Portal:Current events/2015 December 18

• Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
  • Two ballistic missiles are fired from Yemen at Saudi Arabia, one of which is intercepted by the kingdom's air defences, while the other missile lands near the city of Najran, according to a coalition statement on Saudi state media. No casualties have been reported. (AFP via AhramOnline)
• Territorial disputes in the South China Sea
  • A U.S. B-52 long-range bomber on a routine mission over the South China Sea mistakenly flew within two nautical miles of an artificial island built by China near the Cuarteron Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands archipelago, according to a senior U.S. defense official. The Chinese Defense Ministry issues a statement accusing the U.S. of deliberately raising tensions in the disputed region. (The Guardian)
• International intervention in Iraq
  • An airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition hit Iraqi forces as the army engaged militants in poor weather conditions south of the city of Fallujah. Official reports state one soldier was killed, and nine were injured, but casualties may be significantly higher. A military medic says he's treated at least 20 for injuries. (The Washington Post)
• 2015 Burundian unrest
  • The African Union's Peace and Security Council approves the plan to send 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi to protect civilians caught up in the growing crisis; approval by the U.N. Security Council is required. Burundi's Philippe Nzobonariba says the force would not be allowed in without government permission. (AP via Houston Chronicle) (Reuters)
• Syrian Civil War
  • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says suspected Russian airstrikes kill 32 civilians, half of them women and children, in three areas in northern Syria. No suspected militants were killed in the attacks. (The Times of Israel) (Sky News)

• The Vatican announces Mother Teresa's eligibility for canonization after a Vatican spokesman confirmed Pope Francis' recognition of a second miracle attributed to her involving the healing of a Brazilian man with multiple brain tumors. The Vatican has yet to confirm a canonization date for Teresa. (Agence France-Presse via The Guardian) (Reuters via The Hindu)

• In the United States, JPMorgan Chase agrees to pay $307 million to settle federal cases where the bank failed to disclose certain conflicts of interest to some of its wealth management clients. (Reuters) (Huffington Post)
• Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announces it will change its name to Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. on December 22. Its stock exchange ticker symbol will be IONS. (Reuters)

• Pollution in China
  • The Chinese government warns residents in Northern China to prepare for a wave of choking smog arriving over the weekend and lasting through Tuesday, with Beijing affected hardest. The capital city issues its second-ever "red alert" -- the first was announced on December 7, 2015. This alert triggers the odd-even license plate system to halve cars on the road, and recommends schools close. China's National Meteorological Center reports the pollution will stretch from Xi'an, across part of Central China, through Beijing and up into Shenyang and Harbin in China's frigid northeast. (Reuters) (South China Morning Post)

• Australia–Japan relations
  • In Tokyo, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says his country is “very disappointed” with Japan's decision to resume whaling, but this dispute should not be allowed to hurt the two countries' special strategic ties. Malcolm Turnbull, who replaced Tony Abbott in September, is on his first visit to Japan which will include talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. (Reuters) (AP via The Washington Post)
• Romania–NATO relations
  • NATO's Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System becomes partly operational at Romania's Deveselu airbase, as U.S. Navy personnel takes control of the site after years of construction. Aegis Ashore facilities in Romania form part of NATO's European missile defence system, with another site under construction in Poland expected to become operational by 2018. The United States Ambassador to Romania Hans G. Klemm says that they have explained to the Russians on numerous occasions that the missile system is, "not directed at Russia, nor does it have the capability to threaten Russia." The head of Russia's Strategic Missile Troops, Colonel General Sergei Karakayev, has dismissed the purported effectiveness of the missile defense system, saying Moscow develops “brand new and effective means and techniques to penetrate any missile defense system”. (AP via Yahoo News), (RT)
• Russia–Ukraine relations
  • Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says his country is imposing a moratorium on repayment of a $3 billion debt to Russia following Moscow's refusal to accept repayment terms already offered to other international creditors. This means Ukraine is likely to default on the debt, which is due Sunday. (AP via ABC news) (BBC)
• The European Union warns Thailand that the country needs to quickly address the human rights and slavery issues in its seafood industry if it wants to avoid an EU import ban. (AP) (AP investigation via New Europe)
• Syrian Civil War
  • Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War
    • NATO allies agree to send aircraft and ships to strengthen Turkey's Syrian border air defenses and avoid incidents similar to November's downing of a Russian jet. (Reuters)
  • Following Russia and the United States agreement on the text, the U.N. security council unanimously approves an international roadmap for a peace process in Syria. The resolution does not touch on the question of Bashar al-Assad's fate. (The Guardian) (The Washington Post)

• In the United States, a group of hospitals, 32 in 15 states, agree to pay a total of $28 million to settle charges they submitted false claims to Medicare for a type of spinal fracture treatment. This is the latest settlement stemming from a decade-old whistleblower lawsuit about alleged inappropriate billing for kyphoplasty. More than 130 hospitals have paid about $105 million to settle billing claims from this spinal procedure. (Reuters) (The Arizona Republic)

• The Movie Premiere of Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
• Sequels: Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009) and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)

• 2016 United States presidential election
  • The Democratic National Committee suspends Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign's access to its national voter database after a member of his campaign staff took advantage of a software error to review Hillary Clinton's private campaign data. In response, the campaign files a lawsuit. (The Washington Post)
  • Jeff Weaver, presidential campaign manager for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, says the DNC's suspending access to the Democratic voter file is part of a "pattern" of actions that suggest the DNC is not impartial. The campaign, which had notified the DNC of software problems, threatens to take the DNC to federal court if the party organization doesn't restore the campaign's access. (UPI) (CNN)
  • Michael Briggs of the Sanders campaign says the voter data access issue has been “resolved.” (ABC News)