Armed conflicts and attacks

The Israeli cabinet approves 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite such settlements being considered illegal under international law. (BBC News) (AP)

• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjg18xe0wwo
• https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-settlements-west-bank-6923448a5956ff4d90b240d871db33e6

Business and economy

The Philippine agriculture department extends its import ban on sugar until December 2026. (The Rahnuma Daily)

• https://therahnuma.com/philippines-extends-sugar-import-ban-until-december-2026/

Law and crime

Gunmen abduct 28 people after intercepting a vehicle traveling to a Maulud gathering in Bashar, Plateau State. (AFP via France 24)

• https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20251223-gunmen-kidnap-muslim-religious-event-central-nigeria

Law and crime

Nine people are killed and ten others are injured in a mass shooting when 12 gunmen open fire near a tavern in Bekkersdal, Gauteng, South Africa. (AFP via CBS News)

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deadly-shooting-south-africa-bekkersdal-near-johannesburg/