Briefly

UNITED STATES

Travel ban extended to more countries

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation expanding the list of countries subject to full or partial entry restrictions to cover around 40 countries, effective on Jan 1. Trump "signed a proclamation expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the nation from national security and public safety threats," the White House said in a fact sheet. In June, the White House fully restricted and limited the entry of citizens from 12 countries "found to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States".

Unemployment rate hits four-year high

The US jobless rate picked up again in November, hovering at its highest level in four years, official figures showed on Tuesday in a report underscoring a labor market cool-down in the world's biggest economy. The report, delayed by a lengthy government shutdown, also indicated that the US economy lost 105,000 jobs in October. Hiring picked up again in November with a gain of 64,000 jobs, but this was still a slower pace than before, according to the Labor Department figures. "Employment rose in healthcare and construction in November, while (the) federal government continued to lose jobs," the department said. There was a sharp decline of 162,000 government jobs in October, "as some federal employees who accepted a deferred resignation offer came off federal payrolls", the report added.

UNITED KINGDOM

Nation experiences sunniest year on record

Britain might be known for its damp and gray climate, but it recorded its sunniest year on record in 2025, meteorologists announced on Wednesday. The country notched an average of 1,622 hours of sunshine up to Monday, beating the previous record set in 2003, the Met Office said. An "exceptional" amount of sunshine during the spring followed by long spells of clear skies during the summer helped set the record, the weather agency added. It put the sunshine down to the "frequent influence of high pressure that reduced cloud cover and brought sunny skies for many". The lengthy periods of clear skies contributed to Britain's hottest summer on record this year.

Agencies via Xinhua