By DARREN BOYLE, DATA JOURNALIST

Published: 05:30 EST, 21 December 2025 | Updated: 07:50 EST, 21 December 2025

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Ripped from their seats and left to plunge 31,000ft out of the night’s sky after a bomb smuggled onboard inside a radio detonated over Lockerbie. The haunting final moments of flight Pan-Am 103 – Britain’s deadliest terror attack

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Elon Musk’s exploding Starship could have caused a ‘potential extreme safety risk’, adding FAA personnel were not informed

A massive debris field spat out by an exploding SpaceX rocket caused chaos on a local flight path(Image: Bob Beresh/Youtube)

Elon Musk’s SpaceX was involved in a rocket explosion in the middle of a busy flight path that saw multiple passenger jets placed at “extreme safety risk”.

The seventh test flight of the company’s uncrewed Starship rocket ended in disaster early this year when it spectacularly detonated after lifting off from a landing platform in Texas. The ship – which Musk hopes will eventually take humanity to Mars – caused mass panic, according to new records, when debris was scattered into a busy flight path.

Multiple flights were impacted by the explosion – which Musk would later call “entertainment” – with one forced to declare “mayday” so it would be able to undertake an emergency landing.

READ MORE: Elon Musk branded ‘weird’ after social media comment on Sydney Sweeney’s breastsREAD MORE: Grimes reveals petty treatment by Elon Musk after he ‘blocked’ herThe January ship explosion was a massive but dangerous spectacle(Image: Sajaa K/Youtube)

Three flights carrying 450 people altogether were endangered on the night of the explosion, with crewmembers aboard a JetBlue trip to San Juan told the trip would be made “at your own risk”. Among the risks cited at the time was a potential debris field caused by the explosion, which it was feared could remain airborne above the Caribbean for up to an hour.

Debris is extremely dangerous to planes, as it can cause Foreign Object Damage (FOD), with even small pieces able to permanently damage and even stall an engine on entry.

FOD was blamed for the famous 2000 Concorde disaster, when a Concorde embarking on its final flight crashed into an airport in France, killing everyone on board, after a titanium strip punctured its landing gear. Following the January SpaceX incident, two other planes flying too close to one another were saved from disaster by an air controller.

Elon Musk hailed the explosion as ‘entertainment’(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

They told one of the pilots they would need to declare an emergency and land at San Juan. The response from the aircraft in question was: “In that case we declare emergency: Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.”

SpaceX posted after the botched test that the Starship had undergone “rapid unscheduled disassembly” while ascending, but did not comment on the overall impact to local aerial operations. Instead, the company said in a post on social media that the destruction would still help the rocket-maker make improvements.

A spokesperson said at the time: “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand root cause. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve Starship’s reliability.”

The debris field was so significant that it could be seen from the ground(Image: Greg Munch / TMX / SWNS)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would later determine in a report that the explosion posed a “potential extreme safety risk”.

The agency went on to claim SpaceX had failed to officially inform officials about the explosion in the aftermath, saying its controllers in Miami had only learned about the risk from impacted pilots. The FAA later investigated how to better deal with debris fields stemming from explosions, an effort it stepped up when another SpaceX test vehicle exploded a few months later, in March.

But the review was ended then because the FAA said recommendations had been implemented, with a spokesperson saying: “The FAA will not hesitate to act if additional safety measures are required.”

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Pictures of Donald Trump are included among at least 16 documents that have disappeared from the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Democrats from the House Oversight Committee drew attention to the apparent removal of an image showing two printed pictures of Mr Trump in a desk draw.

One picture has Mr Trump standing surrounded by women in bathing suits, while the second appears to be an already known picture – partly obscured – of him, his wife Melania, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.

After the Democrats flagged the missing image on Saturday, Sky News went back to the files online and confirmed that it did appear to be missing, despite the fact they downloaded it when the files were initially released on Friday.

Image:
List of documents online now shows a gap where the file ending ‘468’ was on Friday

Image:
The file ending ‘468’ seen in Sky News’s downloads from Friday

The other photos removed from the trove of documents were almost all nude paintings of women in Epstein’s home.

Mr Trump has not commented on the release of the files and has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s case.

Sky News has contacted the DOJ for comment.

Questions over heavy redactions

Image:
Pic: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via Reuters

Thousands of documents relating to the dead paedophile financier were made public by the DOJ on Friday – hours before a legal deadline following the passing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Many of the pages were either partially or fully redacted, which the DOJ says is to protect the more than 1,200 victims and their families identified in them.

Some of Epstein’s victims, legal experts and members of the public have questioned whether this is the sole reason for the redactions, while the Oversight Democrats have claimed: “This is a White House cover-up.”

Ashley Rubright, who was abused for several years after meeting Epstein in Palm Beach when she was 15, told Sky News: “Seeing […] completely redacted pages, there’s no way that that’s just to protect the victims’ identities, and there better be a good reason. I just don’t know if we’ll ever know what that is.”

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Epstein ‘was a monster’: Survivors speak to Sky News

Gloria Allred, a lawyer who has represented some of Epstein’s victims, says she has been told that despite the heavy redactions, some compromising pictures of survivors and their names were left in the files released on Friday.

“We have had to notify the Department of Justice about names that should have been redacted that weren’t redacted,” she told Sky News.

“So this is further trauma to survivors, and apparently also some of the images of some of the survivors appear not to have been redacted, and they are nude or not completely dressed.

“This is a major concern because the law clearly indicates, and the judges have indicated, that the names and any identifying information of the survivors must be redacted.”

Read more:
Epstein victims react to partial release of files
Links between Epstein and the UK revealed in new files

In a letter to the judges overseeing the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases, US attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton acknowledged that a review “of this size and scope is vulnerable to machine error [or] instances of human error”.

He also said the DOJ had opted to redact the faces of women in photographs with Epstein “even where not all the women are known to be victims,” as it was not viewed as practical for the DOJ to identify every person in all the photos.

The methodology has led to some confusion and misled speculation online.

Image:
Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges

Many celebrities and public figures appear with Epstein in the photos published by the DOJ, often included without context.

There is no suggestion that these pictures imply anyone has done anything wrong, and many of those featured in them have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

Through its release, the Trump administration has claimed to be the most transparent in history, despite the fact Congress forced their hand by voting to make the files public by 19 December.

But some have been held back, with Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general and a former personal lawyer for Donald Trump, saying more would follow in the coming weeks.

Many Democrats and some Republicans have criticised the partial release as failing to “comply with law,” as have lawyers including Ms Allred.

“So clearly, the law has been violated. And it’s the Department of Justice letting down the survivors once again,” she said.

She labelled the incomplete release of the files a “distraction”, adding: “This is not over, and it won’t be over until we get the truth and transparency for the survivors.”

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“These peace negotiations are a farce.”



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The “shadow fleet” used by Russia, Iran and Venezuela to avoid western sanctions and ship cargo to customers including China and India is “exploding” in its scale and scope, and there are concerns that efforts to counter it are drawing closer to dangerous military confrontations.

Complicating the issue is that Russia has begun putting its own flag on some former shadow fleet tankers, in an open challenge to Europe.

The constellation of ageing oil tankers – under opaque ownership and questionable flagging – has become the focus of rising international attention this year. There have been maritime interdictions to enforce sanctions, and the recently announced US blockade of sanctions-busting ships in Venezuela.

Earlier this month US special forces rappelled from helicopters to board the Skipper, a tanker off Venezuela that the US treasury had placed under sanctions in 2022 amid allegations it had been smuggling oil on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah.

Loop of US special forces boarding a tanker off VenezuelaFootage shows US special forces boarding a tanker off VenezuelaMap of tankers around Venezuela

On Saturday US forces apprehended a second merchant vessel carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, even though it does not appear to be on the list of vessels under US sanctions.

A US military helicopter flies over a Panama-flagged ship. Photograph: Department of Homeland Security/Reuters

The US seizures follow incidents this year where Estonia and France interdicted vessels suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet, and recent attacks by Ukrainian air and sea drones on Russian shadow tankers accused of being involved in sanctions evasion.

The increasingly aggressive efforts to police the shadow fleet and evidence that Russia is willing to use military assets to protect tankers, has led experts to warn of the risk of confrontation.

That was dramatically underlined on Friday when Ukraine announced it had struck a Russian tanker with aerial drones in neutral waters off the coast of Libya, after previous similar attacks in the Black Sea.

A source in the Security Service of Ukraine said it was a “new, unprecedented special operation”, Kyiv’s first attack on a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean, carried out 1,200 miles (2,000km) from Ukraine’s borders.

“The shadow fleet itself is not a new threat,” said Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin, a research fellow at the finance and security centre at the Royal United Services Institute. “But [it] has expanded drastically after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That saw what we call the shadow fleet explode to some 900-1,200 vessels globally.

“It is not highly structured or homogeneous. These are vessels that Russian interests are able to purchase secondhand, opaquely owned tankers or owned by companies prepared to engage in illicit activity.”

Map of ‘shadow fleet’ tankers attacked by Ukraine

The shadow fleet has spawned a whole illicit network to support it, including a recent proliferation of fake flag registration websites, unscrupulous brokers and a cast of opaque companies that will facilitate the trade.

The vessel Boracay, off the coast of Saint-Nazaire in France. Photograph: Stéphane Mahé/Reuters

The tanker Boracay, which was interdicted by Estonia and France earlier this year, is a case in point.

It was acquired in 2020 by a so-called brass plate company – meaning one that exists in name only – in Seychelles called Baaj Shipping. It was blacklisted by both the UK and EU for its suspected links to transporting Russian oil products, “irregular and high-risk shipping practices” and allegations of operating under a fraudulent Benin flag listing, following several other false flag listings in Gambia and Malawi.

According to Lloyd’s List, the ship – a “textbook example of deceptive shipping practices” – had also been investigated by Denmark’s intelligence services over its possible use to launch drones against Copenhagen’s airport, while operating under a different name. The ship had itself allegedly been targeted at one point with a limpet mine.

Map of Boracay’s sailing route

Countries that have sought to counter the shadow fleet are forced to rely on international laws and conventions over seaworthiness, insurance and safe navigation practises to put pressure on the vessels.

But an increasing international appetite for enforcement – including the Trump administration’s announcement in December that it would enforce a blockade against ships under sanctions visiting Venezuela – has brought it own risks.

It is not only Washington that has indicated it is prepared to intercept shadow fleet tankers. In October, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, signalled a greater willingness from Europeans to tackle vessels in its waters.

“We have decided to take a step forward by adopting policies to impede suspicious ships,” said Macron at a meeting in Copenhagen.

The risks implied in such a policy were underlined by an incident involving an oil tanker known in quick succession as Jaguar, Blint and then finally as the Russian-flagged Nasledie. An attempt by the Estonian navy to intercept the vessel in the Gulf of Finland in May prompted an incursion by a Russian Su-35 jet into Estonian airspace.

For Erausquin that suggests a more direct interest from the Kremlin in the shadow fleet, as demonstrated by Russia’s willingness to protect it.

As Chris Kremidas-Courtney, a senior fellow at the European Policy Centre argued in November, the shadow fleet poses greater threats than its key role in economically sustaining Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

Kremidas-Courtney said: “Recent incidents underscore this threat. Russia-linked vessels have been implicated in drone incursions, cable disruptions and reconnaissance of critical infrastructure. The Eagle S [a suspected shadow tanker] severed undersea cables after cycling through multiple flags, and Estonia’s attempted interdiction of the Jaguar crude oil tanker prompted the scrambling of Russian fighter jets – proof that Moscow sees this fleet as a strategic asset and is willing to protect it. Europe cannot afford to let these incidents pass unanswered.”

Despite the tougher language from Europe, including discussion of seeking permission to board suspect tankers, some analysts do not detect a huge appetite for maritime confrontation with Russia.

“It is one thing for the US to board a sanctioned and stateless tanker off Venezuela because what is Venezuela going to do?” said one. “It feels like a very different calculation for the Europeans with Russia. It risks upping the stakes in what has become a game of chicken.”

If the shadow fleet, in particular the Russian element of it, has flourished in the past three years, it is partly due to US resistance to imposing sanctions on the major Russian oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, and through the continued reliance of China and India on Russian oil.

Russia has moved quickly to try and evade the new US sanctions, with several new companies emerging who are suspected of exporting Rosneft and Lukoil crude.

Despite the recent US sanctions, one of Russia’s most important markets for its crude appears to have been largely unaffected, despite pressure from Trump: Indian imports of Russian crude have increased since October.

In part that has been because of both Russia’s adaptability to sanctions over the past three years and the complex structuring of its shadow fleet operations, mirrored by similar activities over the years by Iran and Venezuela.

How Russia has operated in recent years was made clear this month in new EU sanctions announced against nine businessmen and entities, including shipping companies based in the UAE and Vietnam as well as Russia, accused of involvement in the shadow fleet.

Map of UAE-owned tankers named in EU sanction as ‘shadow fleet’ vessels

Tomer Raanan, a specialist reporter for Lloyd’s List who closely follows developments in the shadow fleet both in the trade in Iranian energy products and Russia, believes it remains attractive to ship owners because of the potential profits that can be earned operating the sometimes dilapidated ships.

“Earlier this year, we noticed several sanctioned tankers suddenly began broadcasting AIS messages indicating that they are registered with Malawi.

“We found a website purporting to be the Malawi Maritime Administration which did not have a Malawi government domain and was later confirmed by Malawi officials as fraudulent. Since then, Lloyd’s List has uncovered an elaborate fraudulent flag operation linking over 20 separate fake registry websites, many of which using the same holding text.”

Such “scam” registrations were being used by ships in the shadow fleet, he said.

Raanan also believes the proliferation of fraudulent flags and falsely flagged ships highlights a critical problem with the shipping industry’s registry system.

In the meantime, he expects the sanction-busting trade in oil to continue despite the efforts to police it.

“Sanctioned oil is often sold at a discount, while shipowners moving these cargoes typically earn premiums for taking on the risk. I think that as long as market participants view the economic incentives as outweighing the risks, sanctions evasion will likely continue.”

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Katy Watson,Australia correspondentand

Tiffanie Turnbull,Bondi Beach

Reuters

Mourners in Australia have fallen silent in honour of the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.

The memorial was part of a national day of reflection to mark a week since the shooting in which two gunmen opened fire on an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hannukah.

A 10-year-old girl, a British-born rabbi and a Holocaust survivor were among the 15 people killed during the attack.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was booed when he arrived at the memorial event – an expression of anger by Australia’s Jewish community against his government after a rise of antisemitic attacks over the past few months.

As the sun set over Sydney on Sunday evening, a minute’s silence was observed at 18:47 (07:47 GMT) – exactly one week since the first reports of gunfire at the famous beach.

There was heavy security at the memorial event. Some cordoned-off areas were guarded by armed riot squad officers who had their faces covered, while a police patrol boat was visible off the coast of Bondi Beach.

For many Australians, this level of security is an unfamiliar sight.

A large crowd – many wearing kippas [the Jewish skullcap] or draped in Australian flags – gathered to listen to speeches after the observing the silence.

Bee balloons floated in the wind in honour of the youngest victim of the attack, Matilda – a reference to her nickname, “Matilda Bee”.

And later in the ceremony, the crowd sang Waltzing Matilda, the song for which the 10-year-old was named.

Soon, they were chanting the name of another child – Chaya, a 14-year-old who put herself in the firing line to protect a stranger’s children. Shot in the leg, she used crutches to take to the stage and urge the nation to be brave and kind.

“If you guys get inspired by one thing, one thing on all this, be the light in that field of darkness,” she said.

The event ended with the lighting of the menorah – something the crowds gathered for Hannukah last week couldn’t do.

Sunday’s memorial was not limited to Bondi Beach – or the state of New South Wales. In a nation-wide gesture of “light over darkness”, the windowsills of countless homes were lined with candles.

Watch: Moment Australian PM Anthony Albanese booed at Bondi memorial

As Albanese arrived for the ceremony, one person in the crowd shouted: “Blood on your hands.”

The prime minister looked startled at the hostility, his wife Jodie Haydon grasping his arm in support.

At least one member of the crowd was tackled by police after moving towards the prime minister.

The Jewish community in Australia has repeatedly said this attack was a shock, not a surprise after a rise in antisemitic attacks in Australia since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent military retaliation war launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The overwhelming view is that more could and should have been done to prevent the Sydney attack from happening.

Albanese has acknowledged the criticism, saying “I accept my responsibility for the part in that as prime minister of Australia.”

More widely, Albanese has been accused by some of siding with the Palestinians over supporting Israel and the relationship worsened when he moved to recognise the state of Palestine earlier this year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused him – as well as the leaders of other countries that have recognised a Palestinian state – of rewarding Hamas.

After the Bondi beach attack last Sunday, Netanyahu said Albanese’s government “did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia”.

In contrast to the reception for the Australian prime minister, Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, was praised at the Sydney memorial service as an exemplary leader, partly for the speed with which he admitted government errors in the lead-up to the attack.

He also attended the funerals of several victims this week. Albanese was not invited to some.

“We are deeply sorry.” Minns said at the event. “We grieve with you, and with humility, I acknowledge that the government’s highest duty is to protect its citizens. And we did not do that one week ago.”

The shooting had “highlighted a deep vein of antisemitic hate in our community”, Minns said, adding: “This must be confronted.”

The president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, David Ossip, was hailed with loud cheers as he called for a “Royal Commission which goes beyond New South Wales, to get to the bottom of how this catastrophe took place”.

Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. His father Sajid was killed during the attack.

Days after the attack, Prime Minister Albanese announced a raft of measures to crack down on hate speech and incitement to violence.

Before Sunday’s ceremony, he announced a review into the police and national intelligence agencies.

“The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation,” Albanese said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

He has also said he will reform gun laws and the government has launched a gun buyback scheme – the largest since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which left 35 people dead and prompted Australia to introduce world-leading gun control measures.

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Skip next section Putin ready to talk to France’s Macron, Kremlin says

12/21/2025December 21, 2025

Putin ready to talk to France’s Macron, Kremlin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to hold talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, a Kremlin spokesman said on Sunday.

Dmitry Peskov said Putin “expressed readiness to engage in dialogue” in comments carried by Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. He added that with mutual political willingness, talks between both sides could be beneficial.

It follows Macron saying on Friday that Europe and Ukraine should hold direct talks with Putin as they seek to reach an agreement on a peace deal that would bring an end to Russia’s invasion of their neighbors.

“Otherwise, we are discussing among ourselves with negotiators who will negotiate on their own with the Russians. That is not optimal,” the French president had said.

Paris on Sunday welcomed Putin’s openness to the idea.

“We will decide in the coming days on the best way to proceed,” the Elysee said.

https://p.dw.com/p/55ltz

Skip next section Kremlin squashes chances of three-way talks in Miami

12/21/2025December 21, 2025

Kremlin squashes chances of three-way talks in Miami

The Kremlin emphasized that three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States were not on the cards, despite diplomats from all parties currently being in Miami.

According to Russian news agencies, Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that discussions for such a meeting had not taken place and no preparation was therefore being made.

The comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Washington had spoken of a possible trilateral format, though he too expressed scepticism.

Despite saying it would be a logical step for a first face-to-face meeting in almost six months between Russia and Ukraine, Zelenskyy added: “I am not sure that anything new could come of it.” 

The Day with Nicole Frölich: Financial lifeline for Ukraine

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On Saturday, Ukrainian and European negotiators met with US diplomats while Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev also travelled to Florida to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in a separate meeting at different locations.

Those talks will continue on Sunday, after which Ushakov said Dmitriev “will return to Moscow, make his report, and we will discuss what to do next.”

Meanwhile, Ushakov also expressed doubts that any changes put forward by European and Ukrainian diplomats to the current US peace plan would yield a positive outcome.

“I am sure that the proposals that the Europeans and Ukrainians have made or ‍are trying to make definitely do ​not improve ​the document and do not improve the possibility of achieving long-term peace,” he said.

https://p.dw.com/p/55lqb

Skip next section Kyiv holds firm on territory as Russia, US talk in Miami

12/21/2025December 21, 2025

Kyiv holds firm on territory as Russia, US talk in Miami

As fierce fighting continues on Ukraine’s eastern frontline, soldiers say any peace deal that trades territory for an end to the war is unacceptable.

At the same time, Kyiv is bolstering European backing following Tuesday’s talks in Berlin as it seeks leverage in ongoing US-led negotiations.

Kyiv holds firm on territory as Russia, US talk in Miami

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https://p.dw.com/p/55lgw

Skip next section US-Russia talks in Florida end ‘constructively’

12/21/2025December 21, 2025

US-Russia talks in Florida end ‘constructively’

Officials from Russia and the United States ended a day of peace talks in the southern US state of Florida and will continue their efforts on Sunday. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters that the meeting with US counterparts Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been constructive. 

“The discussions are proceeding constructively. They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow,” Dmitriev said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio might also join the talks, Dmitriev had said.

Saturday’s negotiations with Russia come after the US spent Friday in talks with Ukraine and European officials. They reported progress on security guarantees for Ukraine. However, it remains unclear to what extent Moscow will accept those terms.

https://p.dw.com/p/55lRx

Skip next section Ukraine calls for US to exert ‘full pressure’ on Russia

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Ukraine calls for US to exert ‘full pressure’ on Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to put more pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

“America must clearly say: if not diplomacy, then there will be full pressure,” Zelenskyy said. “Putin does not yet feel the kind of pressure that should exist.”

Zelenskyy also called for increased arms supplies to Ukraine and sanctions on the entire Russian economy.

Earlier on Saturday, the Ukrainian president said that Washington had proposed trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States (see entry below).

https://p.dw.com/p/55lO5

Skip next section Baltic states urge IOC not to ease restrictions on athletes from Russia, Belarus

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Baltic states urge IOC not to ease restrictions on athletes from Russia, Belarus

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have either been banned or must compete as neutralsImage: ndre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/picture alliance

Sporting authorities in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to ease restrictions against athletes from Russia and Belarus.

In a joint letter sent to IOC president Kirsty Coventry, the Baltic trio’s respective National Olympic committees said they had “fundamental concerns” about a recent IOC recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian youth athletes to compete internationally under their countries’ flags.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have only been allowed to compete in some sports as neutrals, while they have been completely banned from participating in others.

The restrictions were imposed in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which Belarus has supported.

“We strongly oppose any measure that would permit athletes representing Russia or Belarus to participate under national flags, anthems, colours, uniforms, or as team entries while the ongoing aggression against Ukraine continues,” the statement said.

 “We firmly believe that the credibility of Olympism depends on the consistent defence of peace, human dignity, and respect for international law,” it added.

https://p.dw.com/p/55lJZ

Skip next section Russian envoy arrives in Miami for talks with Witkoff, Kushner

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Russian envoy arrives in Miami for talks with Witkoff, Kushner

Dmitriev (center) also attended talks with Kushner (2nd-left) and Witkoff (right) at the Kremlin this month [FILE]Image: Kristina Kormilitsyna/Sputnik/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, has arrived in Miami.

Dmitriev is set for talks with US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, Russian sources told AFP and Reuters news agencies.

https://p.dw.com/p/55lIO

Skip next section US proposes new talks format that includes Russia and Ukraine — Zelenskyy

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

US proposes new talks format that includes Russia and Ukraine — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the United States has offered a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which would include American and possibly European envoys.

“The US said they would have a separate meeting with representatives of Russia. And they proposed the following format, as far as I understand: Ukraine, America, Russia, and, since there are representatives of Europe there, probably ‍Europe as well,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv.

Kyiv will decide on the format after assessing whether the bilateral discussions with US negotiators that resumed on Friday are positive. Zelenskyy said he planned to discuss the matter with Ukraine’s delegation chief, Rustem Umerov.

Ukraine and Russia have not negotiated face-to-face since July, but US-led shuttle diplomacy to end the nearly four-year-long war has intensified in recent weeks. 

US negotiators were set to meet with Russian officials in Florida on Saturday.

https://p.dw.com/p/55ksO

Skip next section Zelenskyy rules out holding election in Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Zelenskyy rules out holding election in Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that any election in Ukraine cannot be held in Russia-occupied parts of the country.

He also said that the voting process can only take place if security is ensured.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Moscow must not have a say in organizing elections in Ukraine.

His statement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested halting strikes so that Kyiv could hold a presidential ballot.

“It is not Putin who decides when and in what format the elections in Ukraine will take place,” Zelenskyy said. 

He added that Ukraine’s foreign minister had begun work on the infrastructure needed to enable Ukrainians living abroad to vote.

Russia’s Putin blames Ukraine, NATO for war during live Q&A

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Skip next section Ukraine says it struck Russian warship 1,800km away

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Ukraine says it struck Russian warship 1,800km away

Ukrainian forces say they used drones overnight to attack and damage a Russian warship in the Caspian Sea, some 1,800 kilometers (1,118.4 miles) from the Ukrainian coast.

The General Staff in Kyiv wrote on Telegram on Saturday that the Russian ship ‘Ochotnik’ was on patrol near an oil and gas production platform when it was hit.

Additionally, a drilling platform said to belong to Lukoil was also struck. According to the General Staff, the facility helps supply Russian forces.

That information could not be independently verified, and there has been no confirmation from Russian authorities.

Lukoil was sanctioned by the US Treasury, along with Russia’s other largest oil company, Rosneft, in late October over what Washington called Moscow’s “lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.”

Ukraine, which has recently intensified attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, says they are legitimate targets as they are used to fund Russia’s war efforts.

https://p.dw.com/p/55khx

Skip next section Russian missile strike on Odesa port kills 8

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Russian missile strike on Odesa port kills 8

Eight people have been killed and at least 27 wounded following a Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa late on Friday, emergency services have said.

According to a Telegram post from the Ukrainian Emergency Service, some of those injured were on a bus that was at the epicenter of the strike.

Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region, said the port was struck by ballistic missiles. Trucks and cars in a parking lot were damaged as a result.

Ukraine suffers blackouts after Russian attack

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There was no immediate confirmation of the strike by Moscow. However, on Saturday morning the Russian Defense Ministry announced it had struck on Friday unspecified “transport and storage infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

They also claimed to have aimed at energy facilities supplying Kyiv’s war efforts.

https://p.dw.com/p/55kgH

Skip next section Russia claims seizing two Ukrainian villages in Donetsk, Sumy

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Russia claims seizing two Ukrainian villages in Donetsk, Sumy

Russia’s Defense Ministry has claimed to have captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry claimed in separate statements on Saturday to have captured the ‍village of Svitle in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk ‍region and the village of Vysoke in the northeastern Sumy region.

The claims could not be independently verified and Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment.

https://p.dw.com/p/55kec

Skip next section Russian envoy joining talks in Miami

12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Russian envoy joining talks in Miami

New talks are set to take place between Ukrainian, European and United States negotiators as they continue to seek an agreement to a peace plan that would bring an end to the war.

Negotiators, who are already in Florida, will meet with Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the US president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. 

Meanwhile, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev announced on social media platform X that he was also heading to Miami.

It is unlikely that Dmitriev will meet with anyone from the Ukrainian or European parties with the relationship continuing to be strained. 

Moscow has claimed that Europe’s involvement in helping negotiate a peace deal will only hinder the process.

The US have been pushing for a peace plan that would see Washington offer security guarantees to Ukraine, but would also mean Kyiv will likely be expected to surrender some territory.

Kyiv has thus rejected ceding territory to Moscow.

Ahead of Saturday’s discussions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised Ukraine would not be forced into making any agreement they were uncomfortable with, saying “there’s no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it.” 

Rubio said he may join the talks in Miami but did not commit to doing so.

https://p.dw.com/p/55keH

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage12/20/2025December 20, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Thank you for joining our coverage of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

On Saturday, talks between the United States, Ukraine, Europe and Russia will take place in Miami as all parties seek to agree to a peace plan.

However, it is unlikely that Russia’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev will meet with Ukrainian or European negotiators as tensions between the parties remain high.

Meanwhile, fighting continues to rage, with Moscow claiming to have captured two villages in Ukraine’s Sumy and Donetsk regions and at least eight people have been killed following a strike on Odesa’s port.

https://p.dw.com/p/55kan

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More than $2.6 million has been raised for the man who disarmed one of the attackers during a mass shooting targeting a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, last weekend.

After the attack – which took place on Dec. 14 and left at least 15 people dead – a GoFundMe page was launched for Ahmed al Ahmed, who was deemed a hero after video showed him tackling and disarming one of the alleged gunmen.

As of Sunday morning, $2.64 million had been raised through nearly 45,000 donations for al Ahmed, a Syrian-born Australian Muslim, who was one of dozens wounded during the attack when a second gunman fired on him.

“In a moment of chaos and danger, Ahmed al-Ahmed stepped forward without hesitation,” the fundraiser states. “His actions were selfless, instinctive, and undeniably heroic, taken without regard for his own safety. Early reports indicate he was shot twice in the process while protecting others.”

SURVIVING AUSTRALIA TERROR SUSPECT SLAPPED WITH CHARGES IN WAKE OF DEADLY ATTACK

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visits Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 15, 2025. (NSW premier Chris Minns Account / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The organizers added that the campaign was created to show gratitude and support for someone who demonstrated “incredible courage when it mattered most.”

Footage from the scene shows al Ahmed, a father of two young daughters, ages 5 and 6, sneaking up behind the attacker as shots are fired off camera. He is then seen tackling the gunman and wrestling the weapon away from him, before turning the weapon on the attacker and holding him at gunpoint.

One of the fundraiser’s organizers, social media influencer Zachery Dereniowski, visited al Ahmed at a Sydney hospital on Friday to present him with a check for $2.5 million, the amount raised at that time.

AUSTRALIA ANTI-TERROR POLICE DETAIN 7 MEN AS COUNTRY LAYS YOUNGEST BONDI BEACH VICTIM TO REST

Surfers and swimmers head out to the ocean as a tribute following Sunday’s shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.  (Steve Markham,File/AP Photo)

In a video shared on social media, al Ahmed appeared overwhelmed by the gesture.

Sitting in his hospital bed, al Ahmed asked, “I deserve it?”

Dereniowski replied, “Every penny.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al Ahmed earlier this week, hailing him as an “Australian hero.”

“You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist,” he wrote on X. “In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I say thank you.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised al Ahmed’s actions as “brave,” and Chris Minns, the premier of Australia’s New South Wales, stated that his “incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives.”

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Rabbi Yossi Friedman leads a tribute for the victims of a mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 20, 2025. (Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

The Australian government is investigating the shooting as a terror attack targeting the Jewish community.

A 24-year-old man who allegedly perpetrated the terror attack with his 50-year-old father was slapped with murder charges. The father “died at the scene,” police said.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg, Anders Hagstrom and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

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Russia has launched 2,500 strikes against Ukraine in a week, Zelensky says

Russia has launched approximately 2,500 strikes against Ukraine in the last week alone, president Volodymyr Zelensky shared today in a bleak reminder of the reality on the ground with peace talks ongoing.

Zelensky wrote on social media that Russia has launched an estimated 1,300 attack drones, 1,200 guided aerial bombs and nine missiles against Ukraine over the past week.

Odesa the southern part of the country were hit particularly hard, he said.

A truck burns at the site of a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region (via REUTERS)

James Reynolds21 December 2025 11:15

Kremlin spurns European involvement in peace talks

The Kremlin said on Sunday that the chances of peace in Ukraine were not improved by changes to US proposals made by the Europeans and Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported.

James Reynolds21 December 2025 11:00

Zelensky seeks more consultation with Europe after US talks

Following talks with the US in Florida last week, Ukraine’s Zelensky called for broader consultations with European partners on social media today.

Europe has played an important role in backing Ukraine’s plea for clear security guarantees through the negotiation process.

Those, and territory swaps, remains points of contention between Ukraine and Russia, via the US.

“We are moving at a fairly rapid pace, and our team in Florida has been working with the American side,” Zelensky said on Telegram messenger.

He said he had just talked with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere on the phone.

James Reynolds21 December 2025 10:35

Sanctioned Russian freighter boarded in Swedish waters overnight

Swedish authorities boarded a sanctioned Russian freighter that anchored in Swedish waters after developing engine problems overnight, the country’s customs service said on Sunday.

Sweden carried out an inspection of the cargo aboard the Adler, which is subject to both EU and US sanctions. Authorities declined to say what they found on board the ship.

The owners are also on the EU’s sanctions list, a spokesperson for the customs authority said.

The Adler is a 126-metre-long, roll-on, roll-off container carrier. It is anchored off Hoganas in southwest Sweden.

“Shortly after 0100 last night we boarded the ship with support from the Swedish Coast Guard and the police service in order to make a customs inspection,” a spokesperson said. “The inspection is still ongoing.”

James Reynolds21 December 2025 10:30

‘Alternatives to US support are uncertain,’ Zelensky says

Amid ongoing US-led peace negotiations, Zelensky called on the American president to take an active role in ending the war in Ukraine, stating alternatives to US support “are uncertain”.

“I believe such strength exists in the United States and in President Trump. And I believe we should not look for an alternative to the United States, because all alternatives are uncertain as to whether they can (end the war),” the Ukrainian president said.

“Who else (can effectively establish peace)? Perhaps representatives of the Middle East. But I still believe the United States has greater chances. Who else? Europe – the Coalition of the Willing – which is Europe plus our friends from Canada and Japan. But they will all be at the negotiating table in one way or another. And perhaps China could as well, but we clearly see no desire from China to end this war,” he said.

Vishwam Sankaran21 December 2025 10:00

Over 200 Indian nationals taken by Russia to fight war in Ukraine, New Delhi says

India’s foreign ministry says 202 Indian nationals have been recruited into the Russian army since 2022, with at least 26 killed and seven missing.

The figures were released in an official report submitted to India’s parliament last week.

“As per information available, 202 Indian nationals are believed to have been recruited into the Russian armed forces. Concerted efforts by the Government have resulted in the early discharge of 119 of them; 26 are reported to have lost their lives, and seven are reported missing by the Russian side,” the report said.

Vishwam Sankaran21 December 2025 09:00

Video: US, Russian officials meet in Miami for peace talks

US, Russian Officials Meet in Miami for Peace Talks After Progress in Security Guarantees for Kyiv

Vishwam Sankaran21 December 2025 08:30

Russia and Ukraine must both make compromises to end war, Rubio says

Ending the war will require that both sides “give something” and the US is figuring out “what both sides are prepared to give”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday.

“I don’t know if Putin wants to do a deal or Putin wants to take the whole country. These are things that he has said openly,” the secretary of state said.

“We know what they wanted to achieve initially when the war began. They haven’t achieved those objectives,” he said.

Vishwam Sankaran21 December 2025 08:10

In Pictures: Russian attack on Ukraine’s Odesa

A truck burns at the site of a Russian missile and drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region (via REUTERS)A firefighter works at the site of a Russian missile and drone strike in Odesa (via REUTERS)A firefighter works at the site of a Russian missile and drone strike in Odesa (via REUTERS)

Vishwam Sankaran21 December 2025 07:50

In Pictures: Zelensky meets with Portugal’s PM

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, shakes hands with Portuguese Prime Minister LuÃs Montenegro in Kyiv (AP)Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro (L) speak during a joint press conference in Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images)Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) shakes hands with Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro (R) after joint press conference (AFP via Getty Images)Ukraine and Portugal establish joint partnership to produce sea drones (AFP via Getty Images)

Vishwam Sankaran21 December 2025 07:10

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Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has lashed out at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s intelligence review – declaring it ‘bulls**t’ – and called for the government to launch a royal commission.

Frydenberg has been an outspoken member of the Jewish Australian community since the terror attack at Bondi Beach claimed 15 innocent lives on December 14.

He has repeatedly requested a royal commission into the attack, which saw alleged gunman Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid, target a Jewish festival.

Albanese on Sunday announced a major review into the performance of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and other authorities.

Intelligence chief Dennis Richardson will lead the investigation into how the agencies acted in the lead-up to the Bondi shooting.

The review will be made publicly available when it is finalised in April, 2026. 

Frydenberg responded to the announcement in a social media post and claimed it wouldn’t go to ‘the heart of the issues’, particularly antisemitism.   

‘To use an Australian colloquialism its bulls**t,’ Frydenberg wrote

Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured) has slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s intelligence review and repeated the calls for a federal royal commission into the Bondi attack

Two alleged gunmen took the lives of 15 innocent people attending a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach on December 14

‘It’s weak, it’s wrong, it’s an abrogation of your first and fundamental duty to protect all Australian citizens after the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil at Bondi Beach.

‘Your departmental review will not go to the heart of the issues and the radicalisation within our country, which has been allowed to explode on your watch.’

The former treasurer asked Albanese, ‘What are you afraid a Commonwealth Royal Commission will uncover?’ and pointed to NSW Premier Chris Minns who already endorsed a royal commission.

‘No one could think that the extremist threat is limited to NSW. These are federal offences, federal responsibilities and failures at the federal level. The threat is national,’ Frydenberg wrote.

‘You yourself (Albanese) have said that this terrorist attack was inspired by the Islamic State. You cannot legitimately conclude that this is a matter to be covered by a state based Royal Commission.

‘Anti-Jew intimidation, harassment and violence has metastasised in our country and must not be allowed to go one day longer. 

‘The tsunami of hate is not just an attack on Jewish Australians, it’s a threat to every Australian. Prime Minister, enough is enough!’

In his announcement on Sunday, Albanese promised the review would examine if intelligence agencies needed more power to prevent terrorism. 

Albanese (right) on Sunday announced intelligence authorities would conduct an internal review of their performance in the lead up to the terrorist attack

Frydenberg told Albanese of the review: ‘It’s weak, it’s wrong, it’s an abrogation of your first and fundamental duty to protect all Australian citizens’ (pictured, a woman visiting the memorial at Bondi Beach on Saturday)

‘The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will examine whether federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe in the wake of the horrific antisemitic Bondi Beach terrorist attack,’ he said.

‘The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation. 

‘Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.’

The intelligence review announcement was foreshadowed on Saturday when Albanese backed a ‘state-based royal commission’ after NSW Premier Chris Minns said the ‘powers of a wide-ranging inquiry were needed to determine what went wrong in the lead-up to the events of last Sunday’.

Federal MPs, including Sydney MP Allegra Spender, have led calls for a royal commission, but government ministers played down the need for such an investigation, saying it ‘would take too long and draw resources away from law enforcement’.

Spender, whose electorate of Wentworth takes in Bondi, said a federal investigation ‘should accept public submissions and be developed in consultation with the Jewish community’ but have ‘broad-ranging investigatory powers akin to a royal commission’.

Albanese’s announcement comes off the back of other federal government plans announced in the week since the attack.

The government responses include the biggest gun buyback since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, strict limits on how many guns a person can own and a plan to combat antisemitism.

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