Heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russia has launched its latest barrage of hypersonic and cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets, striking near the front lines of fighting in the east as well as in central and western parts of the country. They said Monday that at least four civilians were reported killed and at least 30 injured. Western officials and analysts had previously warned that Russia was stockpiling its cruise missiles in preparation for a strategy of winter bombardment, as bad weather keeps the 930-mile front line largely static after 22 months of war.

Hundreds evacuate homes, 38 rescued from floods in southeast Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate their homes on Monday after parts of Victoria state were inundated by flooding as wild weather continues to batter Australia’s southeast. The order was issued for parts of small regional towns north of Melbourne. Residents and tourists were told to leave immediately as floodwaters rose to dangerous levels. Multiple flood and thunderstorm warnings were in place across Victoria with the deluge filling streets with water. More than 30 people were rescued from flooding and almost 1,000 calls made for assistance, Victoria State of Emergency Services said.

Some 350,000 people applied for asylum in Germany in 2023

BERLIN (AP) — The number of people applying for asylum in Germany rose to 351,915 in 2023, an increase of 51.1% compared with the year before. Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said Monday that the largest number of asylum-seekers came from Syria, with 104,561 applications, followed by 62,624 Turkish citizens and 53,582 Afghans. Migration has become a huge political problem for the government and a hot-button topic in Germany as local communities are struggling to house the many newcomers. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who faces enormous pressure from the opposition and elsewhere to halt that trend, has said that “too many are coming.”

Flights resume on repaired Tokyo runway a week after fatal collision

TOKYO (AP) — Flights have resumed on a repaired runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport a week after a collision between a Japan Airlines plane and a coast guard aircraft. The coastal runway is one of four at Haneda and its reopening Monday means the airport is near returning to normal operations. The collision occurred when a Japan Airlines plane landed on a runway when a coast guard aircraft was unexpectedly there. All 379 passengers and crew on the JAL plane safely evacuated. Five of the six crew members on the coast guard plane died.