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

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government on Wednesday sharply denounced Israel’s decision to appoint Michael Lotem as its first non-resident ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, calling the move a challenge to the country’s sovereignty. In a statement dated April 15, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the appointment amounted to a direct affront to Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity. The ministry said the step runs counter to international law, citing the UN Charter and African Union…

North Korea’s capacity to build nuclear weapons is rising at an alarming pace, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who warned of a “very serious increase” in the country’s production capability. South Korea’s spy agency has said it believes North Korea is running multiple uranium-enrichment facilities, a crucial stage in producing nuclear warheads. Among them is a plant at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, which Pyongyang had purportedly decommissioned after talks but later brought back into…

Three years into Sudan’s devastating war, international donors meeting in Berlin pledged about €1.3 billion in a bid to ease a crisis that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes. "This nightmare must end," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, describing the anniversary as "a tragic milestone in a conflict that has shattered a country of immense promise". "The consequences are not confined to Sudan. They are destabilising the wider region," he told the conference in a video address.…

Hungary is moving swiftly toward a political handover after Peter Magyar’s sweeping election win ended Viktor Orban’s 16-year grip on power, with the country’s new parliament expected to meet in early May to formally choose its next prime minister. Mr Magyar, who decisively defeated Orban in Sunday’s vote, said lawmakers could gather as soon as 4 May or around 6-7 May after he met President Tamas Sulyok to discuss the timetable. He also urged the president, seen as an Orban ally, to step down as part of what he cast as a…

A late-night fire at Viva Energy Group's Geelong refinery in southern Australia has triggered an emergency response, with local authorities describing the incident as "significant" as crews work to bring the blaze under control. The full scale of the damage was not immediately known. Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement that the fire was reported at about 11 p.m. local time today. The agency said the blaze was still not under control, but confirmed that all staff had been accounted for. Emergency crews were sent to the…

TEL AVIV - Israel on Wednesday named its first ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, the breakaway region of Somalia, in a move certain to deepen a long-running diplomatic dispute. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Michael Lotem has been appointed as a non-resident ambassador to North Western State of Somalia. According to Israel's public broadcaster KAN, Lotem has previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan. Israel announced mutual recognition with North Western State of Somalia in December…

By Maziar MotamediWednesday April 15, 2026 Photographs displayed in Tajrish Square place particular focus on the eyes of children who lost their lives in the Minab attack, as part of the 'Eyes of Minab' exhibition organised to commemorate the victims, in Tehran, on April 14, 2026 Iran is pressing its case for compensation for the destruction wrought by the United States and Israel, even as it maintains a defiant stance and regional actors scramble to broker a way out of the conflict. Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Tuesday sounded the alarm over what he called a dangerous political turning point for Somalia after the federal parliament’s mandate expired. Farmaajo said the Federal Parliament’s term officially came to an end on April 14, 2026, under the Provisional Constitution, leaving the country without a newly elected legislature in place. “The end of parliament’s mandate without the formation of a new parliament could create legal and…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte opened a meeting of Ukraine’s main backers in Berlin with a stark warning: allies must not let attention drift from the war and should raise their support for Kyiv to $60 billion in 2026. The appeal came as defence ministers from countries including Germany and Britain gathered with the conflict against Russia now entering its fifth year. "We have to ensure that we are capable of delivering uninterrupted support for Ukraine," Mr Rutte said. "We cannot lose sight of Ukraine." In recent weeks,…

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran escalated its standoff with Washington on Wednesday, warning that it could sever commercial shipping through the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman if the United States keeps up its naval blockade of Iranian ports. In a statement carried on Iranian state television, the head of Iran’s military central command said the U.S. campaign to stop Iranian commercial vessels and oil tankers could unravel the fragile ceasefire now in place. Ali Abdollahi, a senior figure in the Iranian military command,…