Russian attacks leave three dead in Ukraine amid pipeline rift with Hungary, Slovakia

Russian strikes kill at least 3 in Ukraine as Hungary threatens EU sanctions veto over Druzhba pipeline Russian drone and missile attacks overnight killed at least three people and wounded several others in Ukraine, regional officials said today, as European Union ministers clashed over a fresh package of sanctions targeting Moscow. In the Odesa region, two people were killed when drones struck, and three others were wounded, regional governor Oleg Kiper said. In Zaporizhzhia, a drone attack on industrial facilities killed a…

Somalia decries deadly attacks in Nigeria’s Zamfara State

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government on Monday condemned deadly attacks in Nigeria’s Zamfara state that killed more than 50 civilians and led to the abduction of women and children, expressing solidarity with Abuja and urging the “immediate and unconditional” release of all captives. More than 50 civilians were killed in Tungan Dutse, Bukkuyum area of Zamfara state, according to local authorities and residents. Armed men on motorcycles reportedly torched homes and abducted women and children. Somalia called for the…

Mexican military reportedly kills cartel kingpin ‘El Mencho’ in U.S.-backed raid

Mexico’s most wanted drug lord, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, was killed in a military raid on the Pacific coast, triggering sweeping retaliation by his cartel across multiple states and prompting urgent travel warnings from the United States and Canada. Oseguera, 60, the elusive leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, died in custody after being wounded in a special forces operation in the town of Tampalpa in Jalisco state, Mexico’s Defense Ministry said. His body was flown to Mexico City under heavy National…

Mexican forces kill cartel kingpin ‘El Mencho’ in U.S.-backed raid

Mexico’s security forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the elusive boss of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a military raid that set off sweeping retaliatory violence across multiple states, disrupted travel and put the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum under intense pressure at home and from the United States. Oseguera, 60, died in custody after being injured during an operation by Mexican special forces in the town of Tampalpa on the Pacific coast of Jalisco, according to Mexico’s defense ministry. His…

North Western State of Somalia Proposes U.S. Access to Minerals and Potential Military Bases

Monday, February 23, 2026 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia (AX) — North Western State of Somalia said it is prepared to grant the United States exclusive access to mineral resources and potentially host U.S. military bases, sharpening its bid for international recognition three decades after declaring independence from Somalia. In comments published Saturday by Agence France-Presse, North Western State of Somalia’s Minister of the Presidency, Khadar Hussein Abdi, said the territory is open to exclusive agreements…

U.S., Canada issue Mexico travel warnings after cartel boss killed

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department urged American citizens in parts of Mexico to shelter in place amid escalating violence, roadblocks and widespread flight cancellations following the killing of a top cartel leader by Mexican soldiers. “Due to ongoing, widespread security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity in many areas of Mexico, US citizens should shelter in place until further notice,” the department’s consular affairs section said on the social media platform X. The notice added that…

Somali Government Says al-Shabab Faces Financial Crisis After Targeted Crackdown

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government says al-Shabab is facing mounting financial strain after a string of operations that killed senior operatives overseeing the group’s revenue networks and a sustained push to dismantle its funding channels. State news agency SONNA reported Saturday, citing intelligence sources, that the al-Qaida-linked group is struggling to reconstitute income streams amid a coordinated financial offensive aimed at its economic backbone. Independent verification of the internal figures was…

Federal Government, Opposition Resume Negotiations as Election Dispute Deepens

Sunday, February 22, 2026 MOGADISHU — High-level talks between Somalia’s federal government and the opposition-aligned Somali Future Council resumed Sunday at Villa Somalia, with both sides still divided over the country’s electoral direction as current mandates near expiration. The meeting is part of an ongoing consultative conference launched last week to resolve disputes over elections and constitutional reform. The stakes are rising as political actors face pressure to agree on a roadmap that averts a constitutional…

Greenland doesn’t require a U.S. hospital ship, Danish minister says

Denmark’s defense minister said Greenland does not need outside medical assistance, pushing back against a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that a hospital ship is headed to the autonomous Danish territory. “The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark. So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland,” Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR.…

Libya, Greece Recover Eight Bodies as Mediterranean Death Toll Rises

TRIPOLI/ATHENS — At least eight people died in two separate Mediterranean crossings this weekend, as five bodies washed ashore near Libya’s capital and Greek authorities recovered three more off the island of Crete while rescuing dozens. Residents in the coastal town of Qasr al-Akhyar, east of Tripoli, found five bodies Saturday and alerted police, according to Hassan al-Ghawil, head of investigations at the local station. He told Reuters the dead were “dark-skinned people,” including two women, and said bystanders reported…