MOGADISHU, May 8 - Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Friday urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to put in place an inclusive electoral framework before his term expires next week, saying failure to reach consensus could deepen instability in the country. The appeal lands against the backdrop of an intensifying political standoff in the Horn of Africa nation, where the opposition and the federal government remain split over election procedures and proposed constitutional changes as the May 15 deadline…

Keir Starmer has vowed to stay on as British prime minister even after his Labour party was hammered in local elections, a bruising result that has intensified questions over his leadership. He conceded Labour had endured a "tough" night, but said that "days like this don't weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised". Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surged in contests across the country, with hundreds of Labour councillors losing their seats and piling fresh pressure on Mr Starmer. More damaging results could still lie…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Sunday unveiled the full calendar for the country’s 2026 regional elections, setting South West State on course to open the voting season later this month. Under the newly announced timetable, South West State will be first to vote. Local council and parliamentary elections are slated for May 10, the election of the state parliament speaker will follow on May 18, and the regional president is due to be chosen on May 23,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United Nations Transition Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) on Sunday threw its support behind President Hassan Sheikh’s appeal for political stakeholders to gather for a high-level consultative meeting, a move aimed at breaking the country’s extended political stalemate. In a statement posted on social media, the UN mission said the proposed summit offers a vital chance to build a common approach on key national questions that have kept the government and opposition at odds for months. “UNTMIS welcomes…

Somalia braces for a decisive political test as May 10 approaches, with the country’s leadership, opposition and international partners all watching a meeting that could shape the next phase of its transition. MOGADISHU — As the four-year term of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud nears its end, the spotlight has shifted to May 10, a date many now view as critical to the country’s political future. Mohamud has officially invited members of a national consultative forum to a high-level meeting set for that day. The…

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,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is quietly preparing to push elections ahead in three allied regional states before opening broader talks on Somalia’s federal vote, according to sources close to his political circle. During a private meeting earlier this week with three of his main political allies, the president reportedly laid out a plan to first lock in leadership in Galmudug, Hirshabeelle, and Southwest State. Sources said it was the second time in recent weeks that Mohamud has advanced the same…

Monday April 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a bid to calm mounting political tensions, Somali opposition leaders sat down with influential Hawiye clan elders in Mogadishu on Sunday, as the country edges closer to a disputed electoral process. The discussions drew a number of prominent opposition figures, among them former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Ministers Hassan Ali Khaire and Mohamed Hussein Roble, as well as lawmakers and other political actors. At the center of the talks was Somalia’s increasingly…

Bulgaria appears headed for its most decisive political reset in decades after former president Rumen Radev, a critic of the European Union who has urged a renewal of ties with Russia, won an outright majority in parliamentary elections, near complete official results showed. Radev's Progressive Bulgaria alliance captured 44.7% of the vote in yesterday's election, with 91.7% of ballots counted, according to official figures, leaving the grouping on track to secure about 130 seats in the 240-member parliament. The sweeping…

Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev's political formation has emerged in first place in the country's eighth parliamentary election in five years, exit polls showed, though the result fell short of an outright majority. Mr Radev, who stepped down from the presidency in January, entered the race promising to tackle corruption after an anti-graft movement helped plunge Bulgaria into a prolonged period of political turmoil. The European Union's poorest member has cycled through a string of governments since 2021, when mass…