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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…

Australia’s centre-right Liberal Party has elected Angus Taylor as its new leader, replacing Sussan Ley after less than a year in the job, local media reported. The move elevates a prominent conservative who lobbied to drop the party’s commitment to net zero emissions, signaling a sharpened debate over the opposition’s direction on climate policy and its broader appeal to voters. Taylor, a former energy minister, emerges from the party’s “national right” faction and was seen as a key proponent of the Liberals’ decision in…

In Cairo’s June 30 Stadium, under the bright floodlights and the pressure of a continent watching, Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan took command of the CAF Champions League final between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. The match, which Sundowns edged 2–1, had all the urgency the occasion demands. Yet the deeper story was not the scoreline. It was the whistle in Artan’s hand — the first time a Somali official had been entrusted with African club football’s ultimate stage. For Somali sport,…

GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State authorities on Saturday released the names and photographs of nearly 50 foreign Islamic State fighters captured during military operations in the Calmiskaat mountains of the Bari region, days after declaring the yearlong campaign against the group largely complete. Security officials said the detainees hail from at least seven countries, underscoring the transnational reach of Islamic State’s Somalia branch. The largest contingents presented were from Ethiopia and Morocco. Ethiopia: 18…

U.S. names Justin Davis chargé d’affaires in Somalia amid regional tensions Friday January 16, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States has appointed veteran diplomat Justin Davis as chargé d’affaires ad interim at its embassy in Somalia, putting him in charge of one of Washington’s most complex and high-risk diplomatic missions at a politically sensitive moment for the Horn of Africa. The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu said Davis formally assumed the role this week, taking over day-to-day leadership following the departure of…

Breaking: Firdhiye names 21-member Cabinet in Las Anod, signaling next phase for Somalia’s northeastern administration Las Anod, Somalia — Abdikadir Ahmed Ali, widely known as Firdhiye, has appointed a 21-member Cabinet for the northeastern regional administration centered in Las Anod, according to a decree issued Sunday by his office. The move, months in the making, formalizes a leadership team for the territory that emerged from last year’s fighting and has since sought a stable path under the banner of SSC-Khatumo. The…

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AX) — On the brisk morning of Friday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed unveiled a revamped cabinet lineup, entrusting Dr. Gedion Timothewos with steering the Foreign Ministry. His task: healing Ethiopia's battered global relations post a storm of internal upheaval and regional skirmishes. Transitioning from his prior roles as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Timothewos was a pivotal mediator during the Tigray fracas. Analysts speculate that his blueprint revolves around mending bridges with Western…

Mogadishu (AX) — In a bid to bolster governance, democracy, and federal affairs, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has appointed two senior advisors. The official announcement came on Thursday. Former Northeastern State security minister Abdisamad Mohamed Gallan has been named Senior Adviser on Federal Affairs. His new role will involve strengthening Somalia's federal system and fostering collaboration among its regional administrations. Ahmed Jama Mohamed Cillal has been designated Senior Adviser on Democracy and…

It is Tuesday, July 27, that religious communities meet to appoint their delegates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni). Under the new law, the president of Ceni can only be proposed by religious denominations. The latter have until Wednesday to send the minutes (PV) of the appointment to the National Assembly. The task will not be easy after the threats they say they are exposed to…

Jubaland submits the names of election officials when the elections gather in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia - The reality of holding elections in Somalia continues to gather momentum after some hiccups that were necessary from a dead end that was accused of Villa Somalia but which has since been fixed after the signing of the agreement before the election. Last week, leaders of the federal…