Belgium seeks protection from Russian retaliation
BRUSSELS, Dec 18 (AP): Belgium on Thursday demanded firm guarantees from its European Union partners that it would be shielded from Russian retaliation before supporting a major EU loan to Ukraine.At a high-stakes EU summit in Brussels, leaders of the 27-nation bloc are set to consider using tens of billions...
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US-Russia talks this weekend
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (AFP): US and Russian officials will meet in Miami this weekend for new talks on President Donald Trump's plan for ending the Ukraine war, a White House official told AFP Wednesday.The talks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed progress during two days of meetings in Berlin...
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US unveils $11b arms package for Taiwan
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (AP): The Trump administration has announced a massive arms sales package to Taiwan worth over $11 billion, including medium-range missiles, howitzers, and drones, prompting strong condemnation from China.The State Department unveiled the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump, who did not...
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US Congress ends Syria sanctions
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (AFP): The US Congress on Wednesday permanently ended sanctions imposed on Syria under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, paving the way for the return of investment to the war-ravaged nation.President Donald Trump had already twice suspended the implementation of sanctions in response to pleas from Saudi Arabia and...
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US conducts strikes near Venezuela
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (AP): The Trump administration has carried out a series of military operations near Venezuela over the past three months, including attacks on alleged drug-smuggling vessels and the seizure of an oil tanker, in what officials describe as an "armed conflict" with drug cartels. At least 99 people...
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Thailand bombs Cambodia's border casino hub
PHNOM PENH, Dec 18 (AFP): Thailand on Thursday bombed a building in a Cambodian casino town and major crossing between the two nations, as foreign powers pressured them to halt reignited border clashes.Thai fighter jets dropped three bombs in an area of Poipet city, a bustling casino hub popular with...
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Sri Lanka plans $1.6 billion spending in cyclone recovery in 2026
COLOMBO, Dec 18 (AFP): Sri Lanka's government announced plans on Thursday for $1.6 billion in extra spending in 2026 to fund the country's recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, which killed more than 640 people.The natural disaster affected 2.3 million people, more than 10 percent of Sri Lanka's population, and floods and...
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