Thursday, 16 Jan, 2025

International

Almost half Ukraine's energy system disabled: PM

The Ukrainian prime minister warns that Kyiv could face a ‘complete shutdown’ of the power grid due to Russian strikes. Russian missile strikes have crippled almost half of Ukraine’s energy system, the government said on Friday, and authorities in the capital Kyiv

2 firefighters killed as plane crashes during take-off in Peru

Two firefighters have died after a plane crashed into a fire truck while taking off at Peru's busiest airport. The Latam Airlines plane collided with the truck just before 15:30 (20:30 GMT) on Friday at Jorge Chávez International Airport in the capital, Lima. Video posted

Malaysia election begins with hope for stability 

Malaysians have started voting in a hotly-contested election dominated by the cost of living and the political infighting that has plagued the country for nearly three years. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob called the election early in a bid to restore “stability” after

Bus plunge kills 20 in southern Pakistan

At least 20 people were killed and 14 others injured when a minibus crashed into a deep, water-logged ditch in southern Pakistan, police said Friday. Pakistan has the world’s third-highest death rate from road accidents, a dire record blamed on decrepit highways and reckless

Mexican state security chief is among the five dead in helicopter crash

The state security chief of the central Mexican state of Aguascalientes was among the five people who died in a helicopter crash, according to the state’s governor. “We deeply regret the death of these five men,” Aguascalientes Governor Teresa Jiménez said in a

Fire at Gaza kills at least 21

A large fire that ripped through a home north of Gaza City where fuel was being stored killed at least 21 people including seven children on Thursday, official and medical sources said. Hamas Islamists, who control the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian enclave, said firefighters had

Pelosi to step down as top US Democrat after Republicans take House

Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the trailblazing first woman to wield the speaker's gavel in the US House of Representatives, said on Thursday (Nov 17) that she will step down as party leader when Republicans take control of the chamber in January. "I will not seek reelection to

Zelensky Says Over 10m Ukrainians Without Electricity

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that millions of Ukrainians had no electricity, as fresh Russian strikes hit cities across Ukraine and crippled the country’s energy infrastructure. “Currently, more than 10 million Ukrainians are without electricity,” he

Ukraine war: Gas plant hit in latest Russian strikes

More strikes have been reported across Ukraine, days after one of Russia's most intense bombardments of the war. Officials say a gas production facility and a missile factory in Dnipro were among the latest targets and that at least four people died in one area. In recent weeks,

Andrew Forrest launches $25bn fund for reconstruction

Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has launched an investment fund that is hoped will be worth at least $25bn (£21bn) to help rebuild war-torn Ukraine. Mr Forrest and his wife have committed $500m to the fund, which its organisers say could eventually grow to $100bn.

Xi accuses Trudeau of leaking China-Canada relations to media

China's Xi Jinping has been filmed accusing Justin Trudeau of leaking meeting details, days after they held talks at the G20 summit in Bali. President Xi told the Canadian PM, via a translator, this was inappropriate and accused him of lacking "sincerity". He was

US midterms: Republicans narrowly win back the House

Republicans have secured the 218 seats needed for a majority in the lower chamber of Congress a week after the midterm elections, the BBC's US partner CBS News projects. While the party's margin in the House of Representatives is razor-thin, it is enough to stall President Joe

Myanmar releases ex-British envoy, Australian adviser, Japanese journalist

Myanmar’s military government has released foreign prisoners including Australian economist Sean Turnell, former United Kingdom ambassador Vicky Bowman and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota. The release part of an amnesty to mark the 102nd anniversary of its National Victory Day. A

Pakistan Taliban kill six police officers in gun ambush in northwest

Six police officers were killed in an ambush in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, officials said, an assault claimed by the nation’s homegrown Taliban. The Pakistan Taliban share common lineage with the Afghan Taliban and have staged an increasing number of strikes in the year

Russia denies responsibility for Poland blast

US President Joe Biden has said it is "unlikely" that a missile that killed two people in Poland on Tuesday was fired from Russia. Polish officials said the "Russian-made missile" landed in Przewodow, on the Ukrainian border. Early reports had suggested Russia

US, NATO investigating reports of Russian missiles in Poland

Poland has said what was probably a “Russian-made missile” fell on a village in the country’s east killing two people, but that there was “no concrete evidence” on who had fired it, as its NATO allies prepared to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the

Trump launches 2024 White House bid

Donald Trump pulled the trigger on a third White House run on Tuesday, setting the stage for a bruising Republican nomination battle after a poor midterm election showing by his hand-picked candidates weakened his grip on the party. “America’s comeback starts right

Get out of Ukraine, end this barbaric war: Sunak at G20 

Rishi Sunak confronted Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 summit overnight, telling him to 'get out of Ukraine and end this barbaric war'.  In the first face-to-face clash between a British Prime Minister and a senior Kremlin figure since the war began, Mr

Biden, Xi try to put ties back on track

President Xi Jinping and United States President Joe Biden agreed on Monday to take concrete steps to put bilateral ties back on the track of stable development, as the two sides reached consensus on key issues such as climate change, trade, public health, agriculture and food security.

Indonesian President tells G20 leaders they 'must end war'

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has opened the G20 summit in Bali with a call for the world to “end the war” and bridge “wide differences” amid rifts over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has fuelled geopolitical tension and caused a global surge in food