Show notes
1. After days of chaosAmerica’s House of Representatives voted to pass a new spending deal, averting a government shutdown hours before the midnight deadline. The proposal—which will fund the government through March and includes a $110bn disaster-aid package—dropped a provision to extend America’s debt ceiling, despite backing from Donald Trump to include it. Most Republicans supported the deal, and no Democrats voted against it. It now goes to the Senate.
經過數日的混亂，美國眾議院投票通過了一項新的支出協議，在午夜截止時間前的數小時內成功避免了政府關門。這項提案將為政府提供資金直至明年三月，並包含一項總額達1100億美元的災害援助計劃。然而，儘管唐納·川普支持將延長美國債務上限的條款納入其中，該提案仍刪除了相關條款。大多數共和黨人支持這項協議，且沒有任何民主黨人投反對票。目前，該提案將送交參議院審議。
2. At least two people, including a child, were killed and dozens injured when a car drove into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, in central Germany. The suspected driver was arrested; he is said to be a doctor from Saudi Arabia who arrived in Germany in 2006, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt told German television. The cause of the apparent attack has not been confirmed.
在德國中部馬格德堡的聖誕市集，一輛汽車衝入人群，造成至少兩人死亡（包括一名兒童），數十人受傷。涉嫌駕駛的司機已被逮捕；據薩克森-安哈特州州長向德國電視台透露，該男子據稱是一名來自沙烏地阿拉伯的醫生，於2006年抵達德國。目前，這起看似攻擊的事件原因尚未確定。
3. Russia’s central bank surprised markets by keeping its key interest rate at 21%. Despite rates being screwed to their tightest level in decades,** annual inflation—stoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—is running at more than double the bank’s target of 4%. Still, its policymakers said that markets had reacted better than expected to its last hike in October, creating promising conditions for resume**d disinflation.
俄羅斯央行意外宣布將其基準利率維持在21%。儘管利率已被調整至數十年來的最高水平，但由於俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭引發的影響，年度通膨率仍超過該央行4%的目標兩倍以上。然而，央行決策者表示，市場對10月份的上一次加息反應好於預期，為通膨放緩的恢復創造了有利條件。
4. Switzerland’s parliament blamed the demise of Credit Suisse on “long-term mismanagement”. The country’s second-largest lender was rescued by UBS, its rival, which Swiss authorities strong-armed into a **merger **to save the banking system. The political inquiry, which is Switzerland’s fifth ever, also criticised the ineffectiveness of Swiss financial regulators in policing the bank’s capital requirements.
瑞士國會將瑞信（Credit Suisse）的倒閉歸咎於「長期管理不善」。這家瑞士第二大銀行由其競爭對手瑞銀（UBS）接手，瑞士當局強制推動兩者合併以挽救銀行體系。這是瑞士歷史上第五次政治調查，此次調查同時批評了瑞士金融監管機構在監督該銀行資本要求方面的低效表現。
5. A group of high-level American diplomats held their first in-person meeting with Syria’s new government in Damascus, the capital. America wants the ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel faction formerly linked with al-Qaeda, to respect** minority rights**. A local Syrian news outlet reported that HTS wanted to discuss the lifting of sanctions against Syria and removing the country from international terrorism lists.
一群美國高級外交官在敘利亞首都大馬士革首次與該國新政府舉行面對面會議。美國希望執政的反叛派別「哈亞特解放沙姆組織」（Hayat Tahrir al-Sham，HTS，曾與基地組織有聯繫）尊重少數群體的權利。當地一家敘利亞新聞媒體報導，HTS希望討論解除對敘利亞的制裁以及將該國從國際恐怖主義名單中移除的事宜。
6. Eight people were convicted for offences** pertaining to** the murder of Samuel Paty, a French middle-school teacher, in 2020. Paty was beheaded by an Islamist extremist days after showing pupils caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a class about freedom of expression. His killer was shot dead by police soon after. The defendants’ crimes ranged from encouraging the attacker’s actions on social media to providing him with weapons.
八人因涉及2020年法國中學教師塞繆爾·帕蒂（Samuel Paty）遇害案的罪行而被定罪。帕蒂在一堂關於言論自由的課堂上向學生展示了先知穆罕默德的漫畫，數日後被一名伊斯蘭極端分子斬首。他的兇手隨後被警方擊斃。被告的罪行包括在社交媒體上鼓動襲擊者的行動以及向其提供武器。
7. Two marquee names in American business were hit by strikes in the run-up to Christmas. At Starbucks a union representing about 11,000 baristas called its members to stop their daily grind to demand better pay and conditions. At Amazon, workers at seven distribution facilities walked out in a dispute over union recognition; the company says the distribution of holiday parcels will not be affected.
在聖誕節前夕，美國兩家知名企業遭遇罷工行動。在星巴克，代表約11,000名咖啡師的工會號召其成員停止日常工作，以要求更高薪酬和更好的工作條件。而在亞馬遜，七個配送中心的工人則因工會認可問題而罷工；該公司表示，假日包裹的配送不會受到影響。
小分享
Fresh doubts about China’s ability to invade Taiwan
How corruption in the PLA is changing the calculations of analysts
Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive in China’s military faces challenges, with senior officials like Admiral Miao Hua under investigation for corruption. Miao, a key Xi ally, rose through ranks in Fujian and led the navy’s Political Work Department. His downfall highlights systemic corruption, impacting high-ranking officers, including Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun, amid broader anti-corruption efforts targeting the navy and rocket forces. While corruption undermines the PLA, experts suggest it won't halt China's military ambitions. Despite aiming for a "world-class" military by 2049, turmoil and economic woes may delay plans for a Taiwan invasion, giving the U.S. and allies more time to prepare.
習近平在中國軍隊內的反腐行動面臨挑戰，高級官員如苗華上將因貪腐問題受到調查。苗華是習近平的重要盟友，在福建官場崛起，並曾領導海軍政治工作部門。他的落馬凸顯了系統性腐敗，並波及包括國防部長董軍上將在內的高層官員，同時也反映了針對海軍與火箭軍更廣泛的反腐行動。雖然腐敗削弱了解放軍，但專家認為這不會阻止中國的軍事野心。儘管中國目標在2049年前建成「世界一流」軍隊，內部動盪和經濟困境可能推遲對台灣的入侵計劃，為美國及其盟友爭取更多準備時間。
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