Today, Somaliland took a significant step in its democratic journey, holding simultaneous presidential and political party…

The post Somaliland Elections Officially Begin Amid High Turnout and Minor Delays appeared first on Horseed Media.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Iran has made plans to sustain its oil production and exports and is ready for possible oil restrictions from a Trump administration in the U.S., Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Wednesday, according to the oil ministry's news website Shana.  In 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear pact with Iran and re-imposed sanctions that hurt Iran's oil sector, with production dropping to 2.1 million barrels per day, or bpd, during his presidency.  "Required measures have been taken. I will not go into detail but our colleagues within the oil sector have taken measures to deal with the restrictions that will occur and there is no reason to be concerned," Paknejad said.  In recent years, Iranian oil production has rebounded to around 3.2 million barrels per day according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which Iran is a member.  Iranian oil exports have climbed this year to near multi-year highs of 1.7 million bpd despite U.S. sanctions.   Chinese refiners buy most of its supply. Beijing says it doesn't recognize unilateral U.S. sanctions.  

Juba, South Sudan — The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has called for tangible evidence of progress toward democratic elections the country. Briefing the United Nations Security Council this week, special representative of the secretary-general and head of UNMISS, Nicholas Haysom, told government leaders “the clock on the extension is already ticking.” Since winning its independence in 2011, South Sudan is just beginning its fourth extension of the transitional period government, with elections now rescheduled for 2026. Speaking for Haysom, U.N. South Sudan acting spokesperson Rabindra Giri said, “The international community needs tangible evidence that this country’s leaders and political elite are genuinely committed to a democratic future.” As the country struggles with increasing internal conflict, the delay in democratic reform affects the hopes for peace, stability and development, even beyond South Sudan's borders, impacting the entire East African region. UNMISS officials stressed that time is running out for political leaders to fulfill their obligations under the peace agreement. “We must collectively seize the opportunity to make this extension the last and deliver the peace and democracy that the people of South Sudan deserve,” Giri said. On the streets of Juba, South Sudanese citizens were eager to talk about how the delays in implementing the peace agreement raise doubts about whether their leaders genuinely care about the nation’s well-being and are impacting their hopes for peace, stability and development.    Nunu Diana, a women’s rights advocate in South Sudan, is one of them. “I think because of the extension, personally, as a young person, I have lost morale in the governance system of the country,” Diana said. Data Gordon, an advocate for peace and gender equality, is another. “The time for political statements without tangible and time-bound action is over," Gorton said. "For elections to take place as scheduled, the government needs to walk the talk.” UNMISS said it is moving ahead with support to the National Elections Commission, while Haysom highlighted civic education, preparing for voter registration, a code of conduct between political parties, civil society, media and election security among the areas that the parties could immediately address. Haysom said time is a nonrenewable resource. He said this is South Sudan’s last chance to deliver on its promise of democracy, and there is a need for sustained international support while holding South Sudan's leaders accountable to their own commitments. “This cannot be business as usual for the parties to the peace agreement, the political elite, the guarantors of the peace agreement or the international community," Giri said. "We must collectively seize the opportunity to make this extension the last and deliver the peace and democracy that the people of South Sudan deserve.”

washington — Polls have closed across Somaliland after presidential elections, and it appears Wednesday's voting across the breakaway region has gone smoothly.  The Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC) said polls closed across the region at 6 p.m. local time.  More than 1 million people were registered to vote across some 2,000 polling stations in Somalia's breakaway region.  In the evening, vote counting was underway, according to the electoral agency.  "It will start from polling centers level, then passes to district, and the regional before we announce the result," said NEC Chairman Muse Hassan Yusuf.  "We have successfully solved minor technical issues reported in some polling stations," he said. He said the NEC would announce the result of the election by November 21.  General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi, head of Somaliland Police Force, said throughout Somaliland the election was peaceful.  "Thanks to Allah, the election took place democratically and peacefully. No incident was reported," said Saqadhi.  Candidates promise to grow economy Three candidates, including incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi, were on the ballot in Wednesday's poll. In interviews with VOA Somali, each of the three candidates promised to strengthen democracy, boost economic growth, and gain the international recognition Somaliland has sought for 33 years.  Abdi, of the ruling Peace, Unity and Development Party, also known simply as Kulmiye, was seeking a second term.  He ran against Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as "Irro," of the Waddani party and Faisal Ali Warabe of the Justice and Development Party, or UCID.  This is the fourth presidential election since the region on the northwestern tip of Somalia broke away from the rest of the country, following the collapse of the Siad Barre regime in 1991.  The territory declared independence that year but has never achieved international recognition.  Despite that, Somaliland has a functioning government and institutions, a political system that has allowed democratic transfers of power between rival parties, its own currency, passport and armed forces.  Voters cast ballots amid tension Wednesday's vote comes at a time when tensions remain high between Somalia and Ethiopia over a controversial memorandum of understanding that Ethiopia signed with Somaliland.  The deal would grant Ethiopia a 50-year lease of access to 20 kilometers of the Gulf of Aden coastline in exchange for the potential recognition of Somaliland's independence, which Somalia views as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The deal, signed on January 1 in Addis Ababa by Abdi and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sparked anger in Mogadishu, which considers Somaliland part of its national territory.   In April, Somalia expelled Ethiopian Ambassador Muktar Mohamed Ware, alleging "internal interference" by Ethiopia. Somalia also ordered the closure of Ethiopia's consulates in Somaliland and Puntland, although both consulates remained open.  Last month, Somalia expelled Mogadishu-based Ethiopian diplomat Ali Mohamed Adan, who was a counselor at Ethiopia's embassy in Mogadishu.  In July and August, two rounds of talks between Ethiopia and Somalia, mediated by Turkey, failed to solve the dispute, with Somalia demanding Ethiopia withdraw from the deal and Ethiopia insisting that it does not infringe on Somalia's sovereignty.  On Saturday, Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur repeated the Somali government position against Ethiopian troop involvement in a new African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia due to start in January.  "I can say that Ethiopia is the only government we know of so far that will not participate in the new AU mission because it has violated our sovereignty and national unity," Nur said Saturday in a government-run television interview. 

Meanwhile, the losing Democrats have turned the rifles on each other, seeking blame, but ignoring the larger reasons and implications of their decisive defeat.

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- As Somaliland reached a pivotal moment in its democratic journey, citizens are casting their votes today in an election anticipated not only for its outcome but for what it symbolizes. For a self-declared republic, albeit unrecognized internationally, Somaliland has managed to forge a unique and commendable path, consistently holding peaceful elections in a region often defined by turmoil. In today's election, Somalilanders showed their readiness to signal their desire for change, with Wadani, the

[VOA] Juba, South Sudan -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has called for tangible evidence of progress toward democratic elections the country.

[VOA] Yaounde, Cameroon -- An estimated 8 million voters in Chad go to the polls Dec. 29 in legislative, local and district elections. Female leaders and activists, however, say women candidates are being underrepresented.

[VOA] Washington -- Polls have closed across Somaliland after presidential elections, and it appears Wednesday's voting across the breakaway region has gone smoothly.

QUETTA: The Balochistan government, in light of the prevailing security situation, has requested the federal government to deploy the army and Frontier Corps (FC) for the upcoming by-election in Sibi, as well as to suspend mobile services in Sibi and Kachhi on Nov 17.

In a letter to the federal Ministry of Interior, the Balochistan Home Department said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has called for foolproof security measures for the by-election in the Sibi-Lehri constituency.

As a result, the provincial government has formally requested the deployment of military and FC personnel to ensure the safety and security of the electoral process.

The Balochistan government aims to ensure a peaceful and transparent election in Sibi, as well as in areas where the election tribunal has ordered re-polling at disputed polling stations in Quetta and Mangochar.

Seeks suspension of mobile services on Nov 17

Additionally, the Home Department has requested the suspension of mobile phone and internet services in Sibi and Kachhi on Nov 17, the polling day for PB-8 Sibi, to prevent any security threats or disruptions during the election.

Re-polling in Kalat

Meanwhile, the ECP has announced that re-polling will be held in seven polling stations of the PB-36 Kalat constituency on December 1 this year.

The polling was postponed due to security concerns. The re-polling was ordered by the Balochistan High Court’s election tribunal on a petition filed by JUI-F candidate Sardarzada Mir Saeed Lango, who challenged the victory of BAP’s Mir Ziaullah Lango in the constituency.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

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Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz's selection by President-elect Trump for attorney general led to immediate pushback from some Republicans, who forecast a bleak outlook for a confirmation.

Republican Rep. Ken Calvert won re-election to the U.S. House in California's 41st Congressional District.

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Legendary NBA head coach George Karl wrote his opinion about the state of the league on social media on Monday and used the general election as an example.

1. Sri Lanka parliamentary elections 2024: What’s at stake?  Al Jazeera English
2. Sri Lanka to hold key parliamentary vote on November 14  The Hindu
3. Snap Sri Lankan election poses test for new leader  BBC.com
4. Sri Lanka Heads For Snap Elections Today, Results Likely On Friday  NDTV
5. Sri Lanka's newly-elected parliament to convene next week  Deccan Herald

1. Wayanad, where Priyanka Gandhi made election debut, sees lowest-ever voter turnout  Hindustan Times
2. Wayanad Bypoll, Where Priyanka Gandhi Made Poll Debut, Records Its Lowest-Ever Voter Turnout  Times Now
3. Assembly bypolls: Voting held in 31 seats across 10 states in big INDIA vs BJP contest  India Today
4. Rahul Gandhi Takes Kerala's Longest Zipline In Landslide-Hit Wayanad  NDTV
5. 64.98% cast votes in Malappuram in Wayanad bypoll  The Hindu

One way to think about Donald Trump’s victory.

Social media platform Bluesky, a major competitor to Elon Musk’s X, has gained more than 1.25 million users since last week's U.S. presidential election. Bluesky posted Wednesday morning it had reached more than 15 million users, up from nine million in September.

The Electoral Commission has called for action to tackle abuse of candidates during elections.

President Dissanayake is seeking a majority to push through reforms to help the debt-ridden nation.

Marine Le Pen would be banned from standing for president again at the next election if convicted.

The Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has said that its vigilance squads have made seizure of more than Rs 500 crores from across the poll-bound state in the past few days.

തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് കമ്മീഷന്‍റെ അന്തിമ കണക്ക് പ്രകാരം വയനാട്ടിൽ 64.53 ആണ് പോളിങ് ശതമാനം.  

We take a look at the various political alliances in the Maharashtra ahead of the Assembly elections in the State.

Mr. Patra claimed that the Congress wanted to give 4% reservation to the Muslim organisations and contractors in public tenders

The counting of votes for both the central panel and college representatives will begin at 8:30 a.m. on November 21 at the DU Conference Centre

Here's a new phenomenon to consider: "Post-election season stress." This term comes to us from the University of Southern California's Center for Health Journalism, which released on Wednesday a brief study titled "Reflecting on the Election's Toll on Journalists."

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Among other issues discussed at the meeting was the implementation of recommendations stipulated in the final report by election observers of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Righ

Amini, A; Benoit, N; Russell, H A J. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 9065, 2023, 17 pages, https://doi.org/10.4095/332258
<a href="https://geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca/images/geoscan/gid_332258.jpg"><img src="https://geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca/images/geoscan/gid_332258.jpg" title="Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 9065, 2023, 17 pages, https://doi.org/10.4095/332258" height="150" border="1" /></a>

1. Usman Khawaja debunks strike rate 'myth' in McSweeney selection  ESPNcricinfo
2. ‘Don’t know where it started’: Uzzie hits out at ‘myth’ in defence of newcomer  Fox Sports
3. The phone call that surprised new skipper Inglis  cricket.com.au
4. ‘It’s a little more than a guess’: Bailey defends McSweeney selection as concerning stats revealed  Sydney Morning Herald
5. Khawaja backs McSweeney to star  Brisbane Times

Grossi highlighted that the Islamic Republic continues to increase its 20% and 60% enriched uranium stock as well as the number of cascades it has for enriching uranium in violation of the 2015 deal.

1. 'Toxic media platform': Why 'The Guardian' quit X after US election results  The Times of India
2. Why the Guardian is no longer posting on X  The Guardian
3. ‘Toxic’: Leading UK media house decides to stop posting on Elon Musk-led X  Hindustan Times
4. A 200-year-old British media giant stops posting on X. Here's why  India Today
5. UK's 'The Guardian' Quits X Citing "Disturbing Content" On Platform  NDTV

1. HIGHLIGHTS | Jharkhand Assembly elections |Phase 1 sees voter turnout of 64.86 per cent  The New Indian Express
2. Jharkhand Phase-I Assembly poll records over 65% turnout; Wayanad bypoll 64.72%  The Hindu
3. Despite Maoist threats, Jharkhand records 64.86 per cent voter turnout during first phase of polling  The New Indian Express
4. Craze to capture video of MS Dhoni and wife Sakshi casting vote in Ranchi reaches new heights  Hindustan Times
5. Jharkhand elections: MS Dhoni casts his vote in Ranchi  India Today

FiveThirtyEight founder and editor-in-chief Nate Silver said in a blog post

Indian-American women politicians are making a mark in this year's general elections in the US with Democrat Kamala Harris all set to be elected as the first Senator from the community.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton leads her Republican rival Donald Trump by 4% points, a latest national opinion poll said on Sunday, two days ahead of the crucial US general elections.

Indian-American Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi today won the Congressional election from Illinois, defeating Republican former Elmhurst Mayor Peter DiCianni.

At least three Indian-Americans have won from their respective states in the Assembly elections that were held along with the general elections this week.