Beirut / AFP Fighting in parts of Syria on Sunday threatened a shaky ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey, whose efforts to kickstart talks towards ending the conflict won backing from world powers. The nationwide truce between the regime and non-extremist rebels aims to smooth the way for peace talks in Kazakhstan later this month orchestrated by Damascus’s allies Moscow ...

  Jakarta / AFP A massive fire erupted in a boat carrying hundreds of local tourists to an island north of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Sunday, leaving at least 23 dead and 17 injured, officials said. Passengers panicked and jumped into the sea as flames and smoke rapidly engulfed the Zahro Express shortly after it left port to head to ...

  Mosul / AFP Frightened Iraqi civilians hurry down a muddy street in Mosul as gunshots echo through the neighbourhood and a helicopter wheels overhead, firing a barrage of bullets towards extremists below. Others choose to stay, hanging white flags from their homes and periodically peering out as Iraqi forces battle the IS group for control of the country’s second city. ...

  Najaf / AFP An attack claimed by the IS group on a police checkpoint in southern Iraq left at least seven people dead on Sunday, officials said. Gunmen wearing suicide vests and driving an explosives-laden vehicle opened fire on the checkpoint near the town of Qadisiyah, which lies around 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of Baghdad. “The security forces fought ...

  Kinshasa / AFP The new year in one of Africa’s most troubled countries began in a burst of optimism on Sunday after rival groups agreed a deal for hauling DR Congo out of a perilous political crisis. Under a landmark accord, the country’s contested president, Joseph Kabila—who under the constitution should have left office on December 20—will stay in ...

  United Nations / AFP The new United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said on Sunday he would like to make 2017 a year to “put peace first,” in a message heralding the new year and marking his first day as the world body’s chief. The Portuguese former prime minister, 67, took over as UN Secretary-general from South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon, inheriting ...

  Washington / AFP President-elect Donald Trump again cast doubt on a US intelligence finding that Russia meddled in the US election through computer hacking, a conclusion that led to US sanctions against Moscow. “Well, I just want them to be sure, because it’s a pretty serious charge, and I want them to be sure,” Trump told reporters at his ...

  Hong Kong / AFP Thousands of protesters, chanting “Sovereignty belongs to the people!” marched through Hong Kong on New Year’s Day to protest at the government’s legal bid to unseat some pro-democracy lawmakers. The four popularly elected legislators, who led the rally, were the latest targets of a government move which pro-democracy parties describe as a witch hunt.It came after ...

  Seoul / AFP South Korea’s impeached President Park Geun-Hye on Sunday repeated denials of involvement in a snowballing corruption scandal and said rumours have been “getting out of hand”, Yonhap news agency reported. “Rumours, stories and broadcasts have been distorted and false information has been getting out of hand,” she was quoted as telling reporters at the presidential Blue House. ...

  Kano / AFP One person was seriously injured when a suicide bomber aged around 10 blew herself up in a New Year’s Eve attack in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, witnesses and aid workers said on Sunday. The girl approached a crowd buying noodles from a food vendor in the Customs area of the city around 9:30 pm on ...