officials

At least 55 dead in Karachi mall fire as families provide DNA amid painstaking search at Gul Plaza KARACHI, Pakistan — The death toll from a weekend fire at a shopping mall in Pakistan’s largest city climbed to at least 55 as rescuers combed the wreckage of the three-story Gul Plaza and families waited for news of missing loved ones, authorities said. “A total of 55 bodies have been recovered since Saturday night” when the blaze erupted, said Javed Nabi Khoso, deputy commissioner of Karachi’s south district, speaking to AFP.…

COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s foreign minister said he and his Greenlandic counterpart will meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House tomorrow, a high-stakes attempt to shift escalating rhetoric over Greenland into face-to-face diplomacy as President Donald Trump presses to take control of the Arctic island. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt requested the meeting with Rubio after Trump recently intensified threats to take over…

OIC states condemn Israeli official’s visit to North Western State of Somalia as violation of Somalia’s sovereignty Foreign ministers from more than 20 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned an Israeli official’s Jan. 6 visit to North Western State of Somalia, calling it an illegal act that violates the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. In a joint statement issued Thursday, the ministers said the visit “breaches international law and the U.N. Charter”…

Hamas, Red Cross resume search in Gaza for body of last Israeli hostage, key to ceasefire talks Hamas officials said Tuesday that search operations have resumed in Gaza City for the remains of the last Israeli hostage in the enclave, a move Israel has tied to the start of talks on the second phase of a fragile ceasefire agreement. The Palestinian group’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, is working “accompanied by Red Cross teams” in the Zeitun neighborhood in southeastern Gaza City after a two-week pause caused…

PARIS — U.S. and Ukrainian officials will continue negotiations on security guarantees for Ukraine after a high-level meeting in Paris produced what leaders called significant breakthroughs, including a U.S.-led truce monitoring mechanism and plans for a European multinational force to deploy in Ukraine once a ceasefire with Russia is agreed. The pledges emerged from the largest gathering yet of the “Coalition of the Willing,” where representatives from 35 countries — including 27 heads of state or government — sought to…

Saturday January 3, 2026 JOWHAR, Somalia — A landmine explosion struck a convoy escorting Hirshabelle State President Ali Guudlawe Hussein on Friday as it traveled from Mohamed Dheere Airport toward Jowhar, injuring several members of his delegation but leaving the president unharmed, officials said. The blast occurred at Jiiro Carmoole, a stretch of road between the airport and Jowhar town, and hit one of the vehicles providing security for the president shortly after his arrival, according to security sources. Ali Guudlawe…

U.S. Congressional Delegation Visits Nigeria, Rules Out Military Deployment A U.S. Congressional delegation that recently visited Nigeria to assess the country's security situation has ruled out the possibility of deploying American troops to the West African nation. The lawmakers stated that Nigeria's designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) is aimed at encouraging diplomatic reforms rather than invoking military intervention. "It is unacceptable that anyone—Muslim or Christian—is experiencing this level of…

U.S. and Russian envoys met in Miami for the latest talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Moscow’s representative calling the discussions “constructive” as the Trump administration seeks to coax both sides toward a deal. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, told reporters the meeting with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was productive and would continue. A White House official said the talks had concluded for the day. “The…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military launched large-scale air and ground strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets across central Syria on Friday, a retaliation U.S. officials said was tied to a deadly Dec. 13 attack on American personnel in the country. The operation, which U.S. Central Command said hit more than 70 targets, was supported by Jordanian fighter jets and drew on a mix of U.S. F-15 and A-10 aircraft, Apache helicopters and HIMARS rocket systems. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were aimed at…

Somalia rejects Israeli claim of contacts, says no ties with Israel Saturday December 13, 2025 MOGADISHU (AX) — Somalia’s government has forcefully denied having any ties or communications with Israel, rebutting a public assertion by an Israeli official that the two sides have been in contact. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar, widely known as Ali Balcad, said Thursday there is “no truth” to the suggestion that Israel and Somalia maintain channels of communication. His remarks followed comments by Israeli…