European Union (EU) leaders on December 16 reached an agreement on a change to the Lisbon treaty to allow for the setup of a permanent rescue mechanism to cope with future debt crisis, a top EU official said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a three-year loan of 22.5 billion euros for the Republic of Ireland.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to lift the Saddam-era sanctions against Iraq, which was imposed in 1991.

A passenger plane carrying 22 people has gone missing in Nepal.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday called for further promotion of bilateral cooperation and trade links with India.

The US Senate has passed a compromise tax bill averting a New Year rise in income taxes for millions of Americans.

At least 27 refugees, including children, died on December 15 after their wooden boat shattered in violent seas off Australia before horrified witnesses, with fears as many as 50 could have perished.

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up near a mosque in southeastern Iran on December 15 killing at least 38 people at a Shiite mourning ceremony, state media reported.

The general in charge of the Israeli government's program to ease the economic blockade of Gaza, cited major progress on December 14, saying the flow of goods into Gaza has increased many fold.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi narrowly survived a no-confidence vote on December 14 that left his center-right government clinging to power and provoked the most violent protests seen in Rome for years.