Category: World

Christmas is marked across the world with a rich blend of faith, tradition and local culture. From midnight Mass and candlelit prayers to vibrant parades, decorations and family gatherings, the holiday reflects both its Christian roots and the unique customs of the societies that celebrate it. These images capture how Christmas unfolds in different countries, shaped by history, culture and community spirit. West Bank Christian scouts march during Christmas Eve celebrations at the Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. PHOTO: AFP Scouts marched in Bethlehem on…

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A US judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining British anti-disinformation campaigner and US permanent resident Imran Ahmed, after he sued officials over an entry ban for his role in what Washington argues is online censorship. Washington imposed visa bans on Tuesday on Ahmed and four Europeans, including French former EU commissioner Thierry Breton. It accuses them of working to censor freedom of speech or unfairly target US tech giants with burdensome regulation. Ahmed lives in New York and is believed to be the only one of…

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Petr Macinka on Tuesday, 23 December, awarded the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to Diplomacy to former ambassador and Middle East expert Eva Filipi. “I believe the state has a duty to value its most experienced diplomats—especially those who have served in exceptionally complex and demanding conditions. Czech diplomacy owes you its gratitude, and I greatly appreciate that I can thank you personally on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Minister Petr Macinka said at the award ceremony. Eva Filipi studied Oriental Studies and Turkology at…

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The second Pakistan Navy MILGEM-class ship, PNS Khaibar, was commissioned at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard on Sunday, marking another milestone in Pakistan–Turkey defence cooperation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who attended the ceremony as chief guest alongside Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, described Pakistan–Turkey relations as exemplary and emphasised the need for deeper collaboration in defence production. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Admiral Ashraf acknowledged the role of ASFAT, the Istanbul Naval Shipyard and the original equipment manufacturers in the planning,…

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US President Donald Trump is set to be briefed by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any expansion of Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a threat that could necessitate swift action, NBC News reported on Saturday. Israeli officials are concerned that Iran is reconstituting nuclear enrichment sites the U.S. bombed in June, and are preparing to brief Trump for options on attacking the missile program again, the NBC report added. According to NBC, Israeli officials are increasingly concerned that Iran is working to reconstitute nuclear enrichment sites struck by US…

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WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump left the possibility of war with Venezuela on the table in an interview published Friday, after escalating the US pressure campaign on Caracas with an oil blockade. “I don’t rule it out, no,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview on Thursday. Trump also declined to say whether he wants to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Authoritarian leftist Maduro says Washington wants regime change in Caracas. “He knows exactly what I want,” Trump replied. “He knows better than anybody.” Trump said there would be further…

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MOSCOW: Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday said the ball was in the court of the West and Kyiv in talks to end the war in Ukraine, while hailing Moscow’s recent battlefield gains and threatening more. Speaking during his annual end-of-year news conference — a staple of his 25-year rule — Putin told Russians that Moscow was intent on pressing on in Ukraine, striking a confident tone. The 73-year-old repeatedly says that Moscow will seize the rest of Ukrainian land he has proclaimed as Russian by force if talks fail. Putin…

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Alphabet Inc’s Google has advised some employees on US visas to avoid international travel due to prolonged visa processing delays at US embassies, Business Insider reported, citing an internal email. According to the report, the email, sent on Thursday by the company’s external counsel, BAL Immigration Law, warned employees who require a visa stamp to re-enter the United States not to travel abroad, as processing times at embassies have lengthened significantly. Read: Google announces shutdown of Dark Web monitoring tool Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The memo…

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TEHRAN: Iran’s judiciary said on Tuesday that a dual national arrested during the recent 12-day war with Israel and who has since been put on trial for espionage holds Swedish citizenship. Tehran has given few details on the case, one of multiple arrests that took place during and after the brief war in which Israel and then the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Several of those convicted of working for Israel’s Mossad spy agency were subsequently executed. “Recently, a case was investigated in Alborz Province regarding a dual-citizen spy.…

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