A White House-backed proposal to provide more aid to the ailing U.S. economy includes $600 in direct payments to Americans but has little support among Democrats, a prominent senator said Wednesday.

U.S. stocks came off record highs Wednesday following new disagreements on an economic stimulus package, but Europe mostly rose as a high-level meeting on a post-Brexit deal was set to take place.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday that the European Union was a step closer to finding a compromise that would unlock its budget and virus rescue package after veto threats from Poland and Hungary.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday for a working dinner that could save -- or kill off -- hopes for a post-Brexit trade deal.

The first commercial flight of a Boeing 737 MAX since the jet was grounded 20 months ago following two deadly crashes landed safely in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre Wednesday, said AFP journalists on board.

WhatsApp on Tuesday added virtual shopping carts people can load with purchases and then use to fire off orders to businesses as the Facebook-owned messaging service pushed deeper into e-commerce.

German investor confidence jumped in December, buoyed by hopes that vaccines -- which are expected to win approval for general use in the EU imminently -- could help end the coronavirus pandemic.

Stock markets slid Tuesday in cautious trade amid vaccine rollouts and U.S. stimulus hopes.

Chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Tuesday said the EU stood united and would refuse any undue sacrifices to secure a trade deal with Britain, as post-Brexit talks remained deadlocked.

European stock markets dropped slightly at the open Tuesday as traders continued to track Covid and Brexit developments.