World

Berlin summons Russian ambassador over increase in hybrid attacks

BERLIN, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Berlin has summoned Russia's ambassador over what it said was a huge increase in threatening hybrid activities including disinformation campaigns, espionage, cyberattacks and attempted sabotage, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

World

Venezuela's Nobel laureate Machado says she aims for peaceful transition after Maduro

OSLO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado said on Friday that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro would leave power, whether there was a negotiated changeover or not, adding that she was focused on achieving a peaceful transition.

World

Finland to procure AMRAAM missiles from the US

STOCKHOLM, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Finland said on Friday it would procure Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) from the United States. 

World

Romanian judges, prosecutors denounce systemic judicial abuses, president wants consultations

BUCHAREST, Dec 12 (Reuters) - More than 500 Romanian judges and prosecutors have denounced what they say are systemic abuses in the justice system in one of the European Union's most corrupt states, prompting President Nicusor Dan to call them in for consultations.

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Kremlin says ceasefire only possible after Kyiv withdraws from Donbas, but Russian deployment there could be limited

MOSCOW, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said on Friday that a ceasefire in Ukraine is only possible after Kyiv's forces withdraw from the entire Donbas region, with the area they currently control taken over by Russian National Guard, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.

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Analysis-Ukraine fails to fill key posts as corruption scandal lingers

KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine's government has no active candidates for the vacant position of energy minister, two sources familiar with the process said, underlining how a corruption scandal is complicating efforts to fill key posts at a critical time.

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Americans skeptical of Trump on Epstein, but Republican doubts ease, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Americans are deeply skeptical of President Donald Trump's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, though he is shoring up support among his core Republican followers who have long focused on the case, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

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EU agrees to indefinitely freeze Russian assets, removing obstacle to Ukraine loan

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Friday to indefinitely freeze Russian central bank assets held in Europe, removing a big obstacle to using the cash to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

World

Analysis-Thailand's snap poll set to boost odds for PM Anutin, but risks loom

BANGKOK, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul looks set to tap burgeoning nationalism over a border conflict with Cambodia to boost his appeal in a general election stemming from his dissolution of parliament after less than 100 days in power.

World

Bulgarian lawmakers approve government resignation, snap election looks likely

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Bulgarian lawmakers formally approved on Friday the resignation of the country's minority government, a day after it bowed to mass street protests and said it would quit, paving the way for talks on forming a new coalition or most likely a snap election.

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Kremlin suggests it may not like new Ukraine peace proposals after recent U.S.-Ukraine talks

MOSCOW, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Friday that Moscow has not seen revised U.S. proposals made after the most recent talks with Ukraine, but that it may not like parts of them.

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Turkey says no change in Russian S-400s amid U.S. talks on F-35s

ANKARA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Turkey and the United States are discussing the U.S. sanctions and obstacles to Ankara rejoining the F-35 jet programme but nothing has changed with respect to its possession of Russian S-400 air defences, the defence ministry said on Friday. 

World

Russia attacked energy facilities in southern Ukrainian Odesa region, officials say

KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Russia attacked energy facilities in the southern Ukrainian Odesa region overnight, causing fires and blackouts, the local governor and emergency service said on Friday.

World

South Africa's ANC says it needs to reform to regain support

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 12 (Reuters) - South Africa's African National Congress, the liberation movement that brought Nelson Mandela to power, said it was facing a crisis over corruption, poor governance, and persistent racial inequality, and pledged to clean up its act.

World

Nepal says economy suffered $586 million hit from 'Gen Z' protests

KATHMANDU, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The anti-graft protests in September that forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign caused more than $586 million in losses to Nepal's $42 billion economy, a government statement said on Friday.

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Russia destroys 90 Ukrainian drones overnight, defence ministry says

MOSCOW, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Friday that air defence systems had destroyed 90 Ukrainian drones over the country and the Black Sea overnight.

World

U.S. aid cuts disrupt life-saving treatment for starving children in Kenya

LOMOLEM, Kenya, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Hellen Etiman, a Kenyan pastoralist, believed her severely malnourished son would soon recover after starting a course of life-saving specialised food.

World

Tsunami advisory lifted after magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits Japan's northeast region

TOKYO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

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Thai PM says no ceasefire yet in Cambodia conflict after phone call with Trump

BANGKOK, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed on Friday that there was no ceasefire yet with Cambodia and said he had spoken by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump and told him Bangkok was not the aggressor in the conflict with its neighbour. 

World

Thai PM sets course for early election amid border and parliamentary unrest

BANGKOK, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Thailand was heading on Friday for a snap poll as soon as February, after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul won royal backing to dissolve parliament, heading off the risk of a no-confidence vote amid a raging border conflict with Cambodia.