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

Kenya Issues Alert Over Falsified SIMULECT Drug Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has issued a public alert warning against falsified versions of SIMULECT (basiliximab), an injectable immunosuppressive drug critical for preventing kidney transplant rejection. This warning comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) circulated an alert regarding the counterfeiting of this vital medication. The falsified SIMULECT has been reported in several countries including Rwanda, Bulgaria, and Türkiye. Concerns arise from…

Tragedy Strikes as Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Gambia An overcrowded boat carrying migrants capsized near Gambia’s Atlantic coast, highlighting the dangers faced by those attempting to reach Europe. Seven bodies have been recovered, and search efforts continue for missing passengers, underscoring the persistent risks of the West African route to the Canary Islands. The boat, carrying over 200 migrants, overturned near Jinack village. 96 people were rescued, while 10 survivors are in critical condition. Gambia’s…

President Donald Trump said he is taking a daily aspirin dose larger than his doctors recommend, adding new detail to the public picture of his health and prevention regimen in an interview published by the Wall Street Journal. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump told the newspaper. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” Sean Barbabella, the president’s physician, told the Journal that Trump takes 325 milligrams…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government said Thursday that a planned airstrike in the al-Shabab-held town of Jilib on Dec. 10 killed two senior leaders of the extremist group, including a bomb-making chief who carried a $5 million U.S. bounty. The National Intelligence and Security Agency, known as NISA, said the strike killed Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, widely known as Engineer Ismail, describing him as al-Shabab’s chief explosives planner. The United States had offered up to $5 million for information leading to his…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — North Western State of Somalia on Thursday denied that it had agreed to resettle Palestinians from Gaza or host Israeli military bases in exchange for recognition from Israel, rejecting the claims as false and politically motivated. In a statement posted on X, North Western State of Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “firmly rejects false claims made by the President of Somalia alleging the resettlement of Palestinians or the establishment of military bases in North…

Tragedy Strikes as Migrant Boat Capsizes Off The Gambia At least seven people have died and many others remain missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants capsized off the coast of The Gambia while attempting to reach Europe. This harrowing incident underscores the grave dangers faced by those seeking a better life, and it highlights the ongoing migration crisis engulfing the region. The vessel overturned near Jinack village in the North Bank Region, a noted backdrop for previous such attempts. It was later…

Gabon National Football Team Suspended Following Disappointing AFCON Exit Gabon's government has announced sweeping changes to its national football setup following the team's dismal performance in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The measures include suspending the national team, dismissing head coach Thierry Mouyouma, and imposing a ban on star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The decision was conveyed by Sports Minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula after Gabon's early exit from the tournament, culminating in a 3-2 loss…

EU warns of sabotage risk as Finland seizes ship suspected in Baltic cable damage Europe “remains vigilant” as its critical infrastructure faces a high risk of sabotage, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said, after Finnish authorities seized a cargo vessel suspected of damaging a subsea telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn. Finnish police detained the Fitburg, a 132-meter cargo ship, and its 14 crew members as part of an investigation into damage to a telecoms cable in the Gulf of Finland. Authorities…

Anthony Joshua was discharged from a hospital in southwestern Nigeria after being injured in a car crash that killed two of his close friends, state officials said. The former world heavyweight boxing champion had been traveling Monday along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway when the SUV he was in struck a stationary truck in Ogun state. Joshua was accompanied by friends identified as Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, who both died in the crash, according to the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE). The agency said…

China has removed a three-decade-old tax exemption on contraceptive drugs and devices, imposing a 13% value-added tax on items such as condoms and contraceptive pills from Jan. 1, in a fresh bid to arrest a prolonged slide in birth rates. The change subjects most contraceptives to the standard VAT applied to consumer goods in the world’s second-largest economy. It marks a policy shift after years in which such products were treated as tax-exempt public health items, and it arrives as Beijing ramps up efforts to encourage…