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Puntland State orders defected officers to return weapons as federal alignment deepens in Las Anod Police commander warns of “dangerous” consequences amid rift over assets, loyalty and command GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State authorities have ordered military officers who have defected to the federal government to immediately hand back weapons, vehicles and bases, warning that failure to comply could trigger serious security repercussions. The directive, delivered by Puntland State Police Commander Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire,…

TikTok will begin rolling out new age-detection technology across Europe in the coming weeks, the company said, as the ByteDance-owned platform faces mounting regulatory pressure to better identify and remove accounts belonging to children under 13. The previously unreported system follows a year-long pilot in Europe and is designed to strengthen enforcement of TikTok’s minimum-age rules without resorting to blanket, intrusive checks. The company said the tool analyses profile information, posted videos and behavioral…

European Union ambassadors will convene for an emergency meeting today after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened escalating tariffs on key European allies unless the United States is allowed to buy Greenland. Cyprus, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, called the meeting for late afternoon. EU diplomats said it was set to start at 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. Irish time). In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that starting Feb. 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland…

GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State authorities on Saturday released the names and photographs of nearly 50 foreign Islamic State fighters captured during military operations in the Calmiskaat mountains of the Bari region, days after declaring the yearlong campaign against the group largely complete. Security officials said the detainees hail from at least seven countries, underscoring the transnational reach of Islamic State’s Somalia branch. The largest contingents presented were from Ethiopia and Morocco. Ethiopia: 18…

Puntland State orders defected officers to return weapons, warns of ‘dangerous’ consequences amid Las Anod realignment GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State authorities have ordered military officers who defected to Somalia’s federal government and its newly recognized Northeastern Regional State to immediately surrender weapons, vehicles and bases, warning that failure to comply could trigger serious security repercussions. The demand, delivered by Puntland State Police Commander Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire, accuses the officers of…

Syria’s army advanced across swathes of the country’s north, dislodging Kurdish-led forces from pockets of territory where they had exercised de facto autonomy for more than a decade, in a campaign unfolding a day after President Ahmed al-Sharaa declared Kurdish a national language and granted the minority official recognition. The push appeared aimed at consolidating state control after a March accord to integrate Kurdish-led units into government structures stalled. Kurdish authorities welcomed the decree as a “first step”…

Austria avalanches kill five near Salzburg as heavy snowfall triggers deadly slides across Alps SALZBURG, Austria — Five people were killed in two off-piste avalanches in Austria’s Alps today, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported, underscoring a perilous start to the winter after heavy snowfall across the region. The deadliest incident struck a group of seven ski tourers in the Pongau district south of Salzburg, where an avalanche swept the party, killing four and seriously injuring another, according to ORF. Mountain…

EU and South American leaders signed a landmark EU–Mercosur free trade agreement in Asuncion, Paraguay, establishing what officials called the world’s largest free trade area after 25 years of negotiations. The accord spans more than 700 million consumers and is billed as a decisive turn toward open markets even as it faces a contentious ratification fight in Europe. “This agreement sends a very strong message to the world. It reflects a clear and deliberate choice. We choose fair trade over tariffs. We choose a productive,…

NASA has begun rolling out the Space Launch System rocket for Artemis II, opening a launch window on Feb. 6 for the first crewed mission to orbit the moon in more than 50 years. The towering booster is making its slow move to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where teams will ready SLS and the Orion spacecraft for a full “wet dress rehearsal” that includes loading liquid propellants and practicing countdown operations. The 10-day mission will send four astronauts around the moon and back, marking the…

At Las Anod inauguration, Somalia’s president condemns Israel over North Western State of Somalia and vows to defend unity LAS ANOD — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Saturday attended the swearing-in of Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, as president of the Northeastern Regional State, using the ceremony to project federal authority and denounce foreign interference in Somalia’s internal affairs. Hassan Sheikh condemns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of…