UK navy escorts Russian ship near its national waters
LONDON, Dec 26: A British ship escorted a Russian vessel as it passed near UK territorial waters over Christmas, Britain's defence ministry said on Tuesday, adding that Russian naval activity near Britain had increased in the holiday period. The frigate HMS St Albans departed on Dec 23 to track the new Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov as it moved through the North Sea. The Royal Navy vessel monitored the Russian ship over Christmas and will return to dock in Portsmouth later on Tuesday.— Reuters
Myanmar drops charges against journos jailed for flying drone
YANGON, Dec 26: Foreign and local journalists jailed for flying a drone near Myanmar's parliament could be released from prison in early January after police dropped additional charges that carried at least three more years behind bars, their lawyers said Tuesday. Lau Hon Meng from Singapore and Mok Choy Lin from Malaysia, who were on assignment for Turkish state broadcaster TRT, were detained late October along with Myanmar journalist Aung Naing Soe and driver Hla Tin while shooting a documentary in the capital Naypyidaw. — AFP
10 perish as speeding bus hits pilgrims in India
NEW DELHI, Dec 26: At least 10 people are feared dead as a speeding bus ploughed into a group of pilgrims in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu Tuesday, police said. — Xinhua
Macron's firm migrant policy contradicts his image
PARIS, Dec 26: The French government is scrambling to meet President Emmanuel Macron's deadline to get migrants off France's streets and out of forest hideouts by year's end as it gets colder. That won't likely happen, and Macron's government is now tightening the screws: ramping up expulsions, raising pressure on economic migrants. Critics contend that Macron's increasingly tough policy on migrants - though wrapped in a cloak of goodwill - contradicts his image as a humanist who defeated an anti-immigrant populist for the presidency.--AP
Philippine troops kill 10 extremists
MANILA, Dec 26:Philippine troops have killed at least 10 extremist rebels in airstrikes in southern Philippines' Maguindanao province, the military said on Tuesday. The troops launched the airstrikes around 10:00 p.m. local time on Monday after an undetermined number of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked an army post in Maitumaig village in Datu Unsay town, the military said.--Xinhua
Nigerian army thwarts attack
KANO, Dec 26: Boko Haram jihadists made a failed Christmas Day attempt to attack Nigeria's major northeast city of Maiduguri as they were pushed out by Nigerian soldiers after a prolonged gun battle, said sources. The jihadists in "several" pickup trucks opened fire on a military checkpoint on the Molai outskirts of the city at around 5:30 pm (1630 GMT) on Monday.—AFP
Drone kills 17 IS militants
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Dec 26: At least 17 militants of the Islamic State (IS) group were killed in drone attacks in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, the provincial government said Tuesday. Those among the killed were two foreign nationals affiliated with the IS group and an amount of arms and ammunition were also eliminated after NATO-led coalition forces' unmanned air-vehicles struck IS hideouts in restive Achin and Hasaka Mina districts.—Xinhua
Winds blow woman off her balcony
MOSCOW, Dec 26: Russian media reports say that gale-force winds have blown a woman off her balcony on the Pacific island of Sakhalin. The Interfax news agency reported Tuesday that the 65-year-old woman went out for a smoke on the balcony and was blown off, landing on a snowdrift below. A local news website says she fell from the fourth floor, breaking an arm and three ribs. A series of snowstorms hit Sakhalin since Monday with wind gusts in the area of the woman's fall reaching about 150 kph. — AP
Canada to expel Venezuelan envoy in retaliatory move
OTTAWA, Dec 26: Canada will expel a Venezuelan diplomat and also bar the country's ambassador from returning, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Monday, two days after Venezuela booted out Canada's envoy for criticizing its rights record. Western nations and Latin American neighbours have been increasingly critical of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this year, accusing him of stamping on democracy and human rights. — Reuters
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