Iran’s leader Khamenei weeps at general’s funeral as nation grieves
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wept while leading mourners in prayer for the funeral on Monday of slain military commander Qassem Soleimani, whose death in a U.S. drone strike has caused a huge outpouring of national grief.
Bloody Philippine drug war fails to curb methamphetamine supply: VP
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has only managed to curb the supply of methamphetamines by less than 1% of annual consumption, proof that it has been a bloody failure, his main political rival, the vice president, said on Monday.
Kremlin says Merkel, Putin to discuss Middle East crisis in Moscow
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Russia on Jan. 11 to discuss the Middle East crisis with President Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader’s press service said on Monday.
Smoke stalls rescues as Australia plans for next fiery onslaught
Australian officials took advantage of better weather on Monday to reopen roads blocked by wildfires and move some people to safety although thick smoke stalled rescue efforts and hundreds of people remained stranded.
Saudi credit default swaps soar on U.S.-Iran crisis
The cost of insuring against a potential debt default by Saudi Arabia has soared by a sixth since Friday’s killing by a U.S. drone of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, bearing the brunt of a broader reaction in Middle Eastern markets.
Polish hospice fire kills four
Four people died and more than 20 were injured in a fire at a Polish hospice in the early hours of on Monday that could have been caused by a patient smoking a cigarette, officials said.
Fireballs ‘like a hurricane’ bring death and devastation in Australia
Just when John Aish and his partner Jenny Shea thought they had beaten the inferno ravaging their two properties in Australia’s south east on New Year’s Eve, a roaring fireball came through forcing them to flee.
Iran’s enrichment decision could trigger end of nuclear deal: Germany
Iran’s announcement on Sunday that it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium could be the first step towards the end of a 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday.
China says U.S. use of force aggravating Middle East tension
China criticized the United States for aggravating tension in the Middle East through its use of force in the standoff between Washington and Tehran and urged all parties to exercise restraint to ensure peace and stability.
Coincidence that fake news law applied to politicians, Singapore minister says
Singapore’s communications minister said on Monday it was a coincidence that the first few cases brought under a new fake news law were against political figures and parties.
