Spain’s parliament speaker aims for investiture debate, vote on Jan. 4-7
Spain’s lower house plans to hold a confirmation session on Jan. 4, 5 and 7 on whether to renew Pedro Sanchez as Prime Minister, an official from the parliament’s speaker office Meritxell Batet said on Tuesday.
U.S. embassy in Baghdad evacuated as protesters denounce U.S. air strikes
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and other staff were evacuated from their embassy in Baghdad for their safety on Tuesday, Iraqi officials said, as thousands of protesters and militia fighters outside the gate denounced U.S. air strikes in Iraq.
Sydney gears up for New Year’s spectacle despite Australian fires
Large crowds thronged Sydney harbor on Tuesday to watch Australia’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks, even as smoke from deadly wildfires turned skies in nearby coastal towns blood-red.
Bangladesh shuts down telecoms along India border citing security concerns
Muslim-majority Bangladesh has ordered telecom operators to shut down services along the border with India, citing security concerns over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new citizenship law which critics say discriminates against Muslims.
Iraqi security forces fire teargas to disperse protesters outside U.S. embassy
Iraqi security forces fired teargas on Tuesday outside the U.S. embassy to disperse protesters who had gathered to condemn American air strikes in Iraq.
Putin and Zelenskiy agree to work on new prisoner swap
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy have agreed to begin work immediately on a new prisoner swap, Ukraine’s presidential office said.
Angola freezes assets of ex-president’s daughter in graft probe
An Angolan court has ordered assets of Isabel dos Santos, daughter of the country’s former leader, to be frozen in the highest-profile move of an anti-corruption drive launched by President Joao Lourenço.
Thousands lose jobs, casinos shut as Cambodia bans online gambling
More than 7,000 Cambodians have lost their jobs and dozens of casinos have been shuttered since a ban on online gambling in August, with more losses expected when the government begins inspections this week, officials said on Tuesday.
China says confident of Central Asia support before Pompeo visit
Attempts to sow discord over Chinese policies in its Xinjiang region will fail, China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to neighboring central Asia.
India prepares for New Year’s Eve with fresh protests against citizenship law
Thousands of Indians are set to ring in the New Year by holding protests against a citizenship law, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempts to dampen demonstrations that have run for nearly three weeks.
