UPDATE 1-French, German ministers to travel to Ukraine for talks

Associated Press
Nissan, Honda expected to announce plans to merge, creating world's No. 3 automaker
Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda were expected to announce Monday that they are in talks on a merger that would catapult them to No. 3 in a global industry undergoing tectonic shifts as it transitions away from reliance on fossil fuels while facing intensifying competition from Chinese rivals. The two companies, and smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors, said their top executives would hold a news conference later in the day. Local media including Kyodo News Service and broadcaster NHK said the companies' boards had held meetings and top company executives had informed relevant government ministries that they plan to have details finalized by June.
AFP
Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
Honda and Nissan were poised Monday to announce the start of talks on a merger to help the Japanese giants catch up with Chinese rivals and Tesla on electric vehicles.Ghosn told reporters in Tokyo on Monday via video link from Lebanon, where he is at large, that turning to its arch-rival Honda showed that Nissan was in "panic mode".
Reuters
Taiwan warns defence could suffer under opposition's funding laws
Taiwan's cabinet warned on Monday the island's security might be at risk after opposition parties passed laws that will require cuts in government spending, including defence, at a time when China has ramped up military activity nearby. Taiwan's opposition parties, which hold a majority in parliament, last week passed legislation to shift spending from the central government to local municipalities, a move strongly contested by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and thousands of protesters. The legislation will "seriously weaken the central government's financing," Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun said at a media briefing on Monday, adding the government might need to increase debt-financing.
Associated Press
Japan's former Emperor Akihito marks his 91st birthday
Japan's beloved former Emperor Akihito marked his 91st birthday on Monday, as he continues to pursue his lifetime research into goby fish, care for his wife and pray for peace. Akihito, who abdicated in 2019 and handed over the Chrysanthemum throne to his son, Emperor Naruhito, now holds the title of Emperor Emeritus. Akihito has since receded from official duties and enjoys his time quietly while caring for his 90-year-old wife, former Empress Michiko, who broke her leg bone in October and is still recovering, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
Reuters
France extends Olympics surveillance measures to Christmas market
The first time French police informed the Chechen refugee that he was prohibited from leaving the northeastern city of Strasbourg and must check in with them daily, he did not think it worth contesting the order. France was in the midst of a massive security operation for the summer Olympic Games, he explained, and he did not think authorities would listen to someone identified as a potential threat because of interactions with people identified as 'pro-Jihadist.' But when the Ministry of Interior extended the order in late August to help protect a famed Christmas market that was the target of a deadly attack in 2018, the refugee, known to friends as Khaled, appealed to the city's administrative court.
Associated Press
In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there's now a tiny Christmas tree
Once a vibrant community center, the 18th-century church is in ruins after an Israeli airstrike in October. Georges Elia, a 40-year-old municipal worker and churchgoer, took it upon himself to bring some normalcy as the holiday season approached, weeks after a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants. “This year, Christmas is arriving with sadness for us, but we didn’t want it to be a sad one for the town’s residents and its church,” Elia said.
AFP
Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate fears
Asian markets rose Monday after big gains on Wall Street, with traders welcoming below-forecast US inflation data that tempered worries that the Federal Reserve will take a more hawkish tone with interest rates next year.Sharp losses in reaction to the forecasts were pared after data showed the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, the Fed's preferred gauge of inflation, came in at 2.4 percent on-year in November.
CNN
Ex-US fighter pilot accused of training Chinese military to be extradited to the United States
A former US Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots will be extradited to face charges in the United States, Australia’s Attorney General confirmed Monday, dealing a blow to supporters who have mounted a public campaign for his freedom.
Associated Press
Tens of thousands displaced by ethnic violence in northeast India suffer squalid conditions in camps
Phalneivah Khonsai ran for her life when violence struck her neighborhood in India's restive northeast, carrying just the bare essentials in the hope that she and her family could return soon. Khonsai, her husband and three children left behind their house, which was torched by a mob, and made for the hills, where thousands of people from their community headed for safety. The relief camp is in Kangpokpi, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Imphal, the capital of India's northeastern Manipur state, which has been wracked by ethnic violence since last year.
Reuters
South Korea finance minister sees political turmoil weighing on economic growth
South Korea's finance minister said on Monday some slowdown in economic growth would be unavoidable as the government prepares to revise forecasts for this year and next year due to the country's ongoing political turmoil. "There are concerns that the sentiment may be weakening due to the recent political situation," Choi Sang-mok told reporters. "Due to many downside risks it is inevitable that next year's growth forecast will be lowered, and it is highly likely that it will fall slightly below the potential growth rate," Choi said, without elaborating on the country's potential growth rate.
AFP
Philippine military says will acquire US Typhon missile system
The Philippine military said Monday it plans to acquire the US Typhon missile system to protect its maritime interests, some of which overlap with regional power China.As a rule, it takes at least two or more years for the Philippine military to acquire a new weapons system from the planning stage, Galido said, adding it was not yet budgeted for 2025.
CNN
North Korean soldiers given fake Russian military IDs, Ukraine says
North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia were given fake military documents with Russian names and birthplaces, the Ukrainian military said, amid claims from Kyiv that Russia is trying to conceal the presence of foreign fighters on the battlefield.
Associated Press
Australia approves extradition of former US Marine over alleged training of Chinese military pilots
Former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan will be extradited from Australia to the United States over allegations that he illegally trained Chinese aviators. Australia’s Attorney General Mark Dreyfus approved the extradition on Monday, ending the Boston-born 55-year-old's nearly two-year attempt to avoid being returned to the U.S. Duggan, who served in the Marines for 12 years before immigrating to Australia and giving up his U.S. citizenship, has been in a maximum-security prison since he was arrested in 2022 at his family home in the state of New South Wales.
Associated Press
Luigi Mangione to appear in Manhattan court to face state charges in death of UnitedHealthcare CEO
The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare is expected to be arraigned in a Manhattan court Monday on murder and terror charges in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution. Luigi Mangione, 26, was formally charged last week by the Manhattan district attorney with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges are life in prison without parole.
Associated Press
Abortion opponents shift focus to pills with lawsuits, proposed laws and possible federal action
Opponents of abortion are increasingly focusing on restricting access to pills, which are the most common way to end a pregnancy in the U.S. This month, the Texas attorney general's office filed a lawsuit against a New York doctor, saying she violated Texas law by prescribing abortion pills to a patient there via telemedicine. The suit represents the first lawsuit of its kind and could lead to a legal test for the New York law designed to protect providers there who prescribe the drugs to patients in states with abortion bans.
Associated Press
The new right celebrates Trump at a conservative conference and sidesteps inconsistencies
As Washington heaved over the possibility of a partial government shutdown, leading far-right figures gathered with thousands of Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters and, for the most part, gloried in splintering the president-elect’s party. Speakers and attendees at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2024 hailed Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for initially scuttling a bipartisan agreement to keep government open.
CBS News
Woman set on fire while sleeping on NYC subway, NYPD says
A person of interest was taken into custody after a woman died after being lit on fire while she was asleep on an F train in Brooklyn, police say.
Associated Press
Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them
Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilizers on his corn, soybean and wheat fields at a fraction of what it would cost him to use a conventional ground spreader. As a volunteer rescuer, Hedrick uses thermal drones to search for people trapped by mudslides and cargo drones to send water and baby formula to those who are stranded — something he did after Hurricane Helene. Most commercial drones sold in the United States, including those used by Hedrick, are made in China.
AFP
Afghan bread, the humble centrepiece of every meal
Every day before dawn, Jamil Ghafori gets to work on the floor of a cramped Kabul bakery with five other men churning out thousands of traditional flatbreads -- the staple of every Afghan meal.Men, women and children, rich and poor, rain or shine, stop by multiple times daily at their closest bakery for fresh bread to accompany their meals.
Associated Press
Bethlehem plans another somber Christmas under the shadow of war in Gaza
The Nativity Store in Manger Square has sold handmade olive wood carvings and religious items to people visiting the traditional birthplace of Jesus since 1927. For the second straight year, Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations will be somber and muted, in deference to ongoing war in Gaza.

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