Daily World Briefing, Dec. 16

Thai military designates Gulf of Thailand as high-risk area

Thailand's military announced on Monday the designation of the Gulf of Thailand as a high-risk area. According to Thai media, the move is aimed at cutting off sea routes for transporting military supplies to Cambodia.

In a social media post on Monday, the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters clarified that the move is a safety precaution. It stressed that the measure does not amount to a full closure of the gulf, and will not affect vessels from third countries.

At a press conference on the Thailand-Cambodia border situation held on Monday, Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said the ministry has sent a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to lodge a complaint against Cambodia's indiscriminate attacks on Thailand, including strikes targeting civilian areas.

Zelensky says talks with U.S. side "productive"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday concluded lengthy talks with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Berlin, describing the talks as "productive."

His discussions with Witkoff and Kushner lasted over five hours on Sunday and for about two hours on Monday.

Later on Monday at the 8th German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin, Zelensky said he had "important conversations" with the U.S. side, which are "always complex, never easy."

4 arrested for plotting New Year's Eve bombings in California

Four people accused of plotting New Year's Eve bombings in California have been arrested, U.S. authorities said Monday.

After an intense investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice, working with the FBI, "prevented what would have been a massive and horrific terror plot in the Central District of California (Orange County and Los Angeles)," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X.

According to Bondi, the arrested are members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), which she described as "a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group."

2 children killed in residential building explosion in eastern France

An explosion occurred on Monday in a residential building in the Ain department in eastern France, resulting in at least six casualties, including two children who were killed, local authorities said.

The blast occurred at around 5:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) on the ground floor of a four-story building in Trevoux, according to a statement from the prefect of Ain.

Two nearby schools suffered material damage, including shattered windows, but no injuries have been reported, the statement said.

At least 20 dead after heavy rains in Bolivia's Santa Cruz

Bolivian authorities confirmed at least 20 deaths and more than 20 others missing following intense rainfall and river overflows that have struck communities in the department of Santa Cruz, the government said Monday.

Deputy Minister of Civil Defense Alfredo Troche reported seven fatalities as of Sunday. Additional bodies were found after rescue operations expanded and floodwaters receded.

"Unfortunately, we now have 20 confirmed deaths and more than two dozen missing," he said, adding that Santa Cruz has been declared a departmental disaster zone.■