Taiwan says China's threats over president's US visit are counterproductive

Taiwan's top China policymaker on Wednesday said Chinese military threats would only drive the two sides further apart, as state media in the island's giant neighbour warned of a strong response to a U.S. visit by Taiwan's president.

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Explainer: How to impeach a South Korean president

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing the threat of impeachment, with opposition lawmakers accusing him of violating his constitutional duty and committing a crime akin to treason when he declared martial law on Tuesday.

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What we know about South Korea's martial law declaration

South Korean lawmakers on Wednesday called for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law only to reverse the move hours later, triggering the biggest political crisis in decades in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

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China calls on universities to provide 'love education'

China is urging colleges and universities to provide "love education" to emphasise positive views on marriage, love, fertility and family, in a bid to boost the country's flagging birth rate.

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Russia reiterates no ground for Ukraine talks, but mentioning them more often

There are no grounds yet for negotiations on how to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, Russia said on Wednesday, in comments about peace talks that have become more frequent since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential vote in November.

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Mexico's lower house passes constitutional ban on e-cigarettes, vapes

Mexican lower house lawmakers on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a proposal to alter the constitution to include a ban on e-cigarettes and vaping devices as well as a crackdown on synthetic drugs such as fentanyl.

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US Republicans eye two-step Trump legislative agenda

Republicans in the U.S. Congress are discussing a two-step plan to push ahead on President-elect Donald Trump's agenda when they take control of both chambers next year, potentially starting with border security, energy and defense before turning to tax cuts.

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Russia, US clash at UN over escalation in Syria fighting

Russia and the United States clashed at the United Nations on Tuesday, accusing each other of supporting terrorism during a Security Council meeting convened over a sudden escalation of fighting in Syria.

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Zelenskiy calls for reinforcement of eastern front against Russian advances

Analysts and war bloggers say that Russian forces in the east are advancing at the fastest rate since the early days of the February 2022 invasion.

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Philippines, China trade accusations over confrontation in South China Sea

Philippine and Chinese coastguards reported conflicting versions of a maritime confrontation around a contested shoal in the South China Sea, the latest row in a longstanding dispute between the two neighbours.

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Taiwan's President Lai visits Pacific ally Tuvalu

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived in Tuvalu on Wednesday, a Tuvalu official said, reinforcing ties with the remote Pacific Island nation on the frontline of climate change.

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Scared to stay in Mexico, afraid of Trump's policies, some migrants look to return home

Every day, Nidia Montenegro spends hours checking her cellphone, hoping to receive a long-awaited appointment with U.S. border officials to seek asylum in the United States.

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Who is Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, voice of protest movement?

As protesters confronted massed ranks of riot police in front of Georgia's parliament last week, a slightly built woman picked her way through the crowd.

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NATO to boost efforts to counter Russian, Chinese sabotage acts

NATO will step up intelligence sharing and improve the protection of critical infrastructure, NATO chief Mark Rutte said.

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South Korea parliament rejects president's martial law declaration

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night in a move that stunned South Koreans and triggered a short-lived attempt by troops to enter parliament, as lawmakers and protesters quickly voiced opposition to the most serious challenge to the country's democracy since the 1980s.

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Guineans mourn victims of stadium crush that killed 56

When Mory Cisse dropped his 27-year-old brother off at a stadium in the southeastern Guinean city of Nzerekore to watch a soccer match after lunch on Sunday, he had no idea it would be the last time he saw him alive.

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French far-right's Le Pen may regret her risky bid to topple government

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen appears to be betting her future on ousting President Emmanuel Macron before his term ends in 2027, lawmakers and analysts say. To do so, she has helped trigger France's second political crisis in six months.

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Sudan's famine-hit Zamzam camp comes under fire, say residents and MSF

Sudan's famine-stricken Zamzam displacement camp has been struck by shelling from the Rapid Support Forces, volunteers and medical aid agency MSF said, as the paramilitary group seeks to tighten control of the Darfur region in the country's war.

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Brazil's Workers Party out of touch with society, says likely new leader

The likely next president of Brazil's ruling Workers Party (PT)says the party has to reconnect with its rank and file and the new working class if it wants to overcome recent setbacks and remain relevant in Brazilian politics.

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Israeli leaders applaud Trump pledge on hostages, Gazans fear the worst

Israeli leaders hailed on Tuesday a pledge by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that there would be "hell to pay" in the Middle East unless hostages held in the Gaza Strip were released ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration.

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NATO members waiting for Trump before deciding on Ukraine invitation, Latvia says

A number of NATO members are waiting for the new U.S. administration to take office before making up their minds on Ukraine’s request for an invitation to join the U.S.-led transatlantic alliance, Latvia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.

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Full text of South Korea's martial law decree

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday for the first time in the country since 1980. Below is a Reuters translation of the military decree:

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Israeli strike near Damascus killed Hezbollah liaison with Syrian army, security source says

An Israeli airstrike on a car near Syria's capital Damascus on Tuesday killed Salman Jumaa, a senior Hezbollah figure responsible for liaising with the Syrian army, a Lebanese security source told Reuters.

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Italy to approve more military aid for Ukraine this month, sources say

Italy is preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine, two sources close to the matter said on Tuesday, in a renewed show of support for Kyiv from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's rightist government.

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Ukraine pushes for NATO invite 30 years after failed nuclear deal

The 1994 Budapest Memorandum saw Kyiv give up the world's third largest nuclear arsenal.

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As sabotage allegations swirl, NATO struggles to secure the Baltic Sea

The 12-day 'Freezing Winds' drill was part of a push to step up the transatlantic defence alliance's protection of infrastructure in waters that carry 15% of global shipping traffic and are seen as increasingly vulnerable to attack.

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Norway prime minister says he plans to lead government in Sept election

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Tuesday he plans to lead the government into the parliamentary election due in September of 2025.

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Israeli farmer whose son was killed by Lebanon rocket works to restore orchard

Five weeks ago, Moshe Weinstein found the body of his son Omer and four farm workers killed by a Hezbollah rocket, their bodies lying in an apple orchard that he has cultivated for years.

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Kremlin says no date yet for Iranian president's visit to Russia

A visit to Russia by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is being prepared, but there is no clarity yet on when it will take place, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

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Israel threatens to expand war if Hezbollah truce collapses

Israel threatened on Tuesday to return to war in Lebanon if its truce with Hezbollah collapses, and said this time its attacks would go deeper and target the Lebanese state itself, after the deadliest day since the ceasefire was agreed last week.

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