Eight dead in Philippine floods as thousands flee homes

The storm — which has inundated villages and destroyed scores of houses in recent days — is the latest to batter the disaster-prone archipelago, AFP reported.

Somalia accuses Kenya of arming local militia to attack its forces

Somalia accused Kenya of arming local militiamen on the border to attack its security forces as tension rises between the two African neighbors.

Somalia’s Ministry of Information said in a Twitter message on Saturday that Kenya was providing weaponry to local militia in its border region of Mandera.

Kenya has yet to comment on the allegations, Press TV wrote.

Five injured in partial collapse of Lisbon building

Five people were injured when a residential building in central Lisbon partially collapsed on Sunday morning following an explosion, the local fire department said.

A spokeswoman told Reuters the five, including one seriously injured, were taken to hospital as nearly 50 firefighters worked to put out a blaze at the scene. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, although local media said it was related to a boiler.

South Korea sets record COVID-19 cases as prison reports major outbreak

South Korea reported a record 1,097 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including an outbreak in a Seoul prison that infected 188 as the country’s latest wave of COVID-19 worsens.

With daily infections over 1,000 for a fifth consecutive day, some medical experts and politicians criticized the government for being too loose with social distancing rules, according to Reuters.

India’s Modi visits Sikh temple as farm protests persist

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to a Sikh temple in New Delhi on Sunday, kneeling in respect and taking pictures with visitors at a time when the community is leading massive protests against his farm reforms.

At least 25 people have died during the protests against the three laws — approved by Parliament in September — so far.

Police said; several deaths were due to the biting cold weather, aljazeera.com reported.

Nepal president dissolves Parliament, elections set for next year

Nepal’s president dissolved Parliament at the request of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s cabinet and announced that general elections would be held in April and May, more than a year ahead of schedule.

Sunday’s move plunges the Himalayan country, which has seen revolving-door governance since street protests restored multiparty democracy in 1990, into political turmoil as it battles the coronavirus pandemic, aljazeera.com wrote.

Lebanese forces clash with students protesting 160% tuition hike

Lebanese police and Army personnel clashed with students protesting against a decision by top private universities to adopt a new dollar exchange rate to price tuition.

The scuffles took place near the entrance of the American University of Beirut (AUB) in the city's Hamra district on Saturday, Press TV reported.

New restrictions announced as COVID outbreak grows in Sydney

Australia's most populous state announced new restrictions for the Greater Sydney area in an attempt to contain a growing outbreak of COVID-19.

Household gatherings will be capped at 10 people and hospitality venues at 300 until Wednesday. Residents had already been told to stay at home, according to BBC.

Iraq’s PMU forces kill five terrorists in Babel

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) managed to kill five terrorists while thwarting an attack in Al-Oaisat area in Jurf al-Nasr town in Babel Province, located south of the capital Baghdad, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command announced.

It announced the results of its security operations in five Iraqi provinces in a statement carried by Iraqi media on Saturday, Tasnim News Agency reported.