Speaking to her close team during the gathering at the courtyard of Palazzo Chigi, Meloni warned that the coming year would be even more difficult and demanding than the one drawing to a close.

Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni:

2025 has been tough for all of us, but don't worry—next year will be much worse. pic.twitter.com/Ny02xku6Kt

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 23, 2025

"I love you. We are a family. We fight all year long," Meloni told her staff.

"The past year was hard for all of us, but don't worry, because the next year will be even worse," she joked. "That's why I advise you to rest properly over these holidays, because we must continue to serve this extraordinary nation."

Meloni's government, which has been in power for three years, is grappling with a slowing economy, rising illegal immigration and concerns over the possibility of a broader war between European countries and Russia as an extension of the conflict in Ukraine.

Over the past year, Meloni has positioned herself as maintaining close ties with US President Donald Trump, while at the same time remaining committed to the European Union's independent line in dealing with Washington.

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Speaking at the conclusion of the summit with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Netanyahu said: "To those who think they can rebuild their empires, I say forget it. It won't happen."

The Greek newspaper Liberal wrote that Ankara is concerned by the fact that the Greece–Cyprus–Israel partnership directly challenges Turkey's strategy in the eastern Mediterranean. "This is a form of cooperation, a network if you will, that will limit Turkey's unilateral actions in the region," the paper said. "Netanyahu's message to Turkey says it all. The balance of power in the Mediterranean has not been overturned, but it has been reshaped."

Another Greek outlet, Fema, wrote on Tuesday that Netanyahu's message to Erdogan may please Greece, but was primarily intended as a response to Erdogan's repeated statements in recent years expressing a desire to "liberate Jerusalem." "We should not forget that the Ottoman Empire ruled not only Greece, but also Jerusalem," the paper noted.

In Turkey, the reaction was sharply critical. The daily Milliyet branded the summit an "axis of evil," while Hurriyet ran a headline describing it as an "anti-Turkish alliance." According to Hurriyet, "The leaders of Greece and the Greek Cypriots went to Netanyahu because what unites them is anti-Turkish sentiment. Netanyahu, for his part, is concerned about Turkey's growing influence in the eastern Mediterranean, and therefore convened the summit."

At the same time, many Greeks criticized Mitsotakis for letting Netanyahu "do the talking" rather than delivering a strong statement himself. "The two cowardly chickens from Greece and Cyprus hid behind Netanyahu's back," wrote a user named Fotis. "They should learn a thing or two from Israel about standing on the front line."

There was also at least one dissenting voice seeking to cool the enthusiasm with a dose of historical perspective. "I don't understand what everyone is so excited about," wrote a user named Anthony. "After all, the Jews hate the Greeks. Even now they are celebrating an eight-day holiday marking their supposed victory over the Greeks."

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The aide, whose duties included carrying suitcases and opening doors, was put up in a suite at Moscow's luxury Four Seasons hotel. At some point, however, al-Assad cut off contact and stopped answering his calls, leaving the aide stuck with an enormous hotel bill.

Friends of the aide said he was one of the only people to accompany al-Assad on his flight to Moscow in December 2024. He was instructed to join al-Assad so abruptly that he did not have time to take his passport, money or clothes.

At first, the aide stayed close to al-Assad, who was lodged in a suite at the Four Seasons. The aide himself was placed in another suite along with two additional aides. The following morning, according to his friends, hotel staff presented them with a massive bill. The three aides reportedly panicked and tried to contact al-Assad, but he never returned their calls.

Eventually, Russian officials were forced to intervene and offered to move the aides to a former Soviet-era military site together with other, lower-ranking regime officers. Instead, al-Assad's personal aide chose to arrange a flight back to Syria.

Today he lives with his family in a rural area, hoping to avoid attention. According to people familiar with his situation, he struggles to make ends meet and at times receives money from an official of the former regime to get through the month. The Assad family offered him nothing in return for his years of service. "Bashar is living a full life, as if nothing happened. He humiliated us when he was here. He screwed us over when he left," a former regime associate said.

According to The New York Times, the Assad family fled to Moscow aboard private jets. Under close protection from Russian security services, they initially stayed in suites at the Four Seasons, where prices can reach $13,000 a week.

From there, al-Assad and his family moved to a penthouse in the Federation Tower, and later to a villa in the upscale Rublyovka neighborhood. Even now, Syrian security services are overseeing the family and have instructed al-Assad not to make public statements.

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The climate campaigner was arrested under terrorism legislation for displaying a placard indicating her support for prisoners connected to Palestine Action, an organization the British government has designated as a terrorist group, Defend Our Juries stated.

A City of London police spokesperson confirmed two individuals were taken into custody for hurling red paint at a building. "A little while later, a 22-year-old woman also attended the scene," the police spokesperson stated. "She has been arrested for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000."

The campaign group explained it selected the building as a target because an insurance company operating from the location allegedly provides services to the British division of Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.

Palestine Action is an anti-Israel organization established in 2020 that was designated as a terrorist group by Britain in July after its operatives breached the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, spray-painted two refueling aircraft, and struck them with iron bars.

In another action in August 2024, the organization's operatives broke into an Elbit Systems facility in the Bristol area and caused over 1 million pounds in damage. Since the ban, hundreds of protesters have been arrested at demonstrations supporting the organization – in a single day in September, approximately 400 demonstrators were arrested outside Parliament.

Eight operatives from the organization were arrested in these two incidents and have been on hunger strike for about a month and a half. Some were arrested during the events themselves, while others were arrested in a wave of police arrests on November 19.

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"They hurt my son at the hotel entrance in Cyprus – and everyone disappeared," the young man's father wrote on social media. "My son, a young Israeli, was violently attacked at the entrance of the hotel where he was staying in Cyprus. Not on the street. Not in a bar. At the hotel entrance – a place that's supposed to be safe and secure.

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Following the conclusion of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Israel, a decision was made to install public menorahs in nearly every federal government ministry. Each menorah will be lit on one of the holiday's nights together with the serving minister and Berlin's chief rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal.

At the heart of the events will be the largest menorah in Europe, which will be erected at the Brandenburg Gate, one of Germany's most prominent symbols of freedom and democracy. In recent years, the site has also become a symbol of Jewish renewal in the heart of the country.

Federal ministries to light menorahs

As part of the initiative, nearly every federal government ministry will host a public menorah lighting ceremony during Hanukkah, attended by the relevant minister and Rabbi Teichtal. Through these events, the German government is expressing its commitment to strengthening Jewish life in the country.

Merz himself has previously taken part in a Hanukkah candle lighting with Rabbi Teichtal at the headquarters of the Christian Democratic Union. This year, menorahs will also be lit at the headquarters of all major democratic political parties. "This will be a clear statement of unity in the face of hatred and extremism," Rabbi Teichtal said.

He added that "the chancellor's warm words in Israel, expressing steadfast friendship with the Jewish people, are now being given direct expression through public Hanukkah candle lightings across Berlin. At a time when Jews are facing serious challenges around the world, the menorahs in Germany's public spaces send an unambiguous message: Light will overcome darkness, and solidarity will overcome hatred."

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Sky News reported that the incident began in the Terminal 3 parking area and that at least two suspects fled the scene. Social media users said they experienced breathing difficulties after being exposed to a chemical substance.

Footage circulated online showed officers restraining a man outside the terminal building at the UK's largest airport. Police blocked roads leading to the airport and deployed large forces to the area.

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Over the weekend, Dendias presented "Achilles Shield", a major shift in Greece's security doctrine that would place missile batteries on hundreds of Aegean islands. "We will seal the Aegean from the ground", he said in a Friday speech, again calling Turkey "the greatest threat" to Greece. "Greece is defending itself and Turkey is the one issuing threats", he declared. According to him, "the country that represents the most tangible threat to us is producing drones. Based on the information we have, it has more than a million drones ready at this moment".

A significant portion of the weapons systems for the Greek plan is expected to come from Israel, reflecting deepening defense ties between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, who share longstanding hostility toward Turkey. According to reports, Jerusalem and Athens are negotiating a deal worth roughly 3.5 billion dollars that would include air defense systems built by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries: Spyder, Barak MX and David's Sling.

At a weekly press briefing in Ankara, Defense Ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk addressed Dendias's remarks. "All developments in our region, including the military activity of our neighbor Greece, are under close monitoring by us", he said. "Our country's basic priority is for our region, including the Aegean Sea, to be an area of peace and stability. Our expectation is that Greece also demonstrates a similarly constructive approach".

Aktürk described statements by Greek officials as "detached from reality, delusional and contrary to international agreements", and argued that they "damage the positive atmosphere created on the basis of understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries".

He added: "The Turkish armed forces do not pose a threat to anyone who does not threaten them, but they have the power and determination to thwart any threat directed at our country. Initiatives aimed against Turkey have failed in the past and will not succeed now or in the future".

The briefing also noted that Turkey has begun construction of a domestically produced submarine, the first of its kind in the country. Ankara has also signed an agreement to sell a corvette to Romania, marking Turkey's first sale of a naval vessel to a NATO ally. Last week, Turkey announced it had started building a TF-2000 class air-defense destroyer, which will be part of the multilayered "Steel Dome" system the government previously unveiled.

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Also on Thursday, France announced a new voluntary military service program for young people, due to launch in mid-2026, aimed at strengthening the country's capabilities in the face of what officials describe as accelerating global threats.

Germany began drafting its plan, known as OPLAN DEU, at a special military gathering held roughly two and a half years ago at a base near Berlin. The classified document maps out the routes for moving NATO forces eastward through ports, rivers, rail lines and roads, as well as the methods for supplying and protecting those forces.

Thanks to its geography and central position on the continent, Germany would become a critical logistical hub in any major conflict with Russia, serving as the main corridor for NATO troops heading east. Look at the map, said Tim Stuchtey, head of the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security. With the Alps forming a natural barrier, NATO forces will have to cross Germany in any clash with Russia, regardless of where hostilities begin.

According to the report, the plan outlines a comprehensive approach to war that seeks to mobilize society and civilian infrastructure for a battlefield effort. It amounts to a return to Cold War thinking, while grappling with new challenges such as aging infrastructure, insufficient legislation and much smaller Western armies than in past decades.

The Journal noted that German officials believe Russia will be ready and willing to strike NATO in 2029. Yet multiple incidents across Europe involving espionage, sabotage attacks and airspace intrusions, many attributed to Moscow, suggest Russia could prepare for an attack even earlier. Analysts quoted in the report warned that a possible cease-fire in Ukraine might free up Russian time and resources to plan a move against NATO countries.

The planners argue that strengthening Europe's resilience would not only ensure victory but also reduce the likelihood of war. "The goal is to prevent war by making clear to our enemies that if they attack us, they will not succeed," a senior officer involved in drafting the plan told the newspaper.

The report describes an exercise held this fall in eastern Germany in which Rheinmetall, the country's largest defense company, built a temporary camp for 500 soldiers including housing, showers, fuel stations, a field kitchen and anti-drone protection. The camp was constructed in 14 days and dismantled in seven. Imagine building a small town from scratch and taking it down within days, said Rheinmetall's Marc Lemmermann.

But the drill also exposed shortcomings. The site was too small for all the vehicles, and the land plots were not adjacent, forcing troops to shuttle back and forth. The plan faces additional challenges such as cumbersome procurement rules, rigid information laws and regulations not adapted for wartime conditions.

"We have to relearn what we once knew", said Deputy Defense Minister Nils Schmid. "We need to bring people out of retirement to remind us how we used to do this."

The article highlights the deterioration of Germany's military preparedness since the end of the Cold War. Whereas highway segments were once designed to double as emergency landing strips, jet fuel tanks were buried beneath parking lots, and guardrails could be removed within minutes, the years since have brought new tunnels and bridges that are too narrow or too weak for military convoys.

Germany's existing infrastructure has also decayed. Officials in Berlin estimate that 20 percent of the Autobahn network and more than a quarter of bridges require repair. North Sea and Baltic ports need an estimated 15 billion euros in upgrades, including 3 billion for military-related improvements.

Another exercise in September underscored Europe's unpreparedness. The drill, known as Red Storm Bravo, was meant to simulate on a small scale the massive troop movements envisioned by the German plan. Five hundred NATO soldiers were supposed to land at a port and travel east in convoy. But things quickly went wrong. Protesters, who were actually reservists, jumped from bushes and glued themselves to the road. The soldiers were not permitted to remove them, and police realized they lacked the tools to do so. It took two hours before the convoy could move again, ultimately covering only about ten kilometers.

The threat is not theoretical. Earlier this month, damage was discovered on the Warsaw-Lublin rail line, a critical route for delivering military aid to Ukraine. An investigation found that an explosive device had been detonated remotely, with suspicion directed at Russia. The chief of staff of Poland's military, Gen. Wieslaw Kukula, said the enemy has begun preparations for war, adding that the situation is not war but pre-war, or what many call hybrid war. Poland has attributed the sabotage to Russia.

The German and French measures are part of a broader European trend. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled an 800-billion-euro rearmament program. "We are in an era of rearmament", she said. Europe is prepared to increase defense spending massively: at a NATO summit in The Hague in June, alliance members agreed to raise their defense-spending target from 2 percent to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.

France's announcement on Thursday came as President Emmanuel Macron introduced a new voluntary military service program for 18- to 19-year-olds. Scheduled to begin in mid-2026, the program will run for ten months and cost 2 billion euros. It will initially recruit 3,000 participants, rising to 10,000 by 2030, with Macron hoping to reach 50,000 by 2036.

The French move followed an announcement earlier this month by Germany's governing coalition parties, who agreed on a new voluntary-based recruitment model, leaving open the possibility of mandatory service if volunteer numbers fall short. Macron made clear that France will not follow that path. There is no going back to the days of conscription, he said. This hybrid army model fits the threats and risks we face. France aims to reach 100,000 reservists by 2030, up from about 47,000 today.

Macron's announcement came as controversy erupted over remarks made last week by France's chief of staff, Gen. Fabien Mandon, who said France must be prepared to lose its children to deter Russia. What we lack is the strength of spirit to endure hardship to defend who we are, he told a gathering of mayors.

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Pandemonium erupted among the remaining pupils, who replicated the hand gesture en masse, while Phillipson remained seated with a smile, declining to participate, Daily Mail reported.

Anderson addressed the departing leader: "Thanks Prime Minister for that lovely six-seven. You know children get into trouble for saying that in our school?" Daily Mail reported. Starmer responded with visible embarrassment: "Oh, do they?" before adding: "Sorry about that." Anderson replied: "No, no, it's absolutely fine." The Prime Minister then quipped: "I didn't start it, Miss," Daily Mail noted. The chaos later appeared on Starmer's Instagram account via video upload, captioned: "I think I just got myself put in detention..." Daily Mail reported.

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