Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2023 Israel–Hamas war
  • 2023 Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis
    • 2023 Israel–Hamas ceasefire
      • Hamas releases two Thai migrant workers, 10 Israeli hostages and a pet dog, while Israel releases 30 Palestinian prisoners. (The Times of Israel) (AP via ABC News)
  • Israeli incursions in the West Bank
    • Two Palestinians are killed during clashes with Israeli Defense Forces in the West Bank. (The Times of Israel)
• Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Eastern Ukraine campaign
    • Battle of Avdiivka
      • Russian forces advance on "all sides" of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine as they move to encircle the city. Heavy fighting is reported for control of the Avdiivka Coke Plant. (Reuters) (The Independent)
• New People's Army rebellion
  • The Philippine government and communist rebels, represented by the National Democratic Front, agree to resume peace talks after six years. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2023 Uttarakhand tunnel rescue
  • Rescuers in Uttarakhand, India, successfully drill through to 41 men trapped for over two weeks following a tunnel collapse. (CNN)
• A rock burst at a coal mine in Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang, China, kills eleven miners. (AP via ABC News)
• Four miners are killed and another is injured after a water pipeline ruptured inside a coal mine in Jaworzno, Poland. (AP)
• Three people are killed in an explosion at a business in Hillsboro, Ohio, United States. (WHIO)

International relations

• Expo 2030
  • Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh is chosen to host the 2030 World Expo, over South Korean port city Busan and Rome for the event expected to draw millions of visitors. (GDN Online)
• Finland–Russia relations
  • Finland closes the entire border with Russia after accusing the Russian government of facilitating the entry of asylum seekers into the country. (The Guardian)
• Russia–United States relations
  • A Russian district court extends American journalist Evan Gershkovich's detention on espionage charges until January 30, 2024. (AFP via France 24)

Law and crime

• Hijab and burka controversies in Europe
  • The Court of Justice of the European Union rules that employees can be banned from wearing "signs of religious belief", such as Islamic hijabs, in all European Union member states. (The Independent via Yahoo! News)
• Regulation of electronic cigarettes
  • The Australian government announces a ban on the import of disposable electronic cigarettes, effective January 1, 2024, in an effort to reduce nicotine addiction in children and young adults. (BBC News)