King Charles III has hailed the "heartfelt solidarity" of people across the recession-hit UK struggling with a worsening cost of living crisis, in his first Christmas Day message as monarch.. In his inaugural Christmas message, Charles said both he and his late mother shared "a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others".
China will no longer publish daily figures for Covid-19 cases and deaths, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday, ending a practice that began in early 2020. . "From today, we will no longer publish daily information on the epidemic," the NHC said.
Thousands rallied on Sunday in Azerbaijan, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region's largest city Stepanakert, to protest the blockade of the only land link to Armenia, an AFP journalist saw. . For nearly two weeks Azerbaijani activists have blocked the corridor, the only land link to Armenia, to protest what they claim is illegal mining.
Church bells and chanting rang throughout Ukraine's capital as Orthodox Christians attended Christmas services on Sunday, a defiant break from Russian religious leaders who will mark the holiday in two weeks. . An official breakdown was not available, but he said only a "minority" of churches were holding Christmas services on Sunday.
The death toll from a fuel tanker explosion in a South African city east of Johannesburg has risen to 15, the health minister said Sunday.. "Yesterday (Saturday), the death toll was at 10 people and now we are sitting at 15 as of this morning," Joe Phaahla told reporters at Tambo Memorial Hospital.
President Vladimir Putin blasted the West for trying to "tear apart" Russia and said his offensive in Ukraine aimed to "unite the Russian people".. He said Russia's "geopolitical opponents (were) aiming to tear apart Russia, the historical Russia," Putin said in excerpts from an interview to be aired later on Sunday.
Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the "senseless" war in Ukraine, in his traditional Christmas Day message broadcast around the world.. "May the Lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering, and may he enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war!"
A French man suspected of killing three Kurds in Paris has confessed to a "pathological" hatred for foreigners, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday.. Beccuau said in a statement that the suspect was "depressive" and "suicidal" and said he "wanted to kill foreigners" after a robbery in his home in 2016.
Top officials from the United Nations and dozens of NGOs operating in Afghanistan are meeting in Kabul Sunday to discuss the way ahead after the Taliban authorities ordered all NGOs to stop women employees from working, aid officials said.. The meeting will discuss whether to suspend all aid work following the latest Taliban directive, some NGO officials said.
Marwa was just a few months away from becoming the first woman in her Afghan family to go to university -- instead, she will watch achingly as her brother goes without her.. Marwa and Hamid come from an impoverished family but their parents had supported their pursuit of higher education.
