villa

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has named Zakariye Yusuf Hussein deputy director general of the Presidential Palace, a senior Villa Somalia post the government cast as part of a wider push to modernize public administration and elevate youth participation in decision-making. The appointment was announced Thursday in a presidential decree. The move follows a recent reshuffle at the presidency after Mohamed Amin Sheikh Osman, who previously held the deputy director general role, was appointed Somalia’s…

Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appoints Zakariye Yusuf Hussein deputy director general at Villa Somalia in youth-focused reform move MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday appointed Zakariye Yusuf Hussein as deputy director general of the Presidential Palace, known as Villa Somalia, in a decree presented by the presidency as part of efforts to promote youth participation in governance and modernize public administration. The leadership change follows the reassignment of Mohamed Amin Sheikh Osman,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — High-stakes talks at Villa Somalia between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and opposition leaders collapsed Sunday without agreement, laying bare deep divisions over the electoral model meant to guide Somalia’s next vote. The second round of discussions between the presidency and figures grouped under the Somali Future Council ended in deadlock after the sides failed to reconcile positions on core political questions tied to Somalia’s electoral framework, according to sources familiar with the talks. At…

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting at the Presidential Palace that formally opened a consultative conference with leaders of the Somali Future Council, launching talks aimed at resolving disputes over elections and constitutional reform. The government-opposition dialogue — expected to run several days — begins amid rising political tension and with fewer than three months left in the government’s term, a compressed timeline that has…

Premier League: Arsenal rip Aston Villa to stay five clear; Chelsea held; United stalled by rock-bottom Wolves Arsenal hit four past Aston Villa to extend its Premier League lead to five points on Tuesday, a ruthless second-half surge that set the tone for a night of twists across the table. Chelsea were pegged back at home by Bournemouth, Manchester United dropped points against last-place Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the relegation fight tightened after Newcastle’s win at Burnley and Everton’s away triumph at Nottingham…

Analysis: Somalia’s ‘one person, one vote’ push risks crisis without consensus and constitutional safeguards Somalia’s federal government is advancing a “one person, one vote” election model it says will anchor the country’s democratic transition. But the process, as described by Puntland State State Minister of the Presidency Abdifatah Abdinur, suffers from deep constitutional, legal and practical flaws that threaten to compound — not resolve — Somalia’s political fragility. The concerns revolve around three pillars of any…

Opinion | A Looming Disaster: Villa Somalia’s One-Sided Election Risks Unraveling Somalia’s Fragile State-Building Somalia’s promised “one person, one vote” has become the centerpiece of a contentious election push out of Mogadishu. But the model advancing under Villa Somalia’s direction, far from cementing democratic progress, is being carried out in ways that are constitutionally shaky, institutionally partisan and geographically exclusionary. If pursued as is, the process could deepen mistrust between the federal center…

Premier League title race blown open as Buendia’s stoppage-time strike sinks Arsenal; Man City close in Aston Villa detonated the Premier League title race with a 2-1 win over Arsenal sealed in the fifth minute of stoppage time, trimming the leaders’ advantage to two points after Manchester City’s clinical 3-0 dispatch of Sunderland. Villa sit a point further back in third after a raucous late twist at Villa Park that revived Unai Emery’s resurgent side and rattled Mikel Arteta’s unbeaten machine. Emiliano Buendia,…

Kenya Steps In: A Fresh Bid to Broker Peace in Somalia By Ali Musa Axadle Times international–Monitoring. The winds of political change in Somalia are stirring tensions once again. As clashes between federal and Jubbaland forces threaten to escalate, neighboring Kenya has quietly stepped into the fray, offering to mediate talks between Somalia's federal government and the semi-autonomous Jubbaland administration. The unfolding situation marks yet another pivotal moment in the Horn of Africa, where decades-long instability…

Liverpool jumped ahead five points clear in the Premier League, thanks to a 2-0 victory against Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday. The team’s performance was electrifying, possibly making the Reds feel like they were on cloud nine. "The match kicked off with a bang," exclaimed one commentator, as Darwin Nunez broke the deadlock after 20 minutes. It was a dazzling display of speed and accuracy. Mohamed Salah, the whirlwind winger himself, galloped forward with the ball, setting up Nunez who expertly chipped Aston Villa’s…