Portal:Current events/2023 December 22

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Israel–Hamas war
  • United Nations Security Council Resolution 2720
    • The UN Security Council passes a resolution on aid for Gaza. (The Independent)
• 2024 Iran–Israel conflict, Israel–Hezbollah conflict
  • Two IDF soldiers of the 188th Armored Brigade are killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack in Shtula, Upper Galilee of northern Israel.(Times Of Israel)
• Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts
  • Kashmir conflict
    • Four Indian soldiers are killed and three others are wounded after suspected rebels ambushed military vehicles in the southernmost border district of Rajouri in Kashmir. (AP)
• Islamist insurgency in the Sahel
  • Jihadist insurgency in Niger
    • The French Armed Forces complete their withdrawal from Niger, marking the end of their presence in Sahel, following demands from Niger's military junta. (AFP via France 24)
• Piracy around the Horn of Africa
  • Piracy off the coast of Somalia
    • A dhow trading vessel is seized by heavily-armed pirates near the town of Eyl off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reports, citing military authorities. (AP)
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
    • Russia launches a mass drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, striking multiple residential districts. A block of flats is damaged in Solomianskyi District, injuring at least two people, and heavy damage is also reported in Holosiivskyi District. (Reuters)
• War against the Islamic State
  • Turkey–Islamic State conflict
    • Police in Turkey arrest at least 304 people suspected of links to the Islamic State during simultaneous raids conducted across the country. (AP)
• Central African Republic Civil War
  • Suspected 3R gunmen attack an army outpost in the village of Nzakoundou, Central African Republic, killing a soldier and injuring many others, before attacking and burning civilian homes in the village and killing 20 villagers. (AP)
• Spillover of the Kivu conflict
  • Nineteen civilians and a policeman are killed, while nine other people are injured, in an attack by the RED–Tabara rebel group in Vugizo, Makamba, Burundi. (AFP via The Hindu)
• War in Sudan
  • De facto ruler of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announces that he will meet with Rapid Support Forces leader Hemedti. The announcement comes after the Rapid Support Forces took control of Gezira State from the Sudanese Armed Forces. (Radio Dabanga)

Arts and culture

• Catholic Church and homosexuality
  • A number of Catholic bishops around the world, including in Africa and Poland, say they will not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessings for same-sex couples announced by Pope Francis. (AP)

Business and economy

• Corruption in the United States
  • Delaware’s largest hospital system, ChristianaCare, will pay more than $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations by its former compliance officer that it provided kickbacks to outside doctors in return for patient referrals, resulting in fraudulent Medicaid billing. (AP)
• Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announces Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Company will open its first European EV production factory in Szeged, Hungary, and is expected to provide thousands of jobs to the region. (AP)
• China passes a series of regulations aimed at limiting video game microtransactions. The new rules include banning rewards for logging on for multiple consecutive days and banning rewards for players if they spend money in a game for the first time. (Reuters)

Health and environment

• The World Health Organization reports that reported cases of dengue globally to a record 5.2 million in 2019, with climate change and the growing spread of virus-carrying mosquitoes being the main causes. (AP)

International relations

• Algeria–Mali relations
  • Mali recalls its ambassador in Algeria after accusing it of interference in its internal affairs by meeting rebel leaders, deepening diplomatic tensions over efforts to end the separatist and Islamist insurgencies in northern Mali. (AP)

Law and crime

• Assassination of Jovenel Moïse
  • A former Colombian soldier, Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, pleads guilty to conspiring in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. (AP)
• Killing of Elijah McClain
  • A jury in Colorado, United States, convicts two paramedics of negligent homicide in Elijah McClain's death in 2019. (AFP via NDTV)
• Kenya's anti-corruption commission charges the country’s former tourism minister and two others with economic crimes for the alleged fraud of tens of millions of dollars in inflated costs for the construction of a hospitality college. (AP)
• Former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas requests asylum in Mexico. (Reuters)

Sports

• 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
  • In association football, English club Manchester City win their first Club World Cup title after defeating Brazilian club Fluminense 4–0 in the final. Rodri wins the tournament's Golden Ball award. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)