At least 34 people have died and dozens more are injured after air strikes from Myanmar’s military hit a hospital in the country’s west on Wednesday night, according to ground sources.

The hospital is located in Mrauk-U town in Rakhine state, an area controlled by the Arakan Army – one of the strongest ethnic armies fighting the country’s military regime.

Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since the military seized power in a coup in 2021 and triggered a civil war.

In recent months, the military has intensified air strikes to take back territory from ethnic armies. It has also deployed paragliders to drop bombs on its enemies.

The Myanmar military has not commented on the strikes, which come as the country prepares to vote later this month in its first election since the coup.

However, pro-military accounts on Telegram claim the strikes this week were not aimed at civilians.

Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, told the BBC that most of the casualties were patients at the hospital.

“This is the latest vicious attack by the terrorist military targeting civilian places,” he said, adding that the military “must take responsibility” for bombing civilians.

The Arakan Army health department said the strike, which occurred at around 21:00 (14:30 GMT), killed 10 patients on the spot and injured many others.

Photos believed to be from the scene have been circulating on social media showing missing roofs across parts of the building complex, broken hospital beds and debris strewn across the ground.

The junta has been locked in a years-long bloody conflict with ethnic militias, at one point losing control of more than half the country.

But recent influx of technology and equipment from China and Russia seems to have helped it turn the tide. The junta has made significant gains through a campaign of airstrikes and heavy bombardment.

Earlier this year, more than 20 people were killed after an army motorised paraglider dropped two bombs on a crowd protesting at a religious festival.

Civil liberties have also shrunk dramatically under the junta. Tens of thousands of political dissidents have been arrested, rights groups estimate.

Myanmar’s junta has called for a general election on 28 December, touting it as a pathway to political stability.

But critics say the election will be neither free nor fair, but will instead offer the junta a guise of legitimacy. Tom Andrews, the United Nations’ human rights expert on Myanmar, has called it a “sham election”.

In recent weeks the junta has arrested civilians accused of disrupting the vote, including one man who authorities said had sent out anti-election messages on Facebook.

The junta also said on Monday that it was looking for 10 activists involved in an anti-election protest.

Ethnic armies and other opposition groups have pledged to boycott the polls.

At least one election candidate in in central Myanmar’s Magway Region was detained by an anti-junta group, the Associated Press reported.

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Skip next section NATO’s Mark Rutte in Berlin for talks

12/11/2025December 11, 2025

NATO’s Mark Rutte in Berlin for talks

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, amid tensions between Europe and the US. 

NATO allies, including Germany, have been pushing for more European involvement in efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s administration has published a national security strategy stating that Washington does not consider Russia a threat, but sharply criticizes the EU.

Rutte and Merz are due to hold a press conference at 10:35 a.m. local time (0935 UTC).

In the afternoon, Rutte is giving a keynote speech at an event at the Munich Security Conference, followed by a panel discussion with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

https://p.dw.com/p/557di

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage 12/11/2025December 11, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Morgen from Bonn, where the weather is unusually warm for December and the sky seems to promise some shade of blue.   

We’re waiting for a press conference later this morning by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

While in Berlin, Rutte is also due to give a speech at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) organization and meet with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. 

It’s also a busy day for the German defense minister, Boris Pistorius, who is meeting with his French and potential Spanish counterparts, reportedly to discuss the European combat air system FCAS. 

We’re also monitoring a court decision in the abuse case against the Catholic Church in Cologne in the afternoon. 

Plus: New growth forecast for Germany, former Chancellor Angela Merkel gives an interview and updates about the damage to the PCK pipeline in Brandenburg.

https://p.dw.com/p/557H8

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NEED TO KNOW

• The former couple made a pact at 18 to support each other through college, no matter what happened to their marriage
• Years later, the woman invited her ex and his fiancée to her graduation as a gesture of gratitude
• Soon after, anonymous messages accused her of overstepping and being “obsessed,” leaving her unsure of what she did wrong

A woman turned to Reddit for advice following a graduation celebration that took an unexpected turn. 

In her post, she wrote that she married her high-school boyfriend, Elias, after four years together, and explained that they “didn’t have much money and college for both of us was impossible.” She said they agreed one of them would attend first and even “literally flipped a coin,” which resulted in him going to college while she worked to support them.

She recalled how they put their promise in writing. “We made a contract I wrote on a paper… that said even if we end up divorcing the pact of helping me to attend college stands,” she shared, adding that neither family had the means for anything more formal. 

Stock photo of a woman graduating.

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While Elias studied locally, both sets of parents contributed what they could, and she covered the household costs so he could focus on school.

When he graduated, life shifted. She explained that “a year later life got in our way when he started working and I was preparing to enter college,” and another year passed before he admitted he had feelings for a coworker. 

According to her, he told her he “started to fall in love with a coworker… but he respects me and love[s] me enough not to do anything,” prompting the couple to reevaluate their marriage. They separated amicably, and she said he reassured her that “our agreement still stands,” keeping his promise to support her education just as she had supported his.

Years later, she finally reached her own graduation. Elias had since moved away and become engaged to the coworker, Lorna, but she maintained a warm relationship with his parents. 

When she received an extra ticket for her graduation from a classmate, she decided to extend an invitation. “I called him… and told him I had extra tickets if he would like to attend with his fiancée,” she wrote, adding that he was “actually excited about it” and planned to request time off.

The graduation day felt joyful, with her parents, her ex-in-laws, Elias and Lorna all present. She said her ex-in-laws reserved a restaurant and later gifted her something special, telling her “in their hearts I would always be their daughter.” 

Her parents also offered touching words, and then Elias surprised her with a necklace. She recalled how he said he had it custom-made and how moved she felt by the support around her.

She made a point to thank everyone, even hesitating politely when approaching Lorna for a hug. “I said I would but only if you want it,” she explained, to which Lorna replied with a laugh, “Oh no I think I’m okay.” When she hugged Elias, he told her, “I’m really proud of you cricket,” using the nickname he once had for her.

After the celebration, she assumed all was well. But days later, anonymous messages began pouring in. According to her, they accused her of being a “homewrecker” and insisted she should “take a hint” because he had moved on. 

She said the messages claimed she was “obviously still obsessed with him because I’ve been single since the divorce and leeching out of his kindness,” which left her shaken and confused.

She wasn’t sure whether the messages came from Lorna, from Lorna’s friends or from strangers who’d somehow heard about the situation. She confided in her parents, who encouraged her to tell Elias’s parents, though she worried “that would only worsen everything,” given the delicate nature of the family relationships.

Stock photo of graduates.

Getty

The poster insisted she had genuinely moved on. “I think of Elias as my oldest friend now,” she said, explaining that her singlehood was intentional because she wanted time to “experience singlehood and living alone” after marrying so young. She shared that her courses were difficult and she “didn’t have time or energy” to date while focusing on school.

Still, she found herself unsure whether she unintentionally crossed a boundary by inviting her ex to such a meaningful milestone. “Was I really the a—— for inviting him?” she asked, noting that she “never thought it could be disrespectful to Lorna but maybe it is?” 

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One commenter reassured her that she wasn’t wrong, writing, “Y’all kept up the agreement… You supported him through school, so he supported you through school.” 

The commenter urged her to tell him about the messages because “she’s not being fair to you.” In response, the poster wondered whether Lorna even knew about the pact before the graduation, saying, “If [she] didn’t it would explain her behavior.”

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Palestine Action protesters taking part in a prison hunger strike are likely to die in custody, their lawyers warn.

Eight activists are involved in the strike in total with five now in hospital and one losing 10kg after 37 days without food. 

Imran Khan & Partners, representing the prisoners, have requested to meet with Justice Secretary David Lammy to discuss the situation.

In a letter, they wrote: ‘We note with genuine and significant concern the immediate and real risk that their deeply held conviction, in tandem with their deteriorating health, poses to their lives. 

‘We are concerned that, should this situation be allowed to continue without resolution, there is the real and increasingly likely potential that young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence.’ 

Four of the protesters on hunger strike, thought to be the biggest in the UK since 1981, are accused of being involved in the raid on a UK branch of Israel’s Elbit Systems Horizon near Bristol in August 2024. 

A prison officer was allegedly left with a fractured spine after the incident, a court heard. 

The other strikers allegedly broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military planes.

Palestine Action protesters taking part in a prison hunger strike, including Kamran Ahmed, pictured left, and Jon Cink, right, are likely to die in custody, their lawyers warn

Imran Khan & Partners, representing the prisoners, who also include Teuta Hoxha, pictured left, and Amy ‘Amu’ Gardiner-Gibson, right, have requested to meet with Justice Secretary David Lammy to discuss the situation 

Heba Muraisi, pictured left, and Qesser Zuhrah, right, are also participating in what is believed to be the UK’s largest hunger strike since 1981

In the aftermath of the incident, Palestine Action said two of its activists infiltrated Britain’s largest RAF base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft before escaping without being caught. 

Lawyers claim the activists are also being hit with heavy restrictions on visits, calls and mail and this could amount to enforced disappearance, citing claims from UN special rapporteurs.

Amy ‘Amu’ Gardiner-Gibson and Jon Cink, reportedly 37 and 33 days into their hunger strikes respectively, have been remanded in HMP Bronzefield, Surrey for their alleged roles in the Brize Norton break-in.

Ms Gardiner-Gibson has lost more than 10kg of weight, according to lawyers, and is experiencing muscle twitches and deep exhaustion and has been offered a wheelchair.

Mr Cink has allegedly lost 10kg and barely slept over the course of the strike, suffering from deteriorating vision and ‘life-threatening’ ketone levels in her blood.

Lewie Chiaramello, 15 days in at HMP Bristol, and Umer Khalid, on day five at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, London, are also alleged to have been involved in the Brize Norton raid.

Qesser Zuhrah, who has been involved in the strike for 37 days while at HMP Bronzefield, has apparently lost ‘considerable weight’.

The activist also struggles to walk and her pulse never drops below 100bpm, according to her lawyers. 

Some of the strikers are accused of allegedly breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military planes, pictured 

Heba Muraisi is believed to have caught a cold on the 34th day of her 36-day hunger strike at HMP Newhall.

Teuta Hoxha and Kamran Ahmed were both taken to hospital last month following headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath and low blood pressure.

They are on day 30 and day 29, respectively, of strikes at HMP Peterborough. 

Mr Ahmed collapsed twice in his cell in November and was most recently admitted to hospital on Monday, Sky News reports. 

The hunger strike started following complaints of alleged mistreatment in prison as well as a string of demands, including the ban on Palestine Action being lifted and a defence firm with ties to Israel being shut down.

Courts granted permission for the group’s founder Huda Ammori to challenge the move to proscribe the organisation under anti-terror laws, meaning three High Court judges will rule on the ban’s lawfulness in the coming weeks.

Lawyers added that it is becoming increasingly difficult to talk to clients about the state of their health because ‘all are showing signs of memory loss’.

The strike was described as an ‘imminent risk to their health and life and a ‘medical emergency’ in a previous letter to NHS England, signed by 147 medical professionals.

Protesters in Liverpool pictured holding banners in support of the hunger strikers last week

Ms Ammori described the protesters’ conditions as an ’emergency’.

She said on social media: ‘Their health is severely deteriorating, with one described as “skeletal”. 

‘Each face up to two years on remand before trial and face harsher treatment as they are labelled as “terrorists”. This is an emergency.’ 

The Daily Mail has approached the Ministry of Justice for comment.

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Eight brands have issued product safety notices

Thousands of tumble dryers may need to be repaired(Image: OPSS)

Owners of specific models of integrated heat pump tumble dryers manufactured by Haier are being urged to check if their machine requires an urgent safety repair due to a fire risk. The brands in question include Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Lamona, Iberna and Montpellier.

Those who have the devices are advised to verify their model number and serial number online to determine if their appliance is affected, and if so, to get in touch with the manufacturer to organise a repair. Until the repair has been carried out, the appliance should not be used.

If the plug can be reached, owners are advised to switch off and unplug the appliance. Earlier this year, the manufacturer initiated a corrective action programme for 103,000 affected machines.

However, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) instructed Haier to suspend its initial repair programme due to concerns that the modification was still unsafe. Following an updated modification, Haier has restarted its programme and begun reaching out to consumers again.

Initially, Haier prioritised arranging a second repair for machines that had previously been modified and are now organising repairs for the remaining 85,000 owners whose appliances continue to pose a fire risk. Owners are strongly advised to cease using affected appliances immediately.

An internal short circuit can occur during normal use, leading to the tumble dryer catching fire.

Check if your tumble dryer is affected and contact the manufacturer if it is.

This update is based on the regular reporting that Haier has been providing to OPSS.

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NewsFeed

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado greeted supporters in Oslo after missing the ceremony to award her the Nobel Peace Prize. Machado has spent more than a year in hiding, and has backed sanctions and US military intervention against the government.

Published On 11 Dec 202511 Dec 2025

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Queensland’s Liberal National party government will overturn a ban on property developer donations and quadruple the state cap on electoral donations, after tabling new laws which the Greens claim will “legalise another avenue of corruption”.

Developers have been prohibited from donating to candidates and parties in state elections since a 2018 bill passed under Labor.

The attorney general, Deb Frecklington, said the ban was a “financial gerrymander”, because it didn’t apply to trade unions and that the LNP’s bill would “promote freedom of expression”.

“This is an election commitment that we took to the election. There is no surprise here. We are doing exactly what we said we were going to do,” Frecklington said.

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“Trade unions, property developers and every other donor, all on a level playing field. That’s what we’re doing now.”

Queensland currently caps donations for each person or entity at $4,800 for a political party plus $7,200 for its candidates, a total of $12,000 for each four-year term of parliament.

The new legislation will quadruple the limit by making it apply each year – allowing for donations of up to $19,200 a party and $28,800 for its candidates across four years, a total of $48,000. Frecklington said the new approach mirrored the one that applies at federal elections and in New South Wales.

Frecklington said the change would make it “a lot easier for someone that would wish to support a local candidate, for example, in year one of a four-year term. It would enable them to donate again in the fourth year.”

The Guardian has previously reported that many developers had lawfully got around Labor’s ban through loopholes such as companies established for nondevelopment purposes – but controlled by individuals with property development interests. More than $500,000 had been donated to the major parties, largely the LNP, before last year’s election.

Greens MP Michael Berkman said the bill was “a blatant move by the Crisafulli LNP government to line their own pockets with developer donations, legalising another avenue of corruption in Queensland”.

“Allowing developer donations can only benefit developers and the LNP, while everyone else is being priced out of a secure home,” he said.

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Berkman said the state government could directly make decisions to the benefit of developers. Its Olympics-enabling legislation exempts games infrastructure, including residential development, from 15 laws including the Heritage Act and the Planning Act, and gives a state authority approval power without the right to appeal.

“This kind of quid pro quo, where the state will get donations from developers, [then] make decisions that directly benefit developer profits, it just stinks, and people need to see it for what it is,” Berkman said.

The shadow attorney general, Meaghan Scanlon, said the premier, David Crisafulli, “didn’t tell Queenslanders before the election that he planned to increase donation caps”.

“At a time when there should be less money and influence in politics, the LNP is giving the top end of town even more influence,” she said.

The legislation would also ban any person serving sentences of a year or longer in prison or detention from voting. At the moment, only those serving sentences of three years or longer are disenfranchised.

Frecklington also announced the appointment of former Queensland police officer Deborah Platz as the state’s new human rights commissioner, succeeding Scott McDougall, who criticised both sides of politics over a range of issues, particularly the state’s youth law and order crackdown.

Frecklington said Platz was “a champion for those less fortunate than all of us”.

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Deadly clashes between Thailand and Cambodia near the disputed border between the two Southeast Asian neighbors continued ahead of an expected phone call from US President Donald Trump to the two nations’ leaders on Thursday.

At least 19 people have died in the latest violence, including soldiers and civilians, while hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been displaced.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday he would “explain and clarify” the situation to Trump during the call.

“He will need to hear the details directly from me if he contacts me,” he told reporters. “I believe the foreign minister will already be providing information at the diplomatic level.”

This is the deadliest skirmish between the two countries since a five-day war in July, which ended with a ceasefire brokered by Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. 

Border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia flares up again

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What you need to know about the dispute

• At the center of the decades-old border dispute is the Emerald Triangle — a border region housing several temples to which both countries lay claim 
• Thailand and Cambodia signed a peace deal in October on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit
• The ceasefire was called off after Thailand accused Cambodia of laying fresh landmines in the region
• Both countries have repeatedly blamed each other for starting the fighting
• This week, Thailand carried out air strikes on Cambodian territory, which it claims was in response to an on-ground attack
• Cambodia initially said it did not retaliate but then vowed to fight back
• Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from both sides of the border, some moved to shelters 

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fightingImage: Sarot Meksophawannakul/THAI NEWS PIX/AFP/Getty Images

Cambodia asks UNSC to intervene

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Cambodia’s Ambassador to the United Nations asked the international body to mount pressure on Thailand for “an immediate cessation of all attacks,” followed by an independent fact-finding mission.

The letter described the latest Thai military operations as “violations of international humanitarian law.”

Meanwhile Cambodia’s defense Ministry accused Thailand of targeting schools and temples. Thailand has denied that it targets civilian infrastructure, which is a war crime under international law. 

Renewed Thai-Cambodian clashes displace tens of thousands

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Edited by Karl Sexton

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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado appeared in public Thursday for the first time in 11 months in Norway as her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize award on her behalf.

Machado had been in hiding since Jan. 9, when she was briefly detained after joining supporters in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Her recognition came after mounting a peaceful challenge to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

The crowd chanted, “Freedom!” as Machado stepped onto the hotel balcony in Oslo, Norway, and waved to her supporters before joining them in singing Venezuela’s national anthem.

In an audio recording of a phone call published on the Nobel website, Machado said she wouldn’t be able to arrive to Oslo in time for the award ceremony, but that many people had “risked their lives” to get her there.

MARCO RUBIO SAYS NICOLÁS MADURO’S CARTEL DE LOS SOLES TO BE DESIGNATED A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado waves at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11, 2025. (Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix via AP)

“I am very grateful to them, and this is a measure of what this recognition means to the Venezuelan people,” she said.

Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the Nobel Prize in her place, saying that her mother “wants to live in a free Venezuela” and “will never give up on that purpose.” 

“That is why we all know, and I know, that she will be back in Venezuela very soon,” Sosa added.

BONDI SHARES HEART-POUNDING FOOTAGE OF US SEIZING VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER IN RARE ACTION LAST SEEN IN 2014

The daughter of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ana Corina Sosa, accepts the award on behalf of her mother, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall, Norway, on Dec. 10. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix, Pool via AP)

Outside the hotel, Machado interacted and hugged people in the crowd, as they snapped pictures and sprinkled her with chants of “President! President!”

“I want you all back in Venezuela,” Machado said.

Machado’s appearance came after President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the U.S. seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, a move that could further strain relations with Maduro’s government, which already is subject to extensive U.S. sanctions targeting the country’s oil sector.

DAVID MARCUS: TRUMP’S AGGRESSION TOWARD VENEZUELA A WARNING TO PUTIN

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures at a protest ahead of the Friday inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro for his third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 9, 2025.  (REUTERS/Maxwell Briceno)

Since September, U.S. military strikes have targeted alleged narcotraffickers near Venezuela at least 22 times, killing 87 people. Trump has also recently said Maduro’s “days are numbered” and refused to rule out a ground operation in Venezuela. 

Steve Yates, senior research fellow for China and national security policy at The Heritage Foundation, said on “Fox News @ Night” on Wednesday that Machado’s visit overseas was an opportunity to get “greater international support” for her cause, adding that Trump might benefit from having more of America’s allies in Europe support a “non-invasion” approach.

The Venezuelan opposition leader has previously been outspoken in her support for the Trump administration’s actions against Maduro’s regime and the country’s narcotrafficking network.

After the award was announced in October, the newly minted Nobel Peace Prize winner dedicated the award to both Trump and the “suffering people of Venezuela.”

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Venezuelan vessel destroyed during U.S. military strike off of Venezuela Sept. 2, 2025. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)

Machado said during a “Fox & Friends Weekend” interview last month that Venezuela was standing at the “threshold of freedom,” highlighting her new “freedom manifesto” that envisions a future without the Maduro regime.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Military aid for Ukraine declines as winter offensive begins

A combination of factors have seen the flow of military aid to Ukraine reduced this year at a time when Russia is ramping up its war efforts.

Primary among those is the Trump administration’s decision to cut off supplies to Kyiv unless they are paid for by other Nato countries.

European aid has continued but those flows are more inconsistent and vary significantly across the continent.

Foreign military help for Ukraine fell sharply over the summer, and that trend continued through September and October, a German body that tracks international help for Ukraine said yesterday.

Average annual aid, mostly provided by the US and Europe, was about €41.6bn ($48.4 billion) between 2022 and 2024. But so far this year, Ukraine has received just €32.5bn ($37.8bn), the Kiel Institute said.

This year, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have substantially increased their help for Ukraine, while Germany nearly tripled its average monthly allocations, and France and the UK both more than doubled their contributions, the Kiel Institute said.

On the other hand, it said, Spain recorded no new military aid for Kyiv in 2025 while Italy reduced its low contributions by 15 per cent compared with 2022-2024.

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 05:31

Trump says ‘strong words’ exchanged with European leaders

Donald Trump says he and European leaders exchanged “pretty strong words” on a call discussing his proposal to end the Ukraine war.

Sir Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz spoke with Trump late on Wednesday, and said afterwards that it was a “critical moment for Ukraine, its people and for shared security across the Euro-Atlantic region”.

Trump also said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky “has to be realistic” about his country’s position on a peace plan, and said the US will “make a determination depending on what they come back with”.

As tension builds around a US forced push for a settlement, the leaders of Germany, Britain and France spoke to Trump by phone and requested a meeting this weekend with the US and Ukraine.

Washington’s goal of a swift compromise to stop the fighting that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 is reducing Kyiv’s room for manoeuvres.

Zelensky is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and showing Trump he is willing to compromise, even as Moscow shows no public sign of budging from its demands.

Trump hosted Zelensky for lunch at the White House on October 17 to discuss a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. (Getty Images)

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 04:53

Trump sets new Christmas deadline for Ukraine peace deal

Volodymyr Zelensky has been told by Donald Trump that Ukraine has until Christmas to accept his deal to end the war with Russia.

The latest deadline was relayed to the Ukrainian president by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner during a two-hour phone call, reported The Telegraph.

The Trump administration has resumed its efforts to pressure Ukraine into ceding territory to Russia in exchange for undefined security guarantees, Ukrainian officials were quoted as saying.

Ukrainian negotiators have said they feel like they have not been offered sufficient details about potential security guarantees from Washington in order to decide on the matter of giving up territory, which they have always held as a non-negotiable in the peace talks.

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 04:07

Watch: Starmer pays tribute to British soldier killed in Ukraine military training exercise

Starmer pays tribute to British soldier killed in Ukraine military training exercise

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 03:57

All airports in Moscow shut after drone attacks

Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia says operations have been suspended at all airports in the Moscow area.

At least 31 drones en route to Moscow were shot down on Wednesday evening and overnight, the city’s mayor said.

Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, said on Telegram it was handling flights diverted from the capital.

Several airports in central Russia also suspended arrivals and departures.

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 03:40

Russia downs 31 Moscow-bound drones, mayor says

Russian air defences shot down at least 31 drones en route to Moscow on Wednesday evening and overnight, the city’s mayor said.

The drones were downed over a period of about three and a half hours, said mayor Sergei Sobyanin. One drone was downed in the afternoon, he said.

Sobyanin said emergency crews were dispatched to examine debris on the ground. He gave no indication of any damage or injuries.

Moscow typically only confirms how many Ukrainian drones it has downed, and does not provide the total number fired.

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 03:35

British soldier killed in Ukraine military training exercise named and pictured

A British soldier killed on duty in Ukraine has been named by the Ministry of Defence.

Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, of the Parachute Regiment, died in a “tragic accident” while observing Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability on Tuesday morning.

Paying tribute at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Lance Corporal Hooley was injured in a tragic accident away from the front lines while observing Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability.

“His life was full of courage and determination. He served our country with honour and distinction around the world in the cause of freedom and democracy, including as part of the small number of British personnel in Ukraine.”

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 03:20

Russia launches large mechanised assault in Pokrovsk, Ukraine says

A Russian mechanised attack took place inside the eastern city of Pokrovsk yesterday, Kyiv’s military said.

“The Russians used armoured vehicles, cars, and motorcycles. The convoys attempted to break through from the south to the northern part of the city,” Ukraine’s 7th rapid response corps said in a statement on Wednesday morning’s assault.

It comes as part of Moscow’s campaign to seize the entire industrial Donbas region, in which Russian troops have pushed forward in small infantry groups for months to capture of former logistics hub.

Russia has claimed it has full control of Pokrovsk, but Kyiv maintains that it holds the northern part of the city, where fierce urban battles have raged.

Arpan Rai11 December 2025 03:13

Ukraine disables ‘shadow fleet’ vessel with sea drones in Black Sea

Ukrainian sea drones hit and disabled a tanker involved trading Russian oil as it sailed through the Black sea in Ukraine’s exclusive economic zone on its way to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, a Ukrainian official reported.

This marks the third sea drone in two weeks on vessels which form Russia’s “shadow fleet” of unregulated ships which Kyiv says are helping Moscow export oil and fund its war.

Insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black sea have peaked as the conflict spills into sea lanes.

Shaheena Uddin11 December 2025 02:30

Ukraine’s EU membership is ‘inevitable’ despite Hungary’s objections

The European Union’s enlargement chief said on Wednesday that she is Ukraine’s EU membership is “inevitable”, and that she is confident Hungary will not derail it’s path.

“I’m not worried,” Commissioner Marta Kos told reporters while visiting a thermal power plant in Western Ukraine that was badly damaged by Russia’s campaign against civilian infrastructure. “I would be worried if there were real concerns.”

“On EU membership of Ukraine — which is inevitable — I see this as a political anchor of security guarantees,” she said, noting that “There has never been a war on the territory of the European Union.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has opposed launching membership talks while the war continues, arguing it would be a disaster for the EU, including Hungarian farmers.

Yet, Kos dismissed his objections saying “We do not need Orbán to do the reforms which are necessary for Ukraine to become a member of the EU.”

Kyiv applied for EU membership in 2022 shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukraine hopes to join the block by the end of the decade, meanwhile its path to NATO membership looks uncertain.

Shaheena Uddin11 December 2025 01:30

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