US & World

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will increase its patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week.  Finland seized cargo ship carrying Russian oil after undersea cables were damaged. …

Russian air defence systems may have brought down an Azerbaijan Airlines plane this week, a U.S. official said Friday after an Azerbaijani minister also suggested the plane was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor testimony. Survivors report hearing loud noises and explosions before the plane crashed in …

A Russia-bound Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday after being diverted, killing 38 of 67 people on board.  Kremlin cautions against speculation that plane came under fire from Russian air defence system. A Russia-bound Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday after being diverted, killing 38 of 67 people …

South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly voted Friday to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo despite vehement protests by governing party lawmakers, further deepening the country’s political crisis set off by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment.  Impeachments of country’s top 2 officials worsen political turmoil. South …

Ukraine’s military intelligence said Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. It said North Korean troops also faced supply issues and even shortages of drinking water.  South Korean media reports an injured North Korean soldier has been captured alive. North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses …

For almost three decades, the Swiss Guard uniforms have been crafted by Ety Cicioni, the Vatican’s head tailor. Maintaining the century-old design of uniform has become a challenge as certain materials, fabrics and sewing techniques have become obsolete Ety Cicioni has been head tailor for ‘world’s smallest army’ since 1997, …

People started gathering in prayer on Thursday, visiting the mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province to mark 20 years since the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami, one of modern history’s worst natural disasters, which devastated numerous countries. 2004 tsunami triggered by powerful earthquake off the Indonesian coast devastated several countries. People …

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route from Azerbaijan to Russia to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. A Kazakh official said 38 people had been killed, while 29 survived the crash. Kazakhstani, Azerbaijani and Russian authorities all investigating …

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sunday that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed this week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally, and criticized Moscow for trying to "hush up" the issue for days. Ilham Aliyev seeks compensation, says Russia 'must admit its guilt' Azerbaijan’s president accuses Russia of …

Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning.  At least one person was killed in the Dnipro region in the attack, says Ukrainian official. Russia launched a …