World News and Politics

An elderly woman, resident of Avdiivka, burst into tears urging Ukrainian soldiers to defend the city against Russian militants.

It happenned at the mobile warming center, located at Avdiivka stadium, where local people can hide from cold and attacks by militants, supported by Russia. There's a field kitchen where they can get hot tea and food. Psychological and humanitarian assistance is provided by volunteers from Christian organizations and military chaplains.

Fighting near the town of Avdiyivka in Ukraine began to escalate Monday morning following heavy clashes in that area on Sunday, the press service of the frontline 72nd guards mechanized brigade reported.

Russian-separatist forces opened fire upon positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine along the entire demarcation line in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in the east of the country using banned heavy weapons, including those of 120mm caliber, tanks and Grads. Having suffered losses, they were forced to retreat.

During the day, they continued shelling with the use of mortars of various calibers on Avdiyivka and surrounding villages. The intensity of fighting slightly decreased overnight, but it went back up again in the morning.

Six people were killed and five wounded at a Quebec mosque shooting on January 29, 2017. Gunmen opened fire inside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre during Sunday night prayers.

According to the police, two suspects had been arrested, but no futher details about them or the attack followed.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned this "terrorist attack on Muslims in a center of worship and refuge".

Evacuations of rebel fighters and civilians including wounded from the last opposition-held areas of Syria's Aleppo gathered pace early on Friday under a ceasefire that would see the government retake the city, monitors and a rebel official said.

There was no sign, however, of evacuations from two villages besieged by rebels in neighboring Idlib province, which were expected to be included in the deal.

At least 6,000 people had left rebel-held Aleppo in several convoys of buses and ambulances since Thursday, when the evacuations began, Zakaria Malahifji, a Turkey-based official in the Fastaqim rebel group told Reuters.

The number included some 900 wounded, both fighters and civilians, he said.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) has foiled a series of terrorist attacks in Moscow by a group of foreign fighters, who were directed by an Islamic State-affiliate based in Turkey, the Russian agency reported.

The group “included several Tajikistan nationals and a Moldovan national and plotted a series of high-profile terrorist attacks in Moscow involving the detonation of powerful improvised explosive devices,” the FSB report released on Thursday said.

TALLINN (Reuters) - The defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia renewed their call on Wednesday for a strong U.S. engagement in the Baltic region amid concerns over the attitude of the incoming Trump administration.

Donald Trump said during the U.S. presidential campaign that he would consider a country's contribution to the NATO alliance before coming to its defense, rattling many in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia who fear a more assertive Russia.

Estonia meets NATO's defense spending target of two percent of national output, while Latvia and Lithuania say they aim to reach that level in the next few years.