[VOA] Abidjan -- Ivory Coast announced on Tuesday that French troops will leave the country after a decades long military presence. It is the latest African nation to downscale military ties with its former colonial power.

Under the commission’s guidelines, candidates will have the opportunity to publish their election programs in national newspapers, including Respublika and Zviazda, and appear on national television and radio

For nearly 60 years, the national Reach for the Top competition has been putting the wits of Canadian students to the test. In 2024, students from about 500 schools across the country participated in the competition.

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani humorously addressed the work-life balance debate, highlighting personal choice in balancing work and family time. Reflecting on Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's 70-hour work week suggestion, Adani emphasized enjoying one’s work and activities for balance, considering personal mortality to simplify life, and prioritizing personal character and humility over material wealth.

Supreme Court granted Punjab government three more days to hospitalise fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, with no consideration for involving the Centre. The state's plea was based on ongoing negotiations with the farmers, and security measures have been intensified around the protest site.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed denied allegations in a Washington Post report suggesting that the opposition asked India for $6 million to impeach President Mohamed Muizzu. Nasheed stated he was unaware of any plot and emphasized India's consistent support for Maldives' democracy.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh met with Bangladeshi lawyer Rabindra Ghosh, who is defending Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das. Rabindra Ghosh urged India to address minority persecution in Bangladesh. Das, an advocate for Hindu rights, was arrested for sedition over a flag incident and denied bail. Rabindra Ghosh faces threats due to his defense work.

According to Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, digitalization should fully support the functioning of the EAEU's single domestic market

Russia has celebrated New Year and Christmas with decorated fir trees since Peter the Great’s reign

It is reported that Kyrgyzstan plans to host an international conference on cybersecurity in 2025

In the spring of 2025, we will also witness a partial solar eclipse

Two bulk carriers collided in China's Yangtze river, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Tuesday (Dec 31), adding that no injuries to the crew were reported. Vega Dream, owned and operated by Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, collided with Yangze 22, the bulk carrier sailing under the Singaporean flag, on Dec 30, although the vessels were in stable condition, the MPA said. Yangze 22, whose hull was damaged by the collision, was reported to have spilt about nine metric tonnes of fuel oil. It is currently stationed at Hengsha East Anchorage for damage assessment, Singapore's port authority said. Officials from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines were not immediately available for comment. The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) has been conducting the clean-up of the fuel oil spillage along with several support craft deployed by Yangze 22's company, the MPA said in a statement. The MPA did not immediately respond to a Reuters request seeking additional details on Yangze 22.

SINGAPORE — For the past year, Gerald Lim, 37, has been ferrying pupils to their primary schools in his Toyota Prius every weekday morning. The full-time private-hire car driver is among 60 to 70 drivers engaged by Lylo, a Singapore car rental and concierge company, for its school transport service. It costs between $20 and $50 per trip for every child, depending on distance and the type of vehicle used. If there are other children living close enough requesting the service to the same school, the company can carpool them. This brings the price down to between $8 and $15 a trip for each child. This means parents could spend anywhere between $160 and $300 a month for one-way carpooled trips for their children to or from school. The monthly fee is paid in advance, after the route and rate have been confirmed with Lylo. In comparison, school bus services can cost up to $240 a month for a one-way trip of no more than 4km from the school. Those living farther will be charged more if the bus operator can accommodate them.

[VOA] Yaoundé -- An uneasy calm hangs over Chad, where the opposition is calling for an immediate end to the country's transitional government and the cancellation of the Dec. 29 general elections, which the opposition says were highly boycotted. Chad's elections management body has pledged to count the votes and declare the results, saying irregularities cannot influence the outcome.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took a veiled swipe at tech billionaire Elon Musk during his annual New Year’s Eve address Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukraine’s border guard service has stirred controversy after a photo of a soldier wearing Nazi symbols was posted on its Facebook page Read Full Article at RT.com

A sweeping blackout hit nearly all of Puerto Rico on New Year’s Eve, leaving over 1.3 million households in the dark Read Full Article at RT.com

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has reportedly been living in a cottage on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago since the US presidential election Read Full Article at RT.com

Relations between President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have reportedly grown frosty following her electoral defeat Read Full Article at RT.com

An unhinged customer was beat up by Jack in the Box employees after she repeatedly attacked them for forgetting her orders of curly fries that were supposed to come with her combo meals.

Jose Reynaldo Martinez Reyes, 56, was arrested and charged with kidnapping after he was caught with six-year-old Jake Rivera a mile from the boys home on Saturday.

Ukraine today claimed the historic downing by a missile-firing sea drone of a £12million Russian Mi-8 military helicopter off the coast of occupied Crimea.

Ucluelet RCMP Const. Mark Macdonnell said when he received the report about a sea lion on the highway nearly 10 kilometres inland from the ocean, he was skeptical.

For Katelynn Hawes and Quentin Brunelle, it should have been their baby's first Christmas celebration at home with her big brother. Instead, the family has spent much of the holidays in hospitals as their nearly three-month-old daughter Evalynn battles a case of bacterial meningitis — one they say should have been caught by medical professionals sooner, and has left her with what's feared to be lasting damage. 

Parts of the historic boardwalk in Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island were destroyed by a large fire, Port McNeill Fire Rescue said Tuesday morning.

Quebec MPs are adding to the pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside as leader. The province's caucus chair, Stéphane Lauzon, consulted with MPs individually over the holidays and communicated the caucus position to its national leadership, according to sources who spoke to CBC News.

A school division in southern Alberta says one of its teachers, who was a victim in a double homicide over the weekend, will be deeply missed by colleagues, friends and students.

One of the four men who began live streaming on TikTok after they were cornered by the security forces inside a Clarendon supermarket they allegedly tried to rob has escaped from custody, the police have confirmed. His name is being withheld...

Moon Palace Jamaica has been ordered by the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) to pay US$230,000 or almost J$36 million to a former worker after the tribunal found that the man's dismissal was “unjustifiable”. The 20-...

Seven men who were allegedly held with several goat carcasses at an illegal slaughterhouse in Big Lane, Central Village, St Catherine were remanded when they appeared in court today. Charged with larceny and breaches of the Public Health Act are...

The National Housing Trust (NHT) is reminding contributors to ensure they use secure, official NHT platforms only when applying for their contribution refunds. Persons are being warned to avoid third party websites or unofficial channels. The...

As Jamaicans prepare to welcome the New Year at parties and other events, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is urging licensed firearm holders and vehicle owners to take extra precaution to safeguard their property. Addressing a recent JIS Think...

SINGAPORE – Jubilant celebrations took place across more than 23 locations in Singapore as the country rang in 2025 with fireworks, drone shows, and even a K-pop mass dance event. While tens of thousands flocked to Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin areas to catch the fireworks display that lit up the skies every Dec 31st, many opted for locations closer to home, at 17 countdown celebrations in the heartlands organised to kick off the Republic’s diamond jubilee, dubbed SG60. They included social media executive Stephanie Tay, 25, who has a tradition of attending countdown celebrations every year with her husband and son. This year, for the first time, they joined the one at Our Tampines Hub. She was not disappointed - the Tampines countdown featured live music performances and a skating rink, though families donned rollerblades instead of ice skates and bubbles took the place of snow.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. presented an annual year-end report on the state of the judiciary.