Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

US President Donald Trump said Israel, enraged by recent events, had “violently lashed out” by striking Iran’s largest gas installation — a dramatic escalation in the US‑Israeli war — while insisting Israel would not carry out additional attacks unless Iran retaliates. The strike on the sprawling South Pars gas field lifted oil prices and prompted Tehran to threaten oil and gas sites across the Gulf, even as it launched missiles toward Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The flare‑up deepened an already unprecedented disruption to…

By STEVE DOUGLAS Wednesday March 18, 2026 What once sounded fanciful now feels within reach: Arsenal’s push for a quadruple of major trophies is very much alive this season. The players scarcely have a moment to dwell on it. Arsenal booked a place in the Champions League quarterfinals by defeating Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Tuesday, clinching a 3-1 aggregate win. Mikel Arteta’s side also sits nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, meets Manchester City in Sunday’s English League Cup final, and has already…

Wednesday March 18, 2026 Iran confirmed Tuesday that Ali Larijani — a senior security power broker and a pillar of conservative politics within the Islamic Republic — was killed in an Israeli strike. He was 67. After U.S. and Israeli strikes late last month that killed Iran’s supreme leader and broadened the conflict, Larijani was widely viewed as the de facto manager of state affairs. Israel announced earlier Tuesday that it had killed Larijani; Tehran waited several hours before acknowledging his death. He had been tapped…

US President Donald Trump has sparked fresh controversy after reportedly referring to Somalia as a “fourth-world country” during remarks made in the Oval Office. Trump further revived long-disputed claims against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. In the remarks, Trump painted a bleak picture of Somalia, saying: “Somalia is a third-world, maybe a fourth-world nation. One of the worst, one of the most dangerous. They don’t have anything, they don’t have council, they don’t have government, they don’t have police, they shoot each…

Two European Parliament committees backed a ban on AI “nudification” apps that create non-consensual sexual images of adults and children and supported delaying some AI rules. The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted as part of the Digital Omnibus on artificial intelligence. At the start of the year, changes to the Grok AI tool by social media company X sparked global outrage after people used it to generate and share…

Somalia’s Southwest State has accused senior federal officials of maintaining links with Al-Shabaab and arming local militias, sharpening its standoff with Mogadishu. Authorities in Baidoa alleged that federal ministers and lawmakers have organized and supplied armed groups operating in Buurhakaba district in the Bay region. Southwest State Security Minister Hassan Abdulkadir told reporters the fighters are outside Somalia’s official security structure and behave like extremist insurgents. These groups are not government…

Iran elevated Mojtaba Khamenei to supreme leader following the Feb. 28 killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a U.S.-Israeli strike that also killed about 40 senior officials, a move intended to signal constitutional continuity in a precarious moment. The strike that assassinated the supreme leader aimed to decapitate Iran’s leadership and spur a popular push to unseat those in power. Debate over the strategy’s wisdom will continue, but authorities moved quickly to install Mojtaba Khamenei to show the state still…

Taliska Mareykanka ee Afrika (AFRICOM) ayaa sheegay inuu 16-ka Maarso 2026 duqeyn cirka ah ka fuliyay agagaarka Buuraha Golis ee Puntland State, iyadoo lala beegsaday xubno ka tirsan ISIS. AFRICOM ayaa Talaadadii ku sheegtay bayaan in weerarku ka dhacay deegaanka Buuraha Golis, qiyaastii 45 kiiloomitir (28 mayl) koonfur-bari kaga beegan magaalada Boosaaso. “AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to threaten the U.S. homeland,…

Caf awards 2025 Afcon title to Morocco after overturning Senegal’s final win Morocco have been declared winners of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after Caf ruled Senegal forfeited the final following a controversial walk-off during the match. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has overturned Senegal’s 1-0 victory over Morocco in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, ruling that Senegal forfeited the match and awarding a 3-0 win to Morocco. The decision follows an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation…

Saudi authorities said the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted on March 18, 2026, meaning Ramadan will run for a full 30 days, while officials also announced four-day Eid holidays for private sector workers. Saudi authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the crescent moon marking the start of Shawwal had not been sighted, leading to a decision that the holy month of Ramadan would complete 30 days. A moon-sighting committee convened to verify the beginning of the new lunar month, in line with Islamic traditions that…