Iran said it has received a US response to its latest proposal aimed at restoring a collapsed ceasefire in the Gulf, days after President Donald Trump indicated rejection of earlier terms. Talks continue through mediators amid ongoing tensions involving the Strait of Hormuz and related military and economic measures.
Israeli officials described a diverted flydubai flight (Dubai to Israel) that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia as a possible attempted “terror attack.” Later reports indicated the incident stemmed from a fight between the plane’s two pilots involving a knife rather than a hijacking; the aircraft was safely diverted.
US forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq, ending a multi-year mission that began after the 2003 invasion. The pullout leaves questions about a potential security vacuum, with Kurdish concerns and celebrations by some militias reported.
Russia launched strikes on energy facilities in the Kyiv region, killing several people (including reports of a child among the dead) and damaging infrastructure as part of continued winter-focused pressure. Ukraine faces a significant funding gap for war costs projected into 2027.
Somali pirates killed five crew members (including one Indian, three Pakistanis, and one from Myanmar) aboard the hijacked tanker MT Honour 25 before Puntland forces rescued the vessel. This marked the first such pirate killings in over a decade.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister following recent elections.
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least five Palestinians, according to local health officials, while separate reports noted the killing of a Hamas commander linked to the October 7, 2023 attack. Settler violence in the West Bank also drew attention, including an attack on a Palestinian village.
US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to resume certain third-country deportations, overturning a lower-court restriction. Burundi agreed to accept deportees under the policy.
Other notes: At least 27 people were killed in mass shootings in South Africa; Hurricane Polo caused flooding and damage in Mexico while another system threatened Hawaii; and a UK airbase incident investigation found petrol rather than explosives, with suspects released on bail amid claims of possible foreign-state involvement.
