***
## International News Digest
**POLAND: PRESS FREEDOM CONTROVERSY**
A significant controversy erupted in the corridors of Poland’s Sejm (lower house of parliament) after Senator Wojciech Skurkiewicz of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party allegedly accosted a female journalist and attempted to seize her microphone. The incident occurred on December 11th as Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz of TVP Info questioned Skurkiewicz regarding Poland’s potential role in Ukraine peace negotiations.
Viral footage shows the senator reaching toward the journalist’s neck and microphone, stating, “I am shutting down your mic.” The journalist immediately pulled back, asserting, “Please do not touch me.” The senator angrily retorted, “Exactly, I am asking you to shut it down.” The journalist later condemned the action as a violation of her dignity before departing.
Skurkiewicz’s aggressive action has ignited a widespread public debate in Poland regarding the boundaries between media professionals and political figures. The move has raised serious questions about journalistic liberty and sparked public outrage against what many social media users have condemned as uncivil and intimidating behavior toward the press.
**MIDDLE EAST AND THE WAR ZONE**
**Gaza Disaster:** The Gaza Strip is facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions following the impact of ‘Storm Byron.’ Intense rainfall, high winds, and the resulting collapse of vulnerable structures led to the deaths of at least 14 Palestinians, including several children.
**West Bank Settlements and Reconstruction Funding:** Israeli authorities have formally legalized 19 unauthorized Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Concurrently, the UN Special Representative for Palestine has issued a strong call, arguing that nations providing military weaponry to Israel—specifically the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy—should bear the responsibility for funding the subsequent reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
**Diplomatic and Security Updates:**
* **Global Appointments:** Former Iraqi President Barham Salih has been appointed as the new head of the United Nations Refugee Agency.
* **US Seizure:** U.S. Special Forces conducted a raid last month in the Indian Ocean, intercepting and seizing defensive equipment from a vessel traveling from China to Iran.
* **Iran Arrest:** Iran has arrested 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.
* **Russia-Ukraine:** Russia launched attacks on two Ukrainian ports, resulting in one confirmed injury.
* **Summit Meetings:** Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a recent summit in Turkmenistan.
**UNITED STATES LEGAL AND IMMIGRATION NEWS**
**H-1B Visa Challenge:** Twenty U.S. state governments have filed a federal lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s proposed rule that would impose a $100,000 fee on the H-1B visa program.
**Immigration Status Revoked:** The U.S. has terminated the Temporary Legal Status previously granted to Ethiopian migrants.
**Tragic Violence:** A tragic incident in Texas saw a 15-year-old boy fatally shoot his girlfriend’s mother and her siblings.
**CANADA AND INTERNATIONAL CRIME**
In Brampton, Canada, authorities arrested three Indian-origin truck drivers following a shooting incident between two rival trucking groups, although one suspect reportedly remains at large.
