The reason is different views on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. And the security issues that Trump's special envoy neglects Chandan Khanna / AFP / Scanpix / LETA US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a meeting with Ukrainian negotiators.

Video game developer Vince Zampella died in a traffic accident in California, NBC Los Angeles reported on December 22. He was 55 years old. Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images Zampell's accident occurred north of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains on December 21. The car he was in, for an unknown reason, left the road and crashed into a concrete barrier. The passenger was thrown out of the cabin, the driver was trapped inside the car, engulfed in fire. Both died.

The Russian armed forces entered the territory of the village of Grabovskoye in the Sumy region of Ukraine and took all local residents to Russia - 52 people, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on December 22. According to him, there were civilians in the village, citizens of Ukraine, who had previously refused to evacuate from the village located on the border with Russia. Zelensky noted that 17-18 local residents were of military age, and the rest were women and children.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on December 22 that Ukraine and the United States have completed work on a basic package of documents that should form the basis of a future agreement on peace and security guarantees, Suspilne reports. The key document is an agreement on security guarantees, which will contain closed annexes and details on supporting the Ukrainian army. The first drafts of an agreement on the restoration of the country are also ready.

Russian officials tell Meduza that mobile Internet blackouts and blocked messaging apps are undermining their ability to manage public sentiment Russian officials are complaining about the country’s mobile Internet shutdowns and blocked messaging apps. The outages don’t just disrupt their day-to-day work — they’re cutting off the channels regional administrations rely on to communicate with each other and to monitor public sentiment.

Russian courts convicted over 460 people of treason and espionage in 2025, according to a new report Since the start of Moscow’s full-scale war in Ukraine, Russian courts have convicted more than 1,000 people on charges of treason and espionage, according to a new study by analyst Kirill Parubets conducted for the human rights group Department One. In 2025 alone, courts handed down 468 such verdicts — the highest annual figure since 1997, when Russia’s current Criminal Code came into force.

Leon Neal/Getty Images Two graffiti made in the style of street artist Banksy were noticed in London, BBC News reports . Both depict two children lying on the ground, wearing rubber boots, coats and winter hats. One of them points upward, probably to the stars. Leon Neal/Getty Images Graffiti in London's Bayswater One work appeared on December 22 above a garage in Bayswater in west London, the second - on December 19 near Center Point Tower in the city center.

Online bank Revolut informed customers in Ukraine on December 22 that it was suspending the provision of services in the country due to the requirements of Ukrainian legislation, Forbes Ukraine reported, citing notifications that local residents received. The bank advised users to withdraw money from their accounts within 60 days. When this period expires, the account will be closed. However, users will still have the opportunity to withdraw money to an account in another bank.

The magistrate at court precinct No. 4 in Saransk fined a local resident five thousand rubles for “inducing” an abortion, said Natalya Moskvitina, head of the Women for Life Foundation. According to her, this is the first such fine in Russia. Mediazona journalists found information about the case on the website of the Magistrates' Justice of Mordovia. The fine under Article 9.1 of the Republican Code of Administrative Offenses was imposed on December 8.

The project to help political prisoners “You are not alone” has launched a New Year’s charity fundraiser . The organizers are raising funds for New Year gifts for Russians who find themselves behind bars because of their beliefs. These are symbolic, but vital things in prison - from warm clothes, food and medicine to the opportunity to see loved ones. The collection page contains several hundred applications from political prisoners and their loved ones reporting their priority needs.

She has been by his side for over 50 years (and she owns his property). She used to be considered his second cousin “Project” Lidia Leonova The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill (in the world Vladimir Gundyaev), has been accompanied by a “secret common-law wife” Lydia Leonova for more than 50 years, claims the Project publication.

On December 17, the Southern Military Court began considering the case of treason against Russian serviceman Anton Kuruu, writes Sibir.Realii. This is the first known case where a participant in the war with Ukraine is accused of treason. The plot of the case is unknown. The first court hearing was postponed due to the defendant's failure to appear. Almost always in cases of treason, arrest is imposed as a preventive measure, and it is not clear why the defendant did not appear at the hearing.

The Odintsovo court in the Moscow region sentenced businessman and former Minister of Trade of the Moscow Region Mikhail Khubutia to a year of probation in the case of an attack on his ex-girlfriend Yulia Van, RIA Novosti was told in court. The court found that on April 24, 2025, in a house in the village of Trekhgorka-5, Khubutia “on the basis of suddenly arising personal hostile relations” beat Van with the butt of an ax.

A group of activist hackers gained access to millions of audio files from the Spotify music library, writes Billboard. As the hackers themselves stated on the Annaʼs Archive blog, they managed to gain access to 86 million tracks and 256 million lines of metadata. They are now planning to distribute the content via torrents.

British singer and guitarist Chris Rea has died at the age of 74, the BBC reports. In a statement, the musician's family said that he died peacefully on December 22 in hospital after a short illness, surrounded by his loved ones. Richard Ecclestone/Redferns/Getty Images In the 1990s, the musician was diagnosed with cancer, and in 2001 he underwent surgery to remove his pancreas. In 2016, Rea suffered a stroke, but continued to engage in musical activities.