December 25, 2024

Israel's Netanyahu announces return of negotiation team on Hamas prisoner talks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that top negotiators have returned from Qatar for internal consultations on a potential prisoner exchange with Hamas. It follows a week of intense talks involving Mossad and military officials. Observers view Netanyahu's announcement as part of a pattern of delays in negotiations. Israel is believed to hold more than 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, while approximately 100 Israeli captives are in Gaza. Famine in war-torn Sudan spreading: Global hunger monitor The UN-backed Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warns that famine continues to grip Sudan, spreading to five new regions and putting another five at risk by May. Over 24.6 million Sudanese now face severe hunger, as warring factions disrupt critical aid. The report was published despite the Sudanese government’s continued disruption of the IPC’s process for analysing food shortages. On Monday, the government announced it was suspending its participation in the global hunger-monitoring system, saying the IPC issues “unreliable reports that undermine Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity”. Panamanians protest outside US embassy over Trump's Canal reclaim threat Panama protesters set fire to a picture of US President-elect Donald Trump after his call to reclaim control of the Panama Canal. Chanting "public enemy of Panama," demonstrators rallied outside the US embassy. Leaders affirmed the canal's sovereignty, rebuking Trump’s remarks about unfair fees and Chinese influence. “The canal is Panamanian, non-negotiable,” officials declared. Post-election violence in Mozambique kills at least 21 Mozambique is reeling from deadly unrest after its top court upheld Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo as president, sparking violent protests. At least 21 people, including two police officers, have died, and 236 violent acts were recorded in 24 hours. Protesters torched vehicles, attacked police units, and freed inmates, leaving the nation on edge amid escalating tensions. NASA's Parker Solar Probe makes history with sun flyby at 930°c NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made history by flying closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before. The probe successfully navigated scorching temperatures exceeding nine-hundred-and-thirty-degrees-Celsius while flying within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface, collecting valuable scientific data. It is the first of three record-breaking flybys, with the mission aiming to unravel key solar mysteries.