Regional Developments

13.12.2025

ISRAEL-GAZA

•Israel says its military killed Hamas commander Raed Saed in Gaza City strike
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/13/israel-says-its-military-killed-hamas-commander-raed-saed-in-gaza-city-strike
•Israel targets senior Hamas official in deadly Gaza strike
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dklj3rxvo

UKRAINE-RUSSIA

•Kim Jong-un admits North Korean troops clearing landmines for Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/13/north-korea-troops-cleared-landmines-russia-kim-jong-un
•EU backs indefinite freeze on Russia's frozen cash ahead of loan plan for Ukraine
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98nnd01g91o

AFRICA
•Ethiopia arrests nine TikTok creators in social media crackdown
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23e1jld9p7o
•RSF commander linked by BBC Verify to Sudan massacre sanctioned in UK
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jeeq6xnvpo
•Eritrea quits regional bloc as tensions rise with Ethiopia
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly555k8de3o

14.12.2025

ISRAEL-GAZA

•Israel targets senior Hamas official in deadly Gaza strike
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dklj3rxvo
•‘The inevitable has happened’: Bondi beach attack follows rise in antisemitic incidents
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/14/the-inevitable-has-happened-bondi-beach-attack-follows-rise-in-antisemitic-incidents

UKRAINE-RUSSIA
•Turkish car ferry damaged in strike at Ukrainian port
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yjj2epvlro
•Ukraine's health supplies hit in series of Russian strikes on medical warehouses
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlkk9qk7vyo
•One million households without power in Ukraine after Russia attacks energy grid
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l9954yr9ko
•Ukraine willing to drop ambitions to join Nato, Zelenskyy says
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/14/ukraine-willing-to-drop-ambitions-to-join-nato-zelenskyy-says
•‘Outright evil:’ anguish and anger over South Africans tricked into fighting for Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/dec/14/south-africans-tricked-fighting-for-russia-ukraine

AFRICA
•Street art festival sees Lagos turned into 'open-air gallery' https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ge4q8gypzo
•Trump's 'historic' peace deal for DR Congo shattered after rebels seize key https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gk34k9k23o
•Ghanaian students at UK universities face deportation amid funding crisis
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/dec/14/ghana-students-uk-universities-face-deportion-funding-crisis
•Little Foot hominin fossil may be new species of human ancestor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/dec/15/little-foot-hominin-fossil-may-be-new-species-of-human-ancestor
•‘Outright evil:’ anguish and anger over South Africans tricked into fighting for Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/dec/14/south-africans-tricked-fighting-for-russia-ukraine

15.12.2025

ISRAEL-GAZA
•Australian PM rejects Netanyahu’s linking of Palestine recognition to Bondi beach attack
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/15/australian-pm-rejects-netanyahu-linking-palestine-recognition-bondi-beach-attack
•UK politics: Polanski claims Green support surging in London as five Labour councillors defect in Brent – as it happened
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/dec/15/domestic-abuse-survivors-keir-starmer-labour-rishi-sunak-covid-uk-politics-live-news
•Labour donor Dale Vince criticised for post following Bondi beach attack
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/15/labour-donor-dale-vince-criticised-for-post-following-bondi-beach-attack

UKRAINE-RUSSIA
•European leaders propose ‘multinational force’ and hail ‘significant progress’ on Ukraine talks – as it happened
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/dec/15/ukraine-us-russia-berlin-nato-eu-russian-funds-steve-witkoff-volodymyr-zelenskyy-vladimir-putin-europe-live-news
•Europe ready to lead ‘multinational force’ in Ukraine as part of US peace plan
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/15/ukraine-talks-european-leaders-meet-berlin-starmer-macron-zelenskyy-merz-us-witkoff
•UK politics: Polanski claims Green support surging in London as five Labour councillors defect in Brent – as it happened
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/dec/15/domestic-abuse-survivors-keir-starmer-labour-rishi-sunak-covid-uk-politics-live-news
•Any Russia-Ukraine deal is doomed without security guarantees, says Starmer
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/15/russia-ukraine-deal-security-guarantees-starmer
•Russia seeks $230bn in damages from Euroclear over seized assets
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/15/russia-damages-euroclear-seized-assets-eu-ukraine
•‘Law is the only weapon I have’: a Ukrainian lawyer’s campaign to rescue the children stolen by Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/15/ukrainian-ukraine-lawyer-campaign-rescue-children-stolen-russia

AFRICA
•‘I consider him my first son’: how living with a baby monkey taught me I’m ready to be a dad
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/15/baby-monkey-jungle-guinea-monkeys-aoe
•‘It’s a timebomb’: Ghana grapples with mass exodus of nurses as thousands head to the west
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/15/health-why-ghana-losing-nurses-emigration-who-medics
•We must not stop research on solar geoengineering
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/15/we-must-not-stop-research-on-solar-geoengineering

16.12.2025

ISRAEL-GAZA
•Student charged over chanting about putting Zionists 'in the ground'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clydxy9d741o
•What is ‘home’ now? A woman’s two-year search for safety in the ruins of Gaza
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/dec/16/what-is-home-now-a-womans-two-year-search-for-safety-in-the-ruins-of-gaza

UKRAINE-RUSSIA
•South Africa in talks with Russia over men ‘tricked’ into fighting in Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/south-africa-russia-men-tricked-fighting-ukraine
•Ukraine war briefing: US offers Nato-style security guarantees to Kyiv
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/ukraine-war-briefing-us-offers-nato-style-security-guarantees
•What did Ukraine peace talks in Berlin achieve – and what happens next?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/15/what-did-ukraine-peace-talks-in-berlin-achieve-and-what-happens-next

AFRICA
•Five key moments in the assault on the rights of women and girls in 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/five-key-moments-in-the-assault-on-the-rights-of-women-and-girls-in-2025
•South Africa in talks with Russia over men ‘tricked’ into fighting in Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/south-africa-russia-men-tricked-fighting-ukraine
•Libya looks to its past to build a new future as national museum reopens
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/libya-national-museum-reopens

17.12.2025

ISRAEL-GAZA
•Heavy rains worsen conditions for displaced Gazans, UN warns
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e6r10rdeo
•Two arrested on suspicion of shouting slogans calling for ‘intifada’ at protest
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/dec/17/met-police-gmp-crackdown-intifada-chants-pro-palestine-protests

UKRAINE-RUSSIA
•Nato spending pledge is Trump's biggest foreign policy success, Rutte tells BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2p4vw595jo
•Starmer tells Abramovich to 'pay up now' or face court
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e64lr3zeo
•British soldier killed in Ukraine told family to 'be proud' in letter
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmd1xgy38go
•Putin calls European leaders ‘little pigs’ and says Russia will achieve Ukraine goals by diplomacy or force - as it happened
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/dec/17/ukraine-russia-war-eu-european-council-frozen-assets-zelenskyy-europe-live-news
•What is the row about the EU using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/17/arguments-frozen-russian-assets-support-ukraine
•UK gives Abramovich final warning to transfer £2.5bn to Ukraine fund
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/17/uk-will-transfer-abramovich-cash-from-sale-of-chelsea-to-ukraine-fund-starmer-says

AFRICA
•Population growth is as concerning as overconsumption
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/17/population-growth-is-as-concerning-as-overconsumption
•How to use the holidays to stop our ‘WhatsApp aunties’ falling for AI
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/17/how-to-use-the-holidays-to-stop-our-whatsapp-aunties-from-becoming-ai-aunties
•Shock as popular South African DJ shot dead in Johannesburg
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75vkw4veq1o
•Roads or rice fields - Madagascar's highway dilemma
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjeqx007rlo

18.12.2025

ISRAEL-GAZA
•Winter death toll in Gaza reaches 17 as calls on Israel to lift aid blockade grow
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/winter-death-toll-gaza-reaches-17-calls-israel-lift-aid-halt-grow
•US, Israel and UAE discussed using Gaza gas to fund reconstruction, sources say
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-israel-and-uae-discussed-using-gaza-gas-fund-reconstruction-sources-say

UKRAINE-RUSSIA
•In this secret missile factory, Ukraine is ramping up its domestic arms industry
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dz6wgn2w9o
•Briton who fought in Ukraine jailed for 13 years by Russia
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c30jre652gvo
•The Guardian view on the EU and Ukraine: a moment of truth for Brussels and Kyiv
Editorial
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/18/the-guardian-view-on-the-eu-and-ukraine-a-moment-of-truth-for-brussels-and-kyiv
•Ukraine may need to cut drone production if no deal reached on frozen Russian assets, says Zelenskyy – as it happened
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/dec/18/eu-frozen-russian-assets-ukraine-war-europe-latest-news-updates
•Ukraine war briefing: Drones strike tanker in Russian port, local officials say
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/18/ukraine-war-briefing-drones-strike-tanker-in-russian-port-local-officials-say
•EU leaders urged to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/18/eu-frozen-russian-assets-fund-ukraine-defence

AFRICA
•Nigeria apologises over Burkina Faso military flight that saw 11 servicemen detained
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74xvp00wj3o
•Rebels start to withdraw from key DR Congo city, leaders say
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c865exedy24o
•Morocco accused of ‘horrific’ abuse of detained gen Z protesters
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/18/morocco-genz212-protests-police-mass-arrests-beatings-detentions-rights

19.12.2025

ISRAEL-GAZA
•Gaza no longer in famine but hunger levels remain critical, UN says
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/19/gaza-famine-hunger-food-shortages-winter-flooding-un
•UN-backed experts say Gaza food supplies improving but 100,000 still in 'catastrophic conditions'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgdpz0gp3jo

UKRAINE-RUSSIA
•Fraught EU summit backs Ukraine but divisions are clear
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjezpd95v71o
•Zelenskyy and Polish PM hail EU’s €90bn loan: ‘Scariest thing for Russians is when we’re together’ – as it happened
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/dec/19/ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-european-union-agreement-90bn-loan-deal-kyiv
•Ukraine launches drone attack on Russian oil tanker in Mediterranean – video
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2025/dec/19/ukraine-launches-drone-attack-on-russian-oil-tanker-in-mediterranean-video
•Ukraine attacks Russian ‘shadow’ tanker off Libyan coast
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/19/ukraine-attacks-russian-shadow-tanker-off-libyan-coast
•EU’s Ukraine loan may have been Plan B, but don’t underestimate its significance to the bloc
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/19/eu-ukraine-loan-plan-b-frozen-russian-assets

AFRICA
•Uganda prison officer sacked for 'politicking' on TikTok
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy842jdw98vo
•US plan for $1.6m hepatitis B vaccine study in Africa called ‘highly unethical’
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/19/hepatitis-b-vaccine-study-guinea-bissau-rfk
•Colombian mercenaries in Sudan ‘recruited by UK-registered firms’
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/19/colombian-mercenaries-sudan-rsf-us-sanctions-recruited-uk-registered-firms-investigation