Axadle - Leading News from Somalia and the Horn of Africa

Criticism Mounts Over Hepatitis B Vaccine Study in Guinea-Bissau A now-halted plan to test various hepatitis B vaccine schedules on newborns in Guinea-Bissau has drawn strong criticism from the World Health Organization (WHO), which labeled the study "unethical." The U.S. health department, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had funded a trial involving 14,000 babies. This controversial study aimed to compare two groups: one received the proven birth-dose vaccine immediately, while the other was scheduled to receive the shot…

Addis Ababa (AX) — The African Union Commission chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, reaffirmed the AU’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty and stability during talks Sunday with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on the sidelines of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa. The meeting came amid heightened diplomacy after Somalia won election to the African Union Peace and Security Council for the 2026–2028 term, a development Youssouf hailed as a well-earned achievement that underscores Mogadishu’s…

FBI says DNA from discarded glove may match masked suspect in abduction of Nancy Guthrie PHOENIX — Investigators have obtained a DNA profile from a glove discarded near Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home that appears to match the pair worn by a masked person seen on her doorbell camera shortly before she was abducted two weeks ago, the FBI said. The preliminary findings, developed by a private crime laboratory in Florida and received by the FBI on Thursday, remain subject to quality control and official confirmation before…

Deadly Attacks in Northwestern Nigeria Leave at Least 30 Dead Armed gunmen on motorcycles launched brutal assaults on three villages in northwestern Nigeria, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 30 individuals, according to police sources and local residents. The raids struck the villages of Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso, and Pissa in Niger State, a region already grappling with instability following a recent wave of violence that claimed the lives of over 160 people earlier this month. In addition to the fatalities,…

Leaked Liberal immigration plan aimed to ban migrants from conflict-held regions across 13 countries and sharply tighten visa rules, but the party’s former shadow immigration minister says he never proposed or agreed to the measures and has “serious concerns.” The draft was prepared under ousted Liberal leader Sussan Ley and slated for release on Feb. 16 after an earlier delay following the Bondi terror attack. It was not taken to shadow cabinet before last week’s leadership change, and new Opposition Leader Angus Taylor had…

Hungary’s opposition leader Peter Magyar vowed at a Budapest rally to end corruption, restore civil liberties and revive a stalled economy, sharpening his challenge to Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of the April 12 parliamentary election. Magyar, head of the Tisza party, has emerged as the most potent threat to Orban since the nationalist leader returned to power in 2010. Tisza has led Orban’s Fidesz party in opinion polls for months, turning the race into the most competitive contest in more than a decade. “Not only has…

Trump says nations to pledge $5B for Gaza as strikes shatter fragile ceasefire President Donald Trump said member states of what he called the Board of Peace will announce more than $5 billion in pledges for reconstruction and humanitarian relief in Gaza at a meeting Thursday, alongside commitments of personnel for a United Nations–authorized stabilization force and local policing in the enclave. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the gathering — described as the group’s first official meeting — will be held at the…

KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland security forces killed more than 60 al-Shabab fighters, including senior operatives, in a four-day operation targeting militant strongholds in Lower Juba, regional officials said Sunday. The offensive, centered on the Lagta Hola–Wajeer area of Badhaadhe district, struck what authorities described as the “Black Sea,” a dense, forested zone long used by the group as a staging ground for attacks. The push was led by Jubaland’s security director, Mohamed Ahmed Sabriye, known as “Basaam,” and supported…

SYDNEY — Accused Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram made his first public court appearance via video link, facing terrorism and 15 murder charges tied to December’s mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration — Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades. Akram, appearing from prison for about five minutes, spoke only once — responding “yeah” when asked whether he had heard a discussion on extending suppression orders, according to the court and local media reports. The brief hearing focused largely on procedural…

Accused Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram appeared via video link in a Sydney court in his first public hearing since a December attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration that authorities have called Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Akram is charged with terrorism and 15 counts of murder in connection with the rampage. The brief hearing focused largely on procedural matters, including the continued suppression of some victims’ identities, according to local media reports. Akram, who wore a green jumper,…