ZURICH — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament as well as the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three games in South America. Here are some of the …
President Macron names centrist ally Bayrou as France’s next prime minister
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally François Bayrou as prime minister in an effort to address the country’s deep political crisis, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to …
Indonesia still eyes BRICS membership despite Trump tariff threat
Jakarta, indonesia — Indonesia remains cautiously determined to join BRICS despite a threat from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to double tariffs on members of the Russia- and China-led bloc if it pursues its stated goal of establishing an alternative to the U.S. dollar in international trade. At a parliament meeting this month with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, legislators expressed their concern about Trump’s threats. “Although we …
Syrian refugees in Somalia hope to return home
MOGADISHU, SOMALIA/WASHINGTON — Expressing a renewed desire to return to their homeland, some Syrian refugees residing Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, are hopeful that recent developments, including the ousting of the Assad family regime that brutally ruled Syria for 53 years, might signal a safer future in Syria. Since the Syrian civil war broke out more than a decade ago, Syrians have fled to countries in the Middle …
China’s Xi to attend Macau 25th handover anniversary next week, state media says
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Macau next week for a gathering marking 25 years since the former Portuguese colony’s handover to China, state news agency Xinhua said Saturday. Xi will also attend the inauguration of Macau’s incoming administration and conduct an inspection tour during the December 18-20 visit, according to Xinhua. Macau grew into a trading post with a mixed Portuguese-Chinese population and cultural …
Moody’s hands France surprise downgrade over deteriorating finances
PARIS — Credit ratings agency Moody’s unexpectedly downgraded France’s rating on Friday, adding pressure on the country’s new prime minister to corral divided lawmakers into backing his efforts to rein in the strained public finances. The downgrade, which came outside of Moody’s regular review schedule for France, brings its rating to “Aa3” from “Aa2” with a stable outlook for future moves and puts it in line …
Blinken calls on Azerbaijan to release Meydan TV journalists
The arrests in Azerbaijan of several journalists, including staff at the independent Meydan TV, have been condemned by the international community, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Azerbaijani authorities have detained Meydan TV’s editor-in-chief, Aynur Elgunash, and four of her reporters. Also being held are freelancer Ramin Jabrailzada, who is known as Deko, and Ulvi Tahirov, deputy director of the Baku School of Journalism. …
Argentina’s Milei receives Italian citizenship during Rome visit, source says
ROME — Italy’s government has granted citizenship to Argentinian President Javier Milei on account of his Italian family roots, a source with knowledge of the matter said Friday, confirming earlier media reports. Milei is in Rome to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and to take part in her Brothers of Italy party’s annual festival Saturday. The source declined to provide further details. The news on …
Israeli airstrikes kill at least 30 in Gaza
Palestinian health officials and U.N. aid workers report at least 30 people killed in Israeli strikes in central Gaza overnight, while the Israeli military reports that it conducted operations in Gaza and southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours. Senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees — UNRWA — reported Friday that 30 people were killed in Israeli strikes …
Syrian Kurds seek to preserve autonomy following Assad’s fall
WASHINGTON — Syrian Kurdish groups have welcomed the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, viewing it as a historic opportunity for change after 54 years of rule by the Assad dynasty. However, concerns remain among Kurdish communities about potential opposition to Kurdish rights from the Islamist rebels who led the regime’s overthrow. Following Assad’s fall on Sunday, Mazloum Abdi, the top commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian …
Landmark climate change legal hearing wraps up in The Hague
LONDON — A landmark hearing into nation-states’ legal obligations over climate change wrapped up at the United Nations’ top court in The Hague on Friday. The outcome could have implications for the fight against climate change — and for the big polluters blamed for emitting most greenhouse gases. The 15 judges at the International Court of Justice have heard evidence from 99 countries and dozens of …
Landmark climate change hearing ends on question of reparations
A landmark hearing into nation-states’ legal obligations over climate change wrapped up at the United Nations’ top court in The Hague on Friday. The outcome could have implications for the fight against global warming — and for the big polluters blamed for emitting most greenhouse gases. Henry Ridgwell has more. …
Blinken travels to Iraq, Turkey for Syria-focused talks
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Iraq on Friday after Syria-focused talks with his counterpart in Turkey. Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad, after flying from Ankara on a C-17 U.S. Air Force plane. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken “underscored the U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability and sovereignty.” “The …
Moldova declares a state of emergency over energy as fears of Russian gas shortage loom
CHISINAU — Moldova’s parliament on Friday voted in favor of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave the European Union candidate country without sufficient natural gas supplies this winter. A majority in Moldova’s 101-seat legislature voted to pass the state of emergency, which will start on Dec. 16 and last 60 days. A special commission will urgently adopt …
Georgia crisis deepens as government set to name far-right president
Tbilisi — Georgia’s political crisis deepened Friday after new pro-Europe protests were announced ahead of the controversial nomination of a far-right government loyalist as president. The Black Sea nation has been in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party claimed victory in contested October parliamentary elections, with its decision last month to delay EU accession talks igniting a fresh wave of mass rallies. More unrest is …
China jails former national football coach for 20 years for bribery
BEIJING — The former coach of the Chinese men’s national football team has received a 20-year-prison sentence for bribery, Chinese state media reported Friday. Liu Tie, who once played in the English Premier League as a midfielder for Everton, was found guilty of “leveraging his positions” as head coach of the national football and national selection team to receive bribes of more than 50 million yuan …
Russia launches massive aerial attack on Ukrainian infrastructure
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones, the latest such strike aimed at crippling the country’s electricity system. The Russian military targeted the Ukrainian power grid, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on his Facebook page. “The enemy continues its terror,” he said. Halushchenko said energy workers do everything necessary to “minimize negative consequences …
South Korea opposition leader says impeaching Yoon best way to restore order
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said on Friday the best way to restore order in the country is to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day ahead of a planned parliamentary vote over Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law. Yoon’s move to impose military rule on December 3 was rescinded barely six hours later but it plunged the country into a …
‘We have nowhere to go’: Exiled from Myanmar, journalists fear new Thai law
BANGKOK — Fleeing an arrest warrant issued by Myanmar’s junta, journalist Nyan Linn Htet moved to neighboring Thailand three years ago. From there, the founder and managing editor at the Mekong News Agency has continued to provide coverage of issues affecting his home country. But a new law being debated in the Thai parliament could damage the fragile existence that he and so many others in …
China-Russia Arctic cooperation a US national security concern
LOS ANGELES — The United States and its NATO allies are paying increased attention to military cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic, where the two countries have conducted joint naval exercises, coast guard patrols and strategic bomber air training. That cooperation includes more closely coordinated military drills, said Iris Ferguson, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and Global Resilience. She spoke during …
Impeaching Yoon best way to restore order, S. Korean opposition leader says
Seoul, south korea — South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said on Friday the best way to restore order in the country is to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day ahead of a planned parliamentary vote over Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law. Yoon’s move to impose military rule on December 3 was rescinded within six hours, but it plunged the country into a constitutional …
US announces new arms aid package for Ukraine worth $500 million
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced another package of weapons aid for Ukraine on Thursday, valued at $500 million, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. White House spokesperson John Kirby said earlier the U.S. would continue to provide additional packages for Ukraine “right up to the end of this administration.” Washington said 10 days ago it would send Ukraine $725 million worth of …
As Syria’s prison doors open, tens of thousands remain missing
united nations — As Syrians celebrate the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime after more than 50 years of brutal father-son rule, the search continues for tens of thousands of Syrians who are still missing after having been arrested, detained or “disappeared.” Human rights experts are urging the preservation of evidence of the torture and death of political prisoners as the doors of the country’s prisons …
US officials stress collaboration with Japan, South Korea amid Seoul leadership crisis
WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers and diplomatic officials stressed the need for close cooperation among the United States, South Korea and Japan in response to the possible impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The officials say that Yoon, who could be removed from office as soon as this weekend over a short-lived imposition of martial law that threw his country into turmoil, has played an …