Portal:Current events/2017 December 22

December 22, 2017 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
- After 1,000 days of civil war in Yemen, eight million people are at risk of starvation. (BBC)
Protests on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital
- Two Palestinians are shot dead and about 60 others are wounded by Israeli troops gunfire as thousands protest along the Gaza border fence, in all seven West Bank cities and in East Jerusalem, against the U.S. declaration. (Reuters)

Business and economy

Economics of bitcoin
- The digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin loses a third of its value within 24 hours. (CNN)
CSX Corporation names chief operating officer Jim Foote its new chief executive officer, succeeding E. Hunter Harrison who died last week. Harrison had started a restructuring campaign less than a year ago. (Reuters)
Apple Inc. litigation
- Apple Inc. faces backlash and lawsuits after admitting to slowing down the speed on some of their older phones deliberately. (CNET) (Business Insider)

Disasters and accidents

The Philippine Coast Guard reports that 252 passengers and crew have been rescued while five people were killed when a ferry capsized Thursday east of Manila. (Reuters)

International relations

United States recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will not accept any U.S. plan for peace with Israel, because it recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (BBC)
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
- The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposes new sanctions on North Korea that caps refined petroleum product imports to 500,000 barrels a year, a 90 percent cut, and demands the repatriation of North Koreans working abroad within 24 months. (Reuters)
Ukraine–United States relations
- The U.S. agrees to supply Ukraine with more lethal weapons, now including Javelin anti-tank missiles. (AP via New York Daily News)

Law and crime

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrests Everitt Aaron Jameson, a 25-year-old former Marine, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack in the Pier 39 area over Christmas. (BBC)
American police shoot dead an Egyptian man after he opened fire on them. Police described it as an apparent terror attack.(CNN)

Politics and elections

Catalan regional election, 2017
- Pro-independence parties retain their absolute majority in the regional parliament, while the unionist Citizens party secures the highest number of seats. (BBC)
- The political situation means that there is no clarity as to which party is given the right to form the government. (BBC)
- The voter turnout reaches a record high for a Catalan regional election of over 83%. (Reuters)
Brexit
- The United Kingdom's Home Office confirms the return of the blue British passport after the UK leaves the European Union. The new passports will be issued from October 2019. (BBC)
Tax reform in the United States
- President Donald Trump signs the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 into law. (CNN)