Britain’s Prince Andrew skips Christmas Day walk after royals’ ‘bumpy’ year
Britain’s Prince Andrew skipped the royals’ traditional Christmas Day walk to church after what his mother Queen Elizabeth said in her seasonal address had been a “bumpy” year.
Iran launches rescue after military plane crashes
An Iranian MiG-29 fighter jet crashed in the northwest of the country on Wednesday, prompting a rescue operation for the pilot, state media quoted Iran’s armed forces as saying.
Hundreds of thousands turn out to mourn Algeria’s powerful army chief
The body of Algeria’s powerful army chief – the former independence fighter who became his country’s de facto ruler – was carried to his grave on a tank on Wednesday as hundreds of thousands of mourners looked on.
Bolsonaro signs anti-crime bill designed to tackle violence in Brazil
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed into law an anti-crime bill that toughens measures to stem a rampant deadly crime wave, although he vetoed some parts of the bill, the government said on Wednesday.
Blindspot to backlash: India’s Modi and party misread the mood
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government did not anticipate the protests against a new citizenship law that have raged across the country and is now scrambling to control the damage, members of his ruling party said.
Iran starts internet shutdown before possible new protests: reports
Iran’s authorities have restricted mobile internet access in several provinces, an Iranian news agency reported on Wednesday, a day before new protests were expected to kick off following calls for the demonstrations on social media.
Saudi security forces kill two “terrorists” after Dammam city shooting: TV
Saudi security forces killed two “terrorists” on Wednesday after a shooting in a residential neighborhood in the eastern city of Dammam, state television al-Ekhbariya reported.
Brazilian comedy group hit by Molotov cocktails after film on ‘gay Jesus’
Molotov cocktails were thrown at the headquarters of Brazilian comedy group Porta dos Fundos in Rio de Janeiro on Christmas Eve, weeks after the group launched a film on Netflix depicting Jesus as gay.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro says he had partial memory loss after a fall this week
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday night that he briefly lost his memory after falling at his presidential residence in Brasilia, the capital, earlier this week.
Turkey-Libya maritime deal rattles East Mediterranean
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan paid a surprise visit to Tunisia on Wednesday to discuss cooperation for a possible ceasefire in neighboring Libya, where Ankara supports the internationally recognized government.
