Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting probed as terror attack; Israel’s envoy urges protection for Jewish Australians SYDNEY — Dozens queued along Sydney’s Bondi Beach to lay flowers and light candles for the victims of the weekend’s Hanukkah festival shooting, as Australia opened a terrorism investigation and Israel’s ambassador called for stronger protection of the country’s Jewish community. Police said 16 people were dead, including one of the alleged gunmen, after two attackers opened fire on Sunday in Australia’s worst mass…

Monday December 15, 2025 Federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including Homeland Security Investigations officers, stand outside a restaurant during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. CREDIT: Councilmember Jason Chavez As ICE raids intensify in Minnesota, Somali families in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside, along Lake Street and in Rochester are quietly drawing up “know your rights” plans—teaching children not to open doors to strangers, memorizing key phone numbers and gathering…

Fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl, were killed in the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney, which police have declared a terrorist incident targeting a Hanukkah celebration. Authorities said the shooting, believed to have been carried out by a father and son, struck on the first day of the Jewish festival of lights and left a cross-section of the city’s communities in mourning. Police said the victims ranged in age from 10 to 87. Another 42 people, including four children, were taken to hospitals across Sydney, according…

MOGADISHU (AX) — A deadly attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach killed 15 people, including a child, prompting nationwide condemnation, heightened security and fears of backlash among Somali and other Muslim communities. Police said a man and his son opened fire during the beachfront gathering late Sunday, targeting attendees in what authorities described as an antisemitic act of terrorism. The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87. Investigators said inquiries were ongoing and urged the public to…

‘A door opened’: Somali businessman helps displaced families secure land near Afgooye MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali businessman has stepped in to help more than 60 internally displaced families secure long-sought land near Afgooye, fast-tracking a community savings plan that would otherwise have taken years to complete. Abdinasir Ali Adoon said he was compelled to act after watching a BBC report about families in a displacement camp outside Mogadishu who had been pooling small monthly contributions through a traditional…

France and Italy are pushing to delay a final European Union vote on the Mercosur trade agreement, a last-minute intervention that threatens to derail a pact 25 years in the making and billed as the EU’s largest deal by tariff relief. The move comes days before European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due in Brazil to sign the agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and amid heightened pressure on the bloc to show unity. Supporters say the EU-Mercosur deal would diversify European trade away from…

Somalia signals deeper AU security role at Addis Ababa defense summit ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somalia joined African Union defense and security talks this week in Addis Ababa, underscoring a bid to move from recipient of assistance to contributor in shaping the continent’s collective response to rising threats. Deputy Defense Minister Omar Ali Abdi led Somalia’s delegation to the 17th Ordinary Session of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee on Defense, Safety and Security at AU headquarters. The forum convened…

Australia defended its record on combating anti-Semitism after an attack that drew national attention, saying it has robust laws and community protections in place as police investigate the incident. Officials condemned the violence and said authorities are working with community leaders to reassure the public and gather information. Law enforcement agencies did not immediately release details about the motive, injuries or suspects, and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward. The government pointed to…

Opposition Accuses Nigerian Government of One-Party Drift Ahead of 2027 Elections Opposition politicians in Nigeria have sounded the alarm over what they describe as the government's drift toward a de facto one-party state. They contend this shift is being executed "through coercion," primarily by weaponizing state institutions, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a joint statement that has drawn significant attention, key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Al-Shabaab insurgents have released a new video showing Oleynik Aleksandr, a Ukrainian national and helicopter pilot held by the group since early 2024, appealing to the Ukrainian government and the United Nations to launch talks for his release and that of fellow crew members. The footage features Aleksandr identifying himself as the captain of a United Nations–contracted helicopter that made an emergency landing in militant-held territory in January 2024 while en route to Wisil, near Ceelbuur, in…