forces

Irish troops in south Lebanon safe, on alert as Israel pushes deeper across border Irish troops serving with the United Nations in south Lebanon are safe, accounted for and prepared for “this period of heightened intensity,” a Defence Forces spokesman said Monday, as Israeli forces advanced into border areas and the United Nations reported at least 30,000 people displaced in Lebanon. Commandant Alex Quigley told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that operations remain ongoing, with force-protection measures in place that can be scaled…

KABUL/ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan said its air defenses fired at Pakistani jets over Kabul after pre-dawn explosions and gunfire rattled the capital, the latest and most visible escalation in a burst of cross-border hostilities that has raised fears of a wider conflict in a region already on edge from U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets in Gulf states. Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the blasts heard across parts of Kabul before sunrise were the result of Afghan forces…

US airlines said they plan to ramp up operations after a powerful Nor’easter crippled travel across the Northeast, forcing thousands of cancellations and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power. The disruption has rippled across the Atlantic. Nine flights to or from Dublin Airport and one to or from Shannon were canceled today on New York, Boston and New Jersey routes. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines before traveling. The storm hammered major corridors overnight with heavy snow…

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…

Kenya foils major terror plot in Nairobi during Ramadan NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s National Intelligence Service and the elite Special Operations Group have foiled a major attack planned for Nairobi during the holy month of Ramadan, disrupting a network authorities believe is linked to Somalia-based extremist group Al-Shabaab. Officials said Thursday the arrests were made late Tuesday at a Nairobi hideout where suspects were allegedly finalizing plans for a coordinated assault. The raid capped weeks — possibly months — of…

Sweden warns Russia stepping up ‘hybrid’ threat activity, raising risk in Baltic region Russia has intensified hybrid threat activities and is demonstrating a greater willingness to take risks around Sweden, the head of Sweden’s Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST) said as the agency released its annual threat review. “Russia has, in certain cases, stepped up actions and increased its presence, and perhaps with a greater risk appetite, in our vicinity,” MUST chief Thomas Nilsson said. He added he expects the…

KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland security forces killed more than 60 al-Shabab fighters, including senior operatives, in a four-day operation targeting militant strongholds in Lower Juba, regional officials said Sunday. The offensive, centered on the Lagta Hola–Wajeer area of Badhaadhe district, struck what authorities described as the “Black Sea,” a dense, forested zone long used by the group as a staging ground for attacks. The push was led by Jubaland’s security director, Mohamed Ahmed Sabriye, known as “Basaam,” and supported…

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s elite Danab Special Forces, operating with Jubaland state security units, killed 14 al-Shabab fighters in a planned raid Tuesday in rural areas around Jamaame town in the country’s southern Lower Juba region, security officials said. One additional militant was wounded and several others fled as troops advanced during the coordinated operation, according to the officials. The joint force targeted suspected al-Shabab positions on the outskirts of Jamaame, a farming…

UNIFIL to withdraw most peacekeepers by mid-2027 as mandate ends this year The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will withdraw most of its troops by mid-2027, the mission said, laying out a timeline to wind down operations after its mandate expires on December 31, 2026, amid persistent tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border. “UNIFIL is planning to draw down and withdraw all, or substantially all, uniformed personnel by mid-year 2027,” spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said, adding the force intends to complete the pullout…

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and OCP Group, a global leader in plant-nutrition solutions, announced a five-year strategic partnership to accelerate scientific innovation for sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. The collaboration, designed to bolster the IAEA’s Atoms4Food initiative, brings together the IAEA’s expertise in nuclear and isotopic techniques with OCP’s fertilizer science and field reach to address soil fertility, crop productivity and post-harvest safety. The agreement signals an…