Stay informed with the latest news and analysis from Catamist
New hostilities erupted along the disputed Thai-Cambodian border on December 8, 2025, as Thai forces reportedly opened fire with tanks in Preah Vihear province, just two months after a peace agreement was signed. This incident has led to conflicting accounts, with Cambodia calling for international condemnation and claiming restraint, while Thailand alleges Cambodian aggression and has deployed F-16 fighter jets in response.
New data presented at a major international conference reveals that the Alzheimer's drug lecanemab (Leqembi) could dramatically slow disease progression by over eight years for certain patients, offering a far more optimistic outlook than previously understood. These groundbreaking findings, which highlight the profound impact of early intervention and include the development of a convenient at-home injectable version, underscore the critical need for early diagnosis despite concerns over the drug's high annual cost.
Netflix announced a monumental $82.7 billion cash and stock agreement to acquire Warner Bros., encompassing its renowned film and television studios, HBO Max, and HBO, on December 5, 2025. This strategic move aims to significantly expand Netflix's content library and global entertainment dominance by integrating Warner Bros.' iconic franchises with its own extensive offerings.
Astronomers using the Subaru Telescope have made significant breakthroughs, discovering a massive new planet and a brown dwarf through the OASIS program. These findings are crucial for advancing technologies for NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, with the brown dwarf HIP 71618 B serving as an ideal test candidate for its Coronagraph Instrument.
Elon Musk has publicly refuted recent media reports suggesting SpaceX is actively seeking an $800 billion valuation through a new share sale, clarifying that the company instead conducts periodic stock buybacks to provide liquidity for employees and early investors. He further emphasized that SpaceX secures NASA contracts based on merit and competitive pricing, with commercial Starlink operations, not NASA contracts, being the primary driver of the company's revenue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly declared on December 7, 2025, that he would not retire from politics or accept a plea bargain in his ongoing corruption trial, asserting that his political future rests solely with the voters. This definitive statement, made amidst speculation about a pardon request to President Isaac Herzog without an admission of guilt, underscores his consistent denial of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges.
Russia unleashed a devastating missile and drone barrage on Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight into December 7, 2025, resulting in widespread blackouts and significant damage across numerous regions. This severe assault, involving hundreds of projectiles, caused civilian casualties and temporarily disrupted power at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, forcing other nuclear facilities to reduce output.
In a dramatic turn of events, a group of soldiers in Benin, calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation, appeared on state television to announce an apparent military coup, declaring the dissolution of the government and their intent to remove President Patrice Talon. However, loyalist forces swiftly foiled the attempt, with President Talon confirmed safe, while international bodies like ECOWAS and the African Union strongly condemned the unconstitutional move, and Nigeria deployed fighter aircraft as a precautionary measure.
Tropical cyclones Senyar and Ditwah have unleashed unprecedented devastation across Southeast Asia, causing thousands of fatalities and widespread destruction in Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The catastrophic events, including a rare cyclone formation in the Strait of Malacca, have displaced hundreds of thousands and resulted in significant economic damage, particularly impacting Thailand's tourism sector.
In a groundbreaking medical advancement, Chinese researchers successfully implanted a genetically modified pig liver into a human patient, demonstrating its ability to function for an extended period and offering a crucial step towards alleviating the global organ shortage. This pioneering auxiliary xenotransplant, involving a 71-year-old man and a 10-gene-edited porcine liver that functioned for 171 days, signifies a new era in transplant hepatology despite the patient's eventual passing due to complications.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw, held on December 5, 2025, in Washington D.C., officially set the stage for an unprecedented global football spectacle by revealing the initial pathways for a record 48 participating nations. Reigning champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, were drawn into Group J alongside Algeria, Austria, and debutants Jordan, as the expanded tournament prepares for its 104-match schedule across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
A U.S. delegation, led by Deputy USTR Rick Switzer, is scheduled to visit New Delhi from December 10-12 to address contentious tariffs and advance discussions on the initial phase of a Bilateral Trade Agreement with India. This crucial visit aims to finalize the first tranche of a pact intended to significantly boost bilateral trade from $191 billion to a long-term goal of $500 billion by 2030, despite recent U.S. tariffs on Indian goods.