International News from Tuesday, December 9th, 2025

Australia at midnight (1300 GMT) on Wednesday became the first country in the world to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Pope Leo stressed the need to continue with dialogue aiming at a "just and lasting peace" during a meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Vatican said in a statement.

A fire broke out at a seven-storey building in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Tuesday, local broadcaster Kompas TV reported, with 13 people confirmed dead and some still trapped inside.

Gunmen stormed a security checkpoint in Pakistan's northwest near the Afghan border, killing six soldiers, three police and security sources said on Tuesday.

Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand escalated along their contested border on Tuesday, as the Southeast Asian neighbours both said they would not back down in defending their sovereignty.

India has ordered IndiGo to cut 10 per cent of its planned flights after the airline scrapped at least 2,000 services last week because of poor pilot roster planning, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have signed a High-Speed Electric Rail Link agreement that will connect Riyadh and Doha.

More than 100 people, including dozens of children, were killed in attacks on a kindergarten in Sudan that continued even as parents and caretakers rushed the wounded to a nearby hospital, the World Health Organization said on Monday.

Japanese authorities have lifted tsunami warnings on Tuesday hours after a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern regions, injuring at least 30 people and forcing about 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.