[Fletch]

Silent Night / The News 2023

Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
All is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace

Good Evening. This is the News.

In Dubai the COP 28 conference on climate change has commenced. In his opening address the UN’s Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, told the attendee’s “Do or do not. There is no try”.

COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber said allegations of duplicity made against him at the conference are aimed to undermine his COP28 presidency. As well as being the COP28 president, Mr Jaber is also CEO of the UAE’s giant state oil company, Adnoc, the second largest oil producer in the world.

Irish singer-songwriter and Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has died aged 65, following a recent hospital stay after being diagnosed with encephalitis. MacGowan also had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol.

In the Middle east, after a 7 day ceasefire and the release 110 hostages, Israel once again commenced it’s bombardment of Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry said 178 civilians had been killed in the renewed attacks. Whilst Hamas launched rockets into Israel.

In Russia, Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing Russian troop numbers by 15% to assist the war effort in the Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zalensky has said his forces have gained a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river.

Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger has died. The German-born former diplomat passed away at his home in Connecticut at the age of 100. In 1973, Kissinger was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize after negotiating the Paris Peace Accords to end US involvement in the Vietnam War.

And that’s the latest edition of the News. Goodnight