President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said that he proposed the head of military intelligence Kirill Budanov to head the Office of the President. According to Zelensky, security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as the diplomatic track of negotiations are now priorities for the country. It is on the implementation of these tasks, he noted, that the Office of the President should focus.

Russian troops attacked the central part of Kharkov. The mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, announced this. According to him, the blow hit a residential multi-storey building on Sumskaya Street in the Kievsky district. This is the main street of Kharkov. As a result of the attack, significant destruction was recorded. Civilians were injured. At the moment, at least 19 injuries are known. Emergency services are at the scene, information about the consequences of the attack is being clarified.

It is not yet known whether those killed were protesters or members of the security forces. Human rights organization Hengaw says at least two of those killed in Lordegan were protesters. Iranian authorities have not yet commented on these data. One of the dead, Amir Hessam Khodayari, could have been a Basij, that is, an IRGC officer. However, his father said at the funeral that his son was a participant in the protest.

Since the start of 2025, 468 people have been convicted in Russia on charges of espionage, treason, confidential cooperation with foreign organizations, or aiding the enemy, according to calculations made by Parubets Analytics on behalf of the rights group Perviy Otdel (Department One). The figure marks a new record. Previously, the year with the highest number of verdicts in espionage and treason cases was 2024, when 385 people were convicted.

In 2019, protesters in Chile demanded that the country adopt a new constitution to replace the current Pinochet-era document. However, when the left-wing government that came to power on the strength of that movement failed to implement the promised social reforms, voters responded by electing far-right leader José Antonio Kast, who won a landslide victory in December’s presidential election.

Starlink will transfer all its satellites to a lower orbit in 2026 - from the current approximately 550 km to 480 km. This was announced by SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Technologies Michael Nicholls. The goal of the reconfiguration is to improve safety in space. Nicholls wrote on Twitter (X): “Lowering the orbits of the satellites will densify Starlink orbits and improve safety in space.

Russia has addressed the United States with a diplomatic demand to stop pursuing the oil tanker Bella 1 (IMO: 9230880), which has been escaping from the American Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean for almost two weeks. This was reported by The New York Times, citing sources familiar with the contents of the request. According to them, the appeal was sent to the US State Department late in the evening of December 31, as well as to the White House Homeland Security Council.

China has converted a medium-sized cargo ship into an improvised warship carrying modern attack drones. A modular electromagnetic catapult (EMALS), designed to launch aircraft-type drones, was installed on the deck of the ship. This was reported by The War Zone after the appearance of new images from the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.

News The Insider January 2, 2026 Palau authorities have ceased operational management of the national open ship registry, Palau Open Ship Registry, ending a long-term partnership with International Shipping Bureau Management Ltd. (IML) and related structures. Island Times Palau writes about this. The decision came after the government concluded that the registry was no longer adequate.

News The Insider 1 January 2026 Доступно на русском An oil tanker that has been trying to evade the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean since Dec. 15 has been officially renamed and entered into Russia’s registry of vessels, according to a report by The New York Times . The move could complicate efforts by U.S. authorities to board the ship.

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has again put the founder of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Denis Kapustin, on the wanted list after Ukrainian intelligence said that reports of his death were staged. The corresponding mark appeared in the wanted card on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, writes RBC. “Grounds for the search: wanted under an article of the Criminal Code <…>. Re-announced,” it is indicated in the department’s database.

The French charity Alzheimer's Research Foundation has announced a drawing for a portrait by Pablo Picasso worth more than €1 million. Anyone can take part in the lottery: the ticket price is €100, and all proceeds will be used for Alzheimer's disease research. The Guardian writes about this. We are talking about the painting Tête de femme (“Head of a Woman”), painted by Picasso in 1941. The project was called “1 Picasso for 100 euros” and, as the organizers say, has no analogues in the world.

POLITICS Viktor Markes 2 January 2026 In 2019, protesters in Chile demanded that the country adopt a new constitution to replace the current Pinochet-era document. However, when the left-wing government that came to power on the strength of that movement failed to implement the promised social reforms, voters responded by electing far-right leader José Antonio Kast, who won a landslide victory in December’s presidential election.

China abolished the tax exemption for contraceptives that had been in place for more than 30 years on January 1, Reuters reports . Condoms and birth control pills are now subject to VAT at the standard rate of 13%. In this way, the country's authorities are trying to stimulate the birth rate. The agency notes that China's population has declined for the third year in a row, and experts warn that this trend will continue.