A Russian general was killed when a bomb detonated under his car in Moscow and investigators said Ukraine​ could be behind the attack.

Their deaths in the Russia-Ukraine war were confirmed in social media posts by family members.

On the night of December 20-21, two Su-30 and Su-27 fighter jets burned at a Russian military airfield near Lypetsk.

His interference in the region has been aided by the collapse of the leftist forces that once pushed back against US imperialism For the past generation, Latin America has been a place of unstable stability. Marked on the surface by protests, political pendulum swings and spectacular scandals, most of the region has, since the democratisation of the 1980s and 1990s, remained firmly democratic and free of war between states. Though scarred by the violence of armed groups and increasingly powerful criminal organisations, it has, by and large, lived up to its self-assumed moniker of a “zone of peace”. Which is why this year has felt so jarring. Throughout 2025, the first year of Donald Trump’s second term, analysts have obsessively parsed potential US military incursions into a hemisphere once defined by its unified defence of national sovereignty. But the fixation on whether Washington’s escalating pressure on Nicolás Maduro presages a physical military invasion of Venezuela has distracted from the real story: the larger shift towards direct intervention has already happened, and it has faced remarkably little resistance. More than 100 people have been killed in US maritime strikes that experts characterise as extrajudicial executions, and the loudest objections have come not from Latin American presidents or regional organisations, but from the US Congress. Jordana Timerman is a journalist based in Buenos Aires. She compiles the Latin America Daily Briefing and is part of the Ideas Letter’s editorial team Continue reading...

The improvement comes despite voter concerns about affordability under Trump's administration and pessimism about the economy.

Air defense forces destroyed 58 drones used by Russian troops to attack Ukraine since last night, with enemy strikes recorded at 12 locations.

CBS News pulled a segment on Trump administration deportations of Venezuelan immigrants to an El Salvador prison from "60 Minutes," causing staffers and media onlookers to question whether the decision was politically motivated. Why it matters: The decision comes days after President Trump publicly complained the show was treating him even worse since CBS' parent company was acquired earlier this year. --- * That company, Paramount Skydance, is now involved in a politically delicate effort to acquire CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery. Driving the news: "60 Minutes" announced on social media around 4:30pm ET Sunday that it was dropping the segment, called "Inside CECOT," from that evening's broadcast lineup, but that it would air at a later date. * Sharyn Alfonsi, the segment's correspondent, alleged in an email to colleagues that she learned Saturday that new CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss had "spiked our story" after Trump officials refused to be interviewed, per multiple reports. * "Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices," Alfonsi wrote, per a copy of the email that journalist Liam Scott shared on X. * "It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now, after every rigorous internal check has been met, is not an editorial decision, it is a political one," Alfonsi added. * "If the administration's refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a 'kill switch' for any reporting they find inconvenient." What they're saying: Weiss said in a statement to the New York Times late Sunday that her "job is to make sure that all stories we publish are the best they can be." * She added: "Holding stories that aren't ready for whatever reason — that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices—happens every day in every newsroom. I look forward to airing this important piece when it's ready." Zoom in: Representatives for CBS, "60 Minutes" and the White House did not immediately respond to Axios' Sunday evening request for comment on Alfonsi's reported remarks. * However, a source familiar with the matter denied reports that the segment was pulled for Trump administration comment after representatives for the president declined to give CBS an interview. * The source said the report needed more reporting and other elements, and that reporters did approach the Trump administration. The big picture: The controversy follows a broad shakeup at CBS under its new owner. * Paramount Skydance acquired The Free Press, a digital media outlet founded by Weiss, in October, and subsequently named her editor-in-chief of CBS News. * Weiss reports directly to Paramount Skydance chair and CEO David Ellison, not CBS News president and executive editor Tom Cibrowski, nor Paramount TV media chair George Cheeks. Go deeper: House Democrat asks CBS to explain Trump's "60 Minutes" interview edit

Witkoff said that “Russia remains fully committed to achieving peace in Ukraine” and highly values U.S. efforts to resolve the conflict.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, during which the two leaders discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine and efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.

The works of Ukrainian artist Ivan Marchuk are of nationwide value, and therefore their misappropriation constitutes an encroachment on Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

In November 2025, China purchased gold from Russia worth a record $961 million, marking the largest deal in the history of bilateral trade in the precious metal.

Advocacy efforts for Ukraine within U.S. government institutions have a long history and cover many directions, with the greatest impact coming from personal meetings between Ukrainian activists and members of Congress, as well as large-scale rallies.

Nicușor Dan tells POLITICO the U.S. and the EU need to understand each other better.

On the final night of Hanukkah, thousands came to Bondi Beach to honor the victims of last week's targeted attack in Australia. Leigh Kiniry has more.

Todd Blanche says removal of images has ‘nothing to do’ with the president, and removal of 16 photos came at request of victim advocacy groups – key US politics stories from Sunday 21 December at a glance Deputy US attorney general Todd Blanche said on Sunday that removing photos from the Jeffrey Epstein files release, including one of Donald Trump, had “nothing to do” with the president, as the justice department restored an image it had removed a day earlier that included within it a photo of Trump. The US justice department said on Sunday it restored the image after concluding that the photograph posed no risk of public exposure to victims of the late convicted sex offender. Its unexplained removal on Saturday triggered a chorus of accusations from Democrats of political interference in favor of the president, a former friend of Epstein. Continue reading...

The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuela, a U.S. official tells CBS News. It's another move by the Trump administration to put pressure on Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro. Willie James Inman reports.

Cyprus will continue to support Ukraine during its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins on January 1, 2026.

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will share a "personal message" with British viewers as he delivers the 2025 Alternative Christmas Message for U.K. viewers on Channel 4, the network announced Sunday. The big picture: He'll reflect on the past few months that saw his show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" briefly pulled from the air following outcry from President Trump and others in response to his comments on the show about the killing of Charlie Kirk, per a Channel 4 statement. --- * Channel 4 noted in the statement that Kimmel's comments drew widespread debate in the U.S. "about freedom of speech and freedom of the press," and he's expected to address this in his message. Context: The Channel 4 Christmas message has served as an alternative to the British monarch's annual televised address to the nation "to bring viewers a thought-provoking and often very personal reflection that is pertinent to the events of the past year," per Channel 4 statement. What to expect: While Kimmel's address Thursday will be a "deeply personal" reflection on what happened to his show and his public criticism of the Trump administration, he'll also reflect on the past few months in a "characteristically jovial" way. * "Jimmy will say, 'From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year,'" according to the statement. Background: Other Channel 4 Alternative Christmas Message presenters include civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, former National Security Agency subcontractor Edward Snowden, ex-Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a deep-fake version of the late British Queen Elizabeth II. Go deeper: Jimmy Kimmel extends deal with ABC for another year

Tenures end for mission chiefs in at least 29 countries, including 13 in Africa, as US reshapes its diplomatic posture The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the US diplomatic posture abroad with personnel deemed fully supportive of Donald Trump’s “America first” priorities. The chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their tenures would end in January, according to two state department officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel moves. Continue reading...

In France, three men, including an employee of the Elysee Palace, will stand trial in connection with the theft of table silverware and dishes from the presidential residence.

First, Trump pardon of billionaire sparks concerns. Then, what goes into testing Anthropic's AI. And, inside a chess boxing bout, where brain meets brawn.

The future of AI is dividing the Democratic Party, as potential 2028 presidential candidates and key stakeholders stake out clashing positions in what's already shaping up as a major policy battle in the primary. Why it matters: If Democrats win back the White House in 2028, where they land on AI will shape how the country approaches the new technology — with big consequences for the economy and workers. --- The big picture: Two main arguments are now playing out within the Democratic Party: * Democrats should embrace AI to beat China and capture the jobs that come with the many data centers AI companies are building. (The Trump administration has a similar argument, though most Democrats say the White House has given AI companies too much latitude.) * Democrats should slow down and push for more regulation of the AI industry, given its potential power to displace millions of workers and the volume of natural resources being sucked up by new data centers to power the technology. Driving the news: Swing state governors such as Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro and Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer — both potential 2028 presidential contenders — have welcomed AI companies. * "The future of AI will run through Pennsylvania — and together, we will defeat China in the battle for AI supremacy," Shapiro declared in September. He's touted AI investments from companies such as Amazon in his state. * In October, Whitmer boasted about a multibillion-dollar OpenAI Stargate project: "Today, we won the largest economic project in Michigan history," she said. * She said the project "is expected to create 2,500 good-paying union construction jobs, more than 450 permanent high-skill, high-paying jobs on site, and 1,500 more in the community." Some labor unions, especially those in the building trades, also have partnered with the AI industry and applauded the potential jobs it could bring to their members. * Brent Booker, the president of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), told Axios that "data centers are coming. The country should plan responsibly for them — that means that they are constructed with union labor and developed in the context of expanding energy supply for the communities impacted." The other side: Some progressive Democrats eyeing the 2028 race, such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and California Rep. Ro Khanna, have been much more critical of AI companies. * They've called for significant government regulations and new policies to protect workers who may be displaced by the technology. * Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a left-wing leader, this week called for a "moratorium on the construction of data centers that are powering the unregulated sprint to develop and deploy AI," as he posted on X. * Asked whether Ocasio-Cortez supports a moratorium, her spokesperson declined to say but pointed to her remarks last week at a congressional hearing where she argued that "there are real public health consequences for the continued failure of regulating or there being congressional action in the AI space." * She added: "AI chatbots are causing children to take their own lives, as AI data centers are skyrocketing electricity costs and polluting local communities." While some unions have warmed up to AI, others are fighting it because they believe it will replace their members' jobs. * The Teamsters have called for all self-driving trucks to have a human operator in the vehicle — setting up a clash with AI companies. * Some Democrats, including Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, have backed the union's demands, while others have been quiet on the issue. * Asked whether Shapiro agrees with Fetterman, the governor's spokesperson declined to say.

The Kremlin maintained its a hard line on a peace deal, rejecting undisclosed changes proposed by Kyiv and its European allies, as separate US-Russia and US-Ukraine talks wrapped up in Florida.

Authorized delegations from South Korea and Russia recently held closed-door talks in Moscow on North Korea’s nuclear program and other pressing regional security issues.

Democrats eyeing 2028 presidential runs are losing weight, upgrading their wardrobes and changing their hairstyles — a time-honored tradition for White House hopefuls that has taken on new urgency in the TikTok era. Why it matters: The makeovers by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and others are the latest signs that the pre-primary has begun. --- * Presidential candidates have carefully curated their physical appearances since the early days of TV, and social media has meant they need to be more camera-ready than ever. * Chris Christie got lap band surgery before his 2016 presidential campaign. Jeb Bush lost so much weight on the Paleo diet in that cycle that he had to buy a new wardrobe — and it sparked concerns about his health. Hillary Clinton spent tens of thousands of dollars to enhance her clothing in that campaign. 🪞 "Appearance matters," said James Carville, chief strategist for Bill Clinton's successful 1992 campaign. "No one's going to say, 'I'm not going to vote for someone because they're not attractive.' They won't admit to it. But it certainly matters." * The challenge for candidates is to look their best, but also down-to-earth. "You're not running for the cover of GQ, you're running for a political office," said Derek Guy, the editor of "Put This On" and a popular writer on men's fashion. * "At least since Jimmy Carter, Americans have started to dress down. So there is a kind of tension where you also want to shed those parts of that uniform — the tailored suit, the tie — to seem more relatable." Zoom in: Potential 2028 aspirants are changing their appearances in three main areas: fitness, styling, and facial hair. 1. Getting in shape * Even President Trump has noticed: Pritzker has lost weight this year. The Illinois governor opened up about his fitness journey with an NBC station in Chicago. "I have kids I want to be around for," Pritzker said, noting that he now walks about five miles each morning. * Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who embarked on a national tour this year after his 2024 loss with Vice President Harris, has slimmed down. He stepped up his running routine, an aide told us, and trained for a 10-mile race with his daughter this summer. * Slotkin, who has created some buzz lately with high-profile speeches and trips to Missouri and Kansas, also has lost weight in recent months. 2. Improving their style * Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another potential 2028 candidate, actually began his makeover around 2022, when he was first elected governor. * Before then, many of his outfits were dated, Guy said. "It looks like clothes that you bought in the '90s and just held on to them," he told Axios while looking at Shapiro's official portrait from several years ago. "A charcoal pinstripe suit is very, very formal looking. It's historically considered a business fabric, especially for bankers." * Now, Shapiro's suits are more tailored and modern, but not flashy. He sometimes ditches a tie and swapped out his old glasses for a trendier, rectangular pair, and often wears sneakers. * Guy did approve of one potential 2028 candidate's fashion: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frontrunner in early Democratic polls. "I think he dresses pretty well," said Guy, who was particularly complimentary of Newsom's ties. "He gets the knot right. He does a very small forehand knot, and he ties it with a dimple. And he buys very high-end ties." But Guy said Newsom might be too stylish for some voters. 3. Growing facial hair * Shortly after the 2024 election, Buttigieg, who traveled to Iowa this year, began sporting a beard — cultivating a scruffier image just as Democrats were scrambling to figure out how to win back more men voters. Buttigieg has said he grew the beard because it was one of the first times he wasn't in a job in which he had to be clean-cut. * Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, who was in New Hampshire recently, started wearing what he jokingly calls his "democracy beard" this year. Zoom out: At a time when candidates have to navigate a hyper-fragmented media environment — going from shooting a direct-to-camera video for social media one minute to sitting for an hour-long podcast interview the next — Democratic strategists say there's more pressure than ever to perfect a candidate's image. * The rise of Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs has also made weight loss more attainable. * And there are practical reasons to get fit: Veterans of presidential campaigns have said working out helps candidates build strength ahead of a physically demanding undertaking. Yes, but: Voters value authenticity, and over-managing a candidate's appearance carries risks. * "If something feels forced, people are going to be able to sniff that out," said Parker Butler, a Democratic digital strategist who led the team behind @KamalaHQ, the Harris campaign's social media brand. Despite the potential pitfalls, there's a reason presidential candidates carefully shape their appearance as they gear up for campaigns. * In 1992, media shot photos and videos of Clinton and his vice presidential pick Al Gore jogging in shorts, reflecting the fresh, energetic vibe their campaign was trying to project opposite then-President George H.W. Bush. * "When I saw that picture," Carville said, "I kind of knew we were going to win."