LONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William will visit Saudi Arabia in February, Kensington Palace said in a statement on Wednesday.

"His Royal Highness' visit comes as the UK and Saudi Arabia celebrate growing trade, energy and investment ties, and as the two nations approach a century of diplomatic relations," the statement said.

The trip, from February 9 to 11, will be his first official visit to Saudi Arabia.

(Reporting by William James; Editing by Catarina Demony)

AMMAN, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The rapid collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeast of the country this week triggered uncertainty over the security of around a dozen prisons and detention camps that they had been guarding, where more than 10,000 Islamic State members and thousands more women and children with ties to the group are being held.

Here is an overview of some of the most important prisons and camps holding IS-linked people in northeast Syria:

HASAKAH PRISONS UNDER SDF CONTROL

DAMASCUS, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Syria's government said a drone strike by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces killed seven of its soldiers on Wednesday, though the SDF denied this, in an incident that threatens to derail a ceasefire after days of fighting in the northeast.

The Syrian army called the attack, which it said took place as soldiers were securing a captured military base containing explosives, a dangerous escalation.

Jan 21 (Reuters) - The Syrian government has seized swathes of northern and eastern Syria from Kurdish forces, consolidating President Ahmed al-Sharaa's rule nearly 14 months after Bashar al-Assad was toppled.

The rapid turn of events has brought almost all of Syria back under the authority of the Damascus-based state, following years of conflict that fractured the country, and puts a spotlight on shifting U.S. policy.

WHAT TRIGGERED THE SYRIAN ARMY ADVANCES?

Tensions had been simmering between the government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces for months.

Jan 21 (Reuters) - Rifaat al-Assad, the brother of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad known by critics as the "butcher of Hama" for crushing an Islamist uprising in the city in 1982 before unsuccessfully challenging for power and going into exile, died on Tuesday.

He was 88. He died in the United Arab Emirates, two sources with knowledge of his passing said.

President Donald Trump has warned that Iran would be wiped "off the face of this earth" if Tehran ever succeeded in assassinating the US leader.

Arch foes Iran and the United States in recent days have threatened broadscale wars if the leaders of either country are killed.

It came as both nations traded barbs over a protest wave Tehran blames on Washington, after Trump threatened military action if more protesters were killed in a deadly crackdown by Iranian authorities.

Here are the latest developments:

- 'Set their world on fire' -

An Israeli air strike killed an AFP freelancer and two other journalists in Gaza on Wednesday, the territory's civil defence agency said, while the military said it struck "suspects" operating a drone.

Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored ceasefire in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations.

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Art student Arash was walking home through the streets of Tehran when a shotgun blast ended his life. He had not shouted slogans, joined protesters or raised a fist.

A friend, speaking by telephone from the Iranian capital, described the moment in a voice cracking with grief: Arash fell instantly, lifeless on the pavement. He was 22.

The Israeli military said it struck four crossings along the Syria-Lebanon border on Wednesday that were used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons, after earlier launching fresh strikes on the militant group in Lebanon.

"A short while ago, the (Israeli military) struck four border crossings on the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons in the area of Hermel," the military said in a statement, without providing further details.

Jan 21 (Reuters) - The number of journalists jailed worldwide declined in 2025 but remains near record highs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report on Wednesday that warned about ongoing threats to press freedoms.

The group said 330 journalists were behind bars as of December 1, down from a record high of 384 reported at the end of 2024.

The report said there were 50 journalists imprisoned in China, the most of any single country, followed by Myanmar with 30 and Israel with 29. It said that all of the journalists imprisoned in Israel were Palestinian.