Reuters. Pope Leo XIV lamented the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday (December 25), in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus. Leo, the first U.S. pope, said the story of Jesus…
At the AK Party Extended Provincial Chairs Meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan strongly condemned what he described as unlawful agreements involving Israel, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot Administration of Cyprus. While stating that Turkey would not be drawn into provocations, Erdoğan stressed that it would never allow the rights of the people living…
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has given details of an updated US-brokered peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the BBC reports. Giving details of the 20-point plan agreed by US and Ukrainian negotiators in Florida at the weekend, Zelensky said the Russians would respond on Wednesday once the Americans had spoken to them, the…
Syria’s foreign and defence ministers met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and held discussions on expanding “strategic cooperation in the military industries sector”, Syrian state media has reported. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said that Putin’s meeting on Tuesday with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and Minister of Defence…
Reuters/CCTV. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday stressed that arctic security remains a key priority for the European Union (EU) after U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his call to take over Greenland, provoking strong reactions from Denmark and the EU. Following disputes earlier this year over Greenland, which is an autonomous…
Turkish media have reported that, within the framework of the Armenia–Turkey normalization process, work on the Turkish side toward opening border checkpoints has accelerated. In particular, technical assessments and preparatory measures have begun at the ‘Alican’ border checkpoint. It is noted that the project envisages additional construction on the Alican road, which will improve…
US President Donald Trump, along with Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, will make a statement at 00:30 Moscow time on Tuesday, December 23, with an undisclosed topic. This became known on December 22 from the official schedule published on the website of the State Department. “At 16:30 (December…
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, returned on Sunday (December 21) from talks in Miami, Florida aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict. Later, U.S. Special envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on X that the talks between American, European and Ukrainian officials over the last three days were productive and constructive. As he…
Turkey’s Minister of National Defense has stated that Ankara and Washington are working to lift part of the U.S. sanctions imposed on Turkey. “We are aware that President Trump is trying to advance this initiative in the Senate. We are also making efforts in this direction. We have established separate working groups. Turkey and…
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has said he does not consider himself responsible for the deaths of people in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Speaking during a Kremlin-organised Direct Line broadcast, Putin responded to a journalist’s question about whether he will be held accountable for deaths if he rejects peace proposals put forward by US President Donald…
Europe will have to re-engage in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin if the latest U.S.-led efforts to broker a Ukraine peace deal founder, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, Reuters reports. European leaders wary of Putin’s future military ambitions have smarted at their exclusion from peace talks led by U.S. President…
Reuters. The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday (December 17) to advance a $901 billion bill setting policy for the Pentagon, sending the massive piece of legislation to the White House, which has said President Donald Trump will sign it into law. The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, is a compromise…
Reuters. In a rare evening address from the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump boasted on Wednesday (December 17) of his accomplishments, amid falling approval ratings. “Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump said in a speech that lasted less than 20 minutes and was delivered at rapid-fire pace. …
Kazakhstan is moving ahead with a $1 billion plan to build NATO-standard artillery ammunition factories to reduce its reliance on Russian models—a shift that has already drawn sharp criticism from Moscow, where officials have labeled the move “unfriendly”, according to reporting by The Moscow Times on December 17. The initiative marks a significant shift…
Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Tehran in protest to the interventionist language regarding Iran’s territorial integrity, IRNA reports. The officials of Cyprus made the remarks in a joint statement issued with their counterparts from the UAE. Mohammad Alibek, Assistant Foreign Minister and Director General…
The Trump administration has issued a full travel ban on five more countries as well as people traveling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. It also imposed new limits on 15 other countries, Euronews reports. The Trump administration announced an expansion of travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority,…
Reuters. President Donald Trump sued the BBC on Monday (December 15) for defamation over edited clips of a speech that made it appear he directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol, opening an international front in his fight against media coverage he deems untrue or unfair. Trump, in his lawsuit filed Monday in Miami…
The European Commission (EC) will propose a ban on purchases of Russian oil by EU countries in early 2026, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen said, TASS reports. “Early next year we will put forward a legislative proposal to ban the remaining oil,” he told reporters. Shipments of Russian oil to…
Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast has won a run-off election to become Chile’s 38th president, ousting the centre-left government currently in power, Al Jazeera reports. On Sunday, with nearly all the ballots counted, Kast prevailed with 58 percent of the vote, defeating former Labour Minister Jeannette Jara, a Communist Party politician who represented the…
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy offered to drop Ukraine’s aspirations to join the NATO military alliance as he held five hours of talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin on Sunday to end the war with Russia, with negotiations set to continue on Monday, Reuters reports. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said “a lot of progress was made”…
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned Saturday that the Black Sea should not turn into an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine after several strikes in recent weeks, Turkish Minute reports. “The Black Sea should not be seen as an area of confrontation. This would not benefit Russia or Ukraine. Everyone needs safe…
Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, has welcomed the expansion of ties with neighbouring Azerbaijan, stating that Tehran and Baku are committed to building a ‘shared, secure and mutually respectful’ future, local media reported on Friday. “Tehran and Baku are determined to build a common, secure and honorable future based on mutual respect,” he said…
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that relations between the two countries are developing in all areas. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on December 12. “In general, there are some issues, but there are no significant problems between us,” RIA Novosti quoted Peskov as saying. …
Reuters. The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday (December 10) passed a compromise version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, a nearly $1 trillion bill setting policy for the Pentagon that Congress hopes to pass for a 65th straight year. Because it becomes law every year, Congress uses the NDAA as…
Reuters. The U.S. has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (December 10), ratcheting up tensions with Caracas in a move that also raised oil prices. “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other…
Aide to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department for Foreign Policy Issues of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin in Baku. “I met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. We exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues,” Hikmet Hajiyev wrote on his page…
US President Donald Trump’s administration wants the International Criminal Court to amend its founding document to ensure it does not investigate the Republican president and his top officials, a Trump administration official said, threatening new U.S. sanctions on the court if it did not, Reuters reports. If the court does not act on this…
Reuters. Thai Army said they conducted a ‘tank-fired operation’ to destroy a compound located on the Cambodian side of the border on Tuesday (December 9). The target, located in Sra Ngue, Banteay Meanchey Province in Cambodia, is opposite the Ban Ta Phraya border trade facilitation point in Ta Phraya District, Sa Kaeo Province in…
Russia is alarmed by the “language of conflict” present in China-related provisions of the United States’ updated National Security Strategy, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on the document, TASS reports. “The document’s provisions on the Asia-Pacific Region are alarming because of the language of conflict with regard to China, as well…
Ukraine should not be forced to give up territory as part of a peace deal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock has said, warning that rewarding aggression only fuels further war, DPA reports. “You condemn an act of aggression, you do not reward it. Those who reward aggression will reap more war instead of…
