The World in Brief from The Economist

Donald Trump said he was withdrawing the National Guard from three American cities where state and local officials objected to their presence. Also, a fire at a bar in Switzerland killed “several dozen” people and injured around 100 more.

Donald Trump said he was withdrawing the National Guard from three American cities—Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon—where state and local officials objected to their presence.

American stock indices looked set to close 2025 higher than they did a year ago, despite volatility induced by Donald Trump’s tariffs and concerns of a possible AI bubble.

Xi Jinping said the economy would meet its growth target in 2025, with GDP expanding by around 5%. Also, Warner Bros Discovery plans to reject its rival Paramount’s bid of $108bn to purchase the Hollywood studio.

The United Arab Emirates said it would pull out its remaining troops from Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed calls for a withdrawal of Emirati forces within 24 hours.

Turkey carried out anti-terror raids across the country, detaining 357 suspected members of Islamic State.

Donald Trump threatened to launch strikes against Iran should it rebuild its nuclear programme. Also, China fired rockets into the sea near Taiwan on a second day of military exercises.

Binyamin Netanyahu heralded Israel’s partnership with America as “second to none”, after meeting Donald Trump in Florida to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza.

SoftBank agreed to buy DigitalBridge, an American investment firm, for around $4bn.