Kuwait PM declines reappointment, emir removes senior ministers
Kuwait’s caretaker prime minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak declined to be reappointed as premier on Monday, rebuffing an offer from the ruling emir after submitting the government’s resignation last week.
Russia says it has handed captured naval ships back to Ukraine
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that Moscow had successfully handed three naval ships it captured last year back to Ukraine.
Kremlin confirms Putin to take part in Ukrainian peace summit in Paris
The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would take part in a four-way international summit in Paris on Dec. 9, an attempt to advance efforts for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Lebanese bank staff to decide whether to end or extend strike
Lebanese bank staff will decide on Monday whether to continue or end a strike, a union leader said, adding that in his view the industrial action should stop now that a security plan had been drawn up and banks had set out new operating procedures.
Lebanon is a sinking ship, parliament speaker warns
The speaker of parliament on Monday described Lebanon as a sinking ship at risk going under completely, underlining the depth of crisis in a country hamstrung by political deadlock and facing the worst economic strains since the 1975-90 civil war.
Blessed by Buddhist monks, Sri Lanka’s new president prioritises security
The winner of Sri Lanka’s presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa made national security his top priority after being sworn in on Monday at an ancient temple in the north-central city of Anuradhapura where he received blessings from Buddhist monks.
Hong Kong protesters pinned back on campus amid fears of crackdown
Hong Kong police laid siege to a university on Monday, firing rubber bullets and tear gas to pin back anti-government protesters armed with petrol bombs and other weapons and stop them from fleeing amid fears of a bloody crackdown.
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party mulls pulling MPs from parliament
A pro-Kurdish opposition party is considering withdrawing lawmakers from Turkey’s parliament due to mounting pressure it is facing, and as an act of protest against the government’s decision to oust 24 of its mayors in the past three months.
Kuwait’s emir reappoints premier, removes defence and interior ministers
Kuwait’s ruling emir on Monday reappointed Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah as prime minister but removed the defence and interior ministers, both senior members of the ruling family, from their posts after the government’s resignation last week.
Cambodian princess who rescued traditional ballet dies at age 76
Cambodia’s Princess Norodom Bopha Devi, a former minister of culture who helped revive traditional Apsara dance after the 1970s Khmer Rouge “killing fields” regime nearly wiped it out, has died at age 76, the royal palace said on Monday.
