. REUTERS
Freezing Ukraine tries to restore power after Russian strikes on grid
Millions of Ukrainians were still without heat or power on Friday after the most devastating Russian air strikes on its energy grid so far, with residents warned to brace for further attacks and stock up on water, food and warm clothing.
. AL JAZEERA
Azerbaijan cancels Armenia talks, rejects France’s involvement
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has said his country does not want France to take part in its peace talks with Armenia, calling off a four-way meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council head Charles Michel in Brussels on December 7.
. BAHA
Netanyahu’s Likud, Jewish Power strike coalition deal
Likud, the party of Israel’s incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Friday it signed a preliminary coalition agreement with the far-right Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party.
. NIKKEI ASIA
Death toll in Indonesia earthquake surpasses 300, 24 still missing
The death toll from Monday’s magnitude 5.6 earthquake on Java Island in Indonesia rose to 310 on Friday, with 24 still unaccounted for, according to the country’s disaster management agency.
. THE RIO TIMES
Opinion: Switzerland is part of the Western bloc and no longer a neutral state
Although Switzerland continues to consider itself a neutral state, it is no longer so. In Switzerland, too, strong transatlantic forces have gained the upper hand and made the country, in effect, part of the Western bloc.