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Thursday April 16, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — Israel has taken a significant new step in its outreach to North Western State of Somalia, naming its first ambassador to the self-governing territory after formally recognizing it as an independent state earlier this year. Israel’s public broadcaster reported Wednesday that Michael Lotem, an experienced diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Kenya, will represent Israel in North Western State of Somalia. His appointment comes after Israel’s December decision to recognize…

Bea SwallowThursday April 9, 2026 Yassin Mohamud said he intended to "use this platform to bring people together" Bristol’s incoming Lord Mayor has called the appointment a "deep honour", saying he wants to help "ensure that every community feels recognised and valued" in the city. Yassin Mohamud, elected as Green councillor for Lawrence Hill in 2021, is set to take up Bristol City Council’s ceremonial mayoral post in May. The position rotates between the council's four largest political groups. He will take over from…

Donald Trump has dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi, abruptly ending her tenure atop the Justice Department and tapping his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche to serve as acting attorney general. The decision comes after weeks of rising irritation inside Trump's orbit over Bondi's performance, especially her stewardship of investigative files tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump had also reportedly become increasingly dissatisfied that Bondi was not moving fast enough to pursue…

Somali Cabinet Appoints New Custodial Corps Chief Amid Political Shifts MOGADISHU, Somalia — In a swift reshuffle aimed at tightening control over Somalia’s security apparatus, the Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved Maj. Gen. Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud as the new chief of the Somali Custodial Corps during an extraordinary session led by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. Acting on a recommendation from the Ministry of Justice, the cabinet’s decision takes immediate effect and removes the former chief, Gen. Mahad…

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…