The Iranian axis wanted al-Hayya and his associates, like Zaher Jabarin, to take control and prioritize the rehabilitation of the "military wing" and policing mechanisms. It's no coincidence that Hamas officials who survived in Gaza are expressing support for them. It appears this isn't just about the current "head of the wing," Head of Hamas Military Wing Ezz al-Din al-Haddad, who supports al-Hayya. The replacements for the local bureau members also tend to choose him.

According to Arab reports, these include "former prisoners who were very close to Sinwar." One name that fits the description is Tawfiq Abu Naim. The man who previously headed the policing mechanisms, sat with Sinwar in prison, and is considered a natural candidate to lead the organization in the Strip.

In contrast, veteran and more calculated figures like Khaled Mashaal are pursuing a different path. This path essentially criticizes the decision of Sinwar, who gambled on the Iranian axis in the October 7 massacre, and believes a new course must be charted. The intention is mainly to advance a long-term temporary ceasefire agreement (hudna – a long-term truce in Islamic law) of several years, which would allow Hamas to re-establish itself, integrate into the PLO, get closer to Sunni states, and diversify its income sources. In other words, distances itself from Iran.

The leadership quintet

Moreover, Hamas officials revealed this week to the Egyptian media that, already after Sinwar's elimination in 2024, the organization tried to choose a new leader, but this process was postponed due to the eliminations carried out by Israel. These strikes created a "logistical difficulty" for the organization to conduct voting processes involving dozens of people. Furthermore, Hamas was cautious about appointing a clear leader who would immediately become a target.

Therefore, the leadership council was established by the quintet: Head of Hamas Shura Council Muhammad Darwish, Head of Hamas Political Bureau in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya, Head of the West Bank Portfolio Zaher Jabarin, Head of the Hamas Diaspora Bureau Khaled Mashaal, and Member of the Hamas Gaza Bureau Nizar Awadallah. Officials in the organization also reported that Deputy Political Bureau Chief Moussa Abu Marzouk, Mashaal's deputy, recently joined the council as the sixth member.

Against this background, an urgent message that al-Haddad sent to Hamas leadership abroad was also reported, in which he called for the election of a new leader as soon as possible. Al-Haddad, according to sources in Hamas, pressed to "expedite" the election in order to decide regarding the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Moreover, it was said that he raised the names of the six council members as possible candidates for the position.

Yet those same sources noted that this call actually intensified the dispute between the factions within Hamas. They admitted that the organization is suffering from the most severe leadership vacuum since its founding.

From this emerges the possibility that Hamas will actually choose a "compromise candidate" rather than decide between the factions of Mashaal and al-Hayya. One name that came up in reports is Deputy Political Bureau Chief Moussa Abu Marzouk, who previously served as the Political Bureau's first head (during the organization's founder, Ahmad Yassin's tenure). The assessment is that Abu Marzouk will be able to lead a "middle way" that balances moving closer to Sunni states while maintaining the relationship with Iran.

Another name is Muhammad Darwish, head of the Shura Council, who is simultaneously defined as "head of the leadership council." In the past, it was reported that he competed with Yahya Sinwar for the position. However, he and Abu Marzouk are considered less popular.

Either way, the terror organization is at a historic low point. On one hand, Hamas is working to rehabilitate its capabilities, raise funds, and preserve its rule in the Strip with an iron fist. Despite the mediators' hopes to advance to the second stage of disarmament and replacing Hamas rule, on the ground its operatives are working to instill fear in the population, collect taxes, gather funds, and distribute salaries – even if at a lower rate.

On the other hand, the organization is torn between camps, has lost most of its military power and extensive territories in the Strip, and is finding it increasingly difficult to make decisions. This situation is leading more and more elements in the Strip, mainly from clans and militias, to challenge it. In a sense, the fear barrier has been broken. More and more Gazans are publicly accusing the organization of corruption. It is highly doubtful whether the new leader chosen abroad will succeed in pulling Hamas out of this pit. It is almost certain that his fate will be similar to his predecessors.

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Authorities said they were investigating whether this was a result of a cyberattack with officials saying this was the underlying assumption, without providing specifics or pointing at the possible agitators who may be behind this. In recent days pro-Iranian hackers have shared information from what they say are the devices of Israeli public figures, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu's chief of staff Tzachi Braverman.

. Banking services were also affected, preventing many customers from using their credit and debit cards. Over in Europe, the EuroStar railway company connecting Britain to many destinations in mainland Europe, announced that services were halted due to a "major disruption" in the power supply, although it was unclear if this was related. The Walmart app

Data presented by DownDetector, a service that monitors outages, indicates a spike in complaints at approximately 12:06 p.m. BST (6:06 a.m. EST).

"Thank you for reaching out. We would like to inform you that there is an ongoing Severity 1 issue affecting Azure portal access. Our engineering teams are actively working on resolving this as a top priority," Azure Support said on X.

Social media platforms have seen a number of posts from Microsoft clients describing the technical problems, the report concluded. Around 3 p.m. Israel time the problems appeared to have been fixed.

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Thousands are flooding Tehran, chanting for Reza Pahlavi as the crowd swells beyond control. pic.twitter.com/6MHKLgKrWD

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 30, 2025

Internet users circulated videos capturing extensive convoys of law enforcement and Basij forces – the Revolutionary Guards' paramilitary wing tasked with crushing domestic dissent – advancing toward the capital's core. Throughout the night, confrontations flared between demonstrators and security personnel in multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Ahvaz, and Qom.

Student councils representing Tehran's principal universities issued calls for campus-wide mobilization, while the truck drivers' union amplified demands for public demonstrations. Underground opposition networks have echoed these appeals, spanning radical leftist factions and supporters of Iran's deposed monarchist order.

Concurrently, the Provincial Energy Optimization Management Task Force announced the closure of all government offices, institutions, commercial centers, schools, universities, banks, and municipalities in Tehran province on Wednesday. The reason cited for this decision is the cold weather and energy supply. Whether this institutional shutdown correlates with the demonstrations remains ambiguous, though the measure underscores the Islamic Republic's operational fragility.

President Masoud Pezeshkian broke his silence on the unrest through an X platform statement, declaring, "Citizens' economic welfare occupies my constant attention. Our agenda encompasses transformative initiatives for monetary and banking sector restructuring alongside safeguarding popular purchasing capacity. I have directed the interior minister to engage protesters' legitimate grievances through representative consultation, enabling governmental mobilization of comprehensive resources for problem resolution and accountable action."

Videos received by Iran International on Tuesday showed Iranian security forces firing directly toward protesters on Tehran's Mellat Street. It was not immediately clear whether the shots were live or less-lethal, and no official comment was issued. pic.twitter.com/IaDWJuiVur

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) December 30, 2025

 During Monday's demonstrations, protesters unleashed condemnations of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, chanting "Death to the dictator" and "Sayyid Ali falls this year" (Sayyid Ali representing Khamenei's formal designation). Zanjan and Hamadan witnessed expressions of support for the expatriate Pahlavi monarchy, with crowds proclaiming "Long live the Shah" and "This constitutes the final conflict, Pahlavi shall return," according to Iran International.

The Iranian establishment sought to minimize the magnitude of the protests. Tasnim News Agency, aligned with the Revolutionary Guards' interests, published assertions that "capital thoroughfares maintain complete normalcy without demonstration indicators," attributing protest coverage to "unidentified sources." Simultaneously, Tasnim announced precipitous declines in dollar and gold valuations following central bank leadership replacement – a maneuver calculated to pacify financial markets and demonstrators.

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The boat-shaped geological structure, measuring 538 feet in length, has remained central to discussions of Noah's Ark for many decades, the Daily Mail reported, as Biblical texts identify it as the legendary vessel's ultimate resting place.

A group of US scientists recently employed radar-based mapping technology to chart what may be remnants of Noah's Ark beneath the site's surface, the Daily Mail noted.

The ceramic pieces in question, discovered during roadway development near the Durupinar Formation in Agri province, suggest that human presence dated to 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, according to Daily Mail. Dr. Faruk Kaya stated, "The ceramic fragments show that there was human activity in this region during the Chalcolithic period, between 5500 and 3000 BC," Daily Mail reported. The ceramic materials' chronological period aligns with conventional estimates of when the Biblical flood survivor lived, Dr. Kaya indicated, according to the Daily Mail.

These ceramic materials represent among the most definitive markers of human habitation, intensifying speculation that this geographical landmark might constitute the authentic Biblical location, the Daily Mail noted.

Given the discovery's potential significance, the academic called for protective measures for the site and demanded a prohibition "on the removal of stones, rocks or similar material from the site," according to the Daily Mail. Dr. Kaya noted individuals had been collecting marked stones, which could damage this significant archaeological and cultural location, the Daily Mail reported.

The academic additionally cautioned about natural catastrophic events that might jeopardize this archaeological treasure, possibly degrading both formation sides and worsening existing deterioration, according to the Daily Mail.

This discovery does not represent the initial significant finding at the Mount Ararat location, the Daily Mail indicated.

Separate investigators used subsurface radar to identify a 13-foot passageway running through the formation's middle section, along with three underground levels corresponding to Biblical descriptions of the vessel's triple-deck configuration, according to the Daily Mail.

Genesis 6:16 declares: "Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks."

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The bombardment marks a severe deterioration in relations between the kingdom and the Southern Transitional Council, a militant group bankrolled by the Emirates. This incident exacerbates tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, who have sponsored rival factions in Yemen's decade-long war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, unsettling the wider Red Sea region, according to AP. While technically allies on many Middle Eastern fronts, the two nations have increasingly engaged in economic and political rivalry.

Yemen's anti-Houthi leadership declared a state of emergency Tuesday, formally ending cooperation with the UAE and ordering all Emirati personnel to depart within 24 hours. Authorities also imposed a 72-hour lockdown on all border crossings, airports, and seaports in their jurisdiction, exempting only Saudi-approved transit.

A military dispatch via the state-run Saudi Press Agency confirmed the operation, citing the arrival of vessels from Fujairah on the UAE's east coast. "The ships' crew had the disabled tracking devices aboard the vessels, and unloaded a large amount of weapons and combat vehicles in support of the Southern Transitional Council's forces," the statement asserted, according to AP.

"Considering that the aforementioned weapons constitute an imminent threat, and an escalation that threatens peace and stability, the Coalition Air Force has conducted this morning a limited airstrike that targeted weapons and military vehicles offloaded from the two vessels in Mukalla," the statement continued.

Casualties remain unconfirmed, as does the participation of non-Saudi forces. The Saudi military claimed the overnight timing ensured "no collateral damage occurred." The UAE did not immediately respond to AP inquiries, though the state-aligned daily The National covered the strike.

AIC, a Council-affiliated satellite channel, acknowledged the attack without elaborating, according to the wire service. Analysts pinpointed the likely target as the Greenland, a St. Kitts-flagged vessel. AP tracking data showed the ship in Fujairah on Dec. 22 before docking in Mukalla on Sunday; a second ship remains unidentified.

Mohammed al-Basha of the Basha Report noted social media clips showing new armored vehicles in Mukalla post-arrival. The ship's Dubai owners could not be reached.

"I expect a calibrated escalation from both sides. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council is likely to respond by consolidating control," al-Basha told AP. "At the same time, the flow of weapons from the UAE to the STC is set to be curtailed following the port attack, particularly as Saudi Arabia controls the airspace."

Saudi state television later broadcast aerial surveillance footage purporting to show the hardware moving toward a staging ground, corroborating online videos. Mukalla lies in the Hadramout governorate, recently captured by the Council, about 300 miles northeast of Aden, the interim capital for anti-Houthi forces since the 2014 fall of Sanaa.

Tuesday's action follows Saudi airstrikes on Friday, which observers interpreted as a stark ultimatum for separatists to abandon Hadramout and Mahra, AP reported. The Council had previously ejected units from the Saudi-funded National Shield Forces, a separate anti-Houthi coalition partner. Separatist affiliates have increasingly hoisted the flag of South Yemen, a sovereign state from 1967 to 1990, while demonstrators rally for renewed independence.

These maneuvers have strained ties between OPEC members Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who ostensibly maintain close relations but battle for regional clout, according to AP. Conflict has also surged in Sudan, another Red Sea state where the Gulf powers back opposing sides. On Tuesday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry explicitly linked the Council's advance to Emirati backing.

"The kingdom notes that the steps taken by the sisterly United Arab Emirates are extremely dangerous," the statement read, according to AP.Meanwhile, Israel became the first nation in 30 years to recognize Somaliland's independence. This move alarmed the Houthis, who threatened to attack any Israeli presence there.

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Sources identified the target as a dock allegedly used by the Tren de Aragua gang to store and transport narcotics. According to The New York Times, no casualties occurred as the site was empty, but the strike represents the first confirmed US operation inside Venezuela.

CNN initially broke the news, providing context to an incident President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged, overriding typical CIA secrecy.

Speaking Monday, Trump avoided operational specifics but confirmed US responsibility, The New York Times noted. "There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," Trump told reporters. "They load the boats up with drugs. So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area. It's the implementation area, that's where they implement, and that is no longer around."

While the Venezuelan government offered no direct comment, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello blasted the "imperial madness" and ongoing "harassment, threats, attacks, persecution, robberies, piracy and murders."

Both the CIA and the White House declined to comment, according to The New York Times. Trump had warned of expanding anti-Maduro measures to land targets, with the CIA compiling data on drug facilities in Colombia and Venezuela.

Previous US pressure involved seizing tankers and intercepting boats in international waters. The New York Times stated the drone strike occurred inside Venezuela, likely Wednesday, aligning with Trump's Friday remarks about an attack two days earlier. The campaign targets Tren de Aragua and Maduro, though intelligence agencies question the administration's claims of close ties between them.

Washington holds a prior indictment against Maduro and recently increased the reward for his capture to $50 million. The New York Times previously reported that Trump authorized CIA missions in Venezuela and directed the agency to prepare options.

While the CIA frequently used drones in Yemen and Pakistan under Obama, recent strikes have typically been conducted by the US military. It is unclear if the drone was CIA or military property; officials declined comment, but the Pentagon has stationed Hellfire-armed MQ-9 Reapers in Puerto Rico.

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Stafford attempted to locate an unguarded Xavier Smith to maneuver into field goal territory but missed the target. The Athletic noted that the connection might have resulted in a touchdown. The dramatic conclusion followed a clutch sequence where Zane Gonzalez converted a 51-yard field goal with just 21 seconds remaining on the clock, leaving Los Angeles with insufficient time to orchestrate a miracle response.

Prior to the winning kick, the Rams defense held firm, stopping three consecutive runs by Tyler Allgier to force the field goal attempt. The sequence was set up by Bijan Robinson, who stumbled for a short gain before taking a pitch 10 yards into scoring range. The drive heightened tension in Atlanta, with significant playoff and MVP implications at stake.

The Rams had earlier equalized the contest at 24-24 when Puka Nacua scored on a screen pass, capping a run of 21 unanswered points. The Athletic highlighted that the comeback occurred despite a holding penalty on DJ Humphries that nullified a previous touchdown pass to Nacua. Kyren Williams also contributed significantly, rushing for key gains to position the offense for the tying score.

Atlanta's defense, though fatigued, managed to secure the win. The Athletic observed that turnovers plagued Stafford throughout the evening, including an interception by Xavier Watts that was returned to the 43-yard line. Although a fumble by Stafford was negated by a defensive offside penalty on James Pearce Jr., the Rams struggled to overcome earlier mistakes, including a 21-0 halftime deficit.

Special teams played a volatile role in the contest. While Gonzalez hit the winner, an earlier 37-yard attempt was blocked by Jared Verse and returned 78 yards for a touchdown, breathing life into the Rams' efforts. The Athletic described the play as another failure for Raheem Morris' unit, though the Falcons ultimately survived the error.

Bijan Robinson delivered a historic performance, establishing a new franchise record for single-season rushing yards. His night included a spectacular 93-yard touchdown run in the second quarter where he evaded Jared Verse and outran the defense. The Athletic praised his ability to make even short gains look impressive, noting he was the engine of the Atlanta offense.

Stafford's MVP candidacy may have suffered damage during the sloppy first half, where he completed just 9 of 17 passes for 96 yards and two interceptions. One of those turnovers was a pick-six by Jessie Bates III, who returned a high throw 34 yards to establish a 14-0 lead. The Athletic noted that Stafford's attempts to force plays into double coverage backfired repeatedly.

Fan reaction to the rollercoaster game was mixed. Homer P stated, "I just don't want to see at any point Atlanta leading 28-3." Stacey R noted, "The Rams apparently can't win against the NFC South....geez, I'm having flashbacks with game against Carolina." Omar B added, "Bijan is so good." Patrick M commented, "Bad night for Stafford to throw away the MVP. Might as well play the second string and get ready for the playoffs." You can share your views via the "Discuss" tab.

Despite the loss, the Rams showed resilience by utilizing rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson for a 27-yard touchdown to break the shutout in the third quarter. However, the early deficit proved too steep. The Athletic reported that Atlanta defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich won the early strategic battle by utilizing three linebackers to confuse the Los Angeles protection schemes.

The game concluded with Bijan Robinson finding a rhythm on a screen pass to move the chains, according to the final update from the first quarter provided by The Athletic. The Falcons' ability to establish the run early and convert late ultimately decided the outcome.

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