Somalia’s electoral process continues to move forward through voter registration efforts run by the national electoral authorities, but participation remains uneven in parts of the country. Recent registration drives, including new and mobile registration points in central Somalia, highlight both the push to expand the voter roll and the practical barriers that can keep eligible citizens from registering or voting. For voters, the next steps are often simple in theory—show required documents, get recorded, and receive…

Arsenal’s long wait at the summit of English football is over, and the club that has spent two decades chasing the Premier League crown it once seemed built to win can finally call itself champion again. For the first time since 2003-04, the North London side has captured the title in the top division of English football, widely regarded as the strongest domestic league in the world. The decisive moment arrived Tuesday, when Manchester City — the only team still capable of overtaking Arsenal — was held to a 1-1 draw by…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro on Monday unveiled a new institute in Hargeisa aimed at bolstering the territory’s long-running push for international recognition. Addressing the 35th anniversary of North Western State of Somalia’s May 18 declaration of independence, Irro said the North Western State of Somalia Independence and Recognition Institute would gather the historical, legal and political case for statehood and present it to a wider…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Gunfire tore through a mosque complex in San Diego on Monday, leaving three people dead and setting off a hate-crime investigation that has shaken the city’s Muslim community and drawn condemnation from officials across the country. The attack unfolded at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD), which includes both a mosque and a school. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said two suspected shooters were later found dead from what appeared to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds. “Because of the Islamic centre…

By Sarah Shamim and The Associated PressTuesday May 19, 2026 A security guard at the Islamic Center in San Diego, California, is being remembered as a hero after police said he died trying to stop suspected shooters from getting inside the mosque complex, where authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime. At least three people were killed when two teenage attackers opened fire at the San Diego mosque on Monday. Officials have not publicly identified the victims, but community leaders have said the guard was…

This Monday, 18th May, North Western State of Somalia marks the 35th anniversary of reclaiming its sovereignty from Somalia on 18th May 1991 — a milestone that remains at the centre of national pride and political debate. Before I explain what May 18th means to Somalilanders, a brief note: this year’s observance feels different. Though I live abroad, the day still stirs deep feelings of pride and patriotism. I spoke with several people in North Western State of Somalia and found that, despite…

By Sarah Shamim and The Associated PressTuesday May 19, 2026 A security guard who died while trying to stop suspected gunmen from entering the Islamic Center in San Diego, California, is being praised as a “hero” after an attack police are investigating as a hate crime. At least three people were killed when two teenage attackers opened fire at the San Diego mosque on Monday. Authorities have not publicly named the victims, but community leaders have identified the guard as Amin Abdullah. United States officials said the…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro took a congratulatory call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as the self-declared republic marked 35 years since it broke away from Somalia. According to the North Western State of Somalia presidency, Netanyahu called to mark the May 18 anniversary and the two leaders reiterated their intention to deepen ties between North Western State of Somalia and Israel. The conversation came less than…

BOSASO, Somalia — A knife attack in Bosaso’s Al-Aqsa neighbourhood has left a former Puntland State parliamentarian dead after, according to local sources, his son allegedly stabbed him in a case that has stunned the coastal city. The suspect, identified as Mohamed Yusuf, is accused of killing his father, the late Yusuf Bootaan, who previously served as a member of the Puntland State regional parliament, reports said. Residents and local sources said the killing took place in the Al-Aqsa area and described the incident as…

Tuesday May 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s electoral commission on Monday put off the election of the speaker of Southwest State’s House of Representatives, saying it must first wait for the Supreme Court to review the region’s election results. The vote for speaker had been set for May 18, 2026. In a statement, the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said it would not proceed with forming the new regional assembly leadership until the court had issued its decision. “Although the election schedule…