Moscow / AFP Moscow announced on Tuesday that Russian and Syrian air forces have stopped bombing Aleppo ahead of a brief truce, a move the Kremlin said showed “goodwill” as it faces mounting criticism for backing a brutal regime offensive. Russia had said Monday there would be an eight-hour “humanitarian pause” in the battered city on Thursday, a move welcomed …

  Mogadishu / AFP Fighting between Somali troops and Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab fighters was ongoing on Tuesday in the key town of Afgoye, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu, a security source and a witness said. “There is heavy fighting going on at several bases in Afgoye district and one of the bases was attacked with a …

  New Delhi / AFP Three staff at an Indian hospital have been suspended after a deadly blaze in the intensive care unit, authorities said on Tuesday, as the toll from the disaster rose to 20.Fire broke out on Monday night in the dialysis ward of the hospital in eastern Odisha state before quickly spreading to other floors, killing 19 …