Axadle Editorial Desk

Saturday March 28, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has won re-election for a further five-year term after voters went to the polls on Saturday in Baidoa, the interim administrative capital of the region. Under the supervision of the electoral commission, Laftagareen received 66 votes, narrowly but decisively beating his challenger, Abdullahi Haji Hassan, who secured 13 votes. The vote takes place as political tensions continue to mount between the Southwest administration and…

Mohamed DhaysaneSaturday March 28, 2026 Somali forces, backed by international partners, carried out coordinated strikes on Thursday that killed more than 42 al-Shabaab fighters, including two senior figures, while leaving several others injured across operations in Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle, officials said. In one of the joint actions, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said it killed Abdihamid Ali Abdullahi Macalin, an al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab commander responsible for handling international…

The Unhealthiest Fast-Food Chicken Tenders, Ranked By analyzing nutrition labels for six fast-food chicken tender options, Ali Musa found some chains can be a “better for you” choice—while Popeyes ranked as the unhealthiest. By Ali MusaWellness Desk – Health & Nutrition Monitoring. Chicken tenders remain a popular fast-food order, but not all options carry the same nutritional trade-offs. Ali Musa, writing for Axadle’s Wellness Desk, analyzed nutrition labels for six brands of soft drinks and used the same monitoring…

In southern Somalia’s Ladan camp, a child’s cry can be heard—but for the most malnourished youngsters, even sound can be out of reach. Mothers there are focused on a single question: whether their children will survive. At the Ladan camp, on the outskirts of the town of Dollow, families who have fled drought-stricken areas arrive with little more than their children. Their farms and livestock were wiped out after four failed rainy seasons, leaving displaced people to seek shelter in crowded conditions where hope is measured…

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has launched a forceful defense of one-person, one-vote elections, rejecting calls for a return to indirect voting and arguing that the country has already moved past the old approach. Speaking to the nation, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said past understandings have already laid out the electoral roadmap, including how committees should be formed and what rules should govern the process. He added that some politicians have chosen to step away from commitments they signed. “If you…

Saturday March 28, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) - Three senior officers of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) will face a Ugandan military court after prosecutors alleged misconduct connected to the disappearance of a military aircraft during operations in Somalia, according to officials. The General Court Martial at Makindye, Kampala, on Tuesday formally charged Col. George Buga Andruca, Maj. Benjamin Kashumbusha, and Lt. Henry Gygenda with one count of wrongful acts tied to the loss of an aircraft. Each of the officers entered…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Armed tension surged across southern Somalia on Saturday after federal forces started moving from Buurhakaba toward defenses near Baidoa, raising the specter of a direct confrontation tied to a widening dispute over the Southwest State’s election schedule. The operation follows the arrival of roughly 2,000 federal soldiers in Buurhakaba. Some contingents reportedly came from the Lower Shabelle region, traveling through areas controlled by militant groups without meeting resistance—an itinerary that has…

Saturday March 28, 2026 Minneapolis (AX) — The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) on Tuesday sharply condemned remarks by President Donald Trump that it said were racist and demeaning toward Somali Americans and toward Somalia. In a written statement, CAIR-MN challenged what it described as Trump’s characterization of Minnesota as “Somalia-oriented,” along with derogatory comments aimed at Somali immigrants and their country of origin. The civil rights organization argued that rhetoric…

Kali Hays,Technology reporter, Nardine Saadand Regan Morris,Los AngelesFriday March 27, 2026 A Los Angeles jury delivered a landmark decision on Friday, finding that Meta and Google helped create social media platforms that harmed a woman’s mental health as a child—an outcome that parents and advocacy groups said signals a turning point for young users. Jurors concluded that Meta, which operates Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, which owns YouTube, intentionally designed systems that fostered addiction and left…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal administration appears to be tightening its grip on the South West State, moving toward a possible showdown after relations with its regional president, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed—known as Laftagareen—collapsed. The dispute began as a political rupture late in Ramadan, but it has since hardened into a two-track strategy: federal pressure to force Laftagareen back into alignment with Villa Somalia, alongside fresh military movement. Officials close to the talks say attempts to restore cooperation…