1. Ruble suffers steepest drop in 16 yrs

    The Russian ruble* plunged* more than 11 percent against the dollar on December 16 in its steepest intraday* fall since the Russian financial crisis in 1998.

    The ruble opened around 10 percent stronger against the dollar after the central bank unexpectedly raised its interest rate by a hefty 650 basis points* to try and halt the currency’s slide. Although Russia’s public finances and reserves are much healthier than in 1998, analysts say the country is on the brink of* a full-blown currency crisis.

    2. Village reports mass infection

    Cambodian health authorities said on December 16 more than 80 people — including children and the elderly — who tested positive for HIV/AIDS in a single remote village may have been infected by contaminated* needles.

    Hundreds of panicked residents of the village in Battambang province in the country’s west have flocked to a health center for testing since news of the mass infection emerged last week, with a total of 82 having been confirmed as being infected.

    3. Jeb Bush to launch U.S. presidential bid

    Jeb Bush, son to one former U.S. president and brother to another, threw his hat into the ring for the 2016 race on December 16, announcing he was laying the groundwork* for a campaign.

    The 61-year-old former Florida governor said he has “decided to actively explore the possibility of running,” making him the first serious Republican contender* to announce a likely run.

    Jockeying is underway ahead of primaries to choose a challenger for presumptive Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the election to decide the successor to President Barack Obama.

    4. U.S., Cuba to restore relations

    The United States and Cuba announced on December 17 that they have agreed to normalize* diplomatic relations more than 50 years after they were severed in a historic shift in policy.

    Senior U.S. officials said the United States and Cuba will move to open embassies in each other’s capitals. The announcement came after Obama spoke to Cuban President Raul Castro to discuss the changes in a call that lasted nearly an hour on December 16.

    5. One IS thug suspected of killing 150

    One Islamic State (IS) militant is alone responsible for killing 150 women, including pregnant women and teenagers, because they refused to marry members of the militant army, according to Iraqi officials.

    Abu Anas Al-Libi is suspected of gunning down* the women, most of whom were Yazidi, because they refused to enter into sham temporary marriages with IS fighters simply to have sex in what the terrorists believe to be a Koranic loophole.

    6. Airline to debut ‘three-room suite’

    Abu Dhabi’s national carrier, Etihad, has showcased the arrival of its first Airbus A380, fitted with a 125-sqft (11.61-sqm) private apartment that it bills as “the only three-room suite in the sky.”

    The first A380 operated daily to London Heathrow starting on Saturday and features “The Residence by Etihad” — a three-room suite, complete with a living room, a private bathroom with shower and a bedroom, as well as a dedicated butler* at the very front of the plane’s upper deck.

    7. Spain’s Princess Cristina to be tried

    A Spanish judge on Monday ordered the king’s sister, Princess Cristina, to be tried along with her husband on charges of tax fraud*.

    The historic decision stemmed from four years of investigations that plunged the royal family into crisis and contributed to the abdication of King Juan Carlos in June.

    She is accused of cooperating in tax evasion by her husband, the former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin. He is accused of laundering millions of euros in public funds.(SD-Agencies)