Gunfire echoed through several districts of the Somali capital, with smoke rising over residential areas after hours of sporadic battles. Police said they were conducting a large-scale security operation against heavily armed militias accused of launching mortar attacks on parts of the city.

The violence follows a deepening political crisis after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced an extension of his term beyond its scheduled May 15 expiry, a move rejected by opposition leaders and several regional authorities.

Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government forces of attacking his convoy on Wednesday as he prepared to participate in demonstrations against the extension. Witnesses also reported clashes near the residence of former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The unrest comes as opposition groups mobilize protests against Mohamud’s plan to advance constitutional reforms and move Somalia toward direct elections, a proposal critics say concentrates power in the presidency.

Somalia remains politically fragile, with divisions among rival clans and a continuing insurgency by Al-Shabab complicating efforts to implement nationwide electoral reforms.

Despite formal ceasefire arrangements remaining in place, fighting has persisted across multiple fronts, with Israeli military operations expanding in Gaza and southern Lebanon and U.S. and Iranian forces continuing to exchange fire amid efforts to negotiate more lasting settlements.

In Gaza, an October ceasefire brokered with strong backing from U.S. President Donald Trump ended two years of full-scale warfare and secured the release of remaining hostages seized during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. However, key provisions aimed at establishing a postwar framework have yet to be implemented.

Israeli forces have continued military operations in the territory, capturing additional areas and targeting Hamas leaders. Israel now controls roughly 60% of Gaza, up from about half when the ceasefire was agreed, according to figures cited by officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel intends to expand its hold further.The United States and Israel have attributed the stalled implementation of the ceasefire to Hamas’ refusal to disarm.

Hamas, in turn, has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the agreement through continued airstrikes and military operations. Local health authorities say at least 932 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect.Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain severe, with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians continuing to live in temporary camps while reconstruction efforts remain stalled and plans for a new Palestinian governing structure unresolved.

In Lebanon, an April ceasefire has similarly failed to end hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Fighting intensified over the weekend when Israeli troops raised their flag over Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, marking Israel’s deepest advance into Lebanese territory since the end of its 1982-2000 occupation.

Hezbollah responded with rocket attacks reaching deeper into northern Israel, underscoring the limited impact of efforts to de-escalate the conflict. The latest exchanges came despite Trump stating that both sides had again agreed to reduce tensions.Israel has said it will continue military operations until it no longer faces threats from Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks.

Lebanese efforts to address Hezbollah’s military status have made little visible progress as clashes continue along the border.The conflict in Lebanon has become increasingly linked to wider regional diplomacy. Iranian officials have demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of any broader understanding with Washington.

Meanwhile, a separate ceasefire reached in early April among the United States, Iran and Israel has also come under strain. The agreement was designed to halt regional hostilities and facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route whose disruption triggered sharp increases in energy prices.

Iran initially announced it would reopen the waterway but later reinstated restrictions after the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Washington has called for the unrestricted reopening of the strait and seeks concessions from Tehran regarding its nuclear program, while Iran has demanded sanctions relief, an end to the blockade and guarantees against renewed military action.

Negotiators appeared close to an agreement last week but failed to reach a breakthrough. Trump has repeatedly warned that military action could resume if Iran retains its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while Iranian officials have said substantive nuclear discussions require a more durable ceasefire.

Military incidents have continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the United States said it struck Iranian radar and drone facilities after Tehran allegedly downed a U.S. drone over the weekend. Iran subsequently said it launched missiles targeting American personnel in Kuwait, while U.S. officials said the missiles were intercepted.

In a statement posted on X, U.S. Central Command said it would continue protecting American forces while supporting efforts to maintain the ceasefire.

The persistence of military operations across Gaza, Lebanon and the Gulf highlights the growing gap between formal ceasefire agreements and conditions on the ground, where competing security objectives and unresolved political disputes continue to fuel violence.

The criticism followed Trump’s statement that Israel would suspend planned strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut as part of a new ceasefire arrangement. Lebanon later confirmed an agreement under which Israel would stop attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs while Hezbollah would halt attacks on Israel.

Opposition figures, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett and centrist leader Yair Lapid, accused Netanyahu of yielding to U.S. pressure. Bennett said the government had “lost control of Israeli sovereignty,” while Lapid argued Israel was acting as if it were under American oversight.

Netanyahu rejected the criticism, saying Israel’s policy remained unchanged and warning that any future Hezbollah attacks would trigger strikes on militant targets in Beirut.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had refrained from attacking Beirut at Washington’s request but warned that renewed Hezbollah attacks would bring a military response.

The dispute highlights growing political tensions ahead of elections expected by October, with Netanyahu facing pressure from rivals who favor a tougher military approach toward Hezbollah.

De la Espriella, who has pledged a hard-line crackdown on criminal groups and has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump, fell short of the 50% needed for an outright victory. Cepeda, an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, campaigned on continuing efforts to negotiate peace agreements with armed groups.

The runoff is expected to become a referendum on Colombia’s security strategy, with voters choosing between tougher enforcement measures and the continuation of peace-focused policies amid rising violence and growing influence of criminal organizations.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Pashinyan as “a great friend and leader” and endorsed his re-election bid, citing shared goals of “peace and prosperity” in the South Caucasus.

The endorsement comes as Armenia seeks to reduce its historic dependence on Russia following Azerbaijan’s 2023 takeover of the Karabakh region, which triggered the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians.

Trump also highlighted the planned “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), a transit corridor agreed under a U.S.-brokered peace framework that would link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory.

Trump said the corridor would expand regional connectivity and create opportunities for U.S. energy companies to access routes stretching from Central Asia toward global markets.

Pashinyan thanked Trump in a post on X, while the endorsement followed a visit to Armenia by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a regional diplomatic tour.

Protesters carrying Spanish flags and banners reading “Enough!” gathered in the capital following a call by Sociedad Civil Española, a coalition of more than 150 civic associations. The demonstration was backed by the conservative Alberto Núñez Feijóo-led Popular Party and the far-right Santiago Abascal party.

Organizers estimated attendance at around 80,000 people, while the central government’s representative in the Madrid region put the turnout at roughly half that figure. The march concluded near Plaza Moncloa, close to the prime minister’s official residence.

Speaking before the rally, Vox leader Abascal accused the government of being engulfed in corruption scandals, arguing that allegations involving individuals close to Sanchez had eroded public confidence in the administration.

The demonstration comes amid mounting scrutiny of figures linked to the prime minister. Sanchez’s brother, David Sanchez, is due to stand trial on influence-peddling charges, while his wife, Begona Gomez, remains under investigation in a separate corruption inquiry. Sanchez has repeatedly rejected the allegations and described the cases as politically motivated.

Pressure on the government has also increased following legal proceedings involving former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos, a longtime Sanchez ally whose corruption trial concluded earlier this month and is awaiting a verdict.

Adding to the political challenges facing the government, a Spanish court this week placed former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero under formal investigation for alleged influence peddling and other offenses. Zapatero has been regarded as a close ally of Sanchez within Spain’s Socialist movement.

Sanchez, who came to power in 2018 after a no-confidence vote removed a conservative government plagued by corruption scandals, has insisted he will remain in office despite growing opposition demands for early elections.

The rally underscored the increasingly polarized political climate in Spain, where corruption allegations have become a central battleground ahead of future electoral contests.

The dispute intensified after two ultra-Orthodox factions withdrew support from Netanyahu’s coalition earlier this month, leaving the government without a parliamentary majority and triggering an initial vote on Wednesday to dissolve the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

The political crisis centers on efforts to pass legislation preserving military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox seminary students, a decades-old arrangement that has become increasingly unpopular after more than two years of regional conflict and extended reserve duty for many Israelis.

Netanyahu is attempting to advance a bill that would formalize the exemptions and satisfy his religious coalition partners, but opposition within his own bloc has cast doubt over its chances of passage.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said she was among several coalition lawmakers unwilling to support the legislation, describing demands by ultra-Orthodox parties as unfair during wartime.
“The ultra-Orthodox are trying to extort us. It’s immoral. It’s not fair,” Haskel said after Wednesday’s parliamentary vote, where she wore her military uniform to underscore her opposition.

Analysts say Netanyahu’s dependence on ultra-Orthodox parties, which currently hold 18 seats in the 120-member Knesset, has long helped him maintain political stability despite corruption allegations, repeated elections and regional conflicts.

“He made a promise to his most loyal allies in the coalition, and he could not deliver,” said Shmuel Rosner, referring to Netanyahu’s pledge to protect the exemptions system.

Ultra-Orthodox lawmaker Yitzhak Pindrus said his faction would not return to the coalition without legislation guaranteeing continued exemptions.
“We need the draft bill,” Pindrus said.

The political standoff reflects broader tensions within Israeli society over military service obligations. Most Jewish Israeli men are required to complete nearly three years of mandatory military service followed by reserve duty, while women generally serve two years.
Roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach conscription age annually, but fewer than 10% enlist, according to Israeli parliamentary data.

The issue has become more politically sensitive as Israel maintains military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria while also confronting heightened tensions with Iran, stretching reserve forces and intensifying public frustration over unequal service burdens.

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that the longstanding exemptions lacked legal basis, but successive governments delayed implementing changes.

Researchers say Netanyahu now faces a narrowing political path: preserving ties with ultra-Orthodox parties risks alienating broader conservative voters frustrated by military disparities, while abandoning the exemptions could permanently fracture his governing alliance.

Political observers say the coalition’s collapse could move elections forward from October to September, potentially ending one of the most durable governing partnerships in Israeli politics.

Orban, in power for 16 years and widely seen as Moscow’s closest ally within the European Union, has framed Ukraine as a source of instability while positioning his government as a guarantor of peace and security.

Analysts say the approach seeks to shift focus away from domestic economic concerns that have boosted support for opposition leader Peter Magyar.“The campaign’s rhetoric is deliberately binary peace versus war portraying Ukraine as a risk and the incumbent Hungarian government as seeking stability,” Csilla Fedinec, a historian at ELTE University’s Center for Social Sciences, said.

Tensions between Hungary and Ukraine have escalated in recent months, including disputes over a Russian oil pipeline supplying landlocked Hungary. Budapest has accused Kyiv of delaying its reopening, while Ukraine says the infrastructure was damaged by Russian air strikes in January.

Hungary has also delayed approval of a 90-billion-euro European Union loan package for Ukraine and opposed additional sanctions on Russia, underscoring divisions within the bloc over support for Kyiv.Analysts and cybersecurity experts say disinformation has featured prominently in the campaign.

Pro-government media outlets circulated AI-generated images exaggerating the scale of valuables seized from Ukrainian bank employees detained briefly by Hungarian authorities.

Social media posts featuring such content recorded high engagement, with signs of coordinated activity including accounts lacking identifiable information.Separately, fabricated images depicting vandalism of a Hungarian memorial in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region circulated online, prompting hostile reactions despite later being identified as artificial.

Experts say such incidents reflect broader patterns of election-related disinformation.Ferenc Fresz, former head of Hungary’s Cyber Defense Service, said there is ongoing evidence of attempts to influence voters through coordinated messaging, including deepfakes presented as news content.

He said narratives attributed to Russian-linked actors often align with pro-government messaging, reinforcing their impact.Hungarian officials, including Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, have rejected claims of Russian interference as unfounded.Orban has also sought to portray his main rival as aligned with foreign interests, including Ukraine and the European Union.

At a rally in Budapest, he framed the election as a choice between his leadership and that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Shortly after, images circulated of individuals displaying a Ukrainian flag at an opposition event, which were later linked to affiliates of Orban’s own party, prompting accusations of staged political tactics.

Opposition leader Magyar dismissed the incident as a “false flag operation.”AI-manipulated imagery has also been used to target Magyar directly, including altered visuals suggesting his support for Ukraine.

Billboards critical of Zelensky have appeared across Hungary over the past year, sometimes alongside depictions of opposition figures.Despite contested claims and fabricated content, analysts say the campaign resonates with segments of the electorate concerned about being drawn into the Ukraine war.

Political scientist Eszter Kovats of the University of Vienna said such messaging taps into broader anxieties amplified by discussions across Europe on rearmament and conscription.

She said the ruling party’s strategy appeals to voters’ desire for stability, presenting continuity as a safer option in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment.

The 69-year-old secured the presidency following a parliamentary vote broadcast live from Naypyitaw, where lawmakers aligned with the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party and constitutionally mandated military appointees ensured a decisive outcome.

His elevation follows elections held in December and January that delivered a sweeping victory to the military-backed party, polls widely criticized by Western governments and opposition groups as lacking credibility and designed to entrench military rule under a civilian façade.

Min Aung Hlaing, who has led Myanmar’s armed forces since 2011, recently oversaw a leadership reshuffle within the military, appointing loyalist Ye Win Oo as commander-in-chief after being nominated for the presidency earlier this week. Analysts view the transition as a calculated move to retain influence over both civilian and military institutions while seeking greater international legitimacy.

The general seized power in the February 2021 coup, detaining Suu Kyi and other senior leaders, an event that triggered mass protests and evolved into an entrenched civil war involving pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups.

Despite the formal political transition, fighting continues across multiple regions. This week, anti-junta factions, including elements linked to Suu Kyi’s political movement and ethnic militias, announced the formation of a broader alliance aimed at dismantling military rule and establishing a federal democratic system.

Analysts say the consolidation of power under Min Aung Hlaing could lead to intensified military operations against resistance forces, while also prompting regional actors to reassess diplomatic engagement with Myanmar’s leadership amid ongoing instability and economic strain.

World leaders, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, perceive Erdoğan’s crumbling strongman image

Nearly two million Turks have gathered in Istanbul to protest President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s decision to arrest his main political rival, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on what critics call fabricated corruption and terrorism charges. The move has ignited widespread outrage across Turkey, with demonstrators denouncing Erdoğan’s authoritarian grip on power and calling for his immediate resignation.

The arrest of İmamoğlu, who served as Istanbul’s mayor and was seen as Erdoğan’s strongest challenger in upcoming elections, has fueled speculation that the Turkish president is attempting to eliminate political competition ahead of a crucial vote. Protesters have taken to the streets chanting, “Enough is enough!” and “Turkey will not be silenced!” as security forces struggle to contain the surging crowds.

Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a Middle East expert, has been vocal about the situation. “Turks are not stupid; they see through Erdoğan’s cynicism and comment on its ironies,” Rubin stated. “Erdoğan accuses İmamoğlu of corruption, but Erdoğan not only has pending corruption cases dating to his own tenure as mayor, but he has since accumulated billions of dollars in unexplained wealth. He accuses İmamoğlu of supporting terror, but Turkish journalists photographed Erdoğan’s intelligence service transporting weaponry to an Al Qaeda affiliate in Turkey.”

The controversy deepened when Erdoğan’s government reportedly annulled İmamoğlu’s university degree, a requirement for presidential candidates. Rubin pointed out the hypocrisy in this move, noting, “Not only was Erdoğan’s own degree fraudulent, but the grounds for dismissing İmamoğlu’s degree were the illegitimacy of the university he attended in occupied northern Cyprus. As with its universities, so too is it with its entire regime.”

The international community is closely watching the unfolding crisis, with speculation growing about how world leaders, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, perceive Erdoğan’s crumbling strongman image. “Trump sees himself as a winner and despises losers,” Rubin said. “Whereas he may once have seen Erdoğan as a strongman, it is now clear that the would-be sultan wears no clothes. Trump and his team are correct: Turkey is important, but Turkey and Erdoğan are not synonymous. Simply put, Trump should dump Erdoğan.”

The massive protests, among the largest in Turkey’s modern history, highlight a growing sense of urgency among citizens determined to reclaim their democracy. The Turkish military and law enforcement agencies now face a crucial test of allegiance. “Turkey’s elite soldiers swear allegiance to the state and the people of Turkey, not one man who holds the constitution and rule of law with disdain,” Rubin emphasized.

With tensions reaching a boiling point, many analysts fear that Turkey is approaching a breaking point. Some protesters argue that peaceful demonstrations may not be enough to bring about real change in a system they see as rigged in Erdoğan’s favor.

Rubin did not mince words when outlining what may be necessary for political transformation: “The Turkish protestors now fight for the soul of their nation. Every protestor on the streets of Istanbul is as consequential for the future of modern Turkey as was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Protests might matter in democracies; however, Turkey is not a democracy. To succeed, they must march on Turkey’s palaces and prisons. If Erdoğan does not helicopter to the airport and flee the country, they should detain him, pending trial, even if passions are such that those who reach him first might simply hang him and release political prisoners, ranging from İmamoğlu to detained Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş and philanthropist Osman Kavala.”

Rubin also hinted at the possibility of internal betrayal within Erdoğan’s own ranks. “Erdoğan, like Bashar al-Assad in Syria, may be tempted to hang on. While the United States will never say directly, the White House likely would not look askance at regional states that would offer reward to any Erdoğan bodyguard who turns their guns on the would-be despot to arrest him or, if he resists, to kill him.”

The coming days will be critical for Turkey’s political future. Will the protests succeed in toppling Erdoğan’s rule, or will the regime resort to even harsher crackdowns to suppress dissent? What is clear, however, is that Turkey is at an inflection point. As Rubin put it, “The age of Erdoğan must end. Turks can either take the next step, or they will have no one but themselves to blame for Turkey’s descent into dictatorship, state failure, and eventual civil war.”