While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 14
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Family members of Americans held hostage by Hamas in Gaza visited the White House and had talks with US President Joe Biden.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
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Biden meets relatives of Americans held hostage
President Joe Biden met with family members of Americans held hostage by Hamas on Dec 13, as Israel intensifies its military campaign in Gaza after a pause in fighting during which more than 100 hostages were released.
Relatives of the Americans who are deemed unaccounted for after the Palestinian militant group’s deadly Oct 7 attack on Israel attended the gathering at the White House, either in person or by phone.
Hamas gunmen took 240 people hostage when they burst through the border with Israel and killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
A seven-day truce saw more than 100 hostages released, including four Americans. The rest are still being held incommunicado as Israel bombards Gaza in an effort to destroy its Hamas rulers and fighters.
Israelis say Hamas must be crushed despite Gaza casualties
REUTERS
Israeli citizens said on Dec 13 that the army should not back off from its unrelenting offensive to crush Hamas, despite the UN General Assembly’s ceasefire call, the growing list of troop casualties and a spiralling Palestinian death toll in Gaza.
Israel’s military suffered one of the deadliest days in the two-month-old Gaza war on Dec 12, with a colonel among 10 soldiers killed, bringing the toll to 115 - almost double the number killed during clashes in the coastal enclave nine years ago.
And with much of the enclave laid to waste, conditions dire and more than 18,500 Palestinians killed in the Israeli army’s air and ground assault, US President Joe Biden said the “indiscriminate” bombing of Gazan civilians was costing Israel international support.
Republicans say they’re weighing Biden immigration offer
EPA-EFE
President Joe Biden has offered changes to US border policy that raises the prospects of a bipartisan deal on immigration and aid to Ukraine, Republican senators said on Dec 13.
Republicans met behind closed doors to evaluate the verbal offer, which emerged after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with senators for nearly two hours on Dec 12 evening.
The offer would give the president expanded authority to deport migrants once a certain number of undocumented migrants have crossed the border, Republican Senator Thom Tillis said.
Hungary, Brussels lock horns before Ukraine decision
Hungary and the European Union’s executive locked horns on Dec 13 over Ukraine’s bid to join the wealthy bloc, aggravating a dispute that could hold up Kyiv’s membership drive and was set to overshadow an EU summit.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reaffirmed his opposition to offering neighbouring Ukraine fast-track accession at this week’s summit, saying parliament this would not serve the interests of Hungary or the 27-member EU.
Raising the stakes, the executive European Commission reminded Hungary it had still not taken the final step needed to unlock billions of euros in funds, frozen over concerns that Mr Orban has damaged democratic checks and balances in his country.
City youngsters shine in Champions League clean sweep
AFP
Manchester City completed a perfect Champions League group stage as 20-year-olds Micah Hamilton and Oscar Bobb scored their first goals for the club in a 3-2 win at Red Star Belgrade on Dec 13.
The defending champions had already secured their place in the last 16 as Group G winners, allowing Pep Guardiola the luxury to make nine changes.
Bobb and Hamilton were two of the youngsters given their chance to shine on European football’s biggest stage and revelled in the occasion.
