A former Somali president who was voted out of power in 2017 has been re-elected to the country’s top job after defeating the incumbent leader in a contest decided by legislators in a third round of voting. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somali president between 2012 and 2017, won the contest in the capital, Mogadishu, amid a security lockdown imposed by authorities to prevent deadly militant attacks. The first round of voting was contested by 36 hopefuls, four of whom proceeded to the second round.Ugandan peacekeepers with the African Transition Mission in Somalia stand next to their armoured vehicle … Continue reading Former Somali president re-elected during vote in airport hangar

A Canadian lawmaker has apologised for appearing remotely for a parliamentary session from a toilet cubicle. Liberal MP Shafqat Ali was panned by a Conservative party lawmaker on Friday after colleagues noticed the familiar background of the building’s washroom. “The camera was mounted on the ledge or ridge on the wall just above the back of the toilet,” a rival MP said. This is the second Liberal MP in two years to be caught in an embarrassing situation on a Zoom call. Mr Ali, a 55-year-old former real estate dealer, was elected last year to serve for the district north-west … Continue reading SMH: Canada MP regrets calling into debate from toilet

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, son of the Philippines’ former dictator, is poised to win the presidential election by a landslide, according to partial and unofficial results. The senator has so far won 55.8.% of the vote, compared to 28% for rival Leni Robredo. His win will mark the Marcos family’s return to power after 36 years. Supporters whitewashed his family’s time in power, which was marked by heavy corruption, as a golden age. His father, former president Ferdinand Marcos, was known for his brutal authoritarian rule. Mr Marcos Sr, along with wife Imelda and their cronies, plundered an estimated $10bn … Continue reading Son of former Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos poised to win presidency in landslide

The United States’ youngest congressman has said he won’t “back down” after a naked video of him in bed was leaked. Madison Cawthorn, 26, said the video showed him “being crass with a friend, trying to be funny”. “We were acting foolish, and joking. That’s it,” he said. “I’m NOT backing down…blackmail won’t win.” The Republican, who is up for re-election in North Carolina, was first elected aged 25 – the minimum age for US Congress. When he entered the national political arena, he was seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. He beat then-President Donald Trump’s endorsed … Continue reading US lawmaker says he won’t back down after naked tape leak

Four left-wing parties in France have agreed in principle to form an alliance to challenge President Emmanuel Macron at June’s parliamentary elections. The Socialists, Greens, Communists and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s far-left France Unbowed party reached a draft agreement after all-night negotiations. Mr Mélenchon, who just failed to make the presidential run-off in April, is looking for a majority of MPs. All the parties involved hailed the agreement as historic. The leader of the French Communist Party, Fabien Roussel, said no party on the left could win alone against Mr Macron. The deal still needs to be approved by the Socialist Party’s … Continue reading Left forms coalition to fight Macron in forthcoming elections

The family of a Paraguayan politician who was kidnapped by left-wing rebels in September 2020 have demanded that more be done to free him. Óscar Denis, who served as vice-president from 2012 to 2013, has spent 600 days in captivity. His daughter Beatriz said they had been “600 days of anguish” for his family. Mr Denis, 76, was abducted from his ranch by members of the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP), a Marxist rebel group. “Today we mark 600 days of defeat while this government engages in navel gazing and pats itself on the shoulder for achievements that do not exist,” … Continue reading Former Paraguay VP Oscar Denis spends 600th days in captivity

Pakistan’s parliament will select a new prime minister on Monday, after Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the early hours of Sunday. Shahbaz Sharif – the leader of an opposition coalition who worked to depose Mr Khan – is widely expected to win a majority of the votes. The parliament is due to vote around 14:00 local time (09:00GMT). Mr Khan, 69, was voted out after days of political drama and Supreme Court intervention. He had attempted to block a previous attempt to bring a no-confidence motion against him by dissolving parliament and calling for a snap … Continue reading Update: Pakistan set to vote in new PM after Imran Khan ousted

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has been ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership. The vote was held past midnight after opposition parties brought a motion against him, following days of drama. The motion was first brought last week, but the former cricket star blocked it by dissolving parliament. Sunday’s vote took place after the country’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of opposition parties and said that Mr Khan had acted unconstitutionally. Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif – who is expected to be chosen as the new prime minister on Monday – said Pakistan and its parliament … Continue reading Imran Khan ousted as Pakistan’s PM after vote

More than 40 MPs have left Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s coalition government. MPs from parties aligned with Mr Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led coalition said they would now independently represent themselves. The move comes as the South Asian nation is grappling with power cuts and shortages because of an economic and foreign exchange crisis. This has led to mass protests demanding Mr Rajapaksa’s resignation. It is unclear what the implications of the MPs’ actions are at this point. They have distanced themselves from the government, but have not extended support to the opposition. It could, however, call … Continue reading Sri Lanka MPs quits Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led coalition

Former US President Donald Trump has sued Hillary Clinton and several other Democrats, accusing them of trying to rig the 2016 US presidential election by linking his campaign to Russia. Mr Trump beat Mrs Clinton in 2016, but he alleges “racketeering” and other claims, as part of an “unthinkable plot” to undermine his campaign. Mr Trump’s campaign and transition teams were accused of conspiring with Russian agents to influence the election in his favour. A report released by a Republican-led US Senate committee in 2020 concluded that Russia used Republican political operative Paul Manafort and the WikiLeaks website to try … Continue reading Donald Trump sues Hillary Clinton over Russian collusion allegations

South Korea has chosen opposition candidate, Yoon Suk-yeol, as the country’s next president following a close-run race. The governing Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung admitted defeat early Thursday morning, apologizing to supporters for his “shortcomings”. Conservative Mr Yoon called his win a “victory of the great people”. Both candidates have been accused of running negative campaigns, and ended separated by less than 1% of the vote. Wednesday’s election saw a high turn out, with more than three quarters of eligible voters casting their ballots. Top of voters’ concerns were skyrocketing house prices, stagnant economic growth, and stubborn youth unemployment. The White … Continue reading South Korea’s opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol elected president

A US mayoral candidate who was shot at during a campaign meeting this week has blasted the decision to grant bail to his alleged would-be assassin. Nobody was injured in Monday’s gun attack on Louisville city hall contender Craig Greenberg. Quintez Brown, a 21-year-old left-wing activist who has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, was bailed out by a Black Lives Matter fund on Wednesday. Mr Greenberg said it indicates the “justice system is clearly broken”. Mr Brown, from west Louisville, was reportedly an organiser during Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in the city following the fatal police shooting in … Continue reading Update: US candidate ‘traumatised’ by bail for gun suspect