Daily World Briefing, Dec. 31

Somalis rally against Israel's recognition of Somaliland

Thousands of people on Tuesday staged protests in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and several other cities nationwide against Israel's recognition of Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, as a sovereign state.

The rallies were aimed at demonstrating public support for safeguarding Somalia's national unity and territorial integrity.

"We convey to the global community that our country, Somalia, is free, was free, and will remain free. We will protect its land, sea, and air. It belongs to us," said a woman protester in the Las Anod region.

The rallies, attended by government and regional officials as well as students, saw participants affirm that Somaliland remains an integral and inseparable part of Somalia and condemn any political or diplomatic ties with Israel.

On Dec. 26, Israel became the first country in the world to formally recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, prompting immediate condemnation from Somalia and others. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy.

Saudi Arabia demands UAE withdrawal from Yemen after Mukalla port airstrikes

The Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday called on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to withdraw its forces from Yemen within 24 hours and end all support for separatist groups, signaling a sharp public rift between the two Gulf powers.

The statement, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, warned that Riyadh would take "necessary steps" to protect its national security and described recent developments as an "unjustified escalation" that undermines stability and contradicts the principles of the Saudi-led coalition.

Tensions have risen over the actions of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), which recently seized large swathes of the oil-rich Hadramout province and the eastern governorate of Al-Mahrah, territories Riyadh considers a "red line" due to their proximity to Saudi Arabia and concentration of Yemen's remaining energy reserves.

The Saudi Cabinet expressed regret over failed de-escalation efforts and accused the UAE of not honoring previous commitments, reiterating full support for Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and its chairman, Rashad al-Alimi.

The STC, despite being part of the PLC, has long promoted southern Yemeni independence and accused the internationally-recognized government -- now based in the southern city of Aden after being ousted by Houthi forces in 2014 -- of failing to counter Houthi offensives.

Palestinian girl killed in Gaza as gov't appeals for winter aid

An 11-year-old Palestinian girl was killed on Tuesday by Israeli fire in Gaza City, as the Palestinian government called for urgent delivery of mobile homes to shelter displaced people in the Gaza Strip.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense, said that the girl, identified as Dana Muqata, was killed by Israeli forces in the Zarqa area of the Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City.

Also on Tuesday, a child was injured when an Israeli aircraft dropped a bomb in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, while a woman was shot in the back by Israeli fire east of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, Basal said.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Basal's reports.

Since a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect on Oct. 10, at least 414 people have been killed and more than 1,145 others wounded, according to Gaza-based health authorities.

Trump says U.S. strikes "dock area" in Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States knocked out last week a "dock area" in Venezuela, which was used by alleged drug traffickers to load boats up with drugs.

If his words were accurate, it would be the first known land strike by the Trump administration against the oil-rich South American nation.

"There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," Trump told reporters in Florida. "So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area -- it's an implementation area, that's where they implement, and that is no longer around."

He didn't reveal whether the Pentagon or another U.S. entity carried out the operation.

Venezuela's government has yet to respond.

Ukraine in talks with Trump over possible deployment of U.S. troops: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Kiev is in talks with U.S. President Donald Trump over the possible deployment of U.S. troops within the framework of security guarantees for Ukraine, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

"We are discussing this with President Trump and representatives of the Coalition of the Willing. This would be a strong position in security guarantees," Zelensky told reporters, adding that the decision on the issue will be made by the United States.

Earlier on Tuesday, Zelensky said in a post on Telegram that national security advisors of the Coalition of the Willing countries plan to meet in Ukraine on Jan. 3, 2026, followed by a leaders' meeting in France on Jan. 6.

Kremlin says to toughen stance in talks after Ukraine's alleged attack on Putin's residence

Russia will toughen its position in the Ukraine negotiations following an alleged Ukrainian attack on the Russian presidential residence in the Novgorod Region, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

The diplomatic consequences of the attack would be a hardening of Russia's negotiating position, Peskov told reporters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday denied the accusation of the attack, calling it "another lie from the Russian Federation."

Peskov said the Ukrainian attack aimed at disrupting the negotiation process on ending the Ukrainian conflict, from which Russia is not withdrawing.

Russia will continue the dialogue, primarily with the United States, said the spokesman.

China-U.S. strategic choices shape course of world history: top diplomat

China-U.S. ties are among the most important bilateral relations in the world today, and the strategic choices of the two countries shape the course of world history, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

China and the United States must seek solutions to their respective concerns on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit, and find the right way to get along with each other, said Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, when addressing a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2025.

Eurostar services disrupted due to "major disruption" in Channel Tunnel

A great number of Eurostar trains were delayed or canceled on Tuesday after a power supply problem in the Channel Tunnel, causing significant disruption in a busy travel period between Christmas and New Year.

Since the morning, several trains have been delayed by up to two hours. Operator Getlink cited "a power supply problem in the Channel Tunnel" and "a technical problem on a Le Shuttle train," French news channel BFMTV reported.

In Britain, all Eurostar services to and from London's St Pancras railway station have been canceled. Large crowds of people have been stranded in the station. Beyond the London-Paris route, trains linking London and Brussels have also been canceled.

Eurostar operates passenger trains between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and London. The Channel Tunnel is the only railway link between Britain and continental Europe.■