ISRAEL WARNS GAZANS AGAINST RETURN AMID TRUCE, WHILE HAMAS RELEASES THIRD GROUP OF HOSTAGES

Amid a temporary four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the IDF's Arabic spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, reiterated warnings for Palestinians to stay south of Wadi Gaza and avoid returning to the Strip's northern areas, entering the sea, or approaching within one kilometer of the Israel-Gaza border. The ceasefire condition prohibits Palestinians from trying to return to their homes in the combat zone of northern Gaza.

Despite these warnings, some Palestinians have been returning to inspect damage or bury the dead. Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi assured troops that operations against Hamas would resume after the ceasefire to rescue dozens of hostages held by the terrorist organization. Halevi emphasized the military's commitment to protecting lives and values, creating conditions for hostage release during the truce.

In a related development, Hamas released 17 hostages, including a 4-year-old American girl with dual Israeli and U.S. nationality, as part of the truce. Israel reciprocated by releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners. The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the successful transfer of the hostages from Gaza, and Hamas expressed interest in extending the truce if efforts were made to release more Palestinian detainees.

U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope for the continuation of the ceasefire as long as hostages are being released. While Hamas released hostages, Biden acknowledged that he did not have firm news on further releases and emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts.

CHINA ATTRIBUTES FAMILIAR CAUSES TO RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES

A surge in respiratory illnesses across China that has drawn the attention of the World Health Organization is caused by the flu and other known pathogens and not by a novel virus, the country’s Health Ministry said on Sunday.

Recent clusters of respiratory infections are caused by an overlap of common viruses such as the influenza virus, rhinoviruses, the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the adenovirus as well as bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is a common culprit for respiratory tract infections, a National Health Commission spokesperson said.

The Ministry called on local authorities to open more fever clinics and promote vaccinations among children and the elderly as the country grapples with a wave of respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since the removal of COVID-19 restrictions.

“Efforts should be made to increase the opening of clinics and treatment areas, extend service hours and increase the supply of medicines,” a Ministry spokesman said.

He advised people to wear masks and called on local authorities to focus on preventing the spread of illnesses in crowded places such as schools and nursing homes.

ISRAEL-LINKED TANKER SEIZED OFF YEMEN YET AGAIN

Attackers seized a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Sunday. While no group claimed responsibility, it comes as at least two other maritime attacks in recent days have been linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged 22-crew strong Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden. Zodiac called the seizure “a suspected piracy incident.”

“The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid,” Zodiac said.

HAMAS SAYS TOP COMMANDER IN CHARGE OF N GAZA KILLED ALONG WITH 3 SENIOR MILITANTS

Hamas confirms the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, a top commander in charge of northern Gaza, and three other senior militants. Al-Ghandour, previously sanctioned by the US in 2017, had survived multiple Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in terrorist operations, including a 2006 attack that led to the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The Israeli military targeted an underground complex on Nov. 16, where these Hamas leaders were hiding.

VARADKAR’S ‘LOST & FOUND’ REMARK ON 9-YR-OLD’S RELEASE DRAWS ISRAEL’S IRE

A nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl was among the latest group of hostages released by Hamas fighters on Saturday, Ireland’s PM Leo Varadkar said. “An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned... Our prayers have been answered,” he said. His remark about Emily Hand’s release — particularly the use of the words ‘lost’ and ‘found’ — has sparked outrage online. Israel government spokesman Eylon Levy slammed Varadkar and said Emily was “brutally abducted” by Hamas and wasn’t released by any prayers but by “Israel military’s pressure”. “This is how you describe a girl who went missing during a stroll in a forest. This explains the extent of Ireland’s contribution: prayers.”

RUSSIA: DOWNED 24 UKRAINIAN DRONES HEADED FOR MOSCOW

Kyiv : Ukraine attempted to attack Moscow with dozens of drones, and Russian air defenses downed at least 24 drones over Moscow and surrounding regions. The Moscow region governor reported damage to three buildings with no casualties. One drone crashed into a 12-story building in Tula, injuring one resident. Moscow airports briefly shut down due to the drone attack, but operations resumed later. This follows Russia's intense drone attack on Kyiv, where over 60 Shahed drones targeted the capital, resulting in at least five civilians wounded and damage to several buildings. Ukraine has not yet commented on the latest drone strikes.

PALESTINE FOREIGN MINISTRY SLAMS US SHOOTING THAT HURT 3 PALESTINIAN PUPILS

The Palestinian foreign ministry on Sunday condemned a shooting in the US state of Vermont in which it said three Palestinian students had been injured. The ministry said in a statement that Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmed and Kinnan Abdalhamid, who were speaking Arabic and wearing the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh, had sustained “severe and moderate injuries” during the shooting. The foreign ministry called on US authorities to hold those responsible for the shooting to account. Three Palestinian men were shot in Burlington, Vermont, Saturday night while on their way to a family dinner, according to Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK. NBC reported the FBI as saying that it is aware of the incident in Burlington.

CARGO SHIP SINKS OFF GREECE, 4 INDIANS AMONG 13 MISSING

Athens : A cargo ship sank off the Greek island of Lesbos in stormy seas early Sunday, leaving 13 crew members, including four Indians, missing and one rescued, authorities said.

The Raptor, registered in the Comoros, was on its way to Istanbul from Alexandria, Egypt, carrying 6,000 tonnes of salt, the coast guard said. It had a crew of 14, including eight Egyptians, four Indians and two Syrians, the coast guard said. The ship reported a mechanical problem at 7 am Sunday, sent a distress signal and shortly after disappeared about 8km southwest of Lesbos, authorities said. One Egyptian was rescued, a coast guard spokeswoman said.

She said that eight merchant ships, two helicopters and one Greek navy frigate were searching for survivors. Three coast guard vessels had difficulty reaching the area because of rough seas, she added. The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing and she wasn't authorised to speak to the media. Northwesterly winds in excess of 80 kmph (50 mph) per hour are blowing in the area, the national weather service said.

According to Athens News Agency, the heavily laden vessel was believed to have taken on water in the hold due to strong waves, causing it to list and sink.

RUSSIA PUTS META SPOKESPERSON ON WANTED LIST WITHOUT GIVING CHARGES

MOSCOW: Russia put Meta Platforms spokesperson Andy Stone on a wanted list on unspecified charges as the U.S. social media giant — which owns Facebook — is classed as “extremist” by Moscow. Russia has cracked down on media and social media freedom since launching its Ukraine offensive last year and banning criticism of it.

S. KOREA, JAPAN AND CHINA TO RESUME LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed on Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbours and resume their leaders’ trilateral summit — but without a specific timing.

Closely linked with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global GDP. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japan’s wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the U.S.

“We three Ministers agreed to restore and normalise three-nation cooperation at an early date,” South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin told reporters after his meeting with Japan’s Yoko Kamikawa and China’s Wang Yi in Busan, South Korea.

Mr. Park said the three Ministers affirmed an earlier agreement by lower-level officials to restart the summit.

The three also agreed to push for diverse cooperation projects in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development and security. The lack of an agreement on the timing for the trilateral summit would suggest the top-level gathering won’t likely happen this year as South Korea, the chair of the next summit, had hoped, observers say.

SIERRA LEONE UNDER CURFEW AFTER MILITARY ARMOURY ATTACKED

Freetown : Armed clashes erupted in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown on Sunday after what the government said was an attack on a military armoury, as it imposed an immediate national curfew. Sierra Leone, an English-speaking country in West Africa, has been going through a political crisis following presidential and general elections in June this year.

Witnesses said they heard gunshots and explosions in the city’s Wilberforce district, where the armoury is located along with a number of embassies. Other witnesses reported exchanges of fire near a barracks in Murray Town district, home to the navy, as well as outside another military site in Freetown. Video posted on social networks suggested numerous prisoners had escaped from the central jail. In a statement, the information ministry said “the government remains in control and on top of the situation”.

MYANMAR ARMED GROUP SEIZES BORDER CROSSING WITH CHINA

Bangkok : The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is an ethnic minority armed group in Myanmar that has seized control of a lucrative border crossing with China from the country's ruling junta. The MNDAA, part of an alliance with the Arakan Army (AA) and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), captured the Kyin San Kyawt border gate in Myanmar's northern Shan state. The ongoing clashes in the region have impacted vital cross-border commerce and military positions, with the MNDAA raising its flag at the border trade zone.