Dec. 19–25, 2025

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As 2025 wraps up, The Associated Press has curated a list of memorable stories and enjoyable reads published this year

© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Dec. 19 - 25, 2025

© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Sergei Udaltsov, Putin critic affiliated with the Communist party, convicted of justifying terrorism

A court in Russia on Thursday convicted a pro-war activist and critic of Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison.

Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin and is affiliated with the Communist party, was arrested last year.

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© Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP

© Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP

© Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP

It was the second-largest lottery windfall in US history, with a lump-sum cash payment option of $834.9m

A Powerball player in Arkansas won a $1.817bn jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner.

Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previously expected, making it the second-largest in US history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according to www.powerball.com. The jackpot had a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9m.

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© Photograph: Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters

© Photograph: Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters

© Photograph: Eduardo Muñoz/Reuters

Tarique Rahman returns after 17 years in self-imposed exile to lead his party in February’s elections

© AFP via Getty

From front-page news to powerful moments you may have missed, this gallery showcases today’s top photos chosen by Associated Press photo editors.

© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

The Justice Department said Wednesday that finishing the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein files could take a “few more weeks,” further delaying compliance with a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress

© DOJ

From Bethlehem to Beijing, people around the world are celebrating the Christmas season. A polar bear mascot boards an elevator during holiday revelry. Swimmers plunge into frigid waters off Northern Ireland for a charity event. Singers fill a stadium in Indonesia.

© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Dec. 17–23, 2025

© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Ben Sasse, a former U.S. Senator for Nebraska, has announced he has been diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer.

© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images