Benjamin Netanyahu The coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves the Knesset and sets early elections for April. The coalition has been struggling after failing to pass a new bill that would extend the military draft to ultra-Orthodox Jews and the resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, leader of one of the parties in the coalition.
Expediency Discernment Council Chairman of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council and former Chief Justice Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi dies at the age of 70.
Corruption Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of corruption.
2018 Puebla helicopter crash Governor of Puebla Martha Erika Alonso and Senator Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas are among several fatalities in a helicopter crash near Puebla, Mexico.
2018 Sunda Strait tsunami The death toll following the tsunami caused by the Anak Krakatau volcano has risen to at least 429, according to Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency. Also, 1,459 people are injured, while 150 are still missing.
Dow Jones Industrial Average The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 2.9%, its worst performance ever on Christmas Eve.