International

19 Pakistani soldiers, 3 Afghan civilians killed in clashes between Afghan-Pak border forces

19 Pakistani soldiers, 3 Afghan civilians killed in clashes between Afghan-Pak border forces

Heavy clashes erupted between Afghan and Pakistani border forces at border crossing points, killing 19 Pakistani soldiers and three Afghan civilians, local media reported on Saturday.

The fierce clashes are ongoing in eastern Afghanistan's Khost and Paktia provinces bordering Pakistan, TOLOnews reported, quoting a source from the Ministry of National Defense, as per news agency.

Afghan border forces have set on fire several Pakistani military posts in the Ali Shir district of Khost province and captured two Pakistani posts in the Dand-e-Patan district of Paktia province, it said.

Three Afghan civilians lost their lives due to mortar shells fired by Pakistani soldiers in the Dand-e-Patan district, the source added.

Tunisia dismantles drug trafficking network, arrests three

Tunisia dismantles drug trafficking network, arrests three

Tunisian security forces have dismantled a drug trafficking network active in the northwestern province of Siliana, arresting three individuals, the Tunisian National Guard said on its Facebook page.

The arrestees include a woman, it said on Friday, without mentioning the timing of the operation or the identities of the suspects.

National Guard units targeted the criminal network in the town of Rouhia in Siliana, and a quantity of narcotic pills, sharp tools, and a sum of money were seized during the operation.

Upon reviewing the case, the public prosecution authorised their detention pending investigations, news agency reported.

Sudan starts to resume train operation after hiatus due to war

Sudan starts to resume train operation after hiatus due to war

Sudan has resumed the operation of the train linking Port Sudan in the eastern Red Sea State with Atbara in the northern River Nile State, following a hiatus due to the ongoing civil conflict, Sudanese authorities said.

The train set off from Port Sudan on Thursday evening and arrived in Atbara on Friday, marking the first railway line in Sudan to resume operation since the onset of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April 2023.

Sudan's Transport Minister Abu Bakr Abu Al-Qasim Abdalla said the work would continue to resume the operation on other railway lines.

2025 climate forecast warns of wildfire danger in dry winter season in US

2025 climate forecast warns of wildfire danger in dry winter season in US

Wildfires may be in the news again this winter across the southern tier of the United States as drought persists and expands across the region.

"Fire is probably the biggest danger going into winter," said climatologist and drought expert Brian Fuchs.

Long-promised La Niña conditions are still expected to develop, perhaps as early as January, which typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, leaving the southern tier of the country warmer and drier, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said. As a result, forecasters expect drought conditions to persist and worsen across the southern United States, news agency reported.

Homelessness surges to record levels in US

Homelessness surges to record levels in US

The United States experienced its highest level of homelessness in 2024, with several states reporting triple-digit percentage increases as the nationwide housing crisis deepened, according to federal data.

The annual report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), released on Friday, revealed that 771,480 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, marking an 18.1 per cent increase from 2023.

The most dramatic increases occurred in Illinois, Hawaii, and other states struggling with housing affordability challenges and surges in migrant arrivals, reports news agency.

HUD data showed Illinois recorded the nation's steepest rise, with a 116.2 per cent increase that brought its homeless population to 25,832. The Chicago region accounted for 91 per cent of this surge, primarily due to an influx of migrants. According to the report, new arrivals, including migrant and asylum-seeking families, made up more than 13,600 people in emergency shelters in Chicago.

Mexico: Eight killed after a bus collides with trailer truck

Mexico: Eight killed after a bus collides with trailer truck

At least eight people were killed and 27 others injured after a passenger bus collided with a semi-trailer truck in eastern Mexico, local authorities said.

The collision occurred early on Friday on the Perote-Xalapa highway near Los Molinos in the eastern state of Veracruz, killing three men, four women and one minor, the Veracruz State Attorney General's Office said.

It added that the Xalapa regional prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

According to local media, the ADO bus was travelling the Mexico City-Xalapa route, and it appeared that the bus driver failed to notice the presence of the semi-trailer, leading to the collision.

Veracruz Governor Rocio Nahle said on social media that the state is working in coordination with the federal government to attend to the passengers and families affected by the accident.

Trump urges Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban

Trump urges Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban

US President-elect Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay the TikTok ban in order to allow time for a negotiated solution, according to a legal document.

The document was filed on Friday by John Sauer, whom Trump nominated to serve as Solicitor General, a position typically responsible for representing the US government in appellate courts such as the Supreme Court.

The document states that Trump opposes the immediate ban of TikTok in the United States and hopes to resolve the issue through political means after taking office. Trump is skilled in negotiation and has the political will to reach a solution through talks, one that would address the government's national security concerns while saving the platform.

Trump has recently suggested that he may allow TikTok to continue operations in the United States, news agency reported.

At an event hosted by the conservative organisation Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, Trump said that the popular video-sharing app may have helped reach some key voters in the presidential election and expressed the possibility of keeping TikTok around "for a little while."

UAE condemns burning of Gaza hospital by Israeli forces

UAE condemns burning of Gaza hospital by Israeli forces

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly condemned the burning of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip by Israeli troops, which forced patients and medical staff to evacuate.

In a statement released by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the UAE expressed its rejection of the act, describing it as a "heinous violation" of international humanitarian law and part of a "systematic assault" on Gaza's already fragile healthcare system.

The Ministry called for an immediate cessation of violence, stressing the importance of protecting civilians and civilian institutions.

"The current situation represents a catastrophic humanitarian emergency that demands urgent attention," the statement noted.

The UAE also urged the international community to intensify efforts to prevent further deterioration in "the occupied Palestinian territory" and to support all initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive and just peace.

South Korea: Ex-Defence Minister indicted on insurrection charges in martial law probe

South Korea: Ex-Defence Minister indicted on insurrection charges in martial law probe

South Korea's prosecutors on Friday indicted former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun under detention on charges of insurrection over his alleged role in the short-lived imposition of martial law this month.

The prosecution's special investigation team indicted Kim on charges of abuse of power and playing an "integral" role in an insurrection, marking the first indictment in the case on President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched declaration of martial law on December 3.

Prosecutors believe Kim recommended Yoon declare martial law, and led the deployment of troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission's offices during martial law, news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, South Korea's Constitutional Court said it would swiftly proceed with President Yoon's impeachment trial as it wrapped up the case's first hearing, with the next hearing on the trial set for January 3.

The court made the announcement during the preparatory hearing for the trial on the validity of Yoon's impeachment by the National Assembly this month over his failed imposition of martial law on December 3, news agency reported.

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.

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