Russia says U.S. seizure of oil tanker violates international law, conventions

Saudi state TV reports that Yemen's Southern Transitional Council has disbanded, though an STC spokesperson called the announcement "ridiculous."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has urged national unity and told President Trump to focus on U.S. problems, as Washington threatened military action.

Syria's Defense Ministry has announced a ceasefire in three Aleppo neighborhoods after deadly clashes with Kurdish fighters, giving them until Friday to withdraw amid disputes over integration into the national government.

Official data shows that China's consumer price index rose 0.8 percent last month. The CPI for 2025 remained flat compared with the year before.

In his address to the opening ceremony of China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the two sides to prioritize development, maintain a people-centered approach, and commit to mutual learning and openness.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter for the 2026 China–Africa People-to-People Exchanges Year as FM Wang Yi met Ethiopian and AU leaders to discuss deeper cooperation.

China warns that the U.S. withdrawal from international organizations could undermine global stability. Beijing is reaffirming support for the UN and multilateral cooperation.

China’s defense ministry is calling on all peace-loving countries to defend the post WWII international order and maintain peace and stability.

The U.S. European Command said it seized an empty oil tanker linked with Venezuela and registered as a Russian vessel in the North Atlantic.

Shanghai has introduced new measures, including tax incentives, to boost foreign-funded reinvestment, as over 61,000 such enterprises were set up in China in the first 11 months of 2025.