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

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s move to appoint seven new deputy ministers has drawn swift criticism from political analysts and opposition figures, who argue the decision will meaningfully inflate government spending. They describe the plan as poorly conceived, saying it places fresh strain on the national budget. Each of the seven deputies will earn N$65 000 a month — N$780 000 a year — adding nearly N$1.7 million annually to the wage bill for public office bearers. Critics also questioned whether the appointees can…

With barely an hour to spare before President Donald Trump's deadline to unleash a devastating assault on Iran, Washington and Tehran agreed overnight to a two-week ceasefire, prompting a wave of global relief tempered by deep uncertainty. Iran has also agreed to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global shipments of oil, gas and fertiliser, easing immediate fears for an already battered world economy. Even so, international leaders warned the breakthrough remained fragile. UN chief Antonio Guterres…

Arturo Chang Wednesday April 8, 2026 Najib Warsame says Somali asylum claimants often spend months unable to work as they wait for their immigration claims to be processed. (Submitted by Najib Warsame) A hard-line immigration push in the United States is sending more Somalis to Manitoba in search of asylum, according to a Winnipeg refugee advocate who says anxiety in the community has risen sharply. Najib Warsame said many of the people he has recently assisted came to the province after feeling targeted by U.S. President…

Wednesday April 8, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Tuesday sharply criticized Somalia’s federal government, accusing it of pursuing a course that would erode the country’s federal model and concentrate power in Mogadishu. Addressing residents in Qardho district, Deni pointed to comments attributed to Sheikh Ali Wajiis, an adviser to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, saying they amounted to a push for the federal government to take direct control of regional states — a move he described as…

A Russian FPV drone slammed into a bus in central Nikopol, killing three people and injuring 12 others in one of the deadliest strikes reported in the frontline city in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region. "Three people were killed and another 12 injured. The enemy attacked a city bus with an FPV drone right in downtown Nikopol. It was pulling up to the stop - there were people both on board and at the stop," the head of the region's military administration, Oleksandr Ganzha, wrote on social media. Elsewhere, Russian shelling…

Wednesday April 8, 2026 Addis Ababa (AX) — Somalia has secured a place on the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) for the first time since the body was created in 2003, a diplomatic breakthrough that signals the country’s rising profile on the continent. Somalia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union, Abdullahi Warfaa, hoisted the Somali flag at the council’s headquarters on Tuesday, marking the start of Somalia’s responsibilities during the 2026–2028 term. Government officials described the moment as a…

A deadly collision involving one of France’s iconic high-speed trains unfolded in northern France this morning when a TGV struck a truck at a crossing, leaving the train’s driver dead and two people critically injured, officials said. The crash happened at about 7am local time (6am Irish time) between Bethune and Lens in the Pas-de-Calais region, according to rail operator SNCF. In an updated toll, the prefecture said two people were in critical condition and 11 others suffered less serious injuries. Earlier official reports…

US Vice President JD Vance touched down in Budapest this morning for a two-day trip officially framed as an effort to strengthen ties between Washington and Budapest. Yet the political stakes are far sharper: his visit is widely seen as an attempt to lift Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose Fidesz party trails the main centre-right opposition by nine percentage points in the polls ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. The contest marks the most serious electoral test of Fidesz’s rule so far, after four straight…

Tuesday April 7, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday night convened a high-level security meeting in Baidoa, just days after mortar fire hit the city’s airport soon after his arrival. The session brought together senior military and security officials and centered on efforts to calm the Southwest region after a period of political turbulence and mounting security risks. According to officials, the president was briefed in detail on plans to step up operations against al-Shabab, improve…

Hours before a self-imposed evening deadline, US President Donald Trump warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" unless Iran moves to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, as Pakistan mounted a last-minute push for a two-week ceasefire to keep diplomacy alive. With only a short window remaining before the US president's 8pm (1am Irish time) cutoff, Tehran was giving Pakistan's appeal a positive review in an effort to buy more time for talks, according to a senior Iranian official. The White House said Mr Trump had…