On a patch of rough ground near the Irrawaddy River, aspiring member of parliament and retired Lieutenant-General Tayza Kyaw tries to muster some enthusiasm from his audience with a speech promising them better times. He is the candidate for the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), backed»»»

DOHA: The competitions of the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships Qatar 2025 officially got underway at Qatar University's Sports and Events Complex, where the tournament will continue until December 30. The championship brings together the world's elite chess players to compete for four titl»»»

China has slapped sanctions on 20 additional US weapons manufacturers and ten executives in retaliation for the latest US arms sale to Taiwan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the measures on Friday, which expand an existing blacklist targeting the US defense sector. Beijing said it was respo»»»

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Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Illinois officials revealed some of the personalized license plate applications that were rejected in 2025, including plates reading "IBPOOPN" and "ICUP." Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias appeared in a video posted to his office's official YouTube channel to share some of the y»»»

Doha: The competitions of the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Cup Qatar 2025 officially got underway today at Qatar University's Sports and Events Complex, where the tournament will continue until December 30. The championship brings together the world's elite chess players to compete for four titles i»»»

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein flew to Russia on at least three occasions in the early 2000s, including traveling to the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk together with former US President Bill Clinton, files published by the US Department of Justice have revealed. Last week, the DOJ uploaded »»»

People take photos of Christmas lights decoration at the street on the eve of Christmas in Taipei, Taiwan, Dec. 24. The Ministry of the Interior has deployed up to 17,000 police personnel, civil defense members, and volunteers to enhance security at 137 major events during the holiday season. On Fr»»»

People take photos of Christmas lights decoration at the street on the eve of Christmas in Taipei, Taiwan, Dec. 24. The Ministry of the Interior has deployed up to 17,000 police personnel, civil defense members, and volunteers to enhance security at 137 major events during the holiday season. On Fr»»»

BELGRADE - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS) hosted an end-of-year business conference of Serbian and Chinese businesspeople on Friday. PKS President Marko Cadez noted that the goal of the conference was to make plans for next year and exchange business ideas. The reception was a»»»

Beijing: China's central bank on Friday said that it has revised the rules of the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) to strengthen management and better support the development of cross-border renminbi (RMB) services. As CIPS business increases and the number of participants expands, the »»»

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for money laundering and abuse of power in the 1MDB scandal. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty Friday of abuse of pow»»»

Tunis, Dec. 26 (TAP) - A delegation from China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd. (CAMCE), a subsidiary of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH) , was received on Thursday by Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA-Tunisia) Director...»»»

It's been a rollercoaster of a year for U.S. trade policy. President Donald Trump launched a barrage of new tariffs in 2025, plunging the U.S. into trade wars with nearly every country in the world. Volley after volley of threats and steeper import taxes often arrived erratically — with Trump claim»»»

Beijing imposed sanctions on Friday against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions entail freezing the companies' assets in China and banning individuals and organizations from dealing with them, accordi»»»

Beijing, China: China today launched a Long March-8A rocket carrying a group of internet satellites into space. The rocket lifted off from the Hainan launch site in southern China and successfully placed low-Earth-orbit internet satellites into their predetermined orbit. The launch comes as part of»»»

Thailand carried out air strikes on a disputed border area with Cambodia on Friday, as officials from both sides continued talks to try to end fighting. The Thai Air Force said it had hit a Cambodian "fortified military position" after civilians had left the area. Cambodia's defence ministry accuse»»»

The Russian ruble surged 44% against the dollar in 2025, becoming the world’s best performing currency, being only beaten by gold (72%) and silver (159%) prices amongst the major traded commodities, The Bell reported on December 24. »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - China opposes the blockade of Venezuelan oil and the seizure of tankers, as these actions could pose security risks, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yongqian said. "The arbitrary interception of other countries' tankers could not only disrupt the functioning of the inte»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China has successfully launched a group of low-Earth-orbit internet satellites into orbit, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said on Friday. "The launch was fully successful," CASC wrote on social media. A Long March-8A carrier rocket lifted off at 07»»»

China's foreign ministry announced sanctions on Friday targeting 10 individuals and ​20 US defense firms, including Boeing's St. Louis branch, over arms sales to Taiwan. The measures freeze any assets the companies and individuals hold in China and bar domestic organizations and individuals from do»»»

Türkiye's energy minister said Russia had provided new financing worth $9 billion for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant being built by ​Moscow's state nuclear energy company Rosatom, adding Ankara expected the power plant to be operational in 2026. Rosatom is building Türkiye's first nuclear power sta»»»

China pledged on Friday to double down on upgrading its manufacturing base and ​promised capital to fund efforts targeting technological breakthroughs, after its industrial sector delivered an underwhelming performance this year. China's industry ministry expects output of large industrial companie»»»

Cambodia accused Thailand on Friday of intensifying its bombardment of disputed border areas, even as officials from the two countries attend a multi-day meeting aimed at negotiating an end to deadly clashes. The neighbors' long-standing border conflict reignited this month, shattering an earlier t»»»

Delegates of the IV People’s Kurultai have concluded their speeches. President Sadyr Japarov noted that he recorded the statements of all 150 participants, and all proposals will be forwarded to members of the Cabinet of Ministers. The head of state responded to some of the suggestions. He agreed w»»»

On Dec. 26, 1935, Shenandoah National Park was established in northern Virginia after years of raising funds to purchase the land 1 of 7 | The northern lights can be seen in the skies above the Shenandoah National Park near Front Royal, Va., on October 10, 2024. The park was established December 26»»»

China will tighten oversight of new copper and alumina projects to curb irrational investment and disorderly expansion from 2026 ​to 2030, the country’s top economic planner said on Friday. In an article on its website, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said local governments mu»»»

Beijing: China's sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometres (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening of a new line on Friday, state media reported. The country has the world's largest rail network -- one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth. The trip b»»»

Tokyo: The Japanese government on Friday approved a record budget for the upcoming fiscal year, to pay for everything from bigger defence spending to ballooning social security costs as inflation persists. The 122.3-trillion-yen ($782 billion) budget for the fiscal year from April 2026 will include»»»

Conservative businessman Nasry Asfura, backed by Donald Trump, was declared the winner of Honduras' presidential election on Wednesday, three weeks after a vote marked by a very narrow margin and allegations of fraud, signaling a return to conservatism for the country. The US president had given hi»»»

India's rapid solar energy expansion is widely hailed as a success. But without a plan to manage the waste it will generate, how clean is the transition? In just over a decade, India has become the world's third-largest solar producer, with renewables now central to its climate strategy. Solar pane»»»

Doha, Qatar: The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025 get underway in Doha on Friday, with Qatar hosting the elite global event until December 30. The tournament brings together the world's leading players to compete for four world titles in rapid and blitz chess across the men's and women»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic met with Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade Li Ming on Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation. Gasic said Serbia was exceptionally appreciative of the support provided to it by China and that the personal relationship between two leaders, President»»»

At the Torugart border veterinary control checkpoint in Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn region, 21,800 kilograms of beef transported from Pakistan via China were denied entry into the country, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry reported. According to the ministry, the shipment »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has a plan to respond to the possible seizure of assets frozen in the West, and it will be implemented if necessary, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday. "An appropriate plan has been drawn up, and it will be implemented if such cases arise," Nov»»»

Dubai: Dubai Airport Freezone welcomed AWOT Global Logistics Corporation's new regional headquarters Thursday, cementing the emirate's pull as a logistics powerhouse for one of the world's top 10 air freight companies. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.AWOT, ranked ninth»»»

Doha, Qatar: The opening whistle did more than signal the start of volleyball matches; it marked the beginning of a learning journey undertaken by students from Qatar Foundation (QF) schools at the ISF World Schools Volleyball Championship in Shangluo, China, an experience that extended beyond athl»»»

China accused the US on Thursday of distorting its defense policy in an effort to thwart an improvement in China-India ties. Foreign ministry ‌spokesperson Lin ‌Jian was ‌responding ⁠to a question ‌at a press briefing on whether China might exploit a recent easing of tensions with India over disput»»»

Asian shares were mixed Thursday in thin holiday trading, with most markets in the region and elsewhere closed for Christmas. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 edged 0.1% higher to 50,407.79. It has gained nearly 30% this year. The dollar slipped to 155.85 Japanese yen from 155.94 yen. The euro climbed to $»»»

On Dec. 25, 2020, an RV exploded in downtown Nashville, killing the driver of the vehicle and injuring eight people. 1 of 3 | On December 25, 2020, an RV exploded in downtown Nashville, killing the driver of the vehicle and injuring eight people. File Photo courtesy Nashville Fire Department | Lice»»»

Dubai: Gold grabbed the headlines in 2025, but the bigger percentage shocks came from silver and platinum. Both metals have surged more than 150% year to date, forcing investors, jewellers, and industrial buyers to reprice what “expensive” looks like and to rethink what 2026 could bring if supply s»»»

Tegucigalpa: Nasry Asfura, a conservative businessman backed by US President Donald Trump, was declared winner of the Honduran presidential vote Wednesday, weeks after a razor-thin election marred by delays and allegations of fraud. The national electoral council CNE said the 67-year-old son of Pal»»»

Venezuela accused Washington of “the greatest extortion" known in the country's history at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, during a meeting in which Russia and China sharply criticized the US for putting military and economic pressure on Venezuela as tensions over sanctions and a naval blockade»»»

A deepening ideological rift between Europe and the United States is beginning to mirror the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s, according to political commentator and IntelliNews contributor Arnaud Bertrand. Bertrand draws a »»»

The EU’s vote on the Reparation Loan needs to fail. If it passes it will kill off any chance of a peace deal being signed. The US version of the plan is well advanced and special envoy to Ukraine retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg said last week that only points remain to be agreed. The EU ve»»»

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 it did more than redraw the map of Europe: it pulled at the frayed seam that has separated Tokyo and Moscow for decades. Since the end of WWII the two have been held in an uneasy diplomatic limbo. Cordial summits and shared ec»»»

A deepening ideological rift between Europe and the United States is beginning to mirror the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s, according to political commentator and IntelliNews contributor Arnaud Bertrand. Bertrand draws a »»»

Russian authorities have escalated restrictions on WhatsApp, sharply reducing the platform’s speed by as much as 80% in recent days, in what digital rights advocates describe as an effective precursor to a full ban. The cl»»»

This is going to get very messy. This morning Fitch announced it was putting Euroclear, which holds most of Russia’s frozen money, on “ratings watch with negative outlook.” That is a polite way of saying the proverbial is about to hit the fan. »»»