Monday June 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s widening political standoff drew fresh international concern Monday, as key partners pressed the federal government and opposition leaders to return to talks and settle on an election roadmap without delay. In a joint statement released June 1, the United Kingdom, the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway said Somali leaders must place the national interest above partisan divisions at a sensitive moment for…

Bureaucracy is choking access to safe drinking water nationwide, lawmakers warned, taking aim at the government’s current water-supply budget. Several MPs pressed ministers to declare water provision a national emergency, arguing that the allocated funds fall far short of what is needed to deliver additional tanks and bolster infrastructure in many regions. "In most rural areas, there is only one tap serving an entire community. Water tankers do not reach all settlements, and sometimes there is no money for fuel," one MP…

Pressure on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer escalated sharply on Tuesday, with reports that Cabinet ministers have urged him to weigh his future and a string of government aides walking out, in what has become the most serious threat yet to his leadership. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is understood to have privately argued for an orderly transfer of power last night, after 75 MPs called on Mr Starmer to step aside in the wake of Labour's punishing election losses last week. Senior minister Darren Jones said Mr Starmer…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOSunday May 3, 2026 Residents of Mwingi barricade the Busy Nairobi-Garissa road in Mwingi town./STEPHEN ASTARIKO Leaders from Garissa are urging restraint as insecurity continues to stir fear and deepen friction between communities in Garissa and Kitui counties. The unrest has already begun to choke trade, disrupt travel and strain livelihoods across the region. On Monday, bus operators suspended services on the Garissa–Mwingi–Nairobi route after a string of attacks and rising tension between pastoralists…

Zimbabwe’s ruling party youth wing has urged Parliament to reject a reported US$3.6 million offer from businessman Wicknell Chivayo, warning the move could fuel perceptions of private interests exerting undue sway over state institutions. The ZANU PF Youth League said it had seen social media posts suggesting Chivayo intended to donate US$3.6 million to Parliament, but argued such a contribution would be inappropriate. Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs John Paradza stressed that Parliament must remain independent and…

Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane, backed by the national government, has appealed for calm after violent unrest erupted in KuGompo over an alleged coronation of a Nigerian “Igbo king.” Protesters clashed with police amid looting and arson, leaving multiple businesses in ruins—most of them owned by foreign nationals. The upheaval followed a viral video purporting to show the coronation, which local traditional leaders denounced as an affront to their authority. The Nigerian government called the act illegal,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - International partners are urging dialogue and restraint as tensions rise between Mogadishu and South West State, warning that the standoff could deepen Somalia's wider federal crisis. Calls for talks reflect the same kind of settlement logic usually associated with the National Consultative Council, where federal and regional leaders are expected to negotiate high-stakes disputes rather than escalate them. At its core, the confrontation is another test of Somalia's federal system and the limits of…

Tuesday March 24, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — After days of rising political and military strain between Mogadishu and Baidoa, traditional elders in Southwest State say they have brokered a key understanding aimed at stopping further escalation and preventing bloodshed, following three days of intensive consultations. Speaking at a press conference in Baidoa on Monday, Ugaas Shire Ugaas Warsame said the elders held separate meetings with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Speaker of the House of the People Aden Mohamed Nur (Madoobe),…

Gulf Powers Call for Unified Front Against Rising Iranian ‘Aggression’ RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a joint warning Monday, condemning continued Iranian attacks against Gulf states as a “dangerous escalation” that threatens regional stability, and vowing that Gulf Cooperation Council member states would “spare no effort” to defend their territories. In a high-level call, the leaders pledged to mobilize “all available capabilities” to…

EU leaders pressed for urgent action to cut energy costs and fix the bloc’s border-free single market, warning that European industry risks falling further behind the United States and China if the 27 member states fail to move from rhetoric to results. Gathering at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium’s Limburg province, heads of government acknowledged a shared “sense of urgency” but arrived with divergent prescriptions. “We share a sense of urgency that our Europe needs to act,” French President Emmanuel Macron said alongside…