News Briefs
December 30, 2025
This comes amid tensions over Russian claims, denied by Kyiv, of a Ukrainian drone attack on a residence used by President Vladimir Putin. The virtual meeting was expected to gather leaders who attended talks in Berlin earlier this month, although it was not clear who would be taking part. It follows talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday.
The Tuesday strike targeted a shipment of weapons from the United Arab Emirates for separatist forces, a significant move in a country located along a key international trade route that threatens to bring new risks to the Persian Gulf region. Yemen has been in a state of civil war for more than a decade, involving regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The recent escalation highlights strained ties between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, who have backed competing sides in Yemen鈥檚 war.
December 29, 2025
Foreign ministers convened to discuss the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. The trilateral meeting Monday was held in a southwestern Chinese province north of the region where the dispute still simmers. It came two days after Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire agreement. Fighting had killed more than 100 people and forced hundreds of thousands of people to be evacuated on both sides of the border.
They are urging an investigation into rising antisemitism and security failures. Two gunmen killed 15 people and wounded 40 others at a Jewish festival on Sydney鈥檚 Bondi Beach December 14. In an open letter on Monday, 17 families called for a federal inquiry known as a royal commission to investigate antisemitism in Australia since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has suggested instead an inquiry by a retired bureaucrat. The New South Wales state government has promised a royal commission.
December 28, 2025
The election Sunday featured a weakened opposition with a total of nine candidates. Analysts have predicted a likely win for junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya. The election in Guinea is the latest such vote among African countries that have seen a surge in coups in recent years. More than half of Guinea鈥檚 15 million people are experiencing record levels of poverty and food insecurity despite its rich mineral resources.
It says it aims to warn against what it called separatist and 鈥渆xternal interference鈥 forces. Beijing had expressed anger at a statement by Japan鈥檚 prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, that Japan鈥檚 military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan. But the Chinese military did not mention Japan in its statement.
December 27, 2025
Effective Saturday at noon, it halts military movements and airspace violations. Thailand had conducted airstrikes in Cambodia as recently as Saturday morning. The deal, meant to end weeks of fighting over border disputes, is to include the repatriation of 18 Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand. The ceasefire aims to allow displaced civilians to return home. The agreement also addresses land mine concerns and calls for joint demining operations.
December 26, 2025
The nation鈥檚 High Court found Najib Razak guilty on four counts of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering related to more than $700 million channeled into his personal bank accounts from the 1MDB fund. He聽has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and must pay 13.5 billion ringgit ($3.3 billion). Mr. Najib denied wrongdoing, claiming the funds were a Saudi donation. The ruling marked a major milestone in one of the world鈥檚 largest financial scandals, which rippled across global markets and triggered investigations in the United States and other nations.聽Najib, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018, is already serving a prison sentence after being convicted in an earlier case linked to the 1MDB scandal, which led to his government鈥檚 defeat in 2018. The new sentence will begin after his current prison term ends.
The two leaders will discuss security guarantees and an "economic agreement," according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who added that the 20-point peace plan under discussion 鈥渋s about 90% ready.鈥 The announced meeting is the latest development in an extensive U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the nearly four-year Russia-Ukraine war. Efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands by Moscow and Kyiv, particularly over territorial issues. Moscow has insisted that Ukraine relinquish the remaining land it still holds in the eastern Donbas region 鈥 an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk 鈥 the two areas that make up the Donbas.
December 25, 2025
For weeks he had been accusing the government there of failing to rein in the persecution of 海角大神s in the West African country. Mr. Trump posted news of the strike Thursday night on his social media site. He said last month that he鈥檇 ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria. The U.S. recently designated Nigeria a 鈥渃ountry of particular concern鈥 under the International Religious Freedom Act.
It said that finishing the release could take a 鈥渇ew more weeks,鈥 further delaying compliance with a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress. The department said that the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office for the Southern District of New York, as well as the FBI, found more than a million more documents that could be relevant to the case.
December 24, 2025
The justices Tuesday declined the Trump administration鈥檚 emergency request to overturn a ruling by a U.S. district judge that had blocked the deployment of troops to support its immigration crackdown. Three justices publicly dissented. The high court order is not a final ruling but could affect other lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump鈥檚 attempts to deploy the military in other Democratic-led cities.
The two reached a consensus on several points aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict with Russia. But sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine鈥檚 eastern industrial region and the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain unresolved. Ukraine鈥檚 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefed journalists on the plan, which includes the establishment of a demilitarized zone. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would set out its position based on information received by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who met with U.S. envoys in Florida over the weekend.
December 23, 2025
The Trump administration says it will begin garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers who are in default early next year. Millions of borrowers are considered in default, meaning they are 270 days past due on their payments. The Education Department must give borrowers 30 days notice before their wages can be garnished.聽The Biden administration tried multiple times to give broad forgiveness to student loans, but those efforts were eventually stopped by courts.
Officials in Denmark and Greenland expressed alarm over President Donald Trump鈥檚 latest calls for the autonomous Danish territory to become part of the United States. Mr. Trump said Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, his new special envoy to the vast Arctic island, will 鈥渓ead the charge.鈥 Meanwhile, more than 30 career diplomats serving in ambassadorial positions, mostly in Africa and Asia, will be replaced with political appointees on board with the president鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥 foreign policy vision.
Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences recently retrieved 13 reef monitoring devices that had been placed around Guam up to 330 feet below the surface, where the light of day barely reaches. So far they expect to identify more than 20 species, including new types of sponges, sea squirts, and coral. The team will collect 76 more devices from across the Pacific over the next two years.
A group of women from the southwestern state of Goa began crocheting online during the pandemic. This year, one member鈥檚 inspiration brought them together in person for the first time for a project they hoped would spread 鈥減eace, hope, joy, [and] love.鈥 Over three months, 25 crocheters stitched 1,000 squares of yarn and attached them to a metal frame donated by a local engineer. The colorful tree is on display at the local museum. 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e not alone,鈥 one said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e found each other.鈥
December 22, 2025
The Trump administration said Monday it is pausing leases for five large-scale projects under construction due to unspecified national security risks identified by the Pentagon. The pause is effective immediately and will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, time to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess ways to mitigate any security risks posed by the projects, the administration said. The Interior Department said government reports have long found that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers create radar interference called 鈥渃lutter.鈥
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