Thursday, December 18, 2025

World

Explosive weapons killed most children on record in 2024: Report

Explosive weapons killed or injured children at record levels last year, as wars increasingly move into urban areas, Save the Children announced in a report published Thursday.

Iran’s Permanent Mission to UN: Canada ‘posturing’ as rights champion despite history of racism

Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has slammed Canada for posturing as a global champion of human rights, stressing the North American country should be put on trial over its history of systemic racism against its Indigenous people.

Oxfam says G20 billionaires could end global poverty in one year’s earnings

Billionaires in the world's leading economies made $2.2 trillion last year, which would have been enough to lift all the world's poor out of poverty, global campaign group Oxfam announced in a report on Thursday.

WHO warns nearly one-third of women worldwide faced partner or sexual violence

Nearly one in three women – totalling about 840 million around the world – have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence in their lifetimes, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported.

Syria condemns Israeli PM’s ‘illegal visit’ to seized territory

Damascus has denounced a trip by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to the country’s south, where they visited troops deployed to Syrian territory they’ve occupied for months.

US peace plan proposes Ukraine ‘give up sovereignty’: FT

A US-proposed peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict developed jointly with Moscow requires major concessions from Kiev and would amount to it giving up its sovereignty, the Financial Times has reported. Russia has not confirmed the proposal.

Israel says 1,000th Western military supply aircraft landed since Gaza war began

Israel’s Defense Ministry says the 1,000th aircraft carrying Western military supplies since the start of the Gaza war has landed in Israel, bringing the total volume of military cargo delivered since October 8, 2023, to more than 120,000 tons.

Hundreds of career Israeli soldiers submit requests for early retirement from army: Yedioth Ahronoth

Hundreds of career Israeli soldiers, including senior officers, have submitted requests for early retirement, deepening the military’s manpower crisis as Tel Aviv struggles with shortages during its war in the Gaza Strip, according to a report.

EU says eyes training 3,000 police officers in Gaza

The European Union wants to train up to 3,000 Palestinian police officers in the Gaza Strip under a scheme similar to one it already runs in the West Bank, an EU official stated Wednesday.

At least 13 killed in Israeli attack on Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon

At least 13 people have been killed in an Israeli air attack on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

9/11 families criticize MbS White House office comments

The families of Sept. 11, 2001, victims have condemned US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the decades-old terror attacks.

Iran’s envoy cautions US-drafted resolution on Gaza must not be used to shield Israel

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations has warned that the recent US-drafted resolution adopted at the UN Security Council on establishment of a foreign force in the Gaza Strip must not be allowed to undermine Palestinian rights or shield the Israeli regime from accountability.

EU says its ability to pressure China over Ukraine is limited

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stated that the European Union’s ability to pressure China regarding its position on the Ukrainian war is limited.

US holding secret peace talks with Russia to end Ukraine war: Axios

The White House and the Kremlin have been secretly working on a proposal to end Russia's war against Ukraine, Axios reported, citing U.S. and Russian officials.

Trump hosts Saudi Arabia’s crown prince at White House

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received a warm welcome at the White House from United States President Donald Trump in a visit that has emphasised the deepening ties between the two countries.

US, Russia in talks over potential prisoner swap: Axios

Washington and Moscow are discussing the possibility of a new prisoner exchange, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing officials from the United States and Russia.

Israeli settler killed, 3 injured in West Bank attack

An Israeli settler was killed and three others were injured in an attack near a settlement in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, medics confirmed.

Syria launches first trial over violence that killed hundreds

Damascus has begun the trial of the first among hundreds of suspects accused of involvement in deadly clashes earlier this year that left hundreds dead in Syria’s coastal provinces.

Russia slams France’s warplanes deal with Ukraine as ‘fuelling’ the war

Moscow on Tuesday slammed Paris for signing a deal to supply up to 100 Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine, calling it an act that fuels the war.

Trump would support Russia sanctions bill if he retains final authority: White House

US President Donald Trump is willing to sign legislation to impose sanctions on Russia as long as he retains ultimate decision-making authority over any such measures, a senior White House official stated on Monday.

EU to spread legal costs of attacking Russian frozen assets: Politico

The European Union has pledged to spread the financial and legal risks of using Russia’s frozen central-bank assets to fund the government in Kiev, Politico reported on Monday. Belgium, where most of the money is held, has rejected the plan without such guarantees.

Germany plans to lift arms export restrictions on Israel

Germany will resume weapons exports to Israel starting November 24, government deputy spokesman Sebastian Hille has told journalists. Deliveries were suspended in August when Tel Aviv announced plans to occupy Gaza City.

Iraqi PM’s coalition tops parliamentary elections with 46 seats

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission has announced that the Reconstruction and Development coalition, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, topped the final parliamentary election results, securing 46 of the legislature’s 329 seats.

Hamas refutes UN Gaza resolution, stresses international force would become party to conflict

Hamas has rejected the United Nations Security Council’s adoption of a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, saying it fails to meet the rights and demands of the Palestinian people and seeks to impose an international trusteeship on the war-torn enclave — a move opposed by Palestinians and resistance factions.

Trump greenlights sale of F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia 

US President Donald Trump has stated he will greenlight the sale of F-35 advanced fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, ahead of a high-profile visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week to Washington, D.C.

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