US political crisis deepens as new House speaker vote fails

Washington, Jan 4 (AFP/APP): The new Republican-led US House of Representatives was engulfed in crisis for a second day running Wednesday as a fresh round of voting failed to produce a winner in the race for speaker. The lower chamber of Congress had limped to […]

Germany sent letter rejecting Polish demands for WWII compensation

Warsaw, Jan 3 (AFP/APP): The Polish foreign ministry on Tuesday said it had received an official note from Germany rejecting Poland’s World War II reparations claim. “According to the German government, the issue of reparations and compensation for wartime losses remains closed and it does […]

Grief, anger in Russia over troops killed by Ukraine strike

Samara, Russia, Jan 3 (AFP/APP):Mourners voiced grief and anger on Tuesday at a rare public commemoration in Russia for the scores of soldiers killed by a Ukrainian strike on New Year’s Eve. Admitting its worst ever military losses from a single Ukrainian attack, Russia on […]

Two Iranian teens face death penalty over protests: rights group

Paris, Jan 2 (AFP/APP): Two Iranian teenagers face the death penalty after being sentenced to be hanged over involvement in protests that have rocked the Islamic republic for months, a rights group said Monday. Two men aged 23 have already been executed over the protests […]

Several killed, wounded in blast near Kabul military airfield

Kabul, Jan 1 (AFP/APP): An explosion at the entrance to a military airfield in the Afghan capital killed and wounded several people on Sunday, an official told AFP. The cause of the blast at the gate of the facility next to Kabul’s international airport was […]

Ukraine says repelled Russia drone attack at night

Kyiv, Ukraine, Dec 30 (AFP/APP):Ukraine said Friday it repelled a night-time drone attack from Russia, a day after Moscow launched a new wave of missile strikes in the run-up to New Year celebrations. The attacks came 10 months into President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, […]

Ousted Myanmar leader Suu Kyi jailed for total of 33 years

Naypyidaw, Myanmar, Dec 30 (AFP/APP):Ousted Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to another seven years in jail as her long series of trials ended on Friday, with the Nobel laureate now facing more than three decades behind bars. A prisoner of the […]

Cambodian casino fire kills 19, dozens more missing

PHNOM PENH 29 Dec (Online): At least 19 people were killed and up to 30 were missing after a huge fire tore through a casino-hotel complex in a Cambodian town on the Thai border, officials said on Thursday. About 400 employees and patrons were in […]

Belarus says shot down missile launched from Ukraine

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 […]