Deutsche Welle

European Union leaders will discuss the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine at a summit on December 18. Belgium has a special position on this issue, and the US is trying to block EU plans to use these assets.

Germany is introducing a 10-year ban on naturalization for individuals who forge German language certificates. This decision will be made on December 3rd, following police raids that uncovered the sale of language certificates on the black market.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that Poland must recognize same-sex marriages concluded in other EU countries, as refusal violates EU citizens' rights to respect for private life and freedom of movement. This decision concerns the case of a Polish couple who married in Berlin and were denied marriage registration in Poland.

In 2025, 122,000 Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes due to the war. In total, about 10 million Ukrainians have become refugees or internally displaced persons.

Two weeks after the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, the administration is introducing restrictions on visits. Tickets are now only available online for a specific time due to the huge influx of visitors.

The EU Commission is considering introducing additional visa restrictions that may affect Russian citizens. These measures are under consideration, but their final scope has not yet been determined.

In the Bavarian city of Erding, police wounded a Bundeswehr soldier with live ammunition during exercises. Soldiers in balaclavas with weapons opened fire with blank cartridges at police officers who arrived at the call of local residents.

Kim Jong Un promised to transform the DPRK into "the best socialist paradise in the world" ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party. This event is marked by a military parade, which is likely to showcase the latest weapons.

Negotiation clusters for Ukraine's accession to the EU could start after the parliamentary elections in Hungary in April 2026. Hungary is blocking the opening of the first negotiation cluster, despite Ukraine fulfilling all preconditions.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that in two months Ukraine hit 85 strategic targets on the territory of the Russian Federation. Among them are 33 military bases and airfields, as well as 52 objects of the military-industrial complex.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russian troops are trying to penetrate deep into Dnipropetrovsk region in small groups to demonstrate their presence. However, they lack the forces for a large-scale offensive, and an attempt to break through in the Novopavlivka direction was thwarted.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that since the beginning of summer, Russia has switched to the tactic of "thousand cuts", using small assault groups. They penetrate Ukrainian territory, attack AFU facilities, and paralyze logistics.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the interception of 21 drones on the night of August 31. 19 drones were shot down over the Volgograd and Rostov regions, and one each over Belgorod and Bryansk.

Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor of the Scholz government, announced his resignation from the Bundestag effective September 1, 2025. He plans to pursue research and teaching abroad, aiming to distance himself from Berlin politics.

The visit of the European delegation to Washington and Trump's negotiations with Zelensky impressed and surprised, but did not change the situation - the war of the Russian Federation in Ukraine continues. Putin insists on his terms - currently the Kremlin is not interested in a truce and continues to launch airstrikes.

Polling stations have closed in Bolivia, and the country is preparing for the second round of presidential elections. The left suffered a heavy defeat, failing to advance to the final round.

The meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska did not yield public results regarding an end to the war in Ukraine. Details of the conversations, particularly in the limousine, remained undisclosed, raising concerns about possible agreements.

Ukrainians who were forced to leave for European countries receive different amounts of state aid. Payments vary from daily allowances in Sweden to over a thousand euros in Belgium, while Germany provides "citizen's allowance."

An F-7 BGI military aircraft crashed on school grounds in Bangladesh, killing at least 31 people, including 17 children, the pilot, and a teacher. Hundreds of students are protesting, demanding an investigation and compensation.

Hungary analyzed the European Commission's proposal for the EU budget for 2028-2034, stating that Ukraine could receive about 20% of the funds. Hungarian Minister for European Affairs János Bóka called this irrational.

EU foreign ministers approved a new package of sanctions against pro-Kremlin individuals and organizations accused of destabilizing Moldova. This happened after statements by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service about Moldova allegedly preparing for a conflict with Russia.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is considering cutting social assistance for the unemployed, including Ukrainian refugees, to save public spending. The reform envisages the introduction of a basic income from 2026 and stricter requirements for housing costs.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced staff reductions due to AI implementation. Other companies, including Microsoft and Duolingo, are also announcing similar changes, which could affect millions of jobs worldwide.

An ICCT study found that electric vehicles in Europe emit 73% less greenhouse gases than gasoline counterparts. This reduction is happening faster than predicted, thanks to improved technology and the use of renewable energy.

The German parliament has approved a law to suspend family reunification for two years for migrants with subsidiary protection status. The restriction will affect approximately 380,000 people, mainly Syrian citizens.

Spain's Constitutional Court has confirmed the legality of the 2017 amnesty for Catalan separatists. This decision allowed Pedro Sánchez to retain the post of Prime Minister.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed their position on US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, stating that US actions comply with international law. Rutte also expressed concern about Iran's possible possession of nuclear weapons.

On June 24-25, a NATO summit will be held in The Hague, where the main issues will be a new defense budget of 5% of GDP and the war in Ukraine. Spain has expressed reluctance to increase spending, and a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council is not planned.

Kirsty Coventry has taken over as head of the International Olympic Committee, becoming the first woman and African to hold the position. She criticizes the automatic suspension of countries from the Olympics due to conflicts, proposing the creation of task forces to assess specific situations.

Ryanair is introducing fines of 500 euros for passengers for aggressive behavior during the flight. The company seeks to reduce the number of incidents on board and avoid flight delays.