United States

The US State Department has approved the sale of 20 light torpedoes and related equipment to Saudi Arabia. The contractor will be the American company RTX Corporation, with the deal worth $78.5 million.

The President of Ukraine congratulated Mike Johnson on his re-election as Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of the House's future decisions for establishing lasting peace in Ukraine.

U. S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson was re-elected to the position on the second try. Two Republicans changed their votes in his favor, securing victory by the narrowest majority in 100 years.

Tench Cox, Mark Stevens, and Harvey Jones, members of the Nvidia board, have been included in the Bloomberg billionaires list. Their wealth has grown significantly due to the company's successful year and ownership of large stakes.

Five anticipated films of different genres will be released in the near future. These include biographical films about Robbie Williams and Bob Dylan, a horror film called The Wolfman, a thriller about the 1972 Olympics, and a drama about restaurant workers.

White House Advisor John Kirby announced the upcoming announcement of additional security assistance for Ukraine. The announcement of a new support package is expected in the coming days.

The spot price of gold rose to $2657. 18 per ounce, reaching its highest level since December 13. The rise in precious metals prices is driven by a weakening dollar and demand for safe assets.

The government plans to create a mechanism for the full confiscation of Russian frozen assets this year. Ukraine expects $50 billion from the G7 and the EU to be secured by frozen Russian assets.

The US State Department has released a declaration of gifts to the Biden family from world leaders. The most expensive was a $20,000 diamond from the Indian prime minister, and a $2.4,000 collage from Zelenskyy.

The US National Security Advisor presented Biden with options for a potential attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. The discussion focused on a possible U.S. response if Iran moves closer to developing nuclear weapons by January 20.

The President of Ukraine said that the hot phase of the war could end quickly if Trump's position is strong. According to Zelenskyy, the newly elected US president is waiting for him to visit him after the inauguration.

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.

The President of Ukraine outlined the key elements of a just peace, including a powerful army and reliable security guarantees. Zelenskyy emphasized that NATO was the best option, and that guarantees without US participation would be weak.

In 2024, the average temperature in China reached a record 10. 92°C, 1.03°C above normal. The country also experienced devastating floods that led to loss of life and mass evacuations.

37-year-old Green Beret Special Forces officer Matthew Leavensberger died in a rented Tesla Cybertruck near Trump's hotel in Las Vegas. The incident occurred during his vacation, and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

The number of Ukrainians who are ready to endure the war “as long as necessary” has dropped from 63% to 57% over the past two months. The largest decline is observed in the west and center of the country, while in the south and east the figures have even improved.

The leader of the SPD faction, Rolf Mützenich, criticized Elon Musk's statements about the German president. He called on the government to find out whether Musk is acting on behalf of the United States.

Kia is recalling 22,883 EV9 electric vehicles from 2024-25 due to missing seat bolts. The defect was discovered at a plant in South Korea, but no injuries have been reported.

Ukrainian officials refuse to talk about pressure from the United States on peace talks with Russia.

Gas prices in Europe rose by 4. 3% after transit through Ukraine was cut off. Traders predict further price increases due to winter frosts and limited alternative supply routes.

Hackers affiliated with the Chinese government launched a cyberattack on the US Treasury Department through a software vulnerability. The goal was to obtain data on Chinese companies that could be subject to sanctions.

The situation is exacerbated by potential tariffs from the US on Mexican goods and a decline in agave prices.

In the first 9 months of 2024, $46 billion of overdue card loans were written off in the United States, which is 50% more than last year. Total household debt reached a new high of $17.94 trillion.

The Kremlin has instructed the Russian government and Sberbank to develop AI together with China. Sanctions and the lack of access to microchips significantly complicate Russia's ambitions in this area.

In 2024, bitcoin grew by more than 120%, reaching a historic high of $100,000. The growth was fueled by the approval of ETFs in the United States and Trump's return to power, which reduced regulatory barriers.

Cyber specialists of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine conducted a successful DDOS attack on Russian oil companies from December 30 to January 1. The attack disrupted the operation of payment systems at gas stations and Evotor smart terminals.

In New Orleans, a car drove into a crowd of people celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street. As a result of the incident, 10 people were killed, 30 were injured and taken to local hospitals.

In the French Quarter of New Orleans, a truck allegedly drove into a crowd of people at high speed, and there are reports of casualties.

The United States imposed sanctions on the Russian Center for Geopolitical Expertise and the Iranian Cognitive Design Production Center for disinformation during the election. The organizations created fake videos and news to manipulate voters.

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.