December 13, 2023

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 68 of the conflict:

• The U.N. General Assembly voted 153-10 yesterday, with 23 abstentions, to adopt a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The U.S. and Israel were among those voting against the resolution, which made no mention of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. [timeline and text of resolution] [more]
• Israeli media reports that at least seven Israeli soldiers were killed in an ambush this morning in Gaza City as heavy fighting in the area continues. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 657 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to press for continued aid in fighting the Russian invasion today when he meets with senior leaders of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, who are attending a Nordic regional security and defense cooperation summit in Norway. [more]
• Officials in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv say at least 53 people in the city’s eastern Dniprovskyi district were injured today by debris from intercepted Russian missiles. Reports say at least 20 of those injured were hospitalized. [more]
• CNN cites an unnamed source as saying that an intelligence assessment provided to the U.S. Congress this week indicates that Russia, in the more than 650 days since its invasion of Ukraine began, has lost up to 87% of the total number of active-duty ground troops and two-thirds of the tanks it had prior to launching the invasion. [more]

U.S. POLITICS | Reports say House Speaker Mike Johnson intends to push today for the House to vote on a resolution formally authorizing an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Members of Congress note that an impeachment inquiry is an authorized investigation that does not necessarily lead to impeachment. [more]

NEW YORK | In a 4-3 decision yesterday, the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, ordered that new congressional district maps be drawn by the state’s bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission ahead of the 2024 elections. The new maps will replace those used in the 2022 election, which were court-mandated due to failures in the redistricting process. [more]

NEW MEXICO | The New Mexico Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments today on a state government request that local abortion restrictions passed by some cities and counties be struck down for violating the state’s constitution. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve concludes its latest two-day policy meeting today, with analysts expecting the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged for a third-straight time and to signal the possibility of multiple rate cuts in 2024 if economic indicators continue to improve. [more]

COP28 | Delegates to the U.N. COP28 climate summit in Dubai today agreed to the "UAE Consensus," a summit-ending agreement that, for the first time, calls directly for the world to transition away from the use of fossil fuels. The Consensus also calls for tripling the use of renewable energy and for doubling energy efficiency. [COP28 summary] [more]

DENGUE | According to a new report from the World Health Organization’s Pan American regional office, a record 4.1 million new dengue infections were reported in the Americas this year. Researchers say higher temperatures and increased urbanization are among the factors likely to have contributed to the mosquito-borne illness’ record infection level. [full report] [more]

POLAND | Donald Tusk was sworn in as the new prime minister of Poland today, ending a multi-day transition-of-power process that marks the end of the conservative Law and Justice Party’s eight-year rule. [more]

AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA | Following up on an agreement reached last week and on promises to begin normalizing relations, Azerbaijan and Armenia are reported to have exchanged prisoners-of-war along their shared border today. [more]

PAKISTAN | The Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan militant group, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, has claimed responsibility for the vehicle bomb attack in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province yesterday that killed 23 police officers. [more]

ARGENTINA | As part of expected economic reforms, the government of newly-installed Argentine President Javier Milei announced yesterday that it would devalue the Argentine peso by 50% against the U.S. dollar and move forward with deep cuts to public spending. [more]

SRI LANKA | Saying that Sri Lanka has made “commendable progress” in improving its economic policies and governance, the International Monetary Fund yesterday approved the release of $337 million of the Fund’s bailout package for the South Asian country. [more]

GAMING INDUSTRY | Organizers of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, announced yesterday that the annual video game industry convention is being shut down permanently. The announcement follows decisions by gaming industry giants Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to not attend the convention. [more]

R.I.P. | Emmy-winning actor Andre Braugher, best known for his work in the television shows “Homicide” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” died yesterday at the age of 61 following a short illness, according to his publicist. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army seized Nanjing, China, during the Sino-Japanese War, leading to the Nanjing Massacre, in which up to 300,000 Chinese are believed to have been killed. [more history]