Good Morning

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is under strong pressure due to his attempts to impose martial law. The chairman of his own party, the conservative People Power Party (PPP), is calling for his impeachment after Yoon surprisingly gave the military emergency powers on Tuesday, which he withdrew after six hours. The opposition has initiated impeachment proceedings, which are to be voted on Saturday. Yoon is accused of wanting to have leading politicians arrested. His popularity rating has fallen to 13% and the incident brings back memories of the country's military dictatorships.

Islamist rebels led by Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have conquered Aleppo and are presenting themselves as an alternative to President Assad. They have restored basic services and are assuring minorities protection. HTS is planning a transitional administration for the city, but challenges such as garbage, currency problems and scarce resources remain. The West remains sceptical, as HTS is considered a terrorist organization.

The murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in Manhattan has activated internet detectives and true-crime fans. They are analyzing surveillance videos, examining murder weapons and tracing escape routes. The police are examining DNA traces and surveillance images and have asked the public for help. Online speculation on platforms such as Reddit and X point to a targeted crime, with possible inside knowledge. Discussions about guns, escape bikes and words engraved in bullet casings raise questions about motives and links to the insurance industry. The investigation is ongoing.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would appoint a new prime minister in the coming days to ensure the 2025 budget is passed. Michel Barnier resigned after just three months in office after his budget was rejected by parliament. Macron criticized an alliance of right-wing and left-wing opposition that brought about the fall and confirmed that he would remain in office until 2027. The new prime minister must act in a deeply divided parliament while France struggles with a high national debt. Macron cited the reconstruction of Notre-Dame and the successful 2024 Olympic Games as proof of France's strength.

US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed ex-PayPal manager David Sacks as “AI and crypto chief”. Sacks is to create a framework to strengthen the USA as a center for digital innovation. The tech scene welcomes the appointment as a signal for crypto- and AI-friendly policies.

Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan threatens civil disobedience if his demands are not met. He is calling on his supporters to attend a rally in Peshawar on December 13, demanding an investigation into protest violence and the release of all political prisoners. The government rejects Khan's accusations.

Thousands of Romanians demonstrated in Bucharest for democracy and against the EU-critical, radical right-wing presidential candidate Calin Georgescu. The run-off election on December 8 will decide between Georgescu and the pro-European Elena Lasconi. Polls predict a close race, while reports of Russian disinformation campaigns are causing concern.

In Ghana, the two main candidates, John Dramani Mahama of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), held final campaign rallies in Accra ahead of Saturday's elections. Mahama criticized the economic policies of the current government, while Bawumia defended the economic progress. Polls suggest that Mahama is the favorite, but the race remains close.

Paraguay has expelled a Chinese diplomat from the country after he apparently tried to influence the country's political stance towards Taiwan. Chinese diplomat Xu Wei was accused of interfering in Paraguay's internal affairs by encouraging MPs to reconsider friendly relations with Taiwan. Xu, who had traveled to Paraguay as part of a UNESCO meeting, was ordered to leave the country within 24 hours. China rejected the accusations of interference and emphasized the “one-China principle”. Paraguay remains the only South American country with diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Price rally: DAX posts second-best year in the past ten years: While Wall Street was subdued on Thursday, the DAX continued to rise after three record days in a row. Since the beginning of the year, the leading German index has already gained +20%. (TAG)

€100 million case: Raid at scandalous Volksbank Düsseldorf Neuss: Police and public prosecutors raided the Volksbank Düsseldorf Neuss yesterday, reports manager-magazin. They are investigating suspected fraud, breach of trust and forgery of documents after €100 million disappeared. (MM)

Government chaos in France: Who will succeed Barnier? France is now only governed by Prime Minister Michel Barnier on a caretaker basis after he submitted his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron. The French parliament had withdrawn its confidence in Barnier the previous evening following a vote of no confidence by the left-wing opposition, which was preceded by a dispute over the budget. (ZON)

Sergei Lavrov: Russia is prepared to use “any means” to prevent a “strategic defeat”. He warned the West and highlighted the deployment of the new Oreshnik missile.

Romanian election: The right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu wants to stop all aid to Ukraine if he wins. He wants to focus solely on Romania's own problems.

Debate in the Bundestag: The FDP demands the delivery of the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine. However, a vote is unlikely.

US-Ukrainian talks: Jake Sullivan and Andriy Yermak discussed how Ukraine can improve its position in the war.

Ukraine and drones: Ukraine plans to purchase 30,000 drones for its armed forces.

North Korea-Russia agreement: A defense agreement between North Korea and Russia is in force.

• “Ampel-Aus” is ”word of the year”
• EU: Approves nationalization of Meyer Werft (HB)
• Allianz Global Investors: Could be taken over by asset manager Amundi (BBG)
• Usercentrics: Google invests in Munich startup (BI)
• Lufthansa: Kicks out consultant (SPG)
• Wirecard: Probably paid companies of suspected spies (TAG)
• Fed chief: Jerome Powell announces strong economy means slower rate cuts (WSJ)
• OPEC: Oil alliance postpones production increase by three months (HB)
• Investors: Return to UK equities after 3.5 years of outflows (FT)
• Trump taps Republican Paul Atkins as new SEC chairman (CNBC)
• xAI: Raises $11bn in record time and plans to increase the computing power of its AI supercomputer tenfold (RT)