Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Myanmar’s generals have finally produced the ballot box they have been promising since their 2021 coup. After five years of civil war, mass displacement of entire towns and villages and systematic repression across the country, the junta has staged the first part of what it calls a return to democr»»»

Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by a major earthquake, initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a»»»

Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by a major earthquake, initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a»»»

PTOLEMAIDA, Greece — Mayor Panagiotis Plakentas fears what will happen to the town of Ptolemaida and the surrounding region when the last of the brown coal power plants in northern Greece close next year.He told AFP that eight out of 10 young people who leave the region to study never come back and»»»

AMMAN — Foreign trade data for the first ten months of 2025 showed mixed performance among Jordan’s key exported commodities, with several major production sectors recording notable increases in export values.Garments and related items topped the list of exported goods during the ten-month period i»»»

AMMAN — National exports to the European Union countries recorded a notable increase of 45.7 per cent during the first ten months of 2025, according to foreign trade data issued by the Department of Statistics (DoS).Official figures monitored by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, showed that the Kingdo»»»

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon's government on Friday approved a draft law to distribute financial losses from the 2019 economic crisis that deprived many Lebanese of their deposits despite strong opposition from political and banking officials.The draft law is a key demand from the international commun»»»

Saudi Arabia on Saturday said it would back Sanaa's government in any military confrontation with separatist forces in a statement that came a day after reported Saudi air strikes in Yemen's Hadramawt province.The Southern Transition Council (STC) separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates have»»»

US-backed air strikes in Nigeria targeted Islamic State group fighters who were attempting to enter the country from the Sahel region, according to the Nigerian government. US President Donald Trump said on his social media platform that the strikes were carried out on Thursday »»»

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency said on Saturday that security services were blocking its attempt to raid parliament, as investigators alleged that sitting MPs were implicated in a new graft probe. The probe comes at a delicate time for President Volodymyr Zelensky, as he seeks better terms for Uk»»»

EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa on Saturday promised the European Union's unfaltering support for Ukraine ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's talks with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The Ukrainian president first spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney d»»»

Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by an earthquake initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a M6.7 quake»»»

Taiwan and the southwestern islands of Japan have been hit by an earthquake initially reported as measuring magnitude 7.0 by Taiwanese authorities. Japanese government agencies meanwhile reported the tremor as a M6.7 quake»»»

The international clearing house Euroclear has released more than $600mn in frozen assets belonging to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), on the condition that the funds be used exclusively for projects in Kazakhstan, Kommersant reported on December 25. »»»

Gold prices on the spot market exceeded $4,500 per ounce for the first time on December 24, setting a new record as investors sought safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical tensions, Interfax reported on December 24. Sp»»»

The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has published a formal concept for regulating cryptocurrency within the domestic market, proposing differentiated access for retail and professional investors while reaffirming its stance that digital assets are high-risk financial instruments. »»»

A cable car has been launched in test mode at Ala-Archa Nature Park. A video of the launch appeared on social media the day before. As it was previously reported, the cable car is being built by the Austrian-Swiss Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group. The company is implementing cable car construction projec»»»

When Israel launched a lightening attack on Iran’s military and nuclear sites on June 13, it kickstarted a conflict dubbed the “12-day war” by US President Donald Trump. Although the whirlwind clash lasted less than two weeks, it caused unprecedented destruction in Israel and considerably weakened »»»

The African Union and Somalia denounced Israel's announcement on Friday that it viewed Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state". Israel is the first country to recognise Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991.  Somalia and the African Union reacted angrily on Fr»»»

French police on Friday arrested a 25-year-old man suspected of stabbing three women at different stations on a central Paris metro line during the busy end-of-year period. The attacks, which left the victims injured but not in critical condition, triggered a rapid manhunt and heightened security o»»»

BusinessGermanyFax and furious: Why Germany struggles to go digitalNicolas Martin | Andreas BeckerGermany, the land of tech pioneers, still relies on fax and paper for basic public services. Why is digital government stuck in the slow lane while Denmark and India race ahead? https://p.dw.com/p/55Yd»»»

TradeGlobal issuesPeak Oil: Why the world can't break its fossil fuel habitNik MartinClimate change shifted the oil production debate from scarcity to demand. But without delivering on ambitious green pledges, one expert predicts production may peak within two years, forcing a chaotic decline. http»»»

From Kathmandu to Lima, Generation Z took to the streets in 2025 to denounce inequality, corruption and political exclusion. Across the Global South, young people turned scattered local protests into a shared moment of mobilisation. FRANCE 24 looks back on a pivotal year for a generational movement»»»

Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday agreed to an "immediate" ceasefire after three weeks of fighting killed at least 47 people and displaced more than a million. The truce comes after three days of talks, and it applies to "all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians, civilian obje»»»

Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following weeks of deadly clashes along their shared border, raising hopes of a gradual easing of tensions and the return of displaced civilians, KIRIPOST reports. »»»

Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following weeks of deadly clashes along their shared border, raising hopes of a gradual easing of tensions and the return of displaced civilians, KIRIPOST reports. »»»

Bulgaria’s switch to the euro on January 1, 2026 will require a large-scale technical adjustment of banking systems, leading to temporary disruptions in card payments, ATM services and digital banking around the turn of the year, according to information published by commercial banks and summarized»»»

South Korea on Friday announced plans to end foreign adoptions over a five-year period, aiming for zero by 2029, as UN investigators raise “serious concern” over decades of abuses. Many adoptees were sent abroad with falsified records or suffered mistreatment, and critics say Seoul has failed to pr»»»

FRANCE 24 heads north to the kingdom of Denmark. The Scandinavian country has been in the spotlight this year, holding the rotating presidency of the European Council from July to December and pushing forward its priorities such as migration and the energy transition – topics that we dive»»»

New York’s Times Square will sparkle in red, white and blue on New Year's Eve as a patriotic ball drop rings in 2026, marking the start of celebrations for the United States’ 250th anniversary. Organisers have planned hundreds of events nationwide, including fireworks, parades and volunteer initiat»»»

At least two people died in a stabbing and car ramming attack in northern Israel on Friday, Israeli police said. Both victims died from their injuries and the alleged attacker, a resident of the occupied West Bank, was injured and hospitalised. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz quickly ordered m»»»

Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatists on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out air strikes on their positions in the east of the country, a claim Riyadh has not acknowledged. While vowing they will not be deterred, the STC said it remains open to coordination with the kingdo»»»

An elusive wild cat long feared extinct in Thailand has been rediscovered three decades after its last recorded sighting, conservation authorities said. Camera traps in southern Thailand’s Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary captured 29 detections, including a female with her cub, offering rare »»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to discuss a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending Russia’s invasion. The proposals – which Moscow has yet to respond to – include possible territorial adjustments and security arrangements. Follow ou»»»

FRANCE 24 heads north to the kingdom of Denmark. The Scandinavian country has been in the spotlight this year, holding the rotating presidency of the European Council from July to December and pushing forward its priorities such as migration and the energy transition – topics that we dive»»»

The expanding Energoatom corruption scandal has hurt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's popularity and if elections were held this weekend he would lose in the second round, according to a Socis poll. A majority of »»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to meet US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 28 in what he is billing as a possible breakthrough meeting to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as speculation swirls that Russian President Vladimir Putin may step down in favour of a»»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to meet US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 28 in what he is billing as a possible breakthrough meeting to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes as speculation swirls that Russian President Vladimir Putin may step down in favour of a»»»

There is a classic Soviet expression that sums up how hard life was in the USSR: “Today is worse than yesterday, but at least it is better than tomorrow.” In the latest poll from the independent pollster, the Levada C»»»

The expanding Energoatom corruption scandal has hurt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's popularity and if elections were held this weekend he would lose in the second round, according to a Socis poll. A majority of »»»

At least eight people died and 18 wounded in a blast that struck a mosque in an Alawite neighbourhood of the Homs province in Syria on Friday, according to local officials. At least eight people were killed in an explosion ⁠at a mosque of the Alawite minority sect in the Syrian city of Homs on Frid»»»

Moscow has made a "proposal" to France concerning the case of researcher Laurent Vinatier, who has been imprisoned in Russia since June 2024, the Kremlin said Thursday. Vinatier was sentenced by a Russian court to three years in prison for allegedly failing to register as a "foreign agent" but»»»

South Korean prosecutors on Friday sought a ten-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of obstruction of justice after his attempt to impose martial law last winter. The suspension of civil rule led to massive protests and weeks of political chaos in South Korea.»»»

Malaysia's High Court on Friday found former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak guilty of all 21 counts of money laundering related to the sprawling corruption scandal involving Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). This conviction is likely to add years to the pri»»»

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. »»»