In Indonesia, major cities like Jakarta and Denpasar in Bali opted for muted celebrations in honor of the 1,154 people killed and nearly 400,000 displaced in the Sumatra floods and landslides.

But some areas that are priorities for the UN, including Yemen, Afghanistan and Gaza, will not be receiving US funding under the new mechanism, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said.

Saturday's pact will not impact any border demarcation activities under way between both countries, leaving the task of resolving disputed areas along the frontier to existing bilateral mechanisms.

Following the initial phase on Sunday, two rounds of voting will be held on Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, covering 265 of Myanmar's 330 townships.

Territorial issues remain a hurdle to negotiations moving forward, as the Ukrainian president saying any compromises on territory should be decided by the Ukrainian people in a potential referendum.

The requested 10-year sentence was the first jail term sought by special prosecutors over the multiple charges Yoon faces.

Ravaged by more than two years of war, the Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza's Nuseirat district cares for around 60 in-patients and receives nearly 1,000 people seeking medical treatment each day.

Sequerah convicted the 72-year-old former leader on all four counts of abuse of power as well as all 21 counts of money laundering, involving around 2.28 billion ringgit (US$554 million) from the fund.

The judge had yet to announce sentencing of Najib over his role in massive embezzlement from 1MDB, after finding him guilty on four counts of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering.

For the Rohingya minority, violence began well before the 2021 coup, with a military crackdown in 2017 sending legions of the mostly Muslim group fleeing Myanmar's Rakhine state to neighboring Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

A Malaysian high court will decide whether to convict Najib of four more charges of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering involving the illegal transfer of about US$539 million from 1MDB.

The third phase of voting will be held in 63 townships, the ruling junta announced in a state-run media outlet, although dates for the counting of votes have not yet been declared.

Leo, celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the world's cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis, has a quieter, more diplomatic style than his predecessor and usually refrains from making political references in his sermons.

The legislation lists the "crimes of French colonization", including nuclear tests, extrajudicial killings, "physical and psychological torture", and the "systematic plundering of resources".

The condemnation is a response to Israel's decision to green-light new settlements, which is said to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Six parties are competing nationwide, including the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party that is tipped to win the polls, creating conditions for members of the junta regime to take a civilian role.

Bethlehem residents hope the return of Christmas festivities will breathe life back into the city.

More than 80 people have been killed and 600,000 others are displaced from their homes in Cambodia and Thailand since the fighting.

Leo, the first United States-born pope, is celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the world's cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has been planning and preparing personnel from its three branches for the so-called international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza, which is part of United States President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the war-torn enclave.

A year marked by war, disaster, political rivalry and rare moments of wonder, captured through images from around the world.

The next phase of the ceasefire is expected to include Hamas’ disarmament, further Israeli troop withdrawals and the deployment of the international force, topics slated for discussion during a meeting between Netanyahu and Trump scheduled for Dec. 29.

The latest release of Epstein files includes around 30,000 pages of documents, with many redactions, and dozens of video clips, including several purporting to be shot inside a federal detention center.

The New South Wales state parliament passed the terrorism and other legislation amendment bill early morning after the upper house approved the bill by 18 votes to eight.

China supports ASEAN's mediation efforts and is willing to once again create conditions and provide a platform for dialogue and negotiations between the two sides, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

The State Department declined to provide a list of the diplomats being recalled. A senior department official said on Monday the move was "a standard process in any administration" but critics said that was not so.

Just hours after the regional crisis talks were held in Malaysia, Cambodia's defense ministry said the Thai military deployed fighter jets to bomb areas of Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces.