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

France has barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country after he posted a video ridiculing bound activists detained by Israeli soldiers during a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. "From today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory" because of "his reprehensible actions towards French and European citizens" involved in the humanitarian flotilla, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on X. Barrot said he was also joining Italy in pushing for European Union sanctions…

Sunday May 24, 2026 Lakeville, Minn (AX) — A Minnesota civil rights group is applauding the arrest of a man accused of wandering outside a Lakeville mosque with a knife and pretending to be a federal official, an episode it described as alarming and one that underscores persistent concerns about safety at houses of worship. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Saturday that officers moved quickly after the man allegedly showed up near the mosque, acted strangely and claimed he was involved…

Mogadishu, Somalia – In a push to professionalise Somalia’s police and bolster national stability, Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail today inaugurated a 10-day instructor training for the Somali Police Force in Mogadishu, a programme designed to raise institutional capacity across the security sector. Funded by the Government of Japan, the 10-day training is being conducted by the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Police at the General Kaahiye Police Training Academy as…

Houston is counting down to the FIFA World Cup, with seven matches on the schedule and a landmark fixture between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Portugal set to draw global attention to Texas. DR Congo booked its place at the tournament by surviving a play-off against Jamaica in Mexico in March. Yet as the city prepares to welcome the team, the buildup has been overshadowed by the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a "public health emergency of international concern" after an Ebola outbreak in the central…

Saturday May 23, 2026 Maths teacher Hassan Mohamed Ibrahim lost his job in one of eight IDP schools in Baidoa closed by funding cuts/Abdullahi Mohamed/Ergo More than 120 teachers in Baidoa’s displacement camps have been left without work after aid cuts shut down eight schools, pushing hundreds of families deeper into hardship in one of Somalia’s busiest hubs for the displaced. The schools, located in the Bookay area north of Baidoa, had been educating about 1,500 children from internally displaced families. With the…

SpaceX sent its towering Starship rocket on a dramatic test run that ended with a controlled, fiery splashdown in the Indian Ocean, giving the company a largely successful outing for the latest version of its giant spacecraft. The mission was not flawless, but the snags did little to dampen the mood. On the company livestream, SpaceX staff erupted in cheers after a flight seen as an important step forward as Elon Musk's company moves toward what could be a record-setting initial public offering. The huge rocket lifted off…

Saturday May 23, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Police in Mogadishu have detained several young people accused of interfering with security checkpoints and taking part in violent incidents, authorities said Friday, even as opposition leaders denounced the arrests as a political crackdown. The Banadir Regional Police Command said the suspects were taken into custody in security zones after allegedly engaging in conduct that could endanger public safety, disrupt stability and restrict movement in the capital. Police said initial…

Federal immigration arrests in New York City have surged by more than 70% since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a city audit that points to a sharp rise in enforcement activity across the five boroughs. Commissioned by Mayor Zohran Mamdani shortly after he entered office this year, the audit found that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 5,567 people in the New York City area from 20 January, 2025, when Mr Trump, a Republican, was sworn in for a new term, through 10 March, 2026. The report…

Saturday May 23, 2026 A tanker in the Gulf of Aden came under a suspicious approach on May 22, prompting its armed security team to fire warning shots in a bid to turn away a small boat — the latest in a string of incidents tied to active Somali pirate groups. The reported encounter was passed to UK Maritime Trade Operations by the tanker’s company security officer. The vessel was underway when it was approached about 98 nautical miles from Socotra, the Yemeni-controlled island off the Horn of Africa. A small craft carrying…

ANKARA, May 23, 2026 - Turkey expects to wrap up offshore oil drilling in Somali waters within six to nine months, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, if weather and atmospheric conditions hold steady. Erdogan said the operation carries "historical significance," calling it Turkey’s first deep-sea drilling effort beyond its own borders. "We hope to bring long-awaited good news to the brotherly people of Somalia, who have long struggled with internal instability and famine," Erdogan said at an official event in…