Barcelona, Liverpool and Atlético Madrid secure Champions League victories

Jules Kounde’s towering brace turned a tense night Barcelona’s way, lifting the Catalans to a 2-1 comeback win over Eintracht Frankfurt and shoring up their UEFA Champions League league-phase campaign. The French defender headed in twice within three second-half minutes at Montjuic, rescuing Barcelona after Ansgar Knauff’s 21st-minute strike had put Eintracht ahead against the run of play. The victory nudges Barcelona to 13th in the 36-team league table—still short of the top-eight cutoff for direct passage to the round…

Ukraine and Europe to present United States with revamped peace plan documents

KYIV — Ukraine and its European partners will soon present the United States with “refined documents” for a potential peace plan to end Russia’s war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as diplomatic pressure builds for a deal and leaders claim the talks are inching closer to a breakthrough. Zelensky said new components of a proposal hammered out with British, French and German leaders in London are ready for U.S. review. Kyiv is also seeking robust, long-term security guarantees to deter any future Russian attack as part of…

Somalia’s NISA and international partners kill seven Al‑Shabaab militants in Hiiraan

Beledweyne (AX) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said Monday it carried out a targeted raid with international partners in the Hiiraan region that killed seven al-Shabaab militants and destroyed a truck loaded with ammunition. In a statement, the agency said the pre-planned operation struck Biyo Madobe, a village under the Jicibow area of Hiiraan, part of a broader campaign to dismantle critical al-Shabaab positions and supply lines in central Somalia. NISA said the truck the militants were…

Irish prime minister rebuffs Trump: European Union is strong, not weak

Ireland’s prime minister rejected Donald Trump’s latest broadside against the European Union, after the U.S. president described the bloc as “weak” and accused member states of letting Ukraine fight “until they drop.” Speaking in Dublin, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “Europe is strong, not weak,” pointing to the EU’s pandemic response and ongoing work on defense and security as evidence of resilience. “New challenges” have emerged on defense and security, Martin said, but he added he was “confident” they would be overcome.…

Rwanda and DR Congo: Genuine Peace Progress or Just an Illusion?

A Historic Peace Agreement Between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda After three decades of violence, proxy wars, and relentless political maneuvering, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement that is being heralded as historic. Yet, in the Great Lakes region—a landscape marked by the tumult of conflict and fragility—optimism walks a delicate line alongside skepticism. As the ink dries on this pivotal document, questions linger: Will this truly signal the dawn of durable…

Awdal Elders Restore Police Control in Borama After Days of Deadly Unrest

BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Traditional leaders in North Western State of Somalia’s Awdal region said Tuesday they have handed security responsibilities in Borama back to the police, moving to restore order after days of unrest that left at least 20 people dead and more wounded. The elders announced the decision after a closed-door meeting in the regional capital, reversing an earlier directive that had ordered all security forces — including police and army units — to withdraw from the city amid escalating…

Venezuela’s Machado won’t accept the Nobel Peace Prize in person

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader slated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, will not attend today’s ceremony in Oslo, the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute said, adding that her current whereabouts are unknown. The event at Oslo City Hall is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local time (12 p.m. Irish time) in the presence of Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonja, along with several Latin American leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa. Machado had been…

Australia reasserts control over Big Tech with nationwide social media ban

Australia bans social media for under-16s, ordering platforms to block access or face multimillion-dollar fines, in a first-of-its-kind move the government says will help families “take back control.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the landmark law, calling it a decisive step against the influence of powerful technology companies and an overdue safeguard for children. “This is Australia showing enough is enough,” he said, describing the measure as “one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has…

Somalia’s Danab Forces Arrest Two Suspected al‑Shabab Militants in Lower Shabelle

Somali Danab commandos arrest two suspected al-Shabab members in Lower Shabelle raid One detainee identified as son of senior militant commander as operation near Tooratoorow targets extortion network, officials say File photo: Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers ride on a military vehicle during a security patrol in southern Somalia. The SNA’s elite Danab commandos have intensified operations in Lower Shabelle as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt al-Shabab activity across the region. MOGADISHU — Somali Danab…

RSF Captures Sudan’s Biggest Oil Field as Tensions Escalate

Sudan's Escalating Conflict: Rapid Support Forces Seize Key Oil Field The recent takeover of the Heglig oil field by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) marks a significant development in the ongoing conflict. This move highlights the strategic importance of the region's resources. The RSF's capture of Heglig demonstrates their increasing control over resource-rich areas. This development follows the RSF's recent successes against the regular army in South Darfur and Kordofan. The capture has serious implications…