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

Mark Carney has won a parliamentary majority for Canada’s Liberal government, handing the prime minister a stronger mandate as he confronts the trade war launched by US President Donald Trump. The result caps a remarkable stretch in Canadian politics, during which several opposition lawmakers crossed the floor to join Mr Carney’s Liberals. The party said on X that it captured two Ontario districts, known in Canada as ridings, in special elections. The victories came in University-Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest, two…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State’s Minister of Interior, Abdi Hirsii Ali Qarjab, accused Somalia’s federal government on Monday of mounting a political and security offensive against the semi-autonomous state. In remarks to reporters, Qarjab said Puntland State is watching developments in the country closely and is ready to defend its territory if the need arises. “Puntland State has always stood for strengthening the unity and cooperation of the Somali people,” he said. “We expected development, security…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a swift and sweeping move that caught many residents off guard, traders across Mogadishu on Monday stopped accepting the Somali shilling, pushing the national currency out of one of the last major markets where it still circulated in limited form. The change took hold quickly in the city’s busiest markets, on public transport and in neighborhood shops, leaving many people — especially low-income residents who depend on cash for daily purchases — facing immediate difficulties paying…

Hours after a brief Orthodox Easter truce expired, Ukraine and Russia returned to overnight drone warfare, with both sides trading accusations that the 32-hour pause had been violated on a massive scale. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 98 drones overnight and reported that air defence units shot down 87 of them. Officials in Ukraine said an infrastructure site in the central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region was struck, adding that casualty details were still being established. Russia, for its part, said that “on April…

Monday April 13, 2026 A ship at the Strait of Hormuz Oil markets surged back above $100 a barrel on Monday as trading resumed in Asia, after US-Iran talks collapsed without a fresh agreement and President Donald Trump said he would blockade Iranian ports. Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed 7.3% to $102.30 (£76.32), while US West Texas Intermediate rose 8.7% to $104.94. The breakdown in weekend negotiations has deepened fears that the worldwide energy crunch could worsen. Crude had fallen sharply below $100 last…

For years, Viktor Orban was the European Union’s perennial blocker. His decisive election defeat in Hungary has now prompted a wave of relief across the bloc. Mr Orban, Hungary’s nationalist prime minister, conceded defeat yesterday after parliamentary elections delivered victory to conservative Peter Magyar, a former government insider turned political newcomer who campaigned on a promise of “system change”. Whether the issue was support for Ukraine or sanctions on Russia, Mr Orban repeatedly slowed or stopped some of the…

Monday April 13, 2026 The United States military said on Sunday it would start blocking all Iranian ports on Monday, escalating its campaign against Tehran after marathon peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. In a late-evening statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade would cover “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” beginning at 10am Eastern Time (14:00 GMT) on April 13. The order, it said, applies to “vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal…

Galmudug and Hirshabelle, two federal member states in central and south-central Somalia, shape politics through a mix of formal institutions, clan-based power sharing, and security priorities. How influence is exercised—and why it can differ from federal plans—helps explain many of the country’s repeated political and governance disputes. What Happened In recent years, Somalia’s federal member states have continued to play a major role in national stability, particularly as the federal government and regional…

Hungary’s election has delivered a sharp political jolt across Europe, and Polish Prime Minister ⁠Donald Tusk said the result shows the continent is not destined to slide toward authoritarianism after the centre-right Tisza party broke Viktor Orban’s 16-year hold on power. "Everyone feared there was a trend toward authoritarian, corrupt regimes," Mr Tusk said during an official visit to South Korea, according to Polish state-owned news agency PAP. "That's not the case. First ‌Warsaw, then Bucharest, Chisinau, ⁠now Budapest."…

By  JAMES ROBSONMonday April 13, 2026 Manchester City delivered a forceful message in the Premier League title race on Sunday, sweeping past Chelsea 3-0 to tighten the pressure on Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s side climbed to within six points of the leaders before next weekend’s top-of-the-table meeting between the two clubs, and City still have a game in hand. Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku struck in a dominant second-half display at Stamford Bridge, with City capitalizing fully on Arsenal’s surprise loss to…