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…

European Union urges U.S. to honor trade deal as Trump raises tariffs

European Commission presses U.S. to honor EU-U.S. trade deal after Trump lifts global tariffs to 15% The European Commission urged Washington to honor last year’s EU-U.S. trade deal after President Donald Trump temporarily raised the global duty on imports to 15%, a move announced a day after the Supreme Court curtailed much of his tariffs campaign. “A deal is a deal. As the United States’ largest trading partner, the EU expects the US to honour its commitments set out in the Joint Statement — just as the EU stands by its…

Former North Western State of Somalia leader urges transparency on Israel agreement

Hargeisa — Former North Western State of Somalia President Muse Bihi Abdi has urged the current administration to publicly release the full text of its agreement with Israel, warning that any pact must be balanced and protect religious sensitivities as diplomatic tensions surge across the Horn of Africa. In remarks delivered this week in the North Western State of Somalia capital, Bihi said the government has not clarified the legal nature of its arrangement with Israel — whether it is a treaty, a memorandum of understanding…

Former North Western State of Somalia President Calls for Transparency on Israel Agreement

Sunday February 22, 2026 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Former North Western State of Somalia President Muse Bihi Abdi has urged the current administration to publicly disclose the terms of its agreement with Israel, pressing for transparency and caution over any provisions that could affect religion. Speaking in Hargeisa this week, Bihi said the government has yet to clarify the nature of the arrangement — whether it is a treaty, a memorandum of understanding or another form of legal agreement. “The government…

Pakistan carries out deadly cross-border airstrikes inside Afghanistan

Pakistan said it launched multiple overnight airstrikes against militants inside eastern Afghanistan, prompting condemnation from Kabul after Afghan authorities reported children among the dead and wounded. The cross-border operation was the most extensive since October, when border clashes left more than 70 people dead on both sides and hundreds injured. Islamabad said its military hit seven sites along the frontier targeting Afghanistan-based militant groups “in the aftermath of recent suicide bombing incidents in…

Villa Somalia Negotiations Collapse Amid Fierce Dispute Over Electoral Framework

MOGADISHU, Somalia — High-stakes talks at Villa Somalia between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and opposition leaders collapsed Sunday without agreement, laying bare deep divisions over the electoral model meant to guide Somalia’s next vote. The second round of discussions between the presidency and figures grouped under the Somali Future Council ended in deadlock after the sides failed to reconcile positions on core political questions tied to Somalia’s electoral framework, according to sources familiar with the talks. At…