Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “we are at a crossroads” amid a U.S. threat, signaling a pivotal moment for Europe’s economic and security posture as tensions with Washington simmer. Von der Leyen’s remark, delivered during live remarks monitored by Axadle Times, underscored the sensitivities in transatlantic ties as the European Union assesses risks to its strategic industries and broader interests. No further details were immediately available on the specific nature of the U.S. threat or the…

Al-Shabaab attacks Jubaland base in Kuday; outcome disputed KISMAYO, Somalia — Al-Shabaab fighters launched a pre-dawn assault Wednesday on a Jubaland security forces base in Kuday, a strategic coastal area in Lower Jubba about 60 kilometers south of the port city of Kismayo, according to local sources. Residents said the attack began with explosions that were followed by direct clashes between government soldiers and the militants around the base on Kuday island. The scale of the fighting and the extent of damage remained…

MOGADISHU — Former Somali Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments Omar Ali Rooble accused federal security forces of raiding and demolishing parts of his family home in Mogadishu late Monday, alleging the operation was a politically motivated land grab tied to senior government figures, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. In a statement released Tuesday, Rooble said troops accompanied by demolition equipment arrived in a convoy of military vehicles and moved to seize a property he maintains legally belongs to his…

EU lawmakers will vote this morning on whether to ask the bloc’s top court to review the European Union’s newly signed free trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur, a move that could delay the pact by about two years and potentially derail it. The parliamentary vote is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. The EU finalized its largest-ever trade pact last weekend with Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The agreement still requires approval before it can take effect, setting off a fresh political fight over…

Somalia is sliding deeper into a health and nutrition emergency as failed rainy seasons, soaring water prices and sharp humanitarian funding cuts fuel a surge in malnutrition and preventable disease, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned Tuesday. MSF teams report rising numbers of children arriving at overcrowded displacement camps and health facilities in critical condition with severe acute malnutrition or illnesses such as measles, diphtheria and acute watery diarrhoea — conditions that vaccination and clean water can…

Israeli forces ordered dozens of Palestinian families in southern Gaza to leave their homes, residents and Hamas officials said Monday, describing the first forced evacuation since the October ceasefire and a sign the army is expanding areas under its control. Israel’s military confirmed it dropped warning leaflets but denied plans to forcibly displace residents. Leaflets written in Arabic, Hebrew and English were scattered over the Al-Reqeb neighborhood in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, according to residents. “Urgent…

Trump resumes Davos trip after Air Force One glitch as Greenland dispute roils transatlantic ties WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump resumed his journey to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos after Air Force One returned to Washington over what the White House called a minor technical issue, a two-hour delay that did little to ease tensions already overshadowing his visit. Trump is scheduled to deliver an eagerly awaited address to delegates this afternoon, but the trip has been consumed by a widening…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has welcomed an appellate ruling that clears the way for the country’s elected representatives to take their seats in the East African Legislative Assembly, ending months of legal uncertainty over Somalia’s participation in the regional body. In a statement issued Tuesday, the ministry congratulated the nine lawmakers chosen by Somalia’s Federal Parliament to represent the country in EALA, calling the court’s decision a key step toward…

Spain mourned its deadliest rail disaster in more than a decade as the death toll from a high-speed train collision in Andalusia rose to 42 and a second accident near Barcelona killed one person and injured dozens. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited the crash site and met survivors Tuesday as the government pledged a full, transparent investigation. The first crash occurred late Sunday when an Iryo-operated train traveling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz in southern Spain. The train crossed onto the opposite…

Trump seeks $1 billion for permanent seats on new “Board of Peace,” a Gaza-born plan with global reach and sweeping chair powers U.S. President Donald Trump is asking countries to pay $1 billion (€853 million) for a permanent place on a new “Board of Peace” intended to resolve conflicts worldwide, according to a charter seen by AFP. Conceived initially to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, the body’s mandate is not limited to the Palestinian territory and would allow the chairman—Trump—to steer its agenda and operations. The…