WORLD BRIEFING: December 20, 2023
Israel - Hamas War
Hamas' political chief is in Egypt for talks on the Israel-Gaza conflict. The visit comes after Israel proposed a pause in fighting in exchange for the release of about 40 hostages, although an Israel official said they were not near a deal yet. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will vote Wednesday on a Gaza resolution, sources say. The vote has been delayed as diplomats work on language that would gain a "yes," or at least an abstention by the US, which vetoed a previous ceasefire motion - CNN
Half of Gaza's population is starving and residents are often going entire days without eating under Israel's bombardment of the enclave of more than 2 million people, the UN's World Food Programme said.
The Hamas-run Palestinian health authorities are reporting that the death toll in Gaza has now exceeded 20,000.
Ukraine War
The U.S. Senate will not vote on a package to provide more aid to Ukraine and bolster U.S. border security before early next year, as Democratic and Republican negotiators continue their work, chamber leaders said on Tuesday."Our negotiators are going to be working very, very diligently over the December and January break period, and our goal is to get something done as soon as we get back," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters. The chamber's No. 2 Republican, John Thune, also said a deal would not be reached before January. "Democrats have run out the clock to the point where getting a substantive border security deal passed before Christmas is impossible," he said on the Senate floor. In a joint statement, Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said negotiators "are making encouraging progress" but "challenging issues remain." - Reuters
President Zelensky said his military has asked for an additional 500,000 troops as Ukraine claims Putin’s forces have been hit by a disease outbreak - The Independent
Poll: Zelensky tops list as most trusted Ukrainian political figure. Zelensky came in first, with 77% saying he is trustworthy, followed by comedian, public figure, and noted fundraiser Serhii Prytula with 69%, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in third place with 52% - Kyiv Independent
Elsewhere
A divided Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday declared former President Donald Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot, setting up a likely showdown in the nation’s highest court to decide whether the front-runner for the GOP nomination can remain in the race. The decision from a court whose justices were all appointed by Democratic governors marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate - AP
Polish state TV channel TVP Info has been taken off air after Prime Minister Donald Tusk's new government moved to depoliticise public media. Parliament in Warsaw backed a resolution on Tuesday night calling for independence, objectivity and pluralism in public TV and radio - BBC