Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Monday a 2,700-year-old clay seal imprinted with images and Hebrew words that may have belonged to a biblical governor of Jerusalem. The round button-sized seal was found in a building in Jerusalem’s Old City near the Western Wall and dates back …
Read More »Four killed in London New Year knife violence: police
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Four young men were stabbed to death in unrelated incidents in London on New Year’s Eve, while a fifth is in a critical condition in hospital, police said Monday. The unusually concentrated spate of violence will add to growing concerns about knife crime in the …
Read More »Trump threatens to cut aid to Pakistan, a ‘haven to terrorists’
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump lashed out at Pakistan on Monday in his first tweet of 2018, threatening to cut off aid over what he said were its “lies and deceit” in offering “safe haven to terrorists.” “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more …
Read More »Indonesians celebrate New Year with mass wedding
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Hundreds of Indonesian couples celebrated getting married in Jakarta on New Year’s Eve in a free mass wedding. The communal event, attended by 437 couples, was staged by authorities to ease residents’ struggles with bureaucracy. Many Jakartans cannot access public services because they have never …
Read More »Deputy killed, six wounded in ‘domestic’ shooting in Colorado
Washington, United States | AFP | A sheriff’s deputy was killed and six other people, including four deputies, were wounded Sunday in what police called a “domestic disturbance” in a residential suburb near Denver, Colorado. The lone suspect was “shot & believed to be dead” after the standoff at the …
Read More »Sydney extravaganza kicks off global New Year parties
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Hong Kong saw in 2018 in spectacular style as the southern Chinese city staged a stunning fireworks display over its famous Victoria Harbour. Thousands thronged the harbourside to see the show illuminate the famous skyline as revellers danced to Auld Lang Syne. “Shooting stars” were …
Read More »Russia’s top court upholds election ban on opposition leader
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia’s top court on Saturday rejected an appeal by opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a decision to bar him from running in the country’s 2018 presidential election. The Supreme Court agreed with Russia’s Central Election Commission that Navalny cannot register as a candidate due to …
Read More »Putin calls for ‘pragmatic cooperation’ in New Year wishes to Trump
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin called for “pragmatic cooperation” in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday. In a statement on the Russian president’s New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that “a constructive …
Read More »Israel confirms withdrawal from UN cultural body
Paris, France | AFP | Israel has formally notified the UN’s culture and education body of its withdrawal from the organisation, two months after it announced it would follow the US by walking out over resolutions critical of the Jewish state. In a statement UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said she …
Read More »Facebook, Twitter face deadline in Brexit fake news probe
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Social media giants Facebook and Twitter are facing a deadline in Britain to cooperate with an inquiry into so-called fake news in the Brexit referendum campaign, a parliamentary committee chairman said Friday. The companies have been given until January 18 to share information requested …
Read More »