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

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to apologise for saying the country has been “colonised by immigrants,” denouncing the remarks as “offensive and wrong.” Ratcliffe, the billionaire founder and chairman of chemicals group Ineos, made the comments in an interview with Sky News. “You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “I mean, the UK is being colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been…

The last of the afternoon heat clings to the metal walls as Asho Mohamud Jama stoops to set down a yellow jerrycan outside a ramshackle shelter on the edge of Lasanod. She has walked about 7 kilometers to and from a privately owned borehole to collect the only water her family of 14 will drink today. Inside, her 10-month-old dozes fitfully. Tin sheets rattle in the wind. There is no door to keep out the cold at night, and nowhere to escape the sun by day. Across Somalia’s Sool region, prolonged drought has pushed hundreds of…

DUBLIN — Ireland’s government has raised the case of Kilkenny native Seamus Culleton with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after the Boston-based construction worker was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and transferred nearly 4,000 kilometers to a facility in El Paso, Texas. Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said officials have been engaging U.S. counterparts and offering consular support to Culleton, who was arrested by ICE on Sept. 9, 2025. Culleton, originally from Glenmore, Co Kilkenny, told RTÉ’s…

Heineken will cut up to 6,000 jobs worldwide and temper its outlook for profit growth in 2026, the brewer said, as beer makers grapple with weak demand, cost-conscious consumers and unsettled global conditions. The world’s No. 2 brewer by market value said the reductions, to be carried out over the next two years, represent nearly 7% of its 87,000-person workforce. The productivity drive is expected to unlock savings and narrow the company’s focus on markets and categories with stronger growth prospects. A spokesman told…

Strategic Alliance: Somalia and Egypt solidify military ties ahead of AU mission deployment CAIRO — Somalia and Egypt deepened their military partnership Tuesday as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Egypt’s defense minister reviewed Egyptian troops ahead of their deployment to a new African Union-led peacekeeping mission in Somalia, according to Cairo’s military spokesperson. The inspection by Mohamud and Gen. Abdel Mageed Saqr, Egypt’s commander in chief and minister of defense, signals a significant step in the…

Paris appeals court to rule July 7 in Marine Le Pen fraud case that could reshape 2027 race A Paris appeals court will deliver its ruling on July 7 in a fraud case against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a decision poised to set the course of France’s next presidential contest. The lower court last year imposed a five-year ban from public office on Le Pen, 57, over a fake jobs scheme at the European Parliament. If the appeals court upholds that verdict, the three-time presidential candidate would be barred from running in…

Somalia welcomes Turkish naval vessels as offshore oil exploration nears start MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s deputy defense minister, Omar Abdi Ali, alongside the Somali National Army chief, on Tuesday formally welcomed Turkish naval vessels to Mogadishu, officials said, marking a visible step in the country’s effort to strengthen maritime security as offshore oil exploration moves closer to execution. Port officials said one of the ships is an oil exploration and drilling vessel, accompanied by a security support ship. The…

Norway’s Laegreid wins Olympic biathlon bronze, then stuns Games by admitting he cheated on partner Fresh off the podium with a Winter Olympics bronze medal, Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid stunned the biathlon world by publicly admitting he cheated on his girlfriend and pleading for forgiveness in an emotional interview that quickly eclipsed his result. The 28-year-old biathlete made the revelation to Norway’s state broadcaster shortly after finishing third in a race won by compatriot Johan-Olav Botn, with Eric Perrot of…

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar’s emir spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss de-escalation and regional security as tensions between Washington and Tehran sharpen, the royal court said Wednesday. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Trump reviewed “the current situation in the region and international efforts aimed at de-escalation and strengthening regional security and peace,” according to a statement from the emir’s office. The two leaders also discussed “supporting diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving crises…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's federal government has scheduled April 2026 state elections, sharpening the debate over the country's election timetable and whether political institutions can move from announcements to implementation. The plan also raises questions about election administration, including how polling and legal procedures will be managed across a contested political environment. Those concerns are closely tied to constitutional reform, because mandate timing and electoral rules are now part of the same…