International

Storm Elena strikes Greece, bringing traffic chaos, flooding

Storm Elena strikes Greece, bringing traffic chaos, flooding

Greece has been in the grip of a wet weather front named Elena since Christmas, causing traffic disruptions and flooding across the country, authorities said Thursday.

In Athens, many northern and southern suburbs residents woke up on Thursday to heavy rainfall, which flooded dozens of houses and swept away cars. The Fire Brigade received at least 40 telephone calls to pump out water and remove fallen trees from roads.

Elena delivered the heaviest rainfall in Attica’s mountainous areas of Vilia and Penteli, far from the severe flooding experienced in the southern suburbs. The worst-hit areas included the port region of Piraeus and nearby Alimos.

The Peace and Friendship Stadium in the southern seaside area of the Greek capital near Piraeus Port was also flooded, and authorities are still assessing the damage, news agency reported.

WHO Chief calls for release of UN staff following negotiation with Houthis

WHO Chief calls for release of UN staff following negotiation with Houthis

The negotiation over the release of 13 UN staff arrested by the Houthi group in Yemeni capital Sanaa has concluded, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

"We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release," Ghebreyesus wrote on social media platform X.

The UN confirmed in June that 13 of its staff members have been detained by the Houthis in Sanaa. The militant group has accused those arrested UN staffers of involving in espionage acts for the United States.

In the meantime, Ghebreyesus noted that the Sanaa International Airport came under aerial bombardment as he and some other UN and WHO officials were about to board their flight from Yemen's capital Sanaa, news agency reported.

UN chief condemns escalation between Yemen's Houthis, Israel

UN chief condemns escalation between Yemen's Houthis, Israel

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the escalation of the fight between Yemen's Houthis and Israel, and called for a ceasefire, his spokesperson said in a statement.

"Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming," the spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

The airstrikes reportedly resulted in numerous casualties, including an injury to a UN Humanitarian Air Service crew member.

According to the statement, a high-level UN delegation, headed by World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at the airport when the strikes occurred.

Russia foils Ukrainian plots to kill senior defence officials

Russia foils Ukrainian plots to kill senior defence officials

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted multiple assassination plots coordinated by Ukrainian special services against high-ranking Russian military officials, it said in a statement.

Four Russian citizens linked to the assassination plots against the officials and their families were detained, the FSB said.

One of the citizens, recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services, arrived in Moscow in November 2024 to carry out a terrorist act by planting an explosive device disguised as a power bank under the car of a high-ranking defence official, news agency reported.

"It has been established that a Russian citizen recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services to carry out a terrorist act arrived in Moscow from Ukraine in November 2024 under the guise of a deportee in transit through Moldova and Georgia," FSB press office said in a statement.

South Korea to devise demographic policy for 'super-aged' society

South Korea to devise demographic policy for 'super-aged' society

A presidential committee on ageing society and population on Friday said the government will come up with a demographic policy blueprint in the near future, as South Korea has formally become a "super-aged" society.

The remark came after the government data showed the number of South Koreans aged 65 or older stood at 10.24 million, accounting for 20 per cent of the country's total population of 51.22 million, news agency reported.

The United Nations classifies countries where more than 7 per cent of the population is 65 or older as an aging society, those with over 14 per cent as an aged society, and those with more than 20 per cent as a super-aged society.

Korean won further dips to lowest level in nearly 16 years

Korean won further dips to lowest level in nearly 16 years

The South Korean currency dipped further against the US dollar to its lowest level in nearly 16 years on Friday amid a deepening political crisis and growth woes.

The Korean won opened at 1,467.5 won per dollar, down 2.7 won from the previous session, and fell further to 1,480.2 won at around 10:58 a.m.

It marked the first time that the won fell below the 1,480 won level in terms of intraday trading figures since March 16, 2009, when the reading was quoted at 1,488 won in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, reports news agency.

A political crisis has intensified in South Korea as the National Assembly was set to vote on a motion to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo over his refusal to appoint Constitutional Court justices that will adjudicate President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial.

Earlier, the parliament voted to impeach Yoon for his shocking, albeit short-lived, imposition of martial law on December 3.

Three dead, four seriously injured in Norway bus accident

Three dead, four seriously injured in Norway bus accident

Three individuals died and four others sustained serious injuries after a long-distance bus veered off highway and plunged into a lake in Hadsel, northern Norway, local authorities said.

The bus carrying more than 50 passengers was on its way from Narvik to Solvaer when it overturned in Hadsel, near Raftsundet, in Lofoten archipelago, northern Norway's famous tourist destination.

Emergency responders faced challenging conditions at the site, including adverse weather that hampered helicopter operations, news agency reported.

"The bus is partially underwater. Three fatalities have been confirmed, and four people are seriously injured," said Bent Are Eilertsen, chief of staff at the Nordland Police District. "Emergency services have evacuated everyone from the bus."

Four injured in shooting, stabbing incident at US Phoenix airport on Christmas night

Four injured in shooting, stabbing incident at US Phoenix airport on Christmas night

Three people were shot and one was stabbed on Christmas night in a shooting and stabbing incident at an international airport in Phoenix, the capital of the southwestern US state of Arizona, according to authorities and local news outlets.

Police officers got a call about a possible shooting at a restaurant outside a security checkpoint in Terminal 4 at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the largest airport in the state, around 9:45 pm Wednesday local time, a Phoenix police spokesperson said Thursday morning at a news conference.

Police officers at the scene located three people with gunshot injuries and a fourth person with stab wound at an airport parking area, news agency reported.

The spokesperson said a woman was hospitalised with life-threatening injuries and three men were in stable condition.

Estonia holds emergency meeting after undersea power cable disruption

Estonia holds emergency meeting after undersea power cable disruption

Russia to introduce new rules for foreigners purchasing SIM cards from Jan 1

Russia to introduce new rules for foreigners purchasing SIM cards from Jan 1

The procedure for purchasing SIM cards by foreigners will become stricter in Russia from January 1, 2025, the country's Ministry of Digital Development announced on Thursday.

The new rules will be introduced for foreigners with stricter measures aimed at combating fraudsters and "gray" SIM cards.

According to the new rules, the communication contract can only be concluded in person at a communication store; one person can register no more than 10 numbers, including corporate ones; one will need SNILS, a State Services account and biometric identification verification registered in the Unified Biometric System; and, the contract will specify a unique 15-character device number — IMEI.

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