Thousands of people in Peru have taken to the streets to protest against the pardoning of their former president, Alberto Fujimori.

Dec 26, 2017

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned former authoritarian leader Alberto Fujimori late on Sunday, triggering Christmas Eve clashes.

Dec 25, 2017

Two political parties in Russia will not field opposition candidates to Vladimir Putin…

Dec 26, 2017

He Wenping discusses first-ever China, Afghan, Pakistan FM meeting

A first of its kind trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan is convening in Beijing. Though the three countries have held several rounds of counter-terrorism talks before, this is the first time the three will come together at a ministerial level. On the agenda is security, development and economic cooperation. He Wenping, a research fellow at China's Academy of Social Sciences, discusses with CGTN’s Asieh Namdar.

Dec 25, 2017

China has been building what it calls "the world's biggest camera surveillance network".

China has been building what it calls "the world's biggest camera surveillance network". Across the country, 170 million CCTV cameras are already in place and an estimated 400 million new ones will be installed in the next three years. Many of the cameras are fitted with artificial intelligence, including facial recognition technology. The BBC's John Sudworth has been given rare access to one of the new hi-tech police control rooms. Producer: Joyce Liu. Camera: Wang Xiqing.

Dec 25, 2017

Explosion at major oil pipeline in Libya – sources

26 Dec, 2017 17:11

An explosion has rocked a crude oil pipeline that feeds the Es Sider sea terminal in Libya, an oil source in the country said.

The Mediterranean port of Es Sider, also spelled as Sidr and Sidra, features the largest oil depot in Libya. The blast occurred near Marada, on the pipeline belonging to the Waha oil company, the source told Reuters.

Unverified photos of what is said to be a plume of black smoke coming from the site of the pipeline explosion are being shared on social media.

The news of the Libyan blast saw oil prices spike to above $65 a barrel on Tuesday, trading close to its highest mark since mid-2015. Another factor contributing to the increase in price are the voluntary supply cuts by OPEC. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, went up 10 cents to $65.35 a barrel, while US crude added 12 cents at $58.59, Reuters reported.

The port of Es Sider changed hands on several occasions during the Libyan civil war, which started in 2011. It was severely damaged by the fighting, and remained closed between 2014 and 2016. This March Es Sider, which was shipping around 447,000 barrels per day when the conflict started, was recaptured by forces loyal to Libya’s eastern-based military commander, Khalifa Haftar, and resumed operations.

Some Nigerians Spend Christmas In Search Of Petrol

Dec 25, 2017

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Four killed in suspected Boko Haram Nigeria attack on Monday

DECEMBER 26, 2017 / 8:38 AM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO

"LAGOS (Reuters) - Four civilians were killed in an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants on Monday in the Nigerian city at the center of a conflict with the Islamists, a resident and two officials told Reuters." …

https://www.reuters.com /article/us-nigeria-security/four-killed-in-suspected-boko-haram-nigeria-attack-on-monday-sources-idUSKBN1EK0ZS

Something big explodes in the sky over Crimea

Dec. 26

A powerful explosion occurred in the sky over the city of Simferopol, the Crimea, on December 26. The origin of the explosion remains unknown; EMERCOM officials are trying to look into circumstances.

"Local residents have posted a few photos taken in first minutes after the explosion. The photos depict a white trail in the sky, which usually remains behind a flying plane, but it is not straight.

Some people assumed that the explosion could be related to fighter aircraft and their aerobatic stunts.

Interestingly, many residents of Simferopol heard a similar explosion in the area of the village of Kamenka. Residents of Sudak and Belogorsk heard the explosion too.

A source at air traffic control circles confirmed that there were no incidents with aircraft in the Crimea. The powerful explosion in the sky over Simferopol was a meteorite.

"Residents of Simferopol witnessed an unusual phenomenon. They say that something fell from the sky. The explosion was so strong it knocked people down, and there was a strange trace left in the sky," bloggers wrote."

http://www.pravdareport.com /news/science/mysteries/26-12-2017/139546-crimea_meteorite-0/

Suspected Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Yemen kills 25

Dec.26

"SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni witnesses and security officials say a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a crowded market has killed at least 25 people, including children.

They say Tuesday's strike in the western province of Taiz wounded at least 30 others.

The witnesses and officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation or were not authorized to brief the media.

The coalition could not immediately be reached for comment.

International rights groups have accused the coalition of bombing civilian gatherings, markets, hospitals and residential areas across Yemen since the beginning of its air campaign against Iran-backed rebels, known as Houthis, in March 2015.

The stalemated war has killed more than 10,000 civilians and pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine."

http://www.foxnews.com /world/2017/12/26/suspected-saudi-led-coalition-airstrike-in-yemen-kills-25.html

Russia tests perspective armament for Topol ICBM

December 26

On December 26, a combat team of the Strategic Missile Force test-fired an RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistic missile

"MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Russia’s Strategic Missile Force has tested perspective armament for the RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the Kapustin Yar practice range in the southern Astrakhan Region, the Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.

"On December 26, 2017, a combat team of the Strategic Missile Force test-fired an RS-12M Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar state central combined arms training range in the Astrakhan Region," Russia’s Defense Ministry said.

"The launch was aimed at testing perspective armament for intercontinental ballistic missiles," the ministry said.

"During the tests, specialists obtained experimental data that will be used in the interests of developing effective means of overcoming anti-ballistic missile defense and equipping the perspective grouping of Russian ballistic missiles with them," the Defense Ministry said.

The test courses and the measuring systems at the Kapustin Yar practice range allow testing perspective armament capable of overcoming ABM defenses, including their future configuration, across the entire range of the conditions for the armament’s delivery to targets in the interests of the Strategic Missile Force and the Navy," the Defense Ministry said."

http://tass.com /defense/983101

http://www.zerohedge.com /news/2017-12-26/russia-tests-powerful-icbm-capable-overcoming-missile-defense-systems