Portal:Current events/2023 December 8

December 8, 2023 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Israel–Hamas war
- 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)
Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 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)
- Military aid to 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)
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)

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)
Accession of Ukraine to the European Union
- 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 EU. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Mexican authorities raid and close 31 pharmacies in Ensenada, Baja California. The pharmacies were found to be selling counterfeit and fentanyl-laced pills. Working with marines and health inspection authorities, they seized 4,681 medication boxes suspected of being offered for sale without proper safety measures. (AP)

Science and technology

Chinese space program
- Zhuque-2 successfully launches into orbit as the first rocket to achieve this using fuel composed of methane, the same as SpaceX's Starship. (Al Jazeera)

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)