Latest news bulletin | December 8th, 2025 – Midday
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this December 8th, 2025 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
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00:00Trump says President Zelenskyy is not ready for a peace deal with Russia after three days of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations in Florida.
00:10Greenland President Vladimir Zelenskyy said he had a substantive call with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
00:20Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel and Hamas are set to begin the second phase of their ceasefire once the last hostages' remains are returned.
00:30Euronews caught up with Margarita Sheenis and Luigi Di Maio to talk global politics at day two of the Dover Forum in Qatar.
00:40After three days of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations in Florida, Donald Trump says Zelenskyy is not ready for a peace deal with Russia.
00:50Speaking to reporters at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, he accused the Ukrainian leader of holding up the talks from moving forward.
01:00But he has it. Russia's fine with it. Russia's, you know, Russia, Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country when you think of it.
01:09But Russia is, I believe, fine with it.
01:13However, Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't publicly expressed approval for the White House plan.
01:19Trump was the first president to hold the Kennedy Center Honors, a role normally assumed by journalists and presenters.
01:27He says he did so, quote, at the request of a certain television network.
01:32During his speech, he praised Sylvester Stallone, Kiss and Gloria Gaynor, among others.
01:38Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy said he had a substantive call with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
01:51The call followed after talks between U.S. officials and a Ukrainian delegation that aimed to bring an end to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
02:00Zelenskyy added that Ukraine would continue to keep working in good faith with the U.S.
02:04and that the next steps and formats for the talks have been agreed on.
02:09Speaking in the U.S., the country's Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said a deal to end the war in Ukraine was very close.
02:16He added that two key remaining talking points still under negotiation were that on the topic of territory,
02:24especially the Donbass region and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
02:29Zelenskyy is expected to speak with European allies next and is meeting with leaders from France, Germany and the U.K. and London on Monday.
02:36Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel and Hamas are set to begin the second phase of their ceasefire shortly,
02:50once the last hostages' remains are returned.
02:53Netanyahu made the comment during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first visit to Israel as head of state.
02:59In a press conference, the two expressed clear differences when speaking on the topic of Gaza and a two-state solution,
03:06yet both were also keen to emphasize a commitment to maintaining a closed bilateral relationship.
03:12Merz stood up for Israel's existence and security, but simultaneously said it must be held accountable under international law.
03:19In the process of this long war, the Israeli government has also led us to a certain dilemma.
03:26Germany has to be held accountable for Israelis, for Israel's security, and Germany has to be held accountable for human rights and rights,
03:35which is the core of our Constitution.
03:36Merz said the second phase of the peace process must begin soon,
03:40and said a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution is the way forward towards lasting peace.
03:45Netanyahu contradicted the Chancellor on the point of the two-state solution,
03:50a possibility he has repeatedly rejected in the past.
03:54Prior to the meeting, Merz visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem,
03:59where he laid a wreath in memory of those killed during the Holocaust.
04:06Euronews sat with the former Vice President of the European Commission, Margarita Shinas,
04:12for an exclusive interview in Doha, where he provided insight as to what the renewed peace efforts might yield in the battled Ukraine.
04:21Europe has to continue, as it did from day one of the invasion of Russia to Ukraine,
04:29continue to seek a positive contribution that would eventually lead to a peaceful settlement.
04:36We have done a lot for Ukraine from day one.
04:41We have been funding Ukraine with 2 billion euros per month.
04:45So, in a way, Ukraine keeps fighting because Europe keeps paying.
04:52We have bought armaments for Ukraine.
04:57We have stood by the country in very difficult diplomatic moments,
05:02and we'll continue to do that.
05:04But we hope that as a result of the ongoing talks and with the increasing involvement of the U.S. government,
05:12we will be able soon to come to an agreement.
05:16But if this moment comes, this would be only the beginning of the next stage.
05:21It will not be the end settlement.
05:23It will be the beginning that would eventually lead to a final settlement.
05:27Euronews also caught up with Luigi Di Maio, the EU's special envoy to the Gulf,
05:32where he shared with us how the region could advance the bloc's competitiveness
05:36in an increasingly unstable geopolitical climate.
05:39I think that the more we will realize that we have to continue to work with our historical allies,
05:49that we have to create new partnerships, the more we realize, we accept that,
05:54the more we implement in fact, not only in words, this new idea or projection,
06:00having at mutual level new partners, the more we will be closer and the more we will face together,
06:08not only the multilateral political challenges, not only the security challenges,
06:13but even the economy, the prosperity for our people.
06:18Together, these two markets, the GCC market and the European market,
06:21together they represent the 20%, almost the 20% of the global economy,
06:26almost the 18% of the global trade.
06:29So we have a huge potential.
06:31So it means even that we can reach a huge leverage together, a joint leverage.
06:37The two European Union politicians were in the Qatari capital
06:40to attend the second day of the Doha forum.
06:43The interior minister of the West African nation of Benin has said that a military coup,
06:53initially announced on Sunday morning by a group of soldiers on state TV as successful,
06:58was spoiled on the same day.
07:00The group, which called itself the military,
07:30the military committee for refoundation, appointed Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigry
07:34as president of the military committee.
07:37Benin's president, Patrice Talon, has been in power since 2016
07:41and is due to step down next April after the presidential election.
07:46The attempt is the latest in a series of military takeovers to rock West Africa
07:51over the last few weeks.
07:56U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats
08:02in the Caribbean and emphasized that President Donald Trump can take military action
08:06as he sees fit to defend the nation.
08:08Here again, we've been focused and here we've been clear.
08:11If you're working for a designated terrorist organization
08:14and you bring drugs to this country in a boat,
08:18we will find you and we will sink you.
08:21Let there be no doubt about it.
08:24President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit.
08:29Hegseth has faced growing scrutiny over an attack in September
08:32in which U.S. forces launched a follow-up strike
08:35that killed survivors of an initial hit on a suspected drug vessel.
08:39The incident raised concerns over the legality and oversight of the operation.
08:45Hegseth says he had not been present when the second strike was ordered
08:49but defended the decision, saying he would have made the same call himself.
08:58Each year, millions of people are estimated to suffer from seasonal depression,
09:03also known as seasonal affective disorder.
09:06Countries in Northern Europe and above the Arctic Circle are no stranger to long dark days.
09:12Experts in Norway, Sweden and Finland say the limited sunlight has a major impact on mood
09:17and can lead to low energy, increased appetite and feelings of sadness.
09:23Because light has an immediate effect on your well-being
09:25to increase serotonin in your brain,
09:29which is a very important chemical to promote oil so, you know,
09:33that you feel good, that you're in a good mood.
09:38So all these things you can do.
09:40So it's not like it's a fade and an annual or a seasonal fade
09:45and you cannot do anything about it.
09:47A light therapy device or DAWN simulator are common tools used to mimic light
09:52and boost serotonin in the brain.
09:55Experts also warn for social isolation
09:57and urge people not to withdraw socially during wintertime.
10:01They also recommend regular exercise to fight the winter blues.
10:05The 26th edition of France's Festival of Lights open Friday in Lyon.
10:16During the four-day events, the facades of the city's buildings,
10:19churches, fountains, cathedrals and main squares
10:22serve as giant canvases for various artists.
10:26A new addition this year, a drone show above the city's biggest park.
10:56The tradition dates all the way back to 1852
11:01when residents placed candles and colored glasses on their windowsills
11:05to celebrate the installation of a statue of the Virgin Mary on the Fourvière Hill.
11:10Entire districts of the city were lit up,
11:12transforming the facades of buildings in a show of lights.
11:17The tradition has become an annual event
11:20with an organized festival hosted for the 26th time this year.
11:26The festival of lights takes place over four evenings until the 8th of December.
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