Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Thursday January 1, 2026 MOGADISHU — Somalia’s government on Wednesday thanked its international partners for what it called steadfast support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity after Israel became the first nation to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, a move drawing swift condemnation across capitals. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised allied nations for “principled engagement and unwavering solidarity” at what it described as a critical…

NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor in the first minutes of the new year at the historic, long-closed City Hall subway station, setting a populist tone for his administration with a ceremony that highlighted working New Yorkers and his own insurgent rise. New York State Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath. “Happy New Year to New Yorkers, both inside this tunnel and above,” Mamdani said beneath the station’s vaulted tiles and arched skylights. “This is truly an honor and a privilege…

White House weighs revoking U.S. citizenship for Somalis convicted of fraud amid Minnesota probe The White House said Wednesday it is examining whether to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Somalis convicted of fraud in Minnesota, as the administration escalates a wide-ranging investigation into alleged abuse of federal social service programs. Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, told Fox News the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department are “looking at” denaturalization, calling it “a tool at the…

HELSINKI — Finnish authorities boarded and seized a cargo vessel suspected of damaging undersea communications infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, detaining its multinational crew as investigators probe what they called aggravated criminal offenses. Police said the ship, identified as the Fitburg and sailing under the flag of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was directed into Finnish territorial waters after it was observed dragging its anchor. Fourteen crew members — citizens of Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan — are…

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Several people were killed and others injured after an explosion and fire tore through a bar in the luxury Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana early Monday, Swiss police said. A police spokesman for Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland said the blast was of unknown origin and occurred at about 1:30 a.m. local time (3 a.m. Irish time). The incident struck Le Constellation, a popular nightspot, as revelers marked the New Year. Authorities said there were “several injured, and several dead.”…

Malaysia’s Anwar condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, warns against forced transfer of Palestinians MOGADISHU — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday condemned Israel’s decision to recognize the self-declared Somali region of North Western State of Somalia, linking the move to what he described as plans for the forced transfer of Palestinians, according to Anadolu Agency. Speaking at a news conference, Anwar said the maneuver violates international law and humanitarian principles.…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a potential agreement to end Russia’s full-scale invasion is “90% ready,” but vowed he will not sign a “weak” peace that rewards Moscow or risks a renewed assault, setting a hard line as competing narratives and fresh strikes underscored the war’s volatility. In a New Year’s Eve address posted on his Telegram account, Zelensky framed Kyiv’s position as seeking an end to the war “but not the end of Ukraine,” stressing that unresolved core issues — including security guarantees and…

Trump administration freezes Minnesota childcare funds, orders Somali citizenship audits MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration has frozen $185 million in federal childcare funding to Minnesota and ordered audits of immigration cases involving Somali Americans, escalating a fraud crackdown that state leaders and advocates say risks unfairly targeting a single immigrant community. The Department of Health and Human Services announced the funding freeze Tuesday, citing viral allegations by conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley…

Sydney ushered in 2026 with its largest-ever New Year’s Eve fireworks display, a 12-minute spectacle capped by a shimmering “waterfall” cascading from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The show stretched 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) along the harbor and, according to organizers, featured some 25,000 individual pyrotechnic shots forming cockatoos, koalas, bottlebrush and other native Australian motifs. Fireworks launched from the Sydney Opera House, six city rooftops and six aerial platforms hovering above the water. To widen…

Anthony Joshua has been discharged from a Lagos hospital after surviving a car crash in southwest Nigeria that killed two of his close friends, state officials said. The former world heavyweight boxing champion, 36, was traveling Monday with friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele on the highway linking Lagos and Ibadan when their SUV slammed into a stationary truck, authorities said. The accident occurred in Ogun state. Preliminary findings by the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) in Ogun indicated the vehicle…