Congress asked the World Bank to clarify its hiring practices, following an Axios report in December that revealed the international financial institution told staff, contractors and consultants from Taiwan to present Chinese travel documents to maintain or pursue employment.
What's new: Bipartisanleadership on the Foreign Affairs Committees in both chambers sent a letter to World Bank President David Malpass on Jan. 7, citing concern that the rule could be considered "discrimination based on nationality," which would be inconsistent with the World Bank Group's Code of Conduct and Articles of Agreement.
The U.S. announced additional sanctions against Iran on Friday, targeting "any individual owning, operating, trading with or assisting sectors of the Iranian economy, including construction, manufacturing, textiles and mining."
The big picture: The measures, announced at a rare White House briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, come as tensions with Iran have de-escalated following its retaliatory strike on U.S. bases in Iraq earlier this week.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday that the U.S. should send delegates to Iraq in order to determine the best way to withdraw all of its troops there, the AP reports.
As Taiwan's Jan. 11 presidential election approaches, the Chinese government is spreading disinformation and taking coercive political maneuvers aimed at convincing voters Taiwan is helpless without China.
Why it matters: China is meddling in the internal political affairs of numerous countries around the world. In Taiwan, China's multi-pronged campaign to sway voter behavior demonstrates Beijing's growing ability to challenge the foundations of democratic governance.
The World Bank has revised its staff rules after Axios reported in December that the bank had asked Taiwanese employees to obtain Chinese passports.
Why it matters: The revised rule, issued on Dec. 19, states that the World Bank gives hiring preference to nationals from member states, but does not prohibit hiring non-member state nationals. China has sought to squeeze out Taiwanese nationals from international institutions. The World Bank's new rules represent a compromise position.
The House voted 224-194 on Thursday in favor of a symbolic war powers resolution directing President Trump to halt the use of military force against Iran unless he obtains approval from Congress.
The big picture: A classified briefing Wednesday on the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani left Democrats and even some Republicans deeply skeptical, with many claiming that officials did not provide evidence that there was an "imminent" threat from Iran.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference Thursday that intelligence from multiple sources indicates that an Iranian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of a Ukraine Airlines Boeing 737-800 near Tehran earlier this week.
The U.K.'s House of Commons voted 330-231 in favor of the European Union withdrawal agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Why it matters: The bill must still be passed by the House of Lords, but the Commons' approval essentially ensures that Brexit will happen on Jan. 31. The passage of the bill after three years of deadlock is a result of the landslide victory Johnson's Conservative Party won in last month's snap election.
War. What is it good for? The stock market, it turns out.
The big picture: Don't pay too much attention to short-term stock-market gyrations. When you take a step back, it looks like war tends to be good — not bad — for American stocks.
