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According to a report, the u.s. have destroyed three houthi boats after four boats fired upon the Maersk Hangzhou in a Red Sea shipping lane, got within 20 metres of the container ship and attempted to board it. Reportedly, helicopters from nearby u.s. warships, USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and USS Gravely destroyer responded to a call for help and were shot at while in the process of issuing verbal calls. According to the report, they destroyed three boats, one boat fled.

Reportedly, Houthi forces have been attacking ships in the area since November. According to the report, it was the second attack on the Maersk Hangzhou in 24 hours which was the first succesful attack since a maritime taskforce was launched on 18 December.

Reportedly, in order to reach the Suez canal, ships must pass through the tiny Bab al Manbad just off the coast of Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. According to the report, Houthis have said the attacks are directed at vessels linked to Israel. Reportedly, Maersk, one of the largest shipping companies in the world have paused sailings through the Red Sea for 48 hours.

According to reports, Houthis have been fighting a civil war against the government in Yemen since 2014. Reportedly, the government is backed by a coalition of arab countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab emirates. Former reports were that the u.s. paid Saudi Arabia for Yemen’s oil.

According to a report, atleast six russian missiles hit the city of Kharkiv in the east, destroying civilian infrastructure and resulting in 28 people being injured. Reportedly, Ukraine said it has destroyed 21 of 49 russian drones launched overnight in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions; and Kyiv repelled a russian drone attack.

According to the report, Russia said the strikes were in retaliation for a ukrainian attack on the russian border town of Belgorod on Saturday which killed atleast 24 and resulted in more than a hundred people being injured.

According to a report, residents in Khan Younis have reported intense gun battles between Israel and hamas, Israel said that the southern town is a stronghold of hamas. Reportedly, the israeli airforce and navy have struck targets across Gaza. According to the report, the hamas run health ministry said over 21,500 people have been killed since the war began.

Reportedly, there is very little commercial supplies going into Gaza and more people are depending on aid. According to the report, Israel said it is not limiting aid and the problem lies in distribution. Reportedly, shelters in Gaza are over crowded, personal hygiene is difficult, medicines are in short supply and the health care system is overwhelmed. According to the report, in the 3 months to mid December the world health organisation said it registered 55,400 cases of lice and scabies.

Reportedly, hamas officials were in Cairo, but no ceasefire plan. According to the report, Israel said it has carried out strikes on Lebanon and Syria in response to rocket fire.

According to a report, a 17 year old from Bethlehem is one of 180 palestinians released from administrative detention as part of the recent hostage deal. Reportedly, he was imprisoned five months ago under legislation inherited from the uk that allows Israel to detain terror suspects without charge.

According to the report, palestinians have been subject to administrative detention since 1945, first under the british mandate. Reportedly, detainees are granted a hearing in a military court though Israel is not required to disclose any of its evidence to detainees or their lawyers. According to the report, detainees can be sentenced for up to six months which can be extended.

According to a report, atleast 30 people have died and dozens injured as cities across Ukraine were targeted by 158 drones and missiles in the biggest russian attack in nearly two years of war. Reportedly, the capital Kyiv; Lviv in the west, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia in the south and Dnipro and Kharkiv in the east were bombarded with nearly every type of weapon in Russia’s arsenal.

According to reports, earlier Russia took Maryinka in the east and Ukraine strook a warship in the Crimean port of Feodosia. Reportedly, the president of Ukraine has thanked soldiers fighting in the front line and Kyiv’s mayor said it was critically important to have the support of the u.s. and Europe.

According to reports, the u.s. have announced further military aid to Ukraine valued at $250 million but any further funding will have to meet approval from congress. Reportedly, the aid package includes air defence artillery, small arms ammunition, anti tank weapons and medical equipment. The eu have stated that they will continue to provide Ukraine with strong political, financial and humanitarian assistance.

The Belfast agreement is also called the good friday agreement because it was signed on good friday 1998. According to a report, in advance of the agreement as negotiations intensified a senior unionist leader warned the irish government that northern Ireland faced the threat of civil war with the potential for loyalist attacks to be mounted in Dublin if the proposed agreement stalled. Reportedly, the deputy leader of the Ulster unionist party delivered a briefing to an irish embassy official on the threats.

According to a report, the language of the agreement reflects the uk’s change of emphasis from unionism to a united Ireland, but that northern Ireland would remain part of the uk unless the majority of people in both the north and the south wished otherwise. Reportedly, the agreement asserts the right of self determination for both the north and the south to bring about a united Ireland, which must be agreed and exercised subject to the agreement.

According to reports, the agreement created a number of institutions between southern and northern Ireland, one being that the police service northern Ireland and the irish police would work in partnership. Reportedly, it established the northern Ireland assembly and the north south ministerial council, a body established to coordinate activity and exercise certain government powers across the whole of Ireland. According to reports, the north south ministerial council and the northern Ireland assembly are interdependant, that is one can’t exist without the other.

According to a report, the israeli defence force said military operations were continuing in Khan Younis, southern Gaza’s main city and in refugee camps and neighbourhoods in central Gaza. Reportedly, palestinians have packed into areas along the border with Egypt and along southern Gaza’s coastline where shelters and tent camps are overflowing. According to the report, Israel said it would expand its ground offensive and are launching waves of airstrikes and shelling before troops move in. Reportedly, on Wednesday night Israel bombarded cities, towns and refugee camps across Gaza; non stop explosions could be heard in the central town of Deir al Balah where hundreds of thousands of people have sought shelter.

According to the report, shooting is intensifying along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and the idf have warned of a possible expansion of operations where hezbollah is operating. Reportedly, Iran threatened Israel with direct actions following the death of an iranian officer in an airstrike in Syria it blamed on Israel. According to the report, clashes between hezbollah and Israel have been an almost daily occurrence since fighting began in Gaza. Reportedly, Israel are also increasing their night raids on major cities in Samaria.

According to a report, Wolfgang Schäuble a german politician whose political career spanned more than five decades died on Tuesday, aged 81. Reportedly, the longest serving member of any german democratic parliament, in 1990 he played an important role in Germany’s reunification with the communist east, but suffered spinal injuries after being the target of a shooting and became confined to a wheelchair. According to the report, a christian democrat and Germany’s finance minister from 2009-2017 he was renowned for his austerity measures.

According to reports, Jacques Delores died on Wednesday at the age of 98. Reportedly, the french politician and socialist served as president of the european commission from 1985-1995 and played a key role in the creation of the euro. According to a report, he was recognised for his efforts in attempting to stop the Yugoslav disintegration wars of the 1990s.

Reportedly, the committee for the study of economic and monetary union, known as the Delores committee was set up in 1988 upon a mandate from the european council, its report was published in 1989. According to the report, the treaty on european union (known as the Maastricht treaty) declaring a new stage of european integration concluded between the then 12 member nations in 1992. Reportedly, some saw it as a sign of a new federal Europe, and in 2007 the focus of debate shifted to the Lisbon treaty, followed by the euro crisis. According to the report, the charter of fundamental rights is not incorporated into the treaty of Lisbon. When the Lisbon treaty failed to win public approval in Ireland fine gael put it to vote a second time.

According to a report, on Sunday the israeli defence force said they had found a large tunnel network beneath the Jabaliya neighbourhood and refugee camp, north of Gaza city. Reportedly, investigative troops found the bodies of five hostages in the tunnel network following intelligence reports that two hostages were being held in Jabaliya. According to the report, the tunnels were on two levels with an elevator to a large hall, thought to be a command centre, and contained weapons and infrastructure to manufacture weapons. Reportedly, one tunnel included a shaft leading to the home of the leader of hamas’s northern brigade, Ahmed Ghandour.

According to reports, the tunnels are the latest in a series of underground networks destroyed by the idf since the hamas offensive into southern Israel on October 7. Reportedly, other tunnels dismantled by the idf who say their ground offensive is the only way to defeat hamas include electricity and communications lines. According to a report, some shafts led from hamas leaders’ offices and homes.