Putin announces ceasefire across Syria

MOSCOW • Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday announced a nationwide ceasefire deal to come into effect across Syria from midnight, and said that the warring parties had agreed to peace talks. The deal brokered by Russia and Turkey could represent a major breakthrough in nearly six years of war in Syria.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Floods in Congo leave at least 50 dead

KINSHASA • Floods triggered by heavy rain and a river bursting its banks have killed at least 50 people and left thousands more homeless in south-western Congo, a provincial governor said yesterday.

The waters hit a peak of 2m above their usual level, destroying at least 500 homes and leaving several thousand people homeless.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE