Europe
Ukraine / Russia: prisoner exchange
On 3 January Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, in the biggest such swap since Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 230 Ukrainian prisoners of…
Denmark: the first Australian to become a Queen
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's surprise abdication in favour of her son Crown Prince Frederik has marked a historic moment globally, but it has also made Princess Mary the first-ever Australian to become…
Prague: shock after gunman kills 14
A gunman has killed at least 14 people and injured another 25 at a university in the historic city centre of Prague. It was the deadliest attack in modern Czech history. Staff and…
Iceland: volcano finally erupts
On 18 December a volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland finally erupted, spewing glowing orange jets of lava surrounded by billowing clouds of red smoke. The population of Grindavík, a small…
Ukraine stops drone attack, considers more troops
On 20 December, a major drone attack by Russia was stopped by Ukraine, whose air force claimed to have shot down 34 out of 35 of the Iranian devices. The drones were sent…
Ukraine war to continue - Putin
On 12 December Vladimir Putin asserted that peace will elude Ukraine until Russia achieves its unchanging objectives, despite nearly two years of heightened tensions with the West due to the ongoing conflict. During…
Armenia / Azerbaijan: prisoner exchange a step forward
On 12 December, Armenia and Azerbaijan took a significant step forward by exchanging prisoners. This move follows years of conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan annexed in September, resulting in most of…
Germany: coalition government faces budget crisis
A budget crisis in Germany has struck at the heart of the ambitions of the ruling Green Party within the coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The crisis centres around a significant…
Hungary: Orban opposes Ukraine joining EU
Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz, has submitted a resolution opposing Ukraine's accession talks with the European Union (EU). Fidesz, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, cited concerns about the treatment of ethnic Hungarians in…
Ukraine / Russia war: day 645
NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has warned against underestimating Russia's determination to continue the war. The EU has delivered 300,000 of its promised 1 million shells to Ukraine, with calls for closer alignment of…
