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2 People Killed in Russia’s Saratov Region as Peace Talks Press On

A handout photo made available by the press service of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shows the recruits who take part in the short and intense march during their basic military training (BMT) in an undisclosed location in the Zaporizhzhia area, Ukraine, 12 December 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA/Press service of the 65th Mechanized Brigade HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the press service of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shows the recruits who take part in the short and intense march during their basic military training (BMT) in an undisclosed location in the Zaporizhzhia area, Ukraine, 12 December 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA/Press service of the 65th Mechanized Brigade HANDOUT
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2 People Killed in Russia’s Saratov Region as Peace Talks Press On

A handout photo made available by the press service of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shows the recruits who take part in the short and intense march during their basic military training (BMT) in an undisclosed location in the Zaporizhzhia area, Ukraine, 12 December 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA/Press service of the 65th Mechanized Brigade HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the press service of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shows the recruits who take part in the short and intense march during their basic military training (BMT) in an undisclosed location in the Zaporizhzhia area, Ukraine, 12 December 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA/Press service of the 65th Mechanized Brigade HANDOUT

At least two people were killed in a drone attack in Russia’s southwestern Saratov region and parts of Ukraine were without power, local authorities said Saturday, as US-led peace talks on ending the war press on.

The drone attack damaged a residential building and several windows were also blown out at a kindergarten and clinic, Saratov regional Gov. Roman Busargin said.

Russia’s defense ministry said Saturday it had shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight, The Associated Press reported.

In Ukraine, parts of the Kherson region, including the regional capital, also called Kherson, were without power Saturday following Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing” the cold.

The latest round of attacks came after Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said Friday that Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine. This underscores Moscow’s ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war. Ukraine is likely to reject such a stance as US-led negotiations drag on.

Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine’s forces have withdrawn from the front line, Ushakov said in comments published in Russian business daily Kommersant.

Meanwhile, Germany says it is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday for talks as peace efforts gain momentum and European leaders seek to steer negotiations.

For months, American negotiators have tried to navigate the demands of each side as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war while growing increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into a major obstacle over who keeps Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russian forces.

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World

Moscow, Tehran ‘Working Closely’ on Nuclear Program

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 
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Moscow, Tehran ‘Working Closely’ on Nuclear Program

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that relations between Moscow and Tehran are “developing very positively,” stressing that the two countries are working in close coordination at the United Nations on Iran’s nuclear program.

He made the remarks during talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the International Peace and Trust Summit in Ashgabat.

According to Russian media, Putin said Russia is cooperating with Iran at the Bushehr nuclear power plant and on major infrastructure projects, including the North–South Transport Corridor.

He added that the two sides are also exploring cooperation in the gas and electricity sectors.

Pezeshkian, quoted by Iranian and Russian media, reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to implementing the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Moscow.

He said Iran is “determined to activate the agreement” and expects Russia to accelerate implementation of joint understandings, particularly in energy, transport and strategic transit corridors.

The Iranian president said Iran would complete its share of the groundwork for the North–South Corridor by the end of the year, noting growing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

He also called for strengthening multilateral partnerships within frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS to counter what he described as “unilateralism.”

Russia and Iran aim to expand economic ties through projects such as the International North–South Transport Corridor, a multimodal route linking northern and southern Asia via sea, rail and road networks.

The corridor is intended to speed up cargo transport between Russia and India through Iran and other countries while reducing costs compared with traditional routes. The project is seen as part of Moscow’s efforts to deepen trade links with Central Asia and Europe and to lessen reliance on longer maritime routes.

Putin said bilateral trade between Russia and Iran increased by 13 percent last year and by 8 percent in the first nine months of the current year, underscoring continued cooperation in energy and infrastructure. He added that coordination between Moscow and Tehran on international issues remains “close and ongoing.”

On the sidelines of the summit, Pezeshkian also met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with both sides agreeing on the need to accelerate implementation of bilateral agreements and enhance cooperation in transport, transit, energy and border infrastructure, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

 

 

 

World

US Says Mexico Agrees to Water Treaty Obligations

FILE PHOTO: The sun sets over the Rio Grande River in Salineno, Texas, US, February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The sun sets over the Rio Grande River in Salineno, Texas, US, February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo
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US Says Mexico Agrees to Water Treaty Obligations

FILE PHOTO: The sun sets over the Rio Grande River in Salineno, Texas, US, February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The sun sets over the Rio Grande River in Salineno, Texas, US, February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo

The United States and Mexico reached an agreement on water-sharing on Friday, after President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions.

Trump said Mexico owed 800,000 acre-feet of water to the US and demanded it release a quarter of this amount by December 31 or be hit with a new five percent tariff, AFP said.

The Republican leader accused Mexico of violating a 1944 treaty under which the US shares water from the Colorado River in exchange for flows from the Rio Grande, which forms part of the border between the two countries.

"The United States and Mexico reached an understanding to meet the current water obligations of American farmers and ranchers," the US Department of Agriculture agency said in a statement.

It said the agreement includes both the current water cycle and the deficit from the previous cycle.

The two countries are expected to finalize the plan at the end of January.

The agreement as it stands would have Mexico releasing 202,000 acre-feet of water starting next week.

US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement on Friday that Mexico "has delivered more water in the last year than in the previous four years combined," but fallen short of their obligations.

"Farmers across South Texas have been reeling from the uncertainty caused by the lack of water. Now they can expect the resources promised to them," Rollins added.

Rollins echoed Trump's threat saying that if "Mexico continues to violate its commitments, the United States reserves the right and will impose five percent tariffs on Mexican products."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has not commented on the agreement, but on Tuesday expressed confidence in reaching a solution.

At the time, she also cautioned it would be physically impossible to meet the December 31 deadline because of limitations on the pumping equipment, but said: "We have the best will to deliver the amount of water that is owed."

Mexico acknowledged that it has been behind in its water deliveries to the US over the past five years, citing drought in 2022 and 2023.

Trump had previously threatened Mexico in April with economic repercussions over the water dispute, prompting Mexico at the time to immediately send water.

Mexican goods currently face a 25 percent tariff unless they fall under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a free trade deal struck during Trump's first term and which Washington is aiming to renegotiate in 2026.

World

Bolivian Court Orders Ex-president Jailed for 5 Months on Corruption Charges

Former Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora enters San Pedro prison after a judge ordered him held in pre-trial detention for five months as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement, in La Paz, Bolivia, December 12, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales
Former Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora enters San Pedro prison after a judge ordered him held in pre-trial detention for five months as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement, in La Paz, Bolivia, December 12, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales
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Bolivian Court Orders Ex-president Jailed for 5 Months on Corruption Charges

Former Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora enters San Pedro prison after a judge ordered him held in pre-trial detention for five months as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement, in La Paz, Bolivia, December 12, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales
Former Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora enters San Pedro prison after a judge ordered him held in pre-trial detention for five months as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement, in La Paz, Bolivia, December 12, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales

A Bolivian court on Friday ordered the country's former President Luis Arce to remain detained for five months while he awaits trial on corruption charges, the latest development in a case that threatens to exacerbate Bolivia's political tensions.

Arce, 62, a leader from Bolivia’s Movement Toward Socialism party, was elected in 2020 and left office a month ago following the election of Bolivia's first right-wing leader in nearly two decades. He strongly denies the charges of breach of duty and financial misconduct. He faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

Two days after Arce's sudden arrest on the streets of Bolivia's capital of La Paz, a judge ordered his detention in a virtual hearing Friday, The Associated Press reported.

Arce was transferred to one of Bolivia's largest prisons in La Paz at night. No trial date was announced.

The accusations concern the alleged diversion of millions of dollars from a state fund into private accounts and date back to when Arce served as economy minister under former President Evo Morales from 2006 until 2017.

Although the scandal first broke in 2017, investigations into the alleged graft stalled during Morales' presidency as Bolivia's courts proved submissive to the political power of the day. The case was reopened when conservative President Rodrigo Paztook office last month, ending almost two decades of dominance by the Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party.

Paz campaigned on a promise to clean up the government and seek justice for corruption as he rode to power on a wave of outrage over Bolivia's worst economic crisis in four decades.

Arce criticized the charges as political persecution.

“I’m a scapegoat,” he told the judge, insisting that he had no personal involvement in the government fund under scrutiny, which supported the Indigenous people and peasant farmers who formed the backbone of MAS support.

“The accusations are politically motivated.”

Officials involved in the previous iteration of the investigation say Arce is accused of siphoning off money from rural development projects to secure loyalty from MAS-allied union and Indigenous leaders during election campaigns.

Morales was elected to three consecutive terms, but was ousted in 2019 when his reelection to an unprecedented fourth term sparked accusations of fraud and mass protests.

Arce's lawyers asked the judge to grant his release pending trial, citing the ex-president's battle with kidney cancer several years ago.

But Judge Elmer Laura denied the appeal, and even exceeded the prosecution’s request of three months in a juvenile detention center by ordering five months in a state prison.

“These are crimes that directly affect state assets and resources that were allocated to vulnerable sectors," Laura said.