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

GALKAYO, Somalia — Authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland State region on Tuesday executed a woman convicted of murdering a 14-year-old domestic worker, a rare use of the death penalty against a woman that has reignited nationwide debate over child protection and household labor. Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, was shot by firing squad in the central city of Galkayo after a court found she beat to death teenager Saabirin Saylaan late last year. Officials said the sentence was carried out under qisas, an Islamic legal…

South Africa has today officially acceded to the Establishment Agreement of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), marking the formal entry of one of the continent’s largest economies into the bank’s membership and signaling a potential shift in the region’s financial architecture. The move brings South Africa into the fold of Africa’s leading multilateral financial institution, which was created to finance and promote intra-African and extra-African trade. Membership gives Johannesburg formal access to a…

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Reported Dead Amid Conflicting Accounts Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the 53-year-old son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead at his home in Zintan. Khaled al-Zaidi, his lawyer, stated that a four-man commando unit carried out the assassination, although the identities of those behind the attack remain unclear. Meanwhile, a conflicting account from Saif's sister suggests he met his end near the Algerian border. Once considered the most prominent and feared figure in Libya…

At least 14 people were killed after a Greek coast guard vessel and a boat carrying migrants collided off the Aegean island of Chios near Turkey, Greek authorities said. The crash set off an extensive search-and-rescue effort in the busy sea corridor between the two countries. The collision involved a port police patrol craft and what authorities described as a high-speed small boat transporting migrants. The Greek coast guard said two of its members were taken to a hospital, and 24 migrants were rescued from the water.…

WASHINGTON — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, the Pentagon’s Central Command said, even as President Donald Trump said Washington is engaged in talks with Tehran to defuse tensions across the Gulf. U.S. Central Command said the drone, identified as a Shahed-139, “aggressively approached” the carrier and continued toward it despite measures taken by U.S. forces in international waters. CENTCOM said the jet acted in self-defense. The command did not…

DUBAI — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilaahi Irro attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday for the second consecutive year, underscoring Hargeisa’s push for international visibility despite objections from Somalia’s federal government and amid worsening tensions with the United Arab Emirates. The annual forum, one of the world’s most prominent gatherings on governance and public policy, brings together global political leaders, major corporations and international…

Ukraine, Russia open Abu Dhabi talks as strikes batter energy grid ABU DHABI — Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were set to gather in the Emirati capital on Tuesday, seeking to advance talks on how to end the four-year war as a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks pounded Ukraine’s energy grid in subfreezing temperatures. The meeting, scheduled to run through Wednesday after a postponement last weekend over what the Kremlin called scheduling issues, comes amid grim omens for diplomacy. Europe’s…

Somalia pledges inclusive dialogue as Jubaland, Puntland State allege flight blocks ahead of election talks MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to preserving national unity and advancing an inclusive political dialogue, even as tensions rise with the Jubaland and Puntland State regional administrations over security arrangements before planned election talks. In a statement, the government said it remains fully committed to an open, broad and constructive consultative…

At least 14 people were killed when a Greek coast guard vessel and a boat carrying migrants collided in the Aegean Sea off the island of Chios near Turkey, Greek police said. Rescue operations were underway following the crash, which happened yesterday. The collision involved a “port police patrol vessel” and a “high-speed” small boat, authorities said. The Greek coast guard said 24 migrants were rescued and two coast guard members were taken to a hospital. Seven children and a pregnant woman were among the injured, Greek…

French prosecutors have charged 10 men in connection with the alleged rape of a five-year-old boy who authorities say was drugged during a “chemsex” gathering in Lille, a case that has jolted France with its severity and rarity. The Lille prosecutor’s office said an investigation opened on Feb. 15, 2025, followed a report of a drug-fueled party the previous night in the northern city. The case has been referred to an investigating judge for alleged acts committed between November 2024 and Feb. 14, 2025, including “rape and…