Fabergé egg made for mother of Russia’s last tsar sells for £23m Christie’s says the sale price is the highest for a Fabergé, beating a £8.9m auction in 2007 The Guardian - UK · Dec 2, 2025
Corn Posts Tuesday Gains Corn futures posted gains of 4 to 5 1/4 cents on Tuesday, gaining some bullish steam after a weaker start. There were another 76 deliveries issued against December futures overnight. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price was back up 4 1/4 cents at $4.04 1/4. Support was from Russia... Barchart · Dec 2, 2025
Cosmonaut removed from SpaceX's Crew 12 mission for violating national security rules: report Veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was taken off SpaceX's Crew 12 mission to the International Space Station after violating ITAR regulations, according to the Russian publication The Insider. Space · Dec 2, 2025
Possible Easing of Geopolitical Risks Weighs on Crude Prices January WTI crude oil (CLF26 ) on Tuesday closed down -0.68 (-1.15%), and January RBOB gasoline (RBF26 ) closed down -0.00386 (-2.07%). Crude oil and gasoline prices settled lower on Tuesday in hopes of an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war as the key parties trade various peace plans. An end... Barchart · Dec 2, 2025
British military instructor arrested in Ukraine on suspicion of spying for Russia Ross David Cutmore, from Dunfermline, was allegedly recruited to assist in assassinations on Ukrainian soil The Guardian - UK · Dec 2, 2025
Europe passes record-breaking space budget while NASA hit with deep cuts The European Space Agency member states have approved a record-breaking budget for the next three years, including increased funding for science exploration. Space · Dec 2, 2025
Thirty years after the Balkans peace deal, a different US leadership is fumbling the war in Ukraine Thirty years ago, on December 14 1995, the presidents of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia signed the Dayton agreement. The treaty ended three years of bloodshed in what was, at the time, the largest war in Europe since 1945. The Conversation · Dec 2, 2025
Russian speaking hacking group now shifting focus to government targets The focus is now on stealth, long-term persistence, and cyber-espionage against government and similar organizations. TechRadar · Dec 2, 2025
Corn Popping Higher at Midday Corn futures are up 4 to 5 cents on Tuesday’s midday. There were another 76 deliveries issued against December futures overnight. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price is back up 4 ½ cents at $4.04 3/4. Support is coming from threats from Russia threatening to cut off Ukraine from... Barchart · Dec 2, 2025
'Optimism' from Zelensky raises hopes on Trump peace talks to end Putin's war in Ukraine But there were few other signs that an agreement was close to being reached between Russia, Ukraine and the US Evening Standard · Dec 2, 2025
Crystal Fabergé egg crafted for Russian royalty shatters record and sells for $30.2 million A rare Fabergé egg crafted for Russia’s ruling family before the revolution has sold for more $30 million The Independent UK · Dec 2, 2025
Rutte dismisses concerns about US commitment to NATO ahead of Ukraine meeting Rutte's comments come after President Donald Trump’s 28-point proposal to end the almost four-year war in Ukraine dismayed European allies as being slanted in Russia's favour. Euronews · Dec 2, 2025
Zelensky says Ireland ‘one of few countries that knows the price of freedom’ Irish premier Micheal Martin told the Ukrainian leader that Ireland would support Ukraine ‘for as long as it takes’. The Independent UK · Dec 2, 2025
If Europe wants to start a war we are ready now, Russia's Putin says Russia is not planning to fight European countries, but if Europe starts a war, Russia is "ready right now", the Russian president said on Tuesday as he blamed the Europeans for what he described as not having a "peaceful agenda". Euronews · Dec 2, 2025
Euronews · Dec 2, 2025 ECB declines to provide emergency liquidity for reparations loan to Ukraine The latest effort to support Ukraine with immobilised Russian assets has suffered a new setback at the hands of the European Central Bank, which warned that the plan would violate EU treaties and undermine the institution's independence.
Euronews · Dec 2, 2025 Poland charges Russian man with directing sabotage and spying from Moscow region Mikhail Mirgorodsky faces five charges, including organising and leading a criminal group and ordering threats against Ukrainians in Poland.
Barchart · Dec 2, 2025 Crude Prices Undercut by Hopes for an End to the Russian-Ukrainian War January WTI crude oil (CLF26 ) today is down -0.21 (-0.35%), and January RBOB gasoline (RBF26 ) is down -0.00195 (-1.04%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are slightly lower today due to a stronger dollar. Also, there are hopes for an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war as the key parties...
The Independent UK · Dec 2, 2025 Mapped: Inside fierce battle for Pokrovsk as Ukraine denies Russia has captured key city Kyiv has denied claims that Russia has captured the key strategic town in the Donbas
Euronews · Dec 2, 2025 ‘Europe must change its understanding of modern warfare,’ EU defence chief says Drone incursions into EU member states’ airspace are changing warfare doctrines, and the EU’s response to this remains inadequate, the bloc’s defence chief told Euronews. On this front, he said, the EU can learn a lesson from Ukraine.
The Independent UK · Dec 2, 2025 Putin says Russia is ready for war if Europe wants it Putin’s warning came before a meeting with Donald Trump’s envoy on a peace plan for Ukraine, which despite five hours of talks resulted in ‘no compromise’ reached
The Conversation · Dec 2, 2025 Ctrl-alt-defy: How Ukrainians have used memes to counter Russia’s propaganda machine As Russian tanks rolled towards Kyiv in February 2022, a quick Russian victory seemed assured. But as Ukrainian soldiers fought off Russian invaders, Ukrainian netizens launched waves of memes to provide hope to a nation under existential threat.
The Guardian - UK · Dec 2, 2025 The slow death of Pokrovsk An 18-month battle, now in its endgame, has left the strategically important Ukrainian city in ruins
Euronews · Dec 2, 2025 US denies operating license to Serbia's Russian-owned oil refinery Serbia must halt operations at its NIS oil refinery after Washington denied its license, risking the nation's fuel supply, according to President Vučić.
The Independent UK · Dec 2, 2025 Western and Russian envoys clash in rival op-eds ahead of Putin’s visit to India Russian leader’s visit comes at delicate time for relations between traditional allies
The Independent UK · Dec 2, 2025 Putin doesn’t want peace – and Trump’s baffling error has made it easy for him COMMENT: All hopes were on Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff’s trip to Moscow, but a breakthrough in peace talks was never going to happen with a man who has repeatedly taken Russia’s side, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley