Bucky Irving ranked among ESPN’s top 10 running backs in 2023

Reuters
Analysis-Honda, Nissan tie-up requires something neither can spare: time
Honda and Nissan expect big benefits from their potential merger to create the world's third-largest auto group but intense competition from China raises questions about whether they can make it work in time. While the outcome is not certain and will depend partly on troubled Nissan making progress in its turnaround, they aim to finalise the deal by August 2026. Nissan's junior partner, Mitsubishi Motors, will decide by next month whether it plans to take part.
Reuters
Moldovan president warns of 'harsh winter' in inauguration speech
Moldova faces a harsh winter but will overcome the challenge, President Maia Sandu said at the inauguration for her second term on Tuesday. Sandu, who won a closely contested election in November, faces a potential energy crisis as the threat of Russia cutting off gas supply to the small eastern European nation looms. In her first term, Sandu pivoted Moldova towards the European Union and NATO and away from Moscow, which ruled the country during the Soviet era.
Reuters
Big banks planning to sue US Fed over annual stress tests, CNBC reports
This highlights the extent to which banks are prepared to go to persuade the central bank to scale back capital requirements the industry deems too harsh. The report comes just a day after the Fed said it was mulling major changes to the stress tests, which gauge the ability of a bank to weather losses during periods of severe economic downturn. These tests determine the capital banks must set aside to meet their obligations and also dictate the scope of dividend payouts and stock buybacks.
Associated Press
Kurdish-led forces push back Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in a tense offensive
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Tuesday they have launched a counter-offensive against the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria’s northern border with Turkey. The SDF is Washington’s critical ally in Syria, targeting sleeper cells of the extremist Islamic State group scattered across the country's east. Since the fall of the totalitarian rule of Bashar Assad earlier this month, clashes have intensified between the U.S.-backed group and the SNA, which captured the key city of Manbij and the areas surrounding it.
AFP
Global stocks mostly rise in thin pre-Christmas trade
Global stocks were mostly higher on Tuesday, boosted by a tech rally on Wall Street, but gains remained modest in thin Christmas Eve trade."The US stock market closed with a mixed bag of results yesterday, but the gift under the tree was a tech-driven rally that lit up the broader market," said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Reuters
Uncertainty clouds fate of Syrians in Egypt after Assad ouster
Syrian refugees and residents in Egypt face an uncertain future as new regulations may jeopardise their right to remain in the country after Bashar al-Assad's ouster earlier this month. European countries quickly suspended Syrian asylum applications after the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swept into Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after a 13-year civil war. Egypt last week ratified a new law giving the government the power to determine refugee status.
Reuters
Turkey aiming for maritime agreement with Syria, transport minister says
Turkey is aiming to strike a maritime demarcation agreement with Syria after a permanent government is formed in Damascus, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Tuesday. Turkey, which backed Syrian rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad this month after a 13-year civil war, has been in close contact with the new interim administration of its neighbour, including Turkey's intelligence chief and foreign minister meeting with de-facto Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Reuters
Looting cripples food supply in Gaza despite Israeli pledge to tackle gangs, sources say
Israel has failed to crack down on armed gangs attacking food convoys in Gaza, despite a pledge to do so in mid-October to help ward off famine in the Palestinian enclave, according to three U.N. and U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The commitment, made behind closed doors, seemed like a breakthrough because, since the beginning of the war in October 2023, the international community has struggled to enlist Israel's support to improve the dire humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged territory, the three senior officials said. But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has remained focused on its fight against Hamas and taken only limited actions against the handful of gangs operating in parts of Gaza under Israeli control, according to the three officials, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
CNN
Why couples in Japan treat Christmas like a second Valentine’s Day
Japan’s most-followed religion is Shintoism, with less than 1% of its population being Christian. And yet, the nation celebrates Christmas in full spirit, with an extra helping of romance.
CNN
How to track Santa Claus around the world with NORAD’s flight tracker
While public anxieties have loomed over the Northeast amid possible drone sightings, one sighting will soon bring holiday cheer across the country: Santa Claus.
Associated Press
American Airlines operations up and running again after technical issue grounded US flights
American Airlines flights were cleared to fly by federal regulators early Tuesday after a brief grounding due to systemwide technical issue that impacted all U.S. routes. Just before 7 a.m. Eastern time, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all American Airlines flights grounded in the U.S. at the airline’s request. American had reported a technical issue affecting its entire system with millions traveling for the holiday.
NBC News
Europe's far-right tap into fears over German market attack — despite the suspect's Islamophobic views
When a Saudi Arabian national was accused of ramming a car into a German Christmas market, members of the frequently anti-Muslim European far right said it proved their point.
Yahoo Finance
Stock market today: Nasdaq, S&P 500 futures edge higher ahead of Christmas break
US stocks looked set for a mostly muted open to a final, shortened trading session before the Christmas holiday,
CNN
A study on SpaceX’s mega rocket hints at a risk that helped kill the Concorde. How dangerous are sonic booms?
SpaceX stunned onlookers when it returned a Super Heavy booster to a precise landing at its launchpad. But the resulting sonic boom may spark environmental concerns.
CBS News
What's open on Christmas Eve 2024? Stores you can visit today.
Here's which food stores, restaurants and other chains are open and closed today, Christmas Eve 2024.
CNN
Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after engine room explosion, Moscow says
An explosion sank a sanctioned Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday night, Russian authorities said, leaving two crew members missing.
CNN
Christians protest in Syrian capital after burning of Christmas tree
Protests erupted in Christian neighborhoods of the Syrian capital Damascus after a Christmas tree was set on fire in another town by unidentified men on Monday evening.
CNN
How much is too much alcohol over the holidays? A doctor explains
Holiday get-togethers often feature a lot of alcohol. If you’re trying to reduce your intake, here’s how to plan ahead and still have a celebratory holiday season.
Associated Press
Staying in office is the main challenge for troubled France's new government
France’s president and prime minister managed to form a new government just in time for the holidays. Crushing debt, intensifying pressure from the nationalist far right, wars in Europe and the Mideast: Challenges abound for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, after an already tumultuous 2024. What's wrong with French finances? Financial markets, ratings agencies and the European Commission are pushing France to bring down its deficit, which threatens the stability and prosperity of all countries that share the euro currency.
CBS News
Where is Santa right now? NORAD tracker maps his Christmas flight
NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command, is tracking Santa on his trip around the world this Christmas, so children and families can see where he is right now.

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