World

Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Arabiya TV on Sunday that elections could take four years, noted the importance of ties with Iran and Russia, and called for the United States to lift sanctions.In a wide-ranging interview three weeks after his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied rebels ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad …

Syria’s leader says elections could take 4 years: Al Arabiya interview Read More »

The Sudanese government strongly rejected on Sunday a report backed by the United Nations which determined that famine had spread to five areas of the war-torn country.The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) review, which UN agencies use, follows repeated warnings from the United Nations, other aid groups and the United States about the hunger …

Sudan government rejects UN-backed famine declaration Read More »

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday demanded that Russia admit that it fired at an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet before it crashed, accusing Moscow of initially trying to cover up the cause of the fatal disaster.Aliyev made the accusation in an interview to state media at Baku airport four days after the AZAL Embraer 190 …

Azerbaijan demands Russia admit to shooting at plane before crash Read More »

Revellers dressed in glitzy, colourful costumes danced down the streets of Calabar, southern Nigeria, this weekend as giant speakers blasted out Afrobeats for one of west Africa’s most prestigious carnivals.Every December, the celebration draws nearly two million partygoers to the capital of Cross River state, organisers said.Calabar carnival, known as “Africa’s Biggest Street Party”, is …

Glitzy Calabar Carnival wraps up tough year in Nigeria Read More »

Suriname’s former dictator Desi Bouterse died of liver failure at age 79, an official autopsy revealed. Bouterse’s body was dropped off Tuesday at his residence in the capital Paramaribo by unidentified people, after he spent years hiding in an undisclosed location following a conviction in the killing of political opponents in 1982.The autopsy results, released on …

Suriname ex-dictator died of liver failure, autopsy shows Read More »

Chad voted Sunday in a general election the government says is a key step towards ending military rule, with turnout expected to be low after the opposition called for a boycott.Midday figures suggested a turnout of just 38 percent to choose a new parliament, provincial assemblies and local councils, according to the elections management agency …

Chad votes in general election after three years of army rule Read More »

A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, killing everyone aboard except for two flight attendants plucked from the wreckage.A bird strike was cited by authorities as the likely cause of the crash — the worst ever aviation disaster …

179 dead in South Korea’s worst plane crash Read More »

Georgia inaugurated on Sunday an ex-footballer turned far-right politician — Mikheil Kavelashvili — as Tbilisi’s next figurehead president, after a controversial election process denounced as “illegitimate” by the current pro-EU leader.Picked by the governing Georgian Dream party as a loyalist, the former forward for English Premier League champions Manchester City is known for his expletive-laden …

Mikheil Kavelashvili, ex-Man City striker and Georgia’s disputed far-right president Read More »

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia on Sunday of firing at an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet before it crashed and of initially trying to cover up the cause of the fatal disaster, demanding that Moscow admit guilt.Aliyev made the accusation in an interview to state media at Baku airport four days after the AZAL plane …

Azerbaijan says Russia shot at plane before crash, demands it admit Read More »

Salome Zurabishvili has vowed to stay on as the president of Georgia, becoming an icon to thousands of pro-EU protesters during a bitter political showdown and decrying a new party loyalist’s inauguration to the presidency as “illegitimate.”  The 72-year-old has taken a central role in Georgia’s crisis, having vowed not to stand down when her …

Salome Zurabishvili: outgoing Georgian leader defying the government Read More »