What’s the story behind the sawn-open goat skulls that frequently turn up in the ground beneath Berlin? It’s often small things that reveal something about times gone by, says Eberhard Völker, archaeologist at the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments. He and his colleagues suspect that goat brain was a popular snack in medieval times.

Völker is leading excavations at the Molkenmarkt in the historic center of Berlin. Digging down into the past with a shovel, trowel and brush. At a depth of four meters, researchers reach the Middle Ages: the birthplace of Berlin. The city’s ground level has risen precisely four meters in 800 years due to fire debris and rubble. “This is where Berlin began,” he says, pointing to the mounds of earth behind him.

Toilet treasures

The Molkenmarkt is one of Germany’s largest inner-city excavations — a gigantic hole covering more than 22,000 square meters. Once the asphalt and concrete have been removed, archaeologists can begin meticulously combing through the earth below.  They’ve been working here since 2019, coaxing the earth’s secrets out of the ground. Researchers have already turned up 750,000 individual items.

The archaeological site in the heart of BerlinImage: Jürgen Heinrich/IMAGO

Eberhard Völker holds a thick wooden plate in his hand, a rare find. It’s well-preserved but smells awful. That’s no surprise when you consider it’s spent centuries in a latrine, a medieval cesspit. Even after 800 years, the smell of feces still clings to it. When deprived of oxygen, organic materials such as wood, textiles and leather resist decay. That’s why archaeologists often find their greatest treasures in old toilets or dried-up wells, which also served as trash cans for medieval towns.

Völker’s favorite find is a small clay figurine of Saint Catherine, who, according to legend, was tortured and beheaded for her Christian faith. It probably adorned a house altar to protect the family from misfortune.

One object of particular value is a rare gold ring with a garnet. Perhaps it slipped off someone’s finger as they were fetching water and it fell into the well? And an inconspicuous brown scrap of silk is proof of trade with China in the early years of Berlin’s existence. Also among the finds is a bone flute from the 14th century.

In addition to Saint Catherine, archaeologists also discovered figures of other saintsImage: Jens Kalaene/dpa/picture alliance

PETRI: A home for Berlin’s treasures

The Molkenmarkt is thought to be Berlin’s oldest market. Völker and his colleagues are bringing a hidden archive of Berlin’s history to light. The archaeologist regularly conducts guided tours of the site. Interest is huge and they’re always fully booked.

Archaeologists are being allowed to comb through the soil for about another two years, before the gigantic excavation site is filled in and built upon. Everything Völker finds is subjected to thorough scientific documentation, analysis and interpretation, creating a huge data repository of Berlin’s past. 

But where to put them all? Turns out, the items won’t have to travel far. Just a few hundred meters, in fact, to the PETRI, a new museum that opened in the summer of 2025. It was built on the walls of the medieval St. Peter’s Church, heavily damaged during World War II and later demolished, and a Latin school, whose foundations are on display in the basement.

The PETRI is already popular with both school groups and foreign tourists. It’s a chance for Berlin to show it has other stories to tell apart from the usual ones about the Golden Twenties, the Nazi era and the building of the Berlin Wall. Berlin’s history is also medieval. An unknown side of the city that’s worth delving into.

Centuries old and very well preserved: a leather child’s shoeImage: Jens Kalaene/dpa/picture alliance

Like other museums, the PETRI also exhibits items in glass cases — for example, a child’s shoe from the Middle Ages. But it goes a step further. Through large windows, visitors can observe restorers as they go about their tasks in open workshops. As well as breathing life into a forgotten chapter of the city’s history, the museum also aims to spark interest in archaeology.

A new resting place for the dead

Down in the basement, the museum has a surprise up its sleeve: a fresh bouquet of flowers is placed in front of a wall, and above it are the words: “May angels guide you to paradise.” The St. Peter’s Church complex once comprised an ancient cemetery. The remains of hundreds of people were exhumed during the excavations and have now been ceremoniously reburied in an ossuary: Here, the skeletal remains of some of Berlin’s first inhabitants are stored in drawers. And they tell life stories, albeit anonymous ones. A book of the dead records their fates: tooth decay, a complicated fracture, another who died far too young.

In 2024, human remains from medieval times were ceremoniously transferred to the ossuaryImage: Annette Riedl/dpa/picture alliance

When is Berlin’s birthday?

Scientific bone analysis has shown that Berlin is much older than previously thought. The city’s 800th birthday is due to be celebrated in 2037, but it is quite obvious that this milestone birthday actually took place several decades ago.

From the PETRI roof terrace, there’s a view of roaring traffic and Berlin’s built-up city center. Just a few meters below lie the medieval roots of a city ravaged by history. With the Molkenmarkt excavations and the PETRI museum, archaeologists like Eberhard Völker are painstakingly bringing one of the city’s untold stories to light, piece by piece.

This article was originally written in German.

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Photis Gaitanos’ rough fingers adroitly untangle the venomous spikes of a lionfish from a net, throwing the exotic-looking creature into an ice-filled rubber bin along with other fish from the day’s catch.

Unlike a few years ago when he would have mostly caught local staples as sea bream, red mullet or bass, the veteran fisherman now hunts for the invasive species that made its way from the Red Sea to the warming waters of the Mediterranean.

Lionfish, with their red and orange-hued stripes and antennae-like barbs that menacingly ward off enemies, threaten to decimate indigenous fish stocks, wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of the roughly 150 professional fishermen in Cyprus.

The prickly fish has even made its way as far north as the Ionian Sea, where Italian authorities have asked the public to photograph and report sightings.

The East Mediterranean has also seen another invasive Red Sea fish in the last decade: the silver-cheeked toadfish. Known as an eating machine whose powerful jaws cut through fishing nets, decimating fishermen’s catch, it has no natural predators off Cyprus, allowing its population to explode.

That toadfish also produces a lethal toxin, making it inedible.

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Photis Gaitanos catches a toadfish (AP)

Warmer waters are the culprit

Mr Gaitanos has fished for years in an area a few kilometres off the coastal town of Larnaca, once famous for its fishing bounty. Now, he says, it’s been more than two years since he’s caught a red mullet, a consumer favorite.

“I have been practicing this profession for 40 years. Our income, especially since these two foreign species appeared, has become worse every year. It is now a major problem (affecting) the future of fishing,” he said. “How can it be dealt with?”

Europe’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean says with the sea warming some 20 per cent faster than the global average, the presence of invasive species “is progressively increasing in the western basin”.

Models show that warmer seas as a result of climate change could see lionfish swarm the entire Mediterranean by the century’s end. Warmer waters and an expanded Suez Canal “have opened the floodgates” to Indo-Pacific species in general, according to Cyprus’ Fisheries Department.

The European Union’s Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis, a Cypriot himself, said that more frequent and intense extreme weather, often linked to climate change, could make the Mediterranean more hospitable to invasive species.

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A lionfish on a fishing boat (AP)

And that’s taking a heavy toll on Europe’s fishing industry as fishermen’s catches diminish while their costs shoot up as a result of repairs to fishing gear damaged by the powerful intruders.

“The native marine biodiversity of a specific region, as in the case of Cyprus, faces heightened competition and pressure, with implications for local ecosystems and industries dependent on them,” said Mr Kadis.

A cry for help

Mr Gaitanos, who inherited his father’s boat in 1986, is not sure the fishermen’s grievances are being handled in a way that can stave off the profession’s decline.

“We want to show the European Union that there’s a big problem with the quantity of the catch as well as the kind of fish caught, affected by the arrival of these invasive species and by climate change,” he said.

Some EU-funded compensation programs have been enacted to help fishermen. The latest, enforced in 2024, pays fishermen about €4.73 (£4.13) per kilogram to catch toadfish to control their number. The toadfish are then sent to incinerators.

Another project, RELIONMED, which began in 2017, recruits some 100 scuba divers to cull lionfish around wrecks, reefs and marine protected areas. The Cyprus Fisheries Department says surveys show that frequent culls could buy time for native species to recover, but it’s not a permanent fix.

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Stefanos Mentonis, owner of Stefanos restaurant, cooks lionfish (AP)

Eating the problem

What local fishermen are hoping will catch on with the fish-loving public is a new campaign to serve lionfish as a delicacy after its poisonous spines are carefully removed.

Mr Kadis said a social media campaign that began in 2021, #TasteTheOcean, had top European chefs and influencers plugging invasive species as a tasty alternative to the more commonly consumed fish. Renowned Cypriot chef Stavris Georgiou worked up a lionfish recipe of his own.

For most Cypriots, local taverns with their rich meze menus that feature numerous plates different fish is the way to go. Although eating lionfish has been slow to catch on, many tavernas and fish restaurants have started to introduce it as part of their menu.

The bonus is that lionfish is now priced competitively compared to more popular fish like sea bass. At the Larnaca harbor fish market, lionfish cost less than half as much as more popular fish like sea bass.

“By incorporating invasive species such as lionfish into our diet, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity for the fisheries sector and at the same time help limit the environmental threat caused by these species,” Mr Kadis said.

Stephanos Mentonis, who runs a popular fish tavern in Larnaca, has included lionfish on his meze menu as a way to introduce the fish to a wider number of patrons.

Mr Mentonis, 54, says most of his customers aren’t familiar with lionfish. But its meat is fluffy and tender, and he says it can hold up against perennial tavern favorites like sea bream.

“When they try it, it’s not any less tasty than any other fish,” he said.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Sara Mearns is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet
• Mearns tells PEOPLE that performing in The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center is about “giving the families the tradition”
• Mearns performs as the Sugarplum Fairy in the ballet, and says it’s “different” from other shows for one main reason

For many families, going to see George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition.

Sara Mearns, the Sugarplum Fairy in the New York City Ballet’s performance of the beloved Christmas ballet, says the dancers feel the same, noting that the “holidays mean Nutcracker.” 

The dancer, who has been with the company for almost two decades, tells PEOPLE that since they perform through the holidays, she herself doesn’t have many traditions as her schedule is packed with performances.

“It’s just about being in the Nutcracker and giving the families the tradition. That is our job at this time,” Mearns, 39, says, adding that it’s a “very specific audience” that comes to see the show year after year.

“It’s usually people that don’t really go to dance otherwise, but they’re in New York to see the Nutcracker. It’s like a rock concert. It’s absolutely amazing,” she says. “You could literally fall off your leg and it’s okay.”

“They’re just so happy to be there and you’re like, ‘Wow. Oh my gosh. I love this feeling,'” she adds.

Sara Mearns.

Mark Mann; Erin Baiano

While she admittedly doesn’t have many holiday traditions of her own, the dancer always finds time to “eat the canned cranberry sauce.” 

“And eggnog, I mean, it’s real thick, but I have to have that at least once this season,” she shares. “It’s not like I have to have something, but definitely the cranberry sauce for sure.”

Mearns tells PEOPLE that the dancers have Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day off. They also don’t perform on Mondays, but have two-show days on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

Aside from her love of ballet, meeting kids backstage after the performance always reminds Mearns of why she’s doing it.

Mearns, who was diagnosed with nerve hearing loss, is again taking the stage as the Sugarplum Fairy in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker with the NYCB at Lincoln Center. Last year was the first year that she performed in The Nutcracker with her hearing aids on, and they will be on full display for the families and fans who come to watch her dance again this year.

Mearns recently became an ambassador for Phonak, sharing her journey and story, and hoping to inspire others. 

“I had a mother come up to me recently after a screening that I was at, and she said, ‘Thank you so much for talking about this. Because now my son feels like he has a path. That he has a chance,'” she tells PEOPLE. “I was like, ‘He absolutely does.’ I just want all students, even professionals, anybody, to realize that this is not something that’s gonna hold you back at all.” 

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set to lose their eleventh publicist in just five years – having also parted with their US-based PR agency and amid continuing accusations the couple are ‘difficult’ to work with. 

Meredith Maines, who worked as their chief communications officer, has revealed she is stepping down after just a year in the role with Meghan and Harry.

Her departure comes as US-based Method Communications PR announced it too would be ending its tenure with the Sussexes after just seven months. 

Ms Maines’ resignation comes in the wake of her colleague Emily Robinson leaving as director of communications for the couple only two months ago. Insiders had suggested Ms Maines had been experiencing a ‘difficult’ time in the time since then.

The high-flying PR professional had also been at the centre of a media storm over the summer when she was pictured meeting with King Charles’ communications secretary Tobyn Andreae in London as part of a secret ‘peace summit’ between the two camps.

Both Harry, 40, and his father, 76, are said to be keen to reconcile, especially after the King was diagnosed with cancer last year.

However, Harry and Meghan are said to have been frustrated that photographs of the extraordinary meeting – which took place in July at a private members club in Mayfair – were published in an exclusive for The Mail on Sunday. 

Sources close to Prince Harry insisted the Sussexes were not responsible for passing details of the meeting on to the newspaper. 

Of her now imminent departure, Ms Maines issued a statement speaking of her ‘gratitude and respect’ for the couple.

She said: ‘After a year of inspiring work with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Archewell, I will be pursuing a new opportunity in 2026.

Meredith Maines, who was appointed as chief communications officer is parting ways with Harry and Meghan after a year in the role

Meghan Markleand Prince Harry are set to lose their eleventh publicist in just five years after their ‘cheerleader’ spin doctor announced she is stepping down

‘I have the utmost gratitude and respect for the couple and the team, and the good they are doing in the world.’

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the couple said: ‘Meredith Maines and Method Communications have concluded their work with Archewell. 

‘The Duke and Duchess are grateful for their contributions and wish them well.’ 

It is understood that Liam Maguire, their UK and Europe director of communications, will now lead on all publicity-related work. 

The departure of Ms Maines follows the departure of Ms Robinson, who joined Harry and Meghan’s team as director of communications in June, but had already jumped ship by October.

Ms Robinson was a controversial hire as she had worked on The Crown for years – a show which aired a number of damaging narratives about the Royal Family.

Her departure comes five months after Ms Maines met with King Charles’ communications secretary Tobyn Andreae in London as part of a secret ‘peace summit’ between the two camps

The final series included scenes in which the ‘ghost’ of Princess Diana appeared to speak to The Queen and Prince Charles, which many found insensitive.

One friend of LA-based Robinson, who built up a reputation as a ‘tough cookie’ at Netflix, said: ‘It was her decision. She left a few weeks ago. She’s not a quitter, so things must have been pretty horrible for her to go.’

The departure of Ms Robinson and now Ms Maines in a matter of months means the couple have lost 11 publicists since leaving the UK for California five years ago (although two former publicists, James Holt and Miranda Barbot, have been promoted into non-PR roles).

In the last year alone, the couple have suffered numerous PR disasters, most recently the duchess’s surprise trip to Paris Fashion Week in October.

She posted a video to Instagram which showed her being driven at night along the Seine – a similar route to that taken by Princess Diana on the night she died.

There was also criticism of her appearance that same month in Washington at Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women event.

Meanwhile the couple had to navigate an unflattering cover story in Vanity Fair in February which included the claim: ‘The person who worked in media projects read stories in the tabloids about Meghan ‘bullying’ palace aides and couldn’t imagine such behaviour actually happening.

‘After working with her, though, this person realized, ‘Oh, any given Tuesday this happened’.’ 

The departure of Emily Robinson (pictured) and now Ms Maines in a matter of months means the couple have lost 11 publicists in just five years

The Sussexes hit back with a feature in People magazine with a number of employees and associated attesting to their kindness.

One Netflix crew member said of the Prince while filming With Love, Meghan: ‘Whenever Harry visited set, he was always super polite and friendly.’

The director of the series added: ‘Everyone has this one version of [Meghan], but she’s just someone who is hustling and working and doing.’

There were however more PR obstacles ahead for the couple including a piece in The Hollywood Reporter last September. One source was quoted as saying: ‘Everyone’s terrified of Meghan. She belittles people, she doesn’t take advice. 

‘Harry is a very, very charming person – no airs at all – but he’s very much an enabler. And she’s just terrible.’

A second source added: ‘She marches around like a dictator in high heels. I’ve watched her reduce grown men to tears.’

But an insider close to the couple denied the allegations, saying they had been ‘fabricated by someone with no knowledge of our company’.

Some sources claimed Ms Maines had been enduring a ‘difficult’ time as the couple’s chief communications officer prior to the announcement of her departure. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the couple’s representatives for comment. 

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Tributes will be paid to Diogo Jota when two of the clubs he represented in Liverpool and Wolves meet at Anfield, with his sons leading the sides out as mascots

Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter

09:43, 27 Dec 2025Updated 09:45, 27 Dec 2025

Diogo Jota’s two sons will be mascots as Liverpool host Wolves(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Diogo Jota’s commitment to being the finest father possible to his three children was evident when the Liverpool star spoke candidly about his family life. More than five months have passed since Jota’s tragic death in a car crash alongside his younger brother Andre Silva, news that sent shockwaves through the sporting community and far beyond.

The Portuguese forward’s legacy remains strong following his untimely passing. Liverpool supporters have made it their mission to keep his memory alive by belting out his chant during the 20th minute – matching his shirt number – at every match.

Beyond being an exceptional player who consistently delivered crucial goals when it mattered most, Jota was devoted to his family – a loving husband and father to three young children. Those closest to him were acutely aware of how much his family meant to him.

It was during Liverpool’s triumphant Premier League title-winning season last year that Jota revealed how he juggled pressure and strived to remain an engaged and devoted father when returning home from his demanding role as a top-level footballer.

In conversation with Liverpool’s performance psychologist Lee Richardson before his daughter’s arrival, Jota explained his wish to be the best dad possible. He said: “When I go home I still have a family, I have two kids – three almost – and the dogs and the stress doesn’t stop.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk makes heartbreaking confession over impact of Diogo Jota’s tragic deathREAD MORE: James Milner sends touching Diogo Jota message after Liverpool return

“You want to be the best father you can be, try to lead by example, give good feedback. Even though sometimes you want to get a bit more rest in the afternoon, they are all happy because you are finally at home and they want to play.

“I had this the day after the game, I wanted to get a bit of rest, [my son] wanted to play some football – and you need to be on it.” An emotional reunion is set this afternoon as Liverpool and Wolves, his two Premier League clubs, face off at Anfield for the first time since his passing.

Jota and his wife Rute Cardoso have three children(Image: Instagram/diogoj_18)

Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, will watch on as their sons, Dinis and Duarte, serve as mascots. On Friday evening, Wolves honoured the late striker with his ex-international team-mate Jose Sa, head coach Rob Edwards, and chairman Nathan Shi laying flowers at his memorial outside Anfield.

In his pre-match column, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk confessed that the team is still grappling with the loss of Jota, reflecting on a year marked by both triumph and tragedy in 2025. He penned: “Saturday marks our last fixture of 2025 and when I reflect back on the year there have been a wide range of emotions for everybody at the club.

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“There have been some incredible highs, of course. To become Premier League champions, as we did back in April, was incredible. Lifting that trophy in front of you guys at Anfield is a memory that I will never forget, I can assure you.

“It was a real team effort and a deserved reward for a season of hard work, on and off the pitch. Soon after that, though, came the most devastating of lows. The loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in July was something none of us could ever have prepared for, and something all of us are still coming to terms with.

“Our thoughts, as ever, remain with Diogo and Andre’s family. They will never, ever be forgotten, and we will carry their memory always.”

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Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and military chief Selcuk Bayraktaroglu attend ceremony at an airbase near Ankara.

Published On 27 Dec 202527 Dec 2025

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Turkiye has held a military ceremony to honour a group of Libyan officials, including military chief Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, who were killed in a plane crash over Turkish territory earlier this week.

The ceremony, held on Sunday at Murted airbase outside the capital, Ankara, honoured al-Haddad and four other military officers who were in Turkiye for high-level defence talks before the crash on Tuesday.

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Turkiye’s military chief Selcuk Bayraktaroglu and Defence Minister Yasar Guler were in attendance at the ceremony. The remains of the Libyan officials will be transported back home, where an official funeral will be held.

The aircraft carrying the Libyan delegation went down on Tuesday shortly after taking off from Ankara, following what Libyan officials said was a technical malfunction. All those on board, including three crew members, were killed.

Al-Haddad, Libya’s highest-ranking military officer, was a key figure in the United Nations-brokered efforts to unify the country’s divided armed forces. His death drew condolences even from the rival factions.

“Haddad was this strong, charismatic leader who always [sought] peace in the country,” said Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina, reporting from al-Haddad’s hometown of Misrata, Libya. “He was a man of peace, well-respected across the country, even among people he fought against.”

Khalifa Haftar, head of eastern Libya’s rival administration – whose forces al-Haddad opposed during a 2019 advance on western Libya – was among those who extended sympathies.

In a statement, Haftar expressed “deep sorrow over this tragic loss” and offered condolences to al-Haddad’s family, tribe, and city, as well as “to all the Libyan people”.

‘Big shoes to fill’

Following the ceremony in Turkiye, five coffins draped in Libyan national flags were loaded onto a plane for repatriation to Libya. Turkiye’s military chief Bayraktaroglu was also on the plane, state-run news agency TRT reported.

Libya plunged into chaos after the country’s 2011 uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The country is split, with rival administrations in the east and the west, backed by an array of rogue militias and different foreign governments.

Turkiye has been the main backer of Libya’s government in the west, but has recently taken steps to improve ties with the eastern-based administration as well.

Traina said it will be “extremely difficult” for Libya’s Western government “to find someone as respected” to replace al-Haddad, who had chaired a United Nations-backed truce committee. “They are extremely big shoes to fill.”

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Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, the defence ministers of both countries have said in a joint statement.

The two sides have agreed to freeze the front lines where they are now and allow civilians living in border areas to return home, halting almost three weeks of intense clashes in which dozens of people have been killed and nearly one million displaced.

The ceasefire took effect at noon local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday. Once it has been in place for 72 hours, 18 Cambodian soldiers held by Thailand since July will be released, the statement said.

The breakthrough came after days of talks between the two countries, with diplomatic encouragement from China and the US.

The agreement prioritises getting the displaced back to their homes, and also includes an agreement to remove landmines.

Thailand’s Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit described the ceasefire as a test for the “other party’s sincerity”.

“Should the ceasefire fail to materialise or be violated, Thailand retains its legitimate right to self-defence under international law,” he told reporters.

Thailand had been reluctant to accept the ceasefire, saying the last one was not properly implemented. They also resented what they saw as Cambodia’s efforts to internationalise the conflict.

Unlike the last ceasefire in July, US President Donald Trump was conspicuously absent from this one, although the US State Department was involved.

That ceasefire agreement collapsed earlier this month, when fresh clashes erupted.

Both sides have blamed each other for the breakdown of the truce.

The Thai army said its troops had responded to Cambodian fire in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province, in which two Thai soldiers were injured.

Cambodia’s defence ministry said it was Thai forces that had attacked first, in Preah Vihear province, and insisted that Cambodia did not retaliate.

Clashes have continued throughout December. On Friday, Thailand carried out more air strikes inside Cambodia.

The Thai Air Force said it had hit a Cambodian “fortified military position” after civilians had left the area. Cambodia’s defence ministry said the strikes were “indiscriminate attacks” against civilian houses.

How well the ceasefire holds this time depends to a large extent on political will. Nationalist sentiment has been inflamed in both countries.

Cambodia, in particular, has lost many soldiers and a lot of its military equipment. It has been driven back from positions it held on the border, and suffered extensive damage from the Thai air strikes, grievances which could make a lasting peace harder to achieve.

Disagreement over the border dates back more than a century, but tension increased early this year after a group of Cambodian women sang patriotic songs in a disputed temple.

A Cambodian soldier was killed in a clash in May, and two months later, in July, there were five days of intense fighting along the border, which left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Thousands more civilians were displaced.

Following intervention by Malaysia and President Trump, a fragile ceasefire was negotiated between the two countries, and signed in late October.

Trump dubbed the agreement the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords”. It mandated both sides to withdraw their heavy weapons from the disputed region, and to establish an interim observer team to monitor it.

However, the agreement was suspended by Thailand in November after Thai soldiers were injured by landmines, with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announcing that the security threat had “not actually decreased”.

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A months-long effort to restore Munich’s famous “Eisbach” wave is being disbanded, the Surf Club Munich has announced. The group cited excessive red tape and a lack of enthusiasm for the project from the city government.

“The administration does not want to regulate surfing on the Eisbach, but to prevent it,” the association said in a statement. They pointed to “administrative obstruction” in their mission to bring the wave back after it disappeared in October during a routine cleaning process.

How did land-locked Munich become a surfing hotspot?

The Eisbach is a small tributary of the Isar river that flows through Munich’s famous English Garden city park.

A series of concrete reinforcements underneath the stream in the 1970s led to the creation of a strong current near a bridge in one area of the park.

Local surfing legend Walter Strasser has been credited in local media with coming up with the idea to place a plank at a specific angle where the current was strongest, creating a wave large enough for surfing.

Over the years, Strasser and his wave gained more and more renown in the surfing community, and the area became a hotspot for the sport.

Earlier in December, Strasser told local newspaper the Münchener Abendzeitung that he had tried to work with Mayor Dieter Reiter to restore the wave, but had been met with ambivalence.

“I have so much experience with the Eisbach. I know exactly what the problem is. I could have fixed it within weeks, with very little funding,” he told the paper. “But the city told me they didn’t need me.”

Surfing in Munich

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Deadly accident

The Eisbach was also closed for two months after a 33-year-old surfer died in April. After her surfing line became trapped around her leg, she was pulled under the water and stuck underwater for nearly 30 minutes under rescue services were able to reach her.

The strong current had prevented bystanders from coming to her aid.

Although paramedics were able to reanimate her on the riverbank, she died later that same day in a Munich hospital.

The incident was the first such deadly event at the Eisbach, and prompted what authorities called a thorough safety review before the wave reopened at the end of June. A specific cause for the accident was never found, however.

Illicit reopening

The news that the Surf Club Munich has given up its official attempts to reopen the wave come just a few days after some surfers illegally set it back up with a wooden plank and used it clandestinely over the holidays.

But this construction was not permanent, and authorities have made it clear that surfing is currently prohibited.

Although Surf Club Munich has dropped its study of how to restart the wave on a constant basis, they maintained that the debate would continue despite “becoming political.”

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

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Bryony Gooch27 December 2025 07:45

Kim says North Korea and Russia shared ‘blood, life and death’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin their countries had shared “blood, life and death” in the Ukraine war, calling 2025 a “really meaningful year” for a bilateral alliance forged “in the same trench”, state media said on Saturday.

Pyongyang dispatched thousands of troops to fight for Moscow, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, as Russia presses ahead with its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine. In April North Korea publicly confirmed for the first time that it had sent personnel to support Moscow’s invasion and had suffered combat deaths. Earlier this month, North Korea acknowledged deploying an engineering regiment to clear mines in Russia’s Kursk region in August, with Mr Kim later saying at least nine soldiers were killed during the 120‑day mission.

Stuti Mishra27 December 2025 07:30

Zelensky says Russia is using Belarus to get around defences

President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of using apartment blocks in Belarus to attack Ukraine’s defences.

“We note that the Russians are trying to bypass our defensive interceptor positions through the territory of neighbouring Belarus. This is risky for Belarus,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on Telegram on Friday.

“It is unfortunate that Belarus is surrendering its sovereignty in favour of Russia’s aggressive ambitions.”

Belarus has remained a staunch ally of Russia, with President Vladimir Putin launching attacks on Ukraine from the territory in February 2022 that sparked the war.

Zelensky noted that Russian military were situated “in Belarusian settlements near the border, including on residential buildings.”

He added: “Antennae and other equipment are located on the roofs of ordinary five-storey apartment buildings, which help guide ‘Shaheds’ (Russian drones) to targets in our western regions. This is an absolute disregard for human lives, and it is important that Minsk stops playing with this.”

Maira Butt27 December 2025 07:00

Poland temporarily closes two airports due to Russian strikes on Ukraine

Poland has temporarily closed two airports in the south, Rzeszow and Lublin, after the Polish armed forces scrambled fighter jets due to Russian strikes on Ukraine, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency said on Saturday.

Stuti Mishra27 December 2025 06:28

Watch: Zelensky says he will meet Trump on Sunday for talks on Ukraine security

Zelensky says he will meet Trump on Sunday for talks on Ukraine security

Maira Butt27 December 2025 06:00

Russian drones, missiles pound Ukraine before Zelensky-Trump meeting

Russia attacked Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine with missiles and drones on Saturday, ahead of what president Volodymyr Zelensky said would be a key meeting with US president Donald Trump to work out a deal to end nearly four years of war.

Before the overnight attacks, Mr Zelensky said his talks in Florida tomorrow would focus on the territory to be controlled by each side after a halt to the fighting that began in February 2022 with president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Russia’s smaller neighbour, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.

Explosions sounded in Kyiv as Ukraine’s air defence units went into action, and the military said on the Telegram messaging app that missiles were being deployed. The air force said Russian drones were targeting the capital and regions in the northeast and south.

An air raid alert remained in effect in the capital some four hours after being introduced, according to Reuters. There were no immediate reports of damage or power cuts

Stuti Mishra27 December 2025 05:31

Zelensky ready to call referendum on Trump plan

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is open to putting his 20-point proposal, created during US-brokered peace talks, to a public vote if the US is not able to agree a “strong” position on the issue of territorial concessions.

He told Axios that he would be open to putting the proposal to a referendum, as long as Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in order to allow Ukraine to prepare for and hold such a vote.

Maira Butt27 December 2025 05:00

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If you keep waking up with a stiff neck, your pillow could be to blame — especially if it’s old and lumpy. 

It’s time to replace your pillow, but how do you find the right one? While it’s tempting to reach for the first fluffy one you find, you should choose based on your preferred sleeping position — whether that’s on your back, stomach, or side. 

The National Sleep Foundation recommends “pillows that support your spine,” and studies have shown that pillow height and other features can affect sleep quality when your head and neck are not properly aligned. You’ll need specific support depending on how you sleep, so it’s important to know which features to examine closely. 

This guide to shopping for pillows based on sleeping positions will help you find the right one and finally get a good night’s rest. Plus, we’re including our top picks at Amazon from Serta, Coop, Saatva, and more — starting at just $23.

Best Pillows for Back, Stomach, and Side Sleepers at Amazon

• Seen with Taylor Swift: Coop Original Adjustable Pillow, $89
• Chiropractor- and Orthopedist-Recommended: Saatva High-Loft Pillow, $185
• Nasa-Inspired: Nuzzle Cooling Adjustable Pillow, $49
• Allergen-Free Materials: Serta Down Illusion Pillow, $38 (orig. $45)
• Two-Pack: Pacific Coast Goose Feather Down Pillow, $108 (orig. $120)
• 100% Cotton: Three Geese Goose Feather Pillow, $28
• 171,000+ Five-Star Ratings: Beckham Hotel Collection Pillows, $60 (orig. $80)
• Breathable Memory Foam: Iwacool Thin Cooling Gel Pillow, $30 (orig. $36)
• Washer- and Dryer-Safe: Downlite Extra Thin Pillow, $125
• Reinforced Gusseted Edges: Utopia Bedding Soft Pillows, $23 (orig. $30)

What to Know About Choosing Pillows

Pillows for back, stomach, and side sleepers have varying levels of support. To find the best pillow for your sleep position, you’ll need to consider each pillow’s loft, firmness, fill materials, and adjustability. 

• Loft: This refers to a pillow’s thickness or height, and it’s expressed as low (up to 3 inches high), medium (up to 6 inches high), or high (over 6 inches high). 
• Firmness: Like mattresses, pillows are rated on their levels of support. They may be soft, medium, or firm — and some brands offer extra soft or extra firm varieties. Other pillows have in-between firmness levels and may be described as “soft/medium” or “medium/firm.”
• Fill Materials: Pillows can be filled with cotton, polyester, gel, memory foam, feathers, or goose down. It’s common for pillows to be filled with a mix of these materials.
• Adjustability: Adjustable pillows have removable fillings so you can customize their height and support levels. This includes pillows with loose materials (like shredded memory foam) as well as those with mini supportive cushions that you can reposition inside of them.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers benefit from using supportive pillows that prevent the head from sinking into the pillow, placing the neck at an awkward angle. Some side sleepers prefer thicker and harder pillows to achieve this support level, while others prefer slightly softer pillows that hold their shape to prevent collapsing. Many pillows for side sleepers are also made with cooling materials that prevent their ears and faces from sweating. 

Coop Original Adjustable Pillow

Amazon

Taylor Swift appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on December 10 and shared that she and her four-legged companion sleep on what appears to be the Coop Pillow while they’re on the road.

It has removable memory foam so you can find your ideal levels of loft and firmness. Need a bit more of both? Coop includes an “Extra Oomph” memory foam packet with this pillow, making it a great choice for side sleepers who prefer a high level of firmness with consistent head and neck support. It also has a breathable fabric cover that is ultra-soft and machine-washable.

Support Level: Adjustable | Loft: Adjustable | Firmness: Adjustable | Outer Materials: Lulltra | Fill Materials: Memory foam, microfiber, gel fiber, polyester | Sizes: Queen and king

PEOPLE shopping writer Toni Sutton tried the Coop pillow and “noticed a difference” in “neck stiffness after the very first night.” It molded to her body, keeping her “head and spine aligned… no matter how much [she] shifted” while she slept. “It stays supportive all night, and I wake up feeling… more refreshed,” Sutton added. 

Supa Modern Side Sleeper Pillow

Amazon

Saatva High-Loft Pillow Pillow

Amazon

Nuzzle Cooling Adjustable Pillow

Amazon

While You’re Shopping…

Add these sleep essentials to your cart:

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers should opt for pillows with medium loft and firmness to cradle their heads. This supports the cervical spine’s natural curve and prevents the head from tilting backward, causing neck strain. These pillows are also the ideal thickness to provide modest support around the shoulders.

Serta Down Illusion Pillow

Amazon

This down-alternative pillow supports the head and neck with medium loft and fluffy fiber that bounces back after each night. It’s covered with soft microfiber and has an allergen barrier, preventing dust and germs from seeping inside the pillow. It’s available as medium/firm or soft/medium, in case you need an in-between firmness level. One back sleeper called it “Squishmallow comfy” and said that they “didn’t wake up once to adjust the pillow.”

Support Level: Medium | Loft: Medium | Firmness: Soft/medium or medium/firm | Outer Materials: Polyester microfiber | Fill Materials: Polyester | Sizes: Queen and king

Pacific Coast Goose Feather Down Pillow

Amazon

Three Geese Goose Feather Pillow

Amazon

Amazon Basics Down Alternative Pillows, 2-Pack

Amazon

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers should reach for low-loft pillows that are thin and soft, as they can minimize neck strain. Thin pillows also leave adequate room for sleepers who place their arms beneath the pillow while they sleep. Like side-sleeper pillows, many of these have cooling features since stomach sleepers also lean on their cheeks and ears all night.

Beckham Hotel Collection Pillows, 2-Pack

Amazon

These Beckham pillows have a lightweight down alternative fill that offers soft support to stomach sleepers. Although they compress into a comfortable height, sleepers can fluff them up as needed. The pillows have a 250 thread-count cotton shell that is thin and breathable, allowing for airflow around the head. One stomach sleeper called it the “perfect pillow” that remains cool, which means they’re “not doing a middle-of-the-night pillow flip.”

Support Level: Medium | Loft: Low to medium | Firmness: Soft | Outer Materials: Cotton | Fill Materials: Polyester | Sizes: Queen, king, and European

Iwacool Thin Cooling Gel Pillow

Amazon

Bluewave Ultra Slim Gel Pillow

Amazon

Utopia Bedding Soft Pillows, 2-Pack

Amazon

Downlite Extra Thin Pillow

Amazon

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A Montana cattleman and his wife have made a jaw-dropping decision to give away a $21.6 million ranch that has been in the family for generations, ensuring it remains a working ranch.

In a move that could have been plucked from the TV drama Yellowstone, Dale and Janet Veseth have donated their roughly 38,000-acre cattle ranch in southern Phillips County, Montana, to the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA).

The RSA is a rancher-founded nonprofit dedicated to keeping land in production agriculture. 

The gift is believed to be the largest recorded donation of a working ranch in Montana history, according to the organization.

The Veseths will continue to manage the ranch during their lifetimes, but ownership will pass to RSA.

It means the land’s future is secured and will be devoted to cattle, grass, wildlife, and rural communities than being carved up, sold off, or converted to other uses.

For Dale, 63, the decision reflects both hard economic realities and a deeply personal reckoning with what ranching has become in the modern West.

At the heart of the ranch is a lineage that predates Dale himself. 

Dale and Janet Veseth made a rare and dramatic decision to give away their $21.6 million Montana ranch rather than sell it

The Veseths, pictured here on the ranch in 2008, will continue managing the land during their lifetimes despite donating ownership

The move echoes themes from Yellowstone, the hit TV series starring Kevin Costner, pictured

His father ran cattle on the same land, as did his grandfather. 

Over the decades, Veseth has refined a rotational grazing system he’s worked on for 35 years, even adopting remote-controlled collars that allow him to move cattle up to 170 times a year across more than 38,000 acres.

But while the tools have evolved, the pressures have intensified.

Competing interests now vie for ranchland across Montana’s high northern plains – a landscape once defined by family homesteads, now increasingly shaped by conservation groups, investors, and soaring land prices.

Veseth said those pressures have made it nearly impossible for younger generations to enter the business.

‘The capitalization to get in and maintain a ranching business was out of the reach of most Americans,’ Veseth told Cowboy State Daily. ‘Land is just one aspect. You have cattle. You have equipment, you have labor.

‘And (everything) to make all these things go,’ he added. ‘We thought it was pretty hard to recruit the next generation of people who produced our food.’

Veseth said at least 76 homesteads are now incorporated into his deeded acres.

The couple said they wanted to make sure the ranch stayed complete, working, and stayed in the hands of people who understand the land

The $21.6 million has been in the family for generations. The Veseths have now donated their roughly 38,000-acre cattle ranch in southern Phillips County, Montana, to the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA)

The ranch will remain a working cattle operation under the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance

When factoring in Bureau of Land Management grazing lands, he estimates roughly 100 families once worked the land that now supports just three.

‘They all had dreams and interests,’ Veseth said.

He recalled how, in 1926, a struggling neighbor approached his grandfather and said, ‘maybe if I lease my place to you that between us we can make it.’ 

The family eventually left ranching altogether, later finding success in the air-conditioning business in Southern California and Hawaii – never returning to the land.

Today, Veseth said, the economics no longer add up.

‘For people to go out and pay $20 million to have an average job, that probably isn’t going to work,’ he said.

Rather than selling the ranch to the highest bidder, Veseth and his wife chose a different ending – one more in line with the moral code of Yellowstone’s fictional Dutton family than modern real estate logic.

In October, they announced they were gifting the ranch to RSA, a nonprofit Veseth helped establish 22 years ago amid growing concern over outside acquisition of ranchland in Phillips County and across northern Montana.

‘We’ve watched RSA grow into something pretty special,’ Veseth told the Whitefish Pilot. 

‘We’re proud to know the ranch will be part of that. They’ll keep it working the way it’s meant to be.’

Dale Veseth, who is also Vice President of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, has spent decades refining rotational grazing practices across the vast property

The gift is believed to be the largest recorded donation of a working ranch in Montana history

Like the fictional Dutton family, the Veseths chose legacy and land stewardship over profit. Pictured, Kevin Costner as John Dutton, left, Jefferson White as Jimmy Hurdstrom, Denim Richards as Colby

RSA President Conni French said the news stunned the organization.

‘I think we were all completely taken aback, and honestly, I don’t think the shock has worn off,’ French said.

‘It’s hard to put into words what a gesture like this means, not just for RSA, but for the future of ranching and conservation here at home.’

RSA Executive Director Angel DeVries told Cowboy State Daily the organization was formed when ‘ranchers started to stand up a little bit more to say, ‘Hey, we’ve been the ones stewarding the land.’

‘People who were not on the ground were saying what needed to be done or changed in this landscape,’ DeVries said. ‘And that’s really where the RSA, the Rancher Stewardship Alliance, was born out of.’

RSA Communications Director Haylie Shipp described the group’s mission as a simple one: ‘What can we do for ranchers so that they never have to sell their ranches out of production agriculture?’

‘American Prairie at the very, very base level, was perhaps a catalyst for why we got started,’ Shipp said.

For the Veseths, the couple wanted to ensure the land remained in the hands of people who work it.

Dale Veseth says the decision is rooted in real economic pressure and long-term planning

The donation is meant to preserve ranching, wildlife habitat, and rural communities together

With the average rancher now about 60 years old and full-time ranchers under 35 making up just 12 percent of the agricultural population, Veseth said his donation is meant to create access for people who don’t have tens of millions of dollars.

The ranch will eventually support education and access programs through RSA, offering carefully structured leasing opportunities to aspiring ranchers who lack the capital to buy land outright.

‘RSA is going to have a forum,’ Veseth said. ‘They will have an avenue for people that have spent their life on the land and want other people to have that opportunity, raise food, and be the backbone of these rural local communities.’

‘I’m extremely happy I’m a rancher,’ he added. ‘I think I had one of the few opportunities that most people will never have.’

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Russia used the full forces of its Tu-22M3 long range strategic bombers to inflict further misery on Ukraine and NATO was forced to scramble fighters for the second consecutive day



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Thailand and Cambodia have signed a ceasefire agreement to end weeks of armed combat along their border over competing claims to territory.

It took effect at noon local time.

As well as an end to the fighting, the agreement also calls for no further military movements by either side and no violations of either side’s airspace for military purposes.

Only Thailand employed airstrikes in the fighting, hitting sites in Cambodia as recently as Saturday morning, the Cambodian defence ministry said.

The deal also calls for Thailand, after the ceasefire has held for 72 hours, to repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers it has held as prisoners since earlier fighting in July.

Their release has been a major demand of the Cambodian side.

The agreement was signed by the two countries’ defence ministers, Cambodia’s Tea Seiha and Thailand’s Nattaphon Narkphanit, at a checkpoint on their border after lower-level talks by military officials for three days as part of the already-established General Border Committee.

The original July ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through after pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Mr Trump threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed.

It was formalised in more detail at a regional meeting in Malaysia in October that Mr Trump attended.

Despite those deals, the two nations carried on a bitter propaganda war and minor cross-border violence continued, escalating to widespread heavy fighting in early December.

Thailand has lost 26 soldiers and one civilian as a direct result of the conflict since 7 December, according to officials.

Thailand has also reported 44 civilian deaths from collateral effects.

Cambodia hasn’t issued an official figure on military casualties, but says 30 civilians have been killed and 90 injured.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from areas affected on both sides of the border.

The two sides traded blame for starting the fighting and claimed to be acting in self-defence.

The agreement also calls on both countries to adhere to international agreements against deploying landmines – a major concern of Thailand.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

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Ex-Brazilian police chief caught using fake Paraguay passport in attempt to board flight to Panama, sent back to Brazil.

Published On 27 Dec 202527 Dec 2025

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A Brazilian former police chief, who fled the country after he was convicted as an accomplice in the attempted coup by Brazil’s far-right ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, has been arrested in Paraguay, according to the country’s immigration agency.

Silvinei Vasques was arrested on Friday at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Paraguay’s capital Asuncion, the Paraguayan National Migration Directorate (DNM) said in a statement posted on its website.

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The agency said Vasques was arrested for “identity theft” after “attempting to evade immigration controls by impersonating a Paraguayan citizen”.

Vasques was arrested while attempting to board a flight to Panama, declaring El Salvador as his final destination, the DNM statement said.

The wanted police chief had “clandestinely” entered Paraguay while “evading justice in his home country”, DNM added.

An image published on X by Paraguayan immigration authorities showed Vasques’s arrest and identification.

A separate video clip posted on the same account showed Vasques being turned over to Brazilian federal police at the Friendship Bridge border crossing that connects Paraguay’s Ciudad del Este and Brazil’s Foz do Iguacu.

Translation: The National Directorate of Migration (DNM) expelled Silvinei Vasques from the country. Moments ago, the DNM expelled Silvinei Vasques (50) from the country, subsequently handing him over to Brazilian Federal Police authorities at the Friendship Bridge border crossing.

Vasques, the former chief of Brazil’s highway police, was accused of deploying officers to prevent voters in left-leaning areas from casting their ballots in 2022 elections that Bolsonaro lost to left-wing candidate and current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

He was arrested in 2023 and placed under supervision with an electronic ankle monitor pending trial. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison to be served under house arrest. He fled Brazil shortly after.

Brazilian media reported that Vasques broke his ankle monitor and drove across the border to Paraguay.

Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the fugitive’s preventive detention as a precautionary measure on  Friday, Reuters news agency reported, citing a court document and information from two people familiar with the matter.

Reached by Reuters, Vasques’s lawyer did not comment on his client’s attempt to flee.

Vasques is not the first official convicted over the 2023 coup attempt who has tried to escape from Brazil. In November, the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the former intelligence agency director Alexandre Ramagem, who left the country in September and has since been living in the United States.

That same month, Justice Moraes also ordered Bolsonaro be detained after the former president tried to remove his court-ordered ankle monitor using a soldering iron, in what the court saw as an attempt to escape justice.

Bolsonaro, 70, is now serving a 27-year sentence in jail after being found guilty in September of having led the plot to prevent Lula from taking office.

On Thursday, the former president underwent surgery in hospital for a hernia.

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European leaders are to take part in a call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump on Saturday as part of a growing push for a peace deal that will see the Ukrainian president head to Florida on Sunday.

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, is to join a call on Saturday, a commission spokesperson told Reuters, ahead of the Ukrainian president’s trip to Florida for a Sunday meeting with Trump that Zelenskyy said would focus on some of the most sensitive parts of the peace talks. Key sticking points include Ukrainian security guarantees and reconstruction, plus territorial discussions regarding the Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Sunday’s meeting is “specifically intended to refine things as much as we possibly can”, Zelenskyy said on Friday. He added that the proposed 20-point peace plan was “90% ready”. “Our goal is to bring everything to 100%,” Zelenskyy said. “As of today, our teams – the Ukrainian and American negotiating teams – have made significant progress.”

Zelenskyy is willing to hold a referendum on the peace plan if Russia agrees to a ceasefire of at least 60 days, Axios reported, following an interview with the Ukrainian president on Friday. Zelenskyy reportedly said he would need to seek approval of the Ukrainian public if he fails to secure a “strong” position on territory.

Against the political backdrop, powerful explosions were heard in Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday, hours after Zelenskyy spoke of his US meeting. The Kyiv Independent reported that the capital came under attack from Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Iskander ballistic missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles. The mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said at least five people were injured, with a fire reported in the city’s Holosiivskyi district. In the wider region, power outages were reported in and around the town of Brovary.

Ukraine’s air force also announced a countrywide air alert, saying on social media that drones and missiles were moving over several Ukrainian regions, including the capital.

The Russian strikes forced Polish fighter jets to scramble, and two airports in south-eastern Poland – Rzeszów and Lublin – were temporarily closed.

The latest peace efforts follow a burst of diplomatic activity last weekend in Miami, where Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives, as well as Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The latest plan is considered an updated version of an earlier 28-point document agreed several weeks ago between the US envoys and Russian officials, a proposal widely viewed as skewed towards the Kremlin’s demands.

Ukraine has pushed for security guarantees modelled on Nato’s Article 5 mutual defence pledge under any proposed peace deal with Russia, though it remains unclear whether Moscow would accept such terms.

In an interview with Politico on Friday, Trump said he anticipated a “good” meeting with the Ukrainian leader, though he offered no endorsement of Zelenskyy’s plan. “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told the news website. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

The Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, used a Russian television appearance on Friday to criticise Zelenskyy and European allies on their work on the peace plan. “Our ability to make the final push and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party,” Ryabkov said. “Especially in a context where Kyiv and its sponsors – notably within the European Union, who are not in favour of an agreement – have stepped up efforts to torpedo it.”

He said the proposal drawn up with Zelenskyy’s input “differs radically” from points initially drawn up by US and Russian officials in contacts this month. “Without an adequate resolution of the problems at the origin of this crisis, it will be quite simply impossible to reach a definitive accord,” Ryabkov added.

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