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 fishing town nearby,…
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 over in several…
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 a lengthy year-end…
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 its population fleeing…
