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Moscow (AFP) – Russian leader Vladimir Putin tells Chinese President Xi Jinping he is keen to ramp up military cooperation and hailed the two countries’ efforts to counter Western influence.

Lima (AFP) – Atop a sacred hill in Lima, Peruvian shamans scatter coca leaves and flower petals while a snake named Maria slithers over posters of world leaders including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. It’s the time of year that the shamans beat drums, chant, blow smoke and drink a potent hallucinogenic brew to make their divinations for the 12 months ahead.

London (AFP) – Salwa Gaspard gazes fondly at the hundreds of Arabic-language books displayed on dark wooden shelves, putting some back in place while exchanging a few words with customers. In just a few days’ time, her London bookshop, known to literary enthusiasts throughout the Middle East, will close for good.

Sao Paulo (AFP) – “The King never dies”, say Pele’s fans who came to the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo to pay tribute to the Brazilian football legend, who has died after a fight with cancer.

Saint-Martin-la-Plaine (France) (AFP) – Kiara, a six-month-old black panther, has found a home at a wildlife refuge in France’s Loire region after being saved from animal trafficking. After she was found in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the panther spent a few weeks in a Polish animal park before arriving in France.

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s hawkish veteran Benjamin Netanyahu is sworn in as prime minister and outlines the top priorites of what analysts are calling the most right-wing government in the country’s history. Netanyahu, who casts himself as the guarantor of his country’s security, stressed that his top goal would be “to thwart Iran’s efforts to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal” and “ensure Israel’s military superiority in the region”. But he also voiced hopes of “expanding the circle of peace with Arab countries” following US-brokered normalisation agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – There are two items that have long been fixtures on Tetyana Mytrofanova’s New Year’s Eve menu: shuba, a salad of pickled herring and root vegetables; and a potato salad known as Olivier. But their status as classic Russian dishes has made them unpalatable in wartime, forcing Mytrofanova and other Kyiv restaurateurs to find alternatives for one of the year’s most festive holidays.

Poipet (Cambodia) (AFP) – Several people were killed and more are feared dead in a fire at a Cambodian casino, with a rescuer describing how victims hurled themselves from a ledge in a desperate bid to escape the flames. The blaze at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet, within view of the Thai border, broke out late Wednesday night, Cambodian police say.

Paris (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe says he will never get over the disappointment of losing the World Cup final after the France star scored the winner on his return to action for Paris Saint-Germain. He converted a 96th minute penalty to give PSG a last-gasp 2-1 win against Strasbourg on Ligue 1’s resumption following the World Cup break.

Moscow (AFP) – Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says he is convinced that Moscow would achieve its goals in Ukraine thanks to its “patience” and “perseverance”.

Kyiv province (Ukraine) (AFP) – Rescuers work to clear up debris in Kyiv’s southeastern Bortnychi district after a wave of missiles were fired on the Ukrainian capital. Local authorities say that air defences downed all 16 missiles that targeted Kyiv. IMAGES

Poipet (Cambodia) (AFP) – Firefighters and rescue workers in Cambodia attend to the charred remains of a hotel-casino complex where a fire left several people dead, with a number of others on life support. The deadly blaze broke out late Wednesday night at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet, on the border with Thailand.