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Our Top Stories This is The World in Brief from The Economist. Our top stories.

Donald Trump said he was withdrawing the National Guard from three American cities,

Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon, where state and local officials objected to their presence.

The reversal comes days after the Supreme

Court refused to authorize the troops' deployment in Chicago. The President credited the Guard

with bringing down crime and pledged to redeploy soldiers if rates increase. American stock

indices looked set to close 2025 higher than they did a year ago,

despite volatility induced by Donald Trump's tariffs and concerns of a possible AI bubble.

The S&P 500 was up by 17% annually, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ, 21%.

Silver futures have risen by around 150% this year,

as investors piled into precious metals in anticipation of rate cuts.

Iran appointed a new central bank governor and announced a public holiday as anger over living standards prompted the largest

anti-government demonstrations in years. The protests, which began on Sunday, have been fueled by the

country's ailing economy. Iran's currency, the Rial, has plunged to record lows against the dollar,

...