​Ukraine confirms agreement on Russian winter gas price

Ukraine’s president confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Russia on a provisional price for gas deliveries during the winter months at Friday talks in Milan, AFP reports. "On the basis of consultations, I can say that Ukraine will have gas, will have heating," Petro Poroshenko said in an interview to Ukrainian television on Saturday. According to the president, the new price will be $385 dollars (300 euros) per 1,000 cubic meters, down from the current price of $485.

20 injured in new wave of Hong Kong protests

At least 20 demonstrators have been injured after they clashed with police in a fresh wave of Hong Kong protests, the government said. Some activists were carried away on stretchers, other treated for head wounds, bruising and fractures, medics working at the scene, told AFP. Police authorities said in a statement that they used "minimum force" as the activists "suddenly attempted to charge" their lines. The demonstrators said they did nothing to provoke police.

​US, 4 European nations ‘ready’ to use sanctions against Libya

The governments of the US and four European allies – the UK, France, Germany and Italy – have called for an end to the ongoing violence in Libya that they “strongly condemn”. Their joint statement, released on Saturday, said that there was "no military solution" to the crisis and, in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution 2174 on ceasefire in Libya, the countries “stand ready to use individual sanctions.” Dozens of people have been killed recently during three days of conflict in the eastern city of Benghazi in fighting between Islamist militias and government forces.

Turkish prosecutors slammed for dropping bribery case

Corruption watchdog Transparency International has criticized Turkish prosecutors for dropping a case involving 53 suspects linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s circle, AP reported on Saturday. The watchdog said the move "calls into question the rule of law in Turkey." The December probe – which included claims of bribery and irregular exports of billions of dollars worth of cash and gold – was dropped on Friday, the state Anadolu Agency reported. “The prosecutor found that there were problems with evidence to prove the accusations of corruption,” the agency said. However, four government ministers were forced to step down earlier this year due to the investigation.

Six people killed in Pittsburgh house fire

Six people – including four children – have been killed in a house fire in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, according to Alvin Henderson, the county chief of emergency services. The house was a two-story wooden framed structure and the cause of the fire is still unknown, AP reported. McKeesport is located just outside of Pittsburgh.

Nepal trek death toll hits 39

39 people have now been confirmed dead after a blizzard engulfed hundreds of trekkers on Nepal’s Annapurna trail in the Himalayas earlier this week, according to police and army sources, Reuter’s reports. A further 60 people were rescued on Saturday bringing the number of people saved to 371.

Hong Kong protesters clash with police

Thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police in Hong Kong's Mong Kok district Friday night. Blockades were drawn up in several locations using rubbish bins and metal barriers, causing substantial disruption to traffic. Police forces advanced on the protesters to try and clear the roads. In some cases the barricades were opened by protesters to allow ambulances and other emergency vehicles through.

Venezuela’s parliament speaker urges probe into US-funded NGOs

The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly called on the country’s intelligence agency to look into non-governmental organizations funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in a televised speech on Friday. Diosdado Cabello also criticized USAID of funding individuals who are regarded criminals by the Venezuelan government. He gave an example of a Florida-based NGO with USAID links tied to the activist group Operation Liberty, led by Lorent Saleh, who is accused by the government of planning terrorist acts. The accusation comes as US officials and USAID-funded NGO representatives met in the US Embassy in Caracas on Friday.

Police eliminate organizer of blast outside concert hall in Chechnya, Russia

The organizer of the explosion outside a concert hall in Russia’s Republic of Chechnya was killed during the special operation, said the official from the republic’s Interior Ministry. The official identified him as Aslan Aliskhanov, born 1981. He was wanted for being part of illegal military groups. At least five police officers were killed and another 12 sustained injuries in Russia’s Republic of Chechnya as they attempted to detain a suspected suicide bomber October 5.

WHO promises full review of Ebola crisis

The World Health Organization has promised to publish a full review how it has tackled the Ebola outbreak once the crisis is under control. The announcement comes in response to leaked documents accusing the group that it hasn’t done enough to handle the virus spreading.
"We cannot divert our limited resources from the urgent response to do a detailed analysis of the past response. That review will come, but only after this outbreak is over," the organization said.

Iraqi lawmakers approve interior, defense ministers

The Iraqi parliament has approved Khaled al-Obeidi, a Sunni from the northern city of Mosul, occupied by IS militants, as the country’s defence minister, state TV reported. Mohammed al-Ghabban of the powerful Shiite political party, the Badr Organization, was appointed Interior Minister. The move is a part of efforts to create a more inclusive Iraqi government to help fight the Sunni extremists from the Islamic State.

US Supreme Court upholds strict voter ID law in Texas

The US Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring voters seeking to cast their ballots to present a photo ID on Saturday. "The greatest threat to public confidence in elections in this case is the prospect of enforcing a purposefully discriminatory law, one that likely imposes an unconstitutional poll tax and risks denying the right to vote to hundreds of thousands of eligible voters," Justice Ginsburg Ginsburg wrote in a six-page dissent. The move comes before a series of state elections due to take place in November.

Three men killed in Libya car blast

Three men have been killed and one badly injured after a car exploded at a checkpoint in the center of Benghazi, Libya, a city official said on Saturday, RIA Novosti reports. Benghazi, the country’s second largest city, has since Wednesday been witnessing violent unrest as Islamist militants confront pro-government forces trying to recapture the city. Currently Islamist forces dominate Benghazi, Tripoli and Darnah.

​22 people,  killed in new attack in DR Congo 

10 women, 8 children and four men have been killed overnight in a new attack in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an area terrorized by rebels, a local government official told AFP on Saturday. It happened in the North Kivu province, where 26 people were slaughtered with machetes on Thursday. According to Reuters, a local civic group suspects Ugandan rebels, who commit violence despite the presence of UN peacekeepers and government troops.

S. Korea ; 16 killed in concert disaster

A South Korean employee of the Gyeonggi Institute of Science and Technology Promotion has apparently committed suicide. He had been involved in planning the concert, where, according to officials, 16 people were killed in a tragic accident. He leaped from the top of a 10-story building, police inspector Park Jeong-ju told AFP. Police had questioned the man about the accident on Friday. At least 16 people were killed at a K-pop concert south of Seoul, after falling 20 meters through a concrete shaft into an underground parking area when a ventilation grate collapsed. The majority are believed to have been students.

​Dozens of arrests in new wave of demos in Hong Kong – police

26 arrests were made and 15 police officers injured in scuffles with a crowd of about 9,000 people on Saturday, Hong Kong police said in a statement, according to an AFP report. Using batons and pepper spray, riot police clashed with protesters who were trying to reoccupy a demonstrator’s camp in Mongkok district. This development puts at risk planned talks between protest leaders and city authorities, aimed at stopping the weeks-long demonstrations of tens of thousands of people, who are calling for free elections and independence from China.
Media agencies