Daily Digest Online

LONDON, UK — European leaders have declared that "now is a critical moment" to dramatically increase support for Ukraine and intensify economic pressure on Russia to end the war. The statement followed a high-stakes meeting in London on Monday, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought unified backing ahead of delicate peace negotiations with the United States. Zelensky met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street to discuss the latest version of a U.S.-backed peace proposal. The meeting highlighted European efforts to balance firm support for Ukraine with the necessity of keeping the United States, under President Donald Trump, engaged in the diplomatic process. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Starmer's office said, "The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressu...

A horrific domestic murder case in Russia has revealed the grim and cynical mechanics of Vladimir Putin's military recruitment, showing how men accused of the most brutal crimes are being offered a path to avoid trial and prison by becoming cannon fodder in Ukraine. In October 2025, Rafis Khuzin, a 56-year-old man from the city of Berezovsky near Yekaterinburg, was detained after confessing to the murder of his wife, Olga Blinova. The crime was exceptionally violent, with investigators alleging that Khuzin stabbed Blinova to death with a large kitchen knife and then partially skinned her upper body before hiding the remains. The crime, allegedly sparked by a dispute over preparing chicken soup, was so brutal that it shocked even seasoned detectives. Instead of facing a potential 15-year prison sentence for murder, Khuzin signed a military contract and was dispatched to the front line in Ukraine. His case is not isolated but part of a wider system the Kremlin...

GAZA CITY — Search teams from Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross have concluded an operation in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, failing to locate the remains of the last Israeli hostage believed to be held in the territory. The operation, which concluded on Monday, December 8, 2025, was focused on finding the body of Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. Gvili, a 24-year-old officer from Meitar, was among the 251 people abducted by Hamas during its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities believe he was badly wounded and did not survive long after being taken to Gaza. Video footage from the scene showed armed Hamas militants standing guard beside ICRC vehicles before a convoy drove into the neighborhood to conduct the search. This coordinated effort was part of the broader arrangements tied to the current U.S.-brokered ceasefire and ongoing hostage negotiations. The teams reportedly combed through multiple sites in the des...