artemis: orbit but not the useful kind

After months of a high-profile legal dispute, entertainment agency ADOR terminates its contract with singer Danielle and expels her from the South Korean girl group NewJeans(The Independent) 

High-speed rail service Eurostar temporarily suspends all trains between London and Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam due to an “overhead power supply issue” in the Channel Tunnel that caused major disruptions. (DW) 

Three people are killed and four others are injured, including one critically, in a livestreamed mass shooting when suspected Jalisco New Generation Cartel gunmen open fire on a Lamborghini in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. (BNO News) 

At least 13 people are killed and 98 others are injured, including five critically, when a Tren Interoceánico train carrying 250 people derails in Asunción IxtaltepecOaxaca, Mexico. (Reuters) 

Two trains on a rail line between Cusco to Machu Picchu in Urubamba province, Peru, collide, killing a train driver and injuring 40 passengers.  (CBS News) 

United States federal judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts blocks the Trump administration’s plan to end temporary protected status for South Sudanese nationals, issuing an administrative stay that prevents the expiration of deportation protections while a legal challenge proceeds. (Reuters) 

Israel announces the suspension of many international humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, the International Rescue Committee, and divisions of Oxfam and Caritas, from operating in Gaza starting January 1 for allegedly failing to pass new rules to vet the organizations and cooperating with Hamas and other militant groups. (AP) 

The Royal Saudi Air Force strikes the port of Mukalla, Yemen, targeting a ship with weapons delivered from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Southern Transitional Council. (AP) 

Yemen ends its defense pact with the UAE, with leader Rashad al-Alimi ordering all Emirati forces to leave within 24 hours. He also declares a 90-day national state of emergency and a three-day blockade on the country’s southern and eastern regions. The UAE later announces that its remaining forces in Yemen will leave the country. (Reuters) 

Syrian authorities arrest 21 people in the Latakia Governorate and impose a curfew in the provincial capital following sectarian violence linked to unrest after a mosque bombing and protests in Alawite-majority areas. (AFP via Al Arabiya) 

Turkish police detain 357 people nationwide suspected of being Islamic State members following clashes between the two sides yesterday. (DW) 

Moody’s downgrades the credit rating of Budapest, Hungary, to Ba1 and places it on review for a further cut, citing weak liquidity, uncertainty over state transfers, rising solidarity tax obligations, and the partial suspension of European Union funds to Hungary. (Reuters) 

The search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 resumes in the southern Indian Ocean under a contingent fee agreement between Ocean Infinity, which has deployed autonomous underwater vehicles, and the Malaysian government. (AFP via France 24) 

The South African Police Service confirms at least 41 young men were killed from circumcision procedures during traditional initiation activities over the past two months in South Africa. (MSN) 

Provisional results show that incumbent leader Mamady Doumbouya is elected president. (Reuters) 

Congolese president Denis Sassou Nguesso announces his candidacy for re-election in the upcoming election. (AFP via France 24) 

China conducts the largest live fire exercises to date around Taiwan, designating multiple sea and air zones for drills by naval and air units to rehearse a blockade and to signal opposition to recent United States arms sales to Taiwan. (Reuters) 

Russian president Vladimir Putin signs a law allowing the government to disregard criminal judgments issued by foreign or international courts that lack a treaty basis or a United Nations Security Council mandate. (Reuters) 

Denis Kapustin, leader of the Ukraine-aligned white-nationalist Russian Volunteer Corps, is killed in a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.  (The Moscow Times) 

Two people are killed and 32 are injured during a Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv, Ukraine. Damage to critical infrastructure leaves 40% of Kyiv’s residential areas and surrounding districts without heating. (BBC News) 

Protests erupt in Tehran, Iran, for a second day after the Iranian rial drops in value and inflation rates increase by 42.2%. The leader of the Central Bank of Iran resigns in response. (AP) 

Israel introduces new rules for aid groups, forbidding activities or criticism that “delegitimizes” Israel, without providing specific definitions. Aid groups say that the requirements are political and may hinder criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza. (ABC News) 

Three police officers and six Islamic State gunmen are killed in a shootout during a raid at a house in Elmalık, Yalova Province, Turkey. Eight other officers and a civilian are also wounded. (Al Jazeera) 

The Syrian transitional government orders the military to secure a mass grave at a former military base near Al-Dumayr, Rif Dimashq Governorate, and opens a criminal investigation into a covert operation that transferred thousands of bodies there from another site during the previous administration. (Reuters) 

Haibat al-Halbousi of the Iraqi Progress Party is elected Speaker of the Council of Representatives following the recent parliamentary election. (Reuters) 

Three people are killed and another is injured when an avalanche hits a ski resort on the Pyrenees in Panticosa, Aragon, Spain. (Daily Express) 

Two people are killed and British boxer Anthony Joshua is injured when a car crashes into a stationary truck on the Ogun–Lagos state expressway near Lagos, Nigeria. (BBC News) 

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission raids multiple companies and freezes six bank accounts while investigating alleged bribery linked to army procurement contracts, as army chief Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan is placed on leave pending the inquiry. (Reuters) 

The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal sentences a former Ba’athist lieutenant to death for the massacre of Barzanis during the Anfal campaign against Kurds in the 1980s. (The New Region) 

At least three people are killed and dozens of others are injured after gunfire erupts during Alawite-led protests in Latakia, Syria, demanding decentralization and for the transitional government to release Assadist detainees. (Reuters) 

Six people, including a two-year-old girl, are killed and three others are injured in a mass shooting at a beach in Puerto López, Manabí Province, Ecuador.  (TRT World) 

Citizens of the Central African Republic vote to elect a president and 140 members of the National Assembly. The incumbent Faustin-Archange Touadéra seeks a third term in office. (Reuters) 

Sixteen people are killed and three others sustain burn injuries after a fire breaks out at a retirement home in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Reuters) 

Three people, including a toddler, are killed and three others are injured when a building collapses in Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa. (AP) 

Nine people are killed, including five children, and three others are injured, including the perpetrator and another child, in a mass stabbing spree at multiple houses in Richelieu, Commewijne District, Suriname. (AP) 

Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje party wins the election with about half of the votes and an estimated 56 of the 120 assembly seats but falls short of the 61 seats required to govern without support from minority parties. (Al Jazeera) 

Citizens of Myanmar vote in the first phase to elect the nation’s legislature, held under the supervision of a military junta amidst a civil war. (AP) 

Citizens of Kosovo vote for the second time in a year to elect the members of the Kuvendi. (AP via ABC News) 

Citizens of Guinea vote for a president as incumbent Mamady Doumbouya seeks to be elected four years after leading a coup. (Reuters) 

space trash will kill us all in 2026

Chilean state-owned mining company Codelco and private miner SQM create a joint venture to develop lithium in the Atacama salt flat until 2060, with the Chilean state set to receive the majority of operating margins. (AFP via Barron’s) 

Denis Kapustin, leader of the Ukraine-aligned white-nationalist Russian Volunteer Corps, is killed in a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. (The Kyiv Independent) 

Citizens of the Central African Republic vote to elect a president and 140 members of the National Assembly. The incumbent Faustin-Archange Touadéra seeks a third term in office. (Reuters) 

The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal sentences a former Ba’athist lieutenant to death for the massacre of Barzanis during the Anfal campaign against Kurds in the 1980s. (The New Region) 

Citizens of Guinea vote for a president as incumbent Mamady Doumbouya seeks to be elected four years after leading a coup. (Reuters) 

Citizens of Myanmar vote in the first phase to elect the nation’s legislature, held under the supervision of a military junta amidst a civil war. (AP) 

Citizens of Kosovo vote for the second time in a year to elect the members of the Kuvendi. (AP via ABC News) 

Two people are killed and 32 are injured during a Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv, Ukraine. Damage to critical infrastructure leaves 40% of Kyiv’s residential areas and surrounding districts without heating. (BBC News) 

The Rapid Support Forces kill over 200 civilians in ethnically motivated attacks targeting non-Arabs in West Darfur and during advances in North Darfur, according to the Sudan Doctors Union(The Express Tribune) 

Niger’s Government declares a nationwide mobilization that authorizes the compulsory call-up of citizens and the requisition of 2025 and services to support operations against jihadist insurgent groups. (AFP via France 24) 

Cambodia and Thailand sign a new ceasefire agreement, calling for a pause in military movements and airspace encroachment for military purposes. (AP) 

China issues sanctions on 20 United States defense-related companies and ten executives for providing weapons to Taiwan last week. (AP) 

The National People’s Congress of China passes a revised trade law that will expand the government’s authority to counter trade restrictions, regulate exports of strategic goods, and update provisions on digital, green, and intellectual-property trade from March 1, 2026. (Reuters) 

Fifteen people are killed and 19 more injured as a bus plunges in to a ravine while driving on the Inter-American Highway in Sololá Department, Guatemala. (Al Jazeera) 

An accident involving two cars after an improper overtaking kills eleven people on the BR-101 highway near Mucuri, Bahia, Brazil. (UOL) 

At least nine people are killed and eight others are injured when a bus carrying 19 charity workers overturns on a mountain in Phinh Ho, Lào Cai province, Vietnam. (Reuters) 

A Mw 7.0 earthquake, rated intensity four on the Central Weather Administration seismic intensity scale, strikes 32 km (20 mi) off the coast of Yilan, Taiwan, causing a temporary power outage for over 3,000 households.  (CNN) 

A coach for Valencia CF Femenino‘s reserve football team and three of his four children are killed after a boat carrying eleven people sinks near Padar, Indonesia. (AP) 

The Iranian justice ministry seizes a foreign-flagged oil tanker carrying 25,000 barrels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and detains its sixteen crew members on allegations of carrying illegal items. (AP) 

A joint operation between the Italian state police and the financial police results in the arrest of nine people for allegedly raising about US$8.2 million through charities and diverting most of the funds to Hamas following the 2023 attack on Israel. (UPI) 

Citizens of the Ivory Coast vote for the 255 members of the National Assembly despite the opposition Democratic Party boycotting due to alleged election fraud by the ruling RHDP party. (DW) 

The Italian Parliament approves a reform that reduces the powers of the Court of Audit over public spending, caps financial penalties for negligent administrators at 30 percent of losses or two years of salary, and introduces automatic approval if the court does not respond within 30 days. (Reuters) 

Friday, December 26th, 2025 

The Takaichi Cabinet of Japan approves a ¥122.3 trillion (US$785 billion) budget for the next fiscal year, the largest national budget in Japan’s history, while reducing the debt-dependence ratio to 24.2 percent, supported by projected tax revenues of a record ¥83.7 trillion ($535 billion). (Reuters) 

Fifteen people are injured in a mass stabbing and liquid attack at a factory in MishimaShizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The perpetrator is arrested. (CBS News) 

Israel becomes the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. Somaliland also officially recognises Israel. (Reuters) 

Israel recognises the state of Somaliland. (Reuters) 

Two Israeli civilians are killed and another two are injured, including a child, in a vehicle ramming and stabbing attack by a Palestinian man in Beit She’an and Afula, Israel. The perpetrator is shot by police and hospitalized. (DW) 

Eight people are killed and 18 more are injured in an explosion caused by Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah at an Alawite mosque in Homs, Syria.  (France 24) 

Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claim responsibility for the attack via a statement on Telegram. (France 24) 

Two soldiers are killed and another is critically wounded in a drone strike against a military base in TineWadi Fira, Chad. The perpetrators are unknown. (Reuters) 

Two people are killed and 26 others are injured in a 50-vehicle collision on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.  (The Independent) 

The Malaysian Federal Court sentences former prime minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison and a RM‎13.5 billion (US$3.3 billion) fine for abuse of power and money laundering. (AP) 

The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court orders the preventive detention of former federal highway police chief Silvinei Vasques after he was captured in Paraguay while attempting to flee Brazil despite electronic tagging, following his conviction for involvement in the attempted coup. (Reuters) 

Turkish authorities seize weapons and documents and arrest 115 suspects in Istanbul, connected with Islamic State-planned attacks on non-Muslims at Christmas and New Year’s festivities across the country. (BBC News) 

United States president Donald Trump orders strikes on the Islamic State in northwestern Nigeria. (CBS News) 

Three people are killed in two separate Israeli airstrikes targeting vehicles in southern Lebanon, including a member of the Iranian Quds Force. (Reuters) 

The Polish Air Force intercepts and escorts a Russian aerial reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Baltic sea away from nearby Polish airspace. (DW) 

Residents of Mogadishu, Somalia, vote to elect 390 district council members who will select the city’s mayor, marking Somalia’s first direct election since 1969, serving as a pilot for planned nationwide polls. (Reuters) 

A woman is found dead and two other people are wounded in an attack in Boden, Sweden. The perpetrator is shot and killed by police. (Reuters) 

The End

x x

Eight people are killed and 18 more injured in an explosion at a Shiite mosque in Homs, Syria. (Al Jazeera) 

Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claim responsibility for the attack via a statement on Telegram. (France 24) 

Israel recognises the state of Somaliland. (Reuters) 

At least 16 people are injured in a stabbing attack in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. (CBS News) 

United States president Donald Trump orders strikes on the Islamic State in northwestern Nigeria. (CBS News) 

The Polish Air Force intercepts and escorts a Russian aerial reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Baltic sea away from nearby Polish airspace. (DW) 

Three people are killed in two separate Israeli airstrikes targeting vehicles in southern Lebanon, including a member of the Iranian Quds Force. (Reuters) 

Turkish authorities seize weapons and documents and arrest 115 suspects in Istanbul, connected with Islamic State-planned attacks on non-Muslims at Christmas and New Year’s festivities across the country. (BBC News) 

A woman is found dead and two other people are wounded in an attack in Boden, Sweden. The perpetrator is shot and killed by police. (Reuters) 

Residents of Mogadishu, Somalia, vote to elect 390 district council members who will select the city’s mayor, marking Somalia’s first direct election since 1969, serving as a pilot for planned nationwide polls. (Reuters) 

Christmas 2025

Below split and overlap – posted Friday 12.26 3pm 

Christmas 2025 

United States president Donald Trump orders strikes on the Islamic State in northwestern Nigeria. (CBS News) 

The Polish Air Force intercepts and escorts a Russian aerial reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Baltic sea away from nearby Polish airspace. (DW) 

Three people are killed in two separate Israeli airstrikes targeting vehicles in southern Lebanon, including a member of the Iranian Quds Force.  (Reuters) 

Turkish authorities seize weapons and documents and arrest 115 suspects in Istanbul, connected with Islamic State-planned attacks on non-Muslims at Christmas and New Year’s festivities across the country. (BBC News) 

A woman is found dead and two other people are wounded in an attack in Boden, Sweden. The perpetrator is shot and killed by police. (Reuters) 

Residents of Mogadishu, Somalia, vote to elect 390 district council members who will select the city’s mayor, marking Somalia’s first direct election since 1969, serving as a pilot for planned nationwide polls. (Reuters) 

The United States imposes visa bans on Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO Imran Ahmed, former European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry BretonGlobal Disinformation Index co-founder Clare Melford, and HateAid CEOs Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon for allegedly pressuring U.S. social media platforms to restrict speech. (Reuters) 

Harmony Jets Flight 185 A Dassault Falcon 50 jet carrying Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, the Libyan Army chief, four other passengers and three crew crashes approximately two kilometers south of Kesikkavak, Haymana, Ankara, Turkey. No survivors are reported. (Al Jazeera) (AP) 

An alleged Hezbollah member is killed in an airstrike by the Israel Defense Forces on a vehicle near Jannata, Tyre District, South Governorate, Lebanon. (MSN) 

Three former officials of the al-Assad regime are killed in clashes with Syrian security forces near Jableh, Latakia Governorate. (AFP via Al Arabiya) 

At least six people are killed, including the perpetrator, and 35 others are injured in a suicide bombing by a Boko Haram terrorist at a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. (Reuters) 

An explosive device kills two police officers and the suspected perpetrator in Moscow, Russia, near where Russian lieutenant general Fanil Sarvarov was killed in a separate bombing two days prior. (BBC News) 

A boat carrying 117 migrants capsizes off in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 116 people and leaving only one survivor. (Daily Express) 

Five people are killed when a rescue helicopter crashes on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. (Reuters) 

The Ghanaian information ministry arrests 48 Nigerians allegedly participating in cybercrime operations on the outskirts of Accra. (DW) 

The Honduran National Electoral Council declares National Party candidate Nasry Asfura winner of the presidential election almost one month after it was held. (BBC News) 

Five masked Israeli settlers break into a Palestinian house in the southern West Bank, killing three sheep, injuring four others, and fire tear gas into the living quarters. Three children under the age of four are taken to hospital after the tear gas attack. (Los Angeles Times) 

Five masked Israeli settlers violently break into a Palestinian house in the southern West Bank, killing three sheep, injuring four others, and fire tear gas into the living quarters. Three children under the age of four are taken to hospital after the tear gas attack. (Los Angeles Times) 

The Ukrainian Armed Forces confirm their withdrawal from Siversk, Donetsk Oblast. (Reuters) 

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirms their withdrawal from SiverskDonetsk Oblast(upday) 

The United States Southern Command announces U.S. forces have struck an alleged drug trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person. (ABC News) 

The United States Southern Command announces it struck an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person. (ABC News) 

The Pakistani Taliban detonates a bomb and shoots at a police van in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, killing five officers. (Reuters) 

The Pakistani Taliban detonates a bomb and shoots at a police van in KarakKhyber PakhtunkhwaPakistan, killing five officers. (Reuters) 

In an agreement mediated by the United Nations special envoy office and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and the Houthis release a joint 2,900 detainees held throughout the civil war. (AP) 

The Italian Competition Authority fines Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair €255 million (US$300 million) for allegedly abusing its dominant market position from April 2023 to April 2025 by restricting how travel agencies sell its flights. (Reuters) 

At least two people are killed and 20 others are injured in an explosion and fire at a nursing home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. (WPVI-TV) (Reuters) 

Montenegro reinstates visa-free entry for Turkish citizens but shortens the permitted stay from 90 days to 30 days after resuming cooperation with Turkey. (Reuters) 

Romanian president Nicușor Dan announces an investigation into alleged systemic abuses within the judiciary after judges and prosecutors report intimidation and undue influence by the High Court of Cassation and Justice(Reuters) 

The Venezuelan National Assembly approves a law that creates prison terms of up to 20 years for promoting or financing activities defined as piracy, blockades, or related international crimes. (Reuters) 

A Croatian man is sentenced to 50 years in prison for fatally stabbing a 7-year-old student at a school in Zagreb in December 2024. (AP) 

A court in Lisbon, Portugal, orders Chega presidential candidate André Ventura to remove campaign posters targeting the Romani people within 24 hours, ruling that the materials are discriminatory and may incite hatred, or face daily fines of €2,500 (US$2,940) per poster. (Reuters) 

The End Friday 

Tuesday,  December 23rd, 2025 

At least two people are killed, 21 others are injured and five are reported missing in an explosion and fire at a nursing home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. (WPVI-TV) 

tank truck explodes on a highway in TeanoCampaniaItaly. The number of casualties is unknown. (Times Now) 

Romanian president Nicușor Dan announces an investigation into alleged systemic abuses within the judiciary after judges and prosecutors report intimidation and undue influence by the High Court of Cassation and Justice(Reuters) 

Croatian man is sentenced to 50 years in prison for fatally stabbing a 7-year-old student at Prečko Elementary School in Zagreb in December 2024. (AP) 

The price of gold reaches an all-time high of US$4,383.76 per ounce, surpassing its previous peak of $4,381.52. (AFP via Barron’s) 

Lieutenant general Fanil Sarvarov is killed by a car bomb in Moscow, Russia. The Security Service of Ukraine is being investigated for its role in the attack, which they have not taken responsibility for, with connections also drawn to the assassination of Igor Kirillov last year. (The Guardian) 

Nuclear power in JapanThe Niigata prefectural assembly approves the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, the world’s largest nuclear facility, nearly 15 years after Japan shut down its reactors following the 2011 Fukushima disaster(Reuters) 

The Israeli cabinet approves 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite such settlements being considered illegal under international law. (BBC News) 

Three people are killed in an Israeli airstrike against a vehicle near Sidon, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) 

Two people are killed and eight others are injured during clashes between Syrian security forces and Syrian Democratic Forces fighters in Aleppo. (AP via WFMZ-TV) 

Ukrainian military forces launch airstrikes on several targets across Russia, hitting an oil terminal, an ammunition depot, and a drone launch site in Krasnodar. (AP) 

Turkish intelligence agents capture a senior member of the Islamic State – Khorasan Province along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border(AP) 

The Chinese commerce ministry imposes a provisional set of 42.7% tariffs on dairy products, including milk and cheese, imported from the European Union(AP) 

The price of gold reaches an all-time high of US$4,383.76 per ounce, surpassing its previous peak of $4,381.52. (AFP via Barron’s) 

At least 16 people are killed and 18 others are injured, including five critically, when a passenger bus loses control on a toll road, strikes a concrete barrier, and overturns in SemarangCentral JavaIndonesia(AP) 

Mexican Navy Beechcraft Super King Air plane carrying eight people, including a pediatric patient, crashes into a bay while on approach to Scholes International Airport in Galveston, Texas, United States. At least five people are killed, including a two-year-old child, while two others are rescued and another is reported missing. (Chron) (BNO News) (AP) 

Ten people are injured, including three seriously and the driver, when an individual drove into a crowd waiting to watch a parade in Nunspeet, Gelderland, Netherlands. (Nunspeet Huis aan Huis in Dutch) (AP) 

India and New Zealand finalize a free-trade agreement aiming to reduce most tariffs on bilateral trades, while New Zealand also pledges to invest US$20 billion in India’s economy over the next 15 years. (DW) 

Development Berhad scandalThe high court of Kuala LumpurMalaysia, rules that former prime minister Najib Razak must remain in prison, holding that a purported royal addendum allowing house arrest lacks legal force because it was not approved by the pardons board, as required under the constitution(Reuters) 

The Israeli cabinet approves defense minister Israel Katz‘s proposal to close the Israeli Army Radio, one of the country’s two state broadcasters, by March 1, 2026, citing dissatisfaction from soldiers. (Reuters) 

United States president Donald Trump reveals the development of the Trump Class USS Defiant, the first American battleship built since World War II. (BBC News) 

Three people are killed in an Israeli airstrike against a vehicle near Sidon, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera) 

At least 16 people are killed and 18 others are injured, including five critically, when a passenger bus loses control on a toll road, strikes a concrete barrier, and overturns in SemarangCentral JavaIndonesia(AP) 

At least nine people are injured, including three seriously, when a person drives into a crowd in Nunspeet, Gelderland, Netherlands.  (AP) 

Jaime Osuna Worlda’s Most Evil Prisoners