Trend
Gold and silver prices surged on January 5 after the detention of Nicolas Maduro by US forces. Gold surpassed $4370 per ounce, and silver reached $73.32, linked to the escalating geopolitical situation.
K-pop group BTS will return to the stage as a full group on March 20, 2026. This will happen after an almost four-year hiatus, during which all members completed their military service.
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.
In December, new Tesla car registrations fell by two-thirds in France and Sweden. At the same time, sales in Norway increased by 89%, setting a new annual record.
The abbreviation "6-7" topped Lake Superior State University's 50th annual "List of Banished Words. " This viral word, popular among Generation Z, has been deemed meaningless and should be removed from the lexicon.
Bloomberg presented a review of the 11 most anticipated hotel properties scheduled to open in 2026. The list includes private island resorts and renovated historic palaces in major metropolises.
Uzhhorod has become the most expensive city in Ukraine in terms of the average cost of apartment rental, surpassing Kyiv and Lviv. The average rental price in Uzhhorod is 21,300 hryvnias per month, which is 12% more.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri claims that companies producing digital cameras are going down the wrong path.
Automakers Ford and Honda are reorienting their model lineups towards hybrid cars by 2026 due to declining demand for electric vehicles. Honda plans to introduce a new generation of hybrid technologies by 2030, and Ford is expanding its hybrid lineup amid weak EV sales.
Most Ukrainians are optimistic about 2026, but positive sentiments are declining, and skepticism is growing. A "Rating" survey showed that 39% expect improvements, 27% – no changes, and every fourth – deterioration.
Consumers will face up to a 20% increase in electronics prices this year. The price increase is due to a shortage of memory chips caused by increased demand for artificial intelligence.
In 2026, hairstyle trends will be defined by elegance and restraint, including the breakup bob, bixie, micro-bob, and side-swept bangs. Smooth hairstyles are also making a comeback.
Five key fashion trends for 2026, including opulence, historical references, massive jewelry, transparency and lightness, and updated sunglasses.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has cost Russian taxpayers approximately $550 billion, which is equivalent to 24 annual Russian higher education budgets. A significant portion of these expenditures is hidden, and the financing of the war is shifted to the population through new taxes and rising prices.
Champagne, which originated in the French region of Champagne, became a symbol of positive emotions thanks to the improvement of winemaking technologies by the monk Dom Pierre Pérignon. The drink, which gained royal status at the court of Louis XIV, later became available to the bourgeoisie and artists, and was subsequently popularized by Hollywood.
The Danish postal service PostNord has stopped delivering letters due to a sharp decline in their use. The number of letters sent by mail in the country has decreased by more than 90 percent since 2000.
Meta Platforms has agreed to acquire Singaporean AI startup Manus, which conducts in-depth research and performs tasks for paying users. The deal is valued at over $2 billion, with Manus maintaining independent operations while integrating its agents into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
On December 30, gold rose by 1. 1% to $4378.29 per ounce, recovering after a sharp drop. Silver and platinum also rose after significant fluctuations, while palladium slightly decreased.
The series "Stranger Things" has accumulated 1. 2 billion views in its nine years of existence, surpassing all other Netflix series in total viewing time. The project also created 8,000 jobs and brought $1.4 billion to the American economy.
Colleen Hoover is known for her romantic stories that explore themes of love, loss, and change; her books regularly become New York Times bestsellers. The online bookstore MEGOGO BOOKS offers a complete collection of the author's works in Ukrainian and English.
2025 was a record-breaking profitable year for billionaires: their combined wealth grew by $3. 6 trillion to $18.7 trillion, thanks to the boom in AI and tech sector investments. Elon Musk increased his fortune by $333.2 billion, reaching $754 billion, becoming the first person with a fortune exceeding $700 billion.
The Kardashian family held their annual Christmas party in an intimate format, foregoing a lavish celebration. Khloé Kardashian explained that this was due to her mother Kris Jenner's recent 70th birthday.
This year, a record number of ninth-grade graduates from Russian schools chose vocational education, which is the highest figure in the last 50 years. This is a forced reaction of the education system to the acute shortage of skilled workers for industry.
The Russian ruble has strengthened by 45% since the beginning of the year, trading at around 78 rubles per dollar, which is the strongest growth since 1994. This poses a threat to the country's war economy, despite falling oil prices and new sanctions.
China, transitioning to electric vehicles, exports surplus gasoline cars, filling markets in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America. 76% of China's car exports are gasoline models, which allowed it to become the world's largest car exporter.
The total cost of the 2025 Christmas table increased by 11% to UAH 913. 57, despite cheaper vegetables. Kutia and uzvar became significantly more expensive due to rising prices for their ingredients.
In 2025, the trend towards nationalization sharply intensified in Russia, with the authorities actively seizing private companies and subsequently reselling them to Kremlin-loyal investors. The total value of assets transferred to state ownership exceeded 3 trillion rubles, which is 4.5 times more than in 2024.
In November, more than 60% of new passenger car sales in Ukraine fell on five regions. Kyiv remains the leader, and regional buyer preferences vary significantly by model.
Eve Air Mobility successfully conducted the first flight of its full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) prototype in Brazil. This is an important step towards certification and entry into service in 2027.
ByteDance Ltd. plans to generate approximately $50 billion in profit in 2025, having already exceeded its internal target. The company achieved a net profit of around $40 billion in the first three quarters of the current year.