5 shot at adult education facility in Sweden, police say
Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Image
(LONDON) — At least five people were shot on Tuesday at an adult education facility in Orebro, Sweden, police said.
“The extent of the injuries is unclear,” police said. “The operation is still ongoing.”
Police said the shooter may be among the injured being treated at the hospital, but said “nothing is clear yet.” Five people have been taken to the hospital. Officials cannot confirm if anyone has died, and no ages of the victims have been given yet.
Officials said in a statement they were urging the public to stay away from the Risbergska Skolan, a municipal education center in the Vasthaga area of Orebro. The school is for students over 20 years old, according to its website.
Law enforcement in the Bergslagen region began at about 1 p.m. local time to post a series of short statements, saying initially that a “major operation” was underway and the school was under threat of “deadly violence.”
Police set up an information point for relatives to gather, and students were sent to nearby facilities.
“The danger is not over,” Police said at about 2 p.m. “The public MUST continue to stay away from Västhaga.”
The school is about 200 km, or about 125 miles, west of Stockholm, the capital.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
(TOKYO and LONDON) — A tsunami advisory has now been lifted after an earlier warning in the wake of a strong earthquake Monday off the coast of Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture, officials said.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake’s preliminary magnitude at 6.8. The Japan Meteorological Agency said it had an intensity of lower 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7.
The quake began at around 9:19 p.m. local time, with its epicenter a few miles offshore at a depth of about 19 miles, Japanese and American officials said.
The Japanese weather agency had issued a tsunami advisory for Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures, with expected heights of about 1 meter. One tsunami wave measuring about 8 inches reached some coasts and ports at about 10 p.m., authorities said. They warned residents to continue staying away from the coast and other waterways.
In Kochi Prefecture, residents of some areas were advised to evacuate.
Japanese weather officials said about an hour after the quake that they were still gathering information about disruptions. Some train services were halted, and it was unclear when they would be restarted.
Authorities warned that aftershocks and other jolts may still arrive, so residents should stay in a safe place. Residents were cautioned be wary of broken glass or other debris.
Significant damage has not yet been reported, and there have been no abnormalities in the radiation levels or operations in regional nuclear power plants, officials said.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on European nations to “step up” to help secure a lasting peace in Ukraine, committing for the first time to deploying British soldiers to the country to support any deal agreed with Russia.
“We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent,” Starmer wrote in an op-ed for The Telegraph published on Sunday. “This is not only a question about the future of Ukraine — it is existential for Europe as a whole.”
“The U.K. is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine,” the prime minister wrote, noting the country’s commitment to spending nearly $4 billion to support Kyiv’s forces until at least 2030.
“But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary,” Starmer continued.
“I do not say that lightly,” he added. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way. But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent and the security of this country.”
Starmer’s commitment makes him one of few NATO leaders to have suggested putting allied boots on the ground inside Ukraine to support any future peace deal. French President Emmanuel Macron has previously been at the forefront of such proposals, with Baltic states including Estonia and Lithuania also among those expressing willingness.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently concrete security guarantees from Western partners are a vital part of any peace deal with Russia, and a necessary deterrent of renewed aggression from Moscow. Allies have been cool on — or outright opposed to — Ukraine’s ambition for rapid NATO accession and subsequent protection under the bloc’s Article 5 collective defense clause.
The offer of British troops comes after a turbulent week in NATO-Ukraine relations, with President Donald Trump unilaterally announcing the beginning of direct peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top officials making clear the limits of U.S. backing for Kyiv.
In the run up to last weekend’s Munich Security Conference in southern Germany, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Ukraine will not be offered NATO membership in the near future, that Kyiv will not be able to liberate all occupied territory and that American troops will not be sent to the country as part of any peace deal.
Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance also hit out at European allies for doing too little to support Ukraine, contain Russia and bolster their own military readiness. The continent must “step up in a big way,” Vance said, while also rattling European allies by claiming they have failed to address issues of migration and free speech.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has continued its push for a deal with Ukraine to secure access to some $500 billion worth of rare earth metals. Zelenskyy refused to approve a draft of the agreement this weekend, telling the Associated Press that the deal “is not ready to protect us, our interest.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio flew to Saudi Arabia on Monday — where he will be joined by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff — for the expected beginning of talks with top Russian officials.
In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Witkoff said the U.S. delegation will “be having meetings at the direction of the president. And, hopefully, we’ll make some really good progress with regard to Russia-Ukraine.”
Pushed on whether Kyiv will be pressured into specific concessions, Witkoff responded, “I’m not dismissive of the details. They’re important. But I think the beginning here is trust-building.”
“It’s getting everything to understand that this war does not continue, that it should end,” he added. “That’s what the president has directed us to do, to negotiate a proper ending of this war. No more death.”
The mission to Riyadh comes days after Trump said he spoke with Putin over the phone about starting negotiations, adding he expected an eventual in-person meeting with the Russian leader in Saudi Arabia.
It remains unclear whether Ukraine will be involved in the negotiations. Kyiv and its European allies have urged the White House to facilitate roles for Ukrainian and European leaders in the talks.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, flew to the neighboring United Arab Emirates for an official visit. The nation has played a prominent role in Kyiv-Moscow prisoner exchange talks during the war.
“Our top priority is bringing even more of our people home from captivity,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “We will also focus on investments and economic partnership, as well as a large-scale humanitarian program.”
The president’s office told ABC News that Zelenskyy will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a pre-planned bilateral visit.
Zelenskyy told NBC News on Sunday that his nation will “never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia” made regarding Ukraine’s future without Kyiv’s participation.
Fierce fighting and long-long attacks continue as Kyiv and Moscow prepare for the revival of talks. On Sunday night, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 147 drones into the country, 83 of which were downed and 59 jammed.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said it shot down 90 Ukrainian drones.
ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Selina Wang contributed to this report.
DECEMBER 30: Palestinians taking shelter in tent camps are battling harsh weather conditions as heavy rainfall has flooded their tents on December 30, 2024 in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. The ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza are worsen by the severe storms, which have led to widespread flooding in the camps where thousands have sought shelter. (Photo by Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Rebel forces in Syria are building a transitional government after toppling the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.
The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza, particularly in the north of the strip around several Palestinian hospitals.
Meanwhile, the November ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.
Ukraine foreign minister meets Syrian leader in Damascus
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Monday met with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa — also known by nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.
Sybiha became the latest foreign representative to meet with Sharaa in Damascus, where the latter’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham forces and their allies are establishing a transitional government having toppled former President Bashar Assad.
Sybiha wrote on X that he “personally conveyed the message” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We are with you and ready to assist in restoring normal life, stability and food security,” Sybiha said.
“We rely on the new Syria respecting international law, including Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added. “This will pave the way to fully restoring our diplomatic ties, political dialogue and diplomatic presence. We are ready to develop cooperation in a number of areas.”
The visit came days after Zelenskyy announced Kyiv’s dispatch of 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria as part of the “Grain from Ukraine” humanitarian program in cooperation with the World Food Program.
Gaza hospitals become ‘battlegrounds,’ WHO chief says
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said early Monday that Gaza’s beleaguered hospitals “have once again become battlegrounds and the health system is under severe threat.”
Ghebreyesus said the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north Gaza town of Beit Lahia “is out of service,” following an Israeli raid which itself came after several weeks of encirclement and bombardment.
Israeli forces raided the compound on Friday, forcibly evacuating all remaining patients and staff. The Israel Defense Forces said it detained 240 alleged militants, among them hospital director Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya. The IDF said the hospital was a “command center” for Hamas “military operations” in the surrounding area.
Ghebreyesus said Safiya’s “whereabouts are unknown. We call for his immediate release.”
Kamal Adwan patients were transferred to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, both of which have also reported repeated Israeli attacks. The latter “is itself out of function,” Ghebreyesus said.
“Seven patients along with 15 caregivers and health workers remain at the severely damaged Indonesian Hospital, which has no ability to provide care,” he added.
Four patients were detained by the IDF during their transfer out of Kamal Adwan Hospital, the WHO chief said.
Two other facilities — the Al-Ahli Hospital and Al-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza City — were also attacked and sustained damage on Monday, Ghebreyesus said.
“We repeat: stop attacks on hospitals,” he wrote. “People in Gaza need access to health care. Humanitarians need access to provide health aid. Ceasefire!”
Family of Gaza hospital director asks international community to help find him
The family of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, is pleading with the international community to help learn his whereabouts, alleging he was detained by Israeli forces during a recent raid on the medical facility.
The family posted a message on Abu Safiya’s official Instagram page, on which the doctor had been posting updates about the hospital’s functioning, pleading, “We do not know the fate of our father.”
“We appeal to every compassionate individual and all international organizations and institutions to take action,” said the family, asking the international community to apply media pressure and make appeals to “help us push for his swift release from captivity.”
The message said Abu Safiya is still recovering from injuries he suffered a month ago while working at the hospital.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement released on Saturday that Abu Safiya is suspected of being a Hamas terrorist and is being held in Gaza.
Abu Safiya had not been arrested in previous IDF raids of the hospital.
-ABC News’ Camilla Alcini and Nadine Shubailat
IDF issues statement on Kamal Adwan Hospital raid
The IDF released a statement outlining their operations in and around Kamal Adwan Hospital in the last few days.
The Israel Defense Forces said the hospital was a “command center” for Hamas “military operations in Jabaliya,” although the statement and attached media do not provide corroborating evidence of this.
The statement says the IDF faced heavy fighting in areas near the hospital, and says the IDF detained 240 terrorists, including the director of the hospital, Dr Hossam Abu Safiya, whom it says is is “suspected of being a Hamas terrorist operative.”
Abu Safiya was one of the only male staff members at the hospital not detained during the IDF’s raid of the hospital in October, and he would have helped coordinate numerous resupply and patient evacuations with Israel over the last several months.
Kamal Adwan is the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza and is operating at a limited capacity due to a lack of medical supplies and the repeated attacks on the hospital.
