Saudi Arabia has conferred its highest state honor, the King Abdulaziz Medal (Excellent Class), on Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir. The award was presented by Saudi Defense Minister and Crown Prince Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh, following directives from King Salman, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The medal recognizes General Munir’s distinguished contributions to strengthening Saudi-Pakistani strategic relations and defense cooperation. During the ceremony, Crown Prince Khalid and General Munir held talks on bilateral defense ties, long-standing military collaboration, and joint efforts to promote international peace and security. The meeting underscored the two nations’ shared commitment to regional stability and counterterrorism coordination.

Analysts view the honor as a reaffirmation of the deep military and diplomatic partnership between Riyadh and Islamabad. The recognition may also signal Saudi Arabia’s intent to deepen defense and intelligence cooperation with Pakistan amid evolving regional security dynamics.

At least ten people were killed in a drone strike on a crowded market in South Darfur’s Malha town, Sudan, on December 20, according to local human rights monitors. The attack targeted the Al-Hara market, setting several shops ablaze and causing extensive structural damage. The identity of those behind the strike remains unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility.

The incident occurred as clashes between Sudan’s national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensify across multiple regions. The North Darfur Emergency Rooms Council, which reported the strike, noted that the area was under RSF control at the time. Since April 2023, the conflict between the two factions has evolved into a full-scale civil war, leaving thousands dead and displacing over 12 million people.

Humanitarian agencies warn that the ongoing violence is deepening Sudan’s food insecurity and health crises. International observers fear that continued drone attacks and urban warfare could further destabilize the Darfur region and complicate peace efforts.

Cambodia’s Interior Ministry announced that more than 518,000 people have been displaced amid two weeks of intense fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border. The ministry’s statement from Phnom Penh said civilians, including women and children, fled their homes and schools to escape artillery fire, rocket attacks, and airstrikes reportedly involving Thai F-16 fighter jets.

The renewed border conflict, which has caused widespread destruction, has also displaced about 400,000 people in Thailand, according to Thai authorities. Both governments have accused each other of violating territorial integrity, while humanitarian agencies warn of worsening conditions for displaced families lacking food, shelter, and medical care.

Regional observers fear the escalation could derail ongoing peace discussions and destabilize Southeast Asia’s fragile border security. International organizations are urging both sides to agree to a ceasefire and allow humanitarian access to affected areas.

Hundreds of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are living with amputations after renewed clashes between government forces and M23 rebels. The violence, concentrated around the mineral-rich North Kivu province, has intensified since M23—allegedly backed by Rwanda—captured Goma and Bukavu earlier this year. Survivors like 25-year-old David Muhire, who lost limbs in a landmine explosion, symbolize the growing humanitarian toll of the conflict.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), more than 800 people injured by weapons, mines, and unexploded ordnance have received treatment in 2025, with over 400 currently rehabilitating at Goma’s Shirika la Umoja center. Despite a U.S.-brokered peace deal signed in Washington on December 4 between Rwanda and the DRC, fighting resumed within days as M23 launched new offensives near the Burundian border.

Aid agencies warn that prolonged warfare is worsening the humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands disabled and dependent on limited medical and prosthetic support. The ICRC continues to call for sustained peace and protection for civilians in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to engage in dialogue with French President Emmanuel Macron over the ongoing war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview published Sunday. Peskov told Russia’s RIA Novosti that Putin had clearly expressed his willingness to hold talks, adding that such dialogue would be viewed positively if there is mutual political goodwill.

Earlier this week, Macron urged European leaders to reopen communication channels with Moscow to help end the conflict, emphasizing the need for a structured framework for negotiations in the coming weeks. The statement comes as the war enters its fourth year, with the European Union agreeing on a €90 billion loan package to help Ukraine address budget shortfalls.

However, EU leaders remain divided over whether to use frozen Russian assets to finance the aid. Analysts say renewed dialogue between Moscow and Paris could signal a cautious diplomatic shift, though significant obstacles remain before any substantive peace talks can begin.

Bangladeshi UN peacekeeper Sabuj Mia, who was killed in a drone attack on a UN base in Sudan’s Abyei region, was buried with full state honors in his home village of Palashbari, Gaibandha. His body arrived by helicopter on Sunday afternoon and was later taken to his family home, where hundreds of villagers gathered to pay their respects. The funeral prayer was held at the local Eidgah field, followed by burial beside his father’s grave.

Army officials representing the Chief of Army Staff and local administration officers paid floral tributes during the ceremony. The attack, carried out by a separatist armed group on December 13, killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers stationed at the Kadugli logistics base. Family members, including Sabuj’s mother and young wife, were seen grieving deeply as the community mourned the loss.

The government and military have condemned the attack, calling for stronger international measures to ensure the safety of peacekeepers deployed in conflict zones under UN missions.

Bangladesh has formally questioned India after a group identified as Hindu extremists breached the security perimeter of the diplomatic zone in New Delhi and staged a protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission on Saturday night. According to Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, the demonstrators even issued threats to the High Commissioner, raising serious concerns about the adequacy of Indian security measures.

Hossain rejected India’s explanation that the protest was peaceful and limited to slogans over the killing of Bangladeshi citizen Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh. He argued that the protesters’ ability to reach deep into the secured diplomatic area suggested a lapse or deliberate allowance. Bangladesh has already arrested several suspects in connection with the murder, he added, calling the linkage to minority safety issues misleading.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs maintained that the protest did not involve any breach or attempt to disrupt security. Dhaka has noted India’s assurance to review mission security, but the incident has added tension to bilateral relations, highlighting sensitivities over cross-border communal narratives.

Two Bangladeshi peacekeepers from Kurigram, killed in a drone attack on a UN mission base in Sudan’s Abyei region, were buried in their home villages on Sunday. The bodies of Sergeant Mominul Islam, 38, and Private Shanto Mondol, 26, arrived by military helicopter in Kurigram, where the Bangladesh Army provided a guard of honor before funeral prayers and burial.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight injured when separatist militants launched a drone strike on the Kadugli logistics base on December 13. Both soldiers had been deployed to Sudan only weeks earlier as part of Bangladesh’s long-standing contribution to UN peacekeeping operations.

Local officials, family members, and villagers attended the funerals, expressing pride and grief. Mominul leaves behind his wife and two daughters, while Shanto’s wife is five months pregnant. The government and military have pledged support for the families as Bangladesh mourns the loss of its peacekeepers abroad.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of 18,880 undocumented migrants during a week-long nationwide operation conducted between December 11 and 17, 2025. The coordinated raids, carried out with the support of multiple government agencies, targeted individuals violating residency, border, and labor laws across the kingdom.

According to Saudi daily Okaz, 11,190 people were detained for lacking valid residency documents, 3,801 for illegal border entry, and 2,889 for labor law violations. Authorities also arrested 15 Saudi citizens accused of sheltering or assisting undocumented migrants. The Interior Ministry warned that citizens or residents found aiding illegal migrants could face up to 15 years in prison and fines reaching 1 million riyals. Vehicles and properties used in such offenses may also be confiscated.

The crackdown reflects Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to regulate its labor market and curb irregular migration. Officials emphasized that enforcement will continue, signaling stricter oversight of both employers and intermediaries facilitating illegal employment.

Several European countries have expressed concern over new US sanctions imposed on two judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The sanctions, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, target judges Gocha Lordkipanidze and Erdenebalsuren Damdin. European governments argue that such measures undermine the court’s independence and the global fight against impunity.

France called for the immediate withdrawal of the sanctions, condemning all forms of coercion against ICC officials and supporting organizations. Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot warned that the move weakens efforts to uphold judicial freedom. Denmark, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Norway also reaffirmed their support for the ICC as an impartial judicial body.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Washington and European allies over the ICC’s authority. Analysts suggest the sanctions could complicate transatlantic cooperation on international justice and accountability issues, particularly in cases involving alleged war crimes.

Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, met with a Hamas delegation in Istanbul to discuss the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and the next phase of the peace plan. The meeting, held on Saturday, was led by Khalil al-Hayya, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau and head of its negotiation team, according to Middle East Monitor.

During the talks, Hamas representatives reiterated their compliance with the ceasefire terms and presented evidence of alleged Israeli violations. Both sides discussed Turkey’s ongoing efforts to ensure the ceasefire holds and to prevent further breaches. They also reviewed the conditions necessary to advance to the second phase of the Gaza peace initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to establishing an independent Palestinian state.

The discussions come amid continuing humanitarian devastation in Gaza, where since October 2023, Israeli operations have reportedly killed over 70,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 171,000 others.

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Dhaka has expressed profound grief and condolences over the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the Inquilab Mancha and a figure associated with the July revolutionary movement. In an official condolence message released on Sunday, the embassy extended sympathy to the government and people of Bangladesh, as well as to Hadi’s family and colleagues.

The statement conveyed Iran’s solidarity with Bangladesh during this period of mourning, emphasizing shared values of peace, stability, and prosperity. The embassy noted that it remembers Hadi’s contributions with respect and stands beside the Bangladeshi people in their loss. The message reflects Iran’s continued diplomatic outreach and cultural engagement with Bangladesh, particularly in moments of national grief.

Observers view the embassy’s message as a reaffirmation of Iran’s commitment to maintaining warm bilateral ties and mutual respect between the two nations, underscoring the importance of people-to-people and cultural solidarity.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Stockholm’s Odenplan Square on Saturday to protest Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. The protesters condemned Tel Aviv’s alleged failure to uphold a ceasefire agreement and its reported plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Marching toward the Swedish Parliament, participants carried banners calling for an end to violence and the protection of Palestinian rights.

Protesters chanted slogans demanding freedom for Palestine and denouncing Israeli government policies. Activist Malin Åkerström highlighted the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, exacerbated by winter conditions, and urged the international community to intervene. The demonstration coincided with a statement from over 100 Swedish lawmakers calling for stronger measures to halt Israeli violence in the West Bank.

The protest reflects growing European concern over the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis. Observers note that Sweden’s political establishment faces increasing pressure to take a firmer stance on Middle East peace efforts and human rights accountability.

Two Palestinians, including a 16-year-old boy, were killed and two others injured in Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The incidents occurred near Jenin, in the towns of Qabatiya and Silat al-Harithiya, where witnesses reported extensive Israeli raids. The body of the teenage victim remains in Israeli custody.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported additional injuries in separate shootings near the Nur Shams refugee camp and Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem. Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed over 1,100 Palestinians, injured around 11,000, and detained more than 21,000 in the West Bank. The International Court of Justice ruled in July that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements.

The latest violence underscores the ongoing volatility in the West Bank despite international legal pressure. Human rights groups warn that continued military operations risk further destabilization and humanitarian deterioration in the region.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Afghanistan’s deputy ambassador following a deadly militant attack on a Pakistani military base in North Waziristan that killed four soldiers. The ministry said the assault was carried out by the Khariji Gul Bahadur group, which Islamabad claims operates from Afghan territory. The summoning was intended to deliver a strong protest and demand that Kabul prevent its soil from being used against Pakistan.

The incident has further strained relations between the two neighbors, already tense over cross-border militancy. Afghan officials have repeatedly assured that their territory will not be used for attacks against any country, particularly Pakistan, but have not yet issued a formal response to the summoning. Political analyst Moeen Gul Samkani suggested that Afghanistan might reciprocate by summoning Pakistan’s envoy in Kabul.

The episode underscores the fragile security dynamics along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Analysts warn that continued militant activity could derail regional counterterrorism cooperation and complicate diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Kabul.