Daily News

Tensions are escalating in Mali as the military-led government has seized nearly $245 million worth of gold from the Canadian mining company Barrick Gold. The gold was taken from a mining site in the far west, which has been at the centre of a long-standing dispute over unpaid taxes and mining contracts.

Germany's Interior Minister says Syrian refugees should be allowed a once-only trip to their home country without it affecting their immigration status. Nancy Faeser says it would give refugees a chance to decide if a permanent return to Syria is possible. Berlin normally revokes refugees' visas if they travel to their country of origin. Germany hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees in Europe. A spokesman for Germany's Interior Ministry says the idea is for people to see for themselves whether houses are still standing, whether family members are still alive with whom they may have lost contact a long time ago, and whether they are really safe in their home country.

Ukraine's military is calling overnight drone strikes on Russia, one of the biggest attacks of its kind since the start of the war nearly 3 years ago. Moscow's Defence Ministry says Kyiv's actions will "not go unanswered." It said Ukraine fired at least 146 drones, as well as US made ATACM missiles and British-made cruise missiles. Russian officials say they shot down all of the missiles fired at the Bryansk region.

With just days remaining before Donald Trump is inaugurated for a second term, we speak with three journalists about what his presidency means for the media.

Lebanon has elected a president and a new prime minister after two years of deadlock. But who are Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, and what's next for Lebanon?

The evidence is clear: Human activity is devastating our planet. While we know the causes of and solutions for the climate and nature crisis, action remains insufficient. If knowledge alone isn’t enough to drive change, what will? earthrise explores emerging movements challenging humanity to rethink its place on Earth, grounded in the belief that we are part of nature, not separate from it. The series begins in the Brazilian Amazon, where the Ashaninka of Apiwtxa are celebrating the 1992 demarcation of their ancestral lands. For decades, they have fiercely protected the rainforest, driven by a deep spiritual bond with nature. During her time with this powerful Indigenous community, earthrise presenter, Amanda Burrell, joins an ayahuasca ceremony and visits Institute Yorenka Tasorentsi, where founder Benki Piyako is reforesting former pastureland by planting millions of trees. His mission: To inspire people everywhere to live in harmony with nature.

Diplomatic efforts are mounting to bring an end to 15-months of genocide in Gaza and release Israeli captives held in the Strip. There have been days of discussions between Qatari mediators and a senior Israeli delegation in Doha. The White House says the negotiations are now at a critical point, while Hamas says the talks are progressing well. Israeli media have leaked details of the proposed deal, including the exchange of Israeli captives in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners. The agreement is set to be implemented in three stages. Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to quit the government if it agrees to a ceasefire deal and urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him. Alon Liel, the former director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, says that his guess is that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich will vote against but not leave the government.

Israeli media have leaked what they say are details of an imminent ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. They report the deal will be in three stages. Other details about the reported deal focus on security with checks said to be carried out by an international body and Israel allowing one million Palestinians back to the northern Gaza Strip. Alon Liel is the former Director General of the Foreign Ministry of Israel. He says international pressure is pushing Benjamin Netanyahu's government into a deal.

A top official in the US is confident a Gaza ceasefire deal will be in place before Donald Trump takes office as president. Discussions have been ongoing between Qatari mediators and a senior Israeli delegation for several days in Doha. Details are now emerging with Israeli media reporting that a prisoner exchange deal will be implemented in three stages. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says all sides are on the brink of a deal that could possibly be finalised by the end of Joe Biden's presidency this week.

European defence ministers are meeting in Poland to discuss military support for Ukraine. The ministers of Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and Poland have gathered near Warsaw with Ukraine attending remotely. Poland says it's well placed to hold the quarterly talks, because it provides a route for most of the military aid to Ukraine, and is on NATO's eastern border with Russia. Marina Miron is a military analyst and researcher at the War Studies Department at King's College London. She says EU countries fear US President-elect Donald Trump will cancel military aid to Ukraine, leaving Europe to plug the hole.