Axadle - Breaking news and analysis from Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and across Africa.

John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance since 2019, has stepped aside from the party’s leadership race and will devote his attention to managing a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that has drawn heavy criticism of his handling of the crisis, the party and his office said Friday. Steenhuisen — who, according to party sources, also served as agriculture minister — had been expected to run unopposed for another term but withdrew amid internal disputes and lingering controversies that party…

Storm Leonardo unleashed more than 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) of rain in 24 hours across parts of the Iberian Peninsula, killing one person in Portugal, forcing thousands from their homes in southern Spain, shutting schools and canceling trains. In Portugal’s Alentejo region, a man in his 60s died after being swept away as he tried to drive through floodwaters near a dam in the municipality of Serpa, a spokesman for the national civil protection authority said. “A vehicle was found with one occupant, so there is one…

Tragedy Strikes in Nigeria: Death Toll Surges in Village Attacks In a brutal assault that has sent shockwaves across Nigeria, armed attackers raided the villages of Nuku and Woro in Kwara State, resulting in a staggering loss of life. Initial reports estimated at least 35 fatalities; however, human rights organizations later revised this figure to over 170, revealing the grim reality of the violence. Witnesses recounted horrifying scenes, with victims reportedly shot at close range or burned in the flames of their own…

Russia said there had been “progress” in talks with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi as Kyiv accused Moscow of launching a “massive” overnight drone attack on railway infrastructure in the country’s north, underscoring the gulf between diplomatic messaging and battlefield realities nearly four years into the war. Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian negotiator, told state media that discussions in the United Arab Emirates were advancing. “There is definitely progress, things are moving forward in a good, positive direction,” he said on the second…

Somali star Farhiya Fiska alleges domestic assault in Hargeisa; husband released on bail HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Prominent Somali singer Farhiya Ahmed Adaawe Geedi, widely known as Farhiya Fiska, has accused her husband of beating and strangling her during an incident in Hargeisa, saying she was locked in a room for hours and feared she would be killed. In an interview Tuesday, Farhiya said her husband, fellow musician Mubarak Ahmed Yusuf, who performs under the name “October,” attacked her and held her…

US airstrikes in Somalia shrink ISIS territory, push leaders underground, AFRICOM says WASHINGTON — U.S. Africa Command says its stepped-up airstrikes in Somalia have tightened the noose on Islamic State-linked militants, shrinking their operating space and forcing leaders into hiding as Somali forces press ground operations in the country’s volatile northeast. In a digital press briefing, AFRICOM leaders described the strikes as “critical support” coordinated closely with Somali partner forces and designed to provide…

CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday reaffirmed support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, jointly rejecting Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia during a high-level meeting in Cairo. The talks, held ahead of the Egypt–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, centered on bilateral relations and regional flashpoints including Somalia, Sudan and Gaza, according to the Egyptian presidency. Both leaders cast their…

A stunning Democratic win in a Texas state Senate race that former President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024 has jolted Republicans and sharpened questions about their midterm prospects. The upset, following a string of Democratic gains in recent months, suggests shifting political currents in even reliably red terrain as November approaches. Trump had urged supporters in Texas on Truth Social to “GET OUT AND VOTE” for the “phenomenal” Republican candidate, declaring, “Today is the day!” Twenty-four hours later,…

Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians, including seven children, across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, health officials said, in a surge of violence that threatens to further unravel a nearly four-month-old ceasefire. Among the dead was a medic who had rushed to treat casualties in the southern city of Khan Younis and was killed by a subsequent strike on the same location, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas authorities. In Gaza City, health officials said a five-month-old boy…

UK MPs vote to release Peter Mandelson appointment files after Starmer hands security veto to Parliament watchdog British lawmakers have approved the release of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the United States, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer abandoned plans to let the Cabinet Secretary decide what should be withheld on national security or foreign relations grounds. Under pressure from Labour MPs led by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Starmer agreed that the…