Portal:Current events/2014 December 26

December 26, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass
- Ukraine and pro-Russia rebels exchange nearly 370 prisoners in the largest such exchange since hostilities began in April this year. (AP via ABC News)
The Philippines and the local Communist Party agree to renew talks that may lead to a peace treaty which could end the 46-year communist insurgency in the country. (Channel News Asia), (The Daily Mail)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Southeast Asian floods
- Flooding in Peninsular Malaysia forces the evacuation of over 100,000 people. (World Bulletin)
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
- Countries around the Indian Ocean commemorate the tenth anniversary of the tsunami. (BBC)
Three South Korean workers die at a nuclear plant construction site. There is speculation that the deaths are connected to a recent nuclear power plant attack. (AP via FOX News)

Law and crime

The Special Investigation Division of Taiwan initiates a review stemming from allegations that President Ma Ying-jeou has received illegal political donations from Ting Hsin International Group, a disgraced conglomerate at the center of the recent food scandal. (Central News Agency)
Sony Pictures Entertainment hack
- North Korea's embassy in Moscow issues a statement, saying: "The film The Interview, produced by the U.S. studio Sony Pictures, is a very dangerous film product that justifies and promotes terrorism." (Hollywood Reporter)
- Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman Alexander Lukashevich says that "the mere idea of the film is aggressively scandalous and that the reaction of the North Korean side is very understandable." (TASS)
- A report says that even before the American Christmas Eve release of The Interview, thousands of Chinese citizens were downloading pirated versions of the movie on domestic video-sharing websites. By midday on December 26, more than 300,000 people had seen the film. (The New York Times)
- The Interview grosses US$1 million on Christmas Day at the box office despite being released only to small theaters. (CNN)
Hackers cause the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live to suffer connection difficulties on Christmas Day. (USA Today)

Sports

In cricket, the Boxing Day Test commences at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Australia playing against India. (The Sydney Morning Herald)

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