Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

U.S. Embassy denies issuing security warning over Somali president’s Las Anod visit MOGADISHU, Somalia — The U.S. Embassy in Somalia on Wednesday denied online reports claiming it issued a security warning ahead of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s planned visit to the northern city of Las Anod, calling the claims false and urging the public to rely on its official channels. “The U.S. Embassy has not released any security warning concerning travel to Las Anod,” the embassy said in a statement, adding that people should…

LOS ANGELES — Actor Kiefer Sutherland was arrested after allegedly assaulting a ride-share driver in Hollywood just after midnight Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Police said the London-born Canadian actor entered a ride-share vehicle near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, where he allegedly “physically assaulted the driver (the victim), and made criminal threats.” The LAPD said the driver was not injured. Sutherland was later released after posting a $50,000 (€42,915) bond and is…

Tackling Undiagnosed Tuberculosis in Ghana: A Call to Action Ghanaian health officials have revealed that approximately 25,000 individuals in the country are living with undiagnosed tuberculosis (TB). This alarming statistic was highlighted by Rita Patricia Frimpong Amenyo, the Deputy Program Manager of the National TB Control Programme, during an event in Accra focused on the urgent need to address drug-resistant TB. Amenyo stated, "This means many people are living with TB in the community unknowingly, which leads to…

At least 28 people were killed and 80 others injured when a passenger train derailed in northeastern Thailand after a construction crane fell onto three of its carriages, authorities said. The crash occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The train was traveling from the capital to Ubon Ratchathani province when it was struck, forcing multiple carriages off the track. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said there were 195 people on board and ordered a…

Al-Shabab stages multi-pronged attack on Beledweyne; Somali forces say they repelled assault MOGADISHU, Somalia — Al-Shabab militants launched a coordinated attack on the central Somali city of Beledweyne late Tuesday, firing mortar rounds into a residential neighborhood before engaging Somali National Army units in street combat, according to residents and military officials. The assault began with a barrage targeting Bundaweyn, a neighborhood on the city’s edge, and quickly escalated into direct clashes with government…

Wednesday January 14, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s first direct local council elections in Mogadishu in nearly 60 years were peaceful and orderly, but they unfolded amid a surge of misinformation and political bias, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). The Election Observation and Media Monitoring Report reviewed the Banadir local council vote held Dec. 25, 2025, drawing on structured monitoring from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30. NUSOJ called the exercise a historic milestone,…

Iran has warned U.S. allies in the Middle East that it will strike American bases on their soil if Washington attacks Iran, according to a senior Iranian official, underscoring a sharp escalation in tensions surrounding a widening domestic crackdown and regional standoff. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran has asked U.S. partners in the region to “prevent Washington from attacking Iran,” and delivered a direct message that bases hosting U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and…

Global temperatures over the past three years have, on average, exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for the first time, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed, underscoring a rapid escalation in warming and its risks. The service reported 2025 as the third warmest year on record and said the last 11 years have been the 11 warmest in modern records. The new analysis, produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), places 2025’s average global surface air temperature…

Election Report Highlights Professional Media Coverage and Peaceful Banadir Polls, Warns of Rising Disinformation Somalia’s first direct local elections in Mogadishu since 1969 unfolded peacefully and with unexpectedly strong professional standards in the private media, but a surge of disinformation before and after the vote threatens to undermine public trust, according to a new report by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). In its Election Observation and Media Monitoring Report covering the Banadir Local…

Mogadishu’s first local vote in nearly 60 years peaceful, but disinformation and state-media bias clouded campaign, watchdog says NUSOJ report urges stronger safeguards for media freedom as Somalia eyes broader direct elections MOGADISHU — Somalia’s first direct local council elections in Mogadishu since 1969 were peaceful and orderly but marred by disinformation and political bias in coverage, according to a monitoring report released Wednesday by the National Union of Somali Journalists. The Election Observation and Media…