1. Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the Ukraine war.

2. The US this week will decide whether Israel has made progress toward improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and how Washington will respond.

3. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he would be willing to call a vote of confidence in parliament before Christmas.

4. Japanese lawmakers voted for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to stay on as leader.

5. Bitcoin soared to a record high above $81,000 on expectations that cryptocurrencies will boom in a favorable regulatory environment following the election of Donald Trump.

6. Amazon is developing smart eyeglasses for its delivery drivers to guide them to, around and within buildings.

7. US ordered Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co to halt shipments of advanced chips to Chinese customers that are often used in artificial intelligence applications starting today.