European Union leaders have agreed to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion ($105 billion) loan, addressing its military and economic needs for the next two years, after failing to reach a deal on using frozen Russian assets. The loan, backed by the EU’s common budget, avoids disputes over liability that blocked proposals to use €200 billion in Russian funds. Ukrainian President Zelensky warned that without financial support by … Continue reading EU agrees €90bn loan for Ukraine but without using Russian assets

Heavy storms on Hormuz Island in Iran turned rainwater and coastal seas a striking blood-red as iron-oxide-rich soil washed down cliffs and into the ocean. The phenomenon, known locally as “Red Beach,” is caused by golak soil, which turns crimson when it comes into contact with water due to high levels of hematite. The dramatic scene drew widespread attention online, with some comparing it to … Continue reading ‘Blood rain’ turns beach bright red

Australia is introducing tougher hate speech laws following the Bondi Beach terror attack, where Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, targeted Hanukkah celebrations, killing 15 people. Naveed Akram faces 59 charges, including murder and firearms offences, while Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. The new measures include harsher penalties for promoting violence, a specific hate-speech offence for leaders, and powers … Continue reading Australia announces tougher hate speech laws following Bondi massacre

The United States approved an $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, one of its largest ever, including HIMARS rocket systems, long-range missiles, artillery, drones, and military software. U.S. officials said the package supports Taiwan’s efforts to modernize its forces and maintain a credible defensive capability. Taiwan welcomed the deal, calling it essential to strengthening deterrence and national defense. China strongly criticized the move, urging Washington … Continue reading US approves $11bn in arms sales to Taiwan in deal likely to anger China

Naveed Akram, the sole surviving suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney, has been charged with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. The attack, targeting Australia’s Jewish community during a Hanukkah celebration, left 15 people dead and dozens injured, making it the country’s deadliest shooting since 1996. Akram’s father, Sajid Akram, was killed in a … Continue reading Naveed Akram charged with 15 counts of murder over Bondi shooting

Venezuela has deployed its Navy to escort ships carrying petroleum products from its ports, heightening tensions with the U.S. after President Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” targeting sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers. Several vessels transporting urea, petroleum coke, and other oil-based products departed the Port of José for Asia under military escort, responding to Trump’s blockade threats. The escorted ships do not appear on … Continue reading Venezuelan Navy Escorts Vessels After Blockade Threat

Thousands visited Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo to see twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei before they return to China next month, marking the first time in over 50 years Japan will be without a panda. Their last public viewing will be on January 25, but tensions between Japan and China make the arrival of replacements uncertain. The four-year-old pandas were born in Tokyo in 2021 … Continue reading Thousands flock to see the last 2 pandas in Japan before their return to China

A driver who injured more than 130 people by plowing his minivan into a crowd celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Paul Doyle, 54, deliberately accelerated into groups of fans on May 26, stopping only after a bystander forced the vehicle into park. Prosecutors said Doyle used his car as a weapon after becoming enraged over delays … Continue reading Driver who rammed through crowd at Liverpool soccer parade sentenced to over 20 years

The International Criminal Court (ICC) appeals chamber has rejected Israel’s attempt to block an investigation into its actions in Gaza, allowing the probe to continue. The court upheld a lower court ruling permitting the ICC prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel argued that events after October 7 constituted a new situation requiring a fresh … Continue reading ICC rejects Israeli bid to block Gaza war crimes investigation

Japan lifted a megaquake advisory for its northeastern coast Tuesday, a week after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off northern Japan. The advisory, which had urged residents to sleep in day clothes with helmets, shoes, and grab bags at hand, is no longer in effect, though officials stressed that the risk of a major quake remains. The 7.5 quake, near Aomori and south of Hokkaido, … Continue reading Japan lifts megaquake advisory but urges caution

The M23 armed group has agreed, at the request of the United States, to withdraw from the strategic town of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which it seized last week. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo coalition that includes M23, confirmed the withdrawal in a signed statement posted online. However, reports from Uvira indicated that M23 fighters were still … Continue reading M23 announces exit from DRC’s Uvira as US-brokered ceasefire stutters

President Donald Trump ordered a total blockade of oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, declaring Nicolás Maduro’s government a foreign terrorist organization. Trump accused the regime of using oil from what he called stolen U.S. assets to finance terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. The U.S. escalated tensions further by seizing an oil tanker, the Skipper, allegedly used to transport sanctioned Venezuelan and Iranian oil … Continue reading Trump declares ‘Venezuelan regime’ a foreign terrorist organization, orders oil tanker blockade

The Vatican unveiled its Nativity scene and lit a 25-meter Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square on Monday, accompanied by a band, chorus, and dancers in traditional South Tyrol costumes. The spruce tree came from Italy’s German-speaking autonomous province on the Austrian border, while the life-size Nativity scene was designed by the Nocera Inferiore-Sarno diocese, featuring southern Italian architectural elements. South Tyrol deputy governor Rosmarie … Continue reading Vatican unveils Nativity scene, lights Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square

Flash floods in the Moroccan town of Safi have killed at least 37 people, with search and rescue operations ongoing. The coastal town, about 300 km south of Rabat, was hit by a torrent that swept away cars and debris, marking the deadliest flood in Morocco in over a decade. Survivors are being treated at Mohammed V Hospital, with two in intensive care, while schools … Continue reading Morocco’s Safi counts the cost in aftermath of deadly flash floods

U.S. officials indicated Monday that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be closer than ever, with roughly 90% of issues reportedly resolved. Discussions in Berlin involved U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, focusing on a U.S.-authored 20-point peace plan. Proposed terms include NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine, reconstruction efforts, and measures to deter further Russian incursions, with … Continue reading Russia-Ukraine peace deal could be closer than ever, US officials signal

At least 15 people were killed and more than two dozen injured in a shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, authorities said. Police identified the suspects as a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son, with the older suspect fatally shot by officers and the younger hospitalized with critical injuries. Officials declared the attack an act of terrorism aimed at Jewish people, … Continue reading Australia vows crackdown on guns, antisemitism after shooters kill 15

A drone strike hit a UN peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, killing six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and wounding eight others, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. The Sudanese military blamed the attack on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group fighting the army for control of the country, while the RSF has not commented. Guterres condemned the strike as potentially a war crime and called … Continue reading Drone strike on UN facility in war-torn Sudan leaves six peacekeepers dead

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo declared a 15-day state of emergency in Nahuala and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan after armed men attacked a military post and police station, hijacked buses, and killed at least five people. He said criminal gangs aim to push security forces out and take control of the region, prompting the government to reinforce security. The attackers, some in military-style gear, are linked to … Continue reading Guatemala declares state of emergency after armed attacks kill at least 5

Blaise Metreweli, the first female chief of Britain’s MI6, will deliver her inaugural public speech on Monday, warning that the “front line is everywhere” amid growing threats from Russia and other hostile actors. She is expected to highlight challenges including technological disruption, information warfare, and terrorism, emphasizing Russia’s hybrid operations against Western allies of Ukraine. Metreweli will stress the importance of mastering technology alongside traditional … Continue reading UK’s new spy chief warns the ‘front line is everywhere’ amid growing threat from Russia

A rocket attack from Cambodia on Sunday killed a 63-year-old Thai villager, marking the first confirmed civilian death directly linked to a week of fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border. The conflict, sparked by a Dec. 7 skirmish that wounded two Thai soldiers, involves longstanding territorial disputes over frontier land containing ancient temple ruins. Both sides have employed heavy weaponry, including Cambodia’s truck-mounted BM-21 rocket launchers … Continue reading Thailand says Cambodian rocket fire has caused its first civilian death in new border fighting

Ukraine has agreed to abandon its goal of joining NATO in exchange for legally binding security guarantees from the U.S., European allies, Canada, Japan, and other partners, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said ahead of talks in Berlin. This marks a major shift for Kyiv, which had long sought NATO membership as protection against Russian aggression, and aligns with one of Russia’s key demands. Zelenskyy described the … Continue reading Ukraine’s Zelenskyy abandons hopes of joining NATO ahead of peace talks

Hong Kong’s High Court has convicted pro-democracy activist and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai on three charges under the 2020 National Security Law, including conspiring with foreign forces to threaten China’s national security and publishing seditious material. Lai, 78, who has been in detention since December 2020, now faces the possibility of a life sentence. Judges described him as the “mastermind” of a criminal conspiracy, citing … Continue reading Hong Kong court convicts democracy activist Jimmy Lai on conspiracy charges

The U.S. military is deploying additional aircraft, ships, and support units to the Caribbean, giving President Donald Trump expanded options to escalate pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The buildup includes stealth fighters, electronic warfare planes, refueling tankers, warships, and drones that could enable airstrikes, enforce an oil embargo, or seize more tankers. Trump has warned of possible land strikes and authorized covert operations, while … Continue reading U.S. Pours More Firepower Into the Caribbean as Trump Ramps Up Threats

The Israeli military said it killed Raed Saad, a top Hamas commander, in a targeted strike on a car in Gaza on Saturday, marking the most high-profile assassination since the cease-fire two months ago. Saad, a senior figure in Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, helped plan the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that triggered the two-year conflict. Four people were killed in the strike, though … Continue reading Israel Says It Killed Senior Hamas Commander, Despite Cease-Fire

German police have arrested five men suspected of planning a vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in southern Bavaria. The suspects include three Moroccans, a 56-year-old Egyptian reportedly serving as a local imam, and a 37-year-old Syrian, who are accused of plotting or encouraging the attack. Prosecutors say the Egyptian called for the attack with the intent to kill or injure as many people as … Continue reading Five men arrested for ‘Islamist plot’ to ‘attack German Christmas market’