Stories for December 24th 2019

Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:59 UTC
Beijing pledges to purchase US$ 40bn of US agricultural products per year

China will make good on a pledge to purchase more than US$40 billion per year of U.S. agricultural products under the recently agreed Phase 1 trade deal between the two countries, China’s top agriculture consultancy said on Friday.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:57 UTC
Bolsonaro has skull scanned after a fall in the bathroom

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized on Monday evening after a fall in the official presidential palace, his office said.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:56 UTC
Maduro says barracks assailants are refuging in Brazil and asks Bolsonaro to return the stolen weapons

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said Monday that 11 people have been arrested in connection with an assault early Sunday at a military post in the south of the country and said that some of those involved were in Brazil along with the stolen weapons of the installation.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:50 UTC
Boeing and the grounding of 737MAX: Chronicle of a foretold sacking

Boeing on Monday replaced its embattled chief executive, Dennis Muilenburg, as it attempts to pivot from a protracted crisis surrounding the grounding of its top-selling 737 MAX after two deadly crashes.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:25 UTC
Influential evangelical magazine “Christianity Today” criticizes Trump's “obvious misuse of power”

Christianity Today, the magazine founded by the late Reverend Billy Graham renewed its criticism of President Donald Trump in a new editorial that cited his “misuses of power” and asked fellow Christians to examine their loyalty to him, days after a controversial editorial that called for his impeachment.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:22 UTC
PM Boris Johnson in his message calls on Britons “not to have many arguments” over Christmas

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the public on Monday “not to have too many arguments” over Christmas in a festive message in which he managed to avoid the word Brexit.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:14 UTC
UK government calls on football chiefs to rid the sport of racism; UEFA chief accuses Johnson of fuelling the situation

The British government called on football chiefs on Monday to do more to rid the sport of racism but stopped short of launching a full-scale inquiry demanded by the domestic players' union following the latest incident in the English game.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:10 UTC
Only in bush fire ravaged Australia, a kangaroo spotted cooling off in a pool

A kangaroo has been spotted cooling off in a backyard pool in a bush fire-ravaged region of Australia while elsewhere firefighters have been rescuing koalas from trees threatened by flames.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 09:04 UTC
First time since the French Revolution with no Christmas mass at Notre Dame cathedral

For the first time in more than 200 years, worshippers will not be able to attend Christmas mass at Notre-Dame cathedral, still being restored after a devastating fire.
Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 08:53 UTC
Wall Street stocks Xmas records: Dow Jones Industrial Average reached 28,551.53

Wall Street stocks finished at records again on Monday, with an executive shakeup at Boeing lifting the Dow, as a holiday-shortened week opened with a flourish. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 96.44 points (0.34 percent) to finish the last full session before Christmas at 28,551.53.