Friday, December 19, 2025

World

Hamas meet Egypt’s spy chief, says Israel’s attacks on Gaza threaten ceasefire deal

A senior delegation from Hamas has met Egypt’s intelligence chief in Cairo to discuss Israel’s breaches of the Gaza ceasefire agreement in, the group announced.

US, Ukrainian laud ‘good progress’ in Geneva talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and head of Ukraine's delegation Andriy Yermak have hailed "good progress" in talks underway in Geneva Sunday to discuss a proposal to halt the Ukraine war.

Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israel’s attack on Beirut

Hezbollah has confirmed that its top military commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai has been killed in an Israeli air attack on Lebanon’s capital.

New draft of US plan reflects Ukraine’s ‘key priorities’: Kyiv

The latest version of the US draft plan for ending war in Ukraine now includes most of Kyiv's "key priorities", the European country's negotiator said Sunday, after holding a few rounds of negotiations in Geneva.

EU’s central role must be ‘fully reflected’ in Ukraine peace plan: Top diplomat

The "centrality" of the European Union's role must be "fully reflected" in a peace plan for Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stressed.

Five killed as Israel pounds Beirut despite ceasefire

The Israeli military has conducted an attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing at least five people and wounding 28 others, Lebanon’s health ministry announced.

Israel faces ‘mental health tsunami’ after two years of war: Report

Israel is facing a “mental health tsunami”, with two million people in need of support as addiction rates soar and families and communities fall apart, according to a report by Yedioth Ahronoth.

Houthi court sentences 17 people to death accused of spying for Israel, West

Houthi judges working with prosecutors in Yemen have sentenced several people to death by firing squad over alleged espionage on behalf of Israel and its western allies.

EU seeking to rewrite US’ Ukraine peace plan: Bloomberg

Kiev’s backers in the EU are seeking to rewrite most of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Ukraine war, Bloomberg has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Elections in Ukraine needed: US

Elections in Ukraine are a required process, Special Envoy of the US President for Ukraine Keith Kellogg has stated in an interview with Fox News.

Vance claims Ukrainian victory over Russia a ‘fantasy’

US Vice President J.D. Vance has defended Washington’s plan for settling the Ukraine war, arguing that its opponents are wrong to think that increasing pressure on Moscow could change the situation on the battlefield.

‘He can fight his little heart out’: Trump on Zelensky refusal of peace plan

US President Donald Trump has stated that his Ukraine counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky can “continue to fight his little heart out” should he refuse the proposed peace plan to settle the conflict with Russia.

Israeli army kills over two dozen Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire

Israel’s military has launched a wave of air attacks across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 24 Palestinians, including children, in its latest violation of a six-week old ceasefire in the war-torn territory.

US tells NATO if Zelensky does not sign peace accord, Ukraine will face worse in future

US officials have told NATO allies they expect to push president Volodymyr Zelensky into agreeing to a peace deal in the coming days, under the threat that if Kyiv does not sign, it will face a much worse agreement in future.

Trump says Zelensky ‘will have to like’ American peace plan

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will have to agree to a Washington-drafted peace plan otherwise his country will have to keep fighting Russia through the “cold winter,” US President Donald Trump has stated.

2 children killed every day in Gaza despite ceasefire: UNICEF

An average of almost two children have been killed every day in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began, UNICEF has warned, saying the violence has not stopped despite an agreement intended to halt the killing.

UN warns of escalating violence in West Bank

The United Nations has warned about worsening conditions in the occupied West Bank, reporting a surge in violence that has left Palestinian civilians facing mounting casualties, displacement and insecurity.

Putin responds to US peace proposal for Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the US plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine is an updated version of a proposal developed following his meeting with American President Donald Trump in Alaska.

Ukraine risks ‘losing a key partner’ with Trump’s peace proposal: Zelensky

Ukraine is at a pivotal point in its four-year fight to defeat Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an address to the nation Friday, with Ukrainians potentially facing a choice between standing up for their sovereign rights or losing American support as leaders negotiate a US peace proposal.

US threatening to cut Ukraine arms supply and intel sharing: Reuters

The United States has threatened to cut off Ukraine from intelligence and weaponry in a bid to press it into accepting President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan, Reuters reported on Friday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

US Democrat lawmaker demands release of ‘shocking’ Trump-MbS phone call from 2019 after Khashoggi’s death

A US Democratic lawmaker who served on President Donald Trump’s National Security Council in his first term urged the White House on Friday to release a transcript of Trump’s 2019 call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing.

331 killed, 945 injured by Israeli fire since ceasefire: Lebanon

At least 331 people have been killed and 945 injured by Israeli fire since a ceasefire accord took effect in November 2024, the Lebanese Health Ministry announced Friday.

US demands Ukraine accept Washington-drafted peace plan: Reuters

US President Donald Trump’s administration has signaled to Ukraine that it must accept Washington's latest peace plan to end the war with Russia, Reuters has reported, citing anonymous sources. The framework reportedly requires Kiev to give up the part of Donbass it still controls, among other concessions.

Ukraine peace plan needs Kyiv, Europe ‘on board’: EU

Ukraine’s EU backers insist that Kyiv and Europe must be involved in any peace plan, as the United States pushes a new proposal that appears to echo Russia’s demands.

IAEA BoG votes to urge Iran to provide information about nuclear material

The United Nations atomic watchdog’s board of governors urged Iran on Thursday to “extend full and prompt cooperation”, to provide the nuclear agency’s inspectors with “precise information” about its stockpile of uranium, and to grant access to the country’s nuclear installations.

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