On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 line between Finland and Estonia was interrupted. The Finnish authorities are investigating the cause of the outage, not ruling out the possibility of vandalism.
The Patrol Police provided recommendations on how to protect yourself from pickpockets in crowded places. Among the tips is to keep your bag in front of you and place valuables in the inside pockets.
Audi has announced new car models for 2025 after a significant drop in profits. The company will present updated A5, A6 e-tron, Q5, Q6, A7, Q3 and other models with new specifications.
Pakistan's bombing of Paktika province in Afghanistan killed 46 people, mostly women and children. The Taliban vowed to avenge the attack and defend their sovereignty.
Due to powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections, the aurora borealis is expected to be seen on December 25 in the high-latitude regions of the United States. The phenomenon may recur in two weeks due to the return of an active sunspot.
26-year-old Swiss snowboarder Sophie Hediger died in an avalanche at the Arosa resort before Christmas. The athlete was a participant in the 2022 Olympics and had two World Cup podiums in the 2023/24 season.
Joe Biden has signed a law that grants the bald eagle the official status of the US national bird. Previously, for 242 years, this symbol existed only unofficially, without legal status.
The United States and Russia have agreed on a timeline for the completion of the International Space Station. Russia plans to use the ISS until 2028, while NASA has extended its operation until 2030.
Hundreds of Christians took to the streets of Damascus over the burning of a Christmas tree in central Syria. The protesters demanded the rights of Christians and marched to the residence of the Orthodox Patriarchate.
A 39-year-old Chinese man, unhappy about investment losses, deliberately drove into a crowd outside a school, injuring more than 20 people. A court in Changde sentenced him to a suspended death sentence with the possibility of commutation to life imprisonment.
The 77th separate airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces captured 11 Russian servicemen. One Belarusian was also found among them. The occupiers surrendered without a fight, throwing away their weapons after being surrounded.
Ukrainian defense forces are actively defending Makarivka in Donetsk region, trying to regain their positions and preserve logistics routes. Over the past day, 252 combat engagements took place, with the hottest spots in the Kursk and Vremivsk sectors.
Fabio Ochoa, one of the founders of the Medellín drug cartel, has been deported to Colombia after serving a 25-year sentence in the United States. The former drug boss has reunited with his family and plans to live in Medellín.
The FSB conducts checks on the correspondence of relatives of the AFU military in the occupied territories. If contacts are found, people are offered either to cooperate with the occupiers or to be deported to Russia within hours.
The Central Election Commission of Kosovo refused to allow the Serbian List party to participate in the parliamentary elections. The reason was the party's nationalist stance and its close ties to Serbia.
The Romanian president has appointed Marcel Ciolacă to head a new pro-European coalition government. It will include Social Democrats, center-right liberals, and the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR.
Intesa Sanpaolo will stop accepting payments in euros from Russian banks from January 15, 2025. The restrictions will affect mainly corporate clients of the Russian Federation, but will have exceptions for domestic transactions.
The Ministry of Social Policy has created more than 400 community-based support services to help the victims.
China has called on the United States to reconsider its nuclear policy in response to the Pentagon's report on 600 Chinese nuclear warheads. China has stated that its nuclear program does not pose a threat to other countries.
Bert the 90-year-old crocodile, who starred in the 1986 movie Dundee Crocodile, has died in an Australian sanctuary. The 5-meter-long reptile weighing 700 kg was known for his independent spirit and became a symbol of Australia's wildlife.
Donald Trump has announced his intention to rename the highest mountain in North America, Denali, back to McKinley. The mountain was renamed by Obama in 2015 in honor of local residents.
The Central Election Commission of Belarus has registered 5 candidates for the presidential election to be held on January 26, 2025. Western countries have already announced that they will not recognize the results of the upcoming elections due to the undemocratic nature of the process.
Donald Trump threatens to demand the return of control over the Panama Canal if Panama does not reduce transit fees. Panamanian President Mulino said that the sovereignty of the canal is not subject to discussion.
Russian tractor-trailers transport two military boats through Berdiansk in the direction of Kherson. The board number 4006 and tactical markings of one of the boats were recorded.
Russian troops executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war in the area of Blahodatne. ISW claims that Russian commanders encourage or authorize such war crimes.
The Finnish Immigration Service is considering resuming the deportation of Ukrainians to safe regions. Currently, the threshold for making such decisions remains high, and Ukrainians retain the right to temporary protection.
The number of vehicles on the Ukrainian-Polish border has increased significantly compared to last week. The longest queues are observed at 4 checkpoints in Lviv and Volyn regions.
The Teamsters union has organized the largest strike in US history against Amazon over the company's refusal to negotiate labor contracts. The protest action began on December 19 with the participation of about 10,000 workers.
During a 38-day expedition in the Alto Mayo region of Peru, scientists discovered 27 new species of animals. Among the finds are an amphibian mouse, a tree salamander, and a fish with an unusual drop-shaped extension on its head.
Matthias Pogba has been sentenced to a year of house arrest for his involvement in an attempt to extort money from his footballer brother. A group of six people threatened Paul Pogba with a weapon, demanding 13 million euros.
