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TOP STORIES

GLOBAL

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/CHINA

China races to bolster health system as COVID surge sparks global concern

Cities across China scrambled to install hospital beds and build fever screening clinics on Tuesday as authorities reported five more deaths and international concern grew about Beijing's surprise decision to let the virus run free.

JAPAN-DEFENCE/NORTHKOREA

North Korea slams Japan's military buildup, U.S. flies stealth jets

North Korea on Tuesday condemned a Japanese military buildup outlined in a new security strategy, calling it dangerous and vowing counteractions, while also warning of another imminent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

U.S.

USA-CONGRESS/FUNDING

U.S. Congress to advance $1.7 trillion govt funding bill

Negotiators in the U.S. Congress unveiled a $1.7 trillion government funding bill on Monday, as lawmakers scrambled to pass the measure, which includes record military spending, before temporary funding runs out at the week's end.

USA-ECUADOR/

Biden meets Ecuador's president as immigration crisis grows

President Joe Biden met Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso on Monday to discuss efforts to stem the flow of migrants to the United States as the White House faces increased pressure over its immigration policies.

BUSINESS

BOEING-737 MAX/CONGRESS

U.S. lawmakers back key Boeing 737 MAX deadline waiver

Boeing Co won backing from Congress early on Tuesday to lift a looming deadline imposing a new safety standard for modern cockpit alerts for two new versions of the U.S. planemaker's best-selling 737 MAX aircraft.

WITHIN-M&A/META

Meta to delay closing Within Unlimited deal by one month

Facebook parent Meta Platforms does not expect to seal its acquisition deal with Within Unlimited, maker of the popular fitness app "Supernatural", before Jan. 31, according to a court filing from Tuesday.

ENTERTAINMENT

HENNES & MAURITZ-JUSTIN BIEBER/

Justin Bieber slams H&M "trash" merchandise featuring his image

Pop singer Justin Bieber lashed out at H&M HMb.ST over clothes featuring the Canadian artist's image and lyrics, saying the Swedish fashion giant had not obtained his approval.

SPORTS

SOCCER-AUSTRALIA/CROWD

Football Australia issues two lifetime bans after pitch invasion

Football Australia has issued the first two of many lifetime bans it expects to hand out as part of its ongoing investigation into the pitch invasion that left a player and a referee injured during the abandoned A-League derby.

CRICKET-TEST-PAK-ENG/

England complete historic clean sweep in Pakistan

England's bold brand of cricket brought more accolades on Tuesday as they became the first test team to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan with their eight-wicket victory in the third and final match in Karachi.

UPCOMING

POLITICS / INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

TURKEY-GAMBIA/

Turkish, Gambian foreign ministers hold news conference

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu holds a joint news conference with Gambian Foreign Minister Manadou Tangara.

20 Dec 10:45 ET / 10:45 GMT

USA-IMMIGRATION/VENEZUELA (PIX) (TV)

Venezuelans try to rebuild after shattered U.S. migration dreams

Venezuelans who have returned to their country after their dreams of emigrating to the U.S. were dashed by a new expulsion policy describe how they are trying to rebuild their lives, with some still contemplating another attempt at migration.

20 Dec 11:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

USA-ELECTION/MONTGOMERY

The man behind Trump World's myth of rigged voting machines.

Central to the election-denial movement is a galaxy of conspiracy theories about vote-flipping supercomputers. The myths can be traced to Dennis Montgomery, a programmer and former U.S. intelligence contractor. Judges have called him a fraud and a perjurer – and he has a history of promoting tall tales. First in a three-part series about the origins and evolution of the U.S. election-denial movement.

20 Dec 11:00 ET / 11:00 GMT

YEAR-END/ABORTION (PIX)

YEARENDER-U.S. abortion fight in 2023 to focus on state laws, medication

Six months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion it had recognized nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade, the state of abortion rights around the country remains unsettled, thanks to a patchwork of lawsuits in state courts and emergency court orders - and experts say the battle is only beginning.

20 Dec 12:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

HUNGARY-RATES/

National Bank of Hungary holds monthly rate meeting, releases fresh CPI and GDP forecasts

National Bank of Hungary holds monthly rate meeting, releases fresh CPI and GDP forecasts

20 Dec 13:00 ET / 13:00 GMT

BRITAIN-POLITICS/SUNAK

British PM Sunak takes wide-ranging questions from parliamentary committee heads

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will answer questions on a range of topics from Ukraine to the cost of living when he faces the heads of parliamentary committees.

20 Dec 15:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

USA-TRUMP/TAXES-CONGRESS (PIX) (TV)

U.S. House committee set to discuss Trump tax returns on Tuesday

The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee  Committee meets to discuss former President Donald Trump's tax returns, which it obtained late last month after a long court fight, according to a source familiar with the matter.

20 Dec 20:00 ET / 20:00 GMT

MYANMAR-VIOLENCE/UN

U.N. Security Council likely to vote on Myanmar resolution

The U.N. Security Council is likely to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution demanding an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and urging its military junta to release all political prisoners, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, diplomats said.

 Myanmar has been in crisis since the army took power from Suu Kyi's elected government in February last year, detaining her and other officials and responding to pro-democracy protests and dissent with lethal force.

21 Dec

BRITAIN-STRIKES/AMBULANCES (TV)

UK ambulance workers strike over pay, conditions

Ambulance workers across England and Wales strike over pay and conditions, adding to a wave of industrial action across Britain over the Christmas period.

21 Dec

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

GENERAL MILLS-RESULTS/

General Mills Inc Q2 2023 Earnings Release

General Mills is expected to post a rise in second-quarter revenue helped by steady demand for its snacks and cereals despite price hikes. Investors will lookout for comments from the company on impact from inflation, shifts in consumer behavior and any forecast the company provides.

20 Dec 12:00 ET / 12:00 GMT

USA-FED/PHILADELPHIA (PIX) (TV) (GRAPHIC)

Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank issues monthly Nonmanufacturing Business Outlook Survey

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia issues Nonmanufacturing Business Outlook Survey for December.

20 Dec 13:30 ET / 13:30 GMT

FINTECH-CRYPTO/CELSIUS-SALE

Bankrupt crypto lender Celsius to give update on sale process

Bankrupt crypto lender Celsius Networks LLC will update a U.S. judge on its progress toward finding a buyer and after the company postponed its plan to auction the company by the end of the year as a way of raising funds to repay customers.

20 Dec 15:00 ET / 15:00 GMT

USA-TREASURY/ANNOUNCEMENT

Treasury Dept. announces sales of 4-, 8- and 17-week bills

Treasury Dept. announces sales of 4-, 8- and 17-week bills

20 Dec 16:00 ET / 16:00 GMT

ARGENTINA-CURRENTACCOUNT/

Argentina third quarter current account data due

20 Dec 18:30 ET / 18:30 GMT

NIKE-RESULTS/

Nike Inc Q2 Fiscal 2023 Earnings

Nike Inc is expected to report a jump in quarterly revenue as shoppers snapped up the sportswear giant's sneakers amid a ramp up in discounts to clear inventories. Investors will be looking out for the company's forecast, its comments on current demand trends, recovery in China, inventory position as well as margin pressures.

20 Dec 21:15 ET / 21:15 GMT

SWEDEN-LABOURIMMIGRATION/ (PIX) (TV)

Immigration clampdown puts tighter squeeze on Swedish business

Swedish battery-maker Northvolt, one of Europe's biggest that employs 3,000 people of more than 100 nationalities, is warning that new rules and complicated processes for labour immigration is making it very hard for them to hire people with the right qualifications. The rules are part of a general clamp-down on immigration in recent years in the Nordic country that companies, economists and employer organisations say runs the risk of leaving tens of thousands of vacant positions in the labour market unfilled.

21 Dec

CHRISTMAS-SEASON/POLAND-CARP (TV)

Poles gear up for record-breaking price of carp ahead of Christmas

In addition to inflation and the energy crisis, Poles will be facing one more price increase ahead of Christmas - carp prices, a traditional Christmas Eve meal, have skyrocketed by several dozen percent.

21 Dec

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/CHINA-VACCINATION (PIX) (TV)

China ramps up vaccination as COVID cases surge

China is racing to vaccinate its most vulnerable people as fears grow of a wave of COVID-19 infections and a rising death toll.

21 Dec

DISASTERS / ACCIDENTS

THAILAND-NAVY/ (TV)

Thailand continue search for missing marines after navy ship sunk

The Thai Navy continues it search on Wednesday for missing marines, who abandoned a warship that sank at the weekend in the Gulf of Thailand.

21 Dec

ARTS / CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT

CHRISTMAS-SEASON/PHILIPPINES-HOUSE (PIX) (TV)

Christmas house in the Philippines brings joy to neighbhourhood

Manila resident and entrepreneur Irene Tan has been continuing her family’s decades-old tradition of decorating their own home and their neighbours' houses with festive lights and decorations despite losing her mother and husband during the pandemic. There are fewer lights this year, but she plans on adding artificial snow for the public to enjoy, believing that spreading the yuletide cheer to everyone will brings more happiness to her own family.

21 Dec

CONFLICTS / WAR / PEACE

USA-CAPITOL/SECURITY (TV)

U.S. House Jan. 6 committee expected to release final report on Capitol riot

U.S. House of Representatives committee probing Jan. 6, 2021, assault on Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump is expected to issue its final report with findings of its investigation.

21 Dec