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EU leaders face a decisive choice on how to finance Ukraine’s war effort at a crunch summit this week, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging capitals to agree a plan to tap frozen Russian assets. “There is no more important act of European defense than supporting Ukraine’s defense. The next days will be a crucial step for securing this, it is up to us to choose how we fund Ukraine’s fight,” von der Leyen told lawmakers ahead of the meeting, underscoring the pressure on leaders to unlock long-term…

Analysis: China’s fishing push in Somalia risks fueling a marine and security crisis MOGADISHU — Accusations that Chinese distant-water fleets are mounting widespread illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing off Somalia’s coast have collided with Beijing’s expanding commercial and strategic footprint in the Horn of Africa, sharpening tensions over resources, sovereignty and security. The collision of fisheries depletion and geopolitical maneuvering is testing a fragile maritime governance system along one of the world’s…

Somalia confirms delay in $30 million Turkish budget support as budget vote looms MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s government has confirmed a delay in receiving $30 million in annual budget support from Turkey, a setback arriving as lawmakers are yet to approve a federal spending plan valued at more than $1 billion. Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh told local media on Wednesday that Ankara’s transfer — a recurring injection into Somalia’s treasury in recent years — has not arrived on its usual schedule. “Turkey has been…

As investigators pieced together what happened after the Bondi Beach attack on Sydney’s Jewish community, an avalanche of misinformation — fueled by AI tools, fake news sites and sloppy analysis — spread across social platforms. The episode underscores how quickly falsehoods can outpace facts, and how AI chatbots like X’s Grok amplify risk when used for breaking-news verification. On Sunday, Dec. 14, two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo will not attend a political summit set to open Thursday in Kismayo, opposition figures and lawmakers said, underscoring a fluid opposition landscape ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections. Abdirashid Xidig, a member of the House of the People and an official with the Somali Salvation Forum, said Farmaajo supports the summit’s objectives but is not part of its organizing structure. “Farmaajo is welcome to participate, but he is not part of the organizing…

Trump orders blockade of ‘sanctioned oil tankers’ bound for Venezuela, escalating standoff with Maduro WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered what he called a “total and complete blockade” of all “sanctioned oil tankers” going into and out of Venezuela, a sweeping move that intensifies U.S. pressure on Nicolás Maduro and raises fresh legal and military questions about enforcement in the Caribbean. The announcement, delivered in a late-night social media post, came days after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker…

Liverpool parade crash: Driver who mowed through crowd jailed for 21 years A driver who plowed through crowds at Liverpool FC’s victory parade, injuring 134 people, was jailed for 21 years and six months after a judge said he acted in “inexplicable and undiluted fury.” Paul Doyle, 54, drove his Ford Galaxy directly into fans making their way home from the Premier League title celebrations on May 26, accelerating down Water Street — closed to traffic at the time — at about 6 p.m., according to dashcam footage played in court.…

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Authorities on Monday released surveillance footage and appealed for the public’s help identifying a masked suspect in the Brown University shooting that killed two students and wounded eight others, as the manhunt entered another day and a shaken campus remained on edge. Investigators said they have not identified the gunman who opened fire with a 9mm handgun inside a classroom in Brown’s engineering and physics building on Saturday, then slipped away as police converged on the scene. The victims were…

Historic Sentencing of Congolese Rebel Leader in France A French court has sentenced former Democratic Republic of Congo rebel leader and politician Roger Lumbala to 30 years in prison after finding him guilty of complicity in crimes against humanity committed more than two decades earlier during the Second Congo War. The 67-year-old, who led the Uganda-backed Rally of Congolese Democrats and Nationalists, was convicted of ordering or aiding and abetting a variety of heinous acts, including torture, inhumane treatment,…

Former radio DJ Warrick Stock, known professionally as DJ Warras, was shot and killed outside the Carlton Centre in central Johannesburg, police said Monday. Johannesburg police said Stock was approached by three unknown suspects after parking his vehicle in the area. The attackers opened fire after he stepped out of the car, and then fled on foot. No arrests have been made and the motive remains under investigation, authorities said. According to police, Stock was reportedly inspecting a building he had contracted to a…