Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his defence minister to impose a 36-hour ceasefire on the Ukrainian frontline, beginning on Friday.

The growing number of Chinese public figures whose deaths are being made public is prompting people to question the official Covid death toll.

Angry crowds gathered in Delhi, demanding justice for a scooter rider who was killed and dragged by a car for miles through the streets of India’s capital.

Germany has rebuffed the latest push by Poland’s nationalist government for vast reparations over World War II, saying in response to a diplomatic note that the issue was closed, the foreign ministry in Warsaw said on Tuesday.

Almost 200,000 people paid homage to former Pope Benedict XVI during his lying in state over the last three days, the Vatican says.

“This is the toughest operation I’ve ever seen. The enemy has thrown its strongest assault at Bakhmut. We haven’t seen troops like this before,” the Ukrainian commander tells us.

Astronomers glimpsed a stellar nursery in a new light, thanks to the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy in Chile.

One of Iran’s best-known actresses, who was arrested after she criticized the execution of a man involved in nationwide protests, was released on bail on Wednesday, state-aligned ISNA said.

A night of new year rioting and attacks on emergency services in Berlin and other cities has shocked Germans and prompted calls for a ban on fireworks and firecrackers.

Heavy rain is causing flooding and road closures in Coromandel today, with “much more on the way”.

Powerful winds roared into California on Wednesday, already toppling trees as crews rushed to clear storm drains and people fortified their homes in preparation for flooding and power outages.

House Republicans flailed through a second day of multiple balloting Wednesday, unable to elect their leader Kevin McCarthy as House speaker or come up with a new strategy to end the political chaos that has tarnished the start of their new majority.