No casualties were immediately reported. The unrest unfolded in Borama, the capital of Awdal region, one of several places where tensions have been building ahead of North Western State of Somalia’s annual May 18 commemoration. The day marks North Western…

Monday May 18, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State security forces detained suspected pirates on Sunday in a sweep across Somalia’s Bari region, stepping up pressure on groups accused of trying to revive maritime crime along the coast. According to Puntland State security officials, the suspects are thought to have ties to pirate networks linked to attacks, kidnappings and attempted hijackings of commercial ships in Somali waters and along nearby Red Sea shipping lanes. The operations form part of a wider effort to block…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 18, 2026 Garissa governorship aspirant Abdulkadir Haji with Sultan Hamud Sheikh of the Awliyahan clan./STEPHEN ASTARIKO The contest for Garissa governor in 2027 is already gathering momentum, with Senator Abdul Haji making a direct appeal to the influential Awliyahan community in a development that could alter the county’s political arithmetic. At a symbolic ceremony held on Saturday at a Garissa hotel, the two-term senator, who comes from the Samawadhal community, officially presented his…

By Dr. Ali Said FaqiSunday May 17, 2026 Somalia is edging into a precarious political chapter, one that may prove among the most volatile in recent years. The constitutional amendments passed in March 2026 have ignited a fierce dispute over legitimacy, governance, and the country’s political future. That tension sharpened after the presidential term expired on May 15, 2026, and the parliamentary mandate ended on April 14, 2026, leaving the nation in a sensitive constitutional and political void. To many in the public and on…

Sunday May 17, 2026 Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the country is confronting a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Ituri province, where the death toll has climbed to at least 80 as authorities step up screening and contact tracing efforts to slow the spread. A fresh outbreak of Ebola has been reported in eastern DRC, where tens of people have died as a result. / Reuters Authorities announced the outbreak on Friday, saying 65 people had died and 246 suspected cases had been identified. By Saturday, they…

By  JAMES ROBSONSunday May 17, 2026 Wembley has seen plenty of dramatic FA Cup finals in its 155-year history, but few goals can have matched the audacity of the strike that decided this one. Manchester City claimed a 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday, sealing the trophy through a moment of sheer invention from Antoine Semenyo. The final had been drifting toward a tense, chance-starved conclusion until the forward produced a stunning back-heel finish in the second half to transform the contest. In the 72nd minute,…