Trump's foreign policy pronouncements, Ukraine peace negotiations, and China's military drills near Taiwan dominated global diplomatic and geopolitical headlines today, along with domestic US political developments influencing foreign policy.

• Grim Evidence of Trump’s Boat Strikes Washes Ashore on a Colombian Peninsula — New York Times World -
• Hamas will have ‘hell to pay’ if it fails to disarm, Trump warns after Netanyahu meeting — The Guardian -
• Trump says he’d ‘love to fire’ Jerome Powell in latest attack on Fed chair — The Guardian -

• Russia Threatens to Toughen Its Stance on Ending the War in Ukraine — New York Times World -
• For Zelensky, Just Keeping Trump Talking About Ukraine Peace Deal Counts as a Win — New York Times World -
• Marjorie Taylor Greene says she was ‘naive’ for believing Trump is man of the people — The Guardian -
• Trump, Pressing Ahead on Ukraine-Russia Talks, Confronts Difficult Realities — New York Times World -
• Trump Says the U.S. Struck a ‘Big Facility’ in Campaign Against Venezuela — New York Times World -
• Zelenskyy accuses Russia of trying to sabotage peace talks with ‘typical Russian lies’ — The Guardian -
• Netanyahu meets Trump in US amid fears of Israeli regional offensives — The Guardian -
• Trump meets Netanyahu in Florida as focus turns to Middle East issues — BBC World -
• Ukraine denies drone attack on Putin's residence — BBC World -
• FBI deploys more resources to Minnesota amid Trump’s targeting of state — The Guardian -
• Ukraine war: Zelenskyy denies Russian accusation that Putin’s residence was attacked by Ukrainian drones – as it happened — The Guardian -
• US struck ‘big facility’ in Venezuela, Trump claimed without offering details — The Guardian -
• Cryptocurrency slump erases 2025 financial gains and Trump-inspired optimism — The Guardian -
• What to Know About Colombia’s Role in the Global Drug Trade Amid Trump’s Feud With Petro — New York Times World -
• Four Takeaways From the New York Times Profile of Marjorie Taylor Greene — New York Times World -
• Trump and Zelensky Meet to Iron Out Peace Plan, but Deal Remains Elusive — New York Times World -
• US offered Ukraine 15-year security guarantee, Zelensky says — BBC World -
• China launches live-fire drills around Taiwan simulating blockade of major ports — The Guardian -
• Is claim Ukraine deal is ‘95% done’ just another empty assertion from Trump? — The Guardian -
• Nearly half of Americans believe their financial security is getting worse, poll finds — The Guardian -
• Working Families bet on 2026 as the right time for a third US party after a wave of wins — The Guardian -
• China holds military drills around Taiwan as warning to 'separatist forces' — BBC World -
• China holds military drills around Taiwan as warning to 'separatist forces' — BBC World -
• Thailand accuses Cambodia of breaking newly signed ceasefire deal — BBC World -
• Nancy Pelosi predicts Democrats will retake US House in 2026 midterms — The Guardian -
• Trump says ‘tough’ issues remain for Ukraine peace deal after meeting Zelenskyy in Florida — The Guardian -
• The Status of the 20-Point Peace Plan for Ukraine — New York Times World -
• Living in fear of Lakurawa - the militant group Trump targeted in Nigeria strikes — BBC World -
• Trump and Zelensky appear more upbeat - but show little evidence that peace is near for Ukraine — BBC World -

Israel's decision to strip diplomatic immunity from UNRWA, Trump's strong warning to Hamas after meeting Netanyahu, and Iran's currency collapse leading to street protests highlight the current tensions and internal struggles across the Middle East, with ISIS militant activity in Turkey and Syrians considering return home after the fall of Assad also making news.

• Israel Strips U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees of Diplomatic Immunity — New York Times World -
• Hamas will have ‘hell to pay’ if it fails to disarm, Trump warns after Netanyahu meeting — The Guardian -
• Iran’s Currency Collapse Pushes Protesters to the Streets — New York Times World -

• Why Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state is controversial — BBC World -
• Netanyahu meets Trump in US amid fears of Israeli regional offensives — The Guardian -
• Trump meets Netanyahu in Florida as focus turns to Middle East issues — BBC World -
• ISIS Militants Kill 3 Police Officers in Turkey — New York Times World -
• 'There are many challenges': Syrians in Turkey consider return after fall of Assad — BBC World -
• 'There are many challenges': Syrians in Turkey consider return after fall of Assad — BBC World -
• With Critical Decisions Ahead, Netanyahu Faces Mounting Pressure — New York Times World -

King Charles's New Year Honours list, debates around citizenship and national identity, and economic news regarding housing and airport fares are prominent within UK national affairs, alongside concerns about police conduct and updates on the Grenfell Tower inquiry.

• Idris Elba knighted in new year honours list also featuring Torvill and Dean — The Guardian -
• Meera Syal, Gabby Logan and Richard Osman among new year honours in arts and media — The Guardian -
• Two of Keir Starmer’s closest allies named in new year honours list — The Guardian -

• Sainsbury’s CEO among business leaders recognised in new year honours — The Guardian -
• Sarina Wiegman an honorary dame as Lionesses and Red Roses get honours — The Guardian -
• Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo Make King Charles’s New Year Honors List — New York Times World -
• Claudia Winkleman to host new BBC chatshow — The Guardian -
• Police watchdog launches investigation after man shot dead by officers in Norfolk — The Guardian -
• No 10 defends campaign to release Abd el-Fattah despite his ‘abhorrent’ tweets — The Guardian -
• Abd el-Fattah citizenship row shows shift on questions of national identity — The Guardian -
• Number of people who say Britons must be born in UK is rising, study shows — The Guardian -
• From Adolescence to the manosphere: has 2025 been the year of the boy? — The Guardian -
• Egyptian dissident sorry for tweets after calls for deportation from UK — BBC World -
• What did Alaa Abd el-Fattah say in past social media posts and why is there a backlash? — The Guardian -
• DIY shops enjoy bumper year as UK property market slows — The Guardian -
• Heavy snow forecast for parts of UK as weather warning issued — The Guardian -
• Influx of cheap Chinese imports could drive down UK inflation, economists say — The Guardian -
• UK accounting body to halt remote exams amid AI cheating — The Guardian -
• British-Egyptian rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah apologises for ‘hurtful’ tweets — The Guardian -
• Air passengers warned of higher fares as regional airports face bigger tax bills — The Guardian -
• Grenfell firms still receiving multimillion-pound public contracts, analysis finds — The Guardian -
• Third of Reform UK’s council leaders have expressed vaccine-sceptic views — The Guardian -
• More than 300 earthquakes recorded in UK this year, study finds — The Guardian -
• New series of The Traitors is really, really brutal, says Claudia Winkleman — The Guardian -
• Freemasons seek injunction against Met policy requiring officers to declare membership — The Guardian -
• Gambling firms spent nearly £5m to advertise on TfL since London mayor’s ban pledge — The Guardian -
• Help UK ceramics industry or ‘lose piece of national identity’, government told — The Guardian -

Tragic events captured headlines globally, including a fatal helicopter crash in New Jersey, a deadly car crash involving Anthony Joshua's friends in Nigeria, a train derailment in Mexico that killed 13, and a child's death in a Japan ski resort travelator.

• Authorities identify the two victims of New Jersey helicopter crash: ‘They were always together’ — The Guardian -
• Anthony Joshua’s camp confirm two of his close friends died in car crash — The Guardian -
• Body of triathlete apparently killed by shark found on California beach — The Guardian -

• At least 13 people killed and 98 injured in train derailment in Mexico — The Guardian -
• Mexico Train Derailment Kills 13 People — New York Times World -
• Gloucestershire woman and two children killed in Boxing Day house fire — The Guardian -
• Family pay tribute to girl, 2, who died after falling into pond on Christmas Day — The Guardian -
• Boy, 5, died after arm trapped in ski resort travelator in Japan — The Guardian -
• Five-year-old boy dies after getting caught in Japan ski travelator — BBC World -
• Search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 expected to resume on Tuesday — The Guardian -
• Passengers on cruise ship that ran aground off PNG to be flown home after refloat efforts fail — The Guardian -
• Mexico train crash kills 13 and injures almost 100 — BBC World -
• Mexico train crash kills 13 and injures almost 100 — BBC World -

**The US pledging $2 billion for UN aid while demanding agencies 'adapt or die' and the tragic deaths of over 3,000 migrants attempting to reach Spain highlight the significant challenges in global humanitarian efforts and migration, alongside a brutal murder of an orphan in Somalia shining a spotlight on child abuse**.

• US pledges $2bn in new UN model for delivery of humanitarian assistance — The Guardian -
• U.S. Pledges $2 Billion for U.N. Aid but Trump Administration Tells Agencies to ‘Adapt, Shrink, or Die’ — New York Times World -
• US pledges $2bn for humanitarian aid, but tells UN 'adapt or die' — BBC World -

• More than 3,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain in 2025 — The Guardian -
• An orphan's brutal murder shines a spotlight on child abuse in Somalia — BBC World -

Discussions around Canada's medically assisted death laws, concerns over toxic waste in Detroit, and Nepal's decision to scrap the Mount Everest waste deposit scheme highlight ongoing issues in public health and the environment, alongside lifestyle shifts among Gen Z and wildlife challenges in Japan and Australia.

• Claire Brosseau Wants to Die. Will Canada Let Her? — New York Times World -
• Jair Bolsonaro undergoes second procedure to treat persistent hiccups — The Guardian -
• Nepal to scrap 'failed' Mount Everest waste deposit scheme — BBC World -

• Experts Question Denmark’s Vaccine Program as a Model for the U.S. — New York Times World -
• Hundreds of Detroit home demolition sites may have been filled with toxic dirt — The Guardian -
• Gen Z shunning the pre-flight pint for matcha green tea, airports say — The Guardian -
• Queensland to continue to allow farmers to shoot flying foxes after revoking ban on controversial practice — The Guardian -
• UK medical regulator warns against buying weight-loss jabs from social media channels — The Guardian -
• ‘Cities need nature to be happy’: David Attenborough seeks out London’s hidden wildlife — The Guardian -
• Japanese town reeling from year of record bear encounters — The Guardian -
• Weather tracker: Polar wind set to end warmth in US south and midwest — The Guardian -
• The World Wants More Ube. Philippine Farmers Are Struggling to Keep Up. — New York Times World -
• Toxic air, broken roads and unpicked rubbish - why India's big cities are becoming unliveable — BBC World -

The aftermath of the Bondi attack continues to dominate, with calls for a federal royal commission by victims' families and acknowledgement for hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, alongside debates on Indigenous deaths in custody and political travel controversies involving Pauline Hanson.

• ‘My target was just to take the gun’: wounded hero Ahmed al-Ahmed speaks of saving lives at Bondi beach — The Guardian -
• Ten years since David Dungay Jr died in jail, a rally to protest deaths in custody could test NSW’s new laws — The Guardian -
• Albanese’s refusal to heed families’ pleas for Bondi inquiry is hard to understand – and easy for opposition to attack — The Guardian -

• Pauline Hanson travelled to US on Gina Rinehart’s private jet to attend CPAC — The Guardian -
• Bondi hero says he wanted to stop gunman killing innocent people — BBC World -
• Bondi hero says he wanted to stop gunman killing innocent people — BBC World -
• Albanese rejects calls for federal royal commission by families of Bondi beach terror attack victims — The Guardian -
• Grave fears for woman missing in SA outback for 16 days as search renewed — The Guardian -
• ‘We need to know’: Bondi victims’ families demand federal royal commission from PM — The Guardian -

Kosovo's prime minister securing an emphatic election victory and growing concerns about the sustainability of European pension systems are key political and economic stories from the continent, alongside Germany's far-right AfD being invited to a security conference.

• Germany’s far-right AfD invited to join Munich Security Conference 2026 — The Guardian -
• Kosovo prime minister wins snap election to end political deadlock — The Guardian -
• Pensions timebomb: why Europe’s social contract is becoming unsustainable — The Guardian -

• Most Europeans think state pensions will become unaffordable, polling shows — The Guardian -
• Kosovo's ruling party wins election after months of political deadlock — BBC World -
• Kosovo's ruling party wins election after months of political deadlock — BBC World -

Tributes to notable figures who passed in 2025 and reviews of the year in pictures and culture marked year-end reflections, including George Clooney gaining French citizenship and SoftBank's major AI acquisition.

• Deaths in 2025: A Yearlong Procession of Giants — New York Times World -
• The Year in Pictures — New York Times World -
• Remembering Those Who Died This Year — New York Times World -

• George Clooney and wife Amal granted French citizenship — The Guardian -
• Annette Dionne, Last of the Celebrated Quintuplets, Dies at 91 — New York Times World -
• SoftBank to acquire DigitalBridge for $4bn in move to deepen ties to AI — The Guardian -
• Copper price on track for biggest rise in 15 years amid global shortage fears — The Guardian -
• ‘He has come back from the dead’: Chevy Chase spent eight days in a coma during Covid pandemic — The Guardian -
• John Simpson: 'I've reported on 40 wars but I've never seen a year like 2025' — BBC World -
• University of Melbourne’s pioneering vice-chancellor Emma Johnston dies aged 52 — The Guardian -
• The Best of Culture — New York Times World -