Japan

Representatives of more than 20 countries discussed toughening sanctions against Russian oil exports. The Russian shadow fleet of 600 vessels brought the aggressor $180 billion in revenue last year.

Czech zoologists have discovered a new species of crayfish, Cherax pulverulentus, which has been living in aquariums around the world for 20 years. The animal comes from New Guinea and has two different colors - purple and blue.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6. 6 occurred on the Japanese island of Kyushu at a depth of 37 km. No casualties or damage have been reported so far.

The President outlined the priorities for Ukrainian diplomats in 2025. These include strengthening military support, integration into the EU and NATO, sanctions against Russia, and the launch of the e-Consul.

The US President met with the Prime Minister of Japan and the President of the Philippines to discuss security in the Indo-Pacific region. Particular attention was paid to threats in the South China Sea and economic cooperation.

Japan's LignoSat satellite, made of magnolia, has begun operations in Earth orbit. The device will test the behavior of wood in space for 6 months for future projects on the Moon and Mars.

The foreign ministers of Japan, Australia, and India will attend Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025. The diplomats plan to establish contacts with the new administration and confirm their readiness for cooperation.

Peskov says Putin is ready to negotiate with Trump without preconditions. ISW emphasizes that the Kremlin's position on Ukraine remains unchanged: complete surrender and change of government.

Joe Biden will deliver his final speech on foreign policy achievements at the US State Department on January 13. The President will talk about NATO expansion, support for Ukraine, and cooperation with Asian allies.

The Japanese government imposed new sanctions against Russia, freezing the assets of 45 individuals and organizations. Starting January 23, the export of 335 goods, including motorcycles and specialty vehicle components, will also be banned.

In 2024, 35 thousand square kilometers of territory were surveyed and demined in Ukraine, of which 17 thousand square kilometers were returned to use. 73 mine action operators and 200 mechanical demining vehicles were engaged.

Ukraine has improved its position in the Henley Passport Index 2025, rising to 30th place with 148 visa-free destinations. Singapore topped the ranking with access to 195 countries, ahead of Japan and European countries.

The United States sent a second RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft to Kadena Air Base to track DPRK missiles. This happened after North Korea tested a new hypersonic missile, and the first plane failed to detect it.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the DPRK's missile launch and expressed solidarity with Japan and South Korea. The missile flew 1,500 kilometers at a speed 12 times faster than the speed of sound.

North Korea has launched a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile. The missile traveled 1500 km at 12 times the speed of sound, reaching two zeniths at an altitude of 99.8 and 42.5 km.

North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile that flew 1,100 kilometers. Blinken emphasized the importance of cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan amid the political crisis in the region.

North Korea launches a ballistic missile into the sea off the east coast during the US Secretary of State's visit to South Korea. Blinken met with South Korea's acting president and reaffirmed support for the country's security.

116-year-old Japanese Tomiko Itooka, recognized as the world's oldest person by the Guinness Book of Records, has died of old age. She received this title in September 2024 after the death of 117-year-old Spaniard Maria Branias Morera.

The study showed that commercial hunting has hidden the true life expectancy of large whales. Without human intervention, sperm whales, blue whales, and fin whales can live up to 200 years.

More than UAH 100 billion remained in the single treasury account and more than UAH 163 billion in foreign currency accounts. During the year, Ukraine attracted USD 41.7 billion in external financing, of which USD 12.6 billion were non-repayable grants.

The 500 richest people in the world have reached a combined capital of 10 trillion dollars. Ilon Musk is the leader with a fortune of 442.1 billion dollars, having increased it by 213 billion over the year.

Japan celebrated the New Year with traditional ringing of the bell at Tokudai-ji temple. South Korea canceled festive performances due to the Boeing 737 plane crash that killed 179 people.

Auckland marked the start of 2024 with a grand fireworks display near the Sky Tower. New Zealand became one of the first countries to welcome the New Year after Kiribati and the Tonga Islands.

The Russian command has developed plans in case of war with Japan and South Korea, including a list of 160 targets. Documents from 2013-2014 contain targets for strikes on nuclear power plants, bridges, tunnels and industrial facilities.

The DPRK's political meeting decided on the “toughest” strategy to counter the United States. North Korea plans to develop relations with “friendly” countries and strengthen its defense capabilities.

In 2024, we launched 18 new Ukrainian-language audio guides to cultural sites around the world. We also donated hundreds of Ukrainian books to libraries in 8 countries as part of the Ukrainian Bookshelves project.

Vladimir Putin's experimental Oreshnik missile launched against Ukraine last month was manufactured by Russian companies that still rely on modern Western production equipment.

The NBU has set the official hryvnia exchange rate at UAH 41. 84/USD, which strengthened the hryvnia by 2 kopecks. In banks, a dollar can be bought for 42.25 UAH, and a euro for 44.14 UAH.

The governments of the United States and Japan have adopted new Extended Deterrence Guidelines to strengthen security in the region. The document is aimed at countering strategic and nuclear threats from China and North Korea.

The President of Ukraine has appointed Yuriy Vitrenko as Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna by Decree No. 881/2024. This appointment is part of a large-scale diplomatic reshuffle in Ukrainian missions abroad.