Thousands of people filled the streets of Tirana on Tuesday as anger mounted over a proposed coastal tourism development tied to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, with opponents warning that protected wetlands and lagoons are being put at risk, media reports said. The demonstrations have sharpened in Albania amid claims that officials are clearing the way for large-scale construction in environmentally sensitive zones. Protesters say the project threatens protected land and…

Tuesday June 2, 2026 Seoul, South Korea (AX) — Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali was among African diplomats who met South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Monday at Cheong Wa Dae, as Seoul pressed ahead with efforts to widen its reach across the African continent. The engagement took place alongside the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which drew delegates from 50 African countries and four regional bodies, among them the African Union and the African Development Bank. South Korea organized the forum under the…

Tuesday June 2, 2026 From Wajir County, a landmark moment has arrived for Kenya. In a clear message of inclusion, history was being made on Tuesday as the country marked Madaraka Day in the north for the first time in 63 years of self-rule. It was, in the words of the speaker, proof that the Bottom-Up promise to leave no one behind is being put into action. For the first time since independence, a national celebration of Madaraka Day was taking place in Wajir, deep in Northern Kenya. Far from being a symbolic gesture, the…

Tuesday June 2, 2026 Djibouti (AX) — Djiboutian opposition figure Alexis Mohamed Gueldon has accused Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of eroding the country’s federal system, arguing that decisions from Mogadishu have widened political rifts and weakened confidence in federal institutions. In a Monday post on social media, Gueldon said constitutional amendments, political standoffs and strained ties between the federal government and some federal member states have hurt the credibility of Somalia’s federal model. He…

Tuesday June 2, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission has set June 10 as the date for Southwest State’s presidential election, laying out a tight sequence of votes that will first determine the regional parliament’s leadership. Under the timetable released Monday, candidates for speaker and deputy speaker of the Southwest State House of Representatives will begin registering on June 2. The commission said the list of contenders for parliamentary leadership will be published on…

Monday June 1, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State moved quickly on Monday to tighten security in Baidoa, imposing a nighttime curfew and introducing fresh weapons-registration rules after clashes between federal government forces and troops loyal to former regional President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. Security Minister Mohamed Hussein Hassan Joon announced that the curfew will take effect from 7 p.m. until morning and will stay in place until further notice. He said the restrictions are meant to protect residents,…

Monday June 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s widening political standoff drew fresh international concern Monday, as key partners pressed the federal government and opposition leaders to return to talks and settle on an election roadmap without delay. In a joint statement released June 1, the United Kingdom, the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway said Somali leaders must place the national interest above partisan divisions at a sensitive moment for…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is set to head to Dhusamareeb, the seat of Galmudug state, as tensions intensify between regional President Ahmed Abdi Karie (Qoorqoor) and the federal government in Villa Somalia. People familiar with the plan said Barre’s trip is intended to help bridge the widening political divide and push both sides toward a settlement in Galmudug. Over the past several days, the prime minister has held a string of consultations in Mogadishu aimed at easing the standoff,…

Monday June 1, 2026 Seoul, South Korea (AX) — Somalia and Egypt used a high-level gathering in Seoul on Monday to press ahead with closer ties, as Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali met his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, for talks on expanding strategic cooperation. The discussion took place on the margins of the Korea-Africa Ministerial Meeting, giving the two ministers a chance to review the state of relations and look at areas where the partnership could be strengthened. The ministers explored ways to broaden…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopians headed to the polls Monday for a general election unfolding under the shadow of armed conflict, political friction and the absence of entire regions from the ballot, deepening questions about how representative the vote can be in Africa’s second-most populous country. It is Ethiopia’s seventh election since the military regime was ousted in 1991, but the contest comes at a moment of renewed unrest across parts of the country. Millions of people are unable to vote, including residents of the…