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Catania (Italy) (AFP) – A skier takes to the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily as it erupts.

Beijing (AFP) – China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian says live-fire drills around Taiwan are “a punitive response to Taiwan independence separatist forces” and “necessary” to defend national sovereignty. The statement comes as China’s military drills around Taiwan enter their second day, with dozens of fighter aircrafts and navy vessels deployed to simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island’s key ports and assaults on maritime targets.

Geneva (AFP) – Washington pledges an initial $2 billion for United Nations humanitarian aid in 2026, far less than it has provided in recent years. UN humanitarian aid chief Tom Fletcher says that the “$2 billion goes a huge way to saving millions of lives,” but adds that more donations will be needed to reach the UN’s goal of $23 billion for their 2026 humanitarian plan.

Hong Kong (AFP) – Hong Kong fire survivor Yip Ka-kui still sends daily voice notes to his beloved wife, Pak Shui-lin, who died in the huge blaze that destroyed their home in November. The 68-year-old is among thousands grieving the 161 killed at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex. AND SOUNDBITES ++ ALSO SEE WRAP OF FIRE VIDI_86BE8T9 ++

Madrid (AFP) – The leader of Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP), Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, says he is open to reaching specific agreements with the far-right to pass laws if he comes to power, ruling out establishing a “cordon sanitaire” around the Vox party. Most polls suggest the PP would win a general election but lack a majority. Spain’s next general election is scheduled for 2027.

Deir el-Balah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Gazans clear out flooded tents in a camp for displaced Palestinians east of Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. “We no longer have mattresses or blankets for our children,” says a displaced mother. Winter rains have made an already precarious life worse for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by war in the Gaza Strip, many of whom now survive on aid provided by humanitarian organisations.

West Palm Beach (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump says he believes talks to end the war in Ukraine are in the “final stages”, adding that “it will either end, or it’s going to go on for a long time”. Trump, who had promised to finish the war on day one of his presidency, said he had no deadline but is embarking on a year-end diplomatic sprint as he welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his Florida estate.

Hargeisa (AFP) – Thousands gather in Hargeisa, the capital of the breakaway region of Somaliland, to celebrate its recognition by Israel — a decision condemned by the Somali president as a “threat” to stability in the Horn of Africa. Israel declaration on December 26 is a first for the self-proclaimed republic that in 1991 declared it had unilaterally separated from Somalia.

Unknown (AFP) – Images from China’s army show live-fire drills around Taiwan that it says simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island’s key ports, prompting Taipei to condemn Beijing’s “military intimidation”. The latest show of force follows a bumper round of arms sales to Taipei by the United States, Taiwan’s main security backer.

London (AFP) – “To see it disappear is a shame,” says James Hyman, a former director and producer at MTV Europe, following the news that the channel, now owned by media giant Paramount Skydance, will wind down its international music broadcasting by the end of the year. “MTV Europe was so unique,” he says, describing the channel as a “community” that had “the whole of Europe all watching the same thing.” In 1981, MTV kick-started a new era of music and pop culture, with its almost half-century on-air featuring interviews with top artists, fashion programmes and a whole range of genre-specific music shows.

Vostochnyy (Russia) (AFP) – A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a number of communication satellites launches from the Vostochny cosmodrome facility outside the city of Uglegorsk, in Russia’s far eastern region of Amur.

Istanbul (AFP) – Turkey’s traditional “simit” bagels, sold in every corner of Istanbul, have become the key symbol for price increases in a country where, in less than five years, the price has jumped from 3 to 20 Turkish lira (40 euro cents). As Turkey’s inflation remains sky-high (31% annual inflation as of November), many Turks complain that even their diet’s most basic staple is slipping out of reach.