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WHO panel debates Covid's emergency status
The World Health Organization's emergency committee on Covid-19 was meeting Friday to discuss whether the pandemic still merits the highest level of global alert.
Palestinian anger spreads after deadly Israel raid
Before carrying out one of the deadliest West Bank raids in recent memory, Israeli soldiers reportedly snuck into Jenin refugee camp hiding in the back of a milk truck.
DR Congo rebels take eastern town, army claims tactical retreat
Rebels from the M23 group in Democratic Republic of Congo seized a town from the army as they continued to advance in the country's troubled east, the military said Friday.
Court reduces spying sentence for Ikea France ex-boss
A French appeals court on Friday cut the sentence of a former Ikea France chief convicted in 2021 of setting up an illegal system to spy on staff and job applicants.
Tearful tribute to Tanzanian student killed in Ukraine
Hundreds of Tanzanians attended an emotional memorial ceremony on Friday for a student who was killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine after being recruited in jail.
Stock markets fluctuate as US inflation eases
Stock markets seesawed Friday as data showed a key US inflation indicator easing in December, opening the door for the Federal Reserve to slow its rate-hike campaign.
Ex-paratrooper set to sweep Czech presidential vote against ex-PM
Polling stations opened Friday for the Czech presidential election run-off in which retired NATO general Petr Pavel is expected to beat billionaire former prime minister Andrej Babis.
Ukraine says fighting for Vugledar 'fierce' in east
Ukraine said Friday its troops were locked in "fierce" fighting with Russian troops for control of the town of Vugledar in the region of Donetsk on the eastern front.
German parliament spotlights Nazis' LGBTQ victims for first time
The German parliament on Friday dedicated its annual Holocaust commemorations for the first time to people killed for their sexual or gender identity, and acknowledged decades of post-war persecution.
One killed in attack on Azerbaijan embassy in Iran
A gunman stormed Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran on Friday, killing the mission's head of security in an attack Iran said was motivated by personal reasons but Baku labelled an act of "terrorism".
Putin blasts 'neo-Nazis' in Ukraine on Holocaust Remembrance Day
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday repeated a claim that neo-Nazis were committing crimes in Ukraine -- an allegation Moscow has used to justify its military intervention -- as the world marked Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Syria to blame for 2018 chlorine attack: watchdog
The global chemical weapons watchdog blamed Syria on Friday for a 2018 chlorine attack that killed 43 people, in a long-awaited report on a case that sparked tensions between Damascus and the West.
Japan to decide on abortion pill after panel's agreement
Japan's health ministry will soon decide whether to make abortion pills available for the first time after the proposal cleared a major hurdle with endorsement by a government panel on Friday.
'Loyal to the motherland': joining Russia's Youth Army
At the Stalingrad Battle Museum in Russia's southern city of Volgograd, dozens of teenagers stand in a circle, waiting to take oath as they join the patriotic Youth Army movement.
UK dismisses economic 'gloom', eyes Brexit boost
Britain's finance minister will dismiss "gloom" over the country's recession-threatened economy and vow to tap into Brexit opportunities to bolster growth in a key speech on Friday.
Asian markets extend rally on hopes US will avoid recession
Asian markets rose again Friday as fears about a possible recession in the US economy were soothed by data showing it grew more than expected in 2022, adding to the broadly upbeat tone across trading floors this year.
Teacher's home becomes school in destroyed Ukraine village
Teacher Oleksandr Pogoryelov occasionally strolls up the sloping road to the school in his village in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine where he taught for more than two decades.
Andrej Babis, billionaire ex-PM in Czech presidential run-off
Billionaire lawmaker and former premier Andrej Babis, who is trailing in opinion polls going into the Czech presidential run-off on Friday and Saturday, has been dogged by his communist past and controversial business dealings.
Petr Pavel, Czech war hero in presidential run-off
Retired general Petr Pavel, who leads in opinion polls going into the Czech presidential run-off on Friday and Saturday, is a war hero with a passion for motorcycles.
Joseph the Blind's healing balms for Turkey's troubled city
The Kurdish herbalist reaches for a sachet as fragrant as a wild meadow, garnished with linden, rosehip, slivers of dried ginger, cinnamon stick and a touch of mystery.
Ex-paratrooper set to sweep Czech president vote against former PM
Retired NATO general Petr Pavel looks a clear favourite to beat billionaire former prime minister Andrej Babis in the Czech presidential election run-off on Friday and Saturday.
In a first, German parliament spotlights Nazis' LGBTQ victims
The German parliament will for the first time on Friday focus its annual Holocaust memorial commemorations on people persecuted and killed for their sexual or gender identity.
Israel, Gaza militants trade missiles after deadly West Bank raid
Israel launched air strikes on Gaza Friday in response to militant rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave, as tensions rose following the deadliest army raid on the occupied West Bank in years.
Asian markets build on rally on hopes US will avoid recession
Asian markets rose again Friday as fears about a possible recession in the US economy were soothed by data showing it grew more than expected in 2022, adding to the broadly upbeat tone across trading floors this year.
All eyes on turnout as Tunisia votes again after boycott
Tunisians are to vote again on Sunday in elections for a parliament stripped of its powers, the final pillar of President Kais Saied's remake of politics in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
Gandhi's killer a hero to India's diehard Hindu nationalists
Hindu fundamentalist Ashok Sharma has devoted his life to championing the deeds of an Indian "patriot": not revered independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, but the man who shot him dead.
Madison Square Garden's facial recognition blacklisting sparks outcry
The heated debate over facial recognition technology has a new flashpoint: Manhattan's celebrated Madison Square Garden, home to the New York Knicks basketball team and countless Billy Joel concerts.
Russian activist, 80, fights on despite crackdown
She is 80 years old, the Memorial rights group she co-founded has been shut down, and some of her colleagues have fled Russia fearing arrest under President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine could boycott Paris Olympics if Russian athletes take part
Ukraine's sports minister warned on Thursday his country could boycott the 2024 Paris Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to take part.
'Start over': Ukraine's Bakhmut evacuates as Russia claims to be nearing
Olena Morozova had endured months of bombardment in what has become the most gruelling battle of the war in Ukraine for the city of Bakhmut, but on Thursday, she said she had finally had enough.
Russian missiles kill 11 in Ukraine after tank pledge
A blistering wave of Russian strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure killed 11 people on Thursday, a day after Germany and the United States pledged heavy tanks for Kyiv.
'Be ready': UN refugee chief warns more will flee Ukraine fighting
With Russian forces pushing in eastern Ukraine, the UN's Refugee Agency chief told AFP Thursday that Kyiv and European governments should prepare for a possible wave of people fleeing the fighting.
In Spain, jihadist attacks a dormant but real threat
The deadly church attack in Algeciras has rekindled Spanish concerns about the jihadist threat, which experts say is still present although the country has been relatively spared from attacks in recent years.
EU dangles visa threat over countries refusing to take back migrants
EU interior ministers reached "consensus" Thursday to warn outside countries refusing to take back irregular migrants they risked tighter visa restrictions to Europe, Sweden's migration minister said.
US targets Chinese firm for helping Russian group in Ukraine
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Chinese company for allegedly providing satellite imagery in Ukraine to help Russia's Wagner mercenary group, which has come under growing US pressure.
10 Palestinians killed as Israel launches deadliest West Bank raid in years
Israeli forces in the West Bank killed 10 Palestinians Thursday, officials in the occupied territory said, nine of them in a raid the Israeli military described as a "counterterrorism operation".
Spain port reels after church attack as suspect background emerges
The city of Algeciras was united in mourning Thursday a day after a machete-wielding Moroccan stormed two churches, killing a verger and seriously wounding a priest in bloodshed that left residents reeling in the multicultural southern Spanish port.
Fresh clashes as M23 rebels make gains in east DR Congo
M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo clashed with soldiers and rival militias on Thursday, according to officials, who said the group's fighters had also cut a vital road in the turbulent region.
Russian missiles kill 11 in Ukraine
A blistering wave of Russian strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure killed 11 people on Thursday, a day after Germany and the United States pledged heavy tanks for Kyiv.