CASABLANCA, Morocco — Six Moroccan men who were cleared by courts in Somalia’s Puntland State State of Somalia have returned to Morocco after spending more than two years behind bars, according to relatives and human rights advocates on Monday. The men landed at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca last week, only to be taken into custody by Moroccan authorities for questioning about how they traveled to Somalia and the events that followed, family members and campaign groups said. From the airport, they were…

A French woman who was aboard a cruise ship struck by a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus and her health is worsening, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said. The woman was one of five French nationals on the vessel who have since returned to Paris. The other four passengers tested negative, though they will be tested again, Ms Rist told France Inter radio. She added that French authorities have so far identified 22 contact cases. In the United States, health officials said one of 17 American citizens…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Nairobi (AX) — Former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has declared that he still holds the legitimate mandate to lead the administration, saying he expects to return to the region after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term ends on May 15, 2026. In an interview in Nairobi this week — his first public comments since March 30 — Laftagareen spoke at length about the political standoff in South West State and the circumstances surrounding his departure from Baidoa. Laftagareen…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, the former South West state leader, broke weeks of silence on Monday with a forceful declaration: he still regards himself as the legitimate president of the regional administration and intends to return later this month. Laftagareen said he would head back to the Southwest area 13 days after the current term of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ends, insisting that he plans to resume his duties despite the political standoff surrounding his ouster. “If May 15…

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said the relationship between the United States and the European Union has reached a “point of no return” after Washington moved to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. Vučić described the decision as the opening stage of a possible clash between the United States and Germany, Europe’s largest economy, warning that the standoff could intensify quickly in the months ahead. “It is the beginning of a serious confrontation that may deepen quickly,” Vučić said, voicing…

Ismail DilawarFriday May 1, 2026 The collage created on April 30, 2026, shows (left) Syed Hussain Yousuf’s daughter looking at his photo on a mobile phone, pleading for his safe return, and (right) a photo of Syed Hussain Yousuf. (AN Photo) A family in Karachi is living through every parent’s worst fear after a pirate assault off Somalia stranded a Pakistani tanker crew member at sea and pulled his 12-year-old daughter out of school. Syeda Masooma Batool has not been attending classes since the MT Honour 25 was seized on…

As King Charles continued his visit to the United States, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani injected a charged colonial-era dispute into the conversation, saying the British monarch should return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India. "If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond," Mr Mamdani, who is Indian American, said when asked at a press conference just hours before a ceremony honoring victims of the September 11 attacks. Mr Mamdani and the king later…

Sunday April 26, 2026 Arsenal surged back to the summit of the Premier League on Saturday, but only after surviving a tense finish in a 1-0 home victory over Newcastle United. The breakthrough arrived inside nine minutes, when Eberechi Eze produced a brilliant effort, curling a powerful strike into the top corner and giving the hosts an early advantage. Perhaps affected by recent performances, Arsenal was content to try and manage its lead, a strategy also shaped by injuries to both Kai Havertz and Eze, who went off with…

After more than 40 years in power, President Paul Biya is poised to install a vice-president for the first time in his rule, following parliament’s approval of contentious constitutional changes. The move revives a position that was abolished in 1972. The amendment hands the aging leader sweeping control over the vice president’s office: Biya can appoint and dismiss the deputy at his discretion, and the vice president may exercise only those authorities the president delegates. In the event of the president’s death,…

Celine Dion is set to make a long-awaited return to live performance, announcing that she will play 10 concerts in Paris later this year. The French-Canadian star, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1988, said she "cannot wait" to reunite with fans, describing the comeback as the "best gift of my life" as she shared the news on her 58th birthday. The shows in the French capital will be her first full-length concerts in nearly six years, following an extended break after her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome…