2025 will be one of the three hottest years on record, scientists say Deccan Chronicle
extraordinary historical
Records shattered across Africa
40.6 Galois
Cameroon’s hottest December day ever
40℃ in Ghana, Chad, Niger and Nigeria
Records were broken for every day of the month across the region.
This is the most extreme phenomenon ever seen in the tropics and will only get worse pic.twitter.com/VpwlFFESfG
— Abnormal temperatures around the world (@extremetemps) December 29, 2025
The December heatwave in the United States is ending. That was unreasonable. Last 7 days: 4700 heat records (minimum and maximum) were broken, but only 55 cold records were broken.
The 7-day anomaly reached +25°F. Dozens of monthly records were broken.
The heat dome was forced by a very blocky global pattern, but its intensity… pic.twitter.com/pp94OzRC1S
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) December 29, 2025
Historic dry rainy season raises alarm over worsening food insecurity in Horn of Africa FEWS Net
Cape Town is currently experiencing an intense heatwave, with temperatures rising across the city as residents and tourists deal with the scorching sun of the Sierra Express.
Extreme weather is the ‘new normal’ for Britain’s wildlife The Times
Great white sharks are at risk of extinction in the Mediterranean, researchers say on BBC News
Sunflower oil pollution could last more than six years at the bottom of the Black Sea Greenpeace
Will India’s wheat imports cause a global food crisis?
‘If you plant something, it dies’: Brazil’s first dry patch is a stark warning for the entire country Guardian
Vietnam’s Bac Ma National Park closed to tourists after historic floods and landslides Travel and Tour World
Mapping: Extreme weather events have increased food prices 16 times since 2022 Carbon Brief
toilet
India’s dominance of global rice trade fuels looming water crisis Reuters
The São Paulo metropolitan area, Brazil’s most populous urban area, is facing a drinking water supply emergency, authorities announced Monday in Xinhua news agency.
Childhood in a jug: Climate change and the lost childhood of coastal Bangladesh The Business Standard
Tehran in crisis: looming water disaster Daily Sabah
China?
China announces initial $9 billion in consumer subsidies in 2026 Bloomberg
China expands housing voucher system amid rising inventory Nikkei Shimbun
China’s cash-strapped local governments drive record sales of asset-backed securities Financial Times
China fires rockets off Taiwan on second day of military exercises Sky
Japan
A dangerous new equilibrium awaits Japan-China relations in 2026 Japan Times
Benchmark Japanese government bond yields continue to rise sharply annually for the first time since 1994 Channel News Asia
Number of Japanese births expected to fall below lowest official forecast in 2025 Financial Times
South Korea
North Korea fires missile into sea in latest nuclear weapons warning
India
Foreigners sell record Indian government bonds as rupee weakens Bloomberg
Southeast Asia
Why Myanmar’s military election cannot hide economic collapse South China Morning Post
Thailand delays return of Cambodian soldiers Bangkok Post
Africa
Niger’s military ruler orders ‘general mobilization’ against militant group Al Jazeera
Ghana strengthens northern border as Sahel violence infiltrates defense web
El Fasher, Sudan: 1 million former residents face starvation and genocide Novinite
south of the border
Exclusive: CIA conducts drone attack on port facilities on Venezuelan coast CNN
Crew paints Russian flag on tanker tracked by US Coast Guard New York Times (resilc)
Venezuelan drug prices soar to unaffordable levels amid US lockdown PressTV
US pressures Mexico over fuel supplies to address crisis-hit Cuban oil prices
discord in europe
Germany’s job market slows as employment outlook hits record low
German business group predicts layoffs in 2026 as economic crisis drags on Reuters
Polish farmers stage nationwide protests over EU-Mercosur trade deal Euronews
Farmers’ road blockade divides Greece ahead of New Year Tobima
Athens is bracing for renewed tension in Greek-Turkish relations in 2026 as the Turkish government appears to be moving into a phase of widespread mobilization across multiple fronts.
Bulgaria adopts euro as fear and uncertainty looms Agence France-Presse
old blighty
The majority of Brits think the economy is getting worse City AM
Maggots, rats and growing despair – a year of the Birmingham bin strike Guardian
israel vs resistance
Israel suspends aid organizations in Gaza Strip, countries warn of another ‘catastrophic’ humanitarian crisis CNN
Israel bans dozens of aid agencies from Gaza as 10 countries warn of damage Guardian (Kevin W)
Anti-Israel groups demand Israeli visitors resign Vermont Daily Chronicle (resilc). Please listen to this more.
Rial hits record low as Tehran shopkeepers protest against currency collapse Iran International
Saudi Arabia vs. United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia bombs UAE cargo in Yemen, blames Emirates’ role Middle East Eye (resilc)
A new war that’s not so cold war
Russia deploys hypersonic Oleshnik missile in Belarus amid tensions in Europe Al Jazeera
Breaking news: Drone attack on President Putin’s residence targeted Russian nuclear commander Stephen Starr
Stanislav Krapivnik: Massive Escalation – Attack on Putin’s Residence Glenn Diesen, YouTube. An informative commentary on Russian sentiment.
Larry Johnson: “Russia will retaliate after attack on Putin’s mansion” Glenn Diesen, YouTube
Poland unveils €2 billion anti-drone wall along eastern border Turkie Today
imperial collapse watch
CIA loses nuclear equipment in Himalayas, shrugs off Boing Boing
Trump 2.0
5 containment successes and 5 absolute failures in 2025 – Responsible National Strategy (resilc)
Kennedy Center name change prompts new cancellations Associated Press (Kevin W)
How RFK Jr. upended the public health system The Washington Post
Mr. Market is edgy
The market is witnessing history.
The US stock market capitalization-to-GDP ratio has reached an all-time high of 218%.
This comes after the value of the stock market soared to an all-time high of $68 trillion, far exceeding the size of the US economy of about $31 trillion.
This ratio is +56 percentage points… pic.twitter.com/voiQ98u314
— Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) December 30, 2025
FTSE 100 poised to end 2025 at record levels
Banks take advantage of Fed’s liquidity tools under year-end pressure Reuters Notable year-end liquidity is thin, and the Fed is extremely incompetent at managing liquidity in an era of controlling interest rates by paying interest on reserves, compared to the old days of intervening through the New York Fed Money Markets Desk. So is this guaranteed or is it a Powell put right? I thought the Fed overreacted in December 2007 by cutting interest rates and introducing new policies. Lowering interest rates below 2% ushered in the ZIRP ultra-low interest rate era, fueling speculation and widening already severe wealth inequality.
Federal Reserve minutes reveal deep rifts in the US central bank Financial Times
A.I.
China cracks down on AI companies to protect children BBC (Kevin W)
class war
US cost of living crisis deepens, leaving middle-class households overwhelmed The Telegraph
Antidote (via):
And bonus:
Returning baby marmoset to mother after health check
pic.twitter.com/z9m9WpdnxQ
— Science Girl (@sciencegirl) December 20, 2025
Second bonus:
We all need a hug from time to time.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/zGyGOqnXk2
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) December 31, 2025
Click here for yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour.
