Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

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…

MOGADISHU — Former Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has said that ex-North Western State of Somalia leader Muse Bihi Abdi agreed in principle to talks on reunification with Somalia after mediation by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2020. According to Farmaajo, Abiy was pushing for Somali unity at a time when Ethiopia has long been viewed as a player in the region’s divisions, and he suggested the latest moves pointed toward a more conciliatory phase in relations. Farmaajo said the process took shape during a…

Sunday May 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — The European Union has welcomed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s invitation to the Somali Future Council for a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, as political uncertainty deepens with the end of his term approaching. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Francesca Di Mauro, the EU Ambassador to Somalia, said the bloc backs efforts to build agreement on the country’s electoral path. “The EU in Somalia welcomes President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s invitation to the Future…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, the former South West state leader, broke weeks of silence on Monday with a forceful declaration: he still regards himself as the legitimate president of the regional administration and intends to return later this month. Laftagareen said he would head back to the Southwest area 13 days after the current term of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ends, insisting that he plans to resume his duties despite the political standoff surrounding his ouster. “If May 15…