The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 Nations League will take place on February 12, 2026, in Brussels. The Ukrainian national team will compete in League B.
Donald Trump has officially invited the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the G20 summit in Miami. This decision is driven by the strategic interests of the United States in strengthening ties and diversifying supply chains of critical minerals.
Banks in a number of countries around the world have begun to massively block accounts of Russians and tighten checks on their transactions. This is happening after Russia was included in the list of high-risk countries by the European Commission.
On December 19, in the Volgograd region of the Russian Federation, the main gas pipeline "Central Asia - Center" failed due to "ground subsidence. " Gas transportation has been stopped indefinitely, and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine points to a trend in the development of geological processes near objects that finance the war.
About 10,000 tons of butter have accumulated in Ukrainian warehouses, which is an alarming signal for the industry. Exports are shrinking, imports are growing, and butter prices have been falling for the third consecutive month, leading to a drop in raw milk purchase prices.
US sanctions against Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft, which came into force on November 21, could cause a structural reorganization of the global oil sector. This will lead to the forced sale of assets and the redistribution of ownership of fields and refineries around the world.
Russia has resumed the project of transferring water resources of the Ob River to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This is a modernized version of the Soviet plan to "divert Siberian rivers," which was abandoned due to environmental risks.
As scientists have established, a decrease in precipitation on the island of Flores, as well as a volcanic eruption about 50,000 years ago, could have caused the extinction of "hobbits. "
The Russian corporation "Roscosmos" canceled the next launch of the "Soyuz" rocket to the ISS, scheduled for December 21, 2025. The reason was an accident at the Baikonur cosmodrome, where the launch pad was damaged.
The Munich prosecutor's office is investigating a case involving businessmen who illegally sold 50 luxury cars to Russia for over 10 million euros. These cars, including an armored Mercedes, may have been intended for the Russian elite.
In November, Turkey reduced imports of Russian Urals crude oil by 100,000 barrels per day, to approximately 200,000 barrels per day. This comes amid tightening Western sanctions and the transition of Turkish refineries to alternative grades such as Kazakhstan's CPC Blend and Iraq's Basrah.
Ukrainian drones damaged the pier of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, which is the main source of Kazakh oil exports. Kazakhstan has activated a plan to redirect exports to alternative routes.
Ukraine has taken note of Kazakhstan's concerns regarding the infrastructure of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasized that Ukraine's actions are aimed at repelling Russian aggression, and not against Kazakhstan or third parties.
An international team of researchers is studying the Semiyarka settlement in Kazakhstan's Abai region, which may be one of the largest Bronze Age centers. Fortifications, metallurgical remains, and ceramics from the Cherkaskul and Alekseevka-Sargary cultures have been found on the territory.
Kyrgyzstan held early parliamentary elections, with 467 candidates vying for 90 seats. This occurred amidst arrests of opposition figures and the closure of independent media outlets.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium ceased operations on November 29 due to damage from a Ukrainian UAV attack. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy called the attack "unacceptable" and activated a plan to redirect oil exports.
At the Baikonur cosmodrome, after today's launch of a spacecraft, the platform suffered technical damage, due to which it will be impossible to send people into space in the near future.
A spacecraft launched today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which later docked with the ISS, carrying Russian and American astronauts.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium has suspended operations near the marine terminal outside Novorossiysk due to a drone attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. CPC facilities in Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka, where the consortium's main control center is located, were damaged.
An international team of scientists has found a large ancient city with an industrial zone in the steppes of Kazakhstan, which casts doubt on the exclusively nomadic nature of tribal activities in the Bronze Age. The settlement of Semiyarki, covering almost 70 hectares, was a highly organized metallurgical center and an administrative and cultural hub.
American oil corporation Chevron is considering acquiring the foreign assets of Russia's Lukoil, which is under US sanctions. The company may be interested in assets where their interests already overlap, particularly in Kazakh fields and a Nigerian project.
In 2025, trade between Russia and China decreased by 9. 4% to $163.6 billion. This strengthens the Russian economy's dependence on Beijing due to energy and metal exports.
In October, 15. 97 million tons of oil were exported from Russian ports by 140 tankers, 84 of which belong to the "shadow fleet". The main destinations for supplies were India, China, and Turkey.
US President Donald Trump stated that Kazakhstan will join the "Abraham Accords," which entails establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. This step, though symbolic, aims to give impetus to the agreements, which have been paused due to the war in Gaza.
Kazakhstan will become a party to the Abraham Accords, which Washington views as a revival of the diplomatic process after the war between Israel and Hamas. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is in Washington, where an official announcement is expected.
Turkey's largest refineries are buying more non-Russian oil due to the latest Western sanctions against Russia. SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR) has purchased four cargoes of crude oil from non-Russian sources, while Tupras is increasing its purchases of non-Russian grades.
Violators of the law banning "LGBT propaganda" in Kazakhstan face fines or up to 10 days of arrest. Human rights activists call the initiative open discrimination
A drone of unknown origin exploded in Kazakhstan, with debris found in a deserted area. There were no casualties, and the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan has tightened control over its airspace and is conducting an investigation with the involvement of foreign partners.
A Russian company delivered the first batch of oil to a newly built refinery in Kulevi, Georgia. The tanker "Kayseri" delivered 105,340 tons of Siberian Light oil from Novorossiysk.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced the start of a peace phase with Armenia, noting the high level of political will of both countries. He emphasized the important role of Donald Trump and the lifting of restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia.
