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

A peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet estimates that more than 75,000 people were killed in Gaza during the first 16 months of Israeli attacks, a toll researchers say is significantly higher than the figure announced by authorities there. The analysis covers October 2023 through January 2025 and concludes Gaza’s health ministry is not inflating its numbers — if anything, it is undercounting the dead. “We can conclude with great confidence that the ministry of health for Gaza is not inflating the death toll and in…

MINNEAPOLIS — In a winter of raids, fear and strobe-lit confrontations, a fried, triangular pastry became an unlikely emblem of resistance. As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in masks flooded the Twin Cities over the past two months, Somali Minnesotans met them not only with phones, whistles and signs, but with sambusas — crisp, fragrant parcels of spiced meat and vegetables — pressed into the hands of neighbors and strangers alike. “Food brings people together in our culture,” said community organizer…

The World Health Organization announced that Libya has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, a milestone that clears the country of a disease long linked to poverty and limited access to hygiene and eye care. The validation makes Libya the 28th country worldwide and the eighth in its region to reach this specific target for trachoma, the WHO said. Trachoma is an infectious eye disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It spreads through contact with infected eye discharge on hands, clothing or by…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is gathering a slate of foreign leaders in the U.S. capital to inaugurate the “Board of Peace,” a new initiative he casts as a vehicle to consolidate a fragile calm in Gaza and project an alternative model of U.S.-led crisis management far beyond the Middle East. About two dozen heads of state and senior officials are expected, including several of Trump’s closest ideological allies — among them Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Argentina’s President Javier Milei — but few of the…

Tinubu Signs Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026, Sparking Mixed Reactions In a significant move to reform Nigeria's electoral framework, President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 into law. During the announcement, he emphasized that the primary goal of the amendments is to enhance the integrity of electoral processes, asserting that the revisions are not tailored to benefit specific political interests. "Lessons from past elections have guided our efforts to close procedural gaps and build…

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting at the Presidential Palace that formally opened a consultative conference with leaders of the Somali Future Council, launching talks aimed at resolving disputes over elections and constitutional reform. The government-opposition dialogue — expected to run several days — begins amid rising political tension and with fewer than three months left in the government’s term, a compressed timeline that has…

Thames Valley Police are reported to have arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and he is said to be in police custody. The development follows growing public scrutiny tied to documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In information shared Wednesday morning, the force was cited as confirming an arrest connected to allegations raised after the recent release of files linked to Epstein. Axadle Times has not independently verified the arrest…

Gabon Suspends Social Media Amid Rising Tensions Gabon’s media regulator has announced a sweeping suspension of all social media platforms, a drastic measure attributed to the escalating conflict and deepening societal divisions within the country. This decision reflects the government's increasing scrutiny of online content, deemed damaging to public order. In a televised statement, the High Authority for Communication highlighted several factors leading to the suspension, citing the pervasive spread of false…

Tragedy Strikes in Plateau State: Carbon Monoxide Leak Claims Lives of Miners At least 33 miners have been reported dead in Plateau State following a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a lead and zinc mine operated by Solid Unity Nigeria Ltd. The incident has raised serious questions about safety protocols within Nigeria's mining industry. The toxic gas is believed to have accumulated in poorly ventilated tunnels, leading to a catastrophic collapse of workers who were near the end of their night shift. More than 20…

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s Counter Terrorism Policing Unit said Wednesday it foiled a planned terrorist attack in Nairobi and seized a cache of weapons and explosives allegedly linked to suspected al-Shabab operatives. In a statement dated Feb. 18, the unit said the operation capped months of surveillance in which investigators tracked suspects’ movements, communications and logistics. Acting on intelligence, officers executed coordinated raids that led to the recovery of firearms, explosive devices and ammunition believed to…