TOP HEADLINES

• Russian missiles hit a residential complex and a building belonging to Ukraine's security services in the central city of Dnipro. Nine people were injured. READ MORE BELOW

• African leaders have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to move ahead with their proposal to end the Ukraine conflict. "This war must end. And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason," African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told Putin and African leaders attending a two-day summit in St. Petersburg. 

• The Russian leader promised free grain to six African nations and gave assurances of Moscow's efforts to avert a global food crises. Many African countries maintain long-standing close ties with Russia. 

• Russia and African countries agreed to cooperate to seek compensation for the damage caused by colonialism and to pursue the return of cultural artefacts, according to details published on the Kremlin website. READ MORE BELOW

•  Both sides also agreed to oppose any discrimination and intolerance, including "aggressive nationalism, neo-Nazism and neo-fascism, afrophobia, russophobia."

• Ukraine is set to receive $100 million in humanitarian aid from Qatar to support health, education and demining. It follows talks with visiting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also discussed global food security and the expired Black Sea grain deal with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

• The U.S. has called on Moscow to cease "irresponsible behavior" after a Russian fighter jet hit a U.S. drone over Syria. Washington officials say there's been an increase in attacks on their military aircraft in Syria in recent months.

• The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says it has not been offered any free grain by Moscow, according to deputy chief Carl Skau two weeks after Moscow quit a deal that allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain. 

• Ukraine has changed its official Christmas Day in a move to distance itself from Russia and align itself closer to the West. Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed into law a parliamentary bill that will see the state holiday traditionally marked on January 7 changed to December 25. 

• Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan has been invited to compete in next year's Olympics in Paris days after she was disqualified for refusing to shake hands with a Russian opponent during a tournament in Italy earlier in the week.

IN DEPTH

Injuries after missile strike on Dnipro, while Putin agress deal with Africa

Russian missiles hit a residential complex and a nearby building of Ukraine's security service in the central city of Dnipro on Friday, injuring nine people and causing widespread damage.

"Part of the apartment building was destroyed. It was not even yet in use and there weren't many people there," Regional governor Serhiy Lysak said in a televised statement. "A few people were trapped but are now out. The security service building is partially destroyed," Lysak added.

The city's mayor said it was the third time the security service building had been targeted.

Moscow says it does not target civilian sites.

The attack comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a two-day summit of African leaders in St. Petersburg. 

Many African countries have maintained close ties with Moscow despite the conflict in Ukraine. 

During the meeting, African leaders called on Putin to end the conflict and reinstate the Black Sea grain deal. "The disruptions of energy and grain supplies must end immediately. The grain deal must be extended for the benefit of all the peoples of the world, Africans in particular," African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said. 

The summit saw an agreement between the Russian leader and 49 African countries, with 17 heads of state, to pave the way for the "establishment of a more just, balanced and stable multipolar world order, firmly opposing all types of international confrontation" on the continent. 

"Russia's attention to Africa is steadily growing," Putin said at Friday's conclusion of the two-day high level meeting.

Russia and the African countries agreed to cooperate to seek compensation for the damage caused by colonialism and to pursue the return of cultural artefacts, according to the final declaration of a Russia-Africa summit, published on the Kremlin's website.

They agreed "to contribute to the completion of the process of decolonisation of Africa and to seek compensation for the economic and humanitarian damage caused to African States as a result of colonial policies, including restitution of cultural artefacts taken away in the process of colonial plunder," the declaration says.

Both sides also agreed to oppose any discrimination and intolerance, including "aggressive nationalism, neo-Nazism and neo-fascism, afrophobia, russophobia".

Four African heads of state will attend Russia's annual Navy Day Parade in St. Petersburg on Sunday, the Kremlin said, with five more African countries also sending other representation.

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