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South Korean President Yoon vows to “fight to the end”

Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday lashed out at his political opponents as “anti-state forces”, said North Korea has hacked the country’s elections and defended his short-lived martial law order as a legal move to protect democracy. Yoon said the opposition was “dancing the sword dance of madness” by […]

Saudi Arabia’s human rights record under fire after World Cup bid win

Riyadh, Saudi  Arabia Reuters Rights organisations strongly criticised FIFA on Wednesday after world soccer’s ruling body officially awarded the 2034 men’s World Cup to Saudi Arabia. Hosting the global showpiece tournament is the pinnacle of Saudi Arabia’s massive push into sports and entertainment over recent years as it seeks to improve its international image. A […]

Chagossians want a say as UK-Mauritius deal faces fresh scrutiny

Crawley, England Reuters Chagossians living in Britain said fresh doubts over a deal to hand sovereignty of their islands to Mauritius had given them a “last chance” to demand a rethink, and pledged to protest at the British Parliament to make their voices heard. Britain struck a deal in October to hand over control of […]

Ukraine loses ground near strategic hub of Pokrovsk

Reuters Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv’s military said on Wednesday, as Moscow bears down on the strategic logistics hub that is home to a unique Ukrainian coking mine. After months of accelerating advances towards Pokrovsk, Moscow’s forces are now as close as three kilometres from […]

Fighting breaks out between Somalia’s Jubbaland region and federal government

Mogadishu/Garowe, Somalia Reuters Clashes erupted on Wednesday between forces from Somalia’s Federal Government and the semi-autonomous Jubbaland region, raising concerns that internal rivalries are diverting attention from the fight against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group. The violence in the strategically important region, which follows an election held there despite being opposed by authorities in Mogadishu, is […]

UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands immediate Gaza ceasefire

United Nations Reuters The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. The ceasefire demand in the resolution – adopted with 158 votes in favour in the 193-member assembly – […]

Malibu wildfire rages, destroys several structures

Reuters Firefighters made some progress in containing a wildfire in the beach community of Malibu, California, on Wednesday, but it continued to threaten several structures, force residents to flee and close schools in the area. More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the Franklin Fire, which had scorched nearly 1,620 hectares and was seven per cent […]

Syrian refugees in Europe fear being forced home after Assad’s fall

Athens, Greece/Berlin, Germany Reuters Najem al-Moussa was delighted when news of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow first beamed from the television in his tiny Athens apartment. Then came a dreaded thought: what if Assad’s fall meant he and his family would be forced to return to the devastated country they had fled nine years before? […]