Back in October, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the shock resignation of the commander of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, who will be stepping down on December 12. As that date approaches, there is much speculation over the reason for the admiral's departure.»»»

The US military on Thursday carried out another strike on a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean – its first in nearly three weeks – as congressional concern deepens over the legality and conduct of President Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-drug campaign at sea. US Southern Command announced»»»

Some 68 percent of the world's cocaine production comes from Colombia, fuelling all-powerful criminal gangs. European drug trafficking has its roots in Colombia's poor rural areas. From the Pacific coast to the isolated southern areas of Putumayo, this report explores cocaine's decades-lo»»»

FIFA on Friday awarded its first peace prize to US President Donald Trump, who described it as "one of the great honours" of his life. Trump received the prize during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, DC.  US President Donald Trump was awarded the new FIFA Peace Prize on Friday »»»

This week, journalist Olivia Nuzzi's hotly anticipated memoir "American Canto" was published. Last year, she admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his failed 2024 presidential campaign. The scandal derailed her career, ended her relationship with fellow »»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Blue Holes — a chain of deep-sea sinkholes stretching along the southwestern coastline between Makkah and Jazan — are quickly gaining recognition as one of the Kingdom’s most remarkable natural features. These striking circular depressions, visible as dark blue pools against t»»»

Every year, hundreds of rhinos are killed for their horns, which are trafficked mainly to Asia for use in traditional medicine. As part of the "G20 Heritage Projects", a large-scale campaign was launched in mid-July in South Africa to help save the rhino from extinction. The "Rhino Renaissance»»»

In tonight's edition: A "great day for Africa", says US President Donald Trump, as DR Congo's Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame sign a precarious peace deal in Washington aimed at ending the M23 conflict. Also, Somalis criticise Trump's remarks calling them "garbage" as racist. Plus, in ant»»»

Yasser Abu Shabab, a Bedouin clan chief and leader of an armed Palestinian militia opposed to Hamas, was killed in Gaza while trying to resolve a family dispute, his group said. The Israeli-backed Popular Forces in Gaza on Thursday denied "misleading" reports that Hamas was behind Abu Shabab's kill»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a UN Security Council delegation on Friday that his country does not want war with Israel and asked for support from the international community in disarming non-government groups. Israel has continued strikes in southern Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire»»»

A video compilation claiming to show new footage of Iranian command centres destroyed during the June 2025 war with Israel has been circulating online. Disseminated by accounts supportive of Israel and opposed to the Iranian regime, most of these clips were actually generated by artificial intellig»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire from the political right for suggesting that news outlets be labelled to distinguish those that comply with journalistic ethics from those that do not. Right-wing parties and media outlets owned by billionaire tycoon Vincent Bolloré are lead»»»

Lawmakers in the lower house of the French parliament approved the taxation part of the country's overall 2026 social security budget on Friday. Debates on the rest of the highly-contested budget are ongoing in parliament, with a final vote taking place next Tuesday. Lawmakers in the lower house of»»»

An anti-drone and search operation was launched after five drones were detected over a base that houses France's nuclear deterrent submarines off its northwestern coast on Thursday evening. The French military used anti-drone measures after five unmanned vehicles flew over a closely guarded base ho»»»

France on Friday called for Shein to put controls in place on its website, including age verification and filtering, but backed off from its earlier push for a three-month full suspension. This comes after childlike sex dolls and banned weapons were found on its online platform.  Fra»»»

TikTok on Friday said it will comply with Australia's ban on social media for under-16s which comes into effect December 10. The ByteDance-owned social media company said the measures "may be upsetting" for some of its young users but it was necessary to comply with Australian law. The company's st»»»

Four people have been arrested over the hacking of 120,000 home security cameras in South Korea, whose footage was used to make sexually exploitative material. It's the latest episode in an ongoing battle by authorities to end illicit electronic spying on women and girls. In Pakistan, a spate of Ti»»»

The Indian government has scrapped an order which gave manufacturers 90 days to pre-install a state-backed security app on all new smartphones. The move came following a huge public outcry and resistance from tech firms. Yuka Royer speaks with Nikhil Pahwa, a digital policy analyst in New Delhi, ab»»»

A prayer asking for snow was recited during Friday prayers in all mosques in Kyrgyzstan. The Spiritual Directorate of the Muslims of the Kyrgyz Republic (SDMK) reported. It was noted that the instruction was given by Supreme Mufti Abdylaziz Zakirov. He addressed the faithful, calling on them to pra»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to the southwestern city of Chengdu in a gesture highlighting Beijing's focus on Paris as it seeks more economic engagement with the EU. The French president ended his state visit on a lighter note by meeting univer»»»

US and Ukrainian officials are holding a second day of talks in Florida on Friday about President Donald Trump's proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, according to two US officials. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, December 5: The European Broadcasting Union votes to keep Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, sparking a boycott from Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland. We look at reactions from the front pages. Also: the FIFA 2026 World Cup draw will be unveiled in Washin»»»

A ceasefire in Ukraine remains a distant prospect, to say nothing of an actual peace settlement. US diplomatic efforts in Moscow have become bogged down, with no compromise in sight on the fundamental issues, especially the territorial ones. Meanwhile, the EU seems to be relegated to a relatively m»»»

With France going through major government instability and facing an alarmingly high public debt, and with Europe struggling to find its diplomatic feet as the US pursues talks to end the war in Ukraine, we speak to a seasoned political figure at the French and European level. Pierre Moscovici is t»»»

France's Ukraine Season (December 1, 2025-March 31, 2026) is an invitation to “travel” to a country which is fighting for its freedom while creating new cultural horizons. More than 50 cultural events will take place during the festival in 20 cities across France.  When Russia launched its ful»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine. The visit aims at strengthening economic ties between Moscow and New Delhi. Also, Italian police visit the headquarters of 13 major fashion bran»»»

A brief and cryptic remark by US President Donald Trump about modifying phase two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, offered without any details, has stirred questions over how the accord will be executed. Analysts say the comment points to a possible change in implementing the deal’s provisions rath»»»

The second meeting of the Board of Governors of the Turkic Investment Fund was held in Bishkek, the Ministry of Economy reported. According to the ministry, it was decided that the fund’s project activities will officially begin in the first quarter of 2026. This will mark an important milestone in»»»

The UAE labour market continues to expand, with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) reporting an 8.9% growth in workforce size and a 6.6% rise in the number of operating establishments by the end of the third quarter of 2025. The figures underscore the UAE’s position as a glob»»»

A presentation of the book President Sadyr Japarov — Creator of a New Kyrgyzstan by Doctor of Political Sciences and Professor Zhumagul Saadanbekov took place at the National Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Education of Kyrgyzstan reported. The event was attended by State Secretary Arslan Koic»»»

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice is launching a 90-day voluntary departure program, effective from December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan (MFA) reported. According to the MFA, within the program: These measures do not apply to foreign nationals who hav»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belarusian Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta informed IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday about the country's plans to increase nuclear energy production to cover its growing needs, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said. The minister "informed the Director General of Belarus»»»

Washington: President Donald Trump was presented with the newly created FIFA Peace Prize on Friday during the 2026 World Cup draw, marking a rare departure from the organization’s traditional focus on sport. FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded Trump a gold medal and trophy depicting hands holdi»»»

When the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court, upheld Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction, the former president’s legal troubles deepened, leaving him no further avenue to appeal the verdict. Even though this outcome was widely predicted, France’s political, media, and business elite rallied around »»»

Modernization and expansion of the terminal building at Manas International Airport are ongoing. As of today, 70 percent of the concrete work has been completed. A new entrance on the western side of the building has been opened, while the eastern entrance is temporarily closed. Altynbek Mambetov, »»»

An International Opera Festival will be held in Bishkek on December 14-15, dedicated to the 85th birthday of People’s Artist of the USSR Bulat Minzhylkiev. The Opera and Ballet Theater announced on social media. According to the theater, the festival will feature stars of the world opera scene. At »»»

During Sadyr Japarov’s state visit to Pakistan, Energy Minister of Kyrgyzstan Taalaibek Ibraev met with his counterpart, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari. According to the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, following the talks, the parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding in »»»

At 6ft tall and plus-size, shop-bought clothes had never fitted Maree O'Connor well. Sewing offered her a solution - allowing her to use beautiful fabrics to make garments that fit just right. One day, while on the lookout for colourful prints to make new dresses, she spotted some "amazing" fabrics»»»

The US Coast Guard announced on Friday a successful interdiction of a suspected drug-smuggling vessel loaded with more than 9,071 kg (20,000 pounds) illegal drugs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard stated that law enforcement teams stopped the "go-fast" boat in the Eastern Pacific loaded»»»

The Presidential Administration’s Information Policy Service reminded the public that authorities had repeatedly called for fair elections. Candidates were prohibited from buying votes, and citizens from selling them. It was also emphasized that if violations were detected, the results at the respe»»»

Manila: The Taal Volcano, located near Manila, has exhibited heightened restiveness, recording prolonged volcanic tremors over the past 13 hours that could signal a potential eruption, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). In its latest 24-hour monitoring r»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said Friday that he held a constructive phone call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and discussed the implementation of a bilateral trade deal between the economic giants. "During today’s constructive call with Vice Premier He Lif»»»

Abu Dhabi: Dense fog covered parts of Abu Dhabi and Dubai on Saturday morning, prompting red and yellow alerts from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). Visibility dropped below 1,000 metres in some areas, particularly across Abu Dhabi. Authorities have urged drivers to exercise caution, follo»»»

Top negotiators from the US and Ukraine said on Friday that they had constructive discussions on ending the Ukraine war, but the path toward peace depended on Russia. "Real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps tow»»»

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) expects partly cloudy to cloudy weather across the UAE on Saturday. Rainfall is possible over eastern and northern areas, as well as some offshore islands. Also Read: UAE weather: Partly cloudy skies, rising humidity and chances of early-morning fog this wee»»»

The Lowy Institute’s 2025 Asia Power Index, released on November 26, 2025, offers one of the most comprehensive assessments of how influence is distributed in the world’s most strategically dynamic region. The Index — which evaluates 27 countries across eight power indicators — underscores a critic»»»

Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The bodies of a 50-year-old man and a 3-month-old infant were found with bite wounds at a home in Tullahoma, Tenn., on Wednesday, but investigators are unsure if pitbulls killed them. The Coffee County Communications Center received a call at 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday reporting what a»»»

Dubai: The way money moves is changing fast. In its latest report, Mastercard puts it plainly: “The next wave of payments innovation uses tech to put people first, making money movement more secure, smarter and more personal.” Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.UAE consum»»»

David Kuloba's mother warned him about going to Russia after he accepted a job as a security guard advertised by a recruitment agency in Kenya. At first the family, who live in the Kenyan capital's crowded informal settlement of Kibera had been excited when he said he had found work abroad - it sou»»»

1 of 3 | President Barack Obama on November 22, 2016, awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to architect Frank Gehry, who died on Friday at age 96. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Frank Gehry, one of the most influential architects of the latter 20th century, died»»»