West-Africa

Friday May 1, 2026 Essa Suleiman is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Friday. Photograph: Newsquest/SWNS London (AX) — A knife attack in Golders Green, north London, has led to charges of attempted murder against a 45-year-old man after two Jewish men were stabbed, the Metropolitan Police Service said. Police said Essa Suleiman, a British national born in Somalia, faces two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place in relation to the Golders Green incident.…

Amnesty International has launched a scathing indictment against the Nigerian government, asserting that officials have failed to safeguard Fulani pastoralists detained in Kwara State. The organization alleges that a staggering 150 individuals—predominantly children—succumbed to dire conditions within a military-managed facility where displaced persons endured lengthy incarceration. According to the report, these tragic deaths occurred among roughly 1,500 Fulani individuals, including men, women, and children, who were…

Friday May 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali National Army forces have killed at least 22 Al-Shabaab militants in a planned offensive in the Lower Shabelle region, the Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. In a statement, the ministry said the 72-hour operation struck militant positions in the Bulo Abdalla area, situated between Mubarak and Ugunji. The assault combined ground fighting with coordinated airstrikes, and officials said it left 22 militants dead, among them a senior figure identified as Abdirahman Jeeri. Authorities…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOThursday April 30, 2026 Somali football does not need more slogans. It needs the basics: a dependable calendar, a league that actually works and a structure that gives the sport some rhythm. By every outward sign, the game ought to be on the rise. A promising crop of young talent is breaking through, Somali referees are beginning to appear on continental and international assignments, and more coaches are collecting formal licences. Even the country’s youth sides have shown flashes of real potential. Yet…

Thursday April 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia on Wednesday brought together intelligence chiefs from East African Community member states for a two-day conference in Mogadishu aimed at deepening cooperation and confronting shared security threats across the region. The April 29–30 gathering was opened by Somali National Army Commander Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud, who underscored the need for tightly coordinated intelligence work in the face of shifting and interconnected challenges. Participants are reviewing the regional…

Thursday April 30, 2026 Garacad (AX) — Fighting broke out in the Garacad area of Mudug region on Thursday morning after Puntland State security forces engaged suspected pirates, leaving several people feared dead and others wounded. Local residents said the confrontation began when Puntland State forces moved against armed men believed to be connected to recent piracy incidents along the coast. Among those injured is the commander of the Jariiban district police station, Abdullahi Abdi Elmi “Guray Dusaaye” (Booyaax),…

Thursday April 30, 2026 What began as a routine day in Golders Green quickly turned into a major counterterrorism response after social media images circulated showing a suspect apparently carrying a knife through the north London neighbourhood. London (AX) — Two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in an incident police are treating as a terrorist attack. The men, identified as 34-year-old Shilome Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila, who was known locally as Moshe Shine, were targeted on Wednesday in…

Alex RossThursday April 30, 2026 Screen grab from body worn camera of police officers confronting and arresting a 45-year-old man who remains in custody, they have said, following two people being stabbed in Golders Green (Metropolitan Police/PA)Metropolitan Police A victim of the suspected terror attack in Golders Green has condemned the government for “not doing its job” after recalling the moment he was stabbed in the chest. Shilome Rand, 34, was wounded alongside 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila, known locally as Moshe Shine,…

In a significant development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has permitted a prosecution witness to testify under protective conditions during the trial of a retired army general and five co-defendants accused of orchestrating a failed coup against President Bola Tinubu. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the ruling following requests from the prosecution, which highlighted the necessity of such measures for security reasons as the proceedings unfold. The federal government has brought forth 13 charges, including treason,…

Thursday April 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Uganda has sent a fresh batch of soldiers to Somalia, with the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) announcing the deployment of a new contingent under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM, as regional efforts to shore up security continue. Battle Group XLVII (BG 47) was officially dispatched on Tuesday after completing pre-deployment training at the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Singo, Nakaseke District. Speaking at…