Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Saturday February 28, 2026 Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran on Saturday 28 February (AP) The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes inside Iran early Saturday, with multiple explosions reported across Tehran as regional tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and proxy forces escalated sharply. Iran’s Fars News Agency said missiles struck areas along University Street and in the Jomhouri district of the capital after Israel announced it had carried out a missile attack. The Associated…

Pakistan bombed Taliban government forces in Kabul and Kandahar overnight in the first direct strikes on Taliban military sites since the group returned to power in 2021, a sharp rupture between the neighboring Islamic nations that Islamabad’s defense minister described as “open war.” The escalation raises the risk of a broader conflict along the 2,600-kilometer (1,615-mile) frontier and deepens a crisis already fueled by cross-border militant attacks. “Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and…

U.S., Israel launch major strikes on Iran as Trump urges uprising; Tehran fires missiles at Israel, U.S. bases The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes across Iran on Saturday, opening a new chapter of military confrontation as President Donald Trump urged Iranians to “seize control of your destiny” and rise up against the Islamic Republic’s leadership. Within hours, Iran said it fired a “first wave” of missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted U.S. military sites across the Gulf. Strikes reported near…

France has called for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Iran, elevating the issue to the world’s top diplomatic forum as member states weigh next steps and potential responses. The request places Iran back on the Security Council’s immediate agenda. While details on timing, the precise agenda and potential outcomes were not immediately available, an emergency session would allow council members to receive briefings, consult behind closed doors and consider statements or resolutions addressing the situation.…

Kenyan Recruitment Scandal: Promised Jobs Turned into Frontline Dangers A nefarious scheme has been uncovered in Kenya where citizens seeking jobs in Russia ended up being deployed to the front lines in Ukraine. Central to this operation was Festus Omwamba, recently arrested on suspicion of human trafficking. Omwamba arrested near the Ethiopian border, linked to human trafficking. Over 1,000 Kenyans recruited, many finding themselves in dangerous conditions in Ukraine. Ongoing efforts by the Kenyan government to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Lawmakers representing the Buurhakaba constituency have accused Ethiopian troops serving under the African Union mission in Somalia of meddling in local politics in Southwest State, alleging pressure on district officials and a failure to prioritize security in a volatile area. In a letter dated February 27, 2026, and addressed to the Chairperson of the African Union, three federal MPs — Saadad Mohamed Nur Aliyow, Fowsiyo Mohamed Sheikh, and Mohamed Ali Hassan — said Ethiopian forces operating in Sector…

At least 15 people were killed when a Bolivian military C-130 Hercules cargo plane carrying banknotes crashed while landing near La Paz, prompting police to use tear gas to push back crowds grabbing scattered cash and leading authorities to burn the money at the scene. The aircraft veered off the runway at El Alto International Airport and careened onto a nearby avenue, smashing into cars and damaging trucks, according to local media footage. Twisted metal and torn fuselage parts littered the roadway as bystanders rushed…

Analysis: U.S. military buildup in the Middle East raises specter of war with Iran as diplomacy stalls The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford — the world’s largest aircraft carrier — at a U.S. naval base on Crete has turned a simmering standoff with Iran into a test of resolve and restraint. With the USS Abraham Lincoln already in the region, hundreds of fighter jets, and critical enabling assets such as refueling tankers and airborne warning and control systems in place, Washington has amassed its most formidable presence in…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council said it will convene a high-level meeting on April 10 to consider “measures to save Somalia’s statehood,” escalating a confrontation with the federal government after talks between the two sides collapsed last week. In a statement issued following a conference in Mogadishu attended by members of the Federal Parliament, political figures and representatives from civil society, the Council alleged the government’s push to amend the Provisional Constitution violates…

Kharkiv, Ukraine — On a frigid Friday morning, as children climbed the steps from Lyceum No. 105 — an underground school purpose-built to shield them from Russian airstrikes — municipal crews were out in force. They hacked at ice, scooped slush, and scrubbed sidewalks clean. The joke among Ukrainians about Kharkiv’s devotion to well-groomed streets survives even here, under constant threat from the sky. The city authorities have had little rest since February 2022. Vladimir Putin’s forces have pounded Ukraine’s…