Bitcoin hits new record high of more than $106,000
Bitcoin has surged to a new record high, extending a rally that has seen the cryptocurrency’s price rise by more than 50% since Donald Trump’s victory in the 5 November…
Israel plans to expand Golan settlements after fall of Assad
Israel’s government has approved a plan to encourage the expansion of settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move was necessary because a “new front”…
Royal Mail takeover by Czech billionaire approved
The sale of Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire has been cleared by the government. The £3.6bn takeover by Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group has been given the go-ahead…
Ukraine demands Fifa apology over Crimea map
A map shown during the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup has been criticised by Ukraine as an “unacceptable error” after it appeared to exclude Crimea as part of…
Donald Trump named Time Person of the Year again
Time Magazine has named Donald Trump as its person of the year for the second time – he previously won the honour after winning the presidential election in 2016. In…
UK economy shrinks for second month in a row
The UK economy shrank for the second month in a row in October as concerns about the Budget continued to weigh on confidence. Official figures showed a 0.1% drop, despite…
General Motors pulls plug on robotaxi business
General Motors has announced that it will stop funding the development of the Cruise self-driving taxi. The company says it will now “refocus autonomous driving development on personal vehicles”. GM…
The global players in Syria before and after Assad
A stunning advance by Syrian rebels ended Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year-long rule, with opposition forces taking the capital and forcing the president to flee on 8 December. The overthrow followed a…
Travel ban on S Korea president after martial law attempt
South Korean authorities have imposed a travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is under investigation for his short-lived martial law declaration last Tuesday. Yoon narrowly survived an impeachment motion against…
End of Assad rule will reshape region’s balance of power
The fall of Bashar al-Assad was almost unthinkable just a week ago, when rebels started their astonishing campaign against the regime from their base in Idlib, in Syria’s north-west. This…