Here's what's happening in the world of politics on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Russia ready to serve as mediator between U.S., North Korea
-- Russia is prepared to serve as a mediator between the U.S. and North Korea should both countries agree, CNN reported Tuesday.
Citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, CNN reported Russia would favor diplomatic talks.
"You can't become a mediator between two countries just on your own will. It is impossible, you need both sides to be willing," Peskov said.
Peskov's comments come days after the UN Security Council voted to adopt a new set of sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's November 29 ballistic missile test. Read more.
Flake not ruling out a 2020 presidential run
-- Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said he wouldn't rule out a 2020 presidential run, CNN reported.
Flake, who announced his retirement in October, said he has no plans of mounting a campaign but he doesn't "rule anything out."
"Like I said, I haven't thought that deeply about it," Flake told ABC's "This Week." "But I do believe if the President is running for re-election if he continues on the path that he's on, that that's going to leave a huge swath of voters looking for something else." Read more.
White House denies NYT report on Trump
-- The White House denied a New York Times reported that claimed President Trump spoke about Haitian immigrants in demeaning fashion during a June meeting.
The report claims President Trump, according to two unnamed officials, said that people coming from Haiti "all have AIDS," that recent Nigerian immigrants would never "go back to their huts" and that Afghanistan is a terrorist haven.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement, calling the report "outrageous." Read more.
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