Portal:Current events/2023 October 12

October 12, 2023 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Arab–Israeli conflict
- Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)
  - Syria says that Israel has launched airstrikes on the international airports of Damascus and Aleppo, taking both out of service. Air defences are activated in response to the attacks, and no casualties are reported. (Reuters)
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  - Israel–Hamas war
    - 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip
      - Three of five water plants in Gaza are inoperable due to the Israeli bombings and a lack of fuel, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. (India Today)
      - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says that life-saving supplies, including food, fuel and water, must be allowed into Gaza. (NHK)
      - Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz says that the blockade of Gaza will not end until all Israeli hostages are released by Hamas. (BBC News)
      - Former Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth says that the ongoing attacks on Palestinian civilians, carried out by Israel, could constitute a war crime. (Daily Post)
      - The Norwegian Refugee Council calls for humanitarian corridors to be established in order to allow the safe passage of personnel and relief supplies into Gaza. (NRC)
    - The United Nations says that nearly 339,000 people have been displaced in Gaza by ongoing Israeli bombing raids. (The Jakarta Post)
    - At least 51 people are killed and 281 others are injured in Israeli air strikes on neighborhoods in Gaza City. (AP) (Ynet News)
    - The death toll in Gaza increases to 1,200, with nearly 5,600 others injured. The death toll in Israel surpasses 1,400. (Le Monde)
    - Israeli settlers kill a Palestinian father and son during a funeral in the West Bank. (Al Arabiya)
    - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt denies rumors that the Rafah border crossing is closed, asserting that the crossing remains operational and has not been closed since the beginning of the blockade. The ministry also calls upon the international community to send humanitarian aid to Palestine through the El Arish International Airport. (Al-Ahram)
Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Attacks in Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
  - Three people are killed and two others are injured in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, after debris from a downed Ukrainian drone hit several houses. (Al Jazeera)
- Battle of Avdiivka
  - Ukraine says that Russia has begun an assault on the city of Avdiivka, in Donetsk Oblast, supported by tanks and armored vehicles. (The New York Times)

Business and economy

International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva confirms that Zambia, the first African nation to default following the COVID-19 pandemic, has agreed to a debt agreement with foreign creditors concerning US$6.3 billion of its debt. (AFP via Business Recorder)

Health and environment

2023 Zimbabwe cholera outbreak
- Zimbabwe bans gatherings of more than 50 people amid a cholera outbreak in the country. (The Guardian)

International relations

Iran–United States relations, Iran–Qatar relations
- U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo announces that the United States and Qatar will block Iran from receiving $6 billion transferred from South Korea to Qatar last month as part of a prisoner swap. (NBC News) (The Washington Post)
The United Nations Human Rights Council extends a special rapporteur's mandate to investigate human rights violations in Russia for an additional year, despite Russia's previous refusal to recognize the rapporteur's mandate or permit their entry into the country. (AFP via Barron's)

Law and crime

1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal
- Multinational investment bank Goldman Sachs sues the Malaysian government for alleged violations of a 2020 settlement related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, filing the case at the London Court of International Arbitration. (AFP via The Manila Times)
2023 Gabonese coup d'état
- Former first lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba is jailed by the ruling military junta. (AFP via France 24)
Death of Elijah McClain
- An Aurora Police Department officer who was involved in the arrest of Elijah McClain is found guilty of negligent homicide and third-degree assault, while another officer is acquitted of manslaughter and assault charges. (CNN)
Israel–Hamas war protests
- Rallies in support of Palestine take place around the world, including in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain. (DD News) (KTBS)
- French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announces that France will ban all pro-Palestinian protests in the country. (Politico EU)
United States Senator Bob Menendez is charged with acting as a foreign agent for Egypt while serving as a member of the United States Senate. (ABC News)

Politics and elections

2023 Malagasy presidential election
- Madagascar's constitutional court postpones the upcoming election from November 9 to November 16, amid a political crisis involving protests against the Ntsay government following President Andry Rajoelina's resignation. (AFP via Barron's)
October 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election
- Steve Scalise withdraws his candidacy for House Speaker a day after being nominated, citing a lack of sufficient support from the Republican Party in the U.S. House. (The Washington Post)