Colombia’s presidential race is headed for a high-stakes runoff, with right-wing outsider Abelardo De La Espriella poised to face leftist Ivan Cepeda after first-round results showed a razor-thin margin between the two men, while Mr Cepeda and his allies said they would hold off on accepting the outcome until the count is formally confirmed. Less than two percentage points separated the candidates, according to data from the country’s national registry office, in an election shaped by anxieties over security, a struggling…

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…

By  STEVE DOUGLASSunday May 3, 2026 Arsenal kept rolling, while Liverpool and its embattled manager Arne Slot endured another bruising afternoon. The Gunners tightened their grip on the Premier League race with a 2-0 win over Brentford that restored a five-point cushion at the top, while Liverpool were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Anfield after benefiting from a late own-goal. Slot is likely to face renewed scrutiny after his side slipped to eighth in a disappointing title defense, with his call to…

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…

New York — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appointed U.S. diplomat James Swan as his new Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUSCO, placing an experienced Africa hand at the helm of one of the U.N.’s most challenging peace operations. Swan succeeds Bintou Keita of Guinea, whom Guterres thanked for her leadership and service during a difficult period for the mission. The appointment lands at a pivotal moment for MONUSCO,…

WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead at last-place Wolves and were pegged back to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday, a result that hands Manchester City a significant opening in a finely poised Premier League title race. Teenage debutant Tom Edozie crashed in a dramatic equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time at Molineux to complete Wolves’ comeback, after Arsenal had led 2-0 through Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie. The league leaders have now dropped points in back-to-back matches and see their advantage…

Carrick’s perfect start lifts Manchester United into Champions League race as Arsenal surge nine points clear Manchester United’s season is back on the rails. Four straight Premier League wins under Michael Carrick, capped by a composed 2-0 defeat of 10-man Tottenham on Saturday, have turned a campaign that looked rudderless weeks ago into one with a credible route back to the Champions League. United’s victory maintained Carrick’s 100% start as head coach and pushed the 20-time English champion up to 44 points — already…

Frank W. Garcia Jr. Nominated to Lead Africa Bureau at State Department Frank W. Garcia Jr., a veteran Republican Congressional aide, has been nominated by President Trump to head the Africa Bureau at the State Department. Garcia, whose nomination for the position of Assistant Secretary for Africa was submitted to the Senate on January 29, is currently serving as a senior advisor to the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). His appointment is subject to Senate confirmation, a process…

Premier League: Arsenal surge seven clear as Liverpool finally win; dramatic Chelsea comeback caps a frantic Saturday Leeds 0-4 Arsenal Liverpool 4-1 Newcastle Chelsea 3-2 West Ham Brighton 1-1 Everton Wolves 0-2 Bournemouth Arsenal and Liverpool rediscovered their cutting edge on a pivotal Premier League Saturday, with Mikel Arteta’s side blasting seven points clear at the top after a 4-0 rout at Leeds, and the defending champion easing months of frustration with a 4-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield. Manchester City and…

North Western State of Somalia’s Irro urges African, Arab states to recognize region after Israel’s move Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro on Tuesday called on African and Arab countries to recognize North Western State of Somalia, arguing the region has earned international acceptance and should no longer be overlooked after Israel’s decision to formally recognize it. Speaking at a consultation meeting with former foreign ministers at the presidential palace in…