1. Libya: Seven people killed, 43 injured in militant attack
• Seven people have been killed and 43 others injured in an attack by Chadian militants in the western part of Libya.
• Military sources said, Chadian opposition forces attacked the headquarters of the 10th Brigade of the Libyan Armed Forces in the Traghan area.
• Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in north-central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west.
2. Meeting between Iraqi PM Adel Abdul Mahdi and US President Donald Trump cancelled
• A meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and US President Donald Trump has been cancelled.
• The Iraqi government today said in a statement that a disagreement on the organisation of the meeting led to it being replaced by a telephone conversation.
• Abdul Mahdi and Trump discussed the developments in the region, especially in the light of the US decision to pull out forces from Syria. The leaders also talked about cooperation in fighting Islamic State.
• Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump had made an unannounced Christmas visit to US troops in Iraq.
3. Trump threatens to entirely close US-Mexico border
• US President Donald Trump Friday threatened to entirely close the southern US border with Mexico if lawmakers refuse his demands to fund a wall.
• Trump tweeted, govt. will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Democrats do not give the money to finish the Wall and also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with.
• The President`s warning came as a partial federal government shutdown was set to drag on into next week, with legislators in Washington failing to reach a compromise over Trump`s insistence on funding the border barrier.
4. Saudi King Salman appoints new Foreign Minister in major cabinet reshuffle
• Saudi Arabia`s King Salman has appointed a new Foreign Minister as part of a major Cabinet reshuffle, following international fallout from the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi.
• A royal decree has named Ibrahim al-Assaf as new Foreign Minister, demoting outgoing top diplomat Adel al-Jubeir to the position of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
• The King has also ordered a shakeup of Supreme Council, which oversees matters related to security.
• The council is headed by the king’s son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose powers have been untouched in the overhaul. Another council dealing with economy has also been revamped.
• Turki Shabbaneh, a Saudi TV presenter is new minister of media.
• The present changes are seen as an attempt by the Kingdom to demonstrate that steps are being taken to overhaul the present security set up and also to clear the negative perception of Saudi Arabia, especially after the killing of Khashoggi in Turkey on 2nd of October.
5. UAE resumes Damascus embassy in Syria after 6 years of suspension
• United Arab Emirates has resumed its diplomatic service at Damascus in Syria after six years of suspension signaling a thaw in the relations between the two countries, as also with the Arab world.
• The Charge d`Affaires of the UAE Embassy began discharging his duty.
• The Ministry in a statement said the move underscores the UAE government’s keenness to restore relations between the two brotherly countries to their normal course.
• It also said the resumption of relations will enhance and implement the Arab role in supporting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.
• This move will also prevent the dangers of regional interference in Syrian affairs.
• UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargah, said the country’s decision came after a careful reading of developments and a conviction that the next phase requires Arab involvement to protect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• He said on Twitter that an Arab role in Syria had become necessary to combat the growing influence of Turkey and Iran.
• UAE had closed its Embassy in the early years of the Syrian conflict.
6. South Korean prosecutors raid presidential office in illegal data collection probe
• In South Korea, prosecutors raided the presidential office as part of an investigation into the alleged illegal collection of information on the country`s residents.
• Media reports said the prosecutors were mainly targeting the office of special inspection. The alleged crime might involve top governmental officials.
• The Blue House spokesman confirmed the raid. Desktop computers were among the materials handed over to the prosecutors.
• The investigation started after the Liberty Korea Party filed a complaint against top presidential officials, including the chief of staff, accusing them of abusing power.
7. Pakistan`s former lawmaker Syed Ali Raza Abidi shot dead
• Russian foreign ministry said that it salutes the US decision to pull out troops from Syria, but still has questions related to the process.
• Foreign ministry spokesperson said that Moscow does not fully understand all reasons and motives of this step. She added that the US troops` withdrawal announcement does not signify the end of the activities of the US-led international coalition in Syria.
• The US had announced last Wednesday that it has started returning US troops from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State.
8. Afghanistan postpones presidential election
• Afghanistan`s election commission said that presidential election, initially scheduled for April, will be postponed for several months.
• It said this is being done to allow time to fix technical problems that surfaced during October`s parliamentary elections.
• Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi, deputy spokesman for the election commission, said that more time is needed to train staff on a biometric identification system designed to reduce fraud.
• No new date for the presidential poll has been set. The last presidential election was held in 2014.
9. Palestine to apply for full UN membership in January
• Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki declared that Palestine would apply for full state membership at the United Nations in January.
• Mr Al-Malki told the official radio station Voice of Palestine that he would file the application to upgrade Palestine`s status from an observer state to a full member state to the UN Security Council.
• To secure full state membership, the Palestinians need support from at least nine out of the UNSC`s 15 member states.
10. Thailand approves medical use of marijuana
• Thailand approved the licensed use of marijuana for medical use and research.
• The changes will legalize the production, import, export, possession and use of marijuana products for medical purposes.
• Recreational use of the drugs remains illegal and subject to prison terms and fines commensurate with the quantities involved.
• With this, Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to take such action.
• In Thailand, marijuana has been traditionally used as a stimulant and painkiller.
11. Zambia as a member of the International Solar Alliance
• India has welcomed Zambia as a member of the International Solar Alliance, with Vice President Venkaiah Naidu expressing hope for an early ratification of the Framework Agreement by Zambia.
• During a meeting with a Parliamentary delegation from Zambia , led by Patrick Matibini, the Speaker of Zambia`s National Assembly, Vice President Naidu also welcomed frequent exchanges between the two parliaments and said that such interactions would be beneficial in sharing experience and learning from each other`s best practices.
• He further mentioned that the Indian Parliament would be happy to associate with the Zambian Parliament in any specific area, including training of its officials in the institutional or technical human resource development.
• The leaders of Zambian freedom struggle, such as Kenneth Kaunda, drew inspiration from India`s struggle for freedom, particularly from the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.Apart from this, India has extended lines of credit to the nation for its developmental needs, including USD 75 million for developmental projects in Zambia and a grant of USD 5 million for projects in health, education and social sectors announced during former Vice President Hamid Ansari`s visit to the nation in 2010.
12. Presence of United States in Syria has been wrong and illogical from beginning: Iran
• Iran has said that the presence of United States in Syria has been wrong and illogical from the begining.
• Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said that the US presence has been a primary cause of instability and insecurity in the region.
• This is Iran`s first official reaction to President Donald Trump`s decision to withdraw troops from Syria.
• The US currently has around 2,000 forces deployed in Syria.