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Russia refuses to drop its demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the eastern Donbas, hardening a core territorial red line hours before three-way talks with Ukraine and the United States in the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said territory remains the decisive issue and will be on the table in Abu Dhabi, where the delegations are expected to hold the first direct public negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow over a plan pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the nearly four-year war.…

Australia advances national gun buy-back, tighter checks after Bondi mass shooting Australia is poised to pass sweeping new gun-control measures, including a national firearm buy-back and tougher background checks, following last month’s mass shooting at a Jewish festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the country’s deadliest in decades. The legislation cleared the House of Representatives by a vote of 96-45 despite opposition from conservative lawmakers. It now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to pass with support from…

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said the world is “not secure” unless the United States has Greenland, reviving a politically charged debate over the vast Arctic territory’s strategic value and the limits of American influence in the High North. The remark echoes Trump’s 2019 push to explore purchasing Greenland from Denmark, an idea that strained relations with a key NATO ally. At the time, he canceled a planned state visit to Copenhagen after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the proposal “absurd,” and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Monday overwhelmingly approved a national tobacco control framework, a landmark move aimed at curbing tobacco use and tackling what lawmakers and health officials describe as a growing public health threat. The House of the People backed the measure with 139 votes in favor, three abstentions and none against, signaling rare cross-party consensus on the need to rein in tobacco consumption and marketing across the country. Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, widely known…

U.S. asserts control over Venezuela’s oil ‘indefinitely’ after raid that seized Maduro; Caracas reports 100 dead WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said it will dictate decisions to Venezuela’s interim authorities and market the country’s oil “indefinitely” following a U.S. special forces raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, an escalation officials cast as part of what President Donald Trump has called the “Donroe Doctrine” of regional dominance. The claim of sweeping U.S. control — over a nation with…

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United have sacked head coach Ruben Amorim after 14 months in charge, ending a turbulent tenure marked by tactical rigidity, a power struggle over recruitment and underwhelming results despite significant spending. Darren Fletcher will take charge for Wednesday’s Premier League match against Burnley as the club begins the search for its seventh permanent leader since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. United announced the decision Monday, citing league position and the need for a reset over the…

Somali forces repel al-Shabab assault in Middle Shabelle, kill senior commander MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces, backed by organized local community fighters, repelled an al-Shabab attack on the Wargaadhi area of Middle Shabelle on Friday, killing a senior militant commander and forcing the remaining fighters to flee, the Defense Ministry said. The Somali National Army said the assault was thwarted in a coordinated defensive operation that returned and maintained full control of the area, which officials…

BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Traditional leaders in North Western State of Somalia’s Awdal region said Tuesday they have handed security responsibilities in Borama back to the police, moving to restore order after days of unrest that left at least 20 people dead and more wounded. The elders announced the decision after a closed-door meeting in the regional capital, reversing an earlier directive that had ordered all security forces — including police and army units — to withdraw from the city amid escalating…

Australia bans social media for under-16s, ordering platforms to block access or face multimillion-dollar fines, in a first-of-its-kind move the government says will help families “take back control.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the landmark law, calling it a decisive step against the influence of powerful technology companies and an overdue safeguard for children. “This is Australia showing enough is enough,” he said, describing the measure as “one of the biggest social and cultural changes that our nation has…

DHUSAMAREB, Somalia — The United Nations has handed over a fortified compound in Dhusamareb, the regional capital of Galmudug, to the state government as the UN prepares to wind down its political footprint in Somalia. The facility — built by the UN for staff operations at the Hero Drogo site — has been transferred to the Galmudug administration led by Ahmed Abdi Kariye, widely known as Qoor Qoor. UN representative James Swan said the organization had “constructed and equipped the compound for operations” in Galmudug but…