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

A dramatic turn in one of America’s most closely watched murder cases has upended the conviction of a once-powerful lawyer who was serving life in prison for the killings of his wife and son. Alex Murdaugh, 57, heir to a prominent family of judges and attorneys, did not receive a fair trial because a court clerk improperly influenced jurors, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled. Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of fatally shooting his son, Paul, 22, with a shotgun and his wife, Maggie, 52, with an assault rifle on the…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Britain has tightened its travel guidance for Somalia, urging its citizens to avoid nearly all travel to the country amid terrorism fears, armed clashes and an unsettled security climate. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office says against all travel to Somalia, including the eastern North Western State of Somalia regions of Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool. The department said violence has escalated in those areas in recent months and that conditions remain highly unstable. It…

Donald Trump opened high-stakes talks in Beijing by praising Xi Jinping as both “a great leader” and a friend, as the two presidents began two days of meetings expected to test a delicate trade truce and tackle flashpoints including the Iran war and US arms sales to Taiwan. With Mr Trump’s approval ratings weakened by conflict in the Middle East, his expected visit to China has taken on greater political and diplomatic weight. The trip is the first by a sitting US president to visit America’s main strategic rival since Mr…

By JEREMIAH WAKAYAThursday May 14, 2026 Ruto said Kenya had made significant progress toward reopening the frontier before clashes erupted between Somalia’s Federal Government and regional state forces near the Kenyan border/PCS/FILE President William Ruto has said the long-promised reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border collapsed because renewed violence and political turmoil in Somalia upended the plan. In an interview with France 24 on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Ruto said Kenya had been moving…

Israeli strikes killed 10 more people in southern Lebanon today, Lebanese authorities said, pushing the death toll for the day to at least 22 as violence persisted despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. According to the health ministry, six people — "including three children and two women" — were killed in the town of Arab Salim. Another child died in a strike on Harouf, while three more people — "including two children" — were killed in Roumin, all in south Lebanon. Earlier in the day, the ministry said 12 people…

Gunfire shattered the calm at the Philippine Senate on Tuesday, forcing senators to shelter in their offices as a lawmaker sought by the International Criminal Court remained inside the building. At least five shots echoed through the Senate complex, according to AFP journalists inside, moments after soldiers carrying rifles and wearing protective gear moved up the building’s stairs. Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla told reporters no one had been hurt and said authorities were still trying to identify and locate the…

The United Arab Emirates has flatly rejected reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a covert trip to the Gulf state, dismissing suggestions of any unannounced visit as “baseless”. The denial came after the Israeli prime minister’s office said Mr Netanyahu had travelled to the UAE and held talks with the Emirati president during the war with Iran. Abu Dhabi said those claims were false, adding that no Israeli military delegation had been received in the country. "Any claims regarding unannounced visits or…

Wednesday May 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held talks Tuesday with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji in Kampala, a meeting that centered on bilateral ties and other matters of shared concern. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the discussions covered cooperation between Somalia and Saudi Arabia and explored ways to deepen relations between the two countries. El-Khereiji was in Uganda to represent Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the inauguration of…

Somalia’s governance system is under strain, with political disputes at the federal level, tensions between Mogadishu and regional states, and a persistent security threat from militant groups. The result has been a cycle of delayed reforms, contested authority, and fragile decision-making—especially as the country tries to stabilize after years of conflict. Below is a clear breakdown of the main factors driving political instability in Somalia and why they matter for governance, elections, and public trust. What…

Russia unleashed a sweeping daytime drone assault focused largely on western Ukraine, killing at least six people and injuring dozens more, according to the Ukrainian president, in what looked like a notable shift in Moscow’s long-running air attack pattern. For more than four years, Russian forces have hammered cities across Ukraine, though major drone and missile barrages have typically come under cover of darkness rather than in broad daylight. "Since midnight, at least 800 Russian drones have already been launched,"…