reports

BAIDOA, Somalia — Southwest State’s information minister on Monday denied social media reports that fighting erupted overnight in Baidoa, insisting the regional capital remains calm despite unverified accounts of a mortar incident near a military installation. Minister says “no shooting” occurred and daily life is normal in Baidoa Unconfirmed online claims alleged a mortar round landed near a Southwest State base Officials accuse unnamed groups in Mogadishu of spreading misinformation Denial comes amid broader political…

Taiwan reports return of large-scale Chinese air force activity after two-week lull TAIPEI — Taiwan on Sunday said Chinese military flights around the island have resumed at scale after an unexplained pause of more than two weeks, with 26 People’s Liberation Army aircraft detected in the previous 24 hours, the defense ministry reported. The sorties — concentrated in the Taiwan Strait — mark the largest single-day tally since Feb. 25, when Taipei tracked 30 aircraft as Beijing carried out what it called a “joint combat…

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drone and missile strikes across Ukraine killed six people and wounded dozens, officials said, as Kyiv reported damage to homes, schools, businesses and energy sites from a sweeping overnight barrage. Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the Kyiv regional military administration, said five people were killed in the region and four of the wounded were in critical condition after attacks that “targeted ordinary settlements in the region: residential buildings, educational institutions, businesses, and critical…

WASHINGTON — The United States is dispatching additional Marines and warships to the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran enters its third week, amid escalating attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz and a renewed surge in global oil prices, according to multiple U.S. media reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and attached Marines are en route to the region. The New York Times said as many as three ships carrying roughly 2,500 Marines were…

World logs fifth hottest February as atmospheric rivers drench western Europe, Copernicus reports The world registered its fifth hottest February on record as extreme rainfall and widespread flooding inundated parts of western and southern Europe, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitor. Global temperatures last month were 1.49C above pre-industrial levels, defined as 1850-1900, underscoring the persistent heat that is shaping weather extremes worldwide. Europe’s picture was split between temperature and…

AUSTIN, Texas — A gunman opened fire in downtown Austin early Monday, killing two people and wounding 14 before police shot him dead, authorities said. The FBI said investigators are exploring a potential terrorism link as an intelligence-monitoring group identified the suspect as a U.S. citizen of Senegalese origin who had posted pro-Iranian regime messages online. FBI Special Agent Alex Doran said an exact motive was not yet known, but “there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus…

Oman says U.S.-Iran nuclear talks make ‘significant progress’ as military buildup intensifies Technical talks planned in Vienna next week; move could avert threatened U.S. strikes, but gaps remain on missiles and sanctions Oman said the United States and Iran made significant progress in talks aimed at resolving a longstanding nuclear dispute and averting new U.S. strikes, as Washington expands its military footprint across the Middle East. Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said in a post on X that the two sides…

Turkey denies reports of deploying S-400 air defenses to Somalia ANKARA — Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense on Thursday rejected reports that Russian-made S-400 air defense systems had been transported to Somalia, framing the claims as unfounded and reiterating that the systems remain on Turkish soil under national control. The ministry said there are no plans to position S-400 batteries outside Turkey and emphasized the systems are fully operational and available for use by the Turkish Armed Forces as required. It…

Somalia’s NISA says weeklong raids kill more than 23 Al‑Shabaab militants in Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Tuesday it killed more than 23 Al‑Shabaab militants during a weeklong series of operations across the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions, saying the raids targeted cells preparing attacks in several districts of Hirshabelle State. NISA said the strikes, conducted in coordination with international partners, followed actionable intelligence…

An Israeli drone strike hit Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp on Friday, killing one person and wounding others, state media said, as the Israeli military claimed it targeted a Hamas command center in the Ain al-Helweh camp near the southern city of Sidon. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported the strike on a neighborhood inside the densely populated camp on Sidon’s outskirts. An AFP correspondent saw smoke rising from a building as ambulances rushed to the scene. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said its…