Billionaire investor Jared Isaacman has been confirmed to be Nasa’s next chief, capping an unusual nomination process where President Donald Trump put his name forward, withdrew it, and then renominated him. Isaacman, a 42-year-old amateur jet pilot who became the first non-professional astronaut t»»»

BELGRADE - Secretary General at the Serbian MFA Dusan Kozarev met with Pakistan's newly-appointed ambassador to Belgrade Syed Faraz Hussain Zaidi on Wednesday to discuss possibilities for advancement of bilateral relations, as well as current issues in the international arena. "With both sides reaf»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic received on Wednesday a delegation of the Media Centre of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. "Dacic said that contemporary security challenges require fast and efficient communication with the public, assessing that th»»»

BusinessGlobal issuesWealthy nations curb labor migration as demand surgesNik MartinEven before Donald Trump returned to the White House, anti-immigration politics were reshaping migration flows to high-income countries. Borders have been tightened despite economies facing urgent labor shortages. h»»»

France and Italy said Wednesday they remain opposed to a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, dashing hopes of the contentious pact being signed this week. Paris demanded "mirror clauses" requiring Mercosur products to comply wit»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) launched the Maritime Bundle, the first of its kind worldwide, to unify maritime transport services under a comprehensive digital umbrella, offered to both national and foreign vessels calling at UAE ports. The launch ceremony drew the par»»»

Italy and France on Wednesday said they were not ready to back a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, dealing a blow to hopes of finalizing the deal in the coming days. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had been expected to fly to B»»»

Crude benchmarks were rising on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the US would put a stop to any traffic of sanctioned oil tankers in and out of Venezuela. The country's oil revenue is a lifeline for the Maduro government, which now mainly sells its barrels to China. Also in this editi»»»

BusinessVenezuelaVenezuela blockade: What it means for Maduro and oil marketsArthur SullivanUS President Donald Trump has threatened Venezuela with a naval blockade to thwart its oil exports — a move that would hit the Maduro government hard but may leave global oil markets unfazed. https://p.dw.co»»»

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China pursues an independent and peaceful foreign policy, with Beijing's position on the Ukraine crisis remaining consistent and clear, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said that the Unite»»»

by Maye Kabil Fears of a China-led slowdown in global economic growth are leading financial markets, two weeks after the Chinese decision to devaluate the Yuan. Shares are falling across the globe on increased signs of China’s economic troubles, which have spurred competitive devaluations in emergi»»»

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the US will impose a blockade on all “sanctioned oil tankers” entering or leaving Venezuela, dramatically escalating his administration’s campaign against President Nicolás Maduro. The move follows the recent seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coa»»»

In a further escalation of tension between the United States and Venezuela, President Donald Trump has ordered a naval blockade to stop sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving the South American country. Venezuela - which has the world's largest proven oil reserves - is highly dependent on»»»

The war between Russia and Ukraine has ground on since February 2022. According to military and political observers, Ukraine does not want to surrender and Russia does not know how to win this war. Al Majalla spoke to one of Russia’s veteran political scholars, Prof. Sergei Karaganov. Once an unoff»»»

The war between Russia and Ukraine has ground on since February 2022. According to military and political observers, Ukraine does not want to surrender and Russia does not know how to win this war. Al Majalla spoke to one of Russia’s veteran political scholars, Prof. Sergei Karaganov. Once an unoff»»»

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all "sanctioned oil tankers" into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country's authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country's economy. Trump's escalatio»»»

China's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, Taiwan's defense ministry said, its first transit of the sensitive waterway since formally entering service last month. Taiwan, which Beijing views as its territory, reports almost daily Chin»»»

US President Donald Trump ordered on Tuesday a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, targeting its main source of income. It is unclear how Trump will impose the move against the sanc»»»

President Donald Trump and President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, August 25, 2025. File Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (Asia Today) -- South Korea and the United States could use closer co»»»

Finland's delegate to last month's Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand has sparked a racism firestorm over a viral photo that showed her pulling the corners of her eyes. Sarah Dzafce, who has been dethroned, uploaded the photo with the caption "eating with a Chinese". The slanted-eyes pose is of»»»

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Three Chinese-owned companies agreed to pay $7.3 million to resolve allegations they submitted false claims to secure loans under a COVID-19-era program to help pay employees, the Justice Department said Tuesday. The companies, known collectively as the Greenland USA Entities, subm»»»

El Teniente mine in Rancagua, south of Santiago, is the largest underground mine in the world. File Photo by Mario Ruiz/EPA SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Chile's mining investment project pipeline for the 2025-2034 period will total $104.55 billion, according to the latest Chilean Copper Commis»»»

The United Kingdom announced it will conduct a review of foreign influence on politicians after Nathan Gill was jailed for accepting Russian bribes. File Photo by Mayor of London Press Office / UPI | License Photo Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The United Kingdom has commissioned a review of outside political in»»»

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump’s peace plan has helped reduce large-scale fighting and hunger in the Gaza Strip, though a lasting ceasefire remains elusive, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Tuesday. “There is a need to rec»»»

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has disputed portions of a Vanity Fair article in which she paints an unflattering picture of the Trump administration and many of its top officials. In the interview, Wiles described Donald Trump as having an "alcoholic's personality" and Vice President JD Va»»»

Protesting French farmers blocked roads across France Tuesday over a mass cull to prevent the spread of a bovine disease. Anger over the sanitary measure combined with farmers’ concerns about a planned Mercosur trade deal has forced France to seek a delay in the EU vote, which officials say is»»»

Several people cut roast meat during the launch of the Grilling World Cup, in Montevideo, Uruguay, in March 2024. The country was expected to export about 548,000 metric tons of beef in 2025, generating nearly $2.7 billion in revenue. File Photo by Mara Quintero/EPA Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Uruguay is set »»»

South Korean company will team up with Washington on $7.4 billion project. Korea Zinc’s factory in South Korea. The world’s largest zinc manufacturer will build a new smelter in the United States in cooperation with Washington. Photo courtesy of Korea Zinc SEOUL, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Non-ferrous metal »»»

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday revealed that Philippine personnel threatened Chinese law enforcement officers with knives during a recent, organized provocation near Xianbin Jiao in the South China Sea. An exclusive video footage obtained by the Global Times on the same day showed that Philippi»»»

1 of 4 | President Donald Trump signs an executive order designating fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction" in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Dec. 15 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Monday designated illicit fentanyl as a "weapon of mas»»»

On a recent December day, Mark Latino and a handful of his workers spun sheets of vinyl into tinsel for Christmas tree branches. They worked on a custom-made machine that's nearly a century old, churning out strands of bright silver tinsel along its 35-foot (10-meter) length. Latino is the CEO of L»»»

China's core artificial intelligence (AI) industry scale is expected to exceed the 1-trillion-yuan ($140 billion) benchmark in 2025, according to industry data, a trend that experts said highlights the vast potential of the country's AI development, driven by broader application scenarios, technolo»»»

France is throwing up a last-minute obstacle to a massive trans-Atlantic trade deal between the 27-country European Union and the five South American nations of the Mercosur bloc that's taken a quarter-century to negotiate. Angry European farmers fearing new competition from the EU-Mercosur pact ar»»»

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Bakyt Torobaev took part in the signing ceremony of a loan agreement intended to finance the construction of China—Kyrgyzstan—Uzbekistan railway, the Cabinet’s press service reported. The agreement was signed between China—Kyrgyzsta»»»

Despite logging a record trade surplus, economic data for November showed China's domestic woes are deepening. Retail sales grew at their slowest pace in three years and investment slowed sharply, signalling that Chinese consumers and businesses are becoming increasingly cautious. Plus, Roomba make»»»

The EU looks set to scrap a ban on petrol and diesel cars that was supposed to come into effect in 2035, as European car makers are struggling against fierce competition from China and slow consumer update of electric vehicles. The EU looks set to scrap a landmark 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel »»»

The Kyrgyz team won silver medals in the team competition at the International Enduro Championship, which took place in Chongqing, People’s Republic of China. Team member Bekzat Ooganov told 24.kg news agency. The Kyrgyz delegation participated in the competition through an official invitation sent»»»

At a meeting of his cabinet at the White House two weeks ago, US President Donald Trump looked around the long room filled with his top advisers, administration officials and aides, and made a prediction. The next Republican presidential candidate, he said, is "probably sitting at this table". "It »»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - London is urging the European Commission to justify seizing frozen Russian assets via "loopholes" in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), while brushing aside dissenting member states, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Tuesday. "London »»»

The prospect of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seen here meeting at the DMZ on June 30, 2019, is on the rise, according to a report Tuesday by think tank KNDA. File White House Photo by Shealah Craighead/UPI | License Photo SEOUL, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- »»»

Chile on Sunday voted in far-right leader Jose Antonio Kast, making it the latest country in Latin America to ditch the left. As many voters are looking for solutions to economic woes, US President Donald Trump has also upped the ante vowing to pull US support for some countries if leftist can»»»

China on Tuesday reiterated its demand that Japan retract Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about Taiwan, more than a month after Takaichi said an attack on the democratically governed island could be deemed an existential threat to Japan. "On key issues, Japan is still 'squeezing toothpaste'»»»

Taiwan's military can respond rapidly to any sudden Chinese attack with all units able to operate under a decentralized mode of command without awaiting orders from above, Taipei's defense ministry said in a report to lawmakers. Democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territo»»»

Most people leave weddings with favours, selfies, and a mild food coma. Xuanxuan leaves with takeaway boxes — for 120 cats. The woman from Baoshan in southwestern China has quietly turned wedding banquets into an unlikely lifeline, both for herself and for the growing army of stray cats she cares f»»»

Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday convicted jailed media tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai of national security offences that could see him sentenced to life in prison, a verdict that has intensified global scrutiny of the city’s judicial independence amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent»»»

AMMAN — The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) on Monday hosted bilateral trade talks between Jordanian companies and a delegation from China’s Shandong Province, aimed at strengthening commercial ties and exploring partnership opportunities across key economic sectors.

According to a statement issue»»»

A US special operations team boarded a Chinese vessel bound for Iran in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka last month, seizing suspicious cargo, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. Operatives from the US Indo-Pacific Command — both special and conventional forces — intercepted the ship, »»»

President Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea meet for a social dinner, on February 27, 2019, at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi, for their second summit meeting. File White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghos»»»

In a sweeping executive action aimed at crippling international drug cartels, US President Donald J. Trump signed an order on Monday designating illicit fentanyl and its key precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The order likened the synthetic opioid to a chemical agent more pot»»»

Washington, DC: Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel on Wednesday (US local time) made a historic announcement that China has agreed to effectively cut off thirteen precursors and control seven chemical subsidiaries that used to create fentanyl coming out of the country. He ma»»»