How did they made the selection of who was to be representing Somalia? STOIC, that is the million dollar question.

Didn't see the race live, but that was great. Congrats to brother Mo.

The word "dialect" being put in the same sentence with disability??? :) Do tell us Mujaahid.

Abdiweli, Farmaajo and others are distant underdogs according to latest maneuverings. Sheikh Shariif has lots of cash and is making big promises to various "rival clans". A big chunk of the expected “new” Parliament is already “in the bag for him” according to reliable sources. He is also making strategic alliance with Shariif Xasan. There are still few weeks left and many things can change, but the current political setup in Mogadishu heavily favors the famous Quran teacher. Still unknown are the underhand influences of Mahiga, Musaveni and the US, but the week belongs to the good teacher for he has not wasted a minute. It is getting quite exciting. We shall see where the next week ends. ta ta

Carafaat is a patriot and genuine. I agree we need these institutions.

I am happy to see her doing great. I am surprised she didn't go abroad for treatment.

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Happy Birthday Puntland!

The passage of the constitution is historic indeed.

Ancestry.com Discovers President Obama Related to First Documented Slave in America Research Connects First African-American President to First African Slave in the American Colonies PROVO, UTAH – July 30, 2012 – A research team from Ancestry.com (NASDAQ:ACOM), the world’s largest online family history resource, has concluded that President Barack Obama is the 11thgreat-grandson of John Punch, the first documented African enslaved for life in American history. Remarkably, the connection was made through President Obama’s Caucasian mother’s side of the family. The discovery is the result of years of research by Ancestry.com genealogists who, through early Virginia records and DNA analysis, linked Obama to John Punch. An indentured servant in Colonial Virginia, Punch was punished for trying to escape his servitude in 1640 by being enslaved for life. This marked the first actual documented case of slavery for life in the colonies, occurring decades before initial slavery laws were enacted in Virginia. In the 372 years since, many significant records have been lost – a common problem for early Virginia (and the South in general) – destroyed over time by floods, fires and war. While this reality greatly challenged the research project, Ancestry.com genealogists were able to make the connection, starting with Obama’s family tree. President Obama is traditionally viewed as an African-American because of his father’s heritage in Kenya. However, while researching his Caucasian mother, Stanley Ann Dunham’s lineage, Ancestry.com genealogists found her to have African heritage as well, which piqued the researchers’ interest and inspired further digging into Obama’s African-American roots. In tracing the family back from Obama’s mother, Ancestry.com used DNA analysis to learn that her ancestors, known as white landowners in Colonial Virginia, actually descended from an African man. Existing records suggest that this man, John Punch, had children with a white woman who then passed her free status on to their offspring. Punch’s descendants went on to be free, successful land owners in a Virginia entrenched in slavery. An expert in Southern research and past president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, Elizabeth Shown Mills, performed a third-party review of the research and documentation to verify the findings. “In reviewing Ancestry.com’s conclusions, I weighed not only the actual findings but also Virginia’s laws and social attitudes when John Punch was living,” said Mills. “A careful consideration of the evidence convinces me that the Y-DNA evidence of African origin is indisputable, and the surviving paper trail points solely to John Punch as the logical candidate. Genealogical research on individuals who lived hundreds of years ago can never definitively prove that one man fathered another, but this research meets the highest standards and can be offered with confidence.” “Two of the most historically significant African Americans in the history of our country are amazingly directly related,” said Ancestry.com genealogist Joseph Shumway. “John Punch was more than likely the genesis of legalized slavery in America. But after centuries of suffering, the Civil War, and decades of civil rights efforts, his 11th great-grandson became the leader of the free world and the ultimate realization of the American Dream.” More details and supporting information on this discovery and additional research on President Obama’s family lineage can be found at www.ancestry.com/obama. About Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq: ACOM) is the world's largest online family history resource, with approximately 2 million paying subscribers. More than 10 billion records have been added to the site in the past 15 years. Ancestry users have created more than 38 million family trees containing approximately 4 billion profiles. In addition to its flagship site, Ancestry.com offers several localized Web sites designed to empower people to discover, preserve and share their family history.

lol@ grandma's blanket.

The world is starting to take a strong stand against widespread corruption in Somalia. This level of scrutiny may not accomplish much in the short term, but it has the potential to benefit the country in the long run. At the very least, it lays the ground work for a culture of accountability that was missing since the 1960s.

President Barack Obama has targeted the export of charcoal from war-torn Somalia, the sales of which help finance an al Qaeda-affiliated group, the State Department said Friday. Through an amendment to an already existing executive order, Obama signed on to a resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council earlier this year that banned Somali exports of charcoal. In addition to the charcoal ban, Friday's amendment also imposes targeted sanctions on anyone misappropriating Somali public funds, using children in armed conflicts in Somalia or committing certain acts of violence against Somali civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence. Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/money/technology/Obama-moves-to-ban-charcoal-from-Somalia/-/11797158/15624386/-/4q1hmc/-/index.html#ixzz21CZJR4Om

Any new preferences this round?

This is disturbing!

Moonlight, yes the accident happened. The drivers back home are notorious for being reckless and unskilled. Most of accidents are not caused by two cars colliding. The most common form of car accident in Somalia is from rollover. A speeding car makes a narrow turn (or the driver is distracted) and rolls over. Tii Ilaahay waa meesheeda but this kind of accident is common in Somalia.

RBC which is the original website Walaakiis quoted retracted the story. Walaalkiis, this is just part of the "scooping culture" where every outlet wants to be the first to break the story.

Ilaahay been haka dhigo. Waxay u egtahay habaar . Puntlandi is reporting she is alive. Warbaahinta ayaa markii hore faafisay in ay geryootay Saado Cali Warsame Balse Taliyaha ciidamada gaarka ah ee madaxtooyada Puntland Gol.Cumar Cabdullaahi Maxameed (Faroole) ayaa Puntlandi u xaqiijiyey in saado aysan ku dhiman shilkaas isagoona sheegey in xubno kamid ah Wasiiradii la socday ay dhaawacyo fudud gaareen,

Shariif cayda halaga taayo awooweyaal. Waa nin macquul ah.

Duke's prediction may not be far from the truth, but a lot can still change from now till election day. We shall see.

Gaxan ka xaq daran baa dishay. It was a dark day in our history. May Allah ease the pain of their relatives.

I am quite pleased we are having this sort of a discussion about our country and its future. The days of "swallowing" millions without ever being asked a question seem to be fading away. It is refreshing to say the least. Having said that, I don't believe Farmaajo personally stole any money.

Ramadan Kariim ya Oba. Bishaan barakaysan Ilaahay khayrkeeda hana waafajiyo. Aaamiin!! Ramadan Kariim to all the nomads.

Carafaat;851502 wrote: LST was right on the man. I am beginning to like Abdiwali. hope he joins Hiilqaran after the elections. Caraafaatoow, Abdiweli is the right man for the country at this juncture of time. He is authentic, competent and non-controversial. He has trekked the shifting sands of clan politics in the most dignified way possible. He panders to no certain clan, dislikes no particular community or seeks no specific glory. He is a very efficient pump putting out the necessary produce. I said this and I will say it again; Abdiweli is a rarity among Somali politicians in being both competent and honest.

Very interesting indeed!