Kosovo Heads to Early Parliamentary Election Amid Prolonged Political Deadlock 
Democratic Governors Urge Trump Administration to Lift Halt on East Coast Offshore Wind Projects 
Myanmar Election 2025 Faces Global Scrutiny Amid Civil War and Political Repression 
Thailand-Cambodia Ceasefire Holds After Deadly Border Clashes 
Zelenskiy Discusses Ukraine Peace Efforts With Trump Envoys 
Bolsonaro Undergoes Phrenic Nerve Block Procedure After Surgery-Related Complications 
China’s One-Child Policy Legacy Resurfaces After Death of Former Population Chief 
Najib Razak Jailed 15 More Years in Landmark 1MDB Verdict With Major Political Impact 
U.S. Judge Blocks Deportation of British Anti-Disinformation Campaigner Imran Ahmed Amid Free Speech Dispute 
Zelenskiy to Meet Trump in Florida as Ukraine-U.S. Peace Framework Nears Completion 
California Drops Lawsuit Over Federal Funding Cuts to High-Speed Rail Project 
Christmas Eve Jazz Concert Canceled After Kennedy Center Renaming to Include Trump 
U.S. Shifts Strategy Toward Economic Pressure With Venezuelan Oil Quarantine 
Mark Carney Reaffirms Canada’s Support for Ukraine as Peace Talks With Russia Gain Momentum 
U.S. Prioritizes Economic Pressure With Venezuelan Oil Quarantine as Sanctions Intensify 
Palau Agrees to Accept Up to 75 U.S.-Transferred Migrants in Deal Tied to Increased American Aid 
Bolsonaro Endorses Son Flavio for Brazil’s 2026 Presidential Election From Hospital 
Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party said it would oppose a key element of the British government’s post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. However, the DUP added that it would still consider the deal should additional concessions be made.
The DUP said in a statement on Monday that it will vote against the post-Brexit trade deal the UK has with the EU known as the Windsor Framework and originally known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson cited that the “Stormont Brake” provision in the new deal does not address the issue of the EU’s role in the protocol.
“Our party officers…met this morning and unanimously agreed that in the context of our ongoing concerns and the need to see further progress secured whilst continuing to seek clarification, change, and re-working that our Members of Parliament would vote against the draft statutory instrument,” said Donaldson.
The British parliament is set to start the debate and vote on the provision on Wednesday. The brake would allow the UK to prevent new EU laws from being applied to goods in Northern Ireland if asked by a third of lawmakers in the Northern Ireland legislature. The DUP said such provisions do not apply to the existing EU laws in the region.
The provision is still likely going to pass as the opposition Labour Party has expressed support for the agreement. However, the DUP’s decision to propose the deal would increase opposition among Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s own Conservative Party, who refuse to back the deal.
The DUP’s support is crucial to the agreement as being the largest party in the region boycotted the region’s power-sharing government in protest of the post-Brexit rules that prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland.
Sunak’s spokesperson said on the same day that Sunak is ready to assure the DUP over the deal but that there are no plans to make changes to the deal. The spokesperson said the DUP are considered “important partners” for the agreement and that they are willing to answer any questions the party may have. The spokesperson maintained that the government believes the Windsor Framework is still the best deal for the region.
