International
BREAKING: 29 Palestinians Killed, One Severely Injured In Israel As Violence Escalates
Israel and Gaza militants have traded heavy fire on Thursday, the third day of the worst escalation of violence in months, which has killed 29 people in the blockaded Palestinian enclave and one in Israel.
Air strikes by the Israeli army since Tuesday have killed fighters as well as civilians, including several children, said officials in the crowded coastal territory.
Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip killed one person in the central Israeli city of Rehovot and injured at least two others, Israeli police said. Three others sustained shrapnel injuries elsewhere in Israel.
Cairo was mediating efforts towards a truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group, while European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for “an immediate comprehensive ceasefire”.
The United States stopped short of a clear call for a truce, but State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the casualties were “tragic and heartbreaking”, while urging that steps be “taken to ensure that violence is reduced”.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said “the bloodletting must end now”, and the UN warned of “a negative impact on an already difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
A source close to Islamic Jihad later disclosed that “a final formula for a ceasefire” was said to be under discussion in Egypt.
The Israeli army, however, said just before midnight (2100 GMT) that it was continuing to strike Islamic Jihad targets.
Gaza militants have fired 620 rockets at Israel since Wednesday, the military said, adding that 179 had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system.
The army said 25 percent of rockets fired from Gaza fell into the territory itself, killing four people, including three minors. AFP could not immediately obtain confirmation from Islamic Jihad or Hamas.
Shops in Gaza were shuttered and the streets largely abandoned as Israeli military aircraft circled the territory, where several buildings lay in ruins.
Islamic Jihad confirmed it had lost five military leaders in strikes in recent days, including Ahmed Abu Deka — the deputy of Ali Ghali, commander of a rocket launch unit, who was also killed by Israel on Thursday.
AFP
International
U.S. bombs Venezuela, arrests President Maduro, wife
The U.S. has long accused Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that Maduro denies.
•President Nicolas Maduro
The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, Cilia Flores captured and flown out of the country to an unknown destination.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the attack in a statement on Truth Social on Saturday, January 3.
This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.
“There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The U.S. has long accused Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that Maduro denies.
Trump did not give more detail about how Maduro was captured or where he has been taken.
The Venezuelan government has not yet confirmed this.
The U.S. had offered a $50m reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro.
That, along with the huge military build-up in the region over the last few months, were interpreted in the region as encouragement for someone inside the country to turn against him.
Donald Trump adds on Truth Social that there will be a news conference at 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT), at the president’s Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.
International
‘128 journalists killed worldwide in 2025’,says IFJ
Meanwhile, the IFJ said that across the globe, 533 journalists were currently in prison – a figure that has more than doubled over the past half-decade.
• Journalists at work
A total of 128 journalists were killed around the world in 2025, more than half of them in the Middle East, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said Thursday.
The grim toll, up from 2024, “is not just a statistic, it’s a global red alert for our colleagues,” IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger told AFP.
The press group voiced particular alarm over the situation in the Palestinian territories, where it recorded 56 media professionals killed in 2025 as Israel’s war with Hamas ground on in Gaza.
“We’ve never seen anything like this: so many deaths in such a short time, in such a small area,” Bellanger said.
Journalists were also killed in Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan, Peru, India and elsewhere.
Bellanger condemned what he called “impunity” for those behind the attacks. “Without justice, it allows the killers of journalists to thrive,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the IFJ said that across the globe, 533 journalists were currently in prison – a figure that has more than doubled over the past half-decade.
International
In pictures: New Year welcomed around the world
The London Eye is illuminated by the fireworks display in central London. Credit: PA Media
Fireworks lit up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Day celebrations in Australia. Credit: AFP via Getty Images.
The UK rings in the new year with a spectacular fireworks display over London’s Big Ben. Credit: EPA
The London Eye is illuminated by the fireworks display in central London. Credit: PA Media
Scotland welcomes 2026 with world-renowned fireworks over Edinburgh Castle. PA Media
Fireworks light up the sky over the Brandenburg Gate during celebrations in Berlin. Credit: EPA
Crowds on Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France enjoy a light show and fireworks on the Arc de Triomphe. Credit: EPA
A firework display from the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower welcomed in the New Year. Credit: Shutterstock
Then Australia lit up the sky over the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Credit: Shutterstock
Source: BBC
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