Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

At Las Anod inauguration, Somalia’s president condemns Israel over North Western State of Somalia and vows to defend unity LAS ANOD — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Saturday attended the swearing-in of Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, as president of the Northeastern Regional State, using the ceremony to project federal authority and denounce foreign interference in Somalia’s internal affairs. Hassan Sheikh condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of…

MIAMI — Ukrainian negotiators arrived in the U.S. for Miami talks with President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, an effort Kyiv says will focus on security guarantees and post-war recovery as the war with Russia nears its fourth year. The mission underscores a dual-track push: Kyiv is seeking concrete assurances to deter a future Russian attack while confronting a punishing winter campaign that has battered Ukraine’s energy grid and left tens of thousands…

Ukrainian negotiators arrived in the United States for talks in Miami with President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, seeking a pathway to end nearly four years of war with Russia as strikes batter Ukraine’s energy grid in a brutal cold snap. Kyrylo Budanov, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s new chief of staff and head of the Ukrainian delegation, said on social media the team had landed and would “have an important conversation with our American…

Saturday January 17, 2026 European troops land in Greenland as transatlantic rift deepens over Trump’s acquisition push NUUK, Greenland — Soldiers from France, Germany and other European nations have begun arriving in Greenland to bolster the Arctic island’s security, a rapid show of force that underscores widening disagreement between the United States and its European allies over President Donald Trump’s stated desire to acquire the semiautonomous Danish territory. France has sent 15 soldiers and Germany 13, with Norway…

COPENHAGEN — Thousands of people rallied across Denmark and in Greenland to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, a day after he warned he may impose tariffs on countries that oppose his plans. Demonstrators waving Danish and Greenlandic flags filled Copenhagen’s central square and chanted “Kalaallit Nunaat!” — Greenland’s name in the Greenlandic language — as a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation visited the Danish capital. The protests, organized by…

Envoys from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sudan attend Las Anod inauguration, signaling support for Somalia’s unity LAS ANOD, Somalia — Ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sudan arrived in Las Anod on Saturday to attend the inauguration of Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, the newly elected president of Somalia’s Northeastern Regional State, in a show of diplomatic backing for the region’s evolving political order. The envoys’ visit underscores international support for Somalia’s federal institutions and…

Current evidence does not link paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or intellectual disabilities, according to a wide-ranging review published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health. The findings, from an international team of researchers, support existing guidance that paracetamol — known as Tylenol in the United States — remains safe to use during pregnancy when taken as directed. The review comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said in September there…

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 LAS ANOD, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud convened a high-level, closed-door consultation Friday night with traditional elders from the Northeastern State, urging them to anchor reconciliation and grassroots security as the federal government moves to consolidate authority in the long-contested region. The meeting in Las Anod — part of the president’s landmark visit to the city — centered on reconciliation, security and the consolidation of the state-building process after years of conflict…

Armed Puntland State troops storm Garowe police station in bid to free detained soldiers; at least 3 injured Garowe attack underscores discipline and reintegration strains after anti-ISIS campaign in Calmiskaad mountains GAROWE, Puntland State — At least three soldiers were injured Friday when armed members of Puntland State’s Duufaan Brigade attempted to force their way into the central police station in Garowe to free two comrades detained earlier for possession of alcohol, according to police and security sources. The…

X’s Grok AI “nudification” feature has set off a global backlash and a political firestorm in Ireland, exposing the limits of platform self-regulation and the gray areas where fast-moving AI collides with slower-moving law. A Christmas Eve update that let Grok digitally remove clothing from images—affecting adults and children—promptly spawned requests to undress celebrities and place politicians in bikinis. The most alarming consequence, critics say, was the tool’s ability to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM). As…