Monday, December 29, 2025

Media Wire

Nearly two dozen killed in Turkish air raids in Syria

Turkish air strikes in northern Syria targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) killed at least 20 people on Monday, a war monitor has announced.

Hamas says will not negotiate on hostages under Israeli bombardment

The Palestinian movement of Hamas will not negotiate on the issue of hostages while under Israeli fire, Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for the movement’s military wing al-Qassam Brigades, said in a video statement.

Hezbollah targets Israel’s military posts after 3 fighters killed in shelling

The Lebanese Hezbollah movement announced it has struck two Israeli military posts in the northern part of the occupied territories in response to Tel Aviv's aggression in South Lebanon, which left three of its fighters dead.

Palestinian president calls on UN to intervene against Israeli aggression in Gaza Strip

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged the United Nations to take immediate action against the continued “Israeli aggression” against Palestinians in the Gaza Srtip.

Turkey’s lira hits new all-time low

The Turkish currency continued to decline, falling below 28 lira against the US dollar, marking its lowest level on record. The currency is down more than 50% against the greenback so far this year.

Israel-Palestine conflict: Rockets fired from Gaza, Lebanon toward Israeli-occupied territories

Palestinian group, Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, has announced the start of military the operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel. Thousands of rockets have been fired from the blockaded enclave towards the occupied territories as far away as Tel Aviv, killing over 900 Israelis, including both military and settlers. More than 800 Palestinians have been so far killed in an exchange of fire between the two sides.

Afghanistan quake death toll nears 2,500

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Afghanistan on Saturday has risen to 2,445 while more than 9,200 people have been injured, the Xinhua news agency reported. According to the outlet, 13 villages in the Zanda Jan district of Herat have been completely wiped out and many victims remain trapped under the rubble.

Pakistan plan for mass deportations of migrants draws UN criticism

The United Nations has warned Islamabad that its plans for the “phased and orderly” mass deportations of migrants, including up to 1.7 million Afghans, could threaten their safety after Pakistan announced a crackdown on people living in the country illegally.

Lebanon says does not want to engage in war with Israel

Beirut does not wish to be drawn into the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati stated Monday, according to the state news agency, NNA.

Israel lays ‘complete siege’ to Gaza Strip

Israel has announced laying a "complete siege" to the Gaza Strip amid intensified fighting with the Palestinian Hamas group.

Iran warns of devastating response to any Israeli threats

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani cautioned the Zionist regime that any act of aggression against Tehran would be dealt with a crushing response.

Hospitals in Gaza on verge of blackout after Israel cut electricity supplies

As the bombs rained down on the Gaza Strip, health care professionals told Middle East Eye that they were battling another crisis inside the besieged enclave's hospitals: The outages.

UNSC meets on Palestine-Israel, but fails to agree on statement

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has met behind closed doors in an emergency session amid the war between Israel and Palestine but failed to achieve the unanimity needed for a joint statement.

US still seeking to determine Iran’s connection to Hamas military operation

US officials told CNN that the administration of President Joe Biden has yet to find a smoking gun so far linking Iran directly to planning and executing the attack on Israel this weekend. However, there’s no denying Iran’s history of aiding Hamas, officials say.

Israel-Palestine conflict: Hamas says US sending carrier strike group “aggression” against Palestinians

Palestinian group, Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, has announced the start of military the operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel. Thousands of rockets have been fired from the blockaded enclave towards the occupied territories as far away as Tel Aviv, killing over 800 Israelis, including both military and settlers. More than 500 Palestinians have been so far killed in an exchange of fire between the two sides.

Saudi Arabia considering oil U-turn to secure defense pact with US: Report

Riyadh is willing to increase oil production early next year in exchange for a defense pact with Washington, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing Saudi and US sources.

Warmongering detrimental to Israel: Iran president

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has warned Israel that the regional equation has changed and warmongering would be detrimental to the Zionists.

France would be responsible for causing new conflict in region: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has blamed France for causing a new conflict in the region by providing weapons to Armenia.

At least 2 Israeli tourists killed in Egypt

At least two Israelis have been killed when a gunman opened fire on a bus full of tourists in Egypt. The two Israelis were reportedly killed by an Egyptian policeman.

US says “too early” to say if Iran directly involved in Israel attack

The United States cannot say whether Iran played a direct role in the Palestinians’ recent strike on Israel, a senior administration official said Saturday, adding the US is planning to look into the matter.

Putin discusses Nagorno-Karabakh with Azerbaijani, Armenian leaders

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation in and around the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in telephone conversations, the Kremlin press service has announced.

Death toll from powerful earthquakes in Afghanistan rises to over 2,000

The death toll from strong earthquakes that jolted western Afghanistan has risen to more than 2,000, a Taliban government spokesman confirmed Sunday. It’s one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country in two decades.

Israel-Palestine conflict: Israeli security cabinet declares state of war

Palestinian group, Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, has announced the start of military the operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel. Thousands of rockets have been fired from the blockaded enclave towards the occupied territories as far away as Tel Aviv, killing over 600 Israelis, including both military and settlers. More than 300 Palestinians have been so far killed in an exchange of fire between the two sides.

Israel-Palestine conflict: Gaza under heavy bombardment, more than 200 killed

Hundreds of rockets have been fired from the blockaded Gaza Strip towards the occupied territories, and sirens have been heard as far away as the greater Tel Aviv area. Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, which runs the besieged enclave, has announced the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel. The Israeli Army says it has declared a “state of readiness for war”.

No final report yet on cause of Wagner boss’s plane crash: Kremlin

There is not yet a final report from investigators on the cause of the plane crash that killed Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in August, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated.

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