A sweeping political declaration endorsed by 46 member states of the Council of Europe, the Strasbourg-based human rights body, could shape the way judges approach some of Europe’s most contested migration cases. Ireland is among the countries to back the declaration, which zeroes in on the deportation of criminals and the handling of asylum claims. It says that while migrants’ fundamental rights and freedoms “must be respected and protected in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination”, national governments retain…

Tuesday May 12, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — Hargeisa’s city council installed Abdirisaq Mohamed Farah Wiwaa as the city’s new mayor on Tuesday, just hours after members moved to oust former Mayor Abdikarin Ahmed Mooge and his deputy from office. In the same extraordinary session at Hargeisa City Hall, councilors also chose Aden Jamaac Haddi Mideeye to serve as deputy mayor. Speaking after the vote, Wiwaa said the meeting had concluded calmly and vowed to focus on improving services in North Western State of Somalia’s capital.…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council has said it is prepared to take part in President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s proposed national dialogue, but only if the government accepts a set of conditions centered on the country’s disputed electoral process. In a formal letter released Tuesday, the Council said any meaningful talks with the Federal Government would require what it described as “genuine political integrity,” and it set out two main demands. First, the group urged the…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali Future Council has cast doubt on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s proposed consultation meeting, saying it has not yet decided whether to take part. Speaking for the opposition bloc, former MP Abdirahman Dheere said the council is still weighing the invitation and has not settled on a final response. “Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent an invitation, and we are still considering how to respond. We believe he is not sincere and may have other intentions, but we have not yet made a…

Tuesday May 5, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali Future Council has cast doubt on a consultation meeting proposed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, saying it has not yet settled on whether to attend. Speaking for the opposition bloc, former MP Abdirahman Dheere said the group is still weighing the invitation and has yet to arrive at a final stance. “Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent an invitation, and we are still considering how to respond. We believe he is not sincere and may have other intentions, but we have not yet made a…

A bruising night awaits UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Labour, with the expected scale of Thursday’s losses already spawning its own grim shorthand: "Starmergeddon". The term captures both the depth of the setback forecast for Britain’s governing party and the pressure set to fall squarely on the prime minister. Voters are choosing members of the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, as well as filling about 5,000 local authority seats across England, and Labour is widely expected to come away wounded. The…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — With his term set to expire in less than two weeks, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called members of the Somali Future Council to a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, 2026, as political friction deepens over the country’s next steps. In a statement released Saturday, the presidency said the invitation came after the president consulted with a range of social groups in recent days. The planned gathering is expected to examine major national issues, among them Somalia’s…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called the Somali Future Council to a meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, according to a statement released by the presidency on Saturday. The invitation comes after several weeks of consultations between the president and different sectors of Somali society, and the proposed session is expected to tackle some of the country’s most pressing political questions. In the statement, the presidency said the discussions will focus on speeding up state-building efforts,…

DJIBOUTI CITY, April 22 — Djibouti’s Constitutional Council on Tuesday confirmed that President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has secured a sixth straight term, formally putting his share of the vote at 97.01% in the presidential election. Guelleh, 78, has been in power since 1999, making him one of the Horn of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Early figures published soon after the April 10 ballot had already pointed to another overwhelming victory for the incumbent, with preliminary results showing him ahead on 97.81% of the vote…

Somalia: Opposition Council Warns of Political Crisis as Election Deadlines Loom MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Somali Future Council has raised the alarm over what it calls dangerous delays in the country’s electoral timetable, accusing the federal leadership of neglecting its constitutional responsibilities. In a sharply worded statement issued Wednesday, the council said the mandate of federal institutions is due to expire on April 14, 2026, under the provisional constitution. It warned that continued failure to put an…