Sunday, December 21, 2025

World

Indian refiners asked to pay for Russian oil with Chinese yuan: Reuters

Traders are asking Indian state refiners to pay for Russian oil with Chinese yuan amid warming ties between New Delhi and Beijing, Reuters has reported, citing undisclosed trade sources.

Ukraine claims Tomahawk missiles can ‘pressure’ Russia

Kiev could use US Tomahawk missiles to launch increasingly escalatory strikes on targets inside Russia in order to “pressure” Moscow to agree to a peace deal, a Ukrainian official has told The Telegraph.

Italy’s PM says ICC complaint accused her of Gaza genocide complicity

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that she has been accused of “complicity in genocide” in a complaint lodged with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over Rome’s support for Israel as it bombards Gaza.

Israeli army intercepts another Gaza aid flotilla

A new Gaza-bound aid flotilla has been intercepted by the Israeli military, days after the detention of activists on board vessels bound for the war-torn territory caused international outrage and widespread protests.

Putin claims Russia captured nearly 5,000 square km in Ukraine in 2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow's forces had captured almost 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles) of land in Ukraine in 2025 and that his country retained complete strategic initiative on the battlefield.

Hamas says wants ‘guarantees’ Israel will end Gaza war

Hamas officials have stated that they are seeking guarantees that Israel will end the war on Gaza and withdraw from the Palestinian territory as part of the United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, as the second day of indirect negotiations ended in Egypt.

Report: Israel unable to wage wars on Gaza, Lebanon, Iran without US support

Israel would not have been able to unleash its wars across the Middle East without the United States’s significant financial backing of more than $21bn since October 2023, according to a pair of new reports.

Day one of Gaza ceasefire talks ends on ‘positive’ note in Egypt

The first day of resumed indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt ended on a positive note, amid hopes of a potential accord to implement United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war on Gaza, multiple sources told Al Jazeera and other media outlets.

Trump threatened to pull US out of NATO: Ex-bloc chief

US President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw Washington from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which would have brought the bloc to the brink of collapse, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has claimed.

EU to curb Russian diplomats’ travel: FT

EU governments have agreed to limit the travel of Russian diplomats within the bloc, in response to a surge in sabotage endeavours that intelligence agencies say are often led by spies operating under diplomatic cover.

Trump says he made decision on supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles

US President Donald Trump stated that he had already made a decision on supplying long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

UN council to investigate rights violations in Afghanistan

The United Nations Human Rights Council decided on Monday to launch a probe into serious rights violations in Afghanistan, amid growing alarm over the Taliban's measures targeting women and girls.

Hamas representative in Tehran rejects disarmament, demands guarantees before talks

Hamas’s representative in Tehran Khaled Qaddoumi  says the Palestinian resistance group’s weapons are a fundamental right and that it rejects any talk of disarmament.

West’s drone accusations baseless: Russia

 Western European officials should “broaden their horizons” when it comes to drone sightings and stop blaming Russia for everything, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.

40k Russians without power in Belgorod after Ukrainian aerial attack

A Ukrainian attack damaged energy facilities and disrupted power supplies in the Russian city of Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday.

Russia, asked if China is sharing satellite intel for Ukraine, says it has its own capabilities

The Kremlin announced on Monday that it had its own capabilities to cover all of its battlefield needs after being asked about a Kiev claim that Beijing was providing intelligence to enable Moscow to better launch missile strikes against Ukraine.

Taliban says will never hand over Bagram Air Base to US

The Taliban's chief spokesman has firmly dismissed US President Donald Trump's push to "take back" Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

Nearly 20k Gaza children killed in Israeli war: Authorities

The Israeli military has killed nearly 20,000 children during the ongoing genocidal war in the besieged Gaza Strip since October 2023, local authorities announced.

Hamas dismisses media reports about agreeing to disarm under international supervision

The Palestinian group Hamas has denied media reports about agreeing to surrender its weapons under US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan.

Syria counts votes after indirect election for first parliament after Assad fall

Vote counting has begun in some districts in Syria’s first parliamentary elections since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, a landmark moment in the Middle Eastern country’s fragile transition after nearly 14 years of war.

Tomahawk supply to Ukraine would destroy relations between US and Russia: Putin

President Vladimir Putin has stated that if the United States supplied Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for long-range strikes deep into Russia then it would lead to the destruction of Moscow's relationship with Washington.

Poland deploys air defences as Russia launches new attacks on Ukraine

Polish and allied air defences have been deployed to secure the country’s airspace, its military announced, as Russia launched new air attacks on neighbouring Ukraine.

Israel pounds Gaza, killing dozens, despite US call for it to halt bombing

Israeli attacks across the besieged Gaza Strip have killed at least 70 Palestinians, medical sources confirmed, despite calls from United States President Donald Trump for Tel Aviv to stop its bombardment after Hamas announced it had accepted some elements of the American leader’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s war.

Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg abused in Israeli jail: Activists

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg was subjected to humiliation and harsh treatment in an Israeli prison after being captured aboard the Gaza aid flotilla, according to fellow activists and lawyers.

At least 562 aid workers killed in Gaza in nearly 2 years: UN

At least 562 aid workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip since start of war, the United Nations announced on Friday, following the death of another aid worker in an Israeli attack.

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