A large-scale power outage in the southwestern part of Berlin left 45,000 households and more than 2,000 commercial facilities without electricity. The cause of the outage was the arson of vital power lines by the left-wing extremist group "Vulkangruppe."
A vessel carrying over 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia, with at least 102 people rescued and dozens still unaccounted for. Gambian President Adama Barrow confirmed seven deaths and promised an investigation.
After the New Year holidays, the longest queues at the border are observed in the Polish direction, which complicates crossing for drivers and passengers. The State Border Guard Service advises taking into account the possible unstable operation of electronic systems of control services at checkpoints.
In occupied Luhansk region, miners were left without full payments on the eve of the New Year, and residents of Alchevsk and Perevalsk faced a sharp reduction in water supply. Russian investors did not pay the miners of the "Bilorechenska" mine, and water supply to Alchevsk was reduced by 80%.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation prevented a possible terrorist act in North Carolina. An 18-year-old resident planned to attack a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant on New Year's Eve.
Occupying media stopped covering the water crisis in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region, focusing on New Year holidays, while local residents on social networks report the absence of systemic solutions. A "water business" is thriving in the region, and residents receive bills for a non-existent service, creating a caste system of access to water.
The finale of "Stranger Things" grossed over $25 million, and possibly even $30 million, in cash from cinemas for screenings on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Of this amount, $15 million was earned by the No. 1 cinema chain, AMC Theaters, from an attendance of 753,000 people.
Investigators suspect that sparklers on champagne bottles caused a fire in a bar at a Swiss ski resort. 40 people died, 119 were injured.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet with President Donald Trump this spring. The meeting will take place amid escalating regional tensions due to Chinese military exercises around Taiwan.
Traffic on Valeriy Lobanovskyi Avenue in Kyiv is complicated due to a heating network accident. Patrol officers are organizing a detour via Iziumska Street, advising drivers to take this into account when planning their trips.
Today, January 2, and throughout the week, an increase in the load on checkpoints in the Lviv region is predicted. Currently, 200 cars are queuing to leave Ukraine.
In Switzerland, investigators are identifying charred bodies after a bar fire that killed about 40 people at a New Year's Eve party. Among the first identified is a 16-year-old Italian golfer.
Precious metals resumed their rally at the beginning of the new year, continuing the unprecedented growth of 2025, supported by geopolitical tensions and expectations of interest rate cuts. Gold rose 1.4% to $4372.35 per ounce, silver rose 3.6% to $73.79 per ounce.
Vinnytsia police identified a 45-year-old man who launched fireworks from a building on January 1. He was taken to the police station, where it was found that he was intoxicated.
Victoria Kafka Jones, daughter of Hollywood star Tommy Lee Jones, was found dead in the Fairmont San Francisco hotel on New Year's Day. The 34-year-old actress, known for her roles in "Men in Black II" and "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," died of unknown causes.
Vasyl Zvarych, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, called the anti-Ukrainian statements by Czech Parliament Speaker Tomio Okamura disgraceful. Okamura spoke out against providing weapons to Ukraine, calling the war "senseless," and expressed unwillingness to see Ukraine in the EU.
A five-day mourning period has been declared in Switzerland following a bar fire at the Crans-Montana ski resort on January 2. More than 40 people died, and 115 were injured, many of them teenagers and tourists.
On the night of January 2, Russian occupiers attacked Zaporizhzhia twice with attack UAVs, causing fires and damage. A significant part of the enemy targets was destroyed, which allowed to avoid injuries.
Russia launched 116 attack UAVs over Ukraine overnight, of which 86 were shot down or suppressed. 27 drones were recorded hitting 23 locations.
On January 1, Russian troops lost 910 soldiers and 590 UAVs. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 02.01.26 are estimated at 1,209,880 personnel.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in his New Year's address, called on Europe to follow his country's example. He highlighted the secure eastern border, strict asylum policy, and the largest modern army in the EU.
Late in the evening on January 1, Russians attacked Zaporizhzhia with two attack UAVs, causing a fire. The attack took place in the Voznesenivskyi district.
Dutch police arrested about 250 people during a "violent New Year's Eve" marked by mass riots and attacks on emergency workers. Two people died, many were injured by fireworks, and the number of fires sharply increased.
On January 1, 97 combat engagements were recorded at the front, the enemy used 92 guided aerial bombs and over 4,000 kamikaze drone strikes. The greatest enemy activity was observed in the Pokrovsk, Lyman, Kostiantynivka, and Huliaipole directions.
On New Year's Eve in Peru, an attack on illegal gold miners resulted in at least three deaths and seven missing. This happened in the city of Patas, where 13 miners had already died last year due to criminal gangs.
Donald Trump hosted a charity auction at his Mar-a-Lago club, where a portrait of Jesus Christ was sold for $2. 75 million. The proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the local sheriff's office.
Ghanaian law enforcement officers arrested self-proclaimed prophet Evans Eshun for deceiving the public about the end of the world on December 25, 2025. The arrest took place on December 31, 2025, after his prophecy failed to materialize, causing mass psychosis and social tension.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced efforts to resume prisoner exchanges. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov is holding meetings in Turkey to facilitate this process.
Mamdani became New York's first Muslim mayor, taking the oath of office on January 1. He used the Quran for the ceremony, a first in the city's history.
On January 1, Ukraine celebrated the 117th anniversary of the birth of OUN leader Stepan Bandera. Ceremonies took place in cities in the west, south and east of the country.
