Monday May 18, 2026 Hargeisa (AX) — North Western State of Somalia on Monday marked 35 years since it broke away from Somalia, staging military parades, public festivities and fresh calls for wider international recognition. Tens of thousands turned out in Hargeisa and other major cities, including Burco and Borama, to observe May 18, the date North Western State of Somalia says represents its 1991 declaration of independence after the collapse of Somalia’s central government in Mogadishu. The main ceremony took place in…

Under the shadow of possible Ukrainian strikes, Russia staged its most stripped-down Victory Day parade in years, a stark departure from the grand military spectacles that once defined 9 May as Moscow still struggles to secure the triumph it promised in the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. The parade on Red Square marks Russia’s most important national holiday, commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany and honoring the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in the war, including many from Ukraine. Long…

Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but senior British ministers have rallied behind him as he tries to contain the fallout from a scandal involving Peter Mandelson, the long-time associate of Jeffrey Epstein. Mr Starmer is set to face MPs in parliament tomorrow, where he will be pressed on how Mr Mandelson came to be appointed Britain's ambassador to the United States in late 2024 despite failing security vetting. The prime minister, under fire for months over the affair, said on Friday that neither he nor…

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." Oscar Wilde’s line is a reminder that setbacks can sharpen judgment as much as successes do. People test an idea, assess the outcome and, ideally, use what they learned to navigate the next challenge with greater care. For the most part, that has defined how Democrats have responded during the second Trump administration. Until this week, that approach included a notable hesitation to embrace demands to force Mr Trump from office. That caution may have reflected worries…

As Easter approaches, countries across Africa are ramping up plans for a weekend defined by faith, family, and heavy travel, with leaders using the moment to press safety and security messages nationwide. In Mozambique, immigration authorities expect close to 400,000 people to cross the nation’s borders during the Easter period—about 17,000 more than last year. To cope with the uptick, officials are tightening procedures and staffing to keep checkpoints moving smoothly. In Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has arrived in…

Israel launches strikes on Tehran as regional conflict widens; U.S. says it sank Iranian warship near Sri Lanka Israel said it launched a wave of strikes on Tehran before dawn Friday, escalating a fast-spreading conflict that has rippled across the Middle East and beyond, disrupted vital energy routes and drawn in global powers. The Israel Defense Forces said it began a “large-scale wave of strikes against infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran,” while also hitting targets in Lebanon and intercepting…

Mozambique floods: UNICEF warns “deadly threat” to children as rains swell rivers Maputo, Mozambique — Severe flooding sweeping southern and central Mozambique poses a “deadly threat” to children, the U.N. children’s agency warned Monday, as heavy rain and rising rivers strain already swollen dam systems and authorities brace for more water to arrive from neighbouring countries. UNICEF’s warning comes as rescue and relief needs grow in parts of the country hit by what local media described as floods as severe as those…

Anti-government chants filled Tehran as protesters pressed the biggest challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership in more than three years, defying a deadly crackdown and a sweeping internet blackout that rights monitors say has masked rising casualties. Demonstrations now stretching into a second week have tested the theocratic establishment that has ruled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has struck a defiant tone, denouncing protesters as “vandals” and accusing the United States of…

MAR-A-LAGO, Florida — President Donald Trump warned Iran against rebuilding its nuclear and missile programs as he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at his Florida estate, signaling support for further Israeli action if Tehran presses ahead. “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump told reporters shortly after Netanyahu arrived at Mar-a-Lago. “We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.” The meeting came amid a fragile Israel-Hamas…

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a massive pre-dawn missile barrage at Kyiv early this morning, triggering explosions across the capital as air defenses engaged cruise and ballistic threats, Ukrainian officials and witnesses said. The strike came two days before a planned meeting in the United States between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump to refine a proposed security accord aimed at ending nearly four years of full-scale war. Reuters eyewitnesses reported air defense activity over the city,…