130 Nigerian schoolchildren freed after Niger State kidnapping
The Nigerian government has confirmed the release of a further 130 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State in November, completi...
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday told a state party conference that Russia will only stop its war in Ukraine when it is unable to continue economically, and possibly militarily.
“All our efforts in recent weeks have been met with an even more aggressive approach by the Moscow regime against the people of Ukraine. And this will not stop until we have worked together to ensure that Russia can no longer continue this war, at least for economic reasons, perhaps also for military reasons, but in any case for economic reasons,” Merz said.
He stressed the importance of European unity in confronting the conflict, recalling recent discussions with EU leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Merz also outlined Germany’s renewed leadership in defence policy and NATO. He said decisions to raise defence spending to 3.5% and invest an additional 1.5% in defence infrastructure had strengthened NATO’s European pillar.
“If Germany is prepared to take on a leadership role in Europe again, if Europe stands together, then we have a chance of being heard. Then we can assert our interests. We can defend our freedom and our security together,” he said.
Merz described foreign and European policy as inseparable from Germany’s domestic security.
He also noted the growing pressure on Russia as missile and drone attacks against Ukraine intensified in recent days.
On Friday in Toulon, France, Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron said that U.S. President Trump must respond to the cancelled meeting he had announced between Putin and Zelenskyy, highlighting that Russia had shown no desire for a peaceful solution.
The death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has risen to 161, after forensic analysis confirmed one more victim among the charred remains at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, more than three weeks after the blaze began, authorities said on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump on 29 December in Florida, where he is expected to present a package of military options regarding Iran, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported on Saturday.
The United States seized a second merchant vessel carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela in international waters on Saturday, as part of Washington’s sanctions enforcement campaign, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to seek full control of Ukraine and to expand Russia’s influence in parts of Europe formerly under Soviet rule, contradicting repeated claims that Moscow poses no threat to the continent.
A major power outage swept across San Francisco on Saturday, leaving up to 130,000 customers without electricity, disrupting traffic and forcing some businesses to close temporarily, officials said.
Russia’s top foreign policy adviser has criticised recent European and Ukrainian amendments to U.S. proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, saying the changes do not increase the likelihood of peace.
The Nigerian government has confirmed the release of a further 130 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State in November, completing the rescue of all pupils taken during one of the country’s largest recent mass kidnappings.
As pollution levels in New Delhi reached dangerously high levels over the weekend, residents of the Indian capital sought refuge in the cooler, cleaner air of northern India's hill towns.
Israel’s government has approved the creation of 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that analysts say further undermines the prospects for a viable Palestinian state. The decision comes amid a sustained period of settlement expansion under Israel’s far-right-led government.
Ukrainian negotiators are scheduled to hold another round of talks with U.S. officials on Sunday to discuss efforts to end the ongoing war with Russia. Top Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov expressed hope for progress, highlighting that discussions have been both "constructive and substantive."
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment