A shocking undercover video by a citizen journalist has blown the lid off Minnesota’s Somali-owned daycares – empty buildings raking in taxpayer funds.

But as Donald Trump dispatches federal agents to crackdown on the crisis, there are fears that the fraud might bleed into America’s most hallowed system: its elections.

Kamala Harris, running alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, won the state in 2024 by just over 138,000 votes, a thin 4.2 percent margin.

Lawmakers are now demanding whether permissive voting regulations have left the Land of 10,000 Lakes drowning in election fraud.

Minnesota has over the last month emerged as ground zero in Donald Trump’s battle against illegal immigration amid staggering reports of fraud in the Somali community – including taxpayer funds funneled to Islamist terrorists in north Africa.

The President has threatened Democratic Gov. Walz with federal prosecution for ‘gross incompetence’ and accused Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents thousands of Somalis in the state, of marrying her brother to illegally obtain US citizenship.

Walz claimed the state has ‘spent years cracking down on fraud – referring cases to law enforcement, shutting down and auditing high-risk programs.’ 

Omar, meanwhile, has urged people not to blame the entire Somali community for the actions of a few. 

But the outrage reached fever pitch on Friday after a viral video by journalist Nick Shirley uncovered scores of empty Somali-run daycare centers in receipt of taxpayer funds.

Minnesota has the highest incidence of voter fraud in the country, according to a database compiled by the Heritage Foundation. It had 138 cases dating back to 2004 (the highest per capita, ~23.7 per million), and far exceeding the number in more populous states such as North Carolina (123 cases, ~11 per million), Illinois (117, ~9.2), and Florida (93, ~3.9)

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, speaking at a news conference on Thursday, December 4

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) looks on during a news conference on reintroducing the Neighbors Not Enemies Act on Capitol Hill on January 22

Now, amid concerns over a systemic culture of fraud, lawmakers in Washington are demanding measures be taken to enshrine the sanctity of Minnesota’s elections.

Of particular concern is an election law that allows a registered voter to ‘vouch’ for up to eight people seeking same-day registration without an ID.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s website explains the process — which is entirely unique among the United States. 

‘A registered voter from your precinct can go with you to the polling place to sign an oath confirming your address. This is known as “vouching.” A registered voter can vouch for up to eight voters,’ it says.

Not only this, but voting forms add that ’employees of a residential facility may vouch for an unlimited number of facility residents.’

Senator Mike Lee of Utah on Sunday called for the Senate to immediately pass his SAVE Act (Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility) that would require proof-of-citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Voting rights activist Scott Presler, whose work Lee cited, warned that Minnesota’s vouching system was ripe for exploitation. 

‘Does this allow for potential fraud and abuse of our elections? Absolutely – especially when you consider that Minnesota has same-day voter registration,’ he said.

Elon Musk, referring to the vouching system, suggested it was a sinister voting loophole that was ‘made for fraud’ in a post on X. 

Minnesota, like 42 other states, requires a sworn affirmation of citizenship under penalty of perjury for voter registration.

But while this is not unique to Minnesota, the state rejected just 54 out of 1,372,437 registrations between 2022 and 2024 — a minuscule 0.003 percent rate.

This is far below the 3.0 percent national average, and significantly lower than similarly sized states such as Alabama which rejected 3,843 registrations (0.3 percent) and Colorado which invalidated 91,871 registrations (2.4 percent). 

The data comes from the 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey, a biennial report the US Election Assistance Commission published in June 2025 to collect comprehensive data on federal election administration.

The furor over Minnesota’s Somali-run daycares exploded on Friday after a viral video by independent journalist Nick Shirley uncovered empty buildings that were receiving taxpayer funds 

The report, which did not specify the reasons for the rejected registrations, credits Minnesota’s mature online system, handling 20.5 percent of applications, for ‘greatly reducing’ duplicates and invalids.

Yet while other states also process large volumes digitally, few match Minnesota’s extraordinary near-zero rejection rate, leaving a question mark over whether the system is properly vetting voters.

According to a database compiled by the conservative think-tank, the Heritage Foundation, Minnesota has the highest incidence of voter fraud in the country. 

It had 138 cases dating back to 2004 (the highest per capita, ~23.7 per million), far exceeding the number in more populous states such as North Carolina (123 cases, ~11 per million), Illinois (117, ~9.2), and Florida (93, ~3.9).

Recent cases have struck at the heart of Minnesota’s Somali community. 

Muse Mohamed, a Somali-American volunteer for his brother-in-law, state Senator Omar Fateh, escaped jail in November 2022 after lying to a grand jury about mishandling absentee ballots.

The then-31-year-old was sentenced to house arrest and two years probation after claiming that he received two ballots directly from voters and hand-delivered them to a voting center during the 2020 primary election.

But the people who were named on the ballots testified at his trial that they had never met Mohamed. 

In another 2022 conviction, Abdihakim Amin Essa, from Minneapolis, was sentenced to 180 days probation after pleading guilty to four vote fraud counts in the 2018 election.

He was accused of signing as a witness for 13 people who cast absentee ballots when he legally couldn’t because he wasn’t a US citizen, and signing with his father’s name.

Essa told investigators that he worked for a political campaign, but prosecutors did not specify which candidate. 

These convictions have intensified scrutiny on Minnesota’s Somali community, while other cases call into question the state’s electoral system more broadly. 

In a shocking prosecution earlier this year, Ronnie Williams, 58, and his girlfriend Lorraine Combs, 57, pleaded guilty to filling out more than 500 phony voter registration forms while living in West St. Paul, outside Minneapolis.

Somali-American voters vote at a polling place at Brian Coyle Community Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 3, 2020

Anti-ICE protesters march through frigid conditions, with temperatures near 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12 Celsius), in a neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 20

An unnamed foundation paid Williams to register the voters between 2021 and 2022. Prosecutors haven’t named the foundation because the investigation remains active. 

State officials, including Secretary of State Simon, insist voter fraud remains ‘exceedingly rare.’

Cassondra Knudson, a spokeswoman for Simon, hit back at claims that the state’s vouching system was easy to exploit.

‘Vouching can only be used to provide proof of a potential voter’s residence in the precinct. The potential voter must still provide their Minnesota driver’s license or ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number for identity verification,’ Knudson said.

‘Vouching is most commonly used in senior living facilities by residents who have not updated their driver’s licenses to reflect their current residence. It is also sometimes used in cases where an eligible voter has recently moved to a new address and lacks identification indicating the new address.’ 

Simon is already battling Pam Bondi’s Justice Department over a federal lawsuit demanding broad access to Minnesota voter data.

Bondi wants all voter registration records going back at least two years, including partial Social Security numbers and drivers license numbers, arguing the DOJ needs the files to ensure voter lists are correct.

Simon on December 23 moved to dismiss the case, calling it a ‘fishing expedition’ involving sensitive personal information and arguing Minnesota has taken great pains to balance privacy rights and voter-data access.

The Trump administration has launched similar lawsuits against 22 states and the District of Columbia following a March executive order alleging widespread voter fraud.

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From huge pop stars and TV shows inspiring parents to long-forgotten ‘dad names’ making a comeback, we reveal the nation’s favourite baby names of 2025 – with key predictions for the year ahead

Parents have been inspired by huge pop culture moments this year (stock photo)(Image: Getty Images)

The top baby names of 2025 list has revealed some surprising new trends, and now experts have weighed in on the intriguing shake-ups.

In what appears to be a dramatic shift in tastes, once popular choices such as Frankie, Amelie and Summer have dropped out of the top 100 altogether, while former favourites Luna, Nova, Thea and Delilah have seen a notable decline.

But while certain names may have lost their shine, a number of previously forgotten monikers have seen an huge reemergence, with experts picking up on a retro Eighties vibe in the charts – likely a huge nod to our obsession with Stranger Things.

“Familiar, steady, and nostalgic” ‘dad names’ previously deemed “too dated” for modern use are taking on a fresh new lease of life, with picks from the Decade of Decadence making a bigger comeback than Depeche Mode.

It’s believed Taylor Swift will have considerable influence on the choices of 2026 parents(Image: Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

Once delegated to faded registers from Eighties classrooms, the names Jason, Samuel, Luke, Alexander, David, Daniel, Nathan and Adam are enjoying an unexpected renaissance. Picking up on this key trend, BabyCentre’s Baby Name expert SJ Strum told The Mirror: “While there’s been a huge rise in unique names, each trend has its counter and among all the modern, quirkier choices, ‘normcore’ is having a quiet revival, speeding up the re-popularity of the ‘dad name’ in the charts.

She continued: “These names are now being chosen by a new generation of parents who are favouring familiarity, simplicity and nostalgia over ultra-modern styles.” This isn’t the only intriguing development among parents to be having that all important conversation, with pop culture also having a powerful influence. And one titan of pop in particular is providing inspiration.

While the Shakesperean name Ophelia hasn’t made this year’s BabyCentre’s Top 100 this year, a revival is expected for 2026, with the songwriting of a certain Ms Taylor Swift making a typically seismic impact. Commenting on the so-called ‘Taylor Swift effect,’ Strum continued: “Ophelia is fascinating. Pop culture is so influential that Swift’s cultural moment will almost certainly give it a bounce back next year.

Sci-fi hit Stranger Things has also provided plenty of inspiration(Image: Netflix)

“It’s a beautiful, lyrical name with a long literary history, so it never truly disappears. It’s the kind of choice that, much like Swift herself sings, never truly goes out of style. We’re now seeing names go in and out of fashion at an unprecedented speed.”

Music aside, characters from talked-about TV shows are also providing plenty of inspiration, with Stranger Things’ Max, El and Lucas being particular muses for modern baby name lists. Faye Mingo, Chief Growth Officer for BabyCentre said: “Our 2025 data shows just how quickly naming styles are evolving. Parents today are drawing inspiration from everywhere, nostalgia, pop culture, personal meaning and even social media trends.

“Whether it’s the Taylor Swift effect boosting interest in names like Ophelia, or big TV moments such as the Stranger Things finale sparking conversations around leading character’s names, modern parents are more influenced by cultural moments than ever before. Whether families are reviving familiar favourites or experimenting with bold new choices, what’s clear is that baby names have never been more expressive, or more reflective of the moment we’re living in.”

Harper is one ‘fashionable’ name which now feels like a timeless classic(Image: WireImage)

‘Fast-fashion baby names’ are also a hot topic this year, highlighting just how quickly flash-in-the pan chart toppers can start to feel a little stale. However, this has also emphasised how some on-trend names can instantly feel timeless after just a few short years in the spotlight.

As an example, Harper, which saw a boost after David and Victoria Beckham chose it for their baby girl in 2011, now feels very much like a modern classic rather than a trendy passing fad. On this note, Strum said: “Names follow trends and with pop culture speeding up the churn of aesthetic trends, it’s natural for names to follow pace. Having a fast-fashion name will become iconic of the time you were born, so honestly, I’m embracing this revolving door era of baby names.”

Top girls’ names of 2025

1 Amelia (+1)

2.Olivia (-1)

3.Lily (0)

4.Ivy (+5)

5.Eliana (+33)

6.Elsie (+8)

7.Freya (+1)

8.Poppy (+16)

9.Ava (-4)

10.Mia (+1)

11.Sophia (-4)

12.Isla (-8)

13.Isabella (-1)

14.Ella (+6)

15.Grace (-9)

16.Harper (+13)

17.Maya (+13)

18.Ayla (+27)

19.Sienna (-1)

20.Luna (-3)

21.Aria (+5)

22.Maryam (+11)

23.Evelyn (0)

24.Willow (-14)

25.Daisy (-12)

26.Maeve (+26)

27.Ruby (+27)

28.Layla (+3)

29.Lottie (+12)

30.Millie (+2)

31.Chloe (+20)

32.Phoebe (-10)

33.Rosie (-5)

34.Sofia (-15)

35.Zara (+13)

36.Zoe (+13)

37.Aurora (-12)

38.Fatima (+1)

39.Florence (-23)

40.Arabella (+17)

41.Charlotte (-14)

42.Emily (-21)

43.Violet (+4)

44.Bonnie (-2)

45.Evie (-30)

46.Mila (-10)

47.Matilda (-3)

48.Hannah (+11)

49.Sophie (-12)

50.Anaya (+36)

51.Isabelle (+7)

52.Jasmine (-12)

53.Mabel (+7)

54.Emma (+22)

55.Hallie (-20)

56.Ada (-3)

57.Amara (-57)

58.Maisie (-24)

59.Elodie (-64)

60.Maria (+6)

61.Nur (+12)

62.Gracie (-64)

63.Lara (+24)

64.Nova (-64)

65.Gianna (+17)

66.Clara (+19)

67.Delilah (-5)

68.Eden (+7)

69.Emilia (-23)

70.Esme (+2)

71.Myla (+18)

72.Raya (+25)

73.Alice (-23)

74.Erin (-9)

75.Robyn (-14)

76.Sarah (-21)

77.Talia (+14)

78.Thea (-9)

79.Abigail (+4)

80.Dua (New!)

81.Ellie (-25)

82.Nora (+14)

83.Scarlett (-5)

84.Aisha (-5)

85.Hana (New!)

86.Margot (+2)

87.Anna (New!)

88.Ariella (-4)

89.Eloise (New!)

90.Nana (New!)

91.Orla (-10)

92.Princess (-21)

93.Zahra (+5)

94.Bella (-26)

95.Bump (New!)

96.Hazel (-33)

97.Imogen (-23)

98.Bean (New!)

99.Olive (-22)

100.Penelope (-30)

Top boys’ names of 2025

1.Muhammad (0)

2.Noah (0)

3.Leo (1)

4.Theo (-1)

5.Luca (3)

6.Oliver (-1)

7.Ethan (+4)

8.Eli (+12)

9.Arthur (-3)

10.George (-3)

11.Henry (+2)

12.Oscar (+2)

13.Liam (+6)

14.Freddie (-5)

15.Adam (+17)

16.Jude (0)

17.Caleb (+33)

18.Charlie (-6)

19.Jack (-9)

20.Alfie (-3)

21.Luca (-3)

22.Nathan (+12)

23.Teddy (+1)

24.Archie (-9)

25.Arlo (-2)

26.Daniel (+16)

27.Theodore (+11)

28.David (+7)

29.Finley (+4)

30.Joshua (-1)

31.Ezra (-5)

32.Mohammed (+17)

33.Rory (+3)

34.Harry (-6)

35.Albie (+2)

36.Ali (+19)

37.Jayden (+2)

38.Kai (+22)

39.Roman (+6)

40.Jacob (-19)

41.Asher (+21)

42.Jesse (+24)

43.Alexander (New!)

44.Louie (+19)

45.Luke (+28)

46.Max (-15)

47.Oakley (+18)

48.Reuben (-4)

49.James (-27)

50.Mohammad (-3)

51.Rowan (+17)

52.Hudson (+4)

53.Ibrahim (+23)

54.Isaac (-24)

55.Gabriel (+2)

56.Louis (+3)

57.Tommy (-30)

58.William (-4)

59.Harrison (-8)

60.Musa (+21)

61.Samuel (+6)

62.Austin (+29)

63.Nathan (New!)

64.Thomas (-39)

65.Zion (+5)

66.Mason (-14)

67.Yahya (New!)

68.Yusuf (+19)

69.Michael (-8)

70.Omar (+23)

71.Toby (+18)

72.Alex (-32)

73.Dylan (-30)

74.Ronnie (+11)

75.Zayne (New!)

76.Adriel (New!)

77.Hugo (-19)

78.Bean (New!)

79.Logan (-31)

80.Matthew (+8)

81.Zachary (-3)

82.Hunter (-8)

83.Myles (+1)

84.Ryan (-31)

85.Enzo (New!)

86.Isaiah (New!)

87.Joseph (-18)

88.Junior (New!)

89.Levi (-3)

90.Eli (New!)

91.Mateo (New!)

92.Micah (New!)

93.Reggie (-18)

94.Ahmad (New!)

95.Aiden (-49)

96.Ayaan (New!)

97.Jason (New!)

98.Leon (New!)

99.Abdullah (-17)

100.Ahmed (-3)

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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Scroll back through the last year, and the same words come up again and again.

The top-trending terms of 2025, from artificial intelligence to Zohran Mamdani, shaped headlines across politics, conflict, technology and climate.

As the year comes to a close, AJ Labs has compiled an A to Z list of names, places and issues that generated sustained interest throughout 2025, according to a loose analysis of our own most-viewed story tags and those that appeared in Google’s most searched.

Taken together, these terms are a patchwork of issues that are also likely to spill into 2026, from ongoing conflicts to a changing technosocial landscape not seen since the dawn of the internet.

This is 2025 from A to Z, by the words that made the year.

Artificial Intelligence

AI adoption is rapidly growing, and some of the biggest conversations this year have been on how it will shake up the workplace and reimagine economies.

In October, the Reuters Institute carried out a survey in six countries and found that the proportion of respondents who said they used a generative AI system such as ChatGPT jumped from 40 percent to 61 percent this year. As governments try to regulate the fast-growing technology, fears of job losses and echoes of a dotcom-style bust have also resounded with big AI players such as Nvidia, Google, Meta and OpenAI making monumental circular deals this year.

According to UBS projections, global annual AI spending is expected to swell to $375bn by the end of the year before topping $3 trillion annually by 2030 – this includes spending on AI infrastructure, as well as power and resources for electricity demand.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin surged to new heights in 2025, driven by institutional inflows and the maturation of crypto ETFs in the US.

President Trump positioned himself as the “crypto president,” and propelled family crypto ventures and the broader sector into the mainstream. He overturned the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s crackdown on crypto companies, rewarding those pro-crypto executives and firms who donated millions in the 2024 election cycle to support candidates aligned with their agenda.

On October 6, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $126,080, marking a defining moment for the digital asset, before reminding investors how quickly momentum can reverse as it finishes the year at $88,400.

Charlie Kirk

Conservative activist and media figure Charlie Kirk became a central and controversial figure in 2025 following his assassination, which sent shockwaves through US politics and globally.

As the founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk had spent years at the centre of campus culture wars, where he built a large following through provocative speeches on university campuses and through his close alignment with Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.

On September 10, he was shot dead near where he was engaged in a debate at Utah Valley University. His assassination triggered reactions across the political spectrum, and intensified debates around political violence and extremism in the US.

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump warrants a standalone article for the scale, speed and unprecedented nature of changes he unleashed during his second term, and for the wide web of issues tied to his leadership.

In 2025 alone, he signed 225 executive orders, surpassing the number he signed during his entire first term.

Returning to office on January 20, he began his term by pardoning those involved in the 2021 Capitol Hill riots. Soon after, he announced sweeping global tariffs – but often focused on China, followed by the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, which triggered deep federal spending cuts and stripped funding from major US programmes, including USAID. His administration tightened immigration enforcement and rolled back environmental and diversity policies.

Internationally, he questioned longstanding alliances, scaled back support for Ukraine and escalated pressure on Iran, including US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Domestically, his policies polarised Americans and politicians alike, especially when it came to healthcare and defence spending, which led to the longest government shutdown right before Thanksgiving.

And that’s just some of what he did this year.

Elections

Following an unprecedented election cycle in 2024, polls were a little more muted this year, but still noteworthy, with some 69 elections taking place globally, involving hundreds of millions of eligible voters worldwide.

National elections took place in countries such as Germany, Canada and Japan, alongside dozens of parliamentary, presidential and local contests across Africa, Asia and Europe. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi became the first woman to hold the post of prime minister.

Far right

Far-right politics took centre stage, especially on social media, where such narratives were prominent in shaping public opinion.

In Europe, far-right parties recorded some of their strongest results on record, including becoming the second-largest force in Germany’s federal election, where the AfD won 20.8 precent of the vote.

Elsewhere, rallies in the UK, such as “Unite the Kingdom”, led by right-wing activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, caused a huge turnout of protesters and counter-protesters in August. Elon Musk’s role in the rally – where he appeared in front of protesters via a live link – highlighted the influence social media networks now play in promoting particular narratives and the powerful figures steering the wheel.

Gaza

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza passed two years, with Israeli forces continuing their air and ground assaults, displacing the population repeatedly. A particular turning point was when the IPC declared famine in Gaza in August, following Israel’s continued blockade of aid and the purposeful starvation of the population.

In 2025 alone, Israel killed at least 25,000 Palestinians and injured 62,000 others.

In October, a ceasefire was brokered between Hamas and Israel. However, Israeli attacks have continued.

Houthis

The Iran‑aligned Houthis in Yemen were central in the wider Middle East crisis, drawing global attention for both military actions and diplomatic developments.

The group’s attacks on commercial shipping and military targets in the Red Sea and against Israel continued to disrupt a key global trade route, prompting Israeli and US air strikes on Houthi positions and infrastructure throughout the year.

According to ACLED, there were more than 48 strikes on Yemen in 2025 from Israel, including strikes on Hodeidah port.

Iran

On June 13, Israel launched a barrage of strikes, hitting dozens of nuclear, military, and infrastructure sites across Iran, including the country’s main nuclear facility in Natanz.

During the 12-day conflict, Israel also attacked residential neighbourhoods, killing several nuclear scientists and military commanders. Iran retaliated with hundreds of ballistic missiles against Israeli cities.

On June 22, the situation escalated when the United States joined the attacks, bombing three nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

The attacks drew widespread international concern, prompting emergency UN Security Council meetings and sparking sharp retaliation from Iran, including ballistic missile launches toward US bases in the region and threats to global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Jeffrey Epstein

In 2025, the Jeffrey Epstein saga continued to make headlines as new documents, emails and images were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, with the New York Times claiming more than 130,000 papers have been released to date.

Photos of Epstein’s private island, call logs and email exchanges with high‑profile figures were published by the House Oversight Committee, drawing global attention and sparking heated political debate.

Among the most talked‑about revelations in late 2025 were emails in which Epstein allegedly referenced Donald Trump and claimed a victim had spent time at his house, leading to fierce partisan disputes over context and accuracy. The White House called the disclosures a smear, while critics argued they raised uncomfortable questions about elite networks.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar was one of the most-talked-about artists in music, driven by the ongoing effect of his song Not Like Us, which became his longest-charting rap song ever, spending more than 50 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song also topped charts after Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance, which was watched by more than 133.5 million viewers.

Louvre

In October, the Louvre Museum in Paris was shaken by one of the most audacious art robberies in recent memory, when thieves made off with priceless French crown jewels worth an estimated $102m.

Using a truck‑mounted lift to reach a second‑floor window, the gang broke in during broad daylight, cut display cases with power tools and escaped on scooters in a brazen raid that took less than eight minutes while the museum was open to visitors.

French authorities launched a nationwide manhunt, but the bulk of the stolen jewels remains missing. The heist exposed significant security gaps at the world’s most‑visited museum, prompting emergency upgrades.

Migration

This year, migration debates continued to grip government chambers worldwide, with polarising policy changes adopted in different countries.

In Europe and North America, asylum rules and border controls were tightened – a deal between France and the UK for a “one in, one out” plan on small boat crossings came into effect under the Labour government.

Across the pond, the US saw one of the most aggressive immigration enforcement policies, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) escalating operations in the country. More than 68,000 people were detained by ICE, and hundreds of thousands are reported to have been deported.

Nuclear

As it stands, in 2025, there are 12,241 nuclear warheads active worldwide, with several countries increasing or modernising their stockpiles instead of reducing them, as they have for the past two decades.

Most significantly, the year was marked by direct US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, with Pentagon officials saying it delayed Iran’s nuclear programme by about one to two years.

On the energy front, 2025 saw a mix of expansion and contraction in nuclear power. The US and UK signed a landmark partnership to accelerate advanced and small modular reactors, promising thousands of jobs. While in Germany, nuclear phase-out continued, with the closing of ageing plants, despite other European nations looking towards nuclear power for green energy.

Occupied West Bank

In parallel to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, it launched the largest military assault in decades on the West Bank, expanded illegal Israeli settlements, and carried out regular home demolitions.

The UN’s OCHA documented 1,680 attacks by Israeli settlers in more than 270 communities across the West Bank so far in 2025 – an average of five incidents per day.

The olive harvest has also continued to be marked by widespread settler violence, with 178 attacks documented in October and November in 88 communities.

Pope

In April, the Catholic Church underwent a historic leadership transition with the death of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff.

The 2025 conclave was notable for being the largest in the Church’s history, with 133 cardinal electors gathering in the Sistine Chapel to vote on the next pope, surpassing previous limits on electors and reflecting the global diversity of the College of Cardinals.

After several rounds of secret ballots, the cardinals selected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Pope Leo XIV, marking the first time a pope has been elected from the United States.

Qatar

In 2025, Qatar was not only a key diplomatic player, but also a flashpoint in the region’s wider conflicts.

In September, Israel carried out an unprecedented air strike on Doha, targeting Hamas leaders who were meeting to discuss a US‑backed ceasefire deal, killing a Qatari security official and others, and triggering widespread condemnation of the attack as a violation of Qatari sovereignty and international law.

The strike prompted emergency meetings of Gulf and Islamic bodies in solidarity with Doha, as it became the sixth country that Israel attacked this year.

RSF

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were a central driver of the country’s devastating civil war, expanding their territorial control and deepening what the United Nations described as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The paramilitary group consolidated its grip over large parts of western Sudan, including areas around el-Fasher in North Darfur, where UN officials and rights groups reported mass killings that left tens of thousands of civilians dead and widespread destruction of displacement camps.

According to ACLED, at least 4,200 civilians were killed by the RSF. They were accused of systematic abuses, including ethnically targeted violence, sexual assault, looting and attacks on hospitals and aid convoys.

Syria

December 8 marked one year since the al-Assad dynasty, which lasted more than half a century, was removed from power by a rebel offensive.

The 14-year-long war led to one of the world’s largest migration crises, with some 6.8 million Syrians, about a third of the population, fleeing the country at the war’s peak in 2021.

More than 782,000 Syrians documented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have returned to Syria from other countries over the past year.

Tariffs

On April 1, Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs on the US’s trading partners, rattling global trade and increasing tensions in international relations.

The levies also led to a number of companies saying they would shift supply chains. It is estimated that the US-imposed tariffs generated more than $124.5bn in revenue between January and September 2025. However, the Tax Foundation estimates that Trump tariffs amount to an average tax increase of $1,100 per US household in 2025.

Ukraine

The war in Ukraine entered its fourth year in 2025 and was defined by intensified fighting, stalled diplomacy and a shift in US policy that reshaped the conflict’s trajectory.

On the battlefield, Russian forces controlled roughly 19 percent (118,000 square kilometres or 45,550sq miles) of Ukrainian territory, having made incremental but costly gains over the course of the year on the eastern front.

The conflict saw a marked escalation in advanced warfare, including expanded use of long-range missiles and, significantly, the use of drones on both sides.

Venezuela

Another foreign policy campaign under the Trump administration that drew global attention was the situation in Venezuela, where Trump’s mandate against “narcoterrorists” transformed the Caribbean into a new battlefield.

Since August, Washington deployed thousands of troops, warships and aircraft across the region, reopened military bases in Puerto Rico and conducted drills, in what analysts describe as the largest US presence in Latin America in decades.

In September, the US began a series of strikes on Venezuelan boats it claimed were trafficking drugs to the US, with the total death toll as a result of these attacks tallying more than 100 dead.

Weather

The year 2025 kicked off with the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, which destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. According to Gallagher Reinsurance Brokers, total global insured loss for the first nine months of 2025 for natural catastrophes and climate-related events was estimated at $105bn, making it the sixth consecutive year with losses of more than $100bn.

Other extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and flooding, also battered large parts of Asia in late 2025: Northern Vietnam experienced historic flood levels after prolonged tropical rainfall, while India and Pakistan dealt with monsoon‑related floods that were among the deadliest of the year. Typhoon Ragasa and other Pacific storms brought intense winds and floods to the Philippines, Taiwan and southern China.

In October, Hurricane Melissa became the strongest storm to hit Jamaica, making landfall as a Category 5, causing widespread damage.

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping pushed for strategic autonomy and regional dominance in 2025.

At home, he oversaw China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, with state media citing steady growth and laying the groundwork for 2026. He also chaired the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, hosting more than 20 heads of state and positioning China as a central force in Global South and Eurasian security.

Relations with the US were dominated by renewed and aggressive trade and technology tensions, following Trump’s tariff mandate, which saw both sides escalate into a tit-for-tat of levies, which, at one point, entered triple digits, but a mid-year truce saw pressure ease on global markets.

Yoon Suk Yeol

In December 2024, South Korea was thrust into a political crisis after then-President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, citing rising unrest and an alleged threat to national security.

It resulted in the deployment of troops, detention of opposition lawmakers and the curtailing of press freedom. A year on, prosecutors indicted Yoon Suk Yeol for insurrection on December 15, accusing him of seeking to provoke military aggression from North Korea to help consolidate his power.

Earlier this month, special prosecutor Cho Eun-seok told a briefing that his team had indicted Yoon, five former cabinet members, and 18 others on insurrection charges, following a six-month probe into his declaration of martial law last year.

Zohran Mamdani

After Trump, the most talked about US politician in 2025 might just be Zohran Mamdani, who became New York City’s first Muslim, South Asian and African-born mayor by winning 50.8 percent of the vote.

Campaigning on rent freezes, universal childcare, public transit and green infrastructure and galvanising multiracial working-class coalitions across the city, he won the primaries in June.

However, his campaign experienced intense scrutiny and backlash online, with Equality Labs tracking more than 17 million social media posts about him in 2025 containing Islamophobic, xenophobic and polarising content.

Mamdani is scheduled to be sworn in on January 1, 2026.

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Eurostar said it plans to run a full service on Wednesday but warned of possible knock-on disruptions after a power supply issue halted Channel tunnel train trips connecting London to the European mainland.

Travellers making journeys in the busy run-up to the new year were left scrambling to find alternatives after the operator postponed all services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels.

“Services have resumed today following a power issue in the Channel tunnel yesterday and some further issues with rail infrastructure overnight,” said a Eurostar statement.

“We plan to run all of our services today, however due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations.”

The service had earlier warned passengers to postpone their journeys to a different date and warned them of severe delays as well as last-minute cancellations.

Eurostar’s site earlier showed that even services on the continent not using the Channel tunnel – such as ones between Paris and Brussels – had been cancelled during the day.

As well as the power problem, there was also a failed LeShuttle train in the Channel tunnel, the 31-mile (50km) undersea rail link between Folkestone in south-east England and Coquelles in northern France.

Crowds of stranded travellers, many with suitcases, swelled at London’s St Pancras International station and Gare du Nord in Paris as they were notified that their end-of-year holiday plans were being thrown into doubt.

A record 19.5 million passengers travelled on Eurostar in 2024, up nearly 5% on 2023, driven by demand from visitors to the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.

Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel linking Britain and France since it opened in 1994. The Virgin businessman Richard Branson has vowed to launch a rival service. Italy’s Trenitalia has also said it intends to compete with Eurostar on the Paris-London route by 2029.

Tuesday’s disruption affects Eurostar at a time when the company faces criticism over its high fares, especially between Paris and London.

An electrical fault forced the cancellation of Eurostar services and severe delays on others in August. The theft of cables on train tracks in northern France caused two days of problems in June.

LeShuttle operates vehicle-carrying trains between Folkestone in south-east England and Calais in northern France.

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Thailand has released 18 Cambodian soldiers that were captured in July during deadly border clashes as part of a ceasefire the two countries agreed to on Saturday.

The handover was delayed by a day over Thai concerns over alleged violations of the ceasefire, but took place after sustained Chinese diplomatic pressure to ensure the deal holds.

Simmering tensions along Thailand-Cambodia border exploded early this month and went on for weeks, forcing nearly one million people from their homes.

Saturday’s deal had seen both sides agree to freeze the front lines where they are now, ban reinforcements and allow civilians living in border areas to return as soon as possible.

The 18 Cambodian soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, were greeted by well-wishers as they were escorted over a border checkpoint and handed to the Cambodian authorities.

Their captivity since July – during an earlier round of deadly clashes – has inflamed nationalist sentiment in Cambodia, their release being one of the main demands of the its government in the ceasefire talks with Thailand.

On Wednesday, Thailand’s foreign ministry said the release of the soldiers was a “demonstration of goodwill” and that it hopes Cambodia would “reciprocate this goodwill through its concrete actions”.

Cambodia confirmed the return of its troops, with its defence ministry saying it “remains hopeful” that this will help build “mutual trust and confidence”.

One of the terms of the ceasefire was that the 18 soldiers had to be handed over within 72 hours – by noon local time on Tuesday. But this was delayed after Bangkok accused Phnom Penh of violating the truce by flying more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles into Thailand on Sunday.

Despite Thailand’s complaints, the latest ceasefire appears to be holding so far.

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. Then in July, five days of intense fighting along the border left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Thousands more civilians were displaced.

The two countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire in July and signed it in October, brokered by US President Donald Trump. But the ceasefire collapsed when fresh tensions erupted early this month, with both sides accusing the other for the breakdown.

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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be sworn into office at an abandoned subway stop below City Hall on New Year’s Eve to pay tribute to the “lifeblood” of the Big Apple.

The private ceremony will take place at Old City Hall Station just before midnight on Thursday, and Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James will administer the oath of office to the democratic socialist.

“The New York City subway system is the lifeblood of New York — a reminder of the city Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is fighting for: a city built by and for New Yorkers,” a press release about the ceremony read.

Mamdani further explained the meaning behind the location of his private ceremony in a public statement.

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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will be sworn into office at an abandoned subway stop below City Hall on New Year’s Eve to pay tribute to the ‘lifeblood’ of the Big Apple (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

“When Old City Hall Station first opened in 1904 — one of New York’s 28 original subway stations — it was a physical monument to a city that dared to be both beautiful and build great things that would transform working peoples’ lives.

“That ambition need not be a memory confined only to our past, nor must it be isolated only to the tunnels beneath City Hall: it will be the purpose of the administration fortunate enough to serve New Yorkers from the building above,” Mamdani said.

The ceremony will be followed by a public swearing-in by Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, on the steps of City Hall later Thursday. Usually, just 4,000 ticketed guests would be allowed to attend the ceremony, but, in addition to these guests, Mamdani has invited all New Yorkers to celebrate with a block party on Broadway.

open image in gallery

New York Attorney General Letitia James will administer the oath of office to the democratic socialist (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

James and Sanders have become allies of Mamdani, endorsing him during his run for mayor as the Democratic nominee against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani won the November 4 election with roughly 50 percent of the vote. Cuomo received about 41 percent of the vote, and Sliwa roughly 7 percent.

After months of attacking Mamdani as a “communist,” President Donald Trump in November said he will be “a really great mayor” for his home city after a closed-door meeting at the White House.

Seated behind his desk in the Oval Office while Mamdani stood next to him during what became a half-hour love-fest between the two men, Trump told reporters he’d congratulated his hometown’s next chief executive and pledged to help him bring prices down for New Yorkers.

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After months of attacking Mamdani as a ‘communist’ Trump in November said the democratic socialist will be ‘a really great mayor’ for his home city after a closed-door meeting at the White House (REUTERS)

“I think you’re going to have, hopefully, a really great mayor — the better he does, the happier I am,” Trump said.

For his part, Mamdani described the meeting at the time as “productive” and “focused on a place of shared admiration and love” between he and Trump — New York City — and “the need to deliver affordability to New Yorkers, the eight and a half million people who call our city their home, who are struggling to afford life in the most expensive city in the United States of America.”

Ahead of Mamdani’s swearing in, James wrote on X, “I’m honored to swear in @ZohranKMamdani at the Old City Hall subway station at the turn of the new year.” She added, “Our subways connect us all, and they represent exactly what our next mayor is fighting for: a city every New Yorker can thrive in.”

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By NICHOLAS COMINO, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 02:19 GMT, 31 December 2025 | Updated: 05:11 GMT, 31 December 2025

Thousands of people have joined massive queues around Sydney Harbour ahead of the world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks – with some setting up camp at 4am. 

The gates to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, the city’s most sought-after vantage point, opened at 9.30am, sparking a frantic stampede. 

By dawn, more than 2,000 people were queuing, some having camped overnight to secure front-row seats for the midnight show.

Once the gates opened, the foreshore became a kilometre-long racetrack with people dragging picnic rugs and eskies in the scramble for territory.

International visitors were also swept up in the excitement.

‘I live in Germany, I’ve never experienced anything like this,’ one tourist told the ABC.

Sydney Harbour is set to host over a million spectators tonight, with tens of thousands already packed into viewing areas long before sunset.

Mrs Macquarie’s Chair remains Sydney’s ‘crown jewel’ for New Year’s Eve, offering iconic views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

People have been queuing since 4am to get a front row seat for Sydney’s firework display

 Revellers were seen running with chairs and blankets once gates opened at 9:30am 

People were seen queuing up outside Mrs Macquarie’s Chair since Thursday 

Extra security measures are in place across the Sydney CBD following the Bondi Beach attack

‘We’re expecting big crowds in the city tonight – more than a million people coming to join in the celebrations,’ NSW Transport Minister John Graham said. 

To manage the influx, Graham announced a huge transport operation.

‘More than 1,000 extra services are going to be in place, that’s a 40 per cent uplift on a normal day,’ he said. 

He confirmed public transport will run continuously for 46 hours, with Metro trains expected to clear crowds ‘in about half the time it would usually take’.

Premier Chris Minns urged families to enjoy the festivities despite the lingering impact of the Bondi Beach terror attack, which left 15 people dead on December 14.

‘We can’t be in a situation where this horrible criminal terrorist event changes the way we live in our beautiful city. We have to show defiance,’ he said. 

He also reassured Sydneysiders about security.

‘Police are on high alert. Transport is ramping up. There is a massive logistical exercise, with tens of thousands of public servants keeping you safe,’ he said. 

More than 2000 people were queuing to go into Mrs Macquarie’s Chair before 9am

The Sydney Harbour front vantage points have been taken up and filled by NYE revellers 

Crowds have filled the best spots to view the New Years fireworks in Royal Botanic Gardens

Huge queues were seen at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney

The aftermath of the Bondi massacre has led to unprecedented police measures across Sydney. 

‘There’ll be a number of heavily armed officers deployed across metropolitan Sydney… They’ll be operational and highly visible,’ Minns confirmed.

He explained that new protocols mean armed officers will mingle with the crowd.

‘If you see a heavily armed officer, it doesn’t mean there’s an active operation. It means they’re there in preparation for any eventuality. We want the community to see police and know they can enjoy the night without fear.’

The citywide operation will include riot squads, PolAir helicopters, dog units and marine police. 

Details around tactical changes remain secret.   

‘We’re not going to be cowered by terrorism,’ Minns said. 

‘The best way to demonstrate defiance is to live your life and get some joy out of New Year’s Eve, safe in the knowledge that thousands of officers are protecting you.’

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New Year’s Eve chaos kicks off as huge crowds swarm to snag spots for Sydney’s iconic fireworks – with some queuing since 4am for a front row seat

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The Met Office has a weather warning in place for snow and ice for Thursday and Friday, by which time some 30cm (11 inches) could build, and says travel disruption is expected

The weather map turns blue this week as it is getting colder(Image: Ventusky)

This striking weather map is an icy blue as daytime temperatures will feel as cold as -12C this week.

Temperatures are set to drop as a northerly wind takes hold later this week. It sends snow sweeping southwards throughout Friday and into Saturday, heaviest across Scotland and north Wales at different times.

The Met Office says some 11 inches (30cm) of snow will build up by the early hours of Saturday, which will lead to travel disruption and power cuts. Air temperatures will actually range from 4C to -4C across the UK but it will feel significantly colder everywhere, particularly due to the gales.

Winds will be fiercest along the east coast on Friday morning, particularly across Humberside and Cleveland. Saturday’s gales will be even stronger, as brutal as 65mph, in and around Scarborough and Bridlington.

READ MORE: UK snow: Met Office forecasts up to 11 INCHES of the white stuff amid Arctic blastREAD MORE: Narrowboats still stranded on Shropshire Union Canal one week after sinkhole chaosSnowy scenes are pictured in Knutsford, Cheshire(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

Weather maps, issued by the Metdesk, show it will snow heavily across the UK on Friday. The weather warning concerns parts of Scotland, such as Grampian, Strathclyde and Central, Tayside and Fife. These areas will see snow fall throughout the early hours of Friday.

It will then move southwards and, by 6am, it will snow across parts of the Midlands and Northwest of England. Cheshire will see a significant dumping, as will parts of Staffordshire during Friday morning. Snow will be widespread later on Friday morning with heavy snowfall in north Wales, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire by midday.

Snow will fall across parts of the Northwest of England and the Midlands on Friday morning(Image: Ventusky)

The band of low pressure quickly moves further southeast and, by early afternoon, residents in Essex and parts of Kent will suffer travel disruption due to snow and ice. The Home Counties, including Buckinghamshire, will see a dusting by late afternoon. During the early hours of Saturday, there will be flurries of snow across south Wales, according to forecasters at Metdesk.

The Met Office has warned Brits of “a chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces” and that “untreated pavements and cycle paths might be impassable” due to snow and ice on Friday. It says: “Showers will turn increasingly to snow through Thursday as a strong, perhaps locally gale force northerly wind sets in. Initially accumulations will mainly affect higher routes, but by evening some accumulations will start to build even to low levels, with 2 to 5, locally 10 cm of lying snow accumulating by Friday morning.

Children will get chance to enjoy the snow at the start of 2026(Image: Daily Mirror)

“Above 200m some places could see 10-20cm of snow accumulate, and on the highest routes and hills, 30cm or more may build through this period. Given the strength of the wind some significant drifting of snow is likely. Lightning may well be an additional hazard.”

The weather agency continues: “Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe: plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary; if driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off; make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger).”

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While a western German city slept through the Christmas holidays, thieves drilled into a bank vault and vanished with millions.

Robbers broke into a vault at a savings bank in western Germany during the Christmas holidays, stealing cash, gold and jewellery estimated to be worth up to $105m, the police and the bank said.

According to police on Tuesday, the perpetrators used a large drill to bore through a thick concrete wall of a branch of Sparkasse bank in the city of Gelsenkirchen, in North Rhine-Westphalia state. Breaking in from an adjacent parking garage, the thieves gained access to an underground vault room and forced open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes.

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Thomas Nowaczyk, a police spokesperson, said investigators believe the total value of the stolen items could range between 10 and 90 million euros ($11.7m and $105.7m).

Police and concerned bank customers stand in front of a branch of the Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany, on December 30, 2025, after the bank was robbed [AFP]

German news agency dpa reported that the robbery may rank among the biggest in the country’s history.

Sparkasse confirmed that the branch had been “broken into over the Christmas holidays”, saying that “more than 95 percent of the 3,250 customer safe deposit boxes were broken into by unknown perpetrators”.

The crime is believed to have taken place while businesses were closed for the extended Christmas break. Police suspect the gang may have remained inside the building for several days, using the long holiday weekend to break into the deposit boxes undetected.

The theft only came to light in the early hours of Monday, when a fire alarm was triggered. Emergency responders who arrived at the scene discovered the hole leading into the vault.

Witnesses later told police they had seen several men carrying large bags through the parking garage stairwell overnight between Saturday and Sunday.

Security camera footage also showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early on Monday morning, with masked individuals inside. The vehicle was later identified as having a licence plate belonging to a car stolen in Hanover, more than 200km (124 miles) northeast of Gelsenkirchen.

Ocean’s Eleven-esque

A police spokesman described the operation as highly organised, comparing it with a Hollywood-style robbery resembling Ocean’s Eleven.

The break-in was “indeed very professionally executed”, he told the AFP news agency.

“A great deal of prior knowledge and/or a great deal of criminal energy must have been involved to plan and carry this out,” he added.

Emergency responders discovered a giant hole in the wall of the bank’s vault after unknown thieves broke into a Sparkasse bank branch during the Christmas holidays [Handout: Police Gelsenkirchen via AFP]

Police said the average insured value of each deposit box was more than 10,000 euros ($11,700). However, officers said several victims had reported that the contents of their boxes were worth significantly more than the insured amount.

On Tuesday, hundreds of customers gathered outside the bank, demanding answers. The branch remained closed for security reasons after threats were reportedly made against staff.

“I couldn’t sleep last night. We’re getting no information,” one man told the Welt broadcaster, saying he had used the safe deposit box for 25 years and stored his retirement savings there.

Nowaczyk, the police spokesperson, said officers remained at the scene to monitor the situation. “We’re still on site, keeping an eye on things,” he said, adding that “the situation has calmed down considerably”.

The bank said it had set up a hotline for affected customers and would contact them in writing as soon as possible. It added that it was working with insurers to determine how compensation claims would be handled.

“We are shocked,” said bank press spokesperson Frank Krallmann. “We are standing by our customers, and hope that the perpetrators will be caught.”

Police said the suspects remain at large, and investigations are ongoing.

A spokesperson for the Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Ten English fire services tackled a record number of grassland, woodland and crop fires during what was the UK’s hottest spring and summer on record, figures show.

In total nearly 27,000 wildfires were dealt with by fire services in England during the prolonged dry weather of 2025, according to analysis by PA Media.

One fire chief said the summer was one of the most challenging that crews had ever faced and the frequency and intensity of the wildfires was putting a strain on resources.

The figures, obtained through freedom of information requests, show that at least 12,454 grassland, woodland or crop fires were recorded by fire services in England in the three months from March to May 2025.

This is more than four times the 2,621 incidents logged by these services in the same period in 2024 and is the highest spring total for more than a decade.

Dorset and Wiltshire fire service recorded 298 incidents between March and May, its highest number for spring since comparable data began in 2011, followed by 459 in June to August during a summer that was “one of the most challenging for wildfires that we’ve ever faced”, according to the service’s chief fire officer, Andy Cole.

It was one of 10 fire services that reported a record number of grassland, woodland and crop fires in the spring, according to the analysis.

Others include Tyne and Wear, which reported 1,240 such fires, Durham and Darlington (719), Derbyshire (334) and Northumberland (309).

At least 14,448 grassland, woodland and crop fires were recorded in England in June to August, one of the highest summer totals in recent years, though not as many as in 2022 (20,858) when a spell of very hot weather pushed temperatures in the UK above 40C for the first time, with 40.3C recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

The highest UK temperature recorded in 2025 was 35.8C in Faversham, Kent. Overall, the Met Office said it was the UK’s warmest spring and summer on record.

Spring was also the driest in the UK for more than 100 years and it was the combination of dry soils, little or no rain and above-average heat that sparked so many wildfires.

The figures inevitably underestimate the true scale of the outbreaks, as full data was obtained from only 35 of the 43 mainland fire services in England.

A fire on Holt Heath near Bournemouth in Dorset in August was declared a major incident and took nearly a week to extinguish fully. Believed to have been started deliberately, it destroyed 72 hectares and required support from services across the UK.

Cole said: “Our firefighters worked around the clock in arduous conditions, often for days at a time, to protect lives, homes, and our natural environment.” He said the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires put “a strain on resources, such as equipment and finances”.

West Yorkshire fire service recorded 1,094 grassland, woodland and crop fires in the spring, six times the number in 2024, with a further 1,156 incidents in the summer.

Mick Rhodes, the wildfire lead at West Yorkshire, said: “Moorland fires can burn for days and require a huge response operationally – they’re also exhausting for our firefighters who tackle them, due to the often-remote nature and hot weather that accompany them.”

Kate Saint, the head of prevention at Devon and Somerset fire and rescue service, said there was a “significant increase” in wildfires in 2025, with crews showing “exceptional bravery and professionalism in challenging conditions, using specialist training and equipment to respond quickly and limit damage”.

“Preventing these incidents in the first place is the most effective way to protect lives and our landscapes,” she added, as “many wildfires are avoidable and are often caused by everyday activities such as discarded cigarettes, barbecues or fires not properly extinguished.”

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EPA

People’s New Year’s Eve plans thrown into disarray after Eurostar cancellations.

Eurostar passengers are braced for more possible disruption, after a power outage in the Channel Tunnel caused travel chaos for thousands of people on Tuesday.

As people scrambled to get to New Year’s Eve celebrations, some travellers said they spent more than six hours stuck onboard trains overnight as services were hit by more delays.

One man told the BBC he had boarded the 19:01 service to Paris, but as of 03:00 GMT he was still stuck on the train at the entrance to the tunnel.

He said staff had told him there was a “50% chance we go to Paris, 50% chance we go back to London”.

“I guess my new year plan is in the hands of the tunnel operators now,” the 27-year-old Parisian said.

Eurostar said it planned to run all of its services on Wednesday but warned there may still be some delays and cancellations.

The service from London to Paris scheduled for 06:00 GMT has been cancelled.

The problem with the overhead power supply and a broken down LeShuttle train blocked all routes on Tuesday, causing disruptions for thousands trying to get away for New Year’s Eve.

Some Eurostar and LeShuttle services had resumed on Tuesday evening, but delays remained, with only one of the tunnel’s two rail lines open.

Getlink, which runs the Channel Tunnel, said work continued through the night to fix the power issue.

On Wednesday morning, an update on Eurostar’s website said: “Services have resumed today following a power issue in the Channel Tunnel yesterday and some further issues with rail infrastructure overnight.

“We plan to run all of our services today, however due to knock-on impacts there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations.

“Please check for live updates on the status of your train on the train status and timetables page.”

Dennis van der Steen, from the Netherlands, was heading home to Amsterdam to spend New Year’s Eve with his family and friends.

Instead he said he spent six hours stuck on board a Eurostar train, before it began to move again at about 03:00 GMT.

“We’re stuck,” he told the BBC.

He said there was no power onboard the train when it stopped, and that some passengers slept while others were “also very worried”. He was later told his train would continue on its journey.

Another passenger described feeling a “rollercoaster of emotions” for hours, not knowing whether the train he was on would be able to continue across the Channel or return to London.

His train eventually made it to Brussels, he said, adding: “Glad to be home, saw many families stranded.”

Kelly North and Bethany Massey-Chase tell the BBC how they’ve had to re-book their Eurostar service to Paris

Images of massive crowds of travellers stranded at London St Pancras International flooded social media following Tuesday’s power outage.

A photograph shared with the BBC by a train driver for Eurostar appeared to show overhead electrical cables strewn across the tracks.

Meanwhile, cars that had hoped to use the Channel Tunnel caused traffic jams near the LeShuttle Terminal in Folkestone.

Tim Brown, who had been trying to return to the UK after spending Christmas in Germany, told PA News he had been stuck in his car on the LeShuttle train for more than three hours with “no access to food or water”.

At least a dozen Eurostar services between the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands had been cancelled by midday on Tuesday.

The rail operator apologised and said passengers could rearrange their plans free of charge or can cancel their booking and get a refund or an e-voucher.

On Tuesday, Eurostar has urged its customers “to rebook their journey for another day if possible, with free exchanges available”.

“We also advise customers not to come to our stations if their trains have been already been cancelled.”

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Skip next section Ukraine launches drone attack on Russia, officials say

12/31/2025December 31, 2025

Ukraine launches drone attack on Russia, officials say

Ukraine has bombarded different parts of Russia with a barrage of drones, Russian authorities said.

Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed over the Moscow region, parts of western Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense units destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones in the three-hour period starting at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT).

No immediate reports of damage were available.

In a residential area in the Black Sea port of Tuapse, the regional administration said port infrastructure and a gas pipeline were damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack.

The operational headquarters of the Krasnodar region said the attack damaged the port’s berth, adding that emergency crews were dispatched to repair the damage.

https://p.dw.com/p/569Ba

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage12/31/2025December 31, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on several parts of Russia, including the Moscow region, Russian officials said.

It comes a day after Moscow accused Kyiv of carrying out a drone attack targeting one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residences, without providing evidence.

Kyiv has dismissed the allegations as baseless and aimed at derailing peace talks in the war that Russia launched against Ukraine nearly four years ago.

This blog will bring you the latest headlines, videos and analyses on the topics.

https://p.dw.com/p/569BR

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Escalating claims by Russia that Ukraine tried to hit a residence used by President Vladimir Putin with drones have been dismissed by a top military drone expert, who called the alleged attack “hard to fathom” and tactically implausible.

Cameron Chell’s comments came as Moscow doubled down on accusations Kyiv has flatly denied, with the drone industry leader arguing the alleged strike announced Monday runs counter to Ukraine’s drone tactics.

Chell, the CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, a drone manufacturer that supplies to the U.S. Department of Defense and allied militaries, including Ukraine, said Russia’s claims lack credibility.

RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINE PEACE TALKS ‘PROCEEDING CONSTRUCTIVELY,’ AS KREMLIN LAUNCHES DEADLY STRIKE ON ODESA

A Ukrainian soldier launches a reconnaissance drone in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine.  (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko)

“What really makes things usually very signature about Ukraine is that they’re always incredibly clever about how they use drones,” Chell told Fox News Digital.

“They are clever from a cost perspective — let’s call it an efficiency perspective — but also very clever in their tactics,” he added.

“I find it hard to fathom that this drone attack even happened on Putin’s residence or that it was something that Ukraine orchestrated for a number of reasons,” Chell said.

“To get over the top of Putin’s residence, for one, the drones would not have been launched from a very long distance away,” he added.

RUSSIA WARNS IT MAY REJECT US-UKRAINE PEACE PLAN IF IT FAILS TO UPHOLD ALASKA SUMMIT ‘UNDERSTANDINGS’

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a cabinet meeting, June 4, outside Moscow. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Chell’s comments came as Russia doubled down Tuesday on accusations that Ukraine attempted to strike a presidential palace in the Novgorod region using drones, allegedly to disrupt peace efforts.

Kyiv dismissed the allegation, with the timing also raising questions given the upbeat tone of a recent meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed late Monday that 91 drones were intercepted en route to Putin’s residence on the shores of Lake Valdai.

His statement appeared to contradict earlier Defense Ministry tallies, which said 89 drones were shot down over eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, later adding another 23.

Only after Lavrov spoke did the ministry allege that 49 drones intercepted over Bryansk, nearly 300 miles away, were also targeting Valdai.

UKRAINE PEACE TALKS PRODUCTIVE AS EX-GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS COUNTRY RETHINKING ‘UNCOMPROMISING’ STANCE

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed late Monday that 91 drones were intercepted en route to Putin’s residence. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service telegram channel via AP)

Asked about wreckage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was “a matter for our military,” while calling Zelenskyy’s denial and Western skepticism “completely insane.”

Peskov said Russia’s diplomatic stance would be toughened, and Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin vowed there could be “no forgiveness” for Zelenskyy.

Chell said the story simply does not add up. “To attack Putin’s residence, you need long-range, very fast-moving drones,” he said.

He added that for drones that small to reach such a site, they would have had to be launched from a much closer location, likely inside Russia itself.

“They would have to be within about 10 kilometers [6.2 miles] — or maybe, at most, 30 kilometers — of Putin’s residence,” Chell said.

“That facility where Putin lives would also be incredibly secure, and so to have a number of lower-cost, slower-moving drones coming in on that facility would be very un-Ukrainian,” Chell said.

ZELENSKYY SAYS PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE AFTER TRUMP MEETING BUT TERRITORY REMAINS STICKING POINT

Satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows damage from a Ukrainian drone attack at the Belaya Air Base, June 4, in the Irkutsk region of eastern Siberia, Russia. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

“Ukraine also doesn’t announce when they’re going to show up,” he added.

Chell also noted that night operations would rule out GPS- or AI-based navigation due to jamming and visibility limits, making the launch of dozens of drones even less plausible.

“Apparently the thing was at night, so that’s very difficult for machine vision or AI mapping software,” he said. “So, you know, it definitely wasn’t using GPS, because it would have been jammed. There are just a bunch of things that don’t add up.”

Politically, Chell argued, Ukraine has nothing to gain. “They’re bold, but right in the middle of peace talks — when they need Trump on side — it makes no sense,” he said. “Ukraine is just politically too smart to have done that.”

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Zelenskyy on Monday also called the claim a complete fabrication, accusing Moscow of laying the groundwork for further attacks. 

Lavrov warned of retaliation but said Russia would continue talks with Washington.

Trump also said he learned of the alleged attack directly from Putin and was “very angry about it.” Asked whether there was evidence, Trump replied, “We’ll find out.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kremlin for comment.

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture. 

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Putin raises stakes in peace talks with boast of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus

Russia boasted it had deployed nuclear-capable missiles inside Belarus on Tuesday as Vladimir Putin sought to escalate tensions over Ukraine – just as peace talks appeared to be gaining momentum.

The intermediate-range Oreshnik missiles can reach speeds of up to Mach 10 and are immune to interceptions, according to Putin; Russia’s missile forces chief, Sergei Karakayev, previously claimed the weapons “can strike targets across the entire territory of Europe”.

Tensions between the countries have soared after Russia accused Ukraine of attacking Putin’s personal residence with 91 drones.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar31 December 2025 04:10

Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles moved into Belarus

Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has officially entered active service, the country’s defence ministry has announced, as diplomatic efforts continue to seek a resolution to Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.

The deployment of the advanced weapon system took place in neighbouring Belarus, its neighbouring ally, which also shares a border with Nato countries Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

While the ministry confirmed the activation, it refrained from disclosing the number of missiles deployed or providing further specific details regarding the system’s capabilities or location within Belarus.

This move follows earlier remarks by Russian president Vladimir Putin in December, who stated the Oreshnik would be combat-ready this month.

During a meeting with senior Russian military officials, Putin had warned that Moscow intended to expand its territorial gains in Ukraine should Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands during peace negotiations.

Moscow first used the Oreshnik, which is Russian for “hazelnut tree,” against Ukraine in November 2024, when it fired the experimental weapon at a factory in Dnipro that built missiles when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

Putin has praised the Oreshnik’s capabilities, saying that its multiple warheads, which plunge toward a target at speeds up to Mach 10, are immune to being intercepted.

He warned the West that Moscow could use it against Ukraine’s Nato allies, who’ve allowed Kyiv to use their longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia.

(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar31 December 2025 03:20

Russian port, gas pipeline in Tuapse hit by Ukrainian drones

A Ukrainian drone attack damaged port infrastructure and a gas pipeline in a residential area in Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse, the regional administration said this morning, adding no injuries were reported.

Emergency crews were dispatched to repair the damage, the operational headquarters of the Krasnodar region said on Telegram. The port’s berth had been damaged, it added.

SHOT, a Telegram news channel with sources in Russia’s security services, said a series of explosions was heard over Tuapse late last night and that residents in one district reported a fire.

Several Ukrainian media, including the RBC-Ukraine media outlet, posted photos on Telegram appearing to show a large fire burning in the distance at night, with a communications mast silhouetted in the foreground.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar31 December 2025 03:05

US ambassador to NATO casts doubt on Russian drone attack claims

Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, cast doubt on Russia’s claim that Ukraine attacked President Vladimir Putin’s residence on Tuesday.

“It is unclear whether it actually happened,” Whitaker told Fox Business “Varney & Co.”

“It seems to me a little indelicate to be this close at a peace deal, Ukraine really wanting to get a peace deal done, and then to do something that would be viewed as reckless or not helpful,” he said.

Whitaker said that he wants to see U.S. intelligence on the incident.

James Reynolds31 December 2025 03:00

Europe backs Ukraine over Russia’s drone attack allegations

Europe rallied behind Ukraine on Tuesday over Russia’s unproven accusations that Kyiv had assaulted the presidential residence in Novgorod with drones overnight into Monday.

The German government said it shares Ukraine’s worry that the allegations could be used for further escalation.

A source close to French President Emmanuel Macron also said that there was no evidence to corroborate the accusations made by the Russian authorities.

“Ukraine and its partners are committed to a path of peace, while Russia has chosen to continue and intensify its war against Ukraine. This is in itself an act of defiance against President Trump’s peace agenda,” the source told Reuters.

James Reynolds31 December 2025 02:00

This mysterious ‘drone attack’ shows paranoid Putin will never be a peacemaker

Reports of an unlikely aerial raid on Putin’s residence remind us that the Russian president sees endless conflict and confusion as the best means to control, says MARK ALMOND – he fears victory over Ukraine almost as much as defeat:

James Reynolds31 December 2025 01:00

Putin raises stakes in peace talks with boast of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus

Russia said on Tuesday that it had deployed nuclear-capable missiles inside Belarus as Vladimir Putin sought to escalate tensions over Ukraine.

The latest threat came after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of targeting the Russian presidential residence in Novgorod without providing evidence – something Kyiv dismissed as “lies” intent on undermining progress in peace talks.

James Reynolds31 December 2025 00:00

Russia claims Ukraine striking Moscow

Russia is now claiming that Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks against Moscow on Tuesday.

Authorities said one person was injured near the capital.

Russia’s air defence units destroyed a total of 27 Ukrainian drones over three hours from 5pm GMT, according to the defence ministry.

It comes just a day after Russia accused Ukraine, without providing evidence, of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence – something US and European officials have expressed doubt over.

James Reynolds30 December 2025 23:42

Are Ukraine and the US any closer to a workable peace deal?

Natia Seskuria, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) thinks not.

She told The Independent following the latest talks in Florida: “I believe it is premature, and in many ways exaggerated, to suggest that the parties are genuinely closer to peace when the most critical questions – above all the territorial settlement-remain unresolved.

“The core issue of the future of the occupied territories, including the remaining parts of the Donbas region under Ukrainian control, lacks any clarity, which severely limits how much weight can be attached to talk of ‘progress.’

“There is also no clear evidence that President Trump is exerting serious pressure on Russia to make substantive concessions, whereas Russian officials have repeatedly reaffirmed their determination to secure control over the entire Donbas region – a concession that Kyiv has consistently described as a red line it cannot cross.

“There has been some degree of progress on other problematic issues, such as the framework for security guarantees, but as long as the territorial question remains unresolved, it can easily derail the entire process.”

James Reynolds30 December 2025 23:24

Watch: Trump reacts to unproven claims of attacks on Putin’s residence

Trump reacts to claims of drone strike on Putin’s home

James Reynolds30 December 2025 23:01

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NEED TO KNOW

• In the hours following the death of Caroline Kennedy’s daughter Tatiana Schlossberg, President Donald Trump took to social media to mock the famous political family
• On Truth Social on the afternoon of Dec. 30, Trump shared screenshots of MAGA supporters insulting the Kennedys for their response to his recent decision to add his own name to the Kennedy Center
• Members of the family have claimed that Trump is barred from renaming the center “by federal law,” however, work crews have already added his name above JFK’s on the historic memorial site

As the Kennedys mourned the untimely death of Tatiana Schlossberg — the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy — Donald Trump took to social media to share posts mocking the famous family.

Tatiana, the middle child of Caroline Kennedy and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, died on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at age 35, just over a month after publicly sharing that she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

The news was shared by the social media accounts for the JFK Library Foundation, on behalf of Tatiana’s family, which included her husband, Dr. George Moran, and their young children, Edwin and Josephine.

“Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” read the post, which was signed by “George, Edwin and Josephine Moran, Ed, Caroline, Jack, Rose and Rory.”

Trump did not directly mention Tatiana’s death in his social media deluge following her death. Instead, he shared screenshots of MAGA supporters mocking the famous political family for their recent responses to his decision to add his name to the Kennedy Center, a historic performance venue in Washington, D.C., which was dedicated as a memorial to JFK following his assassination in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.

“The Kennedy Family have LONG neglected the Kennedy Center, btw,” claimed one. “They don’t raise money for it. They never show up. And the only Kennedy who has been there recently is a member of Trump’s cabinet.”

“The Trumps have always been supporters of the arts. The Kennedys are supporters of the Kennedys,” read another.

Work crews add Donald Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 18, 2025.

Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday, Dec. 18, that the board of the historic venue had “voted unanimously” to rename the building to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” The following day, work crews added “The Donald Trump and” above the previously-existing lettering, which read, “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

However, controversy quickly arose among members of the Kennedy Center board and the family itself. Tatiana’s brother, Jack Schlossberg, wrote on X that “microphones were muted” during the conference call where the board voted, and the outcome was “NOT unanimous.”

Jack’s claim aligned with comments made by Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board. Following the vote, Beatty took to X with allegations that she and other opponents of the vote were muted on the call and were not allowed to vote their differing opinions.

“For the record. This was not unanimous. I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move,” Beatty, 75, wrote. “Also for the record, this was not on the agenda. This was not consensus. This is censorship.”

In her video message, she continued, “Clearly the Congress has a say in this. This center, the Kennedy Center, was created by the Congress. I think it’s important for us to know that this is just another attempt to evade the law and not let the people have a say.”

Other Kennedys have approached the matter from a legal standpoint. “The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law,” wrote Joe Kennedy III, the grandson of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. “It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”

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The Kennedys have yet to respond to Trump’s latest attacks. The only family members who have posted to social media in the hours following Tatiana’s death have been those sharing loving tributes, like Caroline’s cousin, Maria Shriver, who was directly mocked in some of Trump’s screenshots.

“I return to this space today to pay tribute to my sweet, beloved Tatiana, who left this earth today,” Shriver wrote on X. “I return to this space to pay tribute and honor her loving and supportive family, who came together and did everything they possibly could do to help her. I return to this space heartbroken because Tatiana loved life. She loved her life, and she fought like hell to try to save it.”

“I cannot make sense of this. I cannot make any sense of it at all. None. Zero,” she continued. “My heart has always been with my cousin Caroline ever since we were little kids. My entire being is with her now. What a rock she has been.”

“Those of us left behind will make sure Eddie and Josie know what a beautiful, courageous spirit their mother was and will always be. She takes after her extraordinary mother, Caroline. May we all hold Tatiana’s family in our collective embrace not just today, but in the days ahead, and may each of you who read this know how lucky you are to be alive right now. Please pause and honor your life. It truly is such a gift.”

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