Reuters World News Summary

In his Christmas Day "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and world) address, Francis also called the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants "abominable" and again appealed for the release of around 100 hostages still being held in Gaza. Russia's Navalny tracked down to 'Polar Wolf' prison in the Arctic Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been tracked down to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle, his spokeswoman said on Monday, after supporters lost touch with him for more than two weeks.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

At least 113 killed in attacks in central Nigeria -local official

The death toll in weekend attacks in the central Nigerian state of Plateau has risen to 113, a local official said on Monday, in a region where clashes between herders and farmers are common. It is the worst outbreak of violence in Plateau since May, when more than 100 people were killed in farmer-herder attacks.

Netanyahu vows no let-up in war but UN worker says Gazans have no place to go

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep up the fight against Hamas militants, but a United Nations humanitarian team leader said Palestinian civilians in Gaza who honor Israeli evacuation orders cannot be guaranteed they will be safe. Netanyahu, who visited Israeli troops in northern Gaza on Monday, told lawmakers from his Likud Party that the war was far from over and dismissed what he cast as media speculation his government might call a halt to the fighting.

Thousands protest over Serbia election result, march to main police station

Several thousand people gathered in front of the central election commission building in Belgrade on Monday to protest over an election earlier this month that international monitors said was unfair. The protesters marched to the main police station where they believed those detained by police were being held.

Israeli airstrike in Syria kills senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards member

An Israeli airstrike outside the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday killed a senior adviser in Iran's Revolutionary Guards, three security sources and Iranian state media said. The sources told Reuters that the adviser, known as Sayyed Razi Mousavi, was responsible for coordinating the military alliance between Syria and Iran.

UK's King Charles urges compassion, care for environment in time of conflict

Britain's King Charles called on people on Monday to help those less fortunate during a time of economic hardship and global conflict, using his Christmas Day message to emphasise the importance of kindness, compassion and care for the environment. In his second Christmas message since becoming king, Charles also paid tribute to volunteers, charity workers and people working over the holidays in roles caring for others.

In Christmas Day message, pope decries Gaza's 'appalling harvest' of civilian deaths

Pope Francis said in his Christmas message on Monday that children dying in wars, including in Gaza, are the "little Jesuses of today" and that Israeli strikes there were reaping an "appalling harvest" of innocent civilians. In his Christmas Day "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and world) address, Francis also called the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants "abominable" and again appealed for the release of around 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.

Russia's Navalny tracked down to 'Polar Wolf' prison in the Arctic

Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been tracked down to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle, his spokeswoman said on Monday, after supporters lost touch with him for more than two weeks. Navalny, 47, was tracked down to the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets region, about 1,900 km (1200 miles) north east of Moscow, spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said. Navalny's lawyer managed to see him on Monday, Yarmysh said.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad reject Gaza gov. overhaul for permanent ceasefire - Egyptian sources

Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad have rejected an Egyptian proposal that they relinquish power in the Gaza Strip in return for a permanent ceasefire, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday. Two officials from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad groups later separately denied what the sources said about the talks.

Two Kuwaitis kidnapped on Iraqi desert hunting trip, officials say

Security forces are searching for two Kuwaitis who were kidnapped while on a hunting trip in a desert area in Iraq, two security officials said on Monday. A police colonel confirmed the kidnapping took place on Sunday in a desert area between Anbar and Salahuddin provinces.

Ukraine draft law proposes lowering mobilisation age to 25 from 27

Text of a draft law posted on the website of Ukraine's parliament late on Monday proposed lowering the age of those who can be mobilized for combat duty to 25 from 27. The proposed change comes as Ukraine's 22-month-old battle against Russia drags on. On Sunday, Ukraine and Russia exchanged claims over downed military aircraft, and on Monday Ukraine denied Russia's claim that its forces had seized the regional centre Maryinka in eastern Ukraine.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)