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Moscow, Dec 29 (AFP/APP): Russia’s key ally Belarus said Thursday its air defence shot down a missile launched from Ukrainian territory, in the first such incident reported by Minsk since the start of Moscow’s Ukraine offensive. The Belarus defence ministry said a missile was shot […]

Belgrade, Dec 28 (AFP/APP): Kosovo’s biggest border crossing with Serbia was closed on Wednesday as months of tensions again flared, prompting Washington and Brussels to urge an immediate de-escalation of tensions. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade has refused to recognise it […]

Bakhmut/Lyman, Ukraine, Dec 27 (AFP/APP):Lisa Shtanko, 8, stood on the side of a muddy road watching Ukrainian soldiers pass by, one of only a few children left in a town hit hard by Russia’s invasion. There was hardly any heating or electricity. Most of her […]

Laweueng, Indonesia, Dec 27 (AFP/APP): Some died of sickness. Others of dehydration. But after more than a month adrift on the Andaman Sea without much food, medicine or a working engine, nearly 200 Rohingya reached western Indonesia’s Aceh province after their overcrowded, rickety wooden boat […]

Kabul, Dec 26 (Online): Four major international aid groups have suspended their operations in Afghanistan following a decision by the Taliban regime to ban women from working at non-governmental organisations. Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE said on […]

Ouagadougou, Dec 26 (AFP/APP): Ten passengers riding a bus died when their vehicle struck a mine in eastern Burkina Faso, the regional governor said on Monday. The mini-bus hit a mine on a road near the village of Bougui on Sunday afternoon and the explosion […]

Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories, Dec 24 (AFP/APP):With a giant evergreen tree, colourful balloons in the streets and selfies in the Church of the Nativity, Christmas tourism has returned to Bethlehem after two years of Covid-related restrictions. Revered in Christian tradition as the birthplace of Christ, the […]

New York, Dec 24 (AFP/APP):A fearsome winter storm that pummelled the United States with blinding snow and powerful Arctic winds left 1.7 million customers without power Saturday as thousands of cancelled flights stranded travelers making last-minute dashes for Christmas. At least 13 storm-related deaths have […]

Washington, Dec 21 (AFP/APP):Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Wednesday in Washington on his first foreign trip since Russia’s invasion, with US leaders hailing him as “heroic” and pledging to provide new missile defense systems. Zelensky — whose media savvy and rugged demeanor has helped him […]

Ottawa, Dec 19 (AFP/APP):A 73-year-old man killed five people and wounded another Sunday night in a shooting at an apartment building in the suburbs of the Canadian city of Toronto, police said. The suspect, whom authorities have not named but said was a resident of […]