Morning Briefing: Dec. 19, 2025

By Merve Berker

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including China warning that US arms sales to Taiwan "undermine peace, stability," and vowing "resolute measures"; Turkish foreign minister pushing for the second phase of a Gaza deal amid ceasefire violations; and US sanctioning two International Criminal Court judges.

TOP STORIES

• China warns US arms sales to Taiwan 'undermine peace, stability,’ vows ‘resolute measures’

China warned that massive arms sales to Taiwan from the Trump administration "undermine peace and stability,” and vowed to take “resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its national sovereignty.”

It came after the Trump administration announced eight new arms packages for Taiwan, totaling well over $11 billion.

The package "seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, gravely infringes upon China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, severely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and sends a seriously wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman at a news conference.

• Turkish foreign minister pushes for phase 2 of Gaza deal amid ceasefire violations, says can join stabilization force

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye is pressing for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip to start as violations continue to mount, warning that renewed violence could spread beyond the enclave while stressing Türkiye’s readiness to contribute to international stabilization efforts.

Fidan told national broadcaster TRT World that Türkiye and other countries want the ceasefire to advance to its second phase, which includes a planned international stabilization force, a peace board to oversee governance in Gaza, and executive mechanisms for day-to-day administration.

“There are now some talks away from the public eyes,” he said. “The discussions are mostly around the combination of the peace board and international stabilization force, and the daily execution of the work.”

• US sanctions 2 International Criminal Court judges for rejecting Israel’s appeal of war crimes arrest warrants

The US is imposing sanctions on two additional International Criminal Court (ICC) judges after the Court rejected Israel’s challenge to the legality of its investigation into war crimes committed in Gaza since October 2023.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said judges Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia were designated under President Donald Trump’s February executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials, accusing them of participating in the court’s “illegitimate targeting of Israel.”

“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel's consent, including voting with the majority in favor of the ICC’s ruling against Israel’s appeal on December 15,” Rubio said in a statement.

​​​NEWS IN BRIEF

• The leaders of 27 EU member states are gathering in Brussels for a high-stakes European Council summit for two days, with a controversial proposal to use frozen Russian assets to fund a loan to Ukraine expected to top the agenda.
• Apple and Google will now be prohibited from blocking third-party app stores on iPhone and Android devices in Japan as a new law became effective.
• Cambodia claimed that Thailand conducted fresh airstrikes with F-16 jets in Preah Vihear province.
• Belgium has recorded a sharp increase in imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the port of Zeebruges despite European Union sanctions aimed at curbing Moscow's energy revenues, Belgian media reported.
• The Israeli army staged a new cross-border raid into Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province in the latest violation of the country’s sovereignty, local media reported.
• A French court sentenced former anesthesiologist Frederic Pechier to life in prison for poisoning dozens of patients, including cases that led to multiple deaths, French media reported.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there is "no better option" than to use frozen Russian assets in a bid to continue financial support for Ukraine.
• The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated support for Venezuela, noting that it consistently advocates normalization of dialogue between Washington and Caracas.
• China voiced support for Venezuela’s request to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, as tensions escalate amid mounting US pressure on Caracas.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of talks with US officials will take place later this week in the US, as diplomatic efforts accelerate to end the war with Russia ahead of a European summit expected to address Ukraine’s financing for the next two years.
• Arrests for terrorism-related offenses in the UK have risen more than sixfold in the last year, driven largely by the banning of the Palestine Action protest group, according to official figures.
• Hospitals in England are on “high alert” as they face industrial action alongside a continued surge in winter viruses, according to the latest figures from the health authority.
• More than 200 medical workers were killed, hundreds wounded and others missing in Sudan since the conflict between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) started in 2023, a local medical group said.
• The European Council and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on new legislation restricting the admissibility of asylum claims by revising the safe third country concept, according to a statement.
• A collective of 170 Belgian artists and cultural personalities has denounced public broadcaster RTBF’s decision to take part in the 2026 Eurovision song contest as Israel is set to compete despite “its war of extermination” in Gaza, local media reported.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has yet to reach an agreement with the US on key issues such as the Donbas region, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and reparations loans, while stressing Kyiv is still unsure how American security guarantees will work in the event of renewed conflict.
• More than 50,000 civilians have been displaced from the three states of Kordofan in southern Sudan because of worsening insecurity, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
• The UK has signed a new migration pact with Greece aimed at strengthening border security and disrupting human smuggling gangs operating across Europe and the Mediterranean.
• More than 380 illegal Israeli settlers broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, a Palestinian official said.
• At least 16 Sudanese civilians were killed, and several injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in South Kordofan, according to local medics.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) said it "strongly rejects" new US sanctions on two ICC judges, labelling the move a "flagrant attack" against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.
• Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a meeting focusing on Gaza in the US city of Miami, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced deep concern about the latest US sanctions on two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, emphasizing the Court's role in ensuring international justice.
• The UN General Assembly elected former Iraqi President Barham Ahmed Salih as the new UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Bank of England cuts policy rate by 25 basis points, matching forecasts

The Bank of England lowered the policy rate by 25-basis points to 3.75%, in line with expectations.

The move followed the bank's decision to hold the rate steady at two previous meetings. The Bank Rate currently stands at its lowest since 2022.

The decision was taken by the bank's Monetary Policy Committee by a narrow 5-4 vote. Five members voted for a 25-basis point rate cut, while four voted for no change.

• European Central Bank holds rates steady at 2%, matching expectations

The European Central Bank (ECB) left its three key interest rates steady, meeting forecasts.

The key deposit rate stands at 2%, its lowest since November 2022.

The interest rates on the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility are at 2.15% and 2.40%, respectively.

• US annual inflation falls to 2.7% in November, below expectations

The annual inflation rate in the US was 2.7% in November, below estimates and down from 3% in September, according to data.

The markets had expected the annual rate to edge up to 3.1%.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the monthly inflation rate was 0.2%, down from 0.3% in September. In October, inflation data were not released due to a federal government shutdown.