Reuters World News Summary

If the defence minister is able to come to an agreement with his Cambodian counterpart, the two countries will make a deal in line with a previous pact brokered with the help of U.S. President Donald Trump following a previous round of clashes in July, he said. Russia sentences ex-foreign ministry employee to 12 years for passing secrets to U.S. intelligence A court in Moscow sentenced former Russian foreign ministry employee Arseniy Konovalov to 12 years in prison for passing secrets to U.S. intelligence, Interfax reported on Friday citing The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Japan's cabinet approves record $785 billion budget, vows to keep debt in check

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet on Friday approved a record $785 billion budget for the next fiscal year, aiming to strike a balance between her proactive fiscal policy and debt blowout concerns by limiting new bond issuance. Faced with rising government bond yields and a weak yen, the Takaichi administration has stepped up efforts to reassure investors that the government will not resort to irresponsible debt issuance or tax cuts.

US says it struck Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria

The United States carried out a strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, President Donald Trump and the U.S. military said ‌on Thursday, claiming the group had been targeting Christians in the region. "Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Malaysia court finds ex-PM Najib Razak guilty of abuse of power in biggest 1MDB trial

Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty of abuse of power on Friday in the biggest trial yet in the multibillion-dollar fraud scandal at state fund 1MDB. Najib had been charged with four counts of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering for receiving illegal transfers of about 2.2 billion ringgit ($544.15 ⁠million) from 1MDB. He had consistently denied wrongdoing.

Thai defence minister to attend truce talks with Cambodia, PM says

Thailand's defence minister will join ongoing talks with Cambodia on Saturday that could lead to a truce, the Thai premier said on Friday, as border clashes between the two Southeast Asian neighbours continued for a third week. If the defence minister is able to come to an agreement with his Cambodian counterpart, the two countries will make a deal in line with a previous pact brokered with the help of U.S. President Donald Trump following a previous round of clashes in July, he said.

Russia sentences ex-foreign ministry employee to 12 years for passing secrets to U.S. intelligence

A court in Moscow sentenced former Russian foreign ministry employee Arseniy Konovalov to 12 years in prison for passing secrets to U.S. intelligence, Interfax reported on Friday citing The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Konovalov, "while on a long-term foreign assignment in the United States, ... passed secret information that had come to his knowledge in the course of his duties in return for monetary reward on to American intelligence," the agency reported ​citing FSB.

Bangladesh leader considered PM frontrunner returns from exile ahead of polls

Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting Chairman Tarique Rahman returned from nearly 17 years in exile on Thursday, a homecoming the party hopes will energise supporters with Rahman poised to be the top contender for prime minister in February. Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the route from Dhaka's airport to a reception venue, waving party flags and carrying placards, banners and flowers, as senior BNP leaders received Rahman at the airport under tight ‍security.

Judge grants injunction blocking US from detaining British anti-disinformation activist

A U.S. judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining British anti-disinformation campaigner Imran Ahmed, after the U.S. permanent resident 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 U.S. tech giants with burdensome regulation. Ahmed lives in New York and is believed to be the only of the five currently in the country.

Russian drones damage foreign-flagged vessels in southern ports, Ukraine says

Russian overnight drone attacks damaged Slovakia-, Palau- and Liberia-flagged vessels in ports in Ukraine's Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, Ukraine's deputy prime minister said on Friday. In recent weeks, Russia has escalated attacks on the southern Odesa region, and Ukrainian officials said Moscow aimed to cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea and sow chaos among civilians.

Malaysia court finds ex-PM Najib Razak guilty of abuse of power in biggest 1MDB trial

Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was found guilty of abuse of power on Friday in the biggest trial yet in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, a ruling that could have significant political repercussions. The judge had yet to deliver ⁠the full verdict and sentencing.

UAE ‌welcomes Saudi efforts to support security in Yemen, foreign ministry says

The United Arab Emirates welcomes Saudi Arabian efforts to support security and stability in ⁠Yemen and remains committed to backing stability in the country, the UAE's foreign ministry said on Friday. Yemen's main southern separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is supported by Abu Dhabi, has pushed the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government from its headquarters in Aden while claiming broad control across the south earlier this month.

Trump-backed Asfura wins Honduras presidency after disputed election

Nasry Asfura, the conservative candidate for Honduran president backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, was declared the winner on Wednesday more than three weeks after the November 30 election, which was beset by delays, technical problems and allegations of fraud. The Honduras electoral authority, known as the CNE, said ‍Asfura won 40.3% of the vote, edging out center-right Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla who garnered 39.5%. The candidate of the ruling LIBRE party, Rixi Moncada, came in a distant third.

Zelenskiy says 'a lot' can be decided before New Year ahead of Trump meeting

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he planned to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump soon and that a lot could be decided before the New Year as Washington pushes diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia. Zelenskiy has said that sensitive issues, including any compromises on territory, should be discussed at the level ​of heads of state, and Kyiv has been seeking a face-to-face meeting with Trump.

Jair Bolsonaro backs son's Brazil presidential bid, undergoes hernia surgery

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro endorsed his son Flavio's 2026 presidential bid on Thursday in a statement from a hospital where he underwent a scheduled hernia operation that doctors said went smoothly. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized Bolsonaro to leave prison, where he is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup, for the surgery. ⁠Police were ordered to stay outside his room where computers and mobile phones were prohibited.

Putin sends a signal to Trump on Ukraine proposals

Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy aide spoke to members of the U.S. administration after Moscow received U.S. proposals about a possible Ukrainian peace deal, the Kremlin said on Friday. Kremlin foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, spoke by telephone to several members of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He did not say when the call took place.

Putin indicated Russia could be open to territory swap as part of Ukraine deal, Kommersant says

President Vladimir Putin told some of Russia's top businessmen that he might be ⁠open to swapping some territory controlled by Russian forces in Ukraine but that he wanted the whole of Donbas, the Kommersant newspaper reported. Andrei Kolesnikov, the Kremlin correspondent for the Kommersant, one of Russia's top newspapers, said that Putin briefed top businessmen on the details of the plan at a late-night Kremlin meeting on December 24.

Iran says foreign tanker carrying smuggled fuel seized in Gulf

Iran has seized a foreign oil tanker near the Iranian island of Qeshm in the Gulf, saying it was carrying 4 million litres of smuggled fuel, state media reported on Friday. Authorities did not name the vessel or disclose its nationality. They said 16 foreign crew members had been detained on criminal charges. State TV said the tanker was seized on Wednesday.

Heavy rains drench Southern California, spawn flash flooding, mud flows

Torrential rains unleashed widespread flash flooding and mud flows across Southern California on Wednesday, as authorities warned motorists to stay off roads while urging residents in flood zones to evacuate or shelter in place. In the rain-soaked mountain resort of Wrightwood, east ⁠of Los Angeles, emergency crews spent much of the day answering dozens of rescue calls and pulling drivers to safety from submerged vehicles, San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesperson Christopher Prater said.

Seoul court acquits ex-officials of tampering in case of man slain by North Korean troops

A South Korean court on Friday acquitted five former government officials accused of manipulating facts in a case from 2020 where a fisheries official was killed at sea by North Korean troops. The Seoul Central District Court ⁠cited a "lack of evidence" against the officials, who served in former President Moon Jae-in's administration and included ex-national security advisor Suh Hoon, and returned a ‌verdict of not guilty.

Trump to meet Ukraine's Zelenskiy at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Axios reports

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday at Mar-a-Lago, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on social media platform X, citing a Ukrainian official. Reuters could not immediately verify the statement.

Two dead in Palestinian attack in Israel, Israeli authorities say

A Palestinian assailant ran over a man and stabbed a woman and killed them both in northern Israel on Friday, Israeli emergency services said. The assailant, from the occupied West Bank, was shot and wounded by a civilian at the scene and taken to hospital, the Israeli police said in a statement.

A year on, Jeju Air crash report delayed as families question probe's credibility

A South Korean investigation into the Jeju Air crash that ⁠killed 179 people is set to miss a one-year deadline to release a progress report, two officials said, as frustrated relatives of the victims continue to demand answers about what went wrong. The country's accident investigation board will not be in a position to release the interim update by the first anniversary on Monday of the worst aircraft accident ‍on South Korean soil, the two board officials said. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)