We analyze “The Irony of Fate” as a textbook on gender imbalance in the USSR Photo: Mosfilm Already at the beginning of December, many people have the feeling that the holiday is very close. In Europe and America, people are preparing for Christmas sales and a big Christmas celebration, while residents of post-Soviet countries have another holiday - New Year.

Photo: Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA On the afternoon of January 2, Russia struck the center of Kharkov, injuring 30 people. OVA writes about this. According to the Kharkov region prosecutor's office, the attack was carried out by an Iskander missile. Two ballistic missiles hit the apartment building, authorities said . The shopping center building was destroyed and half of the residential building was destroyed.

Interesting and original films that did not top the tops, but are definitely worth paying attention to Keanu Reeves as Gabriel and Sandra Oh as Martha in the film Lucky Ones. Photo: Eddy Chen/Lionsgate Publicity While we discuss high-profile studio films and festival winners and place bets on which of them will take the Oscar in 2026, many great films remain outside the spotlight.

Kyrylo Budanov meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 2 January 2026. Photo: Zelensky / Telegram Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that Kyrylo Budanov would be the new head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, following the resignation of the office’s previous head Andriy Yermak in November.

Vladimir Zelensky invited Kirill Budanov to head the Office of the President of Ukraine. The politician announced this on social networks. “Now Ukraine needs to focus more on security issues, the development of the Armed Forces and the security of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track in the negotiations. The office of the president will serve primarily to fulfill such tasks of our state. Kirill has special experience in these areas and is strong enough to achieve results,” Zelensky wrote.

Even without cause for optimism about the state of the world, we mustn’t allow hope to die The EU and Ukrainian flags fly outside the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 24 February 2025. Photo: EPA / Olivier Hoslet I often think back to the time when Jeremy Corbyn, then the leader of the opposition Labour Party in my adopted country, the UK, quoted from a New Year’s speech that had a familiar ring to it.

A poster hails Russian victory in Ukraine next to a Moscow church, 20 February 2023. Photo: EPA / Yuri Kochetkov The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (FISU) said on Friday that it believed the Kremlin was preparing a large-scale provocation with “significant human casualties” intended to derail the ongoing US-led attempts to broker a peace deal between the two countries.

Journalist simulator, Kojima's world and other interactive stories that give hope Visually, Dispatch is reminiscent of 2D superhero animated series like Unbreakable. Frame: AdHoc Studio “New Europe” has chosen the best, in our opinion, humanistic video games based on the results of 2025. The authors of these projects put people at the forefront, awaken empathy and help gamers see the world from a new perspective.

The aftermath of the fatal drone strike on Khorly. Photo: Vladimir Saldo / Telegram The Ukrainian authorities have rejected accusations that its forces carried out a drone strike on a cafe and hotel in the Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region that killed 27 people, Ukrainian news agency Interfax-Ukraine reported on Friday.

Several people died in clashes with security forces Protests against the sharp rise in the cost of living continue in Iran for the fifth day, with at least six people killed, the BBC reports . According to local media, two people were killed during clashes between protesters and police in the city of Lordegan in southwestern Iran. Three more people died in the city of Azna and one in Kukhdasht in the west of the country.

How, at the end of World War II, Americans risked their friendship with Stalin for the sake of mares with foals Alois Podhajsky, an Austrian officer and equestrian who ran the Spanish Riding School in Vienna from 1939 to 1964, demonstrates riding a Lipizzaner stallion in front of General George Patton and members of the U.S. Army as a sign of gratitude for the assistance of American troops in reopening the school. Salzburg, Austria, August 28, 1945.

Photo: Sergey Dolzhenko / EPA Representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmitry Lykhovy commented on Russia’s statements about the strike on a cafe and hotel in the occupied part of the Kherson region, which allegedly killed dozens of civilians. “Information about the defeats carried out by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the night of 01/01/2026 was published on the official pages of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on social networks.