The exercises draw together several nations feuding with the United States administration and come at a time of heightened tensions following Washington's raid on Venezuela.

Five other flights operated by Iranian airlines have also been cancelled, according to the airport app, while seven others remain scheduled.

The January 9-16 "Will for Peace" drill hosted by South Africa risks further straining its ties with the United States, which is in dispute with many of the countries taking part.

Accompanied by an American delegation and greeted by former and current officials, Jolie said she was "honoured" to meet aid volunteers at the crossing.

Israel suspended 37 foreign humanitarian organizations from accessing the Gaza Strip after they had refused to share lists of their Palestinian employees with government officials.

Official data released by the Saudi government said 243 people were executed in drug-related cases in 2025 alone, according to AFP's tally.

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.

But some areas that are priorities for the UN, including Yemen, Afghanistan and Gaza, will not be receiving US funding under the new mechanism, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said.

Ravaged by more than two years of war, the Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza's Nuseirat district cares for around 60 in-patients and receives nearly 1,000 people seeking medical treatment each day.

The legislation lists the "crimes of French colonization", including nuclear tests, extrajudicial killings, "physical and psychological torture", and the "systematic plundering of resources".

Bethlehem residents hope the return of Christmas festivities will breathe life back into the city.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has been planning and preparing personnel from its three branches for the so-called international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza, which is part of United States President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the war-torn enclave.

A year marked by war, disaster, political rivalry and rare moments of wonder, captured through images from around the world.

The next phase of the ceasefire is expected to include Hamas’ disarmament, further Israeli troop withdrawals and the deployment of the international force, topics slated for discussion during a meeting between Netanyahu and Trump scheduled for Dec. 29.

Rubio acknowledged difficulties in achieving peace in Gaza, saying that the ceasefire that went into effect in October with the release of hostages amounted to a "miracle."

More than 25 countries are expected to send representatives to the conference, which will include sessions on the command structure and other issues related to the Gaza force, according to United States officials.

South Africa, this year's host country, was not invited to join the meeting of the G20 deputy sherpas, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

Negotiations on consolidating the US-backed truce in the war in Gaza are at a "critical" moment, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has said.

Israel said it would open the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt exclusively to allow residents to exit the Palestinian territory "in the coming days", a claim denied by Egypt which insisted that the key crossing be opened in both directions.

The United States this month took over the year-long presidency of the group of leading economies after largely boycotting South Africa's tenure, including the November summit, in an escalation of its attacks on Pretoria.

"The Iron Beam laser system is expected to fundamentally change the rules of engagement on the battlefield," Daniel Gold, head of defence ministry research and development, told a defence summit in Tel Aviv.

While awaiting President Prabowo Subianto’s official order on Indonesia’s deployment to the international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza, the Army has begun selecting soldiers for the mission. 

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka called for fairer global finances, as he stood in for President Prabowo Subianto in South Africa amid growing divisions within the G20 following a United States boycott and the promise of a clean break next year.

In opening remarks to the Johannesburg summit, Ramaphosa said: "There's been overwhelming consensus and agreement that one of the other tasks we should undertake right at the beginning is to [...] adopt our declaration."

The summit hosted by South Africa runs from Saturday to Sunday at the Johannesburg Expo Centre amid geopolitical tension, including a boycott by United States President Donald Trump, who has accused the South African government of discriminating against white citizens.

The report describes soldiers storming homes, ransacking property and ordering families out via loudspeakers mounted on drones.

Trump's remarks, which contradicted US intelligence findings, threw into stark relief just how far his administration has shifted away from the traditional US support for human rights globally.

Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a US resident, was "extremely controversial," Trump said, while welcoming the Saudi heir to the throne in the White House.

The government continues to monitor and verify all information regarding the movement of Gazans said to be linked to Indonesia, while also ensuring that no visa permits have been misused.

On Monday, The UN Security Council voted in favor of a US-drafted resolution bolstering Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan that includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state.