Markets deliver historic Christmas Eve drop as Trump feuds with Fed
U.S. stocks fell sharply Monday, making it the worst Christmas Eve trading day ever.
EU
Turkey vows no slowdown in fight against IS after U.S. pullout from Syria
Turkey vowed on Monday that the fight against Islamic State would not be slowed by the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, where Ankara-backed rebels reinforced their positions around the potential flashpoint town of Manbij.
Mount Etna erupts in Sicily amid dozens of tremors
Europe’s most active volcano, Mount Etna in Sicily, erupted on Monday, with officials reporting more than 130 earthquakes of up to 4.3 in magnitude.
Powerful earthquake strikes off Russia’s far east, no tsunami threat
A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Russia’s sparsely populated far east on Thursday, but officials said the threat of a tsunami had passed and no damage was reported.
UK ministers focused on getting Brexit deal through parliament, May says
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday that her cabinet’s focus was on building support for her Brexit deal after different ministers floated contrasting back-up plans should her Brexit deal fail to pass in parliament next month.
France in talks with U.S. over timeframe, mode of Syria withdrawal
France and allies fighting Islamic State are discussing with the United States the timeframe and conditions for the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, but Washington must consider the stability of the region to avoid a new humanitarian crisis.
UN: Hezbollah tunnels on Israel-Lebanon border violate truce
The UN peacekeeping force on the Israel-Lebanon border said Monday that two of four tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah crossed the demarcation line between the two countries in violation of a UN resolution that ended the 2006 war.
‘Thousands’ of EU diplomatic cables hacked, says report
Hackers allegedly linked to China were able to access thousands of sensitive EU diplomatic cables for more than three years, according to a New York Times report.
EU reaches deal with Italy on budget
The European Commission says it has reached an agreement with Italy to avert legal action over the country’s budget plans, which the EU’s executive arm had warned could break euro currency rules.
Asia stocks slide as global growth worries deepen
Asian share markets slumped on Tuesday as heightened concerns about a slowing global economy sent Wall Street stocks skidding to their lowest levels in more than a year.
Rivlin warns Hezbollah will lead to destruction of Lebanon
President Reuven Rivlin told Israel Defense Forces soldiers Sunday that the Hezbollah terror group will drag Lebanon into war with Israel, ‘ultimately leading to [Lebanon’s] destruction.’
U.S. federal judge rules Obamacare unconstitutional
A federal judge in Texas on Friday ruled the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, was unconstitutional based on its mandate requiring that people buy health insurance, a decision in a case that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Saudi Arabia slams US resolution blaming crown prince for Khashoggi murder
Saudi Arabia has ‘categorically’ rejected a resolution from the US Senate blaming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and another to end American military support for a Riyadh-led war in Yemen.
New Brexit vote would ‘break faith’ with British, says May
Prime Minister Theresa May will state her opposition to a second Brexit referendum on Monday, telling parliament such a vote would ‘break faith’ with British people and do ‘irreparable damage’ to politics.
Erdogan: Turkey plans military operation in Syria in a ‘few days’
Turkey will start a new military operation in Syria east of the Euphrates river ‘in a few days,’ Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday, a move that could further complicate relations with the United States.
U.S. appeals court narrows order on Trump birth control rules
A federal appeals court on Thursday narrowed an order that had blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing new rules that undermine an Obamacare requirement for employers to provide insurance that covers women’s birth control.
EU extends sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
European Council President Donald Tusk announced Thursday that EU leaders had agreed to extend comprehensive sanctions against Russia.
EU rules out Brexit renegotiation, vows to avoid Irish backstop with free trade deal before 2021
European Union leaders on Friday once again ruled out changes to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal agreement. But they reassured British Prime Minister Theresa May that they would try to finalize a new UK-EU free trade deal before 2021.
IDF official: Hezbollah unable to produce precision weapons
Hezbollah’s missile arsenal has been static for years and the organization lacks the industrial ability to convert, upgrade or produce precision weapons, Director of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Tamir Heyman said Tuesday.
EU ‘ready to examine’ more Brexit assurances to Britain
The European Union ‘stands ready to examine whether any further assurance can be provided’ to Britain over the Irish backstop and their tentative divorce agreement, a draft seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.