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

Puntland State executes woman for torture-murder of 14-year-old domestic worker in Galkayo GALKAYO, Somalia — Authorities in Somalia’s Puntland State state on Tuesday executed Hodan Mohamud by firing squad after a court convicted her of the prolonged torture and murder of 14-year-old domestic worker Sabirin Saylaan Abdille. The court enforced Qisas — retributive justice under Islamic law — at the request of the victim’s family, who rejected offers of Diyo, or blood compensation. Prosecutors said Abdille, a minor from a poor…

Russian missile and drone strikes hammered Kyiv, Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities early Tuesday, injuring at least four people and igniting new fires at energy facilities as a deep freeze gripped the country, officials said. The barrage came on the eve of planned trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates involving envoys from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington on efforts to halt the war. Air raid alerts sounded after midnight in the capital, where night temperatures fell below minus 20 C. Witnesses reported loud explosions as…

Escalating Crisis in Sudan's Kordofan Region The United Nations has issued a warning regarding the deteriorating situation in Sudan's Kordofan region. Recent conflicts have forced over 88,000 individuals to flee, as humanitarian access remains limited. The urgency of the situation demands international attention and aid. Over 88,000 people displaced since late October. Severe restrictions on humanitarian access exacerbate conditions. Critical shortages of food, healthcare, and basic services persist.…

Mogadishu — Yemen’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources has accused Eritrean forces and Somalia’s Puntland State administration of deadly attacks, arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions targeting Yemeni fishermen operating in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In a statement issued Monday, the ministry said Eritrean forces carried out a direct armed assault on civilian fishermen working in Yemen’s territorial waters in the Red Sea. The incident, according to the ministry, involved multiple types of…

Bill and Hillary Clinton will testify before a Republican-led House investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a staffer said, a move that could head off planned contempt votes against the former president and former secretary of state. The House Oversight Committee last week recommended holding the Clintons in contempt for initially refusing to appear in person about their interactions with Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The House Rules Committee had…

Trump says U.S. in talks with Havana after threatening tariffs on oil shipments to Cuba WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Washington is negotiating with Cuba’s leadership to reach a deal, days after threatening to choke off the island’s fuel supply by imposing tariffs on countries that sell oil to Havana. The push-and-pull approach comes as the second Trump administration escalates pressure on the communist-run island following the U.S. ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last month. Venezuela, a longtime ally,…

Greenland’s prime minister warned that the United States still seeks control over the Arctic island despite former U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to forgo the use of force, sharpening tensions that have pulled in Denmark, NATO allies and Greenland’s Indigenous communities. Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the U.S. continues to pursue “paths to ownership and control over Greenland,” even as Trump has backed away from threats of military action. Trump intensified calls for U.S. control at the start of the year, citing national…

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — An 11-year-old boy who was left stranded in the snow after a local bus fare was hiked ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will take part in Friday’s opening ceremony in a symbolic role, a spokesperson said. The boy, identified as Riccardo, boarded a bus home from school last week in the Cortina d’Ampezzo area with a 2.50-euro ticket, the usual fare. But the operating company had raised the cost to 10 euros ahead of the Games, which run from Feb. 6-22, and he was told to get off when he could…

Syrian government security personnel entered the northeastern city of Hasakeh under an integration deal with Kurdish forces, extending Damascus’ authority into a longtime Kurdish stronghold after months of tension and sporadic clashes, according to an AFP team on the ground. The phased agreement, struck Friday after Kurdish forces ceded territory to advancing government units in recent weeks, calls for gradually folding Kurdish military and civilian institutions into state structures. The move marks a significant rollback of…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Clashes and scuffles erupted Tuesday inside Villa Hargeisa, the seat of Somalia’s federal parliament, after opposition lawmakers blocked a planned session to debate constitutional amendments, officials and witnesses said. The day’s sitting was canceled, deepening a standoff over the government’s push to modify the country’s provisional charter. Opposition legislators entered the chamber early, occupied leadership seats and sealed off access points, preventing Speaker Adan Mohamed Nur, known as Madoobe,…