World

SINGAPORE — Scammers convicted in Singapore now face mandatory caning of up to 24 strokes in the most serious cases, as a new law authorizing the punishment came into effect amid record financial losses linked to fraud and online syndicates. The Ministry of Home Affairs framed the move as a hard reset in the city-state’s fight against a wave of cyber-enabled crime that has swept Southeast Asia, saying “fighting scams is a top national priority.” Authorities have cast the penalties as aimed squarely at organized networks and…

Ahmed al Ahmed, the fruit seller hailed as the Bondi Beach shooting hero, has described the moment he leapt on a gunman and wrested away a weapon during last month’s massacre in Sydney, as families of victims issued a fresh call for a national inquiry into antisemitism and systemic failures they say enabled the attack. In an interview published by a U.S. outlet, al Ahmed said he ran toward one of the attackers to protect “innocent people” as gunfire sent crowds scrambling across Sydney’s famed shoreline on Dec. 14.…

MAR-A-LAGO, Florida — President Donald Trump warned Iran against rebuilding its nuclear and missile programs as he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at his Florida estate, signaling support for further Israeli action if Tehran presses ahead. “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump told reporters shortly after Netanyahu arrived at Mar-a-Lago. “We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.” The meeting came amid a fragile Israel-Hamas…

Myanmar’s pro-military party claims landslide in first phase of junta-run election Myanmar’s dominant pro-military party said it secured an overwhelming win in the first phase of voting in a junta-organized election, a result that, if confirmed, would deepen the military’s hold on power after a 2021 coup. A senior official from the Union Solidarity and Development Party told AFP the party won 82 lower house seats in townships where counting was complete, out of 102 at stake in the first round. The tally implies the USDP…

Kosovo’s Kurti vows swift government formation after party wins half the vote, aiming to end year-long stalemate Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he will move quickly to form a new government after his Vetevendosje party took roughly half the vote in Sunday’s election, raising prospects of an end to the political deadlock that has hobbled parliament and stalled major international funding. With 99% of ballots counted, Vetevendosje led with 49.3% of the vote. Kurti told reporters at party headquarters that once results…

Bulgaria will adopt the euro on Jan. 1, retiring the lev and joining the eurozone as its 21st member in a move that promises deeper integration with the European Union and a seat at the European Central Bank’s rate-setting table. The long-awaited shift, two years after Croatia’s entry, will extend the common currency to more than 350 million people. Authorities say Bulgaria met the formal entry criteria this year, including targets on inflation, budget deficit, long-term borrowing costs and exchange-rate stability. The…

China launches live-fire drills around Taiwan after U.S. arms sale, warns against “external” interference China has begun live-fire military exercises around Taiwan, hours after announcing “major” joint drills in surrounding waters and airspace, as Beijing steps up pressure on the self-governed island and warns foreign backers to stay out. The People’s Liberation Army said it is deploying destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles for exercises that include live-fire training on maritime targets to…

Trump says Ukraine peace talks ‘very close’ as Donbas remains sticking point MAR-A-LAGO, Fla. — President Donald Trump said he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to a framework to end the war in Ukraine, while acknowledging the fate of the disputed Donbas region remains a key unresolved issue. Speaking at a joint news conference after talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, both leaders reported progress on two of the most contentious items in negotiations — long-term security…

North Korea test-fired two “strategic” long-range cruise missiles into the sea, state media said, in a drill overseen by leader Kim Jong Un that he framed as part of an “unlimited and sustained” expansion of the country’s nuclear forces. The launches took place over the Yellow Sea and mark the first reported test of long-range cruise missiles since early November, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Cruise missiles labeled “strategic” by Pyongyang are typically understood by analysts to be designed to carry…

Bulgaria will adopt the euro on Thursday, becoming the 21st member of the currency union in a move supporters say will anchor the economy and deepen ties to the West — even as a skeptical public fears higher prices and fresh instability. The shift ends more than two decades of operating under a strict currency board, in which the lev was first pegged to the German mark and later to the euro after the single currency’s rollout in 2002. Joining now gives Sofia a seat at the table where monetary policy decisions are made, a…