Swiss court to hear landmark climate case against cement giant

Africa: Oil Refiners - Africa's Crude Demand to Jump From 1.8m Bpd to 4.5m Bpd By 2050

[This Day] The African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA), has said that the continent's crude oil consumption will surge from about 1.8 million barrels per day in 2024 to as much as 4.5 million barrels per day by 2050, positioning the continent's downstream energy

Africa: Africa CDC Raises Alarm As Cholera Cases More Than Double Across the Continent

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised serious concern over a sharp surge in cholera cases across the continent, with reported infections more than doubling to over 310,000 cases in 2025.

Uniqlo’s owner boosts new graduate pay as Japan faces inflation

Annual pay will grow by as much as 12 per cent to 5.9 million yen (S$48,500) from March 2026.

Indonesia’s white-flag shame in flood-ravaged Sumatra

As the waters begin to recede across Sumatra, what lingers is something far colder than the floods that swept through Aceh, darker than the landslides in North Sumatra and more unsettling than the rubble left behind in West Sumatra at the close of 2025. It is the chill of

Swiss court admits Indonesia islanders climate case against Holcim

ZURICH, Dec 22 - A court in Switzerland has decided to admit a legal complaint linked to global warming against Swiss cement maker Holcim which alleges the company is doing too little to cut carbon emissions, parties to the case said on Monday.

Explainer-How a five-yearly Communist Party congress will pick Vietnam's next leaders

HANOI, Dec 22 - Vietnam's ruling Communist Party will convene its 14th five-yearly congress on January 19-25 to select top leaders and set key targets until 2030.

Malaysia denies ex-PM Najib's house arrest bid ahead of key 1MDB verdict

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 - A Malaysian court on Monday denied a bid by jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, in the first of two key rulings the ex-premier faces this week over his role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

In Gaza, another winter of despair

The grim conditions in Gaza exacerbate an already bleak status quo.

Study links full-fat cheese to lower dementia risk

Eating full-fat cheese and cream may be associated with a lower risk of dementia, according to a large study that tracked people for more than 25 years. Those who consumed higher amounts of these foods developed dementia less often than those who ate little or none.

South Korea’s defence ministry seeks disciplinary action against ‘around 10’ officials over martial law

The Defense Ministry had conducted its own internal audits in August, September and October.

Alec Baldwin Says He Had Suicidal Thoughts After Charges Were Filed in ‘Rust’ Death a Second Time

"The people I was most concerned about, the people that I had the deepest pain for, were my wife and my kids," he says. "Because my kids would see me sitting in a corner, you know, I couldn't even move."

Africa: Another Break From Françafrique - Burkina Faso Suspends Participation in Francophone Judicial Body

[People's Dispatch] The severing of ties to the France-led judicial council, announced on December 15 as part of Burkina Faso's broader break from Françafrique.

Africa: Who Owns a Bank Account in Africa?

[Afrobarometer] Predictors of financial access and implications for domestic capital mobilisation

US and Ukraine call Miami talks productive despite no breakthrough

Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, issued a statement with the top Ukrainian negotiator after discussing the latest peace plans.

When romance turns into abuse: Struggles and limitations to curb dating violence in South Korea

Despite the rising number of cases, South Korea has no criminal standard for dating violence.

Important counter to Trump-Putin narrative on Ukraine

Well, it wasn’t very noble and it flinched at the last moment from sending the powerful political message that the situation warranted. But the European Union’s agreement to lend Ukraine 90 billion euros (US$105.5 billion) is nonetheless an important contribution to

South East Asian bloc to seek end to Thailand-Cambodia fighting

Asean ministers hope to revive a ceasefire that was brokered with the help of US President Donald Trump.

US pursuing third oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela

A US official said the vessel was 'a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.' The operation marks the second of its kind this weekend, and the third in less than two weeks.

Omar Fateh responds to Vance's 'mayor of Mogadishu' comment made in Turning Point speech

After Vice President Vance slammed Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh (D) on Sunday, Fateh fired back, saying Vance “took time away from the couch to try out comedy.” Vance, during his speech at Turning Point’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, said that Democrats “are not sending their

Asian markets rally with Wall St as rate hopes rise, AI fears ease

Despite Trump's 2019 claim, ISIS thrives in Syria's power vacuum

The American attack on roughly 70 Islamic State targets on Saturday was an impressive display of power, but it is far from posing a challenge to the organization

Indonesia bus crash kills 16, rescuer says

The bus was headed from the capital Jakarta to Yogyakarta and was travelling at a "fairly high" speed, the head of a local rescue agency said.

South Korea parliament passes Bill to launch probe into 2024 Jeju Air crash

The Jeju Air crash in December 2024 killed 179 people - the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil.

Trump names Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland

President Trump named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) as his special envoy to Greenland on Sunday, after the president repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring the autonomous territory earlier this year. Trump said on Truth Social that Landry “understands how essential

Vietnam’s top leadership talks heat up as Communist Party meets

Senior officials are set to select candidates for the country's leadership positions for the next five years.

Vietnam's top leadership talks heat up as Communist Party meets

HANOI, Dec 22 - Senior officials of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party began a two-day meeting on Monday that is set to select candidates for the country's leadership positions for the next five years.

Japanese PM Saane Takaichi’s support stays solid as China spat festers

Her ratings are the highest for a Japanese prime minister in about two decades.

South Korea parliament passes bill to launch probe into 2024 Jeju Air crash

SEOUL, Dec 22 - South Korea's parliament passed a bill on Monday to launch an independent probe into the Jeju Air plane crash in December 2024 that killed 179 people in the deadliest air disaster on the country's soil.

South Korea Parliament passes Bill to launch probe into 2024 Jeju Air crash

The panel will investigate the possible causes of the crash.

Khanna, Massie threaten 'inherent contempt' charges against Bondi over partial release of Epstein files

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Ca.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said Sunday that the House should hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in “inherent contempt” over the Department of Justice (DOJ) releasing an incomplete and heavily redacted tranche of files related to Jeffrey Epstein on Friday.

Forget elf on the shelf – these Aussie birds are perfect for the festive season | Jess Harwood

Magpie on a mince pie anyone? Continue reading...

Bourbon maker Jim Beam halts production at main distillery for a year

US distillers face uncertainty after President Trump imposed tariffs on countries around the world.

Malaysia court dismisses ex-PM's bid to serve sentence under house arrest

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 - A Malaysian court on Monday dismissed jailed ex-premier Najib Razak's bid to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, saying a royal document allowing the move was invalid as it was not made according to procedure.

Alex Iwobi says Afcon is a special football tournament

The Fulham midfielder will represent his birth country Nigeria in the competition featuring 24 nations.

Helen Siff, Actress in ‘Hail, Caesar!’ and ‘You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,’ Dies at 88

The veteran character actress also showed up on television in everything from ‘Lou Grant’ and ‘Married … With Children’ to ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’

Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak loses house arrest bid in High Court

The royal addendum order for Najib to serve house arrest is not valid because it was not deliberated on at the Pardons Board meeting in January last year, the judge ruled.

Another 130 abducted schoolchildren released in Nigeria

Nigerian authorities confirm the remaining students kidnapped from a Catholic school last month have been freed.

Malaysia’s former PM Najib released from jail for house arrest, rules judge

Najib was jailed for corruption in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

Malaysia court denies ex-PM Najib’s bid to serve jail sentence at home

He has been in prison since 2022 for corruption related to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

‘Rafflesia’ or ‘padma’? Debate renewed in Indonesia over flower renaming

The flower was named after the Bencoolen lieutenant-governor Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles.

‘60 Minutes’ Correspondent Says Bari Weiss Made a ‘Political’ Decision to Pull Segment on the ‘Brutal’ El Salvador Prison Where Trump Administration Sent Deportees

Bari Weiss, two months into her post as CBS News’ editor-in-chief, was responsible for spiking a “60 Minutes” segment on the “brutal and tortuous conditions” at a prison in El Salvador where the Trump administration has deported alleged illegal immigrants for detention,

CBS News ‘60 Minutes’ Pulls Segment on ‘Brutal’ El Salvador Prison Where Trump Administration Sent Deportees, Just Hours Before Airtime

About three hours before “60 Minutes” was set to air a program detailing “brutal and tortuous conditions” at a prison in El Salvador where the Trump administration has deported alleged illegal immigrants for detention, the CBS News program abruptly announced it was delaying its

Australian state parliament reconvenes to push through stricter gun laws after Bondi mass shooting

By Renju Jose SYDNEY, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Australia's New South Wales state parliament was recalled on Monday to vote on proposed new laws that would impose major curbs on firearm ownership, ban the display of terror symbols and restrict protests, following a mass shooting at