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Marine Le Pen opened her appeal in a high-profile “fake jobs” case by telling judges she had “no sense of having committed the slightest offence” when her far-right party employed European Parliament assistants dating back to 2004 — a proceeding that could decide whether she can run for France’s presidency in 2027. The former National Front leader, who now heads the National Rally (RN) bloc in parliament, argued the European institution was aware of the elements underpinning the contracts. “We concealed nothing,” she said,…

Iran acknowledges about 2,000 deaths in protests as U.S. imposes sweeping tariffs and weighs next steps DUBAI, Jan. 13 — An Iranian official said about 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in two weeks of nationwide protests, the first time authorities have acknowledged a death toll from the crackdown that followed unrest over Iran’s collapsing currency and deepening economic pain. The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, blamed “terrorists” for the deaths on both sides but did not…

MOGADISHU — A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen said Thursday that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council, slipped out of the country via North Western State of Somalia after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh — a development that could deepen a widening rift between the coalition’s two most powerful members. In a statement, the coalition said al-Zubaidi departed the southern port city of Aden late Wednesday aboard a vessel bound for Berbera in…

Saudi-led coalition says STC chief al-Zubaidi fled Yemen via North Western State of Somalia to UAE, skipping Riyadh talks ADEN, Yemen — The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said the head of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, slipped out of the country overnight after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh, traveling by sea to North Western State of Somalia before flying on to the United Arab Emirates. In a statement, the coalition said al-Zubaidi abruptly disappeared ahead of the talks and left late…

U.S. strikes rock Caracas as Trump claims capture of Maduro; Venezuela declares state of emergency Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 CARACAS, Venezuela — The United States launched a large-scale military strike on Venezuela early Saturday, shaking the capital with explosions as President Donald Trump claimed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country. The assertion was immediately denied by Venezuelan authorities and could not be independently verified. Here’s what we…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — North Western State of Somalia on Thursday denied that it had agreed to resettle Palestinians from Gaza or host Israeli military bases in exchange for recognition from Israel, rejecting the claims as false and politically motivated. In a statement posted on X, North Western State of Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “firmly rejects false claims made by the President of Somalia alleging the resettlement of Palestinians or the establishment of military bases in North…

Guinea's Coup Leader Mamady Doumbouya Elected President in Historic Vote Guinea's military coup leader, Mamady Doumbouya, has officially been elected president, marking a significant turning point for the West African nation. The provisional results, announced by the General Directorate of Elections, reveal Doumbouya secured an overwhelming 86.72% of the vote. This election represents the first since the military takeover in 2021, a moment that has been both awaited and feared by many. The public’s response is mixed,…

PALM BEACH, Fla. — The United States hit and destroyed a docking area used by alleged Venezuelan drug boats, President Donald Trump said, in what could amount to the first land strike of his administration’s anti-trafficking campaign in Latin America. “There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “So, we hit all the boats and now we hit the area, it’s the implementation…

Myanmar’s pro-military party claims landslide in first phase of junta-run election Myanmar’s dominant pro-military party said it secured an overwhelming win in the first phase of voting in a junta-organized election, a result that, if confirmed, would deepen the military’s hold on power after a 2021 coup. A senior official from the Union Solidarity and Development Party told AFP the party won 82 lower house seats in townships where counting was complete, out of 102 at stake in the first round. The tally implies the USDP…

Justice Department denies shielding Trump as fury grows over redacted Epstein files The U.S. Justice Department denied it redacted Jeffrey Epstein files to protect President Donald Trump as criticism mounted over a partial, heavily censored release of documents that has angered victims and prompted bipartisan demands for full disclosure. Victims of the late sex offender said the newly released cache — with many pages blacked out and images blurred — fell far short of what Congress ordered under a law compelling publication…