Recruits crawl a designated distance with combat gear under the supervision of instructors during the zero day of basic combined arms training with the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade at an improvised training ground in Ukraine, on December 12, 2025 (Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform) (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he believes the U.S. “wants to reach a final agreement,” to end the war in Ukraine, with Kyiv offering its full backing for a peace deal.
“We sense that America wants to reach a final agreement, and from our side, there is full cooperation,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine has never been, and will never be, an obstacle to peace.”
Ukraine and Russia continued their nightly exchange of long-range drones overnight into Wednesday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces downed at least 195 Ukrainian drones, including five over Moscow region of which two were “flying toward” the capital.
Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, said flight restrictions were introduced at two of Moscow’s four international airports — Domodedovo and Vnukovo — during the attacks. Restrictions were also put in place at airports in Volgograd, Yaroslavl, Orenburg, Ufa and Orsk, Rosaviatsiya said.
Ukraine’s air force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 116 drones into the country overnight, of which 60 were shot down or suppressed. Forty-eight drones impacted across 19 locations, the air force said.
On Tuesday night, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian repair crews were working to restore power after a major Russian drone and missile strike on Monday night. “Throughout the day, repair crews have been working at energy facilities — putting in maximum effort to ensure that Ukrainians have electricity for Christmas,” Zelenskyy said.
“Of course, the Russians are trying to ruin this holiday, this sacred day, as well. No surprise there,” Zelenskyy added.
At a briefing in Kyiv with journalists on Tuesday, Zelenskyy revealed details of the 20-point peace plan negotiated with the U.S. which is now being reviewed by Moscow.
Zelenskyy told reporters that said all sides were “much closer” to finalizing the documents. Kyiv expects to receive a response from Moscow on Wednesday, Zelenskyy added.
The proposed framework includes security guarantees from the U.S., NATO and European partners, though territorial questions remain unresolved. Under the draft plan, Ukraine would hold a presidential election as soon as possible after any deal is signed.
Zelenskyy said the deal would see Article-5-style security guarantees kick in if Russia attacks the country again, even without Ukrainian NATO membership. Zelenskyy again stressed that Kyiv rejected any ban on joining the alliance — a key Russian demand.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on recent U.S. contacts.
“We now intend to formulate our future position based on the information received by the head of state and continue our contacts in the very near future through the existing channels that are currently operational,” Peskov said, as quoted by the state-run Tass news agency.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, meanwhile, said Moscow and Washington have “significant similarities” in their positions on a possible settlement.
(GAZA and LONDON) — As Palestinian Christians prepare for their first Christmas without the constant threat of bombardment and attacks after two years of war in Gaza, rare scenes of color, glitter and light can be spotted in a city that is mostly covered with rubble and collapsed buildings.
With the fragile ceasefire broadly holding more than two months since the first phase went into effect, the small remaining Palestinian Christian community in Gaza hopes for long-lasting peace as they practice holiday traditions like putting up Christmas trees and baking pastries.
“This year, Christmas is not just a religious ritual but celebrating a new beginning that we all work towards, which is the beginning of peace and stability in the region,” Mousa Ayyad, coordinator of Princess Basma, a Christian center in Gaza, told ABC News last week while standing by a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and lights.
The center is located inside Al-Ahli Hospital, the only Christian hospital in Gaza, and provides vital rehabilitation for children.
“You must prepare the atmosphere for the children, and continue to welcome happiness into your home, even if you aren’t at your home and you are displaced,” Ayyad said.
Over 80% of all structures in the Gaza Strip have been damaged as of Oct. 11, according to a United Nations assessment.
The Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, remains standing, though has signs of damage.
Since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group that launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, almost half of the Christian population in Gaza has left the strip and at least 23 Palestinian Christians have been killed, according to the Holy Family Church. About 500 people in the community are still in Gaza, with the majority of those currently sheltering in the church, according to the Holy Family Church.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, led his first prayer in Gaza following the ceasefire during Mass at the Holy Family Church on Sunday, in what he called a “new phase.”
Amid modest decorations and damaged walls, Pizzaballa led the first communion for several children and baptized a baby, continuing a pastoral tradition he has upheld during each Christmastime visit to Gaza.
Pizzaballa said during a press conference on Sunday that he has witnessed “a desire for a new life” in Gaza, but that “all the problems are still on the table: housing, schools, hospitals, the condition of life and poverty are catastrophic.”
“At the same time, we saw that the resilience of these people is what, at the end, will prevail,” he said, describing Palestinians’ steadfastness as a lesson to the world.
George Messaqo, an 11-year-old displaced Christian who attended the Mass, told ABC News that he feels “very happy” this Christmas, though his joy was tinged with longing.
“Before the war, Christmas was more beautiful,” he said. “There were more people, all our relatives and loved ones, and the atmosphere was warmer.”
George said his aunt was killed during the war and other family members now live abroad.
“We only communicate through video calls,” he said. “I wish to see our friends, relatives and loved ones again, and to live in peace.”
It’s a very special Christmas at Cody Johnson‘s house this year, as he and his wife Brandi Johnson celebrate for the first time as a family of five.
Jaycee Daniel Johnson arrived Oct. 21, joining 10-year-old Clara Mae Johnson and 8-year-old Cori Johnson.
“He’s perfect. Man, it’s been so great,” Cody tells ABC Audio. “I was so thankful. I’ve thanked God every day for a perfect pregnancy, perfect delivery. He’s healthy. I mean, you really can’t ask for anything better.”
“And my daughters are going crazy over him. And he’s gonna be spoilt,” he laughs. “He’s gonna to be so spoilt with those two sisters.”
Cody says this year’s yuletide celebration will be simple, with a likely focus on the new baby.
“Just stayin’ at home,” he says of his plans. “I mean, really taking this time and saying, ‘Look, let’s focus on our family.’ We’re not doing any big plans and we’re just gonna be home and probably dote on that little boy.”
Cody’s next show isn’t until Feb. 6 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Nelly performs at IHEARTRADIO JINGLE BALL 2025 (Disney/Ben Hider)
“It’s Christmas time again/ Can’t wait to hear those sleigh bells ringing,” sings Ashanti on her 2003 holiday song “Christmas Time Again.” With the holiday falling on Thursday, her husband, Nelly, says the couple is simply looking forward to spending time together, noting that they don’t really have any “new holiday traditions.”
“I just think for me and her, we work so much,” he tells ABC Audio. “The tradition is really just being together and keeping our family together around the holidays, I think is the mainstay for both of us.”
The couple, who have been married since 2023 and share a son, Kareem “KK” Kenkaide Haynes, were together in St. Louis on Monday, where Nelly partnered with Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers to gift 100 brand-new bikes to kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis. The children were also treated to holiday cookies, drinks, Santa hats and festive fun.
“I think that’s every kid’s dream on Christmas, right?” Nelly said in an interview with Fox 2. “Waking up and going downstairs—I know what it’s like to wake up on Christmas and have nothing under the tree. That’s not hyperbole. That’s facts. To see their faces, that’s what it’s about. Christmas is about the kids.”
Attending the annual Pentatonix holiday tour is a Christmas tradition for many families, and listening to the group’s Christmas songs is also a part of many a fan’s celebration. But you may be surprised to learn that members of Pentatonix don’t celebrate Christmas together as a group. In fact, they do the opposite.
“We always make a joke that we leave each other alone for Christmas,” laughs Pentatonix member Kirstin Maldonado. But it’s true: after the tour, she and her four bandmates go their separate ways.
“I think, just, like, the Christmas tour in general is our tradition, because it feels like we’re at camp,” she explains. “And we do it every year and every stop that we go to is so festive because it’s a Christmas show.”
But since the Christmas tour starts in early November and ends right before Christmas, it forces Kirstin to do some of her own traditions with her 3-year-old daughter Elliana Hausdorff super-early — like putting up the tree, for example.”
“It was already up before Halloween,” she laughs, adding, “We were so busy right before we left [for the tour], so I wanted the tradition of decorating the tree to be something [I do] with her.”
But the tour has also kept Kirstin from participating in a cherished childhood tradition with Elliana.
“I would love to do a whole baking thing with her because it was such a part of my childhood, like making cookies for Santa, and we did a little like birthday cake for Jesus,” she notes.
“But honestly, by the time I’ve gotten home, I’m so tired and need to wrap all the presents,” she adds. “But I definitely do [want to], as she’s getting older and can be more helpful in the kitchen … add that to our list [of activities].”
Oasis shocked the music world by announcing a reunion in August 2024. But with nearly a year between the initial announcement and the first show, the possibility lingered that the famously feuding Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher might call the whole thing off.
Luckily for those who were able to get through the queues and actually snag a ticket to the highly in-demand shows, Liam and Noel proved that they’d indeed buried the hatchet upon launching the tour in the U.K. on July 4.
The tour then made its way into the U.S., making stops at Chicago’s Soldier Field, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, before making its way to Asia, Australia and South America. The set list stayed constant throughout the trek and focused mostly on Oasis’ beloved first two albums, 1994’s Definitely Maybe and 1995’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Alongside the Gallagher brothers, the Oasis live lineup included guitarists Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs and Gem Archer, bassist Andy Bell and drummer Joe Waronker. Arthurs dropped off of select dates due to receiving treatment for prostate cancer.
Throughout the tour, Oasis released live recordings from the shows, capturing performances of the songs “Wonderwall,” “Bring It on Down,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Little By Little” and “Slide Away.” Additionally, a film documenting the tour was announced, as well as a photo book.
As for what’s next for Oasis, that remains unknown. Liam appeared to tease plans for future shows when he declared “See you next year” during a show at London’s Wembley Stadium, but later clarified that they “need to sit down and discuss these things.”
Upon concluding the tour in November, Oasis released a statement reading, “There will now be a pause for a period of reflection.”
We’ll see if Oasis plans to keep the tour going beyond 2025, but in a world where Liam and Noel Gallagher peacefully shared the stage for every scheduled show, it seems that anything is possible.
Zara Larsson on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ (ABC/Paula Lobo)
Every country has different Christmas traditions, but Zara Larsson says one of the most beloved traditions in her home country of Sweden involves something very American.
“Every Christmas [Eve] at 3 p.m., we have Donald Duck’s Christmas on TV and you just have to sit down and watch it,” she explains.
“Everybody’s watching it. I don’t know when it started. It’s been my whole childhood and everyone — everyone — just sits down, 3 p.m., you watch Donald Duck, then you have your dinner, and then you open your presents.”
In fact, the animated special, which is officially titled Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas, has been shown every Christmas on Swedish TV since 1960, and is watched by around 40% of the entire population. The show originally aired in the U.S. in 1958 on ABC, under the name From All of Us to All of You. However it was retitled for the Swedish market because Donald Duck is way more popular than Mickey Mouse in Sweden, for some reason.
But if Swedes celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve, what do they do on Christmas Day?
“So Christmas, like the 25th — that’s when everybody goes out clubbing!” Zara says.
Looking ahead to the end of December, Zara is one of the artists who’ll be performing on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2026 with Ryan Seacrest, airing Dec. 31 on ABC.
It was another big year for Bruce Springsteen, which culminated in the New Jersey rocker’s life being depicted on the big screen.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere premiered at the New York Film Festival in September and opened in theaters in October. The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White starred as The Boss, and did his own singing, while Succession’s Jeremy Strong playing the rocker’s manager, Jon Landau. The film followed Springsteen’s efforts in making his 1982 solo album, Nebraska. White earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of the New Jersey rocker.
Springsteen also celebrated a big anniversary in August 2025: the 50th anniversary of his iconic third studio album, Born to Run. To mark the occasion he released “Lonely Night in the Park” for the first time, a track that was recorded during the Born to Run sessions and was considered for the album, but was ultimately left off.
He also made a surprise appearance at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music’s Born to Run 50th anniversary celebration in New Jersey, performing two songs from the album — the title track and “Thunder Road” — joined by current and former members of the E Street Band.
But those were only some of the many Springsteen-related highlights this year. Among the others:
– Springsteen made a surprise appearance at a Patti Smith tribute concert, People Have the Power – A Celebration of Patti Smith, at New York’s Carnegie Hall. He performed “Because the Night,” the song he wrote that became a hit for Patti.
– In May, Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off a European tour, and he stirred up controversy by criticizing President Donald Trump. He saidAmerica was “in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” That prompted a response from Trump, who called Springsteen “highly overrated.”
– The tour also featured a surprise appearance by Paul McCartney at The Boss’ show in Liverpool. They teamed up for two songs: The Beatles‘ classic “Can’t Buy Me Love” and a cover of the Leiber & Stoller tune “Kansas City,” which The Beatles recorded in 1964.
– Springsteen’s tour, which launched in 2023 and wrapped in 2025, became the highest-grossing tour of his career, bringing in $729.7 million to surpass his previous highest-grossing tour, the 2012-13 Wrecking Ball World Tour, which brought in $347 million. It also sold 4.9 million tickets, more tickets than any previous Springsteen tour.
– Springsteen released the long-awaited follow-up to 1998’s box set Tracks. Tracks II: The Lost Albums featured seven previously unheard Springsteen records.
– The Boss was honored by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with the inaugural Legacy Award, which “honors an artist whose body of work has inspired generations of storytellers and deeply influenced our culture.”
– To coincide with the release of Deliver Me From Nowhere, Bruce released Nebraska: Expanded Edition, a box set featuring previously unreleased material. It included the long-rumored Electric Nebraska, a present-day recording of Springsteen performing Nebraska in its entirety at New Jersey’s Count Basie Theatre.
If you’re not careful, you can find out that it’s not clocking to you that you haven’t been standing on business by knowing all of the cultural trends that happened this year. That’s why we’re going over the memes, viral moments and trend-setting sensations that dominated the cultural landscape of 2025:
No one could get enough of Labubus this year. The collectible plush toys, which were created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung, are fluffy monsters with pointy teeth, large ears and a playful look on their face. They’re exclusively sold by the retailer Pop-Mart, although knockoff versions of the product, known as Lafufus, also took the world by storm. While most people don’t usually get to pick which color Labubu appears in their blind box, TikTok user Lilzbullzmarbella infamously showed off her gold one. “I have the one and only 24 carat gold Labubu,” she says in a video that went viral.
Here’s one that we’ll do our best to explain, but you may want to consult your youngest family member for more. The phrase 6-7, pronounced six seven, was completely unavoidable this year. YouTuber Cam Wilder posted a video in which a young boy named Maverick Trevillian is seen yelling, “Six seven,” while doing a hand gesture moving upward-facing palms up and down. Video edits of Maverick doing this went viral, and the phrase, which has no fixed meaning, became a meme popular with Gen Alpha.
It was the video we all cringed at but couldn’t look away from. A couple, locked in an intimate embrace, were caught allegedly cheating on their respective spouses while on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert this summer. Former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and its head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, immediately pulled apart from each other just as Coldplay’s Chris Martin said, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.”
A video of Justin Bieber speaking to the paparazzi sparked an internet phenomenon this year. “You’re not getting it. It’s not clocking to you. It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business, is it?” Bieber asks the photographers. The phrase became so popular that Bieber himself referenced it in his SWAG track “STANDING ON BUSINESS.”
Finally, the TikTok audio referred to as “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday,” which featured an old advertisement for the Jet2 airline mixed with the 2015 song “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne, took the world by storm. Everyone was using the cheerful audio to ironically post disastrous videos from vacations gone wrong.
