Asian stock markets opened the week with gains due to positive US employment data. Oil prices are rising amid escalating protests in Iran.
Russia's crude oil production experienced its largest drop in 18 months in December. This was attributed to Western sanctions and active Ukrainian drone strikes on energy infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump supported a bipartisan bill on sanctions against Russia. The document will allow punishing countries that buy Russian oil, which finances the war.
The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland will hold a meeting in Paris. The main topic of discussion will be support for Ukraine.
India's largest holding company, Reliance Industries, said it does not expect deliveries of Russian crude oil in January and has not received such shipments in the past three weeks. This could reduce India's imports of Russian oil to their lowest level in years.
US President Donald Trump has announced his intention to accelerate arms production for allies to shorten the multi-year delivery times for aircraft and helicopters. He plans to strictly control defense companies to avoid delays in the supply of military equipment.
The European Commission and the British regulator Ofcom are demanding explanations from X over the dissemination of intimate images created by Grok AI. European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier stated that such content grossly violates European law.
Following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro in early 2026, international creditors have intensified their struggle to recover Venezuela's $150-170 billion foreign debt. The main players are China, Russia, bondholders, and energy giants, while restructuring is complicated by US sanctions and a lack of cooperation with the IMF.
Grok, integrated into X, generates sexualized images of real people, including minors. xAI denies the accusations, and Elon Musk responds with a laughing-crying emoji.
The cause was bacterial contamination of drinking water due to a pipeline leak.
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.
Three tankers carrying almost 2. 2 million barrels of Urals crude are heading to Reliance Industries Ltd.'s Jamnagar refinery in India. This comes after the plant resumed purchases of Russian oil for domestic production.
The share of oil and gas revenues in Russia's budget will decrease to 23% this year, compared to 50% a few years ago. The reason is the war against Ukraine and sanctions that force Russia to sell oil at significant discounts.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the leaders of these countries would express deep concern about Russia's real attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine and solidarity with Ukraine, against which Russia has been waging an unjustified and unprovoked aggression for the fourth year.
New Delhi recorded its worst air pollution in nearly a decade this winter, leading to rare public protests and criticism of the government. The Air Quality Index exceeded 300 on 88% of days in November and December, the highest since 2017.
Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday but are expected to fall by more than 15% over 2025. This is due to fears of oversupply, despite wars, tariffs, and sanctions.
The Federation Council of the Russian Federation approved a resolution codifying the Kremlin's foreign policy course for long-term confrontation with the West. The document provides for the reorientation of foreign relations to Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tikhyi, stated that Russia invented the mystification about the attack on the residence – all they needed was to create a false justification for Russia's rejection of peace efforts.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha commented on Russia's statements about an alleged attack on Putin's residence. He noted that Russia has still not provided any credible evidence for its accusations, and there was no attack.
New Year on the planet lasts almost a day, starting from the Line Islands in the Pacific Ocean and ending in Samoa. Find out the exact time of the 2026 New Year celebration in different countries of the world according to Kyiv time.
A group that smuggled medicines from India and Turkey, selling them online under the guise of well-known brands, has been exposed in Khmelnytskyi region. More than 360 packages of medicines, including those unregistered in Ukraine, have been seized.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed decrees on synchronizing sanctions with Great Britain against 8 individuals and 40 legal entities involved in the deportation of children and the supply of components for Russian weapons. Ukraine also imposed sanctions against 8 military leaders of South Sudan in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
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.
Silver hit $75 for the first time on Friday, with gold and platinum also setting record highs. This occurred amid speculative bets, expectations of US interest rate cuts, and rising geopolitical tensions.
Western sanctions have reshaped India's oil trade, reducing its reliance on Russian oil. Imports from Russia decreased by 17.8% in January-October 2025, while imports from the US increased by 83.3% and from the UAE by 8.7%.
In Kajiado County, Kenya, four people have died from elephant attacks in a week, sparking protests. Experts attribute this to a severe shortage of vegetation and water in the region.
India is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a network of roads, tunnels, and airfields along its disputed border with China. This is a response to the bloody clashes of 2020, which exposed the Indian army's logistical vulnerabilities.
Indian company Reliance Industries Ltd. has resumed purchases of Russian crude oil from non-sanctioned suppliers. India's largest refinery has chartered Aframax tankers to receive Russian oil.
Analysts warn that tariffs imposed by Donald Trump will slow global GDP and overload European ports. This will also lead to a massive review of supply chains by companies.
In the first 9 months of 2025, global vehicle production exceeded 68. 7 million units, which is 4% more than last year. China remains the largest producer, having manufactured over 24.3 million units.
