Israeli and Lebanese diplomats met Wednesday in Naqoura under U.S. auspices to discuss economic cooperation aimed at stabilizing southern Lebanon near their shared border—the first direct, public engagement between the countries since 1993. The meeting comes amid rising tensions, including recent Israeli strikes against Hezbollah targets following the assassination of the group’s top military commander, Haytham Ali Tabatabai. U.S. officials hope the talks will help … Continue reading U.S. brokers first direct Israel-Lebanon talks in decades

Spain is preparing to reinstate mask mandates in hospitals and healthcare facilities due to rising flu cases ahead of winter. The Ministry of Health is coordinating with regional governments to create a unified protocol aimed at protecting vulnerable populations and easing pressure on hospitals. Masks will become mandatory for patients, visitors, and staff in high-risk medical settings, particularly where immunocompromised individuals are treated. Although everyday … Continue reading Spain bringing back mask mandates as flu spreads

Colombia responded sharply after President Donald Trump suggested possible U.S. military action against the country as part of his fight against drug trafficking. Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned Trump not to threaten the nation’s sovereignty, saying such comments risk damaging long-standing diplomatic ties. Trump claimed Colombia and Venezuela were producing cocaine for shipment to the U.S. and said they could be targets of military strikes. … Continue reading Colombia warns on ‘brink of war’ with USA

Belgian authorities have arrested three people, including former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, in a probe into suspected fraud involving EU-funded training for junior diplomats. Police also raided the Brussels headquarters of the EU foreign service and several College of Europe buildings in Bruges, as well as the homes of the suspects. The investigation, led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, focuses on possible … Continue reading Former EU top diplomat among three held in fraud investigation

Germany’s Defense Ministry confirmed that around 20,000 rounds of ammunition intended for the armed forces were stolen from a civilian contractor’s trailer last week. The theft occurred between November 24 and 25 while the trailer was parked overnight, and was discovered on November 28. The military is investigating the incident with local police and emphasized the seriousness of ensuring such ammunition does not fall into … Continue reading German military says thousands of rounds of ammunition were stolen from parked vehicle

The Taliban carried out a public execution in Khost, Afghanistan, of a man convicted of killing 13 members of a family, including nine children, earlier this year. Tens of thousands attended the execution at a stadium, making it the 11th public execution since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan condemned the execution as inhumane and a violation of … Continue reading Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers carry out public execution in sports stadium in eastern city

Bulgaria’s government has withdrawn its controversial 2026 budget proposal after nationwide protests against planned tax hikes and higher social security contributions. The backlash comes amid years of political instability and deep public divisions over eurozone adoption and corruption. Tens of thousands of mostly young protesters in Sofia accused the government of perpetuating corrupt institutions and demanded either a revised budget or the cabinet’s resignation. Some … Continue reading Bulgarian government pulls budget amid fierce protests

Malaysia’s transport ministry announced that the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will resume on 30 December, more than 10 years after its disappearance. The US-based company Ocean Infinity will conduct a 55-day, intermittent seabed search under a “no-find, no-fee” contract, targeting areas deemed most likely to contain the wreckage. Families of the 239 people onboard welcomed the renewed effort, expressing hope for long-awaited … Continue reading Search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 to resume more than 11 years after plane went missing

Britain plans to remove the automatic right to trial by jury for many lower-level criminal cases as part of emergency measures to address a severe court backlog and overcrowded prisons, Justice Minister David Lammy announced. Defendants facing charges likely to result in sentences under three years would no longer be able to choose a jury trial, though jury trials would remain for serious crimes such … Continue reading Britain plans to curb jury trials to tackle court crisis

A Russian-flagged tanker carrying sunflower oil, the MIDVOLGA-2, was attacked in the Black Sea about 130 km off Turkey’s coast, though its crew was unharmed and it did not request assistance. The incident follows Ukrainian naval-drone attacks on two Russian “shadow fleet” tankers, Kairos and Virat, inside Turkey’s exclusive economic zone days earlier. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the earlier attacks as a “worrying … Continue reading A third Russian tanker attacked in the Black Sea, Turkish authority says