Here are the key developments on the 1,029th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Here is the situation on Thursday, December 19: Fighting The governor of Russia’s southern Rostov region said that Ukraine had launched an attack with at least 13 missiles and dozens of drones, triggering a fire at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery. The Ministry of Defence said Russian air defences shot down 84 drones, including...

Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” by denying clean water to Palestinians in Gaza, and called on the international community to impose targeted sanctions. In a new report released on Thursday, the New York-based watchdog said that since October 2023 – when Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza – Israeli authorities have “deliberately obstructed Palestinians’ access to the adequate amount of water...

Days after Cyclone Chido hit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, residents are still struggling to access water and food, as rescuers race to find those missing. The cyclone devastated entire neighbourhoods and killed at least 31 people, according to France’s interior ministry. Among the damaged and destroyed homes in Mayotte’s capital, Mamoudzou, people lined up with jugs to get water or waited to charge their phones....