Pakistan mosque bombing death toll rises to 92

ISLAMABAD — The death toll from a suspected suicide bomb that ripped through a mosque in northwestern Pakistan Monday has risen to at least 92, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the country in

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87 confirmed dead in Pakistan mosque bombing

PESHAWAR — The death toll has risen to at least 87 people after a mosque suicide bombing which targeted policemen in the Pakistan province of Peshawar.The mosque is within a high-security police headquarters

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Muslim countries, organizations strongly denounce terrorist bombing in Pakistan

JEDDAH — Muslim countries and organizations strongly denounced the bomb attack on a mosque in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan, killing and injuring scores of worshippers on Monday.The death toll in the

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Half Moon Bay suspect was upset over $100 repair bill, prosecutor says

WASHINGTON — A California prosecutor has said the Half Moon Bay gunman was angered by a $100 (£80) repair bill he had to pay following a collision between his forklift and a co-worker's bulldozer.San

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Joe Biden rules out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden has ruled out sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, despite renewed calls from Ukrainian officials for air support.Asked by a reporter on Monday if the US would be

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Police targeted as suicide attack on Pakistan mosque kills 61

PESHAWAR — At least 61 people have been killed by a suicide bombing that apparently targeted policemen praying in a mosque in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan."Terrorists want to create fear by targeting

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Blast in Pakistan mosque kills at least 28, injures 150

PESHAWAR — At least 28 people have been killed in an explosion at a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.The blast happened when the mosque was packed with worshippers and more than 150 people were

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UPSC: How Indians crack one of the world's toughest exams

NEW DELHI — For close to three years, Gamini Singla stayed away from friends, did not go on a vacation and avoided family meetings and celebrations.She stopped binging on takeaways, going to the cinema

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Tyre Nichols' lawyer calls on US lawmakers to pass urgent police reforms

MEMPHIS — The lawyer representing Tyre Nichols' family has called on the US Congress to pass urgent police reform legislation in the wake of his death.Nichols, 29, was fatally beaten by five police

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Erdogan says Turkey may accept Finland in NATO, but block Sweden

ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested that Ankara may agree to Finland joining Nato, but not Sweden.He criticized Sweden's refusal to extradite dozens of people allegedly

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Russian athletes cannot be allowed at Olympics, Zelensky says

KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that allowing Russia to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris would amount to showing that "terror is somehow acceptable".He said he had raised

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Heavy fighting in Donetsk as stalemate continues

KYIV — Ukraine’s military said on Sunday its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region. In contrast, Russia’s Wagner private military group said

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Egypt plans to allot land to Indian industries in special economic zone

NEW DELHI — Egypt is considering the possibility of allocating a special area of land for Indian industries in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCEZ), a joint statement released by the two countries on

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War hero Pavel sweeps to the Czech presidency

PRAGUE — Ex-Gen.Petr Pavel has won another gritty campaign — this time at the ballot box.The bearded 61-year-old, a decorated veteran who took part in a high-stakes peacekeeping mission in the Balkans

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More than 50 die in two Pakistan accidents

ISLAMABAD — More than 50 people have been killed in two separate travel-related accidents in Pakistan on Sunday.At least 41 people died when a bus fell into a ravine and caught fire in the southwest,

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Auckland declares emergency after torrential rain, floods

WELLINGTON — New Zealand’s largest city has declared a state of emergency after torrential rain prompted widespread flooding and evacuations.Friday’s downpour in Auckland shifted houses, stalled

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Tiny radioactive capsule goes missing in Western Australia

PERTH — An urgent search is under way in Western Australia after a tiny capsule containing a radioactive substance went missing.The casing contains a small quantity of radioactive Caesium-137, which

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Judge explains extended detention of ‘dangerous’ influencer Tate

BUCHAREST — A judge in Romania has described the “particular dangerousness” of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan in terms of their ability to target women.He also pointed to what he called their

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Pilot dies in Indian military jet mid-air collision

NEW DELHI — One pilot has died after two Indian Air Force fighter jets crashed in a mid-air collision in central India.The planes were on a routine “operational flying training mission” when the

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Tyre Nichols: Memphis reckons with police killing by black officers

MEMPHIS — At the VIP Barbershop less than a mile away from where Tyre Nichols was attacked by five Memphis Police officers, PJ, the shop’s owner, described the moment he realized that Nichols was from

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US forces kill Somalia IS leader, 10 others in cave complex

WASHINGTON — US forces have killed an Islamic State leader, Bilal al-Sudani, and 10 of his operatives in northern Somalia, American officials say.He was killed after US special forces raided a remote

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Spanish museum returns two 15th century paintings to Poland

MADRID — Spain’s Museum of Pontevedra has returned two paintings to Polish authorities after experts determined the works had been stolen by Nazi forces during World War II.Attributed to the school

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Biden urges calm ahead of police beating video release

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is urging protests in Tennessee to remain peaceful as officials plan to release video of an arrest that led to a motorist's death.Bodycam video of the encounter with

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Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza, wider flare-up feared after deadly Jenin raid

GAZA CITY — Israel carried out airstrikes on Gaza Strip a day after Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians – including an elderly woman – in the Jenin refugee camp, marking one of the deadliest

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Ukraine hit by Russian missiles day after West's offer of tanks

KYIV — Russia launched a wave of missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, a day after Germany and the US pledged tanks to aid Kyiv's fight against the invasion.Eleven people died and 11 others were injured

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Virginia schools chief fired after boy, 6, shoots teacher

RICHMOND — The superintendent of a school in the US state of Virginia has lost his job after a six-year-old pupil shot and wounded a teacher earlier this month.The school board decided by a vote of 5-to-1

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India celebrates Republic Day with colorful parade

NEW DELHI — India is celebrating its 74th Republic Day on Thursday with a colorful parade displaying military might and cultural diversity.The public holiday marks the anniversary of India officially

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Taliban to set new rules on women’s aid work, UN says

KABUL — Taliban ministers have told a senior UN official they plan to draw up new guidelines to allow Afghan women to work in some humanitarian operations.Martin Griffiths told the BBC he had received

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India university tense over screening of BBC's Modi documentary

NEW DELHI — Tensions flared up at one of India's best-known universities over the screening of a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.Students accused

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The growing row over picking judges in India

NEW DELHI — For long judges in India's top courts have been selected by their colleagues through a mechanism called the collegium system. Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president

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$2.54 billion needed to tackle unprecedented health needs in 2023: WHO

GENEVA — Two-and-a-half billion dollars: that’s how much funding the UN World Health Organization (WHO) will need across its operations this year, it said on Monday, to help a record number of people

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Capitol rioter who posed with feet on Pelosi’s desk found guilty

WASHINGTON — A Capitol Hill rioter who posed with his feet on US Democrat Nancy Pelosi’s desk during the attack on Congress has been found guilty of all charges.Richard “Bigo” Barnett was among

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Freezing weather kills at least 124 people in Afghanistan

KABUL — At least 124 people died in freezing temperatures in Afghanistan in the past fortnight, Taliban officials say.About 70,000 livestock had also perished in what is the coldest winter in a decade,

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North Korea issues 'extreme cold' weather alert

SEOUL — North Korean authorities have warned of extreme weather conditions in the country as a cold wave sweeps the Korean peninsula.Temperatures are likely to dip below -30C in the northern regions,

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Top Zelensky aide announces resignation

KYIV — One of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's key aides has resigned ahead of an expected government reshuffle.Kyrylo Tymoshenko was the president's deputy head of office and thanked

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Spain investigates 'Big Four' consultancy firms over marathon work days and record profits

MADRID — Like his colleagues at PricewaterhouseCooper consultancy firm in Madrid, Sergio Padilla was accustomed to working 12 hours a day: from 9 am until 9 pm.At peak times, those days could even stretch

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Sunak orders ethics probe into Zahawi tax row

LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has asked his independent ethics adviser to look into the tax affairs of Conservative Party Chairman Nadhim Zahawi.Sunak said there were “questions that

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Erdogan announces elections will be held on May 14

ANKARA — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced May 14 as the date for the country’s next parliamentary and presidential elections, confirming that Turkish voters will head to the

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Major Pakistan cities without electricity after grid breakdown

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan suffered a huge power cut early on Monday following a breakdown in its national electricity grid, the energy ministry said.Power was out in all the country's major cities, including

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California gunman found dead with self-inflicted gunshot wound

LOS ANGELES — The gunman suspected of killing 10 people at a California dance studio is found dead, according to police.Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said investigators have confirmed that the

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Burkina Faso demands French troops leave the country within one month

OUAGADOUGOU — The military government of Burkina Faso has demanded the departure of French troops from the country, according to the government press agency Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB).France

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Netanyahu dismisses key ally Aryeh Deri after High Court order

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed key ally Aryeh Deri from all ministerial posts on Sunday, complying with an Israeli High Court ruling that it was unreasonable to appoint

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First woman pastor in Jerusalem ordained

JERUSALEM — In many parts of the Christian world, female church leaders are no longer unusual. But until now, the Holy Land — where events in the Bible are set — had not seen a local woman ordained.On

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Germany and France meet to overcome differences

PARIS — France and Germany will meet for a day of talks on Sunday in a bid to patch up an alliance strained by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, among other things.Germany’s entire Cabinet is in Paris

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Israelis stage giant protest against Netanyahu’s court reform

TEL AVIV — An estimated 110,000 people have packed the streets of Tel Aviv, in one of Israel’s biggest anti-government protests in the past decade.The rallies spread across the city center as banners

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President Lula sacks Brazil army commander

BRASILIA — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sacked the country’s army chief, two weeks after rioting in the capital.Gen, Julio Cesar de Arruda had only been in the role since Dec.

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GCC, MWL condemn burning copy of the Holy Qur’an in Sweden

MAKKAH — Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Nayaf Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf has condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur’an in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, which was

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Macron announces major boost to French defense budget amid Ukraine war

PARIS — France will increase its military spending by over a third in coming years, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday, unveiling his goal to equip the French army to tackle this century’s

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Over 550 global companies, many Europeans, are still doing business in Russia

WASHINGTON — More than 550 international companies, many from Europe, are still doing business in Russia to a lesser or greater extent, defying public pressure to pull out of the country following the

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‘TikTok warriors’: What are Chechen fighters doing in Ukraine?

KYIV — Chechens are among a few ethnic groups battling on both sides of the war in Ukraine.Those fighting alongside Ukrainian troops include Russian President Vladimir Putin’s oldest and fiercest enemies

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Balkan river becomes floating rubbish dump

SARAJEVO — A river in the Balkans, known for its stunning natural beauty, has been transformed into a giant floating rubbish heap, amid a spell of bad weather, worsened by long-running mismanagement.Tons

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‘Quran burning’ protest scuppers Turkey-Sweden NATO talks

ANKARA — Turkey announced on Saturday it had canceled a visit from Sweden, after an anti-Turkish protest was allowed in Stockholm.Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the talks with his Swedish

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US to designate Wagner Group as a transnational criminal organization

WASHINGTON — The US will designate Russia’s Wagner group, which is believed to have thousands of mercenaries in Ukraine, a “transnational criminal organization”.It will also impose fresh sanctions

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Activist Thunberg leads protest on final day of talks at Davos

DAVOS — Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and other prominent climate campaigners including Vanessa Nakate and Helena Neubauer held a climate march on Friday, the final day of panels at the World

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US judge fines Donald Trump nearly $1m for Clinton lawsuit

WASHINGTON — A US judge has ordered Donald Trump and one of his lawyers to jointly pay nearly $1m (£809,190) in fines for a "frivolous" lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and others.The lawsuit

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Progress made on Afghan women's rights, says top UN official

KABUL — A top UN official believes progress is being made toward reversing bans on women taking part in public life in Afghanistan.Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has been in Kabul for a four-day

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Jacinda Ardern says no regrets over decision to step down

WELLINGTON — Jacinda Ardern says she has "no regrets" about her plans to quit as New Zealand leader, after a decision that shocked both supporters and critics.A day after revealing she had

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Uproar in Serbia over Wagner mercenaries recruiting for Russia

BELGRADE — A Russian news video claiming to show Serbian "volunteers" training to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine has prompted outrage in Serbia, exposing its complex relationship

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Backlash after British soccer manager considered ‘not a conscious racist’

LONDON — Anti-racism groups and England’s Football Association (FA) are denouncing an independent panel’s finding that a British soccer manager who used “offensive, racist and Islamophobic” language

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Second hideout of Mafia boss found by Italian police

MILAN — A second hideout used by Italy's most wanted mobster Matteo Messina Denaro has been discovered at the back of a wardrobe with a sliding base.Italian police said jewelry, gemstones and silverware

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Avalanche kills at least eight people on Tibet highway

LHASA — At least eight people have been killed in an avalanche that struck a tunnel exit near the southeastern Tibetan city of Nyingchi on Tuesday night.Many cars were overturned by the avalanche, which

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New Zealand PM to step down next month

WELLINGTON — Jacinda Ardern has announced she will quit as New Zealand prime minister ahead of this year's election, saying she no longer has "enough in the tank" to lead.Ms Ardern choked

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South Africa’s energy crisis deepens as blackouts hit 12 hours a day

LONDON — South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced this week to cancel a trip to Davos by an escalating energy crisis that is inflicting rolling blackouts on the continent’s most developed

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Taiwan to allow women into military reserve force training as China fears grow

HONG KONG — Taiwan’s military on Tuesday rolled out plans to allow women to volunteer for reserve force training for the first time, as China continues to ramp up military pressure on the democratic

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7.2 earthquake shakes east Indonesia, no tsunami warning

JAKARTA — A powerful earthquake with a 7.2 magnitude struck off Indonesia's North Sulawesi province on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reported quoting the country's geophysics agency.No damage

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Qantas plane lands safely after mayday alert

SYDNEY — A Qantas flight landed safely at Sydney Airport Wednesday after a mayday alert was issued on approach."The 145 passengers onboard disembarked the aircraft normally," Qantas stated.The

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Baby among six killed in possible cartel attack in California

LOS ANGELES — Four generations of one family were killed in what is described as a "cartel-like execution" at a California residence known to police for drug-related activity.A 16-year-old

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Zelensky adviser resigns over Dnipro remarks

KYIV — Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has offered his resignation after suggesting a Russian missile which hit a building in Dnipro, killing 44 people, was shot down by Kyiv.Arestovych

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White House says there are no visitor logs for Biden’s home

WASHINGTON — The White House has said that there are no visitor logs available for President Joe Biden’s private home.Republicans have demanded to see the logs to his Delaware home after classified

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Two arrested in case of Indians who froze to death at US-Canada border

NEW DELHI — Police in India have arrested two men in connection with the deaths of four people near the US-Canada border in January 2022.The bodies, including that of a three-year-old child, were found

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Nations express 'deep concern' at Israeli punitive measures in Palestine

NEW YORK — More than 90 countries on Monday called on Israel to reverse measures taken against the Palestinian Authority over its push for a UN investigation into Israeli policies in the occupied West

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Nepal co-pilot's husband also died in plane crash 16 years ago

POKHARA, Nepal — The co-pilot of the ill-fated flight that crashed in Nepal on Sunday lost her husband in a plane crash 16 years earlier, it has emerged.Anju Khatiwada was co-piloting Yeti Airlines flight

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London overrules Scottish parliament to block gender law

LONDON — The UK government decided to block a Scottish law on changing gender on Monday, risking a standoff between London and the devolved government in Edinburgh.The law -- passed by a wide margin

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DR Congo blames rebels for church bombing

KINSHASA — The Democratic Republic of Congo government has blamed a notorious rebel group for a bomb attack at a Pentecostal church in Kasindi, in the east of the country.Ten people were killed as church-goers

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Suspected militants abduct 50 women in northern Burkina Faso

OUAGADOUGOU — Some 50 women have been abducted by suspected rebels in northern Burkina Faso, local officials say.Residents in Arbinda said two groups of women were taken as they were out gathering leaves

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Education is a public asset, Cuba said at Global South Summit

NEW DELHI — Higher education is a social public asset, a human and universal right, and a duty of the State, Cuban Higher Education Minister Jose Ramon Saborido said at the Voice of the Global South

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5 injured, including 2 children, after shooting in London

LONDON — Five people, including two children between the ages of 7 and 12, were injured Saturday after shots were fired from a moving vehicle in central London.The incident took place at 1.29 p.m. local

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Rains, floods claim 27 lives in first 2 weeks of 2023

MANILA — The death toll from the floods in the Philippines in the first two weeks of 2023 has reached 27, while the number of injured stands at nearly a dozen, the country’s National Disaster Risk

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Over 80,000 Israelis protest against Supreme Court reform

TEL AVIV — More than 80,000 Israeli protesters have rallied in Tel Aviv against plans by the new right-wing coalition government to overhaul the judiciary.The reforms would make it easier for parliament

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China launches 14 new satellites

TAIYUAN — China successfully launched a Long March-2D rocket on Sunday, sending 14 new satellites into space.The rocket blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi

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Dozens killed as plane crashes near Nepal’s Pokhara airport

KATHMANDU — Dozens of people have been killed after a plane with 72 people on board crashed near an airport in central Nepal.The Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed

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Emotional goodbye for Iranian protester in France

PARIS — “Mohammad was a lover; he was in love with love, with life and with history. He was in love with history so much that he became history.”These are the heartfelt words of Zara Jam, the wife

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Gas pipeline explodes in Lithuania on day marking independence struggle from USSR

VILNIUS — A gas pipeline has exploded in Lithuania, according to officials, as the country marks a historic day in its struggle for independence from the USSR.LRT, Lithuania’s public broadcaster, reported

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Prince Harry: Family would never forgive me if I told all

LONDON — Prince Harry claims he had enough material for “two books”, and did not include some things in his memoir because his father and brother would never forgive him.He told the Daily Telegraph

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Covid cases in China touch 900 million — study

BEIJING — Some 900 million people in China have been infected with the coronavirus as of 11 January, according to a study by Peking University.The report estimates that 64% of the country's population

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Russia claims control of salt mine town Soledar

MOSCOW — Russia says it has taken control of Ukrainian salt-mine town Soledar after a months-long battle, calling it an "important" step for its offensive.The victory would allow Russian troops

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Japan to release radioactive water into sea this year

TOKYO — Japan says it will release more than a million tons of water into the sea from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant this year.After treatment the levels of most radioactive particles meet

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Itaewon crush: Senior Korean officials spared blame in report

SEOUL — A long-awaited report into last October's deadly crowd crush in Seoul has largely spared senior government officials from blame.The report instead held local municipal and emergency service

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Turkey denounces incendiary video by Kurdish group in Sweden

ANKARA — Turkey on Thursday denounced an incendiary video produced by a Kurdish group in Sweden, showing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan being hanged and calling him a "dictator".Sweden's

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Climate change: UAE names oil chief to lead COP28 talks

ABU DHABI — The head of one of the world's biggest oil companies has been named to lead the COP28 global climate talks in Dubai later this year.Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is currently the chief executive

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Australian politician admits wearing Nazi uniform at his 21st birthday party

SYDNEY — One of Australia's top politicians has admitted wearing a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday party and has apologized.New South Wales (NSW) premier Dominic Perrottet, 40, revealed the incident

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Russia replaces commander of Ukraine invasion force

MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin has removed Russia's top commander in Ukraine, just three months after he was installed.Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov will now lead what Putin terms

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Turkey doctors’ chief sentenced over call for chemical weapons inquiry

LONDON/ ISTANBUL — The head of Turkey’s medical association has been convicted of spreading propaganda for terrorists over her call for a probe into the army’s alleged used of chemical weapons against

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Ethiopia's Tigray rebels hand over heavy weapons

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia's Tigray rebels announced the start of handing over heavy weapons, a key part of a peace agreement signed more than two months ago to end a deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia.The

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Brazil orders arrests of top officials over riots

BRASILIA — Brazil's judicial authorities have ordered the arrest of top public officials after rioters stormed key government buildings in Brasília.One official, the former commander of the military

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Asia dominates list of world's most powerful passports

LONDON — A trio of Asian passports offer their holders greater global travel freedom than those of any other countries, according to a new quarterly report released by London-based global citizenship

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Prince Harry condemns 'dangerous spin' about his Taliban comments

LONDON — Prince Harry has said claims he boasted in his new book about killing 25 Taliban fighters while on duty in Afghanistan are a "dangerous lie".The prince has been criticized for discussing

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Controversial Catholic cleric Pell dies aged 81

SYDNEY — Cardinal George Pell, whose conviction on child abuse charges shocked the Catholic Church before being quashed, has died at 81.The former Vatican treasurer is Australia's highest ranking

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Former Brasilia's public security chief accused of ‘sabotage’

BRASILIA — Brasília’s former public security chief has been accused of “sabotaging” local police forces and failing to stop Sunday’s riots in Brazil’s capital.Anderson Torres was dismissed

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French PM to unveil controversial new pension reform

PARIS — French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday will unveil the details of a hugely controversial pension reform project to raise the retirement age to 64.The plan has already angered a large

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Disney boss tells workers to return to office four days a week

LOS ANGELES — Disney's boss has told employees who are currently working from home to start going into the office for four days a week from the start of March.Chief executive Bob Iger said so-called

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Britain's bid to launch first satellites from Europe ends in failure

LONDON — The first-ever satellite mission launched from Western Europe soil ended in disappointment early on Tuesday, when Virgin Orbit said its rocket had suffered an anomaly that prevented it from

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Brazilians hold big pro-democracy rallies to condemn rioters

SAO PAULO — Tens of thousands of people in Brazil have held pro-democracy rallies, in an angry response to the storming of Congress by ex-President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters.In the country's

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California braces for more storms after 12 killed

LOS ANGELES — California is bracing for more severe weather this week, with forecasters warning of an incoming “relentless parade of cyclones”.The US state has already suffered a week of torrential

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Brazil Congress: Mass arrests as Lula condemns ‘terrorist’ riots

BRASILIA — About 1,200 people have been arrested in Brazil after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court.The rioting came a week

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Iran protests: Crowd gathers outside prison in bid to stop executions

TEHRAN — Dozens of people demonstrated outside a prison in Iran overnight amid reports authorities were preparing to execute another two anti-government protesters.Opposition activists posted videos

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Lula vows to punish supporters of Bolsonaro after riot

SAO PAULO — Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to punish supporters of the country's ex-leader, Jair Bolsonaro, after they stormed Congress.Supporters of the ousted far-right

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Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazilian Congress

BRASILIA — Supporters of Brazilian far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro have stormed Congress and police have used tear gas in an attempt to repel them.The dramatic scenes came a week after left-wing

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Ukraine denies Russian claim it killed 600 soldiers

KYIV — Ukraine has labelled as "propaganda" a Russian claim that it killed hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers in an attack.Moscow claimed, without providing any evidence, that a "mass missile

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China reopens borders to tourists after three years of COVID closure

BEIJING — China has reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020.Incoming travelers will no longer need to quarantine — marking

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Newport News: Condition of teacher shot by child improving

NEWPORT NEWS — The condition of a Virginia teacher left seriously injured when she was shot by a six-year-old pupil has shown signs of improvement, authorities say.Abby Zwerner suffered life-threatening

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Tsunami warning downgraded after large earthquake near Tonga

NEW YORK — A large earthquake hit Tonga on Friday, triggering a tsunami warning and an immediate evacuation order from the government of the island nation.The government initially asked locals to flee

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Plane makes emergency landing in Japan due to bomb threat

TOKYO — A Jetstar flight made an emergency landing at Chubu Centrair International Airport in central Japan on Saturday due to a bomb threat, though no device was found, officials said, according to

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First-ever orbital rocket launch from British soil set for Monday

LONDON — The first-ever orbital rocket launch from British soil is set to blast off on Monday, marking the start of the UK’s race to space.The ambition is to turn the country into a global player in

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McCarthy elected US House Speaker after 15 rounds of voting

CAPITOL HILL — Kevin McCarthy has been elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives after heated exchanges which almost saw fellow Republicans come to blows.It took 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy

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Boy aged six detained after shooting teacher in US

VIRGINIA — A six-year-old boy has been detained by police after shooting a teacher in the US state of Virginia, officers say.The shooting happened shortly after 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Richneck

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Iran hangs two more protesters

TEHRAN — Two men have been hanged in Iran for allegedly killing a member of the military during nationwide protests.Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini were found guilty of "corruption

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Kyiv rejects Putin's Russian Orthodox Christmas truce

MOSCOW/ KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his defense minister to impose a 36-hour ceasefire on the Ukrainian front line.The ceasefire— from 12:00 Moscow time (09:00 GMT) — coincides

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Kevin McCarthy hopes for deal as US House Speaker fight hits day four

WASHINGTON — Members of the US House of Representatives will try for a fourth day to elect a Speaker on Friday in an attempt to end a political impasse.The frontrunner, Republican Kevin McCarthy, has

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US warship sails through Taiwan Strait

SINGAPORE — A US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland on Thursday, prompting criticism from Beijing.The US military said the USS Chung-Hoon's transit showed

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Covid in China: Young people self-infect as fears for elderly grow

BEIJING — When Chen's 85-year-old father fell ill with Covid in December, it was impossible to get an ambulance or see a doctor.They went to Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing, where they were told to

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Three days and eleven votes later, US has no House speaker

WASHINGTON — The Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, has failed in his latest bid to get elected speaker in a paralysis of US government not seen since the pre-Civil War

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Deadly riots grip Mexican state after arrest of El Chapo's son

MEXICO CITY — Three security force members have died in clashes in the state of Sinaloa after the arrest of a son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin "El Chapo".Ovidio Guzmán-López - himself

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India’s Supreme Court temporarily stops order on mass evictions

NEW DELHI — India's top court has given temporary relief to thousands of people who were facing forced eviction from their homes in Uttarakhand state.The top court put on hold an earlier high court

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Prince Harry accuses Prince William of physical attack in memoir — report

LONDON — Prince Harry has claimed his brother William physically attacked him, according to the Guardian, which says it has seen a copy of the Duke of Sussex's memoir, Spare.The newspaper reported

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China Covid: Celebrity deaths spark fears over death toll

BEIJING — The growing number of Chinese public figures whose deaths are being made public is prompting people to question the official Covid death toll.The death of Chu Lanlan, a 40-year-old opera singer,

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Delhi hit-and-run: The woman who was dragged to death

NEW DELHI — Family members of Anjali Singh, the 20-year-old whose death in a horrific hit-and-run case has sparked protests in India, remember her as a cheerful person who loved making Instagram Reels

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WHO warns about China under-representing Covid deaths

GENEVA — The World Health Organization has warned that China is under-representing the true impact of Covid in the country - in particular deaths.The removal of most restrictions last month has led to

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Iran releases top actress held for supporting protests

TEHRAN — Authorities in Iran have released a top actress who was arrested last month after expressing solidarity with anti-government protesters.Taraneh Alidoosti was pictured being greeted by friends

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US House in chaos after Kevin McCarthy loses speaker votes

WASHINGTON — On a day of political drama not seen in Congress for a century, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly failed in his bid to be elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives.The

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Russia blames missile attack on troops' phone use

MOSCOW — Russia has said a New Year's Day missile attack which killed at least 89 Russian soldiers happened because troops were using their mobile phones.Use of banned phones allowed the enemy to

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Climate change: Why is Europe experiencing a January heat wave?

BRUSSELS — Countries across Europe have been experiencing record-breaking January temperatures, meteorologists said.At least eight European countries have recorded their warmest January day ever.Climatologists

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Pro-Russian agents working to turn Germany against Ukraine

BERLIN — Russian President Vladimir Putin-supporting agents in Germany are working to turn Berlin against Ukraine, a Reuters investigation has found.The international news agency revealed that key figures

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UK pledges cash support for low-income households amid cost of living crisis

LONDON — Millions of low-income households in the UK will receive cost of living support in the coming financial year, the government said on Tuesday.Poorer homes will be given cash payments of up to

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Arab and Muslim organizations condemn Israeli official's provocative practices

RIYADH/CAIRO — The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf condemned the provocative practices carried out by an Israeli official by storming the courtyard of Al Aqsa

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Israel far-right minister enters Al-Aqsa in ‘ unprecedented provocation’

JERUSALEM — Palestinians have condemned a visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by a far-right Israeli minister as an "unprecedented provocation".Israel’s far-right national security minister,

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Young woman's horrific death in Delhi hit-and-run shocks India

NEW DELHI — The gruesome death of a 20-year-old woman in India's capital Delhi on 1 January has shocked the country.Media reports say the woman, who was an event manager, was returning from work

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Snow shortage in the Alps amid abnormally high temperatures

GENEVA — Much of the Alps does not look right for this time of the year, with sparse snowfall and unseasonably warm weather allowing grass to blanket the European mountain range.The lack of snowfall

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More than 60,000 pay final respects to Pope Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY — Tens of thousands flocked to the Vatican on Monday to pay their final respects to Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday at the age of 95.More than 60,000 people filed pasted the body

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UK health official warns of up 500 lives a week at risk amid NHS crisis

LONDON — A senior health official in the UK has warned that an ongoing crisis in the country’s National Health Service is putting up to 500 lives a week at risk.The President of the Royal College of

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Egypt retrieves green sarcophagus from United States

CAIRO — A recently recovered ancient Egyptian artefact known as the “Green Coffin” was returned on Monday from the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences in the United States after it had been smuggled

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Drone attacks continue on Kyiv and eastern Ukraine

KYIV — Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv on Sunday night as the latest wave of drone and missile strikes from Russia continued.An attack which began shortly before midnight targeted critical infrastructure,

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Kim Jong Un calls for exponential increase in North Korea’s nuclear arsenal amid threats from South, US

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is calling for an “exponential increase” in his country’s nuclear weapons arsenal in response to what he claims are threats from South Korea and the United

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Lula sworn in as Brazil president for third time

BRASILIA — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sworn in as the new president of Brazil — the third time he has held the country’s highest office.The veteran left-wing politician, known widely as Lula,

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France urges all EU countries to test Chinese travelers for COVID

PARIS —France is urging all European Union countries to start testing passengers arriving from China for COVID, amid an outbreak sweeping the Asian nation.So far the only EU countries to require testing

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Pope Francis and world leaders pay tribute to Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has led tributes to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who has died, aged 95.Benedict had been "noble" and "kind" — and "gifted" to the Roman Catholic

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Croatia switches to euro, enters borderless Europe club on New Year

ZAGREB — At the stroke of midnight on Saturday, Croatia switched to the shared European currency, the euro, and removed dozens of border checkpoints to join the world’s largest passport-free travel

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Canada, Australia impose COVID rules on travelers from China

BEIJING — Australia and Canada have joined a growing list of countries requiring travelers from China to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding their flight, as China battles a nationwide outbreak of

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Several feared dead in blast outside Kabul military airport

KABUL — An explosion has taken place at the entrance gate of Kabul's military airport, the DPA quoted the Interior Ministry in Afghanistan as saying on Sunday.Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takoor

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