Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Monday May 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has said that former North Western State of Somalia President Muse Bihi Abdi was prepared, in principle, to discuss Somali unity during mediation efforts in 2020 led by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Speaking in an interview last week, Farmaajo described Abiy Ahmed as deeply involved in trying to bring Somali political figures together, even as Ethiopia’s role in Somali affairs continued to draw suspicion and criticism across the…

Monday May 4, 2026 Bosaso (AX) — Puntland State regional forces have recaptured the Miraale area after several hours of fighting with ISIS militants, officials said Sunday. According to Puntland State authorities, one soldier was killed in the clash in Miraale, an area government forces had previously withdrawn from before ISIS fighters moved in. Officials said Puntland State troops were preparing to launch an operation in the area when ISIS launched a surprise assault, sparking a battle that went on for hours. Security…

A deadly illness has struck a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic, leaving three people dead and prompting an international public health response after one passenger was confirmed to have hantavirus, a disease most often passed to humans by rodents. The cases emerged aboard the MV Hondius during a voyage from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde, off Africa’s west coast. "To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases," the World Health Organization (WHO)…

An arrest in the killing of a five-year-old Indigenous girl has intensified scrutiny in Australia’s Northern Territory, where her death set off violent unrest in an outback town just days earlier. Northern Territory police said Jefferson Lewis, 47, had been charged with murdering Kumanjayi Little Baby, the name used for the victim in accordance with Indigenous custom. He also faces two additional charges that cannot be publicly identified for legal reasons, police said in a statement. "This is an horrific event and an…

By  STEVE DOUGLASSunday May 3, 2026 Arsenal kept rolling, while Liverpool and its embattled manager Arne Slot endured another bruising afternoon. The Gunners tightened their grip on the Premier League race with a 2-0 win over Brentford that restored a five-point cushion at the top, while Liverpool were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Sunderland at Anfield after benefiting from a late own-goal. Slot is likely to face renewed scrutiny after his side slipped to eighth in a disappointing title defense, with his call to…

Two people have been killed and three others, including a child, taken to hospital after what police described as a "suspicious" explosion tore through a house in Bristol, England. Avon and Somerset Police declared a major incident after the blast, which happened at about 6.30am today. Investigators are also making inquiries at a second property connected to the man who died. Police said the cause of the explosion is being treated as suspicious, though it is not being investigated as a terrorist incident. "Three people - a…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Nairobi (AX) — Former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has declared that he still holds the legitimate mandate to lead the administration, saying he expects to return to the region after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term ends on May 15, 2026. In an interview in Nairobi this week — his first public comments since March 30 — Laftagareen spoke at length about the political standoff in South West State and the circumstances surrounding his departure from Baidoa. Laftagareen…

Under a full moon on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, Shakira launched her free mega-concert late Saturday, arriving more than an hour after the scheduled start as drones overhead traced the outline of a she-wolf — the nickname that has become part of her pop mythology. Roughly two million people were expected for the free open-air performance by the 49-year-old Colombian superstar, who appeared on a sprawling stage set up beside the iconic Copacabana Palace hotel. The beach has become a showcase for pop royalty in recent…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Sunday unveiled the full calendar for the country’s 2026 regional elections, setting South West State on course to open the voting season later this month. Under the newly announced timetable, South West State will be first to vote. Local council and parliamentary elections are slated for May 10, the election of the state parliament speaker will follow on May 18, and the regional president is due to be chosen on May 23,…

After nearly two weeks of relentless firefighting, the massive wildfires that tore through forests in northern Japan have been brought under control, officials said, ending an 11-day battle against what has been described as the country’s second-largest blaze in more than 30 years. Since last month, hundreds of firefighters and more than 1,000 military personnel had been deployed to fight the flames as they swept across about 1,600 hectares in the mountainous Iwate region. That burn zone is nearly five times the size of New…