Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Bill Clinton is set to face questioning by a Republican-led House panel over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, as Democrats press the committee to also demand sworn testimony from former President Donald Trump about his own connections to the late financier. The former president features repeatedly in recently disclosed Justice Department files related to Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 and died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking…

Denmark’s Frederiksen calls March 24 election amid U.S.-Greenland tensions COPENHAGEN — Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday called a general election for March 24, 2026, seeking a renewed mandate as Denmark navigates strained ties with the United States over Greenland and a hardening security environment shaped by Russia. Under Denmark’s constitution, an election had to be called within four years of the last vote, held Nov. 1, 2022. “Whether I will continue to be your prime minister depends on how strong a mandate…

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday called a general election for March 24, setting up a high-stakes vote framed by security concerns, fraught ties with the United States over Greenland and ongoing tensions with Russia. “Whether I will continue to be your prime minister depends on how strong a mandate you give the Social Democrats in the parliamentary election to be held on March 24, 2026,” Frederiksen said as she outlined her platform, which includes reforming the retirement age and introducing a wealth…

UNITED NATIONS — Somalia’s hunger crisis is accelerating, with 6.5 million people — about a third of the country — projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity through March, United Nations officials warned Thursday, citing a new assessment that shows sharp deterioration since January. Speaking to reporters via video link from UN headquarters, World Food Programme Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response Ross Smith said the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report for Somalia, released…

Hillary Clinton says she’s confident Bill Clinton knew nothing of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes after House deposition CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. — Hillary Clinton said she is confident her husband, former President Bill Clinton, knew nothing of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, speaking after a closed-door deposition Wednesday before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee in the Clintons’ hometown. “I think the chronology of the connection that he had with Epstein ended years, several years, before anything about Epstein’s criminal…

GENEVA — The United States pressed Iran to shut down and dismantle core parts of its nuclear program during a third round of talks here in February 2026, demanding the closure of three major sites and the removal of all enriched uranium from Iranian territory, according to details emerging from the negotiations. U.S. negotiators called for the destruction of facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — installations widely seen as the backbone of Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity — and proposed that Tehran’s stockpiled…

‘Justice or rush to judgment?’ Somalia’s rare execution of a woman exposes deep cracks in the system GALKAYO, Somalia — The death of 14-year-old Saabirin Saylaan jolted Somalia long before the firing squad assembled for the woman convicted of killing her. It began on Nov. 12, when, according to police records, Hodan Mohamud Diiriye phoned her husband to say the teenager who had been living in their home was unconscious. They raced Saabirin to a hospital in Galkayo, where staff pronounced her dead and called the police. Less…

Turkey denies reports of deploying S-400 air defenses to Somalia ANKARA — Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense on Thursday rejected reports that Russian-made S-400 air defense systems had been transported to Somalia, framing the claims as unfounded and reiterating that the systems remain on Turkish soil under national control. The ministry said there are no plans to position S-400 batteries outside Turkey and emphasized the systems are fully operational and available for use by the Turkish Armed Forces as required. It…

Mogadishu — Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency said Wednesday it foiled an attempt to smuggle a Somali minor out of the country to Libya after officers flagged irregular travel plans and uncovered a bid to fraudulently obtain travel documents. The agency said the girl, taken from Las Anod, was intercepted at an early stage of the journey after a verification process identified adults traveling with her as suspected members of a human smuggling network. Authorities said the effort to secure false documentation was…

KHARKIV, Ukraine — A Russian-launched Shahed drone struck a residential building in Kharkiv just before 4 a.m., damaging the apartment of a local pensioner, as three areas of the city came under missile and drone attack in the early hours, RTÉ News reported from the scene. Margarita Belkina, a resident of the building, said the blast shattered the sense of relative calm her neighborhood had felt since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. “It’s scary now because this district has not been hit since the start of the…