World News at a Glance

U.S. Strikes al-Qaida Target in Southern Libya

The U.S. military carried out its first ever drone strike against al-Qaida militants in southern Libya this weekend, signaling a possibly significant expansion of the U.S. counterterrorism campaign in the North African nation. Until now, the Pentagon had focused its counterterrorism strikes in Libya almost exclusively on Islamic State fighters and operatives farther north. But the attack Saturday that the military’s Africa Command said had killed two militants — later identified by a spokeswoman as belonging to al-Qaida’s branch in northwestern Africa — took place in the country’s southwest, a notorious haven for al-Qaida and other extremist groups.

Militants Linked to al-Qaida Unleash Deadly Car Bombings in Somalia

Three explosions over four days in or near the Somalian capital have left a trail of carnage, killing nearly 20 people and injuring dozens of others, as Islamic militants unleashed a wave of attacks on the country. On Sunday, a car bomb exploded at a security checkpoint near the Interior Ministry on a road leading to the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu. At least three people, in addition to the bomber, were killed, a police chief said. Al-Shabab, an Islamic extremist group affiliated with al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Saudis Claim to Intercept Houthi Missile on 3rd Anniversary of Yemen Campaign

Saudi Arabia said its air defenses destroyed at least one ballistic missile fired late Sunday, apparently by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, as it zoomed over Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The launching and reported destruction of the missile, which Saudi news accounts said had caused loud booms, came on the third anniversary of the Saudi-led bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country. The missile attack also came as the architect of the bombing campaign, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was in the midst of a friendship visit to the United States.

Puigdemont Is Arrested in Germany, Drawing EU Giant Into Catalan Fight

Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of Catalonia wanted in Spain on rebellion charges, was detained Sunday in Germany on an international arrest warrant, in a move that drags Berlin into Spain’s festering territorial dispute. The arrest came two days after Spain, trying to strike a decisive blow against the secession movement, reactivated a European arrest warrant against Puigdemont and five other separatist leaders. Catalonia has been in political turmoil since its leaders formally declared independence in October and the central government ousted them.

At Least 37 Die as Fire Sweeps Through Siberia Shopping Mall

At least 37 people died when a fire burned through a shopping mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo on Sunday, Russian authorities said. Many of the victims were children, and at least 29 people were still missing after the blaze in the industrial city of about half a million people, over 2,000 miles east of Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported. The fire started around 5 p.m. on the fourth floor of the mall, which includes a three-screen cinema complex, a skating rink and an entertainment center for children.

From Australia to Britain in One Huge Hop

Qantas Airways made a giant leap forward in long-haul travel with an inaugural nonstop flight between Australia and Britain in less than 24 hours over the weekend. Flight QF9 took off Saturday from Perth, in Western Australia, and landed in London early Sunday. Qantas’ chief executive, Alan Joyce, billed the trip as “historic” and “a game changer.” The trip lasted just over 17 hours and covered about 9,009 miles. The flight was operated by four pilots during the journey, with one or two pilots resting at any one time.

All Roads Lead to Rome, Where Potholes Will Destroy Your Tires

A poisonous Roman cocktail of chronic mismanagement, corruption, bureaucracy, neglect, heavy traffic, rare snow and constant rain has turned Rome’s roads into a modern ruin that has surpassed overflowing garbage, busted water pipes and striking bus drivers as the emblem of a degraded city in another decline. The city has closed streets and reduced the speed limit in many places to an ancient Roman crawl. The potholes have caused untold accidents, hours of traffic and windfalls for tire dealers. Things are so bad that individual residents have become vigilante pothole-fillers, embarrassing city officials.