WASHINGTON (AP) — A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President Joe Biden. The impasse is deepening in Congress despite dire warnings from the White House about the consequences of inaction as Republicans insist on pairing the aid with changes to America’s immigration and border policies.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidates are crossing paths again in Iowa just days after a fractious debate and with the leadoff caucuses about a month away.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy are aiming to make the campaign case Saturday — this time without the others interrupting — in northwest Iowa, a more rural, conservative corner of the state.

ISTANBUL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called for the United Nations Security Council to be reformed, decrying the fact that the United States could veto a ceasefire proposal for Gaza despite huge support from other countries.

"The United Nations Security Council demand for ceasefire is rejected only by U.S. veto. Is this justice?," Erdogan said in a human rights conference in Istanbul.

"The U.N. Security Council needs to be reformed," he added.

DUBAI, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The European Union's climate chief on Saturday heavily criticised an attempt by OPEC to derail a COP28 deal on phasing out fossil fuels, calling the move by the oil producers' club "unhelpful" and "out of whack".

Nearly 200 countries meeting in Dubai for the U.N.'s COP28 climate summit are debating whether to agree, for the first time, to eventually end the world's use of fossil fuels, the main cause of climate change.

KYIV, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine on Saturday strongly condemned Russian plans to hold presidential elections next spring on occupied territory, declaring them "null and void" and pledging to prosecute any observers sent to monitor them.

Russia's upper house set the country's presidential election this week for next March, and chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko said residents in four occupied Ukrainian regions would be able to vote for the first time.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, yesterday urged the international community to make every possible effort, to bring an end to the suffering of the people in Gaza.

“The people of Gaza are looking into the abyss. The international community must do everything possible to end their ordeal,” the UN chief told the Security Council’s emergency meeting, on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

(AP) --- Vladimir Putin on Friday moved to prolong his repressive and unyielding grip on Russia for at least another six years, announcing his candidacy in the presidential election next March that he is all but certain to win.

Putin still commands wide support after nearly a quarter-century in power, despite starting an immensely costly war in Ukraine that has taken thousands of his countrymen’s lives, provoked repeated attacks inside Russia — including one on the Kremlin itself — and corroded its aura of invincibility.

PARIS, Dec 9 (AA/APP): The Paris prosecutor’s office said on Friday that far-right politician Marine Le Pen will stand trial for alleged embezzlement of EU funds to fund her National Rally party’s activities.

The former presidential candidate will be in a court in March along with 26 other National Rally (RN) party members over the embezzling allegations.

They are accused of using EU parliamentary funds to pay for assistants who worked for the National Rally party, formerly called the National Front.

NEW YORK (AP) — The actor Jonathan Majors begged his former girlfriend not to seek medical attention after an incident that left her with a head injury last year, warning she had “no perspective of what could happen” if the truth got out, according to previously undisclosed text messages read at the actor’s criminal trial on Friday.

“They will ask you questions, and as I don’t think you actually protect us, it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something,” Majors wrote to his girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, on Sept. 22, 2022.

MANILA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The Philippines condemned China's "illegal and aggressive actions" in the South China Sea on Saturday, saying its coast guard had fired water cannon at a Philippine fisheries bureau vessel conducting a regular resupply mission.

The Philippine task force for the South China Sea, an inter-agency government body, called for China to stop its "aggressive activities" in the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by both countries.

COLOMBO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka experienced a countrywide power failure due to a breakdown in the transmission line on Saturday, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said.

The CEB, the country's power supplier, said it would take a few hours to restore power supply throughout the country, adding that it regretted the inconvenience caused to consumers.

Local media said the widespread power failure occurred at around 5 p.m. on Saturday, and power supply has been restored to several areas.

ASTANA, December 9. /TASS/: Kazakhstan and Russia will constantly work together, despite the "certain shocks" in the world, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

"Russia is Kazakhstan’s strategic partner. We have the longest ground border with Russia in the world. And we have traditions of good cooperation, which should be preserved or, at the very least, should not be rejected. And I believe that, despite the certain shocks on the international arena, we will constantly work together," Tokayev said in an interview for Euronews.