Monday, 29 December 2025

China holds military drills around Taiwan as warning to 'separatist forces' (LINK) 29 December 2025

— China is conducting military drills called "Justice Mission 2025" in response to the US announcing an $11 billion weapons sale to Taiwan. Beijing protested the sale and retaliated by sanctioning American defense companies.

Trump says US 'hit' dock in Venezuela, marking first known land attack: drugs were allegedly being loaded onto boats (LINK) 29 December 2025

US pledges $2bn for UN humanitarian aid, but tells UN 'adapt or die' (LINK) 29 December 2025

— $2 billion is just a fraction of what the US has traditionally spent on aid. In 2022 its contribution to the UN's humanitarian work was estimated at $17 billion (£12.6bn). The UN funding prioritizes just 17 countries, among them Haiti, Syria, and Sudan. Afghanistan and Yemen will not receive any money

Nepal to scrap 'failed' Mount Everest waste deposit scheme: encouraged climbers to bring their waste down from Mount Everest: Climbers had been required to pay a deposit of $4,000 (£2964), which they would only get back if they brought at least 8kg (18lbs) of waste back down with them. After 11 years, with the rubbish still piling up, the scheme is being shelved because it "failed to show a tangible result". (LINK) 29 December 2025

Japan's births predicted to hit lowest level since records began (LINK) 29 December 2025

Experts predict Swiss franc will stay strong in 2026: political stability, high current account surpluses, low debt, a strong and highly innovative economy and very low inflation in Switzerland as the main pillars of the franc (LINK) 29 December 2025

Geneva, Bern and Lausanne open more emergency shelters as temperatures drop (LINK) 29 December 2025

— With the opening of the PC shelter in Champel, 577 places will be available in Geneva.

Sunday, 28 December 2025

Trump says progress made in Ukraine talks but 'thorny issues' remain (LINK) 28 December 2025

Trump and Zelenskyy say they're nearly in agreement on Ukraine peace plan (LINK) 28 December 2025

— Trump said Sunday that he had a "good and very productive" call with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the meeting with Zelenskyy. Mr. Trump said his message to Putin is that they have "got to make a deal" and Mr. Trump said he believed "we have the makings of a deal."

EU backs Somalia after Israel recognizes Somaliland (LINK) 28 December 2025

Guineans vote in first election since 2021 coup with junta leader likely to win (LINK) 28 December 2025

Myanmar is holding phased elections. Here's why they're being called a 'sham' (LINK) 28 December 2025

— UN Secretary-General: "It is quite obvious that in the present state of conflict and taking into account the records of human rights of the military junta … that the conditions for free and fair elections are not there."

Executions in Iran estimated to have doubled in 2025 up to 1,500, Norwegian-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group says (LINK) 28 December 2025

Nine arrested in Italy for allegedly raising millions for Hamas (LINK) 28 December 2025

Suriname man kills nine, including his children, in knife attack after altercation with estranged wife (LINK) 28 December 2025

'South Park' writer purchases Trump-Kennedy Center web addresses in August, plans parody sites (LINK) 28 December 2025

Saturday, 27 December 2025

Thailand and Cambodia sign a new ceasefire agreement to end border fighting (LINK) 27 December 2025

Russia launches mass attack on Kyiv ahead of Trump-Zelensky peace talks (LINK) 27 December 2025

— "The aerial attack killed at least one person and injured at least 28 people including 13 who were hospitalized, according to Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko said more than 2,600 residential buildings are currently without heating, as well as 187 kindergartens, 138 schools and 22 social institutions in the capital, amid freezing temperatures. The attack lasted nearly 10 hours in total, making it one of the longest of the year."

ISW: Russian offensive campaign assessment, December 27, 2025: Russian forces are currently unable to build out a strategic reserve and will therefore likely be constrained to grinding, slow advances at their current rate and scale in the coming year (LINK) 27 December 2025

Trump tariffs blamed as bankruptcies reach 15-year peak (LINK) 27 December 2025

— Corporate bankruptcies in the US soared to a 15-year high in 2025, with 717 companies filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 between January and November.¨The figures marked a 14 per cent increase from the previous year.

Iran's President says country is in full-scale war with US, Israel and Europe (LINK) 27 December 2025

Switzerland's military cannot defend itself against full-scale attack, needs higher defence spending: Army chief (LINK) 27 December 2025

— Switzerland's armed forces chief Thomas Suessli, who is retiring at year-end, told NZZ that while the country can defend against cyber attacks and non-state threats to critical infrastructure, it's not prepared for long-range or large-scale military attacks. Suessli said the military continues to suffer from serious equipment gaps, noting that in a real emergency only about one-third of Swiss soldiers would be fully equipped.

Brigitte Bardot dies at 91: actor, icon, controversial animal and right-wing activist (LINK) 28 December 2025

— She was fined many times by French courts for inciting racial hatred against Muslims or native Indian Ocean islanders. Among other things, she urged the introduction of bolt guns in slaughterhouses to kill animals with as little pain as possible. In 1976, she joined a global campaign against seal hunting. Then in 1986, she founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which still campaigns for animal welfare worldwide.

George and Amal Clooney granted French citizenship after concerns of raising children in Hollywood (LINK) 27 December 2025

Friday, 26 December 2025

Israel becomes first country to recognise Somaliland (LINK) 25 December 2025

— It declared independence 34 years ago in 1991. Only Ethiopia has previously held an agreement with the previously unrecognised state in the Horn of Africa.

ISW: Iran update, December 26, 2025: The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized a "foreign" tanker near Gheshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on December 24. The IRGC claimed the tanker was smuggling four million liters of oil.[1] The IRGC Navy also detained 16 non-Iranian crew members, according to local judicial authorities in Hormozgan Province on December 26. Neither the IRGC nor Iranian media has disclosed the name of the tanker or the nationality of its crew members. (LINK) 26 December 2025

Silver jumps 6%, platinum up 8%, palladium up 11% as metal shock erupts (LINK) 26 December 2025

— In energy markets, WTI crude slipped more than 1.5% amid signs of progress on peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs (LINK) 26 December 2025

Status of the US Dollar as global reserve currency: USD share drops to lowest since 1994: Central Banks diversify their holdings into dozens of smaller "non-traditional reserve currencies" (LINK) 26 December 2025

Thursday, 25 December 2025

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy open to creating demilitarized zone in country’s east (LINK) 25 December 2025

Silver rises to record high on rate-cut bets, geopolitical strife (LINK) 25 December 2025

Karoline Leavitt, 28, expecting baby no. 2 with husband Nicholas Riccio, 60, will be first pregnant White House Press Secretary (LINK) 25 December 2025

YouTube shuts down 2 major channels amid controversy with fake videos now seen by millions: 'The monster was defeated' (LINK) 25 December 2025

Wednesday, 24 December 2025

Zelensky moves towards demilitarised zones in latest peace plan for Ukraine (LINK) 24 December 2025

European leaders condemn US visa bans as row over 'censorship' escalates: Washington accused of 'coercion and intimidation' after five leading figures behind digital safety law campaign targeted (LINK) 24 December 2025

Trump urged to release remaining 700,000 Epstein files (LINK) 24 December 2025

UK social media campaigners among five denied US visas (LINK) 24 December 2025

Trump-backed candidate wins in knife-edge Honduran election (LINK) 24 December 2025

— The conservative National Party candidate — backed by US President Donald Trump — won with 40.3% of the vote, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE), edging out Salvador Nasralla of the centre-right Liberal Party, who got 39.5%.

Annual Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump's name installed on Kennedy Center, Chuck Redd, drummer and vibraphonist, said in a statement to CNN (LINK) 24 December 2025

New Republic: Cognitive decline? These were Trump's 11 most senile moments this year (LINK) 24 December 2025

How photographer and videographer William Rezé has used technology to turn 200 Swiss sounds into the wildest music project of the year: he captured different sounds — both natural and 'man-made' — to create a unique song with no vocals, and no instruments (LINK) 24 December 2025

Tuesday, 23 December 2025

Russian forces seize embattled Siversk town as Ukrainian troops withdraw (LINK) 23 December 2025

Security Council remains divided over Iran nuclear programme, sanctions stay in place (LINK) 23 December 2025

'Gunboat diplomacy on steroids': US signs security deals across Latin America; Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro warns Trump administration may 'destabilise the entire region' amid rising tensions (LINK) 23 December 2025

Consumer confidence drops in December to lowest level since U.S. tariffs rolled out in April (LINK) 23 December 2025

UK police arrest Greta Thunberg under Terrorism Act during a pro-Palestinian protest (LINK) 23 December 2025

British TV personality Russell Brand charged with new rape and sexual assault crimes, from 2009: In total, Brand faces criminal allegations of sex crimes involving six women (LINK) 23 December 2025

Newly released Epstein files spotlight Trump's past jet trips with Maxwell: Prosecutor's email claims Trump flew on Epstein's jet eight times in the 1990s, some with Ghislaine Maxwell on board, and "many more times than previously has been reported" (LINK) 23 December 2025

Email from 'A' at British royal family's residence asked Ghislaine Maxwell for 'inappropriate friends' (LINK) 23 December 2025

Gold and silver prices surge to new record highs: on track for the strongest year since 1979 (LINK) 23 December 2025

Monday, 22 December 2025

Russian general killed by car bomb, third senior military leader killed this year (LINK) 22 December 2025

Israel approves 19 new settlements in occupied West Bank (LINK) 22 December 2025

China to impose up to 42.7% provisional tariffs on EU dairy products (LINK) 22 December 2025