minister

Somalia’s Olympic Committee accuses sports minister of interference, escalating power struggle in Mogadishu MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Olympic Committee on Wednesday accused the country’s sports minister of attempting to disrupt its work and interfere in the administration of national sports, deepening a public rift between two institutions at the heart of Somali athletics. In a statement, the Olympic body alleged the minister orchestrated “fake contacts” to undermine its operations and tried to take control of its…

Spain’s Sanchez condemns U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, bans use of Spanish bases as Trump threatens trade retaliation Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez intensified his opposition to the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, calling the campaign “Russian roulette” with the lives of millions and barring U.S. aircraft from using naval and air bases in southern Spain for the offensive against Tehran. His move drew an immediate threat from President Donald Trump to cut trade ties with Spain, escalating tensions between NATO allies.…

Pakistan bombed Taliban government forces in Kabul and Kandahar overnight in the first direct strikes on Taliban military sites since the group returned to power in 2021, a sharp rupture between the neighboring Islamic nations that Islamabad’s defense minister described as “open war.” The escalation raises the risk of a broader conflict along the 2,600-kilometer (1,615-mile) frontier and deepens a crisis already fueled by cross-border militant attacks. “Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and…

Denmark’s Frederiksen calls March 24 election amid U.S.-Greenland tensions COPENHAGEN — Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday called a general election for March 24, 2026, seeking a renewed mandate as Denmark navigates strained ties with the United States over Greenland and a hardening security environment shaped by Russia. Under Denmark’s constitution, an election had to be called within four years of the last vote, held Nov. 1, 2022. “Whether I will continue to be your prime minister depends on how strong a mandate…

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday called a general election for March 24, setting up a high-stakes vote framed by security concerns, fraught ties with the United States over Greenland and ongoing tensions with Russia. “Whether I will continue to be your prime minister depends on how strong a mandate you give the Social Democrats in the parliamentary election to be held on March 24, 2026,” Frederiksen said as she outlined her platform, which includes reforming the retirement age and introducing a wealth…

Tweah Accuses Vice President Koung of Conspiracy During Corruption Trial Former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah has accused Vice President Jeremiah Koung of orchestrating a plot to imprison him, alleging that such a move would clear a path for Koung’s own presidential ambitions. These serious accusations emerged as Tweah's corruption trial resumed, where he and several former officials face allegations regarding the misappropriation of $6.2 million funds. The funds at the heart of the case were reportedly designated for…

Rob Jetten was sworn in Monday as the Netherlands’ youngest-ever prime minister and the first openly gay leader to hold the office, capping a snap election season that reordered Dutch politics and sidelined far-right firebrand Geert Wilders. The 38-year-old centrist and his cabinet took the oath before King Willem-Alexander at Huis Ten Bosch in The Hague, ushering in a new government formed by Jetten’s D66 with the center-right CDA and liberal VVD. The coalition holds 66 seats—nine short of a majority—forcing Jetten to seek…

Denmark’s defense minister said Greenland does not need outside medical assistance, pushing back against a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that a hospital ship is headed to the autonomous Danish territory. “The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark. So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland,” Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR.…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s prime minister on Monday hailed Türkiye’s launch of a deep-sea drilling mission off the Horn of Africa nation’s coast as a historic step that could jump-start long-promised economic change. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre welcomed the deployment of Türkiye’s drillship Cagri Bey, which has set sail for Mogadishu to begin Ankara’s first offshore oil and gas exploration outside its own maritime zone. Turkish officials say the vessel is scheduled to start drilling in April at the Curad-1 well.…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia (AX) — A key community body in western North Western State of Somalia has rejected the interior minister’s claim that a peace deal ended recent inter-clan clashes, saying fresh fighting has erupted in Awdal and Salal and that casualties and destruction are mounting. In a statement issued late Monday, the Awdal Regional Tribal Cultural Committee said Interior Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab’s Feb. 14 remarks declaring the conflict over were “misleading” and did not reflect the situation…