Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to act “within months, not years” to curb addictive social media features and protect children online, as the government prepares a three-month consultation in March on proposals that include banning under-16s from social media and restricting infinite scrolling. Framing the plans as a response to mounting parental concern, Starmer said the status quo is failing to safeguard children from online harms and signaled a swift legislative push. “I don’t think there’s a parent in the…

AU reaffirms Somalia’s sovereignty, condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The African Union reaffirmed its full support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia on Sunday, issuing a sharp rebuke to what it called Israel’s unilateral recognition of North Western State of Somalia. In a joint communiqué at the close of the AU’s annual summit in Addis Ababa, member states warned that any unilateral recognition that contravenes the founding principles of the…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Communications Authority on Monday brought together telecommunications operators and consumer representatives for a one-day consultation on a draft Telecom Consumer Protection Regulation, a move aimed at strengthening oversight and building public trust in the country’s fast-growing digital market. The session gathered telecom companies, internet service providers, submarine cable operators and consumer advocates to review the draft framework and provide feedback on how it should be implemented…

The Kremlin has dismissed as “baseless” a joint assessment by five European countries that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the potent toxin epibatidine, a claim that resurfaced as supporters marked two years since his death in an Arctic prison colony. Britain, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands said in a joint statement Saturday they believe Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest domestic opponent, was killed with epibatidine, a rare alkaloid found in poison dart frogs. The…

Qatari Military Cargo Plane Lands in Mogadishu Amid Shifting Horn of Africa Alliances MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Qatari Emiri Air Force C-17A Globemaster III landed at Aden Adde International Airport on Monday, signaling a continued buildup of military logistics in the Horn of Africa as regional tensions reshape long-standing alliances. The heavy-lift transport arrived in the Somali capital after a multi-leg journey originating in Turkey. Flight data and local reports indicate stops at military facilities in Kayseri and Ankara…

South Africa has declared the current foot-and-mouth disease outbreak a national disaster and will vaccinate 14 million cattle, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced, as the country confronts one of the worst outbreaks on record. "We have classified foot-and-mouth disease as a national disaster and will be mobilising all necessary capabilities within the state to deal with this crisis," Ramaphosa said, confirming the extensive vaccination campaign that authorities plan to roll out. The president's declaration elevates the…

Erdogan heads to UAE, Ethiopia as Turkey presses Gaza cease-fire and backs Somalia’s unity Turkey sharpens Gulf trade push while asserting influence in the Horn of Africa amid tensions over North Western State of Somalia recognition Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 MOGADISHU — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit the United Arab Emirates on Monday before traveling to Ethiopia on Tuesday, with Gaza and Somalia’s territorial integrity expected to anchor a two-stop tour aimed at entwining economic outreach with…

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Egypt says Red Sea governance must be limited to littoral states ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Egypt’s foreign minister said Sunday that stewardship of the Red Sea should be confined to countries that border it, rejecting what he called attempts by external powers to insert themselves into managing the strategic waterway. Egypt rejects non-littoral involvement in Red Sea governance Cairo seeks to activate Red Sea-Gulf of Aden council for security and development Support reiterated for AU Agenda 2063, water security, Sudan’s…

GENEVA — Iran’s foreign minister arrived in Geneva for a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States on Monday, Iranian state television said, as Washington intensifies political and military pressure on Tehran and regional tensions simmer. Tehran said the Oman-mediated exchanges will take place today, with Washington pushing to broaden the agenda beyond the nuclear file to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional proxies. The two sides resumed contacts this month after a previous…