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

Saturday May 30, 2026 Kenya Red Cross workers recover a body after Thursday’s blaze at Utumishi Girls Academy, May 28, 2026. Kenyan police said at least eight students have been taken into custody on suspicion of arson after a fire at a girls’ boarding school left 16 students dead and 79 others injured. The inferno erupted in the early hours of Thursday at Utumishi Girls Academy Senior School in Gilgil, in west-central Kenya. On Friday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation said initial inquiries had singled out eight…

After more than a week in darkness and rising floodwater, one of seven men trapped in a semi-submerged cave in Laos was brought out alive, according to the rescue team leading the operation. The men had been stranded in the cavern since 20 May in a remote, mountainous part of central Xaysomboun province, where they were searching for gold when flash floods cut off their escape, according to early reports from state media. Rescuers found five of the men alive on Wednesday, sheltering together in a narrow shaft about 300m from…

Saturday May 30, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Intense fighting erupted early Saturday on the outskirts of Baidoa, where federal government troops clashed with fighters aligned with former Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, officials said. The confrontation took place near Baidoa, the interim capital of Southwest State. No independent casualty count has been verified, though social media videos appeared to show wounded soldiers. Bay regional police commander Sadiiq Duushisho told local media that the battle…

5 Chain Restaurant Appetizers That Can Top 2,000 Calories Some popular chain restaurant appetizers can push past 2,000 calories in a single order, according to nutrition information cited by EatThis.com. By Ali MusaWellness Desk – Health & Nutrition Monitoring. Appetizers can be easy to share, but calorie counts can quickly add up—especially when dishes include fried items, cheese, and rich dipping sauces. EatThis.com highlighted several chain restaurant appetizers that can top 2,000 calories per plate. Applebee's…

The European Commission has hit Chinese-owned online marketplace Temu with a €200 million fine, accusing the retailer of letting illegal products flow to shoppers across the bloc, including unsafe baby toys and faulty chargers. "The company failed to diligently identify, analyse and assess the systemic risks of illegal products being offered on its platform and the resulting harm to consumers in the European Union," the European Commission said in a statement. It said the evidence suggests EU consumers are highly likely to…

Friday May 29, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s infantry chief, Gen. Sahal Abdullahi Omar, held talks in Mogadishu on Thursday with an Italian government delegation focused on deepening military cooperation, training and support for the Somali National Army. The delegation, joined by Italy’s military attaché in Somalia, was welcomed at the Somali military headquarters by Sahal and senior officers of the Somali National Armed Forces. Military officials said the discussions centered on broadening ties between the Somali and…

A devastating fire tore through a girls' dormitory in Kenya early Thursday, claiming the lives of 16 students and leaving 79 others injured in its wake. The tragedy unfolded at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, located approximately 120 kilometers north of Nairobi, as reported by local officials. This catastrophe is the latest in a series of school fires that have plagued Kenya, a country where boarding schools are prevalent—a system reminiscent of colonial missionary and British educational influences. Education…

A Russian drone smashed into an apartment building in Romania, a NATO member, injuring two people in a city close to the Ukrainian border, the country’s defence ministry said. "During the night of 28 – 29 May, the Russian Federation resumed drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, near the river border with Romania," the Romanian defence ministry said. "One of these drones entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar as far as the southern part of the city of Galati, and crashed onto the roof of an…

Italian authorities have seized assets and businesses worth more than €200 million as they tighten the net around money allegedly laundered from drug trafficking tied to a notorious mafia boss. Matteo Messina Denaro, arrested in 2023 after three decades as a fugitive, had long been one of the defining figures of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra’s violent campaign against the Italian state in the 1980s and 1990s, a period that included the murder of prosecutor Giovanni Falcone. Known as “U Siccu,” or “the skinny one,” Messina Denaro…

Morning commuters at a busy Swiss train station were thrown into chaos after a knife attack that left three people wounded, in what a regional security official described as a "terrorist act." "I am exceptionally calling this a terrorist attack," Mario Fehr, who oversees security in the Swiss canton of Zurich, told reporters, saying it was "clear from the scene that the motive for this act must be sought in the realm of radicalisation and extremism." Witnesses recounted fear and confusion as the suspect, identified by police…