While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 11, 2025
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(From left) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron after a Dec 8 meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in London.
PHOTO: EPA
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European leaders discuss Ukraine with Trump
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany held a call on Dec 10 with US President Donald Trump to discuss Washington’s latest peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine, in what they said was “a critical moment” in the process.
Kyiv is under pressure from the White House to secure a quick peace but is pushing back on a US-backed plan proposed in November that many see as favourable to Moscow.
French President Emmanuel Macron, arriving late for a public debate in western France, said he had just held a 40-minute discussion with Mr Trump and his European colleagues to see how to move forward on “a subject that concerns all of us”.
Separate statements from the so-called E3 powers said the leaders had commended the Trump administration’s mediation efforts to achieve a robust and lasting peace in Ukraine, nearly four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Russia launches large assault in Pokrovsk
Ukrainian forces were fending off an unusually large Russian mechanised attack inside the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv’s military said on Dec 10, a battle taking place as the US presses for an agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russian troops have pushed forward in small infantry groups for months looking to capture the former logistics hub as a critical part of Moscow’s campaign to seize the entire industrial Donbas region.
Russia has claimed full control of Pokrovsk. Kyiv maintains that it holds the northern part of the city, where fierce urban battles have raged.
Iceland to boycott 2026 Eurovision
PHOTO: REUTERS
Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country’s public broadcaster RUV said on Dec 10, after the organiser - the European Broadcasting Union - last week cleared Israel’s participation.
The decision to allow Israel to take part in the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May, earlier prompted Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia to withdraw in protest, citing Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war.
Iceland was among the countries that had requested a vote last week on Israel’s participation.
Not lovin’ it: McDonald’s pulls AI Christmas ad
US burger chain McDonald’s said on Dec 10 it had removed an AI-generated Christmas advert in the Netherlands after it was lambasted online.
The advert, “the most terrible time of the year”, depicts Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a present-laden Dutch cyclist slipping in the snow.
The message: Retreat to a McDonald’s restaurant until January and ride out the festive season.
Divided US Fed makes third straight rate cut
PHOTO: REUTERS
A divided US Federal Reserve lowered interest rates on Dec 10 for a third consecutive time this year, flagging labour market concerns even as inflation remained elevated as President Donald Trump’s tariffs bite.
The cut by a quarter percentage point brings rates to a range between 3.5 per cent and 3.75 per cent, the lowest in around three years.
The move was in line with market expectations, although the path ahead is less certain. The Fed pencilled in at least one more rate reduction in 2026, and flagged heightened risks to employment as it announced the Dec 10 move.
