Latest News Headlines for Wednesday December 27, 2023 – Israel escalated its offensive against Hamas, launching heavy strikes across central and southern Gaza overnight and into Wednesday. This included areas where Palestinians had been instructed to seek shelter earlier in the conflict.
Residents reported substantial bombing in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza and the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, where tens of thousands sought refuge amid the destruction of northern Gaza. Rami Abu Mosab described it as a night of unprecedented bombing since the conflict’s onset.
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Ukrainian officials reported that Russia fired almost 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukraine, shelling a train station in Kherson where around 140 civilians were gathered.
This attack resulted in at least five deaths and extensive power outages in the southern city. The bombardment struck residential areas, a mall, and the power grid, leaving approximately 70% of households in Kherson without electricity during the winter. The timing and restoration of power remain uncertain.
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The United Nations appointed the outgoing deputy prime minister of the Netherlands, Sigrid Kaag, to oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
This appointment follows a UN Security Council resolution addressing the crisis in the Palestinian enclave. Kaag, named senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and verify humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza. She will also establish a UN mechanism to expedite aid delivery through states not party to the conflict.
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In contrast to the dismal performance last year, the stock market surged to record highs in 2023.
The S&P 500, tracking most people’s 401(k)’s, rose nearly 25%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 13%, and the Nasdaq, dominated by tech stocks, soared an impressive 44%. The central question facing Wall Street is whether the positive momentum will continue. The remarkable performance is largely attributed to optimism about the prospects for a “soft landing.”
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Missing Texas teen Savanah Nicole Soto, who was due to give birth any day, and her boyfriend have been found dead following a multi-day search, a family member confirmed Tuesday.
Soto and her boyfriend Matthew Guerra, who was also reported missing, were found dead inside a vehicle, a family member told CBS San Antonio affiliate KENS 5. The Leon Valley Police Department earlier told CBS News that Soto, 18, was reported missing by her family and was last seen on Friday, Dec. 22, a day before she was scheduled to be induced.
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A fire at the Tides at Meadowbrook Apartment complex in East Fort Worth on Christmas Eve resulted in one fatality and over two dozen people becoming homeless.
The building’s neighbor, Kyron Kelly, described the shock upon hearing sirens while celebrating Christmas with his family.
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Two Indiana fishermen happened upon a crashed motorist who survived almost a week by drinking rainwater while trapped in his mangled truck after it overturned into a creek, police said.
“Quite frankly, it’s a miracle that he’s alive,” Indiana State Police spokesperson sergeant Glen Fifield said during a press briefing Tuesday, after the 27-year-old driver was freed from the truck with severe, potentially life-threatening injuries.
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Tom Smothers, who was half of the Smothers Brothers comedy team, died Tuesday at the age of 86 following a battle with cancer, the National Comedy Center announced Wednesday.
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” his brother and comedy partner, Dick Smothers, said in a statement. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years.”
