French lawmakers on Tuesday gave final approval to the country's 2026 social security budget, with 247 votes in favor and 232 against in the National Assembly.

Trump says ordering total, complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela -- media

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation expanding the list of countries subject to full or partial entry restrictions to cover around 40 countries, effective on Jan. 1, 2026.

Taro Yamamoto, member of the House of Councillors of Japan, also leader of Reiwa Shinsengumi, a political party in Japan, fiercely criticized Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday as "betraying the nation and abandoning the people," amid discussion over the future profit distribution, where Japan is said to hand over 90 percent of the profit to the US for its 80 trillion yen ($550 billion) investment in the US, according to Japanese media.

Malaysian PM unveils new ministerial appointments in cabinet reshuffle

South Korean former president Yoon Suk-yeol had prepared to declare martial law bid for over a year with a clear purpose to "eliminate the opposition and monopolize power," the special counsel investigating Yoon's alleged insurrection and treason concluded Monday, according to The Korea Herald.

US President Donald Trump on Monday filed a defamation suit against the BBC, accusing it of misleadingly editing a speech related to the Capitol riot.

Romania's parliament on Monday rejected a no-confidence motion against the government of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan after it failed to secure the required majority in a joint session.

A court ruling on former impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's obstruction of arrest case was scheduled to be delivered on Jan. 16 next year, multiple local media said Tuesday.

U.S. military reports strikes on 3 vessels in international waters, killing 8: media

Officials and experts from China and Africa on Sunday called for stronger scientific and technological cooperation to address desertification and land degradation, urging closer coordination to advance Africa's Great Green Wall initiative.

Thailand's military announced on Monday the designation of the Gulf of Thailand as a high-risk area. According to Thai media, the move is aimed at cutting off sea routes for transporting military supplies to Cambodia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday concluded lengthy talks with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Berlin, describing the talks as "productive."

Multiple world leaders voiced condemnation on Sunday and Monday over a mass shooting in Australia - the worst in almost 30 years - amid the country's mourning of the victims and plans for tougher gun laws.

The Chinese Consulate-General in Fukuoka, Japan, on Monday issued a safety notice, alerting Chinese nationals that an attempted stabbing occurred on Sunday in a commercial area of Fukuoka City, leaving two people hospitalized. The notice urged Chinese nationals in the consular district to pay close attention to personal and property safety.

Describing the mass shooting that killed at least 16 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday as a "pure evil" act of antisemitism, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday said flags would fly at half-mast to honor the lives lost in the attack, Australia's ABC News reported Monday.

One of the men allegedly responsible for the fatal mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday night was previously investigated over ties to a local Islamic State (IS) terrorism cell, local media reported on Monday.

Jose Antonio Kast, presidential candidate of the far-right Republican Party, won the Chilean presidential runoff election, becoming the country's new president, said the electoral authorities on Sunday.

Special investigation files charges against 24 people on martial law in S. Korea, including former President Yoon Suk-yeol

Six teenagers were injured in a shooting outside a party venue in New York City early Sunday, police said.

The death toll from a shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday has risen to 16, with a father and son identified as the attackers, police said Monday.

A hero bystander received widespread applause after he wrestled a rifle off a suspected gunman during a mass shooting on Sunday at Sydney's Bondi Beach, a famous tourist site, which left at least 12 people killed and multiple injured as of press time.

A hero bystander wrestled a rifle off an alleged gunman in a moment of bravery that may have saved lives, according to the footage from the mass shooting scene at Bondi Beach in Sydney, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday.

Thailand's military announced on Sunday the imposition of a curfew in parts of Trat Province, citing the ongoing situation along the border areas. This is the second province to impose a curfew since the latest round of the Thailand-Cambodia border clash erupted, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney issued a safety alert for Chinese nationals in its consular district on Sunday after a shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach left at least 12 people killed and multiple injured.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Akram's home in Bonnyrigg is currently being raided by police.

10 people believed to have been killed in mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach -- local media

Gunshots fired at Bondi Beach in Sydney, police urged public to avoid the area -- media reports

Multiple people were shot in an active shooting incident at Brown University in Providence, the US state of Rhode Island, on Saturday local time, according to Xinhua News Agency. Around 4:20 pm, students at the university received a text alert warning of a shooter on campus, instructing them to lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice.

At least two people were killed and several others injured in a shooting on Saturday afternoon at Brown University in Providence, U.S. state of Rhode Island, according to U.S. media reports.

Two Syrian security personnel, two U.S. service members, and one U.S. civilian were killed Saturday in an attack on a joint Syrian-U.S. patrol near the ancient city of Palmyra, Syrian authorities and the U.S. Central Command reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it killed a Palestinian militant during a raid in the northern West Bank on Saturday evening.

Multiple people were shot on Saturday afternoon at Brown University in Providence, U.S. state of Rhode Island, according to local police.

Law enforcement is responding to reports of an active shooter on Brown University's campus in Providence, U.S. state of Rhode Island, local media said on Saturday quoting a text message sent by the school.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi faced online mockery after posting a photo on social media platform X on Friday of a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, with many netizens questioning whether the image was carefully staged.

Russia's overnight attacks once again brought death and destruction to Ukrainian cities and villages, Embassy of Ukraine in the USA said on social media platform Facebook. Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper described the overnight attack as "one of the largest" since the war began, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a social media post on Saturday morning that "Thailand will continue to perform military actions until we feel no more harm and threats to our land and people."

Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday evening that he held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the Thai-Cambodian border clashes.

A Chinese envoy on Friday called on the March 23 Movement (M23) to immediately cease hostilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Saturday that he had a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the Cambodian-Thai border conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday on social media that Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to cease all shooting effective Friday evening.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to issue a national regulatory framework for AI, curbing the power of states.

Chemists from the Advanced Engineering School of St. Petersburg State University (SPbU) have created a material capable of absorbing oil from water, according to the university's portal. The polymer film can be reused; it is strong and does not sink.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has announced that GCC markets topped the list of global destinations for its members' exports and re-exports during the first nine months of 2025.

Russia's economic growth rate is undergoing an expected slowdown this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a regular press briefing on Thursday that the Nanjing Massacre on December 13, 1937, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in Nanjing, has become a symbol of the inhumanity and barbarity of Japanese militarism.

A train on the Akita Nairiku Line derailed in the northern Japanese prefecture of Akita early Friday, and one man, believed to be the driver, was rescued, local media reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Kiev has received a draft document from the United States on security guarantees for Ukraine, the Ukrinform news agency reported.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been concerned about the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, his deputy spokesperson said Thursday.

The U.S. Department of Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions on three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's wife, a Maduro-affiliated businessman, and six companies shipping oil from Venezuela.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the United States intends to keep the oil from the tanker the U.S. military seized Wednesday near the coast of oil-rich Venezuela.

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua has endorsed a royal decree to dissolve the parliament, an announcement published in the Royal Gazette said on Friday.

A Japanese passenger plane on Thursday made an emergency landing at Hakodate Airport on the northern island of Hokkaido after it faced a single engine failure after taking off, local media reported.

Two workers were trapped after a steel structure collapsed at a library construction site in Gwangju, South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday.

The 2025 Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel were awarded on Wednesday at a ceremony held in the Swedish capital Stockholm.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday that he held a "productive discussion" on Ukraine's reconstruction and economic recovery with the U.S. side.

The Pentagon has activated the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command (West-Hemcom) after the White House issued a document outlining the National Security Strategy, according to a U.S. Defense Department news release on Wednesday.

The U.S. military has intercepted and taken control of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday decided to lower the target range for the federal funds interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.5 to 3.75 percent, marking its third rate cut this year.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates affirmed the importance of the decision adopted by the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to establish the GCC Civil Aviation Authority and designate the UAE as its headquarters.

Over 100,000 Cambodian villagers have fled their homes for safe zones as border conflict with Thailand has entered a fourth day, a Cambodian defense spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Cameroonian authorities on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the construction of the headquarters of Cameroon's General Directorate of Customs.

Thousands recently gathered along the banks of the Wouri River in Cameroon's commercial hub, Douala, to witness the Ngondo Festival, as the Sawa community's iconic river ritual marked its first anniversary as a globally renowned intangible cultural heritage.

One person died and another was injured Tuesday in a shooting on Kentucky State University (KSU)'s campus, and a suspect is in custody, according to local authorities.

The Trump administration is pushing hard for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the new edition of a U.S.-brokered peace deal, which may lead to major territorial losses for Ukraine, according to U.S. online media outlet Axios.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that parts of the newly published U.S. national security strategy are "unacceptable" from a European perspective, stressing that Germany and Europe must be more independent from the United States in terms of security policy.

The Group of Friends of Global Governance was officially established at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki announced on her social media account on Tuesday that after her concert in Shanghai was canceled, her scheduled concert in the Macao Special Administrative Region in January will also be canceled. She apologized to fans who were looking forward to seeing her at the concert.

Two workers were injured on Tuesday in South Korea's thermal power plant fire accident, according to Yonhap news agency.

A fire broke out following an explosion at a thermal power plant in southwestern South Korea on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported, citing fire authorities.

Armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand continued on Tuesday with both sides issuing early-morning updates on exchange of fire and casualties, drawing widespread concern.

Chinese Embassy in Japan reminded Chinese nationals in Japan early Tuesday morning to take precautions against earthquake disasters after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit northern and northeastern Japan on Monday night.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that national security advisors of Ukraine and European countries will jointly work on amendments to the latest version of a peace plan to end the Ukraine crisis, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz here on Monday to discuss Ukraine peace.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 jolted 127 km south of Honcho, Japan at 2152 GMT on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is concerned by reports of renewed armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, particularly the reported airstrikes and mobilization of heavy equipment in the border area, his spokesperson said Monday.

The U.S. government on Monday unveiled an aid package of 12 billion U.S. dollars to farmers hit hard by its tariff policies.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck northern and northeastern Japan on Monday, the country's weather agency said.

The Cambodian government said on Monday that a total of 377 schools in border provinces have been shut down due to the ongoing border conflict with Thailand.

Police said they have taken into custody a suspected shooter after reports that shots were fired inside a shopping center in central Oslo on Monday morning.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday that Thailand will exercise its "legitimate right to self-defense" to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to ongoing border clashes with Cambodia.

The Thai army on Monday afternoon expanded its attack area to Banteay Meanchey province after it attacked military positions and civilian zones in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces, said a Cambodian defense spokesperson.

Malaysia has expressed deep concern over reported armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces along their border, conveying condolences to the families of those killed or injured on Monday.

Thai army says 35,000 civilians evacuated from border with Cambodia

The Thai Army said on Monday it deployed fighter jets in response to Cambodian attacks that left two soldiers killed and four wounded. Meanwhile, a Cambodian defense spokesperson said Thai soldiers on Monday opened fire on Cambodian armed forces for the second straight day, adding that Cambodia did not fire back.

Weeks after a jewel heist raised concerns about security at the Paris museum, the Louvre was once again in the spotlight as the museum said on Sunday that a water leak in late November damaged several hundred works in its Egyptian department, AFP reported.

Thai soldiers on Monday opened fire on Cambodian armed forces for the second straight day, but Cambodia has not fired back, said a Cambodian defense spokesperson.

The Thai side has now begun using fighter jets to strike military targets in several areas in response to Cambodian attacks, Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said on Monday.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 jolted the U.S. state of Alaska at 2041 GMT on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed deep sorrow on social media over the nightclub fire that has killed at least 25 people in Arpora, in the Indian resort state of Goa on December 6 local time.

The White House released US President Donald Trump's National Security Strategy (NSS) report for his second term Thursday evening local time, described by US media Politico as "a rare formal explanation" of Trump administration's foreign policy worldview. The 33-page document focuses on the Western Hemisphere, citing the Monroe Doctrine while using “some brutal words for Europe, suggesting it is in civilizational decline, and pays relatively little attention to the Middle East and Africa,” Politico said in a report published on Friday.

Japan is moving ahead with a series of policy measures to bolster its defense capabilities, including plans to raise the country's income tax in January 2027 to help cover a substantial increase in defense spending and to establish a national intelligence bureau as early as July 2026, according to Japanese media reports.

The International Symposium on Human Rights Protection in the Digital Era was held here on Friday, bringing together scholars, social organizations and media from both China and Malaysia.

US Department of State said on Friday that U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators met over two days and agreed on the framework of security arrangements.

The European Commission on Friday imposed fines totaling 120 million euros (139.8 million U.S. dollars) on social media platform X for breaching transparency obligations in its first non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The New York Times on Thursday sued US Defense Department over restrictive rules on media, arguing that the department's policy violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The US military on Thursday carried out a strike on a boat allegedly transporting narcotics in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing all four people on board, the US Southern Command said.

The 3rd Youth Innovation Forum on Digital Earth, also known as the Joint ISPRS-ISDE Conference on Geo-Digitalization for Sustainable Development Goals, was held in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a historic milestone as the forum convened on the African continent for the first time.

Japan's warmongering statements around the Taiwan question are escalatory and go against Japan's constitution, said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, TASS reported on Thursday.

Russia's 2025 grain harvest is shaping up to be one of the largest in the country's modern history, Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Patrushev said during a meeting on the progress of this year's seasonal field work.