Saturday, December 20, 2025

World

Over 61mn tons of debris left by 2 years of Israeli war on Gaza: UN

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has announced that more than 61 million tons of debris blanket the Gaza Strip as a result of more than two years of Israel’s war.

Trump says meeting with Putin ‘canceled’

US President Donald Trump has called off his planned summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest, saying he does not believe the talks would yield the desired results at this stage of the dialogue. Moscow has yet to comment.

Trump hits Russia’s oil giants with sanctions over Ukraine war

United States President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on Russia for the first time since returning to the White House, citing a lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations to end Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

Israel must allow aid into Gaza: ICJ

The United Nations court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has announced that Israel has an obligation to ensure the “basic needs” of the population in Gaza are met.

EU agrees 19th sanctions package against Russia over Ukraine war

The European Union on Wednesday agreed to impose new sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine aimed at crimping Moscow's oil and gas revenues, announced Denmark, which holds the EU's rotating presidency.

Most Americans support U.S. recognition of Palestinian state: Survey

Most Americans - including 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans - think the U.S. should recognize Palestinian statehood, a sign that President Donald Trump's opposition to doing so is out of step with public opinion, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.

Democratic senators call on Trump to oppose West Bank annexation

Forty-four of the 45 Democrats in the US Senate have sent a letter to US President Donald Trump urging him to reaffirm his opposition to Israel's annexation of the occupied West Bank, Axios has reported.

Russia confirms still preparing for Putin-Trump summit

Russia has announced that preparation for a presidential summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was still ongoing, despite the US leader's announcement that it has been shelved.

Russian aerial attacks kill six, cut power across Ukraine

A Russian overnight barrage on Ukraine killed six people in and around the capital Kyiv and triggered power cuts across the European country, Ukrainian authorities announced Wednesday.

Britain removes Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group from terrorist organization list

The UK government on Tuesday officially removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of proscribed terrorist organizations, citing the move as part of efforts to engage with Syria’s new government following the fall of the Bashar Assad government last year.

Trump claims Middle East states offered to fight Hamas in Gaza

United States President Donald Trump has suggested that several countries in the Middle East have offered to send forces to the Gaza Strip to fight Hamas, renewing his threats to the Palestinian group amid the fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

Israel’s PM fires national security chief

Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi says he has been fired by Benjamin Netanyahu, as the Israeli prime minister’s office announced Gil Reich would be appointed as acting head of the National Security Council (NSC).

Trump says summit with Putin should not be ‘wasted time’

The potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest should not be “wasted”, US President Donald Trump has stated.

US VP admits uncertainty over Gaza

US Vice President J.D. Vance has stated that he does not know who will ultimately govern Gaza, admitting uncertainty over the war-ravaged enclave’s political future amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Kremlin says it does not have dates for summit between Putin and Trump

The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that the timing of a potential summit between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was unclear and that no dates had been mentioned.

Syria reconstruction costs put at $216bn: World Bank

Syria's post-war reconstruction could cost up to $216 billion, the World Bank announced in a report on Tuesday that follows over 13 years of conflict in the country.

Ukraine, Europe allies support peace negotiations based on current frontline

European leaders have issued a joint statement with Ukraine backing US President Donald Trump's call for peace talks to begin based on the current frontline with Russia.

US opposes EU plan for frozen Russian assets: Bloomberg

The United States will not join the EU-spearheaded plan to use frozen Russian assets to bankroll Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the discussions.

UN says all staff inside compound in Yemeni capital now free

The Untied Nations team in Yemen confirmed on Monday that all personnel previously restricted inside the UN compound in the capital Sanaa are now free, after days of limited movement and detentions.

Iraq says some US military personnel will stay due to Daesh threat in Syria

A small contingent of US military advisers will remain in Iraq to coordinate with American forces in neighbouring Syria combating the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has stated.

Hamas hands over remains of another Israeli captive to Red Cross

Hamas handed over the remains of an Israeli hostage to the Red Cross on Monday evening under a ceasefire accord, the army has confirmed.

Trump claims Ukraine won’t win the war with Russia

US President Donald Trump does not believe Ukraine can win its war with Russia. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, he stated, “They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could still win it”, when asked to clarify his position on the conflict.

US threatens to ‘eradicate’ Hamas despite Gaza ceasefire

US President Donald Trump has threatened to “eradicate” Hamas if the Palestinian group does not abide by its ceasefire agreement with Israel. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, he said that he would give Hamas “a little chance” to honor the deal.

Zelensky refutes Trump-backed territory concession plan

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out any territorial concessions to Russia, rejecting what the media has described as a compromise proposal backed by US President Donald Trump.

Planned meeting between top Russian, US diplomats postponed indefinitely: CNN

The meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which had been in the works for the past few days, has been postponed indefinitely, CNN has reported, citing its sources in the White House.

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