Zelensky:

Martial law will end when Ukraine has security guarantees that include monitoring and the presence of partners.

Iran’s rial is at record lows.

The dollar trades around 1.43–1.45 million rials, after a single-day drop of over 7% on Dec 28.

Drivers include renewed U.S. sanctions, inflation above 50%, weak dollar inflows, and policy uncertainty.

Bazaar protests erupted in Tehran as volatility persists, despite an official rate near 42,000 rials.

Turkish police repeatedly tried to get children out safely as ISIS terrorists used them as human shields during the operation:

“Send the child. We don’t kill children. It’s a holy day, let no one’s nose bleed.”

Kremlin:

A new phone call between Putin and Trump will take place “in the very near future.”

Kremlin:

Kyiv must withdraw the Ukrainian Armed Forces beyond the administrative borders of Donbas in order to stop the fighting.

Europe is losing pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity as production and investment shift to the US, China, and India, threatening “the last vestiges of European health sovereignty.”

Since the 2000s, cost pressures pushed firms to relocate, leading to “a largely unnoticed wave of deindustrialization” and fragmented supply chains.

Today, “80% of the active ingredients in medicines consumed on the continent now come from India or China,” leaving Europe dependent on foreign suppliers, especially for antibiotics.

Massive US investment and Chinese industrial policy risk accelerating Europe’s decline unless coordinated EU action restores competitiveness.

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Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK and former armed forces chief, plans to resign in early January 2026 and return to Kyiv.

He reportedly informed Zelensky weeks ago; an announcement could come Jan 4–5.

Source: Ukrainian outlet NV

Japan Faces Record Birth Collapse in 2025

Japan is on track to register its lowest number of births since records began in 1899.

Population fell by 900,000 in 2024.

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Saudi Arabia Cracks Down on Cost-of-Living Critics

Cybercrime law allows up to 5 years in prison.

Public anger intensified after tycoon Yazeed al-Rajhi, a cousin of the human resources minister, posted a video from a private jet criticizing dissent.

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Somalia: The army says it killed 15 Al-Shabaab members, including three senior operatives, in a security operation near Hudur in Bakool.

Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic could receive a share-based payout exceeding £100 million after the company’s dramatic turnaround.

Rolls-Royce’s market capitalization expanded from under £8 billion to more than £95 billion by the end of 2025.

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Somali President to Visit Türkiye Amid Somaliland Tensions

The Somali President will visit Türkiye tomorrow to discuss tensions after Israel recognized Somaliland and to advance Turkish energy and security cooperation with Somalia.

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DR Congo: At least 20 people were killed in clashes between the FARDC and the Mobondo in Kwilu province, including five soldiers and 15 militiamen.

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar:

If the world is serious about fighting climate change, nuclear energy is not optional — it is indispensable.

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Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar:

We are adding 6,000 megawatts of solar and 2,000 megawatts of wind capacity.

Just this year alone, we are building new installed power equal to the total installed capacity of some small European countries.

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Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar:

Starting especially from 2027, American LNG is becoming one of the cheapest gases in the world.

The United States is producing enormous volumes; it is the world’s largest oil producer and the world’s largest gas producer.

Therefore, American gas is currently the most competitive.

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Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar:

Can we call rare earth elements the oil of our era? Yes, we can.

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