14 countries condemn Israel's West Bank settlement plan

A group of 14 countries issued a joint statement on Wednesday, strongly condemning Israel's decision to establish 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning that such moves violate the international law.

The joint statement was co-signed by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom, according to French foreign ministry.

"We recall that such unilateral actions, as part of a wider intensification of the settlement policies in the West Bank, not only violate international law but also risk fueling instability," the statement said.

The group emphasized that the expansion of settlements risks undermining the implementation of the Gaza peace plan amid efforts to progress to second phase and harming prospects for long-term peace and security across the region.

The 14 nations reiterated their "clear opposition" to any form of annexation and to the expansion of settlement policies, including the approval of the E1 settlement and thousands of new housing units.

EU slams U.S. travel bans on Europeans over tech regulations

The European Union, French, German, and British senior officials on Wednesday strongly condemned a U.S. decision to impose travel restrictions on five European individuals, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton.

Alleging their involvement in content censorship on U.S. social media platforms, the U.S. State Department on Tuesday issued visa restrictions on Breton, Imran Ahmed, a British citizen and chief executive of the U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon from the German non-profit organization HateAid, and Clare Melford, a co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index.

U.S. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers has described Breton, who left the European Commission in 2024, as "a mastermind" of the EU Digital Services Act.

In response, the EU warned that it would act "swiftly and decisively" to defend the bloc's regulatory autonomy if needed. "Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world," a Commission spokesperson said in an attributable response to Xinhua.

Cambodia's civilian death toll over border clashes with Thailand rises to 30

The civilian death toll in Cambodia has increased to 30 amid the border conflict with Thailand, Cambodian Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra said Wednesday night.

In a social media post, Pheaktra said as of the evening of Dec. 24, a total of 30 Cambodian civilians had been killed and 87 others were wounded.

China's Yiwu sets global rhythm for Christmas trade

While shoppers worldwide are still on the hunt for last-minute gifts, the real pulse of the global Christmas economy is beating strong in east China's Yiwu, the renowned "world's supermarket."

Kuwaiti merchant Kamel Mumen exemplifies a dynamic forward-thinking cycle. Amidst a rich variety of ornaments, he meticulously selects Santa hats -- not for this December, but for the next Christmas. His early planning is the norm here, where factories are deep in preparation for the next holiday season.

At the Yiwu Junhong Christmas Costumes & Gifts Factory, owner Jiang Jiangping is expected to roll out over 400 new products for the next Christmas. "After October, our focus shifts entirely to designing for the next year," said Jiang, whose factory offers nearly 2,000 items. "We've already created over 200 custom designs for European clients."

As the world's largest Christmas goods hub, Yiwu manufactures about two-thirds of the world's festive products, shipping over 20,000 varieties to more than 100 countries annually. Customs data reveals robust growth: exports in the first three quarters of 2025 hit 5.17 billion yuan (about 732.6 million U.S. dollars), a surge of 22.9 percent year on year.