Massive Russian Missile Attack on Ukraine as Peace Talks Conclude; Global Turmoil Persists – 12/7/2025, 8:28:46 PM

Here are some of the latest world news highlights:

Ukraine War & Diplomacy
– Russia launched a major overnight attack on Ukraine, firing more than 600 drones and dozens of missiles at energy and transport infrastructure. A railway hub in central Ukraine was hit, causing power and water outages, just a day after another train station was struck.
– The strikes killed at least one person and injured others, with Ukrainian officials reporting damage to critical infrastructure in multiple regions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians.
– The attacks came hours after the conclusion of three days of U.S.-mediated peace talks between Ukrainian and American officials in Miami. Zelenskyy said the discussions with U.S. special envoy Steve Wickoff and Jared Kushner were constructive, and next steps were agreed upon, though details were not disclosed. Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to the UK for further talks with European leaders, as French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need to keep pressure on Russia to choose peace.

Africa
– In Benin, the interior minister announced that a coup attempt against President Patrice Talon had been foiled. Members of the armed forces had declared a coup and the creation of a Military Committee for Refoundation, but the effort failed.
– In Mali, refugees have told The Associated Press that Russia’s new Africa Corps military unit is committing serious abuses, including rapes and beheadings.
– In South Africa, a mass shooting at a bar near Pretoria left at least 12 people dead, including three children.
– An exchange of fire between Afghan and Pakistani forces along their border killed five Afghan civilians and wounded several others.

Asia
– In India, a fire at a popular nightclub in Goa state killed at least 25 people, including tourists.
– In Indonesia, the toll from catastrophic floods and landslides has risen to at least 908 dead, with hundreds more missing. In neighboring Thailand, flood deaths have reached 216, and in Sri Lanka, heavy rains and landslides have killed at least 618 people.
– Japan protested after a Chinese military aircraft allegedly locked radar on Japanese fighter jets, further straining already tense bilateral relations.
– A zoo on Java island released photos of Indonesia’s first locally-born giant panda cub.

Americas
– In Mexico, the death toll from an explosion outside a police station in the western state of Michoacán has risen to five.
– In the United States, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that the government improperly obtained some of the key evidence used in the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying to Congress, potentially complicating the Justice Department’s case.
– American playwright Jeremy O. Harris was arrested in Japan on suspicion of drug smuggling.

Other Developments
– Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers approved a bill to restore the death penalty for treason, terrorism, and espionage.
– Milan’s Teatro alla Scala opened its season with a Russian opera, Dmitry Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” amid ongoing debate over art and politics in the context of the war in Ukraine.
– Iran launched missiles in the Sea of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz during a naval drill, according to state media.
– Hong Kong held its second legislative election since a 2021 overhaul that effectively eliminated the pro-democracy opposition, taking place just days after a deadly fire in the city.