Slovak PM Fico offered to host Moscow-Kyiv peace talks, Putin claims – POLITICO

Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to his late brother Nick, who passed away from cancer at the age of 60 on Boxing Day. The prime minister described Nick as a wonderful man who faced life's challenges with courage and humor, expressing gratitude to those who cared for him. Sir Keir canceled his holiday plans to be with his family during this difficult time, receiving condolences from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. Full Article

Belgium will expand transgender care access from two to six centres starting January 1, with new locations in Antwerp, Brussels, Genk, and Sint-Niklaas. Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg highlighted the financial burden of treatments, while transitioning individual Senne Knuts expressed hope for improved support and accessibility with new funding. The National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance's new reimbursements will make treatments cheaper and help more people receive care, impacting the accessibility and affordability of transgender care in...

Former justice secretary David Gauke suggests that moving thousands of prisoners to open prisons could help alleviate overcrowding and improve rehabilitation efforts in the UK. Currently, only a small percentage of inmates are housed in category D jails, which allow for prisoners to work and spend time outside the prison walls. Gauke believes that this approach, similar to the system in Spain, could save money, reduce reoffending rates, and help prisoners reintegrate into society successfully....

Several telecommunication cables between Finland and Estonia and Finland and Germany were damaged, prompting Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur to propose joint patrols with Finland to defend energy connections. Finnish President Alexander Stubb expressed concern over repeated incidents in the Baltic Sea and called for increased NATO presence, which NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed. EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas highlighted the threat posed by Russia's shadow fleet and proposed further measures, including sanctions,...

A major drug scandal in UK greyhound racing involves the illegal sale and misuse of norethisterone, a hormone intended for women, by vets and trainers without the necessary licences. Data from the regulator suggests the drug is often contaminated, and Greyhound Rescue Wales has reviewed disciplinary findings from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB). The industry is accused of turning a blind eye to the illegal importation of the hormone, which is used to...

Britons are preparing for snowfall and a sharp drop in temperatures as low as -2C on New Year’s Eve, with the Met Office forecasting a rapid change from mild weather. Snow will start in northern Scotland before moving south on Monday evening, becoming heavier overnight and potentially spreading to other parts of the UK by Tuesday. Heavy rains and winds are expected in Scotland, as well as in the north and west of the UK,...