While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 20
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Mr Zelensky said he had turned down a request from the military – for now – to mobilise as many as 500,000 Ukrainians for the army.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Ukraine’s Zelensky says ‘no one knows’ when war will end
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec 19 that there was no end in sight to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as fatigue builds among Kyiv’s allies nearly two years into the war and the Kremlin voices growing confidence of victory.
Mr Zelensky said he had turned down a request from the military – for now – to mobilise as many as 500,000 Ukrainians for the army, an unpopular proposal that could hit his worsening poll ratings among Ukrainians.
His meeting with local and foreign journalists wraps a difficult year in Ukraine, with Kyiv’s forces under pressure on the front and allies wavering on military and financial backing.
“No one knows the answer,” Mr Zelensky told reporters in response to a question of whether the war with Russia could end next year. “Even respected people, our commanders and our Western partners, who say that this is a war for many years, they do not know,” he said.
US Senate will not finish Ukraine, border deal this year
EPA-EFE
The US Senate will not vote on a package to provide more aid to Ukraine and bolster US border security before early in 2024, as Democratic and Republican negotiators continue their work, chamber leaders said on Dec 19.
“Our negotiators are going to be working very, very diligently over the December and January break period, and our goal is to get something done as soon as we get back,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.
The chamber’s No. 2 Republican, Mr John Thune, also said a deal would not be reached before January.
‘Too dangerous inside’: Cold night for China quake victims
AFP
As evening brought freezing temperatures to northwestern China’s Gansu province, shellshocked residents huddled around small fires in the street, reeling after the country’s deadliest earthquake in years deprived them of shelter.
The quake, which struck in the dead of Dec 18 night, has killed at least 127 people – mostly in impoverished Gansu – and injured hundreds of others.
Near the epicentre in Dahejia, a remote town around 2,000m above sea level, a middle-aged Muslim woman wearing a black headcovering told AFP it was the first time she had experienced such a powerful earthquake.
Thai workers find decomposed human legs in shipment from US
PHOTO: THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Workers at a recycling factory in Chonburi’s Si Racha district found two human legs, decomposed to the bone, inside a shipment of recyclable cardboard paper from the United States.
The Si Racha Police Station was alerted of the gruesome find at 1pm on Dec 19.
Police rushed to the scene with officials from the Piew Yiew Thai Si Racha Foundation. There they inspected the two legs from the pelvis to the feet that had almost completely decomposed. The feet were still clad in black sneakers.
City outclass Diamonds to reach Club World Cup final
AFP
Manchester City outclassed Urawa Red Diamonds in a 3-0 victory in the King Abdullah Sports City stadium on Dec 19, to set up a Club World Cup final showdown against Brazilian side Fluminense.
European champions City were frustrated by a well-organised Japanese side during the opening half but took the lead with an own goal by Marius Hoibraten in stoppage time.
Mateo Kovacic made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute with his first goal since joining City from Chelsea and Bernardo Silva’s deflected shot a few minutes later meant City could play the rest of the game in cruise control.
