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

Keir Starmer’s downfall is easy to cast as the cautionary tale of a prime minister who let a commanding Commons majority slip through his fingers. The arithmetic seems to support that view. Only 22 months ago, Mr Starmer secured 411 seats — Labour’s third-strongest performance on record and its best outcome since Tony Blair’s second landslide in 2001. Judged on seat totals alone, the argument that he wasted a huge advantage carries obvious force. Yet that imposing majority never amounted to an equally imposing public…

A coordinated military effort between the United States and Nigeria has resulted in the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second-highest leader of Daesh globally, in a significant operation in Nigeria, officials from both countries announced on Friday. According to U.S. President Donald Trump and the Nigerian military, al-Minuki, placed under U.S. sanctions since 2023, held the position of second-in-command in Daesh worldwide. "This evening, under my directive, courageous American forces, alongside the Nigerian Armed…

Sunday May 17, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday mounted a forceful defense of Somalia’s push for one-person, one-vote elections, arguing that the country’s indirect voting system has too often fueled violence, arrests and political uncertainty. Addressing the public in Mogadishu, Mohamud said Somalia needs to leave behind a model in which political representatives are chosen through clan-based, indirect arrangements. He said direct voting would allow citizens to select their leaders without…

A routine morning off western Australia turned deadly when a great white shark killed a man near Rottnest Island, authorities said. Police said the 38-year-old was attacked shortly before 10am local time in waters off the island, near Perth. "Sadly, the man was unable to be revived," Western Australia police said. The state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the victim had been bitten by a 4m long great white. The death marks Western Australia's first fatal shark attack since March last year,…

Nimi PrincewillSaturday May 16, 2026 An armed Somali pirate stands on the shoreline as a Greek cargo ship lies anchored off Hobyo in northeastern Somalia, in this January 2010 image after the vessel was seized by pirates. Mohamad Dahir/AFP/Getty Images Somali pirates are once again cashing in on turmoil far beyond their waters. As war in Iran forces commercial shipping to take longer routes around Africa, vessels are drifting straight into the pirates’ traditional hunting grounds. The escalating conflict in the Middle East…

Taiwan forcefully described itself as an "independent" nation on Friday, responding just hours after US President Donald Trump warned the self-ruled democratic island against taking the step of formally declaring independence. Mr Trump ended a state visit to Beijing yesterday, where Chinese President Xi Jinping urged him not to back Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of Chinese territory. The island relies heavily on US security support as a deterrent against China, which has threatened to annex Taiwan by force. Taiwan…

Saturday May 16, 2026 Photo: Somali regional state The Somali Regional State Disaster Risk Management Bureau has dismissed reports portraying Ethiopia’s Somali Region as gripped by drought, saying the picture presented is outdated and fails to reflect the improvement brought by the current Gu rains. In a statement sent to Addis Standard, the Bureau said it had reviewed recent coverage that pointed to malnutrition, drought and acute water shortages across the region. It acknowledged that climate-related vulnerabilities remain…

A burst of interest in the phrase “Thucydides Trap” followed Xi Jinping’s closely watched meeting with US President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday, after China’s leader invoked the concept during talks that also touched on issues as contemporary as artificial intelligence and advanced computer chips. For many readers, the immediate question was obvious: why was an ancient Greek historian suddenly at the center of a summit about 21st-century rivalry? The term was popularized in 2011 by US political scientist Graham…

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOSaturday May 16, 2026 The Chairperson of the Lands, Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development Committee, Khadija Idris /STEPHEN ASTARIKO Garissa County Assembly has been plunged into a fresh political and legal dispute after allegations surfaced that the Integrated Development and Expansion Plan (IDEP) for Garissa Municipality was approved irregularly and without following the law. At the center of the row is Khadija Idris, chairperson of the Lands, Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development…

Somalia’s 2026 election process is shaped by a multi-step plan that includes voter registration, new voting rules, and a phased roll-out across federal member states. Below is a clear timeline of major dates and milestones that have been reported as the country moves toward elections under a renewed political framework. What Happened Over the past year, Somalia has advanced election preparations through voter registration, local voting experiments, and negotiations over how the country should conduct elections.…