Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Baldur's Gate 3 (director Swen Vincke pictured) wins game of the year at The Game Awards.
- At least 17 people are killed as Cyclone Michaung makes landfall in India.
- Amidst a diplomatic crisis with Guyana, Venezuela holds a referendum to advance its claim to the disputed Guayana Esequiba region.
- A bombing at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, kills four people.
- Mount Marapi erupts on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, killing 23 hikers.
December 11, 2023
(Monday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Palestinians call for a global general strike to protest the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. (Al-Jazeera)
December 10, 2023
(Sunday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Sudan
- Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Hemedti agree to meet in person before the end of the year to end the war between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces in Sudan. (AP)
Arts and culture
- Contestant Jullie Dutra wins the R$1 million top prize in the Brazilian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Gshow)
Disasters and accidents
Politics and elections
- Inauguration of Javier Milei
- Javier Milei is sworn in as the President of Argentina. (NPR)
December 9, 2023
(Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip hits areas it declared "safe zones", a day after the United States vetoed a UN resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
- The United States government uses an "emergency declaration" to allow the immediate delivery of 14,000 tank shells to Israel without congressional review. (Al Jazeera)
- At least 310 Palestinians have been killed during the last 24 hours by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera)
- A UN World Food Programme official says that displaced Palestinian families are starving on the streets of Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Sri Lankan blackouts
- A nationwide power outage occurs in Sri Lanka due to a system failure. (Reuters)
- A series of tornadoes hits Tennessee, United States, killing six people. (Reuters)
International relations
- 2023 Guayana Esequiba crisis
- The United Nations Security Council holds a closed-door meeting on the ongoing crisis between Venezuela and Guyana over the Guayana Esequiba region, but takes no immediate action. (AP)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Israel–Hamas war protests
- Tens of thousands of people protest in London, United Kingdom, calling for an immediate end to Israel’s assault on Gaza and criticizing the UK government for failing to vote in favor of a ceasefire. (Al Jazeera)
- More than 1,000 Indonesians rally in support of Palestine in Medan, North Sumatra, in front of the Maimun Palace. (Al Jazeera)
Sports
- 2023–24 NBA season
- 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament
- In basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers win the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament after defeating the Indiana Pacers 123–109 in the championship game. LeBron James is named the tournament's most valuable player. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
- 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament
- 2023 Major League Soccer season
- MLS Cup 2023
- In association football, the Columbus Crew win their third MLS Cup in franchise history, defeating the defending champions Los Angeles FC 2–1. (Columbus Dispatch)
- MLS Cup 2023
December 8, 2023
(Friday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- The United States vetoes a United Nations Security Council draft resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Thirteen other members voted in favor, while Britain abstained. (Reuters)
- The Gaza Antiquities Ministry reports that the Great Mosque of Gaza, the oldest mosque in the Gaza Strip, was destroyed by Israeli bombardment. (South China Morning Post)
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- Six Palestinians are killed when Israeli forces storm the Far'a refugee camp near Tubas in the West Bank. (AP)
- Killing of journalists in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- The International Federation of Journalists reports that 68 journalists had been killed covering the war, with the majority being Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip. (AP)
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Mexican drug war
- Eleven people are killed in fighting between villagers and a gang in Texcaltitlán, Mexico. (AP)
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The Kiel Institute reports that pledges of aid to Ukraine have significantly decreased, reaching their lowest level since the beginning of the war. The amount of aid pledged to Ukraine has dropped by nearly 90% compared to the same period in 2022. (Al Jazeera)
- Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russia launches 19 cruise missiles from Tu-95s at Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, killing at least one civilian in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and injuring several others. At least 14 missiles are intercepted. (Reuters)
- The Washington Post reports that Ukrainian men are avoiding conscription by trekking through the mountainous border with Romania and using tactics such as fake documents and disguises. (The Telegraph)
- Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán reiterated Hungary's opposition to opening European Union accession talks with Ukraine, citing concerns about Ukraine's readiness and the potential economic impact on the European Union resulting in additional costs for the EU. (The Guardian)
- Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Syrian civil war
- Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
- Syria says that an Israeli airstrike killed four people in a vehicle in Madinat al-Baath, Quneitra Governorate. Local media reports that the victims were affiliated with Iran-backed militias. Shortly after the airstrike, rocket sirens are triggered in Israel's Galilee region. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
Disasters and accidents
- Three people are killed and dozens are evacuated during a fire at a hospital in Tivoli, Lazio, Italy. (AP)
International relations
- 2023 Guayana Esequiba crisis
- Amid growing border tensions between Guyana and Venezuela, the U.S. embassy in Guyana announces that the United States Southern Command will conduct joint flight operations with the Guyana Defence Force. (Reuters)
- Armenia–Azerbaijan relations
- Armenia and Azerbaijan agree to exchange prisoners of war and work towards a peace treaty to formally end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and normalize relations. (BBC News)
Politics and elections
- 2023 Guatemalan general election
- The Guatemalan Attorney General's Office says that the results of the election are void and should be annulled, due to counting anomalies in the first round in June. (France 24)
December 7, 2023
(Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Amnesty International reports that American-made munitions were used in two Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings in Gaza that killed 43 civilians. (The Independent)
- The International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza, adding that "willfully impeding relief supplies to civilians may constitute a war crime" under the ICC Rome Statute. (Al Jazeera)
- Israel foreign minister Eli Cohen revokes United Nations humanitarian coordinator Lynn Hastings's residence visa after she stated that "nowhere is safe in Gaza" and does not have the conditions needed to send aid to people. (Al Jazeera)
- Killing of journalists in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International find that Israel targeted journalists in an attack in southern Lebanon, firing artillery shells which killed a journalist and injured six others, concluding this was likely a direct attack on civilians and should be investigated as a war crime. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
Arts and culture
- Baldur's Gate 3 wins Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023. (Polygon)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 Guyana Defence Force helicopter crash
- The Guyanese government confirms that five military officers who were in a Bell 412EP helicopter that crashed near the border with Venezuela were killed and that two others survived the crash. The helicopter went missing on Wednesday during bad weather conditions. It is the deadliest incident in Guyanese military history. (AP)
- 2023 Mahé explosion
- The Seychelles declares a state of emergency after a large explosion in an industrial area on Mahé destroys commercial buildings and nearby residential housing, injuring people and also damaging the Seychelles International Airport. A separate state of emergency is also declared for ongoing floods in the country, which have killed at least three people. (Al Jazeera)
- A Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA Strike Eagle crashes during a training mission in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing both pilots. (AP)
Law and crime
- Weiss special counsel investigation
- U.S. first son Hunter Biden is indicted on nine tax-related charges, three felonies and nine misdemeanors, in California. (AP)
- A 14-year-old girl opens fire at a school in Bryansk, Russia, killing one person and injuring five others before killing herself. (AP)
- The Danish Parliament votes to criminalize the desecration of religious texts after a series of Quran-burnings by far-right activists. (AFP via France 24)
- A woman tries to burn down the former residence of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia, US, before bystanders intervene. (NPR)
December 6, 2023
(Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Twenty-two members of a family are killed in an Israeli airstrike on the home in which they were sheltering in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invokes Article 99 of the UN Charter, urging the UN Security Council to act on the war in Gaza and adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire. (Al Jazeera)
- UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk says his "colleagues describe the situation as apocalyptic" in Gaza, with a "heightened risk of atrocity crimes". (Al Jazeera)
- The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warns that the situation in Gaza is "getting worse each minute", and that “another wave of displacement is underway" amidst further military operations by Israel. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- War in Sudan
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accuses both sides of the conflict of committing war crimes, including crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
- A Guyana Defence Force helicopter goes missing while on a border operation near Venezuela. (Newsday)
Health and environment
- Authorities says that dengue fever is on the rise in Mali, as at least 21 deaths and 600 cases linked to the disease are reported. (AP)
International relations
- China–Italy relations
- Italy withdraws from China's Belt and Road Initiative. Both countries have indicated a desire to maintain open channels of political dialogue. (AFP via The Hindu)
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The United States Senate blocks a supplemental funding bill that included financial aid for Ukraine. (The Guardian)
- International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2022 Russian crude oil price cap sanctions
- Politico reports that efforts to cap Russia's oil revenues has essentially failed, due to widespread circumvention, loopholes and the ongoing fuel business. (Politico)
- In October, Russia earned $11.3 billion from oil exports, exceeding the amount earned prior to the start of the war. (Bloomberg)
- G7 nations agree to impose trade restrictions on non-industrial diamonds from Russia. (AFP via RFI)
- 2022 Russian crude oil price cap sanctions
- Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Law and crime
- 2023 University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting
- Three people are killed and three others injured during a mass shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The perpetrator is shot dead by police. (BBC News)
- Former People's Deputy of Ukraine Illia Kyva, who defected to Russia in March 2022, is found dead in Moscow Oblast. (Meduza)
- Four people are injured in a mass shooting on a shopping street in Brussels, Belgium. The incident is being investigated as a gang-related crime. (Politico)
Politics and elections
- 118th United States Congress
- Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces that he will resign from the United States House of Representatives at the end of the year. (CBS News)
- Rwanda asylum plan
- Robert Jenrick resigns as Minister of State for Immigration, citing disagreements with the UK government's asylum plan. (AFP via NDTV)
Science and technology
- Nuclear power in China
- China announces the world's first fourth-generation nuclear reactor has started commercial operations at the Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant. (Reuters)
Sports
- In association football, the Major League Soccer (MLS) fines Los Angeles FC $100,000 and suspended supporter group 3252 for engaging in misconduct including the lighting of illegal flares during the team match in the conference finals. (Los Angeles Times)
December 5, 2023
(Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Israeli troops and tanks enter Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Displaced families in the region are heading further south to Rafah, a town on the Egyptian border. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
- More than 100 people are killed in airstrikes near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, as Israeli forces encircle the medical facility in use as a shelter. Witnesses say anyone attempting to leave was being shot at by Israeli snipers. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Israel–Lebanon border conflict
- A Lebanese soldier is killed and three others are injured by Israeli shelling in Odaisseh, southern Lebanon. (Reuters)
- At the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, Qatari prime minister Al Thani calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
- 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
Business and economy
- The DAX achieves a new record high, increasing by 0.78%, surpassing the previous record from July. (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2023 eruption of Mount Marapi
- More bodies are found by rescuers on the slopes of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, Indonesia, bringing the death toll from Sunday's volcanic eruption to 23. (AP)
- Seventeen people are killed when a bus falls into a ravine in Hamtic, Antique, Philippines. (AFP via Malay Mail)
- Fourteen people are killed and 32 others are injured when a double-decker bus veers off the road and crashes into a tree in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. (AP)
- Ten people are killed when a bus falls into a ravine after crashing into a bridge near Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (Reuters via The Straits Times)
- The Pacific Northwest of the United States experiences an atmospheric river, with record-breaking rainfall reported in Washington and Oregon. One person is killed by flooding in Portland, Oregon. (AP) (CNN)
Health and environment
- New Zealand conservationists announce the first birth of kiwi birds in the wild area around Wellington in over a century. (AFP via The Manila Times)
International relations
- Diplomatic impact of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Israel–United States relations
- The U.S. State Department announces visa restrictions for extremist Israeli settlers involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. (AFP via RFI)
- Rwanda–United Kingdom relations
- Rwanda asylum plan
- Rwanda and the United Kingdom sign a treaty in Kigali, Rwanda, on the relocation of asylum seekers to Rwanda. The new treaty will also see British lawyers stationed in Rwandan courts. (BBC News)
- Rwanda asylum plan
Law and crime
- Arrest and trial of Alberto Fujimori
- The Constitutional Court of Peru orders the release of former President Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence for crimes against humanity, reinstating a previously revoked pardon on humanitarian grounds. (AFP via France 24)
- Ecuadorian security crisis
- The National Assembly approves the Private Security and Surveillance Law, aimed at strengthening and regulating security companies to combat the country's rising crime rates. (Xinhua)
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