Israel Deports Palestinian-French Lawyer Despite Condemnations
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EAST JERUSALEM-Israel deported Salah Hammouri, a Palestinian-French lawyer, to France on Sunday, marking the first time Israel has relied on a recent law that permits revoking the residency status of Palestinians in East Jerusalem for a "breach of allegiance" to the state.
Putin's Belarus Visit Stokes Fears It Could Be Drawn Into Ukraine War
MOSCOW-Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit to Belarus in three years this week is adding to concerns that he is moving to draw Moscow's closest ally into the war in Ukraine.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has signaled that he isn't planning to promise troops to Mr. Putin when the Russian president arrives in Minsk on Monday. But his rare visit and a recent bustle of military activity, including joint troop exercises between Belarus and Russia, is allowing the Kremlin to sow alarm in Ukraine and the West-and, some regional experts say, ensure that Kyiv diverts some of its defenses as Moscow attempts to reverse a succession of battlefield losses.
GLOBAL NEWS
Treasury Rally to Be Tested by Fed's Next Move
U.S. government bonds have continued to rally after a wretched first 10 months of 2022, reflecting Wall Street's optimism that inflation will be controlled sooner rather than later.
Treasury yields, which fall when prices rise, fell last week after a better-than-expected consumer-price-index report. They then maintained those levels after the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting of the year, which contributed to mounting recession fears among stock investors but did little to alter interest-rate bets in the bond market.
U.S. Scores $4 Billion Windfall on Oil-Reserve Sales
Volatile energy markets have made 2022 a big year for commodity traders. One of the biggest and perhaps most unlikely winners: The U.S. government.
Emergency releases from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve are slated to end this month, concluding an unusual attempt to lower gas prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent oil prices soaring.
Individual Investors Hang On in Wild Year for Stocks While Pros Sell
During the wildest year for global markets since 2008, individual investors have been doubling down on stocks. Many professionals, on the other hand, appear to have bailed out.
U.S. equity mutual and exchange-traded funds, which are popular among individual investors, have attracted more than $100 billion in net inflows this year, one of the highest amounts on record in EPFR data going back to 2000.
Stock Prices in Tenths of a Penny Might Be Coming to a Trading Screen Near You
Get ready to see more numbers when you check your stock portfolio.
Regulators unveiled a proposal last week that would cause some stocks to be quoted in price increments of as little as one-tenth of a penny. So, for example, if Uber Technologies Inc. shares are now trading at $26.20, the proposal opens the door to prices such as $26.204.
Sam Bankman-Fried Is Expected to Consent to Extradition From Bahamas
FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried is planning to consent to extradition to the U.S. to face criminal charges related to the cryptocurrency exchange's collapse, people familiar with the matter said.
Mr. Bankman-Fried has been in custody in the Bahamas since he was arrested last Monday in connection with several U.S. criminal charges, which were unsealed a day later. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have charged Mr. Bankman-Fried with fraud and money-laundering offenses, alleging he defrauded customers, lenders and investors. They also alleged he violated campaign-finance rules by making illegal political contributions.
Crypto's Onetime Fans Are Calling It Quits After FTX Collapse
Buying crypto was so much fun when it was going up. Now, many onetime fans are getting out.
This year has brought crisis after crisis, raising questions about the industry's long-term prospects. Two major lenders, Voyager Digital and Celsius Network, filed for bankruptcy this summer. The price of bitcoin has plunged some 75% from its peak late last year. For some traders, the recent collapse of the crypto exchange FTX-which is dragging down other firms-was the last straw.
Economy Week Ahead: U.S. Housing, Spending in Focus
The National Association of Home Builders releases its index that tracks the sentiment of single-family home builders. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index has declined every month this year. It had a preliminary reading in November of 39, down from 45 in October and 54 in September.
Battle for Bakhmut Is Critical Test of Russia's Prospects in Ukraine
BAKHMUT, Ukraine-Russian shells slammed closer and closer as Ludmyla Bondarenko and Zoya Shilkova, clad in fur coats atop layers of clothing, sat on a bench outside their apartment block, chatting and getting some fresh air on a frigid afternoon in what remains of this eastern Ukrainian city.
At an intersection nearby, Ukrainian troops used a crane to emplace concrete slabs, fortifying the neighborhood. Three freshly arrived tanks roared by, blue-and-yellow flags fluttering from their turrets. A distant staccato of machine-gun fire could be heard amid the thumps of artillery.
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This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-19-22 0617ET
