Portal:Current events/2019 December 23

December 23, 2019 (Monday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- A
  YPG group. (TRTWorld)
- The
  Israeli missile attack near Damascus killed three foreigners, believed to be Iranians. (Ynetnews)

War in Afghanistan

The Pentagon says a U.S. soldier has been killed in combat. The Taliban claim a roadside bomb in Char Dara District, Kunduz Province was responsible. (CBS News)
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present), Operation Barkhane
- drone strike killed seven in central Mali. (AP via The Daily Star)

2019 Iranian protests

Unknown Iranian officials claimed the death toll is 1,500 in recent crackdowns by security forces. The United States confirmed the report, including the deaths of 400 women and a dozen teenagers. (VOA)

Business and economy

Crimean Bridge
- A railway bridge over the Kerch Strait connecting Russia and Crimea, the longest in Europe, is inaugurated. (AP)
The
state-owned mining company Gécamines, relating to a €200 million loan by the sanctioned Fleurette Group. (Reuters)

Aftermath of the Boeing 737 MAX groundings
- CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, amidst ongoing controversy over the crashes and subsequent groundings of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet. (CNN)

Economy of China
- China announces the reduction of tariffs on 850 products and measures to open markets in several industries. (AP)

Health and environment

International relations

Korean peace process
- North Korea warns of a "Christmas gift" if the United States does not come up with an agreement by the end of the year. (The Guardian)

Law and crime

Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi
- A court in Saudi Arabia sentences five people to death for the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Three other defendants are given prison sentences totalling a combined 24 years, and another three are acquitted. (BBC News)
- The United Nations rapporteur on summary executions, Agnès Callamard, describes the sentence as a "mockery" of justice, since, according to her, it was an "extrajudicial execution for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible" and its masterminds walk free. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

2019 Algerian protests
- The
  heart attack. Saïd Chengriha is appointed to the post ad interim. (AP via Arab News)

2019 Jharkhand Legislative Assembly election
- In an election occurring in the midst of massive protests against the central government, the incumbent right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party is projected to lose its majority to the United Progressive Alliance parties in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. (Al Jazeera)
2019 French pension reform strike
- Around 30 protestors clash with riot police at the Gare de Lyon in Paris. (Reuters)
Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- The
  NATO integration, with Tegeltija stating his main priority is pursuing membership with the European Union. (Reuters)

Politics of Romania
- Centrist
  Prime Minister, succeeding acting Nicolae Ciucă. (Yahoo! News)