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

Monday May 18, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State security forces detained suspected pirates on Sunday in a sweep across Somalia’s Bari region, stepping up pressure on groups accused of trying to revive maritime crime along the coast. According to Puntland State security officials, the suspects are thought to have ties to pirate networks linked to attacks, kidnappings and attempted hijackings of commercial ships in Somali waters and along nearby Red Sea shipping lanes. The operations form part of a wider effort to block…

A fresh row over Brexit has flared as Keir Starmer’s government prepares to return to Westminster, exposing divisions among the contenders positioning themselves to replace him. Wes Streeting, who stepped down as health secretary last week, indicated he wants Britain to rejoin the EU as he declared he would enter any Labour leadership race. Allies of Andy Burnham are said to be enraged by Mr Streeting’s move, with the Times reporting they see it as a calculated effort to thrust Brexit back to the forefront in the…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOMonday May 18, 2026 Garissa governorship aspirant Abdulkadir Haji with Sultan Hamud Sheikh of the Awliyahan clan./STEPHEN ASTARIKO The contest for Garissa governor in 2027 is already gathering momentum, with Senator Abdul Haji making a direct appeal to the influential Awliyahan community in a development that could alter the county’s political arithmetic. At a symbolic ceremony held on Saturday at a Garissa hotel, the two-term senator, who comes from the Samawadhal community, officially presented his…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a "public health emergency of international concern," highlighting the potential threat to neighboring regions. Although this outbreak has not escalated to a pandemic level, countries bordering the DRC are alerted to a heightened risk of the virus spreading. According to the WHO, as of Saturday, the Ituri province in the DRC reported 80 suspected deaths, eight confirmed laboratory cases, and 246…

A holiday in Thailand ended in tragedy when a young Irish man and a Czech woman were killed in a road crash. The Irish victim has been identified locally as Max Hendrickson, from Cabra in Dublin. Mr Hendrickson, 20, was named Ireland's Young Filmmaker of the Year 2023 at the Fresh International Film Festival and was widely known in his local community. He was in his second year as a student at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Labour TD Marie Sherlock said the news has left neighbours and friends…

Fresh Israeli strikes shook eastern and southern Lebanon, state media said, underscoring the strain on a ceasefire that remains in place only tenuously, while a Hezbollah official dismissed Lebanon’s talks with Israel as a “dead-end”. According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), two Israeli strikes struck the town of Sohmor in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, while additional attacks were reported across the south of the country. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since the war began have killed more than…

One of Hamas's highest-ranking figures is reported dead after Israel said it struck him in an air attack, marking what would be the most senior killing of a Hamas official since the October US-backed ceasefire deal intended to stop the war in Gaza. In Gaza City, witnesses said mosques had announced the death of Izz al-Din al-Haddad. If confirmed, he would be the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since the ceasefire agreement reached in October with US backing, which was supposed to bring the fighting in Gaza to a…

By Dr. Ali Said FaqiSunday May 17, 2026 Somalia is edging into a precarious political chapter, one that may prove among the most volatile in recent years. The constitutional amendments passed in March 2026 have ignited a fierce dispute over legitimacy, governance, and the country’s political future. That tension sharpened after the presidential term expired on May 15, 2026, and the parliamentary mandate ended on April 14, 2026, leaving the nation in a sensitive constitutional and political void. To many in the public and on…

A Canadian passenger from the cruise ship MV Hondius has tested “presumptive positive” for Andes hantavirus, prompting health officials to intensify monitoring while stressing that the broader public risk remains low. Canadian public health authorities said the patient was among four Canadians identified as high risk after travelling on the vessel, which departed Argentina on 1 April for an Atlantic crossing before the outbreak of the rare rodent-borne disease came to light. In a statement, the Public Health Agency of Canada…

Sunday May 17, 2026 Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the country is confronting a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Ituri province, where the death toll has climbed to at least 80 as authorities step up screening and contact tracing efforts to slow the spread. A fresh outbreak of Ebola has been reported in eastern DRC, where tens of people have died as a result. / Reuters Authorities announced the outbreak on Friday, saying 65 people had died and 246 suspected cases had been identified. By Saturday, they…