INTERNATIONAL

Seven people have been taken to hospital with injuries after a reported shooting at Ohio State University. The Columbus Fire Department said two of the casualties were in a stable condition, but provided no information on the other five. The university placed the campus on lockdown and sent a tweet to students warning them to “Run Hide Fight”. “Continue to ...

Donald Trump has said he will “terminate” the deal between the US and Cuba if the Cuban government does not improve the deal on offer. President Barack Obama has worked to improve relations with the communist government in Havana, culminating in his historic visit in March 2016. But the president-elect threatened in a tweet to put an end to the ...

Thousands of civilians have left rebel-held eastern Aleppo districts, as the Syrian army continues its offensive to take full control over the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said as many as 10,000 residents fled to government-controlled western areas and a Kurdish-run northern district. Syrian state media put the number at more than 1,500, while Russia said that 2,500 ...

Syrian government forces have retaken a second rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo, military sources say. They say the army and its allies had “fully recaptured” Jabal Badro, a day after seizing Hanano district. The capture of the two neighbouring districts has increased the chances of cutting off the northern parts of eastern Aleppo from the southern part. Hundreds of civilians ...

Syria’s leader has said he hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will be an ally in fighting terrorism but remains “cautious in judging him”. Bashar al-Assad said Mr Trump would be a “natural ally” if he fulfilled a campaign pledge to fight terrorism. But he said it was “dubious” whether Mr Trump could “live up to his promises”. Mr Trump had ...

Russia’s Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev has been accused of taking a bribe to endorse a state takeover. Russia’s main anti-corruption body, the Investigative Committee (SK), said he received a payment of $2m (£1.6m). Mr Ulyukayev is the highest-ranking Russian official held since the 1991 coup attempt in what was then the USSR. The SK said he had “threatened” to create ...

Jailed South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been moved to another prison at his request. Pistorius asked to move to the nearby Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, South Africa’s department of correctional service said. The centre, just outside Pretoria, is better adapted for disabled offenders. The former Paralympian, known as the Blade Runner, is serving a six-year prison sentence for the murder ...

President Barack Obama has sought to assure America’s allies that President-elect Donald Trump will honour the country’s international alliances when he takes office in January. Mr Obama told reporters that Mr Trump had expressed an interest in maintaining the US commitment to Nato. This came hours before Mr Obama was due to arrive in the Greek capital, Athens, on his ...

2016 looks poised to be the warmest year on record globally, according to preliminary data. With data from just the first nine months, scientists are 90% certain that 2016 will pass the mark set by 2015. Temperatures from January to September were 1.2C above pre-industrial levels, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The body says temperatures should remain high ...

US President-elect Donald Trump has awarded key roles in his incoming team to a top Republican party official and a conservative media chief. Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), will be his chief of staff. In this role, he will set the tone for the new White House and act as a conduit to Congress and the ...