parliament

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Monday overwhelmingly approved a national tobacco control framework, a landmark move aimed at curbing tobacco use and tackling what lawmakers and health officials describe as a growing public health threat. The House of the People backed the measure with 139 votes in favor, three abstentions and none against, signaling rare cross-party consensus on the need to rein in tobacco consumption and marketing across the country. Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, widely known…

Greenland’s entire political spectrum closed ranks to reject U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of the Arctic island, issuing a rare joint statement asserting the territory’s right to self-determination and demanding respect for international law. “We will not be Americans, we will not be Danes, we are Greenlanders,” the leaders said in a statement released late Tuesday. The five party chiefs — including Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen — said they “strongly oppose” any U.S. takeover of Greenland and…

Irish members of the European Parliament from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael say they will oppose the EU–Mercosur trade agreement in any European Parliament vote, signaling fresh headwinds for a pact that has stalled for years over environmental and agricultural concerns. The coordinated stance by MEPs from Ireland’s two dominant centrist parties underscores persistent resistance to the agreement, which would lower tariffs and open markets between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and…

Somalia’s Parliament Passes Medicine Bill to Tackle Counterfeit Drugs; Lawmakers Weigh Tobacco Control Pact MOGADISHU — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Saturday approved the Medicine Bill, a landmark piece of health legislation aimed at tightening oversight of pharmaceuticals after years of weak regulation and widespread concerns over counterfeit and substandard drugs. The House of the People passed the bill during the 25th meeting of its seventh session, with 141 lawmakers voting in favor, one abstention and no…

MOGADISHU — The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi, has welcomed the direct elections for the Banadir Regional Council, calling the vote a historic milestone and the first of its kind in Somalia since 1969. In a statement issued Thursday, Al-Yamahi said the Mogadishu ballot represents a significant step in Somalia’s state-building process, strengthening democratic governance and citizenship while widening public participation in decision-making. He said the direct elections are expected to deliver…

Somalia’s Parliament approves $1.39 billion 2026 national budget in joint session MOGADISHU — Somalia’s bicameral Federal Parliament on Tuesday approved the National Budget for the 2026 fiscal year, endorsing a $1,386,807,242 spending plan during a joint session held in Mogadishu. The budget’s passage, by an overwhelming majority, sets the federal government’s financial framework for the coming year. According to parliamentary results, 174 lawmakers voted in favor, four opposed, and one abstained, signaling broad…

Somalia’s Parliament Approves $1.38 Billion 2026 Budget Amid Chaos MOGADISHU, Somalia — In a raucous joint sitting, Somalia’s federal parliament on Tuesday approved a national budget of $1,386,807,242 for the 2026 fiscal year, pushing the spending plan through despite loud and repeated procedural disruptions on the floor. Parliamentary officials said 174 lawmakers voted in favor, four opposed it and one abstained. The vote capped a session in which interruptions and objections forced pauses but did not derail the tally. The…

MOGADISHU (AX) — Somalia’s House of the People on Saturday completed the first reading of a sweeping police reform bill that would overhaul the legal framework guiding the Somali Police Force, signaling a new phase in efforts to modernize the country’s security institutions and strengthen rule of law. The session — the 21st meeting of the chamber’s seventh sitting — brought lawmakers into a structured review of the draft’s core provisions, which aim to tighten police governance and clarify chains of command and operational…

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament after just three months in office, a royal decree published in the Royal Gazette showed, clearing the way for a general election amid renewed violence on the Cambodia border. “The House of Representatives is dissolved to hold a new general election for members of the House,” the decree said. The move came earlier than expected. Anutin had been widely anticipated to wait until after Christmas before sending voters back to the polls. In a report cited by the…

Somali lawmakers pass amendments to Accountants Bill to tighten financial oversight MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s House of the People on Monday approved amendments to the Somali Accountants Bill, a measure aimed at strengthening financial oversight across federal institutions and raising professional standards in the public accounting sector. The chamber voted 140-1 to adopt the revisions, with four lawmakers abstaining. Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshirow announced the tally shortly after debate opened on the…