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

Thursday May 14, 2026 MT Honour 25 is one of the two product tankers being held off the coast of Somalia by pirates (EUNAVFOR ATALANTA) Alarm is mounting among the families of seafarers trapped aboard two product tankers seized by Somali pirates, as reports emerge that the gunmen are pressing harder for ransom and tightening control over the ships. The vessels, both laden with fuel cargoes, remain under pirate watch off the Somali coast. Authorities say they are tracking the ships, but one family member said any attempt to…

The Utah case that shocked readers across the United States reached its grim conclusion as Kouri Richins, the American woman who wrote a children’s book about grief after fatally poisoning her husband, was sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to US media reports. Richins was convicted of murder in March, and Judge Richard Mrazik said the mother of three was "too dangerous to ever be free," the Salt Lake City Tribune reported. Prosecutors said Richins murdered her husband, Eric Richins, in 2022 by giving him…

Tabaarak ICT Marks Annual Staff Gathering With Reflection, Awards and a Bold Technology Roadmap The 2026 Staff Gathering of Tabaarak ICT brought together management and employees in a polished, energetic setting, as the company used its annual event to look back on its progress and set out its direction for the years ahead. From the outset, the gathering carried a collaborative tone, giving staff from across departments a chance to connect, share experiences, trade ideas and deepen working relationships within the…

By Ariba ShahidThursday May 14, 2026 Families of the Pakistani hostage crew members of the Oil Products Tanker the HONOUR 25 that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, hold placards during a protest, calling the government to take immediate action for the safe return of their loved ones, in Karachi, Pakistan May 13, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro Purchase Licensing Rights In Karachi on Wednesday, Ambreen Fatima stood with her children and pleaded for the release of her husband, one of 10 Pakistani crew members…

Europe’s bid to reclaim the top job at the United Nations food agency has hit an early obstacle, with the Cyprus presidency of the EU conceding there is still no agreement on a single European contender. Ireland has put forward former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan for the role, but his candidacy is facing determined challenges from both Italy and Spain. The stakes are significant. Europe has not occupied the leading post at the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for five decades, and EU agriculture ministers,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Abdullahi Shimbir, the governor of Somalia’s Gedo region, has cautioned against any election process carried out without legal grounding and wider consultation, saying local authorities have been left out of current voting plans. After talks in Mogadishu with federal government officials, Shimbir said the discussions centered on introducing a "one-person, one-vote" system. He said, however, that the political dispute between the Federal Government of Somalia and Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe continues…

Thursday May 14, 2026 In the town of Afdub, in Ethiopia’s Somali region, residents have gone through multiple missed rainy seasons and now rely on a private water supplier.Ethiopia 2026. ©Roza Bekele/MSF Humanitarian conditions are worsening fast across Ethiopia’s Somali region and nearby border areas, where drought and displacement are combining to drive up malnutrition and deepen water shortages, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned, saying shrinking aid budgets are making a bad situation even harder to manage. MSF said…

Wes Streeting has resigned as UK Health Secretary, demanding a leadership contest in a move that has thrown Keir Starmer’s premiership into fresh turmoil. In a blunt rebuke, Mr Streeting accused the Government’s leadership of losing its way and told the British Prime Minister it is now “clear” he will not take Labour into the next general election. Though he stopped short of declaring his own candidacy, Mr Streeting urged Mr Starmer to open the race to the “best possible field of candidates” to succeed him in Downing Street,…

OPINION: The end of the Predatory State of Somalia (2022–2026) Somalia is approaching a political reckoning, and the debate over how power has been exercised under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has sharpened as the mandate nears its end. To understand the criticism now surrounding the government, it helps to start with the idea of a “predatory state.” In political terms, that describes a system in which rulers use…

By Morgan PhillipsThursday May 14, 2026 When President Donald Trump heads to China this week with hundreds of aides, security personnel and officials in tow, many of them will intentionally leave one of the most familiar tools of public life at home: their everyday cellphones. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) As Trump and his delegation prepare for the trip, U.S. officials are once again relying on tightly controlled communications practices meant to reduce the chances of surveillance, hacking or unwanted data collection in a…