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

Monday April 13, 2026 The United States military said on Sunday it would start blocking all Iranian ports on Monday, escalating its campaign against Tehran after marathon peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. In a late-evening statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade would cover “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” beginning at 10am Eastern Time (14:00 GMT) on April 13. The order, it said, applies to “vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal…

Hungary’s election has delivered a sharp political jolt across Europe, and Polish Prime Minister ⁠Donald Tusk said the result shows the continent is not destined to slide toward authoritarianism after the centre-right Tisza party broke Viktor Orban’s 16-year hold on power. "Everyone feared there was a trend toward authoritarian, corrupt regimes," Mr Tusk said during an official visit to South Korea, according to Polish state-owned news agency PAP. "That's not the case. First ‌Warsaw, then Bucharest, Chisinau, ⁠now Budapest."…

By  JAMES ROBSONMonday April 13, 2026 Manchester City delivered a forceful message in the Premier League title race on Sunday, sweeping past Chelsea 3-0 to tighten the pressure on Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s side climbed to within six points of the leaders before next weekend’s top-of-the-table meeting between the two clubs, and City still have a game in hand. Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku struck in a dominant second-half display at Stamford Bridge, with City capitalizing fully on Arsenal’s surprise loss to…

Warnings about a teenager who would go on to kill three young girls in Southport were plain long before the attack, and the atrocity at a children’s dance class “could and should have been prevented”, a public inquiry in the UK has concluded. Nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were killed when Axel Rudakubana entered the Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop at The Hart Space in Southport carrying a knife on 29 July 2024. Rudakubana, who was sentenced to a minimum…

By Abdullahi Farah AbdullahiMonday April 13, 2026 1. Hordhac iyo Muhiimadda Shilin Soomaaliga Shilin Soomaaliga, oo ah lacagta rasmiga ah ee Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya tan iyo 1962, wuxuu muddo dheer ka mid ahaa astaamaha ugu waaweyn ee dhaqaalaha dalka. Waxaa lagu bixin jiray mushaaraadka shaqaalaha dowladda, canshuuraha ayaa lagu uruuri jiray, ganacsiguna si caadi ah ayuu ugu socon jiray. Xilli nidaamka maaliyadeed uu lahaa qaab dhisan, Shilinku wuxuu ka tirsanaa lacagaha bulshada iyo ganacsatadu si buuxda ugu…

Malawi is facing a sharp escalation in violence against its seniors, with the Malawi Network of Older Persons Organizations warning that killings tied to witchcraft allegations are surging. The group reports 11 elderly people were murdered in the first three months of this year—putting the country on pace to surpass the 22 deaths documented across all of 2025. Executive Director Andrew Kavala called the trend “alarming,” noting that more than 300 older persons have been killed over witchcraft accusations since 2015. Urging…

As Pope Leo XIV begins a 10-day tour of Africa, a growing rift between the Vatican and President Donald Trump’s administration has come sharply into focus. Ties between the Holy See and Washington have long shifted with the political winds. But tensions escalated after the Pope suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” was helping drive the war on Iran, prompting a swift rebuke from the US President. “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” Trump said. In a social media post, he branded the leader of the Catholic…

Monday April 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s Council of Ministers on Monday named Hussein Qasim Yusuf as the new Director General of the Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA), ending Mustaf Sheikh Ali Dhuxulow’s tenure at the helm. The cabinet approved the appointment during its weekly meeting after a recommendation from the Ministry of Internal Security. The government said the leadership change is part of broader reforms designed to reinforce Somalia’s security institutions and improve immigration and…

Monday April 13, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — President Donald Trump has prolonged the U.S. national emergency over Somalia for another year, renewing a policy first put in place in 2010 to confront terrorism, piracy and the chronic instability that has long unsettled the Horn of Africa nation. In a notice dated April 8, 2026, the White House said the emergency, which was due to lapse on April 12, will now stay in force through April 12, 2027. The extension preserves U.S. sanctions and other legal tools intended to curb threats…

As Sudan grapples with a worsening food crisis, millions of citizens are struggling to get by on just one meal each day. This alarming situation, highlighted in a report released Monday by several NGOs, looms over a nation already embroiled in conflict. The ongoing war, marking its third year on Wednesday, pits the Sudanese army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It has plunged the country into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, forcing millions to flee and igniting widespread hunger.…