Israeli Forces advanced into the southern Gaza Strip,where they entered the city of Khan Younis,and reportedly encircled the residence of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar,and UN Secretary-General António Guterres invoked Article 99 over concerns that the Gaza war may threaten international peace,as the US vetoed a UN resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire.Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken alleged that there's a "gap" in Israel's intent to protect civilians,Israel probed claims that unidentified investors may have been aware of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack,US and Israeli officials investigated allegations that Israeli intelligence knew about Hamas' plans a year in advance,and a coalition of human rights groups attempted to block the Netherlands from sending fighter jet parts to Israel.Elsewhere, the World Food Programme suspended its food distribution in northern Yemen,the US claimed that the warring factions in Sudan have committed war crimes,a Nigerian military drone mistakenly killed at least 85 civilians,and an international watchdog warned that at least 94 media professionals have been killed in conflict zones this year.In other news, US Sen. Tommy Tuberville lifted his nine-month-long hold on military promotions,a draft report warned that the US is struggling to keep up with China's arms production,and the UK found that its military faces a £16.9B equipment shortfall.

On Monday, the US White House warned that time is running out to approve more funding for Ukraine,as the US Senate failed to agree on a $110B Democrat-proposed security package that earmarks $60B for Kyiv on Tuesday.Amid the deadlock, US Pres. Joe Biden said he's willing to make "significant compromises" to push the proposal through, though the bill was blocked in the Senate on Wednesday.Meanwhile, following a Qatar-brokered deal, Russia returned six children that Kyiv claimed were forcibly displaced to Ukraine on Tuesday,while Ukraine was accused of assassinating two pro-Russia officials.

Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin announced his re-election bid for 2024,as he made a rare foreign trip to the Middle East,Moscow was accused of hacking British politicians,Hungary submitted a draft proposal to oppose Ukraine's potential entry to the EU,and Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to work toward a peace deal.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial resumed following a pause due to the war in Gaza,the US House passed a resolution declaring that anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism,the US Justice Department claimed that longtime US diplomat Manuel Rocha spied for Cuba,former Peruvian Pres. Alberto Fujimori was released from prison,and Guinea-Bissau's parliament was dissolved after a failed coup.In other news, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a COVID inquiry,the UK revealed new measures for its "biggest-ever" migration cut,as its immigration minister resigned amid concerns over a bill to enable deportation flights to Rwanda,and the UN issued a call to rescue hundreds of Rohingya adrift on the Andaman Sea.

Four Republican presidential hopefuls clashed at the party's fourth debate,Liz Cheney considered running for president,Doug Burgum suspended his GOP presidential nomination,and Kevin McCarthy announced plans to quit Congress.Meanwhile, Biden suggested that he's only running for president to counter former Pres. Donald Trump,Trump said he'll only be a dictator on "day one" if he's re-elected,and the judge overseeing Trump's New York civil fraud trial denied his fourth mistrial motion.In other news, Hunter Biden was indicted on nine tax charges,the US House censured Rep. Jamaal Bowman for falsely pulling a fire alarm,and the Biden administration forgave $4.8B in student debt for 80K borrowers.

A lawsuit alleged that the US is funding enterprises that blacklist conservative news outlets,a US senator claimed that foreign governments are using push notifications for spying,a Texas judge approved an exception to allow a woman to receive an emergency abortion,and the UK's women and equalities minister claimed that the nation is facing an "epidemic" of children being told they're trans.Meanwhile, three elite college presidents testified at a US Congressional antisemitism hearing,Denmark passed a law to ban Quran burnings,and thousands in New Zealand protested the government's plan to reverse several Indigenous policies.

California-based DNA tester 23andMe confirmed that hackers accessed the data of 6.9M people,and the family members of three shooting victims at a Dollar General in Jacksonville sued the store.

The Hollywood actors union approved a new three-year contract,New Mexico filed a lawsuit against Meta over child safety concerns,and a former Tesla employee claimed that the company's self-driving cars aren't safe for public roads.Meanwhile, X reported that it has so far added 10M users in December,McDonald's prepared to launch its new beverage chain CosMc's,and Spotify announced plans to cut 1.5K workers.

Cambridge University researchers found that some mRNA vaccines can produce an unintended immune response,Europe reported an increase in child pneumonia cases amid an outbreak in China,and a study warned that a third of new mothers worldwide experience long-term health issues after childbirth.Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease,scientists found a blood test that can check how fast a person's organs age,and France's National Assembly backed a proposal to ban disposable vapes.

A study warned that the Earth is nearing five climate tipping points,a volcanic eruption in Indonesia killed at least 23,India faced deadly flooding from Cyclone Michaung,and flash floods in Tanzania killed dozens.

US crude oil inventories slumped to their lowest level since June,and nonfarm payrolls in the US rose by 199K in November.

The EU agreed on a landmark AI regulation deal,Google claimed that its new AI model Gemini outperforms ChatGPT,and Meta launched end-to-end encryption on Facebook and Messenger.