USA Trump says 'there'll be hell to pay' if Hamas does not disarm Trump said he expected the reconstruction of Gaza to begin "pretty soon" but gave no further details about a timeline or who would be responsible for the construction. 29/12/2025
North Korea North Korea says it fired long-range cruise missiles in Sunday test The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over Sunday's launches, which occurred off the country's west coast. 29/12/2025
Taiwan China stages drills near Taiwan in warning to 'separatist forces' Taiwan's Defence Ministry said in a post on X that rapid response exercises were under way, with forces on high alert to defend the island in case of escalation. 29/12/2025
China China sanctions 20 US defence companies over arms sales to Taiwan According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organisations from accessing them. 27/12/2025
Brussels, My Love? Podcast: The 2025 EU-US relationship explained simply Brussels, My Love? looks back at the key moments of 2025 in the Brussels–Washington relationship. 26/12/2025
USA Trump warns of 'Bad Santa' and backs coal in Christmas call with kids US President Donald Trump joked about "bad Santa" infiltrating the country and praised "clean, beautiful coal" while taking calls from children tracking Santa's progress on Christmas Eve. 25/12/2025
Culture news AI Santa as ICE agent video blasted online as 'disgusting' and 'evil' The US Department of Homeland Security has taken its holiday-themed campaign for mass deportations to a whole new low with an AI-generated video that turns Santa Claus into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. 25/12/2025
North Korea North Korea makes progress on its first nuclear-powered submarine A nuclear-powered submarine was one item on a wish list of sophisticated weaponry that Kim Jong-un announced during a political conference in 2021. Other arms included solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles. 25/12/2025
USA US Justice Department finds million more potential Epstein files The delay of the release of all Epstein files comes after the Justice Department had already missed the original congressionally mandated deadline set for last Friday. 25/12/2025
Ukraine Zelenskyy: Ukraine agrees on US peace plan, territorial issues remain Ukraine and the US have agreed on most points of a 20-point peace plan with Russia, but control of Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remains contentious, Ukrainian president said. Moscow is expected to respond on Wednesday. 24/12/2025
Venezuela Venezuela targets US tanker seizure supporters with 'anti-piracy' law Venezuela's National Assembly approved a law imposing up to 20 years in prison for supporting tanker seizures or blockades. The move follows the US seizure of two Venezuelan oil tankers this month. 24/12/2025
USA Trump invites Kazakh and Uzbek presidents to G20 summit The US president is set to hold talks with Presidents Tokayev and Mirziyoyev on trade, peace and strategic initiatives. 23/12/2025
USA Epstein emails reveal request for 'inappropriate friends' at Balmoral Newly released emails show someone using the alias "A" writing from the royal family's Scottish estate in 2001, asking convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell for "inappropriate friends". 23/12/2025
Tech News US bans new Chinese-made drones, citing security risks The US said it would ban all newly-manufactured foreign drones, citing ‘unacceptable risks to national security’. The decision is a blow to Chinese drone makers, including industry leader DJI. 23/12/2025
USA US strikes another narcoboat in eastern Pacific, killing one The Trump administration has said the strikes were meant to stop the flow of drugs into the US and increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 23/12/2025
Ukraine Progress in US-led peace talks 'quite solid', Zelenskyy says While peace talks are under way, local media reported a new wave of drone and missile attacks on several cities across Ukraine overnight, with the country's energy infrastructure as a key target. 23/12/2025
USA Trump announces new battleship, part of class named after himself Surrounded by top US national security officials, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump also warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro against playing "tough". 23/12/2025
Denmark Denmark demands territorial respect after Trump posts Greenland envoy The government in Copenhagen has insisted on respect for its country's territorial integrity on Monday, after the US president appointed the Louisiana governor as an envoy to bring Greenland under US control. 22/12/2025
Tech News US threatens European firms. Why it may not have the desired effect US trade officials warned on X that European service providers could face fees and restrictions if the EU keeps “discriminatory” tech rules. 22/12/2025
Venezuela US pursuing third oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela A US official said the vessel was 'a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.' The operation marks the second of its kind this weekend, and the third in less than two weeks. 22/12/2025