Morning Briefing: Jan 2, 2025

• Israel, Hamas reach preliminary understanding on prisoner swap, cease-fire deal: Report

Israel and Hamas have reached “an understanding” on a prisoner exchange and cease-fire deal in Gaza, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported.

The broadcaster said there are numerous points of disagreement, however, with the most prominent being the list of hostages in Gaza expected to be released. Israel insists on receiving the list, while Hamas has refused to provide the names of those being held captive.

The two sides, through intermediaries, have agreed to delay contentious issues until the second phase of the agreement, allowing for the implementation of the first phase, which focuses on humanitarian matters.

Hamas has yet to comment on the KAN report.

• At least 10 killed in mass shooting in Montenegro

At least 10 people were killed and four seriously wounded in a shooting in southern Montenegro, said Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic.

Speaking at a news conference, Saranovic said the assailant was identified as 45-year-old Aco Martinovic.

Saranovic said Martinovic killed the owner of the bar in the city of Cetinje, the bar owner's children and his own family members.

“Today, there were fatalities in a shooting carried out by 45-year-old A.M. with a firearm at a bar in Bajice, a district of Cetinje. The assailant left the bar with his weapon and fled the scene,” Montenegrin police said earlier in a statement.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US authorities are investigating a potential link between a Cybertruck explosion at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada and a pickup truck attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, President Joe Biden said.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the pickup truck attack in New Orleans.
• The US Treasury Department's sanctions office was breached by Chinese government hackers, according to a report. Citing US officials, The Washington Post reported that the hackers targeted the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which implements sanctions on countries and individuals, as well as the Office of the Treasury Secretary.
• Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh late Wednesday in his first overseas visit since the removal of Bashar Assad’s regime
• Three Palestinians were injured late Wednesday when Israeli soldiers opened fire during a raid in the Old City of Nablus in the northern West Bank.
• A female Israeli soldier was lightly injured in a car-ramming attack in the occupied West Bank, the army said.
• Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera sacked Defense Minister Harry Mkandawire in a mini Cabinet reshuffle
• Anadolu captured images of the ousted Assad regime’s intelligence center in Syria’s southern al-Suwayda province. The General Intelligence Center sheds light on how the Assad regime monitored the Syrian population, based on documents discovered after the collapse of Bashar Assad’s rule on Dec. 8.
• Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced his resignation from the country's parliament, also known as the Knesset.
• Dozens of Israelis, including activists and families of hostages, blocked a major road in Tel Aviv to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to reach an early agreement with Hamas to release hostages in Gaza.

SPORTS

• Arsenal seal 3-1 win over Brentford in Premier League

Arsenal secured a 3-1 win over Brentford in the English Premier League week 19.

With this result, Arsenal are second with 39 points, while The Bees are 12th with 24 points.

• Nuno’s high-flying Nottingham Forest enjoys dream season

Nottingham Forest secured their fifth straight win, marking their longest Premier League streak since 1995.

Their fairytale season continues as Sunday's victory over Everton elevates them to second in the Premier League.

“I’m immensely proud. Especially when you see your player in the 90th minute miss a chance, run back, and recover the ball,” Forest Manager Nuno Espirito Santo said in his post-match news conference.

However, Santo stressed that the team had not "achieved anything yet."

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Poland hails Ukraine halting Russian gas exports to Europe as major victory

Poland hailed a decision by Ukraine to halt Russian gas exports via its territory as a major victory.

(Russian President Vladimir) “Putin spent billions building Nordstream to circumvent Ukraine and blackmail Eastern Europe with the threat of cutting off gas supplies. Today Ukraine cut off his ability to export gas direct to the EU," Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said on X.

"Another victory after the enlargement of NATO by Finland and Sweden."

The two countries became members of the military alliance after Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022.