Briefly

JAPAN

Heavy snow leaves 17 dead, dozens injured

Heavy snow in large swaths of Japan has killed 17 and injured more than 90 people and left hundreds of homes without power, disaster management officials said on Monday. Powerful winter fronts have dumped heavy snow in northern regions since last week, stranding hundreds of vehicles on highways, delaying delivery services and causing 11 deaths by Saturday. More snowfall over the Christmas weekend brought the number of dead to 17 and injured to 93 by Monday morning, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Japan's weather agency has warned residents in the affected regions to avoid travel where possible, after cars got stuck on roads in heavy snow.

IRAN

14 fishermen freed after 8-year captivity

Fourteen Iranian fishermen were released about eight years after being held by the Somali al-Shabaab militant group, Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday. Following intensive diplomatic efforts, the Iranian Foreign Ministry "successfully negotiated the release of the hostages held by the al-Shabaab group in Somalia", Tasnim reported. The released fishermen arrived in Teheran from the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday night. Al-Shabaab kidnapped the fishermen in international waters near Somalia in 2015. In 2020 three Iranian fishermen believed to be the last hostages held by Somali pirates were freed after five years of captivity, Agence France-Presse reported.

UNITED KINGDOM

King salutes workers in Christmas speech

King Charles III evoked memories of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday, as he broadcast his first Christmas message as monarch in a speech that also paid tribute to the "selfless dedication" of Britain's public service workers, many of whom are in a fight with the government over pay. The king, 74, empathized in the prerecorded message with people struggling to make ends meet "at a time of great anxiety and hardship". The speech came as the United Kingdom is wrestling with high inflation that has caused a cost of living crisis for many households. Unions are seeking pay raises in line with inflation which stood at 10.7 percent last month.

Agencies - Xinhua