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

Wednesday June 3, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Tensions erupted into gunfire in central Mogadishu on Wednesday, as Somali police and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire exchanged accusations over a brief clash near Dabka junction just hours before opposition rallies were due to begin in the capital. Police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan said in a video posted on the Somali Police Force’s Facebook page that masked armed men stormed a police checkpoint where security personnel were deployed. He said the assailants were carrying…

Finnish prosecutors have charged a man with the sexual abuse of 361 children through social media, in a case the National Prosecution Authority described on Wednesday. According to the authority, the alleged offences took place between 2019 and 2022 and involved victims between the ages of nine and 15. Finnish police said in December that they were investigating the same case and suspected a 27-year-old man of 364 sexual offences against children. But the Prosecution Authority said today that prosecutors had chosen not to…

Wednesday June 3, 2026 Three British naval crew members have died after a helicopter crashed in a field in northwestern England, the UK Ministry of Defence said, with wreckage pictured at Sourton Down in Devon A Royal Navy helicopter has crashed during a training exercise in Devon, leaving three British naval crew dead, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The aircraft came down around 4:00am (03:00 GMT) on Wednesday near the village of Sourton, a Royal Navy spokesperson said. The Ministry of Defence announced the…

Despite dramatic leaps in medical science, Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is still one of the world’s most prevalent birth defects—and it continues to test health systems with stark gaps in care. A new World Heart Federation report estimates CHD affected 2.3 million children in 2023, noting that survival has improved as diagnosis and treatment have advanced, even as deep inequalities persist, especially in low-income countries. According to the report, the specialists and pediatric heart programs required to diagnose and…

Ukrainian drones hit an oil terminal and a naval base in St Petersburg just hours before President Vladimir Putin was due to open his flagship economic forum, in a strike aimed at puncturing the Kremlin’s image and underscoring the exposure of Russia’s major cities. The assault on St Petersburg, Mr Putin’s home city and host of his own glitzy version of ‘Davos’ — an annual showcase meant to lure foreign investors — came as both sides intensified attacks in a war now more than four years old, with no clear end in sight.…

Mogadishu, Somalia (Onkod Radio) A former Somali prime minister says government forces launched an armed operation at his home in Mogadishu on Wednesday while he was meeting with traditional elders from the Murusade clan, escalating tensions ahead of a planned demonstration. In a statement, Mr. Khaire said the operation was carried out by forces under the current administration during preparations for a planned peaceful demonstration scheduled for the following day. The former prime minister offered condolences to the…

Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporterWednesday June 3, 2026 From screen icons to ice-dancing legends, a roll call of familiar British names stepped into the spotlight at Windsor Castle on Tuesday as King Charles presented a fresh round of honours. Among them was actor Sir Idris Elba, 53, whose work in the US crime drama The Wire and the police series Luther made him a household name. He received a knighthood in the New Year Honours for services to young people. Olympic ice dance champions Dame Jayne Torvill and Sir…

In a troubling turn of events, renowned Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has signaled his intention to pursue legal recourse following the unauthorized disclosure of his personal data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal. The situation escalated when a senior aide to the Federal Capital Territory minister faced backlash for disclosing what seemed to be Ike's confidential voter information via an INEC webpage. On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the aide, Lere Olayinka, scrutinized Ike's…

MOGADISHU, Somalia, June 3 — Western diplomats have pressed Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over the direction of the country’s political transition, urging his government to enter serious talks and settle on an election formula acceptable to all key players, diplomatic sources told Axadle on Wednesday. People familiar with the meeting said representatives from several Western countries sat down with the president on Tuesday and delivered messages from their capitals calling for a more inclusive process as Somalia…

Wednesday June 3, 2026 Wajir, Kenya (AX) — Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Tuesday said the Somali community in Kenya has secured political freedoms and openings that, he argued, were previously out of reach under President William Ruto’s administration. Addressing a gathering in Wajir County, Duale mounted a strong defense of Ruto’s approach to northern Kenya and to the Somali community, saying generations had faced discrimination in schooling, public sector jobs, access to identity documents and…