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

Easter Sunday will carry unusual weight at the Vatican this year, as Pope Leo XIV prepares to mark the holiest day in the Christian calendar for the first time as pontiff while war in the Middle East darkens the celebration. The US-born pope, who has become one of the conflict’s most prominent critics, is due to celebrate mass in St Peter's Square from 9.30am Irish time before thousands of worshippers. The head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics will then deliver the traditional blessing at 11am Irish time, a moment likely…

Somalia’s federal parliament has been at the center of major political decisions in 2026, as lawmakers debated constitutional rules, the timetable for elections, and the government’s spending priorities. The actions taken in parliamentary sessions—sometimes orderly, sometimes marked by unrest—shape how political power is set to change later in the year. With Somalia still working under a provisional constitutional framework and facing ongoing security and governance challenges, parliamentary votes in Mogadishu carry…

Saturday April 4, 2026 Media representatives gather in front of a heavily damaged building following a strike at the Azadi Sport Complex in Tehran Iranian forces say they have shot down two US military fighter jets, one over the country’s southwest and another in the area of the Strait of Hormuz, in a sharp escalation of the conflict. In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said air defences had “completely destroyed” an F-15 aircraft. Later the same day, the Iranian…

Saturday April 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali security forces struck at the heart of al-Shabab’s bomb-making machinery on Saturday, killing nine militants in coordinated operations in the Lower Shabelle region, according to the National Intelligence and Security Agency. NISA said in a statement that the raids were carried out with the support of international partners and were aimed at dismantling sites used to produce improvised explosive devices, the signature weapon of the al-Qaida-linked group. The first phase of the…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali intelligence officials said Saturday that a series of coordinated raids in the Lower Shabelle region, carried out with support from international partners, left nine Al-Shabaab militants dead and destroyed equipment allegedly used to manufacture explosives. In a statement, the National Intelligence and Security Agency, or NISA, said the first strike hit the Kuunyo Barrow area, where forces targeted what it called a major militant site. During the raid, six large generators believed to be used in…

Saturday April 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal takeover of Baidoa and the swift naming of an interim administration in Southwest State have ignited a bitter constitutional showdown, with supporters of the move pointing to newly amended provisions and critics insisting the action breaches both federal and regional law. Federal government forces, working alongside fighters aligned with Southwest opposition groups, seized Baidoa after intense clashes with regional troops. Southwest President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed…

Southern Lebanon is facing a grave humanitarian emergency under Israeli military occupation, Lebanese MP Najat Saliba has said, warning that thousands of civilians remain trapped in their homes as violence intensifies. In an interview with RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Saliba said about 10,000 people were cut off in the country’s south. "Israel is invading, and when they come to a village, they actually destroy all houses, and they burn the land. "At the same time, we have almost 10,000 people, or probably a little more, who are…

Saturday April 4, 2026 A senior al-Shabaab commander has been captured in southern Somalia in a joint operation carried out by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and the Somali National Armed Forces. In a statement, the AU mission said the suspect, identified as Salaad Cusmaan Macalin, also known as Sahm, was detained on Thursday on the northwestern outskirts of Mubarak. "Initial interrogation findings indicate that one of his associates, identified as Ismaaciil, a Kenyan national, had…

5 Unhealthiest Fast-Food Milkshakes You Can Order Several fast-food vanilla shakes rank high for calories, saturated fat and sugar, according to nutrition figures cited by Eat This. By Ali MusaWellness Desk – Health & Nutrition Monitoring. Fast-food milkshakes can pack substantial sugar and fat in a single serving. Below are five vanilla shake options, with nutrition figures cited by Eat This. Fatburger Vanilla Shake Fatburger’s Vanilla Shake is cited as about 890 calories, with 44g of fat, 30g of saturated fat and…

AU welcomes China-Pakistan initiative to restore stability in Middle East The African Union (AU) on Friday voiced support for the China-Pakistan five-point initiative aimed at easing the current peace and security crisis in the Gulf and Middle East. In a statement, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf described the proposal as “a timely and constructive contribution” to wider international efforts to reduce…