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

A powerful blast struck a train carrying military personnel in Pakistan's restive southwestern province of Balochistan, killing at least 24 people, according to a senior official. Among the dead were army servicemen in the provincial capital of Quetta, where the attack also left more than 50 people wounded, the official told AFP. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing, which Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced as a "cowardly" act of terrorism. Images from the scene…

Kyiv woke to one of the fiercest assaults it has faced since Russia launched its full-scale invasion four years ago, as waves of drones and missiles slammed into the capital and nearby areas, including an Oreshnik hypersonic missile fired close to the city. During the hours-long overnight attack, two people were killed in Kyiv and another two died in the surrounding region, while nearly 100 others were injured, Ukrainian officials said. Officials said dozens of apartment buildings and several schools were damaged, with many…

Arson attacks targeting Ebola treatment facilities in eastern Congo underscore the formidable obstacles confronting authorities amidst an outbreak declared a global health emergency. These incidents reflect the mounting local frustration as efforts continue to curb the spread of this infectious disease. On Sunday, Congolese officials reported that suspected cases have surpassed 900, primarily concentrated in Ituri Province, the epicenter of the outbreak. The recent fires in centers across two towns exposed underlying…

Somalia’s Unity and the Politics of Selective Nationalism EDITORIAL | For more than 30 years, Somalia has been caught between two competing truths: the insistence on one country and the steady drift toward fragmentation. Since North Western State of Somalia declared its separation in 1991, Somali administrations have returned time and again to the negotiating table with Hargeisa, meeting in Djibouti, Turkey, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The venue has changed, the mediation has shifted, but the outcome has not.…

Drone warfare is intensifying sharply on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with each passing week bringing heavier strikes, broader reach and higher casualties. On Friday, Russian officials said Ukrainian drone attacks on a college dormitory in the town of Starobilsk in Luhansk, an eastern Ukrainian region that Russia almost entirely occupies, killed at least 18 people. Ukraine's armed forces said the strikes had targeted military sites in the town. The attack came one week after a Russian ballistic missile tore…

Gunfire erupted outside the White House when a man opened fire on Secret Service officers, then died after agents returned fire, the agency said in a statement carried by US media. A bystander was also struck in the exchange, the agency said, though officials did not disclose the person's condition. US President Donald Trump said the gunman had a "violent history and possible obsession" with the White House. "Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening…

History hangs heavily over Makerfield. The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815, and Britain’s political class has now chosen 18 June as polling day for the Makerfield by-election — inviting comparisons they can hardly have failed to notice. The fall of an emperor? The ascent of a new prince? Or simply a bruising political mess? On the 211th anniversary of Waterloo, several endings remain possible. This by-election exists for one reason above all: to try to return Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to…

Sunday May 24, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A plan by North Western State of Somalia to establish an embassy in Jerusalem has drawn sharp condemnation from 18 countries, whose foreign ministers denounced the move as illegal, unacceptable and contrary to international law. The joint statement came from the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Algeria, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. “The ministers condemn in the strongest…

A fresh allegation has emerged in the UK police investigation involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, with officers reportedly examining a claim that he acted inappropriately toward a woman at Royal Ascot. According to The Sunday Times, the alleged incident took place at the Berkshire racing fixture in 2002. Royal Ascot has long been one of the royal family’s signature summer events, and Queen Elizabeth II attended the 2002 meeting during the year of her Golden Jubilee. The Sunday Times reported that it remains unclear whether…

MOGADISHU, May 24, 2026 — Somalia has moved to halt the “OK-to-Board” travel clearance system for citizens heading to Egypt, a step officials said was prompted by a wave of passenger complaints and recent travel disruptions. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Immigration and Citizenship Agency said Somali nationals traveling to Egypt will, effective May 24, 2026, need to obtain a formal visa from the Egyptian consulate before departing. The agency said the decision came after multiple complaints and a string of problems…