Fuel shortages have pushed the country to a perilous brink, the government warned, saying the nation is now "dangerously exposed" as the crisis hobbles transportation, commerce, and daily routines. In a statement, government spokesperson Shadric Namalomba linked the worsening situation to the conflict in the Middle East and a severe shortage of foreign exchange. Namalomba said international fuel suppliers are demanding cash upfront, a shift that has further tightened the country’s ability to bring in fuel. He added that…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Tuesday sounded the alarm over what he called a dangerous political turning point for Somalia after the federal parliament’s mandate expired. Farmaajo said the Federal Parliament’s term officially came to an end on April 14, 2026, under the Provisional Constitution, leaving the country without a newly elected legislature in place. “The end of parliament’s mandate without the formation of a new parliament could create legal and…

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…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — With Somalia already navigating deep political strains, the Somali Future Council on Tuesday raised the alarm over delays in the next round of national elections, accusing top government officials of abandoning constitutional deadlines and risking a wider crisis. In a statement, the council said the country’s Provisional Constitution is explicit: the mandates of federal institutions expired on April 14, 2026. Without an election process that follows constitutional requirements, it…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition Himilo Qaran party on Tuesday raised alarm over the country’s political and constitutional direction after the federal parliament’s term expired. In a statement, the party said the House of the People’s mandate officially ended on April 14, 2026, in line with Article 60 of the Provisional Constitution, describing the date as a defining test for governance and respect for the rule of law. “Protecting the term limits of government institutions is the most…

Analysis by Nic Robertson Sunday April 12, 2026 As the sun dipped below the horizon in Islamabad and rose again over the city, the talks stretched on through the night and into another day. Their collapse without an agreement deals a serious blow to the fragile hopes that a diplomatic escape route might still be found in this crisis. The stakes could hardly have been higher. These were the most senior US-Iranian negotiations since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, and the complexity of the discussions was…

The energy shock triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran is “probably the worst ever”, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said, warning that the fallout could outstrip even the supply crisis of the 1970s. Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched attacks on the country on 28 February. Mr Martin made the remarks after talks with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Helsinki, before heading to Warsaw for a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The discussions are part of a wider round of…

With fuel costs climbing in the wake of the Iran war, Victoria is moving swiftly to blunt the impact on households by making public transport free from tomorrow. In a post on social media, state Premier Jacinta Allan described the decision as a "temporary measure to take pressure off the pump and ease the cost of living for Victorians right now". "It won’t solve every problem, but it is an immediate step I can take to help Victorians right now," she added. The plan in Victoria, whose capital is Melbourne, is set to remain in…

Friday March 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A deepening rift between Mogadishu and Southwest State burst into public view on Friday as a group of federal cabinet members from the region resigned en masse. The departing officials are State Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources Dr. Mohamed Yusuf Hassan (Waliid); Deputy Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development Mohamed Aden Mohamed; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Isaak Mohamud Mursal; Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate…

Katya AdlerEurope EditorThursday March 19, 2026 Turbulence in the Middle East has sent a fresh shudder through Europe’s energy system, stirring memories of past shocks that rattled the European Union. Seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the President of the European Commission rose in the European Parliament to charge Moscow with distorting the EU’s energy market. "They prefer to flare the gas than to deliver it," proclaimed Ursula von der Leyen, as spiralling energy…