Macron has promulgated a special law allowing state institutions to function at the beginning of 2026 without an adopted main budget. This decision was unanimously approved by parliament after an agreement could not be reached on the draft budget for the next year.
Lithuania officially completed the procedure of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on December 27, which allows it to use and produce anti-personnel mines. The country plans to spend hundreds of millions of euros on the purchase and production of tens of thousands of units of ammunition.
Europe's highest volcano, Mount Etna, is once again erupting incandescent material and ash, with activity recorded in the northeast crater and the Bocca Nuova crater. Some volcanic ash has fallen on Taormina and the ski resort of Piano Provenzana.
In the Paris metro, an undocumented immigrant from Mali wounded three women with a knife, one of whom was pregnant. Police detained the 25-year-old man, known to law enforcement for property crimes and sexual harassment.
China's cyber regulator has unveiled draft rules to strengthen oversight of artificial intelligence services that mimic human personality and stimulate emotional dependence among users. Developers are obliged to control addiction, ensure safety, and protect data.
As a result of a massive attack on Kyiv, the number of injured increased to 22 people, including children. Numerous hits and falling debris were recorded in eight districts of the city, leading to damage to infrastructure, buildings, and cars.
Reservoir reserves in occupied Crimea significantly decreased during 2025, reaching 100 million cubic meters by the end of December. The most critical situation is in the Izobilnensky reservoir, which supplies Alushta, where the filling is only 19%.
As a result of the Russian attack on Odesa region, elevator equipment and port infrastructure were damaged. Most aerial targets were destroyed, there are no dead or injured.
France reported no direct contact between Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin. Neither a phone conversation nor a visit by the French leader to Moscow is planned for now.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported 19 people injured as a result of a massive attack by Russian troops. 11 people were hospitalized, others received assistance on the spot.
The Mariupol City Council reported that the occupiers changed the profile of the city's museums, using them for ideological processing and glorification of the invasion participants. Valuable exhibits, including paintings by Aivazovsky and Kuindzhi, were taken to Donetsk and Russia, and replaced with portraits of "DPR" militants and Russian military personnel.
Donald Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced her pregnancy, expecting a daughter in May 2026. She thanked Trump and the chief of staff for supporting family values in the White House.
The ATESH movement disabled a key telecommunications infrastructure facility of the Russian troops in the Zaporizhzhia region. This caused large-scale communication disruptions in the Russian Armed Forces units, particularly in the area of the Berdiansk airfield.
The Russian army attacked Kyiv and the region with missiles and drones, causing destruction in residential areas and industrial facilities. Eight people were injured, including a 16-year-old child; a private house was destroyed and high-rise buildings were damaged.
World oil prices for Brent and WTI fell by more than 2% due to expectations of a significant supply surplus in 2026 and US diplomatic activity. Traders are selling off contracts ahead of the Zelenskyy-Trump meeting, where a peace plan will be discussed.
On November 26, Russian occupation forces made over 50 attempts to break through the defense in the Pokrovsk direction and used over 2,200 kamikaze drones along the entire front line. The Defense Forces neutralized 100 occupiers and destroyed a significant amount of equipment.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will gradually increase educators' salaries by 50% during 2026. The government also changed the procedure for providing subventions for the construction of school shelters, financing facilities with 60% completion.
Over 1,300 flights have been canceled in the US due to winter storm Devin, which has swept across the country during the peak post-holiday travel period. Airports in New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Boston have been most affected.
Donald Trump's approval rating among low-income Americans has plummeted to 31% amid concerns about the cost of living. A YouGov/Economist poll showed his net approval rating falling to -34 points.
Former second secretary of the Russian Consulate General in Houston, Arseniy Konovalov, was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime penal colony for high treason. He transferred secret data to American intelligence while serving in the United States from 2014 to 2017.
Ukraine's Ministry of Energy declared legally null and void the decision of Russia's "Rostekhnadzor" to issue a "license" for the operation of the occupied ZNPP power unit.
Maduro authorized the release of 99 participants in the 2024 anti-government protests. This came after Donald Trump intensified the naval blockade and called for the country's leader to resign.
Roland Tseber, head of the Alliance of National Communities "European Coalition", and Petro Yatsenko, representative of the Coordination Headquarters, installed a border post from Snake Island in Uzhhorod Castle.
Two Chadian soldiers were killed and one wounded in a drone strike on a military camp in the border town of Tine. Chadian intelligence suggests the drone came from Sudan, where a war is ongoing.
Israel has become the first state to recognize Somaliland's independence since its de facto secession from Somalia in 1991. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a joint declaration with the region's president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak received a 15-year prison sentence and a $2. 82 billion fine in the case of embezzlement from the 1MDB fund. The new term will begin after the completion of his previous sentence in 2028.
Russian troops resumed cavalry assaults on the positions of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade. Ukrainian drones eliminated the occupiers, but the horses were not harmed.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Svyrydenko announced that contracts for goods and services from the "Weapons of Victory" list will be concluded for the full production cycle.
Residents of Jabo village in northwestern Nigeria witnessed a massive airstrike that shook houses and lit up the sky in a bright red color for hours. US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation, calling it a "powerful and deadly blow" against Islamic State forces.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison became the central figure of business events in 2025, surpassing Elon Musk. His fortune grew by $89 billion in one day, temporarily making him the richest person in the world.
