December 25, 2018 (Tuesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- The Afghan health ministry says that yesterday's attack by a suicide bomber and three gunmen on a government building in Kabul killed at least 43 people. No group has claimed responsibility. (CBS News) (Daily Sabah)
- Second Libyan Civil War
- Three people are left dead in an attack against Libya's Foreign Affairs ministry in Tripoli. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
Business and economy
- The Nikkei index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange drops 5% to below 20,000, its lowest level since September 2017. (Bloomberg)
International relations
- North Korea–South Korea relations
- North Korea and South Korea hold a ceremony for a project to reconnect rail and road links, although construction cannot start while sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs remain in place. (Gulf Today) (Sun Herald)
Law and crime
- A man stabs a local government official and a police officer to death in the streets of Longyan, China, then hijacks a bus and drove it into pedestrians, killing eight people and wounding 22 others. Authorities said the perpetrator "took revenge on society" after a dispute with local officials about his father's veteran benefits. (CNN)
- Cannabis in Thailand
- Thailand approves marijuana for medical use and research. The country voted to amend the Narcotic Act of 1979 prior to the New Year’s holiday. (BBC) (CNBC)