the Context

Yellow vests movement

Major landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre are to shut down amid expected protests this weekend.

French authorities to deploy 89,000 security personnel across country on Saturday

Yellow vests movement

The French police union Vigi calls on police officers to begin an indefinite strike on December 8 and join anti-government protesters, noting that "a majority of the French continue to back the movement".

After the surge in fuel prices in France, the so-called Yellow Vests movement has held protests, calling firstly on the government to lower the prices, and then also on French President Emmanuel Macron to resign. On Wednesday, the French National Assembly approved a moratorium on the planned fuel price hike.

Death and state funeral of George H. W. Bush

Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush is laid to rest at his Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.

Bush's casket was transported by train to his library in College Station after a second funeral service in Houston.

Afghan parliamentary election, 2018

Afghanistan’s Electoral Complaints Commission declares all votes cast in Kabul Province to be invalid due to voter fraud and other cases of mismanagement.

Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission ruled on Thursday that votes ...

December 2018 Time Warner Center bomb threats

CNN evacuates the Time Warner Center in New York City during "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon" after a bomb threat was called into the building.

CNN's New York offices and studios were evacuated due to a phoned-in bomb threat, the company said.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs demands that Canada and the United States clarify the reasons behind the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, also asking for her immediate release.

Meng Wanzhou, who faces extradition to US, said to have been investigated over alleged sanctions breaches

Hamas

A U.S.-sponsored resolution to condemn Hamas fails to get adopted at the United Nations General Assembly.

A U.S.-sponsored draft resolution that for the first time would have condemned the militant Islamic group Hamas, which controls Gaza, failed to win the required two-thirds majority in the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday.

U.S. Marine

Two U.S. Marine aircraft from Iwakuni air base crash off the coast of Shikoku, Japan, during a mid-air refueling. One serviceman is rescued by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, while one is found dead and five are still reported missing.

Tokyo said the crash had occurred around 100 km off Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture.

The Game Awards 2018

"God of War" is named Game of the Year at The Game Awards annual awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Sony Santa Monica's God of War has won the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2018 ceremony.

Chabahar

A car bomb explodes near a police post in Chabahar, Iran. Two police officers are pronounced dead and around 40 people were wounded in the attack. Islamic militant group Ansar Al-Furqan claims responsibility. Iran accuses the perpetrators of being "foreign-backed terrorists".

State television reports at least 48 wounded in car bomb attack in the southern port city