For the first time, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claims responsibility for the July 2024 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran. (Reuters)
In Italy, three people are killed and another is injured in severe storms in Rome, while two others are killed on the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif. (Roma Today) (Il Messaggero)
Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda announce plans for a merger by 2026, potentially forming the third-largest automotive company in the world. (Al Jazeera) (Nikkei Asia)
Manbij offensive The pro-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces launch a counter-offensive on recently captured pro-Turkish faction positions in Manbij, Aleppo Governorate, Syria, and recapture several villages. (SOHR)
Operation Dawn of Freedom Manbij offensive The pro-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces launch a counter-offensive on recently captured pro-Turkish faction positions in Manbij, Aleppo Governorate, Syria, and recapture several villages. (SOHR)
The death toll from the mass killing by a gang in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, increases to 207, according to the United Nations. (Al Jazeera)
The pro-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces launch a counter-offensive on recently captured pro-Turkish faction positions in Manbij, Aleppo Governorate, Syria, and recapture several villages. (SOHR)
The suspected truck driver that caused a multiple-vehicle collision and killed at least 41 people in Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil, turns himself in to local authorities. (R7) (G1)
Violent clashes occur between the Ethiopia-backed Jubaland forces and the Somali Armed Forces in Dolow, Gedo Region, Somalia, with Jubaland forces later taking control of the town. (Garowe Online) (Hiiraan Online)
Syrian civil war Deir ez-Zor offensive, Eastern Syria insurgency Islamic State militants launch attacks on the town of al-Hawayej in northeastern Syria, against Asayish forces. (SOHR) Protests occur after a Christmas tree was set on fire in Al-Suqaylabiyah, Hama Governorate, Syria. (The Week) Turkey's interior minister announces that more than 25,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria since former president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels. (Al Arabiya) Syrian opposition factions announce that they will dissolve and merge under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. (Reuters)
2024 Mozambican protests At least 21 people are killed and 25 others are injured in a series of violent incidents in Mozambique following the previous day's confirmation by the high court of Daniel Chapo as the winning presidential candidate in the recent election. (ABC News)
At least 21 people are killed and 25 others are injured in a series of violent incidents in Mozambique following the previous day's confirmation by the high court of Daniel Chapo as the winning presidential candidate in the recent election. (ABC News)
2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Syrian civil war Palestinian factions turn over their arms to the Lebanese army and vacate their headquarters in Lebanon. (Middle East Monitor)
Deir ez-Zor offensive, Eastern Syria insurgency Islamic State militants launch attacks on the town of al-Hawayej in northeastern Syria, against Asayish forces. (SOHR)
Gang war in Haiti Three people are killed by gunmen in Haiti opening fire at the journalists, police and medical staff at the reopening of the Port-au-Prince General Hospital. (BBC News)
Haiti crisis Gang war in Haiti Three people are killed by gunmen in Haiti opening fire at the journalists, police and medical staff at the reopening of the Port-au-Prince General Hospital. (BBC News)
Islamic State militants launch attacks on the town of al-Hawayej in northeastern Syria, against Asayish forces. (SOHR)
Maia Sandu is sworn in for her second four-year term as the President of Moldova. (Euronews)
Turkey's interior minister announces that more than 25,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria since former president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels. (Al Arabiya)
2024 Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes At least 46 people are killed in a series of airstrikes by the Pakistan Army against alleged Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera)
2024 Lobitos oil spill Residents of Lobitos and Cabo Blanco, Peru, demonstrate against Peruvian state-owned oil company PetroPerú following an oil spill that contaminated six beaches. (La República)
2024–25 Australian bushfire season Residents of the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia, evacuate due to bushfires, with more than 41,000 hectares (100,000 acres) already burnt by the bushfires. (BBC News)
A Belarusian court sentences opposition activist and Green Party leader Dzmitry Kuchuk to six years in prison and fines him approximately US$6,000 for alleged public order violations and calls for actions undermining national security, according to the human rights group Viasna. (AP)
At least 46 people are killed in a series of airstrikes by the Pakistan Army against alleged Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera)
Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia Human rights organization Reprieve reports that Saudi Arabia executed 330 people this year. (First Post)
Five people accused of being Al-Qaeda supporters are arrested in four cities in Italy. (Il Gazzettino)
Four participants in the November 2024 Amsterdam riots are sentenced to prison, with 32-year-old Sefa Ö handed the longest sentence of six months. (BBC News)
Hong Kong offers bounties of HK$1 million (US$128,728) each for six foreign pro-democracy activists accused of violating the national security law, including Tony Chung, and also revokes the passports of seven others, citing actions such as incitement to secession, subversion, and collusion with foreign forces. (Reuters)
Human rights organization Reprieve reports that Saudi Arabia executed 330 people this year. (First Post)
ʻAisake Eke is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Tonga. (RNZ)
In his Christmas speech, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri announces that he will abdicate on 3 October 2025 and hand over the throne to his son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. (The Brussels Times)
NASA large strategic science missions The Parker Solar Probe attempts its closest-ever approach to the Sun to study the sun's temperatures, radiation, and magnetic field. (BBC News)
Palestinian factions turn over their arms to the Lebanese army and vacate their headquarters in Lebanon. (Middle East Monitor)
Protests occur after a Christmas tree was set on fire in Al-Suqaylabiyah, Hama Governorate, Syria. (The Week)
Residents of Lobitos and Cabo Blanco, Peru, demonstrate against Peruvian state-owned oil company PetroPerú following an oil spill that contaminated six beaches. (La República)
Residents of the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia, evacuate due to bushfires, with more than 41,000 hectares (100,000 acres) already burnt by the bushfires. (BBC News)
Syrian opposition factions announce that they will dissolve and merge under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. (Reuters)
The Parker Solar Probe attempts its closest-ever approach to the Sun to study the sun's temperatures, radiation, and magnetic field. (BBC News)
The Russian cargo ship MV Ursa Major, allegedly used to evacuate military personnel and equipment from Russian bases in Syria, sinks in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain following an explosion in the ship's engine room. The Russian Foreign Ministry says that 14 of the 16 crew members have been rescued, with the two others missing. (Politico)
Twelve people are killed and four others are injured in an explosion at an explosives factory in Kavakli, Balıkesir Province, Turkey. (Al Jazeera)
2025 Kosovan parliamentary election Kosovo's election appeals authority allows the Serb List party, a Serb ethnic party, to participate in the upcoming election, stating that the party meets legal certification requirements. (AP)
A series of Russian ballistic missile and drone strikes target critical energy infrastructure in cities across in Ukraine, killing at least two people, injuring 20 others, and causing widespread emergency blackouts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemns Russian President Vladimir Putin for the "inhumane" attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. (The Kyiv Independent) (The Guardian) (RTÉ)
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft carrying 67 passengers from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, crashes while being diverted to Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others. (Al Jazeera) (NPR) Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev instructs the government to launch a criminal investigation into the crash. (Euronews)
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev instructs the government to launch a criminal investigation into the crash. (Euronews)
Russian invasion of Ukraine Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, Ukrainian energy crisis A series of Russian ballistic missile and drone strikes target critical energy infrastructure in cities across in Ukraine, killing at least two people, injuring 20 others, and causing widespread emergency blackouts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemns Russian President Vladimir Putin for the "inhumane" attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. (The Kyiv Independent) (The Guardian) (RTÉ)
Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, Ukrainian energy crisis A series of Russian ballistic missile and drone strikes target critical energy infrastructure in cities across in Ukraine, killing at least two people, injuring 20 others, and causing widespread emergency blackouts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemns Russian President Vladimir Putin for the "inhumane" attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. (The Kyiv Independent) (The Guardian) (RTÉ)
Somali Civil War Constitutional crisis in Somalia Jubaland crisis The federal government of Somalia imposes a flight ban on Jubaland, including all flights to and from Jubaland, particularly affecting the cities of Kismayo and Doolow. The flight ban was initiated amid ongoing political tensions and military engagements after Jubaland forces reportedly defeated Somali Armed Forces in several locations, including Ras Kamboni, Kulbiyow, and Dolow. (Garowe Online) (The Somali Digest) (The Eastleigh Voice)
Syrian civil war Western Syria clashes Syria's new government says that fourteen of its troops were killed and 10 others were injured in clashes with Assad regime loyalists in Tartus Governorate. (BBC News) (Reuters)
A Turkish court sentences the owner and architect of the Grand Isias Hotel in Adıyaman to more than 18 years in prison for negligent homicide after 72 people died when the hotel collapsed in the 2023 earthquakes. (DW)
Constitutional crisis in Somalia Jubaland crisis The federal government of Somalia imposes a flight ban on Jubaland, including all flights to and from Jubaland, particularly affecting the cities of Kismayo and Doolow. The flight ban was initiated amid ongoing political tensions and military engagements after Jubaland forces reportedly defeated Somali Armed Forces in several locations, including Ras Kamboni, Kulbiyow, and Dolow. (Garowe Online) (The Somali Digest) (The Eastleigh Voice)
Gaza war Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip Siege of North Gaza, Gaza famine The United States-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network removes a report estimating that food insecurity conditions in northern Gaza have surpassed the highest IPC famine thresholds, after the United States envoy to Israel criticized the report's methodology as "irresponsible" for "outdated" and "inflated" estimates of the civilian population of Gaza. (FEWS NET) (The Times of Israel)
Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip Siege of North Gaza, Gaza famine The United States-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network removes a report estimating that food insecurity conditions in northern Gaza have surpassed the highest IPC famine thresholds, after the United States envoy to Israel criticized the report's methodology as "irresponsible" for "outdated" and "inflated" estimates of the civilian population of Gaza. (FEWS NET) (The Times of Israel)
Jubaland crisis The federal government of Somalia imposes a flight ban on Jubaland, including all flights to and from Jubaland, particularly affecting the cities of Kismayo and Doolow. The flight ban was initiated amid ongoing political tensions and military engagements after Jubaland forces reportedly defeated Somali Armed Forces in several locations, including Ras Kamboni, Kulbiyow, and Dolow. (Garowe Online) (The Somali Digest) (The Eastleigh Voice)
Kosovo's election appeals authority allows the Serb List party, a Serb ethnic party, to participate in the upcoming election, stating that the party meets legal certification requirements. (AP)
Siege of North Gaza, Gaza famine The United States-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network removes a report estimating that food insecurity conditions in northern Gaza have surpassed the highest IPC famine thresholds, after the United States envoy to Israel criticized the report's methodology as "irresponsible" for "outdated" and "inflated" estimates of the civilian population of Gaza. (FEWS NET) (The Times of Israel)
Sudanese civil war 2024 famine in Sudan The IPC Famine Review Committee determines the presence of famine in five areas in Darfur and South Kordofan, Sudan, and estimates that five more areas will face famine by May 2025 due to ongoing conflict and blocked aid distribution. (BBC News Hausa)
Syria's new government says that fourteen of its troops were killed and 10 others were injured in clashes with Assad regime loyalists in Tartus Governorate. (BBC News) (Reuters)
The federal government of Somalia imposes a flight ban on Jubaland, including all flights to and from Jubaland, particularly affecting the cities of Kismayo and Doolow. The flight ban was initiated amid ongoing political tensions and military engagements after Jubaland forces reportedly defeated Somali Armed Forces in several locations, including Ras Kamboni, Kulbiyow, and Dolow. (Garowe Online) (The Somali Digest) (The Eastleigh Voice)
The United States-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network removes a report estimating that food insecurity conditions in northern Gaza have surpassed the highest IPC famine thresholds, after the United States envoy to Israel criticized the report's methodology as "irresponsible" for "outdated" and "inflated" estimates of the civilian population of Gaza. (FEWS NET) (The Times of Israel)
Western Syria clashes Syria's new government says that fourteen of its troops were killed and 10 others were injured in clashes with Assad regime loyalists in Tartus Governorate. (BBC News) (Reuters)
2024 Estlink 2 incident HVDC submarine power cable Estlink 2, which connects the power grids of Estonia and Finland, suffers an unexplained outage with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stating that an investigation into the incident is underway. (AP)
2024 famine in Sudan The IPC Famine Review Committee determines the presence of famine in five areas in Darfur and South Kordofan, Sudan, and estimates that five more areas will face famine by May 2025 due to ongoing conflict and blocked aid distribution. (BBC News Hausa)
2024 in archosaur paleontology Scientists confirm the discovery of the Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus dinosaur species in Kyrgyzstan, the first theropod from the Jurassic period to be discovered in Central Asia. (Tempo)
2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon Lebanon files a new complaint to the UN Security Council over Israel's ceasefire violations. (Bastille Post)
An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft carrying 67 passengers from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, crashes while being diverted to Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people and injuring 29 others. (Al Jazeera) (NPR)
HVDC submarine power cable Estlink 2, which connects the power grids of Estonia and Finland, suffers an unexplained outage with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stating that an investigation into the incident is underway. (AP)
Lebanon files a new complaint to the UN Security Council over Israel's ceasefire violations. (Bastille Post)
More than 1,500 inmates escape from a prison in Maputo, Mozambique, after knocking down a wall during a riot. At least 33 people are killed and 15 others are injured. (BBC News) (Al Jazeera)
Scientists confirm the discovery of the Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus dinosaur species in Kyrgyzstan, the first theropod from the Jurassic period to be discovered in Central Asia. (Tempo)
Syrian authorities impose a curfew from 6 pm to 8 am in Homs following a series of protests by Alawite and Shi'ite Muslim minority groups. (Reuters)
The IPC Famine Review Committee determines the presence of famine in five areas in Darfur and South Kordofan, Sudan, and estimates that five more areas will face famine by May 2025 due to ongoing conflict and blocked aid distribution. (BBC News Hausa)
A Cambodian court sentences the president of the opposition Nation Power Party Sun Chanthy to two years in prison and also bans Chanthy from running in elections for inciting civil disorder. (Reuters)
2021–present United Kingdom cost-of-living crisis The United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics announces that the UK economy showed no growth in the 3rd quarter of the current fiscal year, following downward revisions. (AP)
2024 Lobitos oil spill The Government of Peru declares a 90-day environmental emergency for parts of Talara province due to an oil spill caused by state-owned oil company Petroperú. (Reuters)
2024 South Korean martial law crisis Impeachment of Han Duck-soo South Korea's opposition files a motion to impeach prime minister and acting president Han Duck-soo, two weeks after president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached. (BBC News)
