1. The US, joined by Arab mediators, sought to conclude an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the 14-month-old war in the Gaza Strip.

2. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have tightened their grip on the country's oil industry and control up to half the exports.

3. Trump rejects bipartisan US spending bill, raising government shutdown risk.

4. South Korea's foreign minister was devising a roadmap to prepare for Trump's potential reopening of nuclear talks with North Korea.

5. Honda and Nissan are in talks to deepen their ties, including a possible merger. Merger would create $54 billion company, world's No. 3 auto group by vehicle sales.

6. British inflation hit an eight-month high in November, but the rise in services prices.

7. Bitcoin’s soaring value has caught the attention of high-end fashion brands and retailers, prompting further interest in offering cryptocurrencies as a means of payment.