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Irish members of the European Parliament from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael say they will oppose the EU–Mercosur trade agreement in any European Parliament vote, signaling fresh headwinds for a pact that has stalled for years over environmental and agricultural concerns. The coordinated stance by MEPs from Ireland’s two dominant centrist parties underscores persistent resistance to the agreement, which would lower tariffs and open markets between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and…

Former Ghana Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta Detained in U.S. Amid Corruption Allegations U.S. immigration authorities have detained Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana's former Finance Minister, who is currently wanted in his home country on corruption allegations. According to his legal team, the former official has been in the United States since January 2024 to receive treatment for prostate cancer. Ofori-Atta was declared a fugitive by Ghanaian authorities shortly before being formally charged in November 2025. In December,…

U.S. halts some Somalia aid after WFP warehouse demolished; Mogadishu disputes theft as 75 tons recovered MOGADISHU/WASHINGTON — The United States said it is pausing further assistance that benefits Somalia’s federal government after a dispute over the demolition of a World Food Programme warehouse at Mogadishu Port, escalating tensions with a key partner battling hunger and insecurity. The State Department’s top foreign assistance official said on X that Somali government officials destroyed a U.S.-funded WFP facility and…

Two people were shot and wounded by a U.S. immigration agent during a vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon, authorities said, intensifying tensions already high after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis a day earlier. Portland Police Chief Bob Day urged restraint as investigators worked to establish what happened. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to…

Switzerland will observe a national day of mourning today for the 40 people, many of them teenagers, killed when fire tore through the Le Constellation bar during New Year’s celebrations in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. A minute of silence is set for 2 p.m. local time, to be followed by church bells ringing across the Alpine nation. The government called the silence a “testament to the shared grief felt by the entire nation with all the families and friends directly affected.” The ceremony will be livestreamed on large…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government on Thursday denied a U.S. allegation that authorities in Mogadishu destroyed an American-funded World Food Program warehouse and seized food aid, as Washington suspended assistance to the federal government over concerns about possible diversion of relief supplies. The State Department said Wednesday it had halted all U.S. assistance to Somalia’s federal government, citing “a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft and diversion of life-saving assistance.” The move immediately…

Russia launched a “massive” night-time barrage across Ukraine that killed at least four people, wounded 25 and damaged 20 residential buildings in Kyiv and its suburbs, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding a drone also hit the Embassy of Qatar in the capital. The overnight assault combined ballistic and cruise missiles with swarms of drones as temperatures plunged to minus 10 C and power outages spread. Zelensky said Russia fired 13 ballistic missiles, including the hypersonic Oreshnik, and 22 cruise missiles, and…

Ireland to vote against EU-Mercosur trade pact as bloc moves toward approval European Union sources voiced disappointment as Ireland prepared to vote against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, a stance at odds with what they described as the country’s traditional image as an export-driven economy. The vote, set for an ambassadors’ meeting in Brussels this morning, comes as the pact is expected to win endorsement by a qualified majority despite opposition from Ireland, France, Poland and others. Italy’s decision to back the…

More than 20 countries condemn Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, urge reversal Friday, January 9, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — More than 20 countries on Friday jointly condemned Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to the region, calling the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and urging Israel to immediately revoke its decision. In a coordinated statement, the signatories rejected Israel’s designation of North Western State of Somalia as an…

Greenland’s culture of calm meets a moment of fear as U.S. pressure mounts As the United States under President Donald Trump increases pressure on Greenland, the island’s deeply rooted tradition of emotional restraint is colliding with a geopolitical confrontation many residents say they are afraid to even discuss. The unease reaches back to the anthropological record. In the 1960s, scholar Jean Briggs lived among Inuit families for 17 months, documenting a culture of striking composure in her 1970 book, “Never in Anger.”…