Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ruled out ceding territory to Russia in a pushback against a U.S.-drafted framework, U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the Ukraine war with European leaders in a call that he said saw "pretty strong words" exchanged, the EU agreed to indefinitely freeze 210 billion in Russian assets, with the European Commission arguing that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused a serious economic impact for the bloc,and NATO Chief Mark Rutte claimed that Russia could attack the alliance within five years, urging members to increase their defense capabilities.Elsewhere, Cambodia closed its border crossing with Thailand following an exchange of strikes that left a U.S.-brokered peace plan at risk of collapsingand saw hundreds of thousands evacuated, M23 fighters advanced in the Democratic Republic of Congo just days after signing a U.S.-backed peace deal,with over 400 civilians killed amid the clashes,and a Nigerian Air Force crew was detained in Burkina Faso after the Alliance for Sahel States accused it of violating its airspace.In other news, China and Russia held their 10th joint strategic air patrol, prompting responses from Japan and South Korea, Pentagon war games simulating a Chinese invasion of Taiwan reportedly showed that the U.S. could lose if it intervenes,and the U.S. launched GenAI — a Google Gemini-powered military AI platform —and passed the National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing nearly $900 billion in military spending for the 2026 fiscal year.

Iran, China and Saudi Arabia convened their third trilateral committee meeting to advance the Beijing Agreement, Russia's Vladimir Putin joined his Turkish and Iranian counterparts at a summit in Turkmenistan commemorating the 30th anniversary of the nation's permanent neutrality,and Belarus released 123 prisoners as the U.S. lifted sanctions on its potash sector.Meanwhile, another Conservative defected to Canada's Liberal Party, bringing it one seat short of a majority, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament amid escalating tensions with the opposition People's Party, Bulgaria's government resigned following weeks of widespread protests,and Syria marked the first anniversary of the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's 53-year rule, with rallies held across the country.This comes as Trump described European nations as "weak" and "decaying," alleging that the continent is too "politically correct," Zelenskyy said he's ready for elections on the condition that Ukraine's Western allies provide it with security guarantees,and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen distanced herself from EU corruption allegations following raids that saw two officials detained.Elsewhere, Iran seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was allegedly carrying 37,000 barrels of fuel, the U.S. seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, with the White House saying it was "the largest one ever seized,"and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made her first public appearance in months after her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.In other news, the U.S. proposed implementing mandatory social media screenings for tourists from nearly two dozen countries, the EU approved a new immigration plan for 2026 aimed at restoring control over migration flows,and Honduras asked Interpol to execute an arrest warrant for former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was recently released from a West Virginia prison following a presidential pardon from Trump.

A judge authorized the release of sealed Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell files following passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, House Democrats released dozens of additional photos from Epstein's estate, with several depicting prominent individuals including Trump and former President Bill Clinton,and Trump revealed plans to pardon Tina Peters — a Colorado county clerk convicted of charges stemming from a voting system security breach.Meanwhile, Rep. Haley Stevens introduced articles of impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of abuse of authority and undermining public health, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced calls to resign as she testified regarding worldwide threats to the U.S.,and Eileen Higgins secured Miami's mayoral race, becoming the first Democrat to win the position in three decades.This comes as Alina Habba resigned as New Jersey's acting U.S. attorney after an appeals court ruled her disqualified for the role, Rep. Jasmine Crockett entered the Texas Senate race as former Rep. Colin Allred withdrew,and the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments in Trump v. Slaughter, examining Trump's authority to remove Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter.Elsewhere, a judge blocked the deployment of the California National Guard in Los Angeles, ruling that Trump must return control of approximately 100 remaining troops to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Trump launched his $1 million "gold card" visa program, offering an expedited pathway to residency,and a judge ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration custody, ruling that the White House lacked the authority to detain him.In other news, Trump announced a $12 billion agricultural aid package to support farmers impacted by global tariffs,and Indiana's Senate rejected a GOP redistricting bill in a bipartisan vote, with 21 Republicans joining Democrats to defeat the measure.

Australia enacted a social media ban for children under 16, establishing the world's first such restrictions,and SCOTUS declined to hear an appeal of a Texas book ban case involving 17 titles on transgender issues, race and slavery that were removed from public libraries.However, the court did hear arguments in an Alabama death row case concerning a defendant whose IQ falls just below the state's threshold for intellectual disability.Meanwhile, a U.K. nurse won a harassment claim stemming from a dispute over a transgender woman's access to female facilities,and Iran arrested Nobel Prize Laureate Narges Mohammadi while she attended a memorial ceremony for human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi.

Alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson made his first in-person court appearance, marking a procedural step in the ongoing legal case,12 people were killed in a shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach, a shooting at Brown University left two dead and nine injured,and a shooting at Kentucky State University left one student dead and another injured.Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of New York initiated mediation for $300 million in abuse claim settlements, anticipated to be funded through budget reductions, staff layoffs and property sales,and Washington D.C. police chief Pamela Smith resigned after serving more than two years in the position.

Trump allowed the export of Nvidia's H200 chips to China, with 25% of the sales to be paid to the U.S., Texas partnered with Turning Point USA to establish Club America chapters in high schools across the state,and SpaceX prepared for a possible initial public offering in 2026 with a targeted valuation of approximately $1.5 trillion.Meanwhile, Paramount launched a $108 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix agreed to acquire the company's studio operations and HBO Max streaming business,and Disney and OpenAI reached a $1 billion deal granting Sora users access to Disney's copyrighted characters for video creation.

The U.S. Education Department announced a proposed agreement to end the Saving on a Valuable Education plan, which currently serves more than 7 million borrowers,and the U.S. Federal Reserve cut the interest rate to 3.5%-3.75%, marking its lowest level in over three years.Meanwhile, Silver prices surpassed $60 per troy ounce for the first time,and the U.N. launched a bid for $23 billion following a funding shortfall this year.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration opened a probe into deaths "potentially related" to COVID-19 vaccines following an initial review that linked 10 children's deaths to the shot, the U.S. Senate rejected two rival health care plans, leaving enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire by the year's end,and social media was linked to attention problems in children, with researchers suggesting stronger age verification methods.Meanwhile, a novel gene therapy showed promise in treating T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with 82% of 11 patients achieving "deep remission,"and a sperm donor unknowingly carrying a cancer-causing mutation was found to have conceived 197 children, at least 10 of whom have already been diagnosed with cancer.

Washington declared a statewide emergency amid widespread flooding,and a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Japan, injuring at least 23 people.

Trump signed an executive order blocking states from enacting independent AI regulations, pushing instead for a unified federal framework to govern the technology,and over 100 British MPs called for binding AI regulations, backed by 89% of the public supporting an independent regulatory body.Meanwhile, Europol warned of AI's potentially transformative impact on society, crime and law enforcement, Elon Musk's xAI partnered with El Salvador to launch the world's first nationwide AI-powered education program,and TIME Magazine named the "Architects of AI" as its 2025 Person of the Year, honoring the individuals who envisioned, designed and built the technology.

Scientists identified the earliest-known evidence of human fire-making, dating back to around 400,000 years ago.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced an ethics complaint over Trump's winning of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.