Sunday, December 14, 2025
Österreich aus EU herauslösen? Wie die USA gerade Europas Illusionen zerstören
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Die Aufregung über angebliche Pläne der USA zu Österreich verdeutlicht die Verunsicherung in der Brüssel-Blase. In Wahrheit täuscht sich Europa in dieser Debatte selbst. Ein Kommentar.
Kaum war die neue Nationale Sicherheitsstrategie der USA veröffentlicht, begann in Europa ein scheinbar kollektives Raunen. Die Empörung rollte wie eine perfekt inszenierte Welle über den Kontinent. Besonders nachdem Medienberichte rund um eine angebliche nichtöffentliche Fassung des Dokuments auftauchten.
Dort soll etwa auch Österreich als möglicher Kandidat genannt werden, den Washington künftig stärker adressieren wolle – und zwar so, dass sich daraus eine Distanz zur EU ergibt. Österreich! Dieses vermeintliche Musterland der Brüsseler Konformität, diese nach außen hin konsensverliebte Alpenrepublik, das „Land der Seligen“, wie es Papst Johannes Paul VI. einmal genannt hat. » | Lukas Moser | Sonntag, 14. Dezember 2025
Trump ist ein FAKE Präsident. Seine Augen sind wie Pisslöcher im Schnee. Seine Haut ist mit Selbstbräuner überzogen. Seine Haare sind nur dank Wasserstoffperoxid blond. Und seine Zähne sind auch nicht echt: eine Prothese. Und wenn es um die wichtigen Dinge geht, denkt und spricht er in Halbwahrheiten und Lügen. Dieser Mann ist gefährlich: gefährlich für Amerika und gefährlich für den Westen. — © Mark Alexander
Kaum war die neue Nationale Sicherheitsstrategie der USA veröffentlicht, begann in Europa ein scheinbar kollektives Raunen. Die Empörung rollte wie eine perfekt inszenierte Welle über den Kontinent. Besonders nachdem Medienberichte rund um eine angebliche nichtöffentliche Fassung des Dokuments auftauchten.
Dort soll etwa auch Österreich als möglicher Kandidat genannt werden, den Washington künftig stärker adressieren wolle – und zwar so, dass sich daraus eine Distanz zur EU ergibt. Österreich! Dieses vermeintliche Musterland der Brüsseler Konformität, diese nach außen hin konsensverliebte Alpenrepublik, das „Land der Seligen“, wie es Papst Johannes Paul VI. einmal genannt hat. » | Lukas Moser | Sonntag, 14. Dezember 2025
Trump ist ein FAKE Präsident. Seine Augen sind wie Pisslöcher im Schnee. Seine Haut ist mit Selbstbräuner überzogen. Seine Haare sind nur dank Wasserstoffperoxid blond. Und seine Zähne sind auch nicht echt: eine Prothese. Und wenn es um die wichtigen Dinge geht, denkt und spricht er in Halbwahrheiten und Lügen. Dieser Mann ist gefährlich: gefährlich für Amerika und gefährlich für den Westen. — © Mark Alexander
Nicolas Baverez : « La fin de l’Occident »
LE FIGARO : CHRONIQUE - Donald Trump a réalisé ce dont Staline avait rêvé et que Xi et Poutine ont placé au cœur de leurs projets impériaux : l’éclatement de l’Occident, la destruction de l’ordre mondial de 1945.
Le pseudo-plan de paix des États-Unis et les négociations engagées avec la Russie pour forcer l’Ukraine à une capitulation inconditionnelle alors qu’elle n’a pas perdu la guerre, puis la publication par l’Administration Trump, le 4 décembre, de la « Stratégie nationale de sécurité », prélude à un rapatriement significatif des forces américaines stationnées en Europe, marquent beaucoup plus qu’un tournant géopolitique, une rupture historique. Ils actent la fin de l’Occident, qui a dominé le monde de la fin du XVe siècle jusqu’au début du XXIe siècle.
En 1918, déjà, dans une Allemagne en ruine, Oswald Spengler avait annoncé le déclin de l’Occident en raison des dérèglements du capitalisme, du déracinement des masses, de la chute de sa vitalité et de la perte de ses valeurs. Son jugement était exact pour l’Europe, qui s’est suicidée matériellement et moralement avec les grandes guerres du XXe siècle. Mais l’Occident s’était réincarné dans les États-Unis, qui jouèrent un rôle décisif dans la victoire des démocraties lors des trois conflits mondiaux, en 1918, en 1945 et en 1989, réintégrèrent l’Allemagne, l’Italie et le Japon parmi les nations libres, soutinrent la reconstruction et l’intégration de l’Europe après 1945. » | Par Nicolas Baverez | dimanche 14 décembre 2025
Réservé aux abonnés
Le pseudo-plan de paix des États-Unis et les négociations engagées avec la Russie pour forcer l’Ukraine à une capitulation inconditionnelle alors qu’elle n’a pas perdu la guerre, puis la publication par l’Administration Trump, le 4 décembre, de la « Stratégie nationale de sécurité », prélude à un rapatriement significatif des forces américaines stationnées en Europe, marquent beaucoup plus qu’un tournant géopolitique, une rupture historique. Ils actent la fin de l’Occident, qui a dominé le monde de la fin du XVe siècle jusqu’au début du XXIe siècle.
En 1918, déjà, dans une Allemagne en ruine, Oswald Spengler avait annoncé le déclin de l’Occident en raison des dérèglements du capitalisme, du déracinement des masses, de la chute de sa vitalité et de la perte de ses valeurs. Son jugement était exact pour l’Europe, qui s’est suicidée matériellement et moralement avec les grandes guerres du XXe siècle. Mais l’Occident s’était réincarné dans les États-Unis, qui jouèrent un rôle décisif dans la victoire des démocraties lors des trois conflits mondiaux, en 1918, en 1945 et en 1989, réintégrèrent l’Allemagne, l’Italie et le Japon parmi les nations libres, soutinrent la reconstruction et l’intégration de l’Europe après 1945. » | Par Nicolas Baverez | dimanche 14 décembre 2025
Réservé aux abonnés
A FREE WORLD NEEDS A STRONG AMERICA
THE NEW YORK TIMES — OPINION: ALGORITHMS AND AUTOCRATS HAVE
RATTLED GLOBAL STABILITY. / TO SAFEGUARD LIBERTY, THE U.S.
MUST REMAKE ITS MILITARY.
AS RECENTLY AS a decade ago, it would not have been hard to unite a broad majority of Republicans and Democrats around a shared idea of what America's military power should be for.
Defense of the homeland. Deterrence of would-be aggressors. Cooperation with treaty allies and protection of kindred democracies confronting common foes. Humanitarian aid and relief. The security of the global commons: sea lanes, air corridors, undersea cables, digital networks. Upholding the laws of war.
In sum, the ability to prevent war wherever possible and win it whenever necessary — all for the sake of a safer, more open, rules-based world.
The Trump administration brings a starkly different mind-set to the issue. Out with the Department of Defense; back to the Department of War. Well-established rules of engagement have yielded to blowing up small boats on the high seas. In place of standing with Ukraine’s embattled democracy against Russia’s invasion, the administration has adopted a course of moral equivalence between the two sides while seeking profits from the war through arms sales and mineral deals.
As for the kind of military alliance-building that typified American foreign policy for much of the 20th century, President Trump has reverted to threats of conquest more common in the 19th. And this is to say nothing of his efforts to deploy troops to American cities, impose political loyalty tests on senior officers or hamstring reporters at the Pentagon. » | The Editorial Board | Sunday, December 14, 2025
Donald Trump is not America’s friend, and he is most certainly not Europe’s. Trump’s best friend is himself and his second best friend is Putin.
When it comes to geopolitics, Trump is absolutely clueless, as are his acolytes. They are rich, but they are also clueless. Either that or they just don’t care.
Trump’s re-election to the presidency should show any right-thinking person proof of why one should be very wary of electing a businessman to high office. For a businessman, the bottom line is always gain and profit. He is always thinking of his bank balance. A cursory glance at Trump’s behaviour shows this to be true. But the fact is—and it’s a very important fact—that a country cannot be run and governed on a businessman’s principles. The leader of a country, even more so the free world, has far, far more important things to think about than profit. A man/woman who tries to lead his/her country on the profit principle is destined to fail. Trump’s miserable record will prove this to be so. History will not be kind to Trump. His legacy is bound to be tarnished. — © Mark Alexander
AS RECENTLY AS a decade ago, it would not have been hard to unite a broad majority of Republicans and Democrats around a shared idea of what America's military power should be for.
Defense of the homeland. Deterrence of would-be aggressors. Cooperation with treaty allies and protection of kindred democracies confronting common foes. Humanitarian aid and relief. The security of the global commons: sea lanes, air corridors, undersea cables, digital networks. Upholding the laws of war.
In sum, the ability to prevent war wherever possible and win it whenever necessary — all for the sake of a safer, more open, rules-based world.
The Trump administration brings a starkly different mind-set to the issue. Out with the Department of Defense; back to the Department of War. Well-established rules of engagement have yielded to blowing up small boats on the high seas. In place of standing with Ukraine’s embattled democracy against Russia’s invasion, the administration has adopted a course of moral equivalence between the two sides while seeking profits from the war through arms sales and mineral deals.
As for the kind of military alliance-building that typified American foreign policy for much of the 20th century, President Trump has reverted to threats of conquest more common in the 19th. And this is to say nothing of his efforts to deploy troops to American cities, impose political loyalty tests on senior officers or hamstring reporters at the Pentagon. » | The Editorial Board | Sunday, December 14, 2025
Donald Trump is not America’s friend, and he is most certainly not Europe’s. Trump’s best friend is himself and his second best friend is Putin.
When it comes to geopolitics, Trump is absolutely clueless, as are his acolytes. They are rich, but they are also clueless. Either that or they just don’t care.
Trump’s re-election to the presidency should show any right-thinking person proof of why one should be very wary of electing a businessman to high office. For a businessman, the bottom line is always gain and profit. He is always thinking of his bank balance. A cursory glance at Trump’s behaviour shows this to be true. But the fact is—and it’s a very important fact—that a country cannot be run and governed on a businessman’s principles. The leader of a country, even more so the free world, has far, far more important things to think about than profit. A man/woman who tries to lead his/her country on the profit principle is destined to fail. Trump’s miserable record will prove this to be so. History will not be kind to Trump. His legacy is bound to be tarnished. — © Mark Alexander
Reviving Swiss Mountain Communities - Is There a Future for These Isolated Regions? | DW Documentary
Dec 14, 2025 | Only about 650 people live year-round in the Onsernone Valley in Switzerland. Surrounded by picturesque but rugged nature, life here is not easy for the inhabitants. And one of the top priorities is ensuring the availability of medical care.
The road through the valley winds its way for 28 kilometers through narrow hairpin bends. Much of the area can only be reached on foot, and with considerable physical effort. There is no supermarket. Above all, medical care must be guaranteed so that the valley remains attractive — for older people, but also for young families.
Josef "Beppe" Savary-Borioli, 72 years old and the valley's long-time doctor, faces the difficult task of finding a successor. He develops a "doctor sharing" model, in which several doctors could share the care of the villagers. For a few months, the experienced mountain doctor is accompanied by young assistant from Locarno — will he be his successor?
There are young families looking for a slower pace of life who are happy to take on the challenges. But living space is scarce, as most of the approximately 1,200 houses in the valley are only used by their owners as vacation homes for a few weeks a year.
Mike Keller, who was born in the valley, has returned with a mission: to find new families for the empty vacation homes. Shaman Daniela Huber has moved to Berzona with her four-year-old son Atticus and his father Adrian to live in her grandmother's house. She spent her summers here as a child.
Berzona is one of the most beautiful villages in the Onsernone Valley, but outside the summer season Daniela feels lonely there. Together with Mike, she’s now trying to encourage like-minded individuals to follow her example, in a bid to revive the village.
The road through the valley winds its way for 28 kilometers through narrow hairpin bends. Much of the area can only be reached on foot, and with considerable physical effort. There is no supermarket. Above all, medical care must be guaranteed so that the valley remains attractive — for older people, but also for young families.
Josef "Beppe" Savary-Borioli, 72 years old and the valley's long-time doctor, faces the difficult task of finding a successor. He develops a "doctor sharing" model, in which several doctors could share the care of the villagers. For a few months, the experienced mountain doctor is accompanied by young assistant from Locarno — will he be his successor?
There are young families looking for a slower pace of life who are happy to take on the challenges. But living space is scarce, as most of the approximately 1,200 houses in the valley are only used by their owners as vacation homes for a few weeks a year.
Mike Keller, who was born in the valley, has returned with a mission: to find new families for the empty vacation homes. Shaman Daniela Huber has moved to Berzona with her four-year-old son Atticus and his father Adrian to live in her grandmother's house. She spent her summers here as a child.
Berzona is one of the most beautiful villages in the Onsernone Valley, but outside the summer season Daniela feels lonely there. Together with Mike, she’s now trying to encourage like-minded individuals to follow her example, in a bid to revive the village.
Davidoff London: Eddie & Edward Enjoying the New Davidoff Year of the Horse
Des pionnières de l’ombre aux reporters de guerre : Claire Blandin retrace 200 ans de femmes au Figaro
MADAME FIGARO : Le Figaro fête ses 200 ans en janvier, au Grand Palais, à Paris. Entretien avec la commissaire d’exposition sur l’évolution du rôle des femmes au sein du journal, indissociable de l’histoire de la société.
Professeure des universités à Sorbonne Paris Nord, spécialiste de l’histoire des médias et notamment du Figaro, auquel elle a consacré plusieurs ouvrages, Claire Blandin est co-commissaire avec Guillaume Perrault de l’exposition 1826-2026. Le Figaro : 200 ans de liberté *. » | Par Lætitia Cénac | dimanche 14 décembre 2025
Professeure des universités à Sorbonne Paris Nord, spécialiste de l’histoire des médias et notamment du Figaro, auquel elle a consacré plusieurs ouvrages, Claire Blandin est co-commissaire avec Guillaume Perrault de l’exposition 1826-2026. Le Figaro : 200 ans de liberté *. » | Par Lætitia Cénac | dimanche 14 décembre 2025
Trump's New National Security Strategy Turns Friends into Foes
Trump Is Forcing Ukraine into a ‘Transactional’ Peace Deal as Europe Quietly Pushes Back
Dec 14, 2025 | “The trick is never to say no, but instead opt for ‘yes, Mr President, but…’”
Europe is trying to quietly steer Trump away from forcing Ukraine into “very serious and dangerous concessions” by keeping him onside while shifting pressure back onto Putin, says international affairs commentator and Zelensky biographer Gallagher Fenwick.
Europe is trying to quietly steer Trump away from forcing Ukraine into “very serious and dangerous concessions” by keeping him onside while shifting pressure back onto Putin, says international affairs commentator and Zelensky biographer Gallagher Fenwick.
«Les décennies de la “Pax Americana” sont en grande partie terminées» : face au retrait américain, Friedrich Merz appelle les Européens au sursaut
LE FIGARO : L’Allemagne doit maintenir l’OTAN «aussi longtemps que possible», a averti le chancelier allemand ce week-end lors d’un congrès de la CSU.
Les Européens doivent se préparer à un « changement fondamental dans la relation transatlantique ». Lors d’une conférence de la CSU à Munich, le chancelier Friedrich Merz a mis en garde contre un détournement durable des États-Unis vis-à-vis de l’Europe. « Les décennies de la “Pax Americana” sont en grande partie terminées pour nous en Europe et aussi pour nous en Allemagne », a-t-il lancé à la tribune, selon les propos rapportés par le média allemand Tagesspiegel.
La « Pax Americana » (« paix américaine » en Latin) renvoie à l’ordre mondial établi après la Seconde Guerre mondiale et basé notamment sur la relation transatlantique. Au cœur de ce dispositif, l’alliance militaire de l’OTAN, dans laquelle les États-Unis jouent un rôle prépondérant pour garantir la sécurité de leurs alliés européens. Cette «Pax Americana» « n’existe plus telle que nous la connaissons », a déclaré Friedrich Merz, dont l’objectif est « de maintenir l’alliance de l’OTAN aussi longtemps que possible ». » | Par Eloi Passot | dimanche 14 décembre 2025
Les Européens doivent se préparer à un « changement fondamental dans la relation transatlantique ». Lors d’une conférence de la CSU à Munich, le chancelier Friedrich Merz a mis en garde contre un détournement durable des États-Unis vis-à-vis de l’Europe. « Les décennies de la “Pax Americana” sont en grande partie terminées pour nous en Europe et aussi pour nous en Allemagne », a-t-il lancé à la tribune, selon les propos rapportés par le média allemand Tagesspiegel.
La « Pax Americana » (« paix américaine » en Latin) renvoie à l’ordre mondial établi après la Seconde Guerre mondiale et basé notamment sur la relation transatlantique. Au cœur de ce dispositif, l’alliance militaire de l’OTAN, dans laquelle les États-Unis jouent un rôle prépondérant pour garantir la sécurité de leurs alliés européens. Cette «Pax Americana» « n’existe plus telle que nous la connaissons », a déclaré Friedrich Merz, dont l’objectif est « de maintenir l’alliance de l’OTAN aussi longtemps que possible ». » | Par Eloi Passot | dimanche 14 décembre 2025
Far-right José Antonio Kast Favored to Win as Chile Votes in Presidential Runoff
THE GUARDIAN: Trump-inspired former congressman expected to succeed Gabriel Boric but compulsory voting could create volatility
Chileans will head to the polls on Sunday for a presidential runoff in which the favourite is a Donald Trump-inspired candidate who has pledged to build a wall along the country’s borders to keep migrants out.
José Antonio Kast, 59, an ultra-conservative former congressman who has built his campaign on a promise to expel tens of thousands of undocumented migrants, faces Jeannette Jara, 51, a former labour minister under the current centre-left president, Gabriel Boric, 39.
Jara finished the first round ahead, with 26.9% to 23.9%, but while she was the unified candidate of a leftwing coalition, rightwing contenders, including Kast, together took more than half of the votes. » | Tiago Rogero, South America correspondent | Sunday, December 14, 2025
The cancer cells of Trumpism are breaking away from the tumour at a rapid pace now; they are travelling far and wide. The metastasis is getting way out of control. The cancer has reached even Chile already. So, Europe had better start preparing itself for the approaching deadly malady. Europe’s future looks very bleak indeed, even black. — © Mark Alexander
Chileans will head to the polls on Sunday for a presidential runoff in which the favourite is a Donald Trump-inspired candidate who has pledged to build a wall along the country’s borders to keep migrants out.
José Antonio Kast, 59, an ultra-conservative former congressman who has built his campaign on a promise to expel tens of thousands of undocumented migrants, faces Jeannette Jara, 51, a former labour minister under the current centre-left president, Gabriel Boric, 39.
Jara finished the first round ahead, with 26.9% to 23.9%, but while she was the unified candidate of a leftwing coalition, rightwing contenders, including Kast, together took more than half of the votes. » | Tiago Rogero, South America correspondent | Sunday, December 14, 2025
The cancer cells of Trumpism are breaking away from the tumour at a rapid pace now; they are travelling far and wide. The metastasis is getting way out of control. The cancer has reached even Chile already. So, Europe had better start preparing itself for the approaching deadly malady. Europe’s future looks very bleak indeed, even black. — © Mark Alexander
Bondi Beach Mass Shooting: 10 People Killed after Gunshots Fired at Sydney Park Hosting Jewish Festival
THE GUARDIAN: Police say one alleged shooter dead, with second arrested and in a critical condition. Eighteen others taken to multiple hospitals across Sydney
Ten people have died, including one alleged gunman, following a mass shooting at Bondi beach during which more than a dozen gunshots were fired in the area.
New South Wales police confirmed on Sunday evening that nine people and one person suspected to be a gunman had died.
There was a Jewish festival at the beach on Sunday evening, and the co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, said: “I think this was very deliberate and very targeted.”
In a statement on Sunday evening, NSW police said officers were first called to Campbell Parade at about 6.45pm, responding to reports of shots being fired.
They confirmed the dead included a man believed to be one of two gunmen, with the second alleged shooter in a critical condition. They said two police officers were among at least 11 other people injured. » | Penry Buckley | Sunday, December 14, 2025
Bondi Beach Is One of Australia’s Most Famous Destinations »
En français :
Fusillade à Bondi Beach, en Australie: le président israélien condamne une «attaque cruelle contre des Juifs» : Après les tirs qui ont fait au moins dix morts sur une plage de Sydney, Isaac Herzog a condamné une attaque «cruelle» contre des Juifs qui célébraient Hanouka et a demandé à l’Australie de lutter davantage contre l’antisémitisme. »
Auf Deutsch:
Schüsse auf Juden am Bondi Beach in Sydney: Mindestens zwölf Tote, Dutzende Verletzte: Zwei Attentäter haben am weltberühmten Bondi Beach das Feuer auf Hunderte Menschen bei einer Chanukka-Feier eröffnet. Mindestens zwölf Menschen sind dabei ums Leben gekommen. »
Ten people have died, including one alleged gunman, following a mass shooting at Bondi beach during which more than a dozen gunshots were fired in the area.
New South Wales police confirmed on Sunday evening that nine people and one person suspected to be a gunman had died.
There was a Jewish festival at the beach on Sunday evening, and the co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, said: “I think this was very deliberate and very targeted.”
In a statement on Sunday evening, NSW police said officers were first called to Campbell Parade at about 6.45pm, responding to reports of shots being fired.
They confirmed the dead included a man believed to be one of two gunmen, with the second alleged shooter in a critical condition. They said two police officers were among at least 11 other people injured. » | Penry Buckley | Sunday, December 14, 2025
Bondi Beach Is One of Australia’s Most Famous Destinations »
En français :
Fusillade à Bondi Beach, en Australie: le président israélien condamne une «attaque cruelle contre des Juifs» : Après les tirs qui ont fait au moins dix morts sur une plage de Sydney, Isaac Herzog a condamné une attaque «cruelle» contre des Juifs qui célébraient Hanouka et a demandé à l’Australie de lutter davantage contre l’antisémitisme. »
Auf Deutsch:
Schüsse auf Juden am Bondi Beach in Sydney: Mindestens zwölf Tote, Dutzende Verletzte: Zwei Attentäter haben am weltberühmten Bondi Beach das Feuer auf Hunderte Menschen bei einer Chanukka-Feier eröffnet. Mindestens zwölf Menschen sind dabei ums Leben gekommen. »
Putin’s Frozen Assets Could Bring Europe ‘to a Standstill’
Dec 13, 2025 | “If it were to fail, capital markets might come to a standstill.”
It would be risky for the Belgian securities depository Euroclear to seize Russian assets and give them to Ukraine to fund their war effort, as it could unbalance the European economy, says Belgian professor of financial law at KU Leuven University Veerle Colaert.
It would be risky for the Belgian securities depository Euroclear to seize Russian assets and give them to Ukraine to fund their war effort, as it could unbalance the European economy, says Belgian professor of financial law at KU Leuven University Veerle Colaert.
Make Europe Weak Again? – Trumps nationale Sicherheitsstrategie und die Folgen | PolitiX
Trump Administration Threatens Europe & Throws Longstanding International Alliance into Turmoil
Saturday, December 13, 2025
États-Unis : une fusillade éclate sur le campus de la prestigieuse université Brown, plusieurs blessés
LE FIGARO : L’université américaine a envoyé un message d’alerte invitant les étudiants à «fermer les portes, mettre les téléphones en silencieux et rester cachés jusqu’à nouvel ordre».
Une fusillade a éclaté ce samedi 13 décembre sur le campus de Brown, dans la ville de Providence, proche de Boston, a annoncé l'université, qui compte parmi les huit plus prestigieuses de la côte est des États-Unis (Ivy League). Plusieurs personnes ont été blessées par des tirs, selon les premiers éléments communiqués par la police. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 13 décembre 2025
THE TELEGRAPH:
‘Multiple people’ shot at Brown University: Students told to shelter or ‘fight’ if need be as police hunt for gunman »
Une fusillade a éclaté ce samedi 13 décembre sur le campus de Brown, dans la ville de Providence, proche de Boston, a annoncé l'université, qui compte parmi les huit plus prestigieuses de la côte est des États-Unis (Ivy League). Plusieurs personnes ont été blessées par des tirs, selon les premiers éléments communiqués par la police. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 13 décembre 2025
THE TELEGRAPH:
‘Multiple people’ shot at Brown University: Students told to shelter or ‘fight’ if need be as police hunt for gunman »
Trump's Gangster Peace Demands Are a Mockery of Just, Durable Peace
Festive Flavours with Famous Friends | Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas | Full Episode | Mary Berry
Dec 11, 2025 | Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas Full Episode: Much loved home cook Dame Mary Berry is joined by some famous friends for her ultimate Christmas feast, packed with tips to plan and get ahead for the big day.
Planning is Mary’s top tip for a successful and enjoyable day and here she shares her definitive recipes perfected over 50 years. Mary will begin her festive feast with a deliciously simple Stilton and Sage Mini Scone Canape, followed by her traditional Christmas feast including her Lemon and Herb Roast Turkey with all the trimmings. Her Crispy Roast Potatoes, honey glazed carrots and parsnips, Ruby Red Cabbage and Apricot and Chestnut Stuffing are all complimented by turkey gravy. To complete the meal Mary is joined by friend Rylan as they visit a pick your own vegetable farm where they cook up Brussels Sprouts with peas and cashews to try and convert some Brussels hating kids.
Mary will also be joined by some chef friends who share festive recipes from their own heritage. She visits Angela Hartnett at home, where she cooks up rich Pumpkin Ricotta Tortelli, a seasonal tradition for her Italian family. Monica Galetti welcomes Mary to her restaurant kitchen where she prepares a twist on Samoan Palusami with Smoked Haddock, Cavolo Nero and Sourdough which she’ll be serving to her family on Christmas Day.
To create the perfect table setting Mary also shows us how to create a sustainable and cost-conscious centrepiece from foraged greenery before Rylan joins her at home to share a festive cocktail with fizz and cranberries.
To complete the festive feast are two sumptuous desserts. Mary’s traditional British Christmas pudding recipe goes back to medieval times – a rich mix of dried fruit and nuts which is steamed for 8 hours before serving alongside a boozy cream. Alongside this is a Festive Trifle with layers of custard, cream, sponge and pear, topped with spun sugar.
Planning is Mary’s top tip for a successful and enjoyable day and here she shares her definitive recipes perfected over 50 years. Mary will begin her festive feast with a deliciously simple Stilton and Sage Mini Scone Canape, followed by her traditional Christmas feast including her Lemon and Herb Roast Turkey with all the trimmings. Her Crispy Roast Potatoes, honey glazed carrots and parsnips, Ruby Red Cabbage and Apricot and Chestnut Stuffing are all complimented by turkey gravy. To complete the meal Mary is joined by friend Rylan as they visit a pick your own vegetable farm where they cook up Brussels Sprouts with peas and cashews to try and convert some Brussels hating kids.
Mary will also be joined by some chef friends who share festive recipes from their own heritage. She visits Angela Hartnett at home, where she cooks up rich Pumpkin Ricotta Tortelli, a seasonal tradition for her Italian family. Monica Galetti welcomes Mary to her restaurant kitchen where she prepares a twist on Samoan Palusami with Smoked Haddock, Cavolo Nero and Sourdough which she’ll be serving to her family on Christmas Day.
To create the perfect table setting Mary also shows us how to create a sustainable and cost-conscious centrepiece from foraged greenery before Rylan joins her at home to share a festive cocktail with fizz and cranberries.
To complete the festive feast are two sumptuous desserts. Mary’s traditional British Christmas pudding recipe goes back to medieval times – a rich mix of dried fruit and nuts which is steamed for 8 hours before serving alongside a boozy cream. Alongside this is a Festive Trifle with layers of custard, cream, sponge and pear, topped with spun sugar.
Danish Intelligence Accuses US of Using Economic Power to ‘Assert Its Will’ over Allies
THE GUARDIAN: The US is also listed as a threat due to its interest in Greenland, which the Trump administration has claimed is vital to America’s national security
Danish intelligence services have accused the US of using its economic power to “assert its will” and threatening military force against its allies.
The comments, made in its annual assessment released this week, mark the first time that the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) has listed the US as a threat to the country. Denmark, the report warns, is “facing more and more serious threats and security policy challenges than in many years”.
The report said that the US is “now using its economic and technological strength as a means of power, including against allies and partners”.
Competition between superpowers Russia, China and the US, it said, is “increasingly taking place in the Arctic”, which is growing in strategic importance amid increasing tensions between Russia and the west. This, it notes, poses a specific threat to Denmark, which used to rule Greenland as a colony and continues to control its foreign and security policy.
“The increased great power competition in the Arctic has significantly increased international attention to the region,” it said. “This applies in particular to the United States’ increasing interest in Greenland and its importance to US national security.”
It adds: “At the same time, the attention increases the threat from espionage, including cyber espionage, and attempts to further influence all parts of the kingdom of Denmark.” Greenland remains part of the Danish commonwealth or kingdom. » | Miranda Bryant, Nordic correspondent | Friday, December 12, 2025
Danish intelligence services have accused the US of using its economic power to “assert its will” and threatening military force against its allies.
The comments, made in its annual assessment released this week, mark the first time that the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) has listed the US as a threat to the country. Denmark, the report warns, is “facing more and more serious threats and security policy challenges than in many years”.
The report said that the US is “now using its economic and technological strength as a means of power, including against allies and partners”.
Competition between superpowers Russia, China and the US, it said, is “increasingly taking place in the Arctic”, which is growing in strategic importance amid increasing tensions between Russia and the west. This, it notes, poses a specific threat to Denmark, which used to rule Greenland as a colony and continues to control its foreign and security policy.
“The increased great power competition in the Arctic has significantly increased international attention to the region,” it said. “This applies in particular to the United States’ increasing interest in Greenland and its importance to US national security.”
It adds: “At the same time, the attention increases the threat from espionage, including cyber espionage, and attempts to further influence all parts of the kingdom of Denmark.” Greenland remains part of the Danish commonwealth or kingdom. » | Miranda Bryant, Nordic correspondent | Friday, December 12, 2025
Phil Collins : Do You Remember? | Official Music Video
Ina Garten's Fan-Favourite Coq au Vin | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network
George Benson : In Your Eyes
Donald Trump Is Pursuing Regime Change – in Europe
THE GUARDIAN — OPINION The US made it clear this week that it plans to help the parties of the European far right gain power. Keir Starmer and his fellow leaders have to face this new reality
When are we going to get the message? I joked a few months back that, when it comes to Donald Trump, Europe needs to learn from Sex and the City’s Miranda Hobbes and realise that “He’s just not that into you”. After this past week, it’s clear that understates the problem. Trump’s America is not merely indifferent to Europe – it’s positively hostile to it. That has enormous implications for the continent and for Britain, which too many of our leaders still refuse to face.
The depth of US hostility was revealed most explicitly in the new US national security strategy, or NSS, a 29-page document that serves as a formal statement of the foreign policy of the second Trump administration. There is much there to lament, starting with the sceptical quote marks that appear around the sole reference to “climate change”, but the most striking passages are those that take aim at Europe.
China and Russia, which you’d think the US would see as genuine strategic threats worthy of serious attention, are addressed flatly and with relative brevity. It’s Europe that gets Team Trump’s blood up, against Europe that it unleashes its rhetorical firepower. It warns that economic stagnation, “censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates” and above all, migration, raise “the stark prospect of civilizational erasure”. » | Jonathan Freedland | Friday, December 12, 2025
It’s America that needs regime change, not Europe! — © Mark Alexander
When are we going to get the message? I joked a few months back that, when it comes to Donald Trump, Europe needs to learn from Sex and the City’s Miranda Hobbes and realise that “He’s just not that into you”. After this past week, it’s clear that understates the problem. Trump’s America is not merely indifferent to Europe – it’s positively hostile to it. That has enormous implications for the continent and for Britain, which too many of our leaders still refuse to face.
The depth of US hostility was revealed most explicitly in the new US national security strategy, or NSS, a 29-page document that serves as a formal statement of the foreign policy of the second Trump administration. There is much there to lament, starting with the sceptical quote marks that appear around the sole reference to “climate change”, but the most striking passages are those that take aim at Europe.
China and Russia, which you’d think the US would see as genuine strategic threats worthy of serious attention, are addressed flatly and with relative brevity. It’s Europe that gets Team Trump’s blood up, against Europe that it unleashes its rhetorical firepower. It warns that economic stagnation, “censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates” and above all, migration, raise “the stark prospect of civilizational erasure”. » | Jonathan Freedland | Friday, December 12, 2025
It’s America that needs regime change, not Europe! — © Mark Alexander
Trump Says that the US Economy Is A++++
Michael Lambert: Trump & Starmer Are Finished: Why Both Leaders Won’t Survive 2025
Dec 13, 2025 | In today’s video I explain why BOTH Donald Trump and Keir Starmer are now entering the most dangerous moments of their political lives.
Trump continues sinking into delusion, dishonesty, and chaotic decision-making — from reckless tariff claims to bizarre political boasting, sweeping pardons, and state piracy at sea. The US economy is weakening, tourism is collapsing, and key industries are suffering. His grip on reality and on his own party appears to be slipping.
Meanwhile in the UK, Keir Starmer is doubling down on honouring a Brexit that is visibly damaging the country. With the NHS, local authorities, courts, police, and trade all deteriorating, Starmer’s refusal to confront Brexit head-on is pushing Labour into a political corner. And inside his own party, pressure is growing.
This is an excellent synopsis of the dire situation the UK finds itself in as a result of that absurd decision to leave the European Union. Keir Starmer is not the man who can lead us back into the EU or bring about prosperity for this nation. To be honest, I don’t really think that Starmer understands economics. Starmer has the mind of a bureaucrat. I also think he is risk-averse. He is certainly lacking in charisma. In fact, he reminds me of a programme the BBC used to show when I was a child: The Wooden Tops! 😊 Or Bill and Ben, The Flowerpot Men!
Under Starmer, this country is going nowhere fast. Problem is, other than Sir Ed Davey, no other politician speaks any sense. But even though the Liberal Democrats have done really well with Ed Davey as their leader, I have my doubts that the British electorate would be willing to give him a chance to become prime minister. That, in my opinion, is a great pity, because he is the only man who talks any sense. — © Mark Alexander
Trump continues sinking into delusion, dishonesty, and chaotic decision-making — from reckless tariff claims to bizarre political boasting, sweeping pardons, and state piracy at sea. The US economy is weakening, tourism is collapsing, and key industries are suffering. His grip on reality and on his own party appears to be slipping.
Meanwhile in the UK, Keir Starmer is doubling down on honouring a Brexit that is visibly damaging the country. With the NHS, local authorities, courts, police, and trade all deteriorating, Starmer’s refusal to confront Brexit head-on is pushing Labour into a political corner. And inside his own party, pressure is growing.
This is an excellent synopsis of the dire situation the UK finds itself in as a result of that absurd decision to leave the European Union. Keir Starmer is not the man who can lead us back into the EU or bring about prosperity for this nation. To be honest, I don’t really think that Starmer understands economics. Starmer has the mind of a bureaucrat. I also think he is risk-averse. He is certainly lacking in charisma. In fact, he reminds me of a programme the BBC used to show when I was a child: The Wooden Tops! 😊 Or Bill and Ben, The Flowerpot Men!
Under Starmer, this country is going nowhere fast. Problem is, other than Sir Ed Davey, no other politician speaks any sense. But even though the Liberal Democrats have done really well with Ed Davey as their leader, I have my doubts that the British electorate would be willing to give him a chance to become prime minister. That, in my opinion, is a great pity, because he is the only man who talks any sense. — © Mark Alexander
'It's a Mistake for Ukraine to Make Concessions': Former Trump Security Adviser John Bolton
Has Europe Got Any Influence over President Trump? | DW News
NATO Leader Warns: Russia Could Go to War with Europe within Years, Says Mark Rutte
ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.
EU to Freeze €210bn in Russian Assets Indefinitely
THE GUARDIAN: The decision is a significant step towards using the cash to aid Ukraine’s defence – but Moscow is threatening to retaliate
The EU has agreed to indefinitely freeze Russia’s sovereign assets in the bloc, as Moscow stepped up its threats to retaliate against Euroclear, the keeper of most of the Kremlin’s immobilised money.
The decision by the EU to use emergency powers to immobilise €210bn (£185bn) of Russia’s central bank’s assets marks a significant step towards using the cash to aid Ukraine’s defence.
European Council president António Costa confirmed on Friday that EU leaders had delivered on a commitment, made in October, to “keep Russian assets immobilised until Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates for the damage caused”. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Friday, December 12, 2025
The EU has agreed to indefinitely freeze Russia’s sovereign assets in the bloc, as Moscow stepped up its threats to retaliate against Euroclear, the keeper of most of the Kremlin’s immobilised money.
The decision by the EU to use emergency powers to immobilise €210bn (£185bn) of Russia’s central bank’s assets marks a significant step towards using the cash to aid Ukraine’s defence.
European Council president António Costa confirmed on Friday that EU leaders had delivered on a commitment, made in October, to “keep Russian assets immobilised until Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates for the damage caused”. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Friday, December 12, 2025
C of E Responds to Tommy Robinson’s Carols Event with ‘Christmas Is for All’ Message
THE GUARDIAN: Release of 43-second video comes as senior church figures speak out against dangers of Christian nationalism
The Church of England has released a video in response to a Christmas carols event on Saturday being organised by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson amid calls from a growing number of senior church figures to challenge Christian nationalism.
In the 43-second video, Christmas Isn’t Cancelled, posted on the church’s YouTube channel, more than 20 people from the archbishop of York to schoolchildren speak about the “joy, love and hope” of Christmas. The message is “a simple reminder that Christmas belongs to all of us, and everyone is welcome to celebrate”, the C of E said.
A number of its leaders are speaking out against the dangers of Christian nationalism and the appropriation of Christian symbols to bolster the anti-migrant views of Robinson and his supporters taking part in the “Unite the Kingdom” event.
Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, warned of the potential “weaponisation” of events such as the one planned for Saturday, and said the C of E must be “absolutely clear” that the true Christian message was one of compassion and welcome to all.
Arun Arora, the bishop of Kirkstall and co-lead bishop on racial justice, said Christianity was being used as “a flag of convenience by the far right; a nationalist ideology cloaking itself in religion”.
He added: “Any attempt to co-opt Christianity to particular political agendas or ideologies should be viewed with deep suspicion. The far right has often sought to wrap itself in flags or symbols, which belong to us all, and now they are seeking to do it with Christmas – that should be resisted.” » | Harriet Sherwood,Chris Osuh and Diane Taylor | Saturday, December 13, 2025
The Church of England has released a video in response to a Christmas carols event on Saturday being organised by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson amid calls from a growing number of senior church figures to challenge Christian nationalism.
In the 43-second video, Christmas Isn’t Cancelled, posted on the church’s YouTube channel, more than 20 people from the archbishop of York to schoolchildren speak about the “joy, love and hope” of Christmas. The message is “a simple reminder that Christmas belongs to all of us, and everyone is welcome to celebrate”, the C of E said.
A number of its leaders are speaking out against the dangers of Christian nationalism and the appropriation of Christian symbols to bolster the anti-migrant views of Robinson and his supporters taking part in the “Unite the Kingdom” event.
Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, warned of the potential “weaponisation” of events such as the one planned for Saturday, and said the C of E must be “absolutely clear” that the true Christian message was one of compassion and welcome to all.
Arun Arora, the bishop of Kirkstall and co-lead bishop on racial justice, said Christianity was being used as “a flag of convenience by the far right; a nationalist ideology cloaking itself in religion”.
He added: “Any attempt to co-opt Christianity to particular political agendas or ideologies should be viewed with deep suspicion. The far right has often sought to wrap itself in flags or symbols, which belong to us all, and now they are seeking to do it with Christmas – that should be resisted.” » | Harriet Sherwood,Chris Osuh and Diane Taylor | Saturday, December 13, 2025
Friday, December 12, 2025
Brian Cox Gives a Damning Indictment of Trump's America | LBC
Dec 10, 2025 | Hollywood titan Brian Cox spoke to Andrew Marr about the future of Trump's America. The Succession actor's children live in America.
In his interview with Andrew, Mr Cox expressed his concern about America becoming a 'police state' and claimed 'free speech is being squeezed'.
In his interview with Andrew, Mr Cox expressed his concern about America becoming a 'police state' and claimed 'free speech is being squeezed'.
King Charles: 'Good News' on Cancer Treatment | Speech in Full
Dec 12, 2025 | The King has revealed his cancer treatment will be reduced in the new year.
In a televised message to the nation, the monarch said he had reached a “milestone” in his treatment, calling it a “personal blessing” and giving thanks for early diagnosis and medical advances.
In a televised message to the nation, the monarch said he had reached a “milestone” in his treatment, calling it a “personal blessing” and giving thanks for early diagnosis and medical advances.
'Putin Is a Murderer': Russian Opposition Figure Vladimir Kara-Murza • FRANCE 24 English
Steve Schmidt Destroys Kristi Noem
Trump and his regime have turned America into a veritable shithouse, and if we are not very careful, they will turn the rest of the West into a shithouse too. The sooner those buffoons are kicked out of office, the better. — © Mark Alexander
Soulz of Men: Where Did The Love Go
If the US Forces Me to Choose between My Two Nationalities, I Choose France – and Europe
THE GUARDIAN: Proposals to change US citizenship rules leaves dual citizens like me caught in the crossfire. If push comes to shove, I know where my loyalty lies
ast week, a Republican senator from my home state of Ohio, Bernie Moreno, introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act. The proposed legislation would strip me of my American citizenship, because I chose to be French too. Just as Moreno seeks to bully me into choosing citizenship, the US is bullying Europe, trying to force it to pick between total submission to its erstwhile partner, or a break with it.
It is now official US policy that Europe is facing “civilisational erasure”, and that the US will actively support far-right, ethnonationalist, neofascist parties hostile to the EU. Standing by historic alliances is out, protecting Elon Musk and his fellow techno-nihilist broligarchs is in – as is reaping the Kremlin’s praises for it.
What should have been clear as early as November 2024 should, by now, be abundantly so. This version of the US is worse than simply “not our friend”: it is an actively hostile actor seeking to fracture European society in the same way that Russia sought to fracture British society by promoting Brexit, and US society by fuelling disinformation, Maga and Trump. And yet Europe (the UK included) has spent the past year coddling, backtracking, cajoling and capitulating. It has ignored insult after insult from the White House, punitive measure after punitive measure.
Have we not yet had enough of the humiliation? » | Alexander Hurst | Friday, December 12, 2025
Alexander Hurst is very wise. Were I to be he, I too would choose to be French over being American. France is a land of culture and refinement. America is a shithouse by comparison! Vive la belle France ! — © Mark Alexander
ast week, a Republican senator from my home state of Ohio, Bernie Moreno, introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act. The proposed legislation would strip me of my American citizenship, because I chose to be French too. Just as Moreno seeks to bully me into choosing citizenship, the US is bullying Europe, trying to force it to pick between total submission to its erstwhile partner, or a break with it.
It is now official US policy that Europe is facing “civilisational erasure”, and that the US will actively support far-right, ethnonationalist, neofascist parties hostile to the EU. Standing by historic alliances is out, protecting Elon Musk and his fellow techno-nihilist broligarchs is in – as is reaping the Kremlin’s praises for it.
What should have been clear as early as November 2024 should, by now, be abundantly so. This version of the US is worse than simply “not our friend”: it is an actively hostile actor seeking to fracture European society in the same way that Russia sought to fracture British society by promoting Brexit, and US society by fuelling disinformation, Maga and Trump. And yet Europe (the UK included) has spent the past year coddling, backtracking, cajoling and capitulating. It has ignored insult after insult from the White House, punitive measure after punitive measure.
Have we not yet had enough of the humiliation? » | Alexander Hurst | Friday, December 12, 2025
Alexander Hurst is very wise. Were I to be he, I too would choose to be French over being American. France is a land of culture and refinement. America is a shithouse by comparison! Vive la belle France ! — © Mark Alexander
Actor and Comedian Stanley Baxter Dies Aged 99
THE GUARDIAN: Baxter enjoyed a decades-spanning career on radio, TV and film, and was famous for impersonating famous people including Queen Elizabeth II
The reluctant gay »
OBITUARY: Stanley Baxter »
The reluctant gay »
OBITUARY: Stanley Baxter »
King Charles to Speak About His Cancer in Televised Message
THE NEW YORK TIMES: A video of the king discussing his “recovery journey” will air on Channel 4 on Friday as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in the U.K.
King Charles III will share a personal message about his experience with cancer in a prerecorded video message that will air on British television on Friday.
The king, 77, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last year, and the message will be broadcast as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in Britain, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The video will address Charles’s “recovery journey,” the palace said, and will emphasize the importance of screenings to detect cancer early.
It is expected to air at 8 p.m. local time on Channel 4, during an evening of fund-raising programs for “Stand Up to Cancer,” a charitable campaign that aims to raise money for cancer research and treatment. The video was recorded in the last week of November at Clarence House, the king’s royal residence in London. » | Francesca Regalado | Friday, December 12, 2025
King Charles III will share a personal message about his experience with cancer in a prerecorded video message that will air on British television on Friday.
The king, 77, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last year, and the message will be broadcast as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in Britain, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The video will address Charles’s “recovery journey,” the palace said, and will emphasize the importance of screenings to detect cancer early.
It is expected to air at 8 p.m. local time on Channel 4, during an evening of fund-raising programs for “Stand Up to Cancer,” a charitable campaign that aims to raise money for cancer research and treatment. The video was recorded in the last week of November at Clarence House, the king’s royal residence in London. » | Francesca Regalado | Friday, December 12, 2025
LGBTQ Parents Are Now Criminals in Slovakia
This world is full of ignorance. Whatever happened to enlightened thinking? — © Mark Alexander
Putins Woche der Selbstprofilierung: Von wegen Isolation | DER SPIEGEL
Kate Middleton, son combat silencieux contre le cancer
MADAME FIGARO : Près d’un an après l’annonce de la rémission de son cancer, la princesse de Galles multiplie les engagements royaux avec un dévouement sans faille. Mais où en est-elle réellement dans son combat contre la maladie ?
Son sourire radieux et toujours identique cultive le mystère autour de son état de santé. Depuis son retour sur la scène royale, Kate Middleton assure ses engagements sans jamais laisser transparaître un quelconque signe de lassitude ou de fatigue, comme si son combat contre le cancer n’avait jamais existé. Une attitude qui interroge : la princesse de Galles va-t-elle vraiment mieux depuis qu’elle a annoncé sa rémission, en janvier 2025, ou fait-elle tout simplement bonne figure ? » | Par Solene Delinger | lundi 8 décembre 2025
Son sourire radieux et toujours identique cultive le mystère autour de son état de santé. Depuis son retour sur la scène royale, Kate Middleton assure ses engagements sans jamais laisser transparaître un quelconque signe de lassitude ou de fatigue, comme si son combat contre le cancer n’avait jamais existé. Une attitude qui interroge : la princesse de Galles va-t-elle vraiment mieux depuis qu’elle a annoncé sa rémission, en janvier 2025, ou fait-elle tout simplement bonne figure ? » | Par Solene Delinger | lundi 8 décembre 2025
Mgr Laurent Ulrich : « J’ai invité le pape à Paris. Il m’a répondu : “Oui, j’aimerais voir Notre-Dame”»
LE FIGARO : EXCLUSIF - L’archevêque de Paris préside, ce samedi à Notre-Dame de Paris, la béatification de 51 jeunes catholiques martyrs, victimes du nazisme. Un an après sa réouverture, la cathédrale parisienne ne cesse d’attirer les foules.
Ce samedi 13 décembre, un événement exceptionnel a lieu à Notre-Dame de Paris, aboutissement de quarante années de recherches historiques et théologiques : la béatification, au titre de martyrs, de 51 jeunes Français, catholiques, partis volontairement et clandestinement en Allemagne pour soutenir spirituellement les ouvriers du STO (Service du travail obligatoire). L’archevêque de Paris, Mgr Laurent Ulrich, 74 ans, évoque pour Le Figaro cette cérémonie qui participe du rayonnement de la cathédrale, un an après sa réouverture. » | Par Jean-Marie Guénois | vendredi 12 décembre 2025
Réservé aux abonnés
Ce samedi 13 décembre, un événement exceptionnel a lieu à Notre-Dame de Paris, aboutissement de quarante années de recherches historiques et théologiques : la béatification, au titre de martyrs, de 51 jeunes Français, catholiques, partis volontairement et clandestinement en Allemagne pour soutenir spirituellement les ouvriers du STO (Service du travail obligatoire). L’archevêque de Paris, Mgr Laurent Ulrich, 74 ans, évoque pour Le Figaro cette cérémonie qui participe du rayonnement de la cathédrale, un an après sa réouverture. » | Par Jean-Marie Guénois | vendredi 12 décembre 2025
Réservé aux abonnés
Uncloseted Media Investigates LGBTQ Hate & Christian Extremism | Secular Spotlight
Trump’s Invasion of Venezuela Will Make Afghanistan Look Like ‘Child’s Play’ | Malcolm Nance
Dec 11, 2025 | “The US does not do well against people that fight in flip-flops.”
Trump is “making up” his own definitions to justify his Venezuela policy which is headed forwards a ground war that will make “Afghanistan look like child’s play,” says former US navy intelligence officer Malcolm Nance.
The Nobel Peace Prize has been turned into a worthless joke! — © Mark Alexander
Trump is “making up” his own definitions to justify his Venezuela policy which is headed forwards a ground war that will make “Afghanistan look like child’s play,” says former US navy intelligence officer Malcolm Nance.
The Nobel Peace Prize has been turned into a worthless joke! — © Mark Alexander
Zölibat – Der katholische Leidensweg | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE
Dec 10, 2025 | Priester, Theologen und Bischöfe bekennen zunehmend, dass ein Großteil der Geistlichen das Zölibat nicht mehr befolgt. Sie verurteilen die Institution Kirche und ihren Umgang mit Priestern. Und weigern sich, die vom Vatikan auferlegte kirchliche Gesetz zu befolgen. Sie wollen ihr Privatleben nicht mehr geheim halten. Viele plädieren für ein Aus des Pflichtzölibats.
Immer mehr Stimmen richten sich gegen den Zölibat und sorgen für Unruhe in der römisch-katholischen Kirche. Eine Umfrage unter Priestern, Gläubigen, Theologen und Bischöfen aus acht Ländern und von drei Kontinenten hat ergeben, dass ein Großteil der Geistlichen den Zölibat nicht mehr befolgt. Die Befragten verurteilen die Heuchelei der Kirche, die über das Doppelleben von Priestern hinwegsieht und für den Leidensweg ihrer Familien verantwortlich ist. Im Hintergrund werden Fäden gezogen, um nicht noch mehr Priester zu verlieren: Betroffene berichten von Zwangsversetzungen, Ziehvätern, die Priesterkinder adoptieren, und Schweigegeld für Mütter.
Im Klerus werden indes die Auswirkungen der unmoralischen Vorgehensweisen spürbar: Immer mehr Priester verlassen ihr Amt und wollen ihr Privatleben nicht mehr geheim halten. In Österreich leben etwa 350 Priester offen mit ihren Familien trotz der Gefahr, aus der Kirche ausgeschlossen zu werden. Und auch diejenigen, die bereits ausgeschlossen wurden, gehen weiterhin ihren Aufgaben in der Gemeinde nach. Teilweise werden Messen von Frauen gehalten.
Auch in Deutschland bleibt die Kirche nicht untätig – die Gesamtheit der deutschen Bischöfe hat gegen den Willen Roms eine radikale Reform eingeführt: Laienpredigerinnen und -prediger können von nun an in der Kirche Gebete und Segen aussprechen.
Dieser Ruf nach Veränderung sorgt für eine Spaltung in der Kirche. Vom Vatikan enttäuscht, verlassen progressive Priester ihre Ämter, treten unabhängigen katholischen Gemeinden bei und haben dort die Möglichkeit, eine Familie zu gründen. Anfangs gab es solche Gemeinden vor allem in Afrika – mittlerweile verbreiten sie sich auf der ganzen Welt. Um die leeren Reihen des Klerus erneut zu füllen, schrecken die Diözesen nicht davor zurück, verheiratete Priester mit Kindern aus anderen christlichen Kirchen abzuwerben. Das Ganze führt zu einer gewissen „existenziellen Schizophrenie“ der Gläubigen und der Kirche, die sich laut Papst Franziskus bereits bei den Bischöfen bemerkbar macht.
Dokumentarfilm von Eric Colomer und Rémi Benichou (F 2021, 100 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 07/02/2026
La version française est disponible ici.
Immer mehr Stimmen richten sich gegen den Zölibat und sorgen für Unruhe in der römisch-katholischen Kirche. Eine Umfrage unter Priestern, Gläubigen, Theologen und Bischöfen aus acht Ländern und von drei Kontinenten hat ergeben, dass ein Großteil der Geistlichen den Zölibat nicht mehr befolgt. Die Befragten verurteilen die Heuchelei der Kirche, die über das Doppelleben von Priestern hinwegsieht und für den Leidensweg ihrer Familien verantwortlich ist. Im Hintergrund werden Fäden gezogen, um nicht noch mehr Priester zu verlieren: Betroffene berichten von Zwangsversetzungen, Ziehvätern, die Priesterkinder adoptieren, und Schweigegeld für Mütter.
Im Klerus werden indes die Auswirkungen der unmoralischen Vorgehensweisen spürbar: Immer mehr Priester verlassen ihr Amt und wollen ihr Privatleben nicht mehr geheim halten. In Österreich leben etwa 350 Priester offen mit ihren Familien trotz der Gefahr, aus der Kirche ausgeschlossen zu werden. Und auch diejenigen, die bereits ausgeschlossen wurden, gehen weiterhin ihren Aufgaben in der Gemeinde nach. Teilweise werden Messen von Frauen gehalten.
Auch in Deutschland bleibt die Kirche nicht untätig – die Gesamtheit der deutschen Bischöfe hat gegen den Willen Roms eine radikale Reform eingeführt: Laienpredigerinnen und -prediger können von nun an in der Kirche Gebete und Segen aussprechen.
Dieser Ruf nach Veränderung sorgt für eine Spaltung in der Kirche. Vom Vatikan enttäuscht, verlassen progressive Priester ihre Ämter, treten unabhängigen katholischen Gemeinden bei und haben dort die Möglichkeit, eine Familie zu gründen. Anfangs gab es solche Gemeinden vor allem in Afrika – mittlerweile verbreiten sie sich auf der ganzen Welt. Um die leeren Reihen des Klerus erneut zu füllen, schrecken die Diözesen nicht davor zurück, verheiratete Priester mit Kindern aus anderen christlichen Kirchen abzuwerben. Das Ganze führt zu einer gewissen „existenziellen Schizophrenie“ der Gläubigen und der Kirche, die sich laut Papst Franziskus bereits bei den Bischöfen bemerkbar macht.
Dokumentarfilm von Eric Colomer und Rémi Benichou (F 2021, 100 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 07/02/2026
La version française est disponible ici.
Ukraine’s Fate Will Be Determined Next Week | Sir Bill Browder
Sir Bill Browder is the man who has got the most impressive understanding of this problem. It is so refreshing to listen to him bringing clarity into this most difficult and intractable of problems. Bill Browder cuts to the chase. — © Mark Alexander
Trump Is ‘Incredibly Naïve’ about Putin | Edwina Currie
Dec 12, 2025 | “Trump is incredibly naive and he buys into whatever version of global politics Putin is peddling.”
Trump’s approach reflects an ‘incredibly naive’ acceptance of Putin’s worldview and fails to see how Moscow has actively worked to destabilise Europe, says Edwina Currie.
We should NEVER have been so stupid as to leave the EU in the first place. A blind man could have seen this CRAP coming at the time! — © Mark Alexander
Trump’s approach reflects an ‘incredibly naive’ acceptance of Putin’s worldview and fails to see how Moscow has actively worked to destabilise Europe, says Edwina Currie.
We should NEVER have been so stupid as to leave the EU in the first place. A blind man could have seen this CRAP coming at the time! — © Mark Alexander
From Stalin to Putin…
Sabotages, vandalisme, espionnage, désinformation : ces opérations russes secrètes pour déstabiliser l'Europe
LE FIGARO : CARTE - Au-delà des incursions répétées dans l'espace aérien de plusieurs États européens ces dernières semaines, Moscou mène une véritable «guerre hybride» visant les infrastructures critiques et les sociétés des pays soutiens de l'Ukraine. » | Par Arthur Bijotat et Dario Ingiusto pour Fig Data | Publié le 12 décembre 2025
Weihnachtsmenü 2025 – Kochen im Tal
Is Germany's Far-right Populist AfD Party Spying for Russia?
DEUTSCHE WELLE (DW): Lawmakers accuse the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of using its parliamentary powers to gather intelligence on Germany's critical infrastructure to share it with Russia.
Allegations of espionage against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have been raised by the interior minister of the state of Thuringia. In an interview with Handelsblatt, Social Democrat (SPD) Georg Maier expressed concern that the AfD is abusing its parliamentary powers to gather information about Germany's transport infrastructure, water supply, digital infrastructure and energy supply.
"With its requests, one gets the impression that the AfD is working through a list of tasks assigned by the Kremlin," Maier told the newspaper this week.
He pointed out that the Thuringian branch of the AfD had submitted 47 such inquiries to the state parliament in the past 12 months alone — and with "increasing intensity and depth of detail."
"The AfD is particularly interested in IT and equipment used by the police, for example in the area of drone detection and defense," Maier said. Equipment used in civil protection, health care and Bundeswehr activities are also the subject of inquiries. » | Hans Pfeifer | Sunday, October 26, 2025
Allegations of espionage against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have been raised by the interior minister of the state of Thuringia. In an interview with Handelsblatt, Social Democrat (SPD) Georg Maier expressed concern that the AfD is abusing its parliamentary powers to gather information about Germany's transport infrastructure, water supply, digital infrastructure and energy supply.
"With its requests, one gets the impression that the AfD is working through a list of tasks assigned by the Kremlin," Maier told the newspaper this week.
He pointed out that the Thuringian branch of the AfD had submitted 47 such inquiries to the state parliament in the past 12 months alone — and with "increasing intensity and depth of detail."
"The AfD is particularly interested in IT and equipment used by the police, for example in the area of drone detection and defense," Maier said. Equipment used in civil protection, health care and Bundeswehr activities are also the subject of inquiries. » | Hans Pfeifer | Sunday, October 26, 2025
Trump's Security Strategy Makes Clear He Is Trying to 'Break' the European Union
Dec 12, 2025 | "People are quite shocked about the brazen way that that goal has been made clear in the security strategy."
A still classified version of the US national security strategy makes clear that a "cental part of Trump's plan" is about getting involved in European politics and breaking up the EU, says founder and Director of European Council on foreign relations, Mark Leonard.
Trump wants to break up the EU to weaken each country. In so doing, he will strengthen America. This is a perfect example of one of the oldest tricks in the playbook: divide and rule. In addition, he is doing his buddy Putin a great favour. The weaker Europe will become, the easier it will be to invade. Donald Trump is truly a treacherous man. He is a man full to the brim with bitterness, rancour, and stupidity. — © Mark Alexander
A still classified version of the US national security strategy makes clear that a "cental part of Trump's plan" is about getting involved in European politics and breaking up the EU, says founder and Director of European Council on foreign relations, Mark Leonard.
Trump wants to break up the EU to weaken each country. In so doing, he will strengthen America. This is a perfect example of one of the oldest tricks in the playbook: divide and rule. In addition, he is doing his buddy Putin a great favour. The weaker Europe will become, the easier it will be to invade. Donald Trump is truly a treacherous man. He is a man full to the brim with bitterness, rancour, and stupidity. — © Mark Alexander
Donald Trump Wants a Europe In Chaos – a Sure Sign for Britain to Shore Up Its Democracy
THE GUARDIAN — OPINION: With the US threatening to support ‘patriotic’ parties here, we need better defences, starting with tough new rules about political donations
The new threat is so dizzyingly bizarre that Europe, and especially Britain, is slow to believe it. The US declares itself our enemy. Europe emerges as its main adversary in the US national security strategy. Russia is its friend, not us. Everything that looked solid since the second world war is turned upside down; the land of the free becomes the destroyer of democratic values. Appeasement fails.
He may ramble, but Donald Trump speaks plainly. He means what he says, and he hates everything European. Except its emerging “patriotic” parties, which he wants to support. His strategy warns of “civilizational erasure”, claiming Europe will soon “become majority non-European” and parroting the racist conspiracy known as the great replacement theory. Describing Europeans as “weak”, “decaying” and “destroying their countries”, with “real stupid” leaders, Trump responded to the question of whether they would still be allies, in a Politico interview, with a hint of threat: “It depends.”
Note this: the official US strategy says that “the growing influence of patriotic European parties indeed gives cause for great optimism”. He is what he is, in plain sight. No more pretending his fickle ways can be reversed. He appears to back the EU’s nativists, which his strategy suggests are “political allies”. Why wouldn’t he? British politics is already under threat from Russian and Chinese hacking and interference, as in the case of Reform’s former Welsh leader – who has been jailed for taking Russian bribes. Expect electoral threats from the US from now on. Trump regards Europe’s vain struggle to protect itself – via its Digital Services Act – from the worst excesses of US tech giants as an act of treachery. » | Polly Toynbee | Friday, December 12, 2025
The new threat is so dizzyingly bizarre that Europe, and especially Britain, is slow to believe it. The US declares itself our enemy. Europe emerges as its main adversary in the US national security strategy. Russia is its friend, not us. Everything that looked solid since the second world war is turned upside down; the land of the free becomes the destroyer of democratic values. Appeasement fails.
He may ramble, but Donald Trump speaks plainly. He means what he says, and he hates everything European. Except its emerging “patriotic” parties, which he wants to support. His strategy warns of “civilizational erasure”, claiming Europe will soon “become majority non-European” and parroting the racist conspiracy known as the great replacement theory. Describing Europeans as “weak”, “decaying” and “destroying their countries”, with “real stupid” leaders, Trump responded to the question of whether they would still be allies, in a Politico interview, with a hint of threat: “It depends.”
Note this: the official US strategy says that “the growing influence of patriotic European parties indeed gives cause for great optimism”. He is what he is, in plain sight. No more pretending his fickle ways can be reversed. He appears to back the EU’s nativists, which his strategy suggests are “political allies”. Why wouldn’t he? British politics is already under threat from Russian and Chinese hacking and interference, as in the case of Reform’s former Welsh leader – who has been jailed for taking Russian bribes. Expect electoral threats from the US from now on. Trump regards Europe’s vain struggle to protect itself – via its Digital Services Act – from the worst excesses of US tech giants as an act of treachery. » | Polly Toynbee | Friday, December 12, 2025
Steve Rosenberg: Russian Paper: "We See a Split in the Western Camp. This Is Objectively Good for Russia."
Planning to Visit the US? Take It from This American Citizen – Don’t
THE GUARDIAN — OPINION: I love many things about the land of my birth but Donald Trump’s America has become an unwelcoming country of deep divisions and waning trust
I’m in the US right now, but if I didn’t have family here (and a US passport), I wouldn’t be. My teenagers and I flew over the week of Thanksgiving from Australia, preparing ourselves for long lines and extra questions at customs. It took less than five minutes in the US citizens’ line.
With the news this week of the Trump administration planning to implement new invasive requirements for travellers from 42 countries, including Australia, that would require five years of social media history for visas, I would simply not travel here on another passport. There are plenty of places which welcome visitors without trawling their political opinions and family history.
The proposed regulations would require ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) applicants to share their social media for the past five years, email addresses they have used for the past 10 years and phone numbers and addresses of immediate family members. US Citizenship and Immigration Services now consider whether benefit applicants have ‘endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused’ anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views.
…
I love my country of birth for its diversity, innovation and opportunity, but in the time I’ve lived in Australia I’ve seen the US change. It has become a country of vast wealth and privilege in the hands of very few; of deeper divisions and waning trust. The Trump administration sows hatred and fear of the ‘other’, so it should come as no surprise that tourism numbers are dropping sharply. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the US was predicted to lose $12.5bn in international visitor spending in 2025. » | Eleanor Limprecht* | Friday, December 12, 2025
* Eleanor Limprecht is the author of What Was Left, Long Bay, The Passengers and The Coast. Her next novel, Cul de Sac, will be published in 2026 by Ultimo Press
I’m in the US right now, but if I didn’t have family here (and a US passport), I wouldn’t be. My teenagers and I flew over the week of Thanksgiving from Australia, preparing ourselves for long lines and extra questions at customs. It took less than five minutes in the US citizens’ line.
With the news this week of the Trump administration planning to implement new invasive requirements for travellers from 42 countries, including Australia, that would require five years of social media history for visas, I would simply not travel here on another passport. There are plenty of places which welcome visitors without trawling their political opinions and family history.
The proposed regulations would require ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) applicants to share their social media for the past five years, email addresses they have used for the past 10 years and phone numbers and addresses of immediate family members. US Citizenship and Immigration Services now consider whether benefit applicants have ‘endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused’ anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views.
…
I love my country of birth for its diversity, innovation and opportunity, but in the time I’ve lived in Australia I’ve seen the US change. It has become a country of vast wealth and privilege in the hands of very few; of deeper divisions and waning trust. The Trump administration sows hatred and fear of the ‘other’, so it should come as no surprise that tourism numbers are dropping sharply. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the US was predicted to lose $12.5bn in international visitor spending in 2025. » | Eleanor Limprecht* | Friday, December 12, 2025
* Eleanor Limprecht is the author of What Was Left, Long Bay, The Passengers and The Coast. Her next novel, Cul de Sac, will be published in 2026 by Ultimo Press
Trump Expands Venezuela Sanctions as Maduro Decries New ‘Era of Piracy’
THE GUARDIAN: Six more oil supertankers added to sanctions list, as well as members of Maduro’s extended family, amid rising tensions following tanker seizure
Donald Trump has exerted more pressure on Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, expanding sanctions and issuing fresh threats to strike land targets in Venezuela, as the South American dictator accused the US president of ushering in a new “era of criminal naval piracy” in the Caribbean.
Late on Thursday, the US imposed curbs on three nephews of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, as well as six crude oil supertankers and the shipping companies linked to them. The treasury department alleged the vessels “engaged in deceptive and unsafe shipping practices and continue to provide financial resources that fuel Maduro’s corrupt narco-terrorist regime”.
The targeted vessels recently loaded crude oil in Venezuela, according to state oil company PDVSA’s internal shipping documents. Four of the tankers are Panama-flagged, with the other two flagged by the Cook Islands and Hong Kong.
In comments on Thursday night, Trump also repeated his threat to soon begin strikes on suspected narcotics shipments making their way via land from Venezuela to the US.
The comments come after the US seized a “dark fleet” tanker named the Skipper off the coast of Venezuela, sparking concerns among some US lawmakers that Trump is “sleepwalking us into a war with Venezuela”. » | Andrew Roth in Washington and Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Friday, December 12, 2025
Donald Trump has exerted more pressure on Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, expanding sanctions and issuing fresh threats to strike land targets in Venezuela, as the South American dictator accused the US president of ushering in a new “era of criminal naval piracy” in the Caribbean.
Late on Thursday, the US imposed curbs on three nephews of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, as well as six crude oil supertankers and the shipping companies linked to them. The treasury department alleged the vessels “engaged in deceptive and unsafe shipping practices and continue to provide financial resources that fuel Maduro’s corrupt narco-terrorist regime”.
The targeted vessels recently loaded crude oil in Venezuela, according to state oil company PDVSA’s internal shipping documents. Four of the tankers are Panama-flagged, with the other two flagged by the Cook Islands and Hong Kong.
In comments on Thursday night, Trump also repeated his threat to soon begin strikes on suspected narcotics shipments making their way via land from Venezuela to the US.
The comments come after the US seized a “dark fleet” tanker named the Skipper off the coast of Venezuela, sparking concerns among some US lawmakers that Trump is “sleepwalking us into a war with Venezuela”. » | Andrew Roth in Washington and Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Friday, December 12, 2025
Thom Hartmann: Is Trump’s Alliance with Putin the Greatest Betrayal in American History?
Thursday, December 11, 2025
US Wants Ukraine to Withdraw from Donbas and Create ‘Free Economic Zone’, Says Zelenskyy
THE GUARDIAN: Ukrainian president says plan would not be fair without guarantees that Russia would not simply take over zone
The US wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas region, and Washington would then create a “free economic zone” in the parts Kyiv currently controls, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
Previously, the US had suggested Kyiv should hand over the parts of Donbas it still controlled to Russia, but the Ukrainian president said on Thursday that Washington had now suggested a compromise version in which Ukrainian troops would withdraw, but Russian troops would not advance into the territory.
“Who will govern this territory, which they are calling a ‘free economic zone’ or a ‘demilitarised zone’ – they don’t know,” said the Ukrainian president, speaking with journalists in Kyiv on Thursday.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine did not believe the plan was fair without guarantees that Russian troops would not simply take over the zone after a Ukrainian withdrawal. Zelenskyy said: “If one side’s troops have to retreat and the other side stays where they are, then what will hold back these other troops, the Russians? Or what will stop them disguising themselves as civilians and taking over this free economic zone? This is all very serious. It’s not a fact that Ukraine would agree to it, but if you are talking about a compromise then it has to be a fair compromise.” » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Thursday, December 11, 2025
The US wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas region, and Washington would then create a “free economic zone” in the parts Kyiv currently controls, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
Previously, the US had suggested Kyiv should hand over the parts of Donbas it still controlled to Russia, but the Ukrainian president said on Thursday that Washington had now suggested a compromise version in which Ukrainian troops would withdraw, but Russian troops would not advance into the territory.
“Who will govern this territory, which they are calling a ‘free economic zone’ or a ‘demilitarised zone’ – they don’t know,” said the Ukrainian president, speaking with journalists in Kyiv on Thursday.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine did not believe the plan was fair without guarantees that Russian troops would not simply take over the zone after a Ukrainian withdrawal. Zelenskyy said: “If one side’s troops have to retreat and the other side stays where they are, then what will hold back these other troops, the Russians? Or what will stop them disguising themselves as civilians and taking over this free economic zone? This is all very serious. It’s not a fact that Ukraine would agree to it, but if you are talking about a compromise then it has to be a fair compromise.” » | Shaun Walker in Kyiv | Thursday, December 11, 2025
Voici pourquoi la gourou américaine de l’art de vivre n’apporte jamais de fleurs ni de vin à un dîner
MADAME FIGARO : Ina Garten, à l’origine de l’émission de cuisine «The Barefoot Contessa», a confié pourquoi elle n’apporte jamais de bouquet de fleurs ni de bouteille de vin à ses hôtes.
En cette saison festive, s’il faut prêter une oreille attentive aux conseils d’étiquette d’une gourou du lifestyle, c’est bien à ceux d’Ina Garten. À l’âge de 76 ans, cette Américaine, auteure d’une myriade de livres de cuisine et animatrice de l’émission The Barefoot Contessa sur la chaîne Food Network, s’illustre pour son approche de l’art de vivre à la croisée du raffinement et du décontracté. Dans une récente interview accordée au magazine américain People, la reine des fourneaux a confié pourquoi elle n’offre jamais de fleurs ou de vins à ses hôtes lorsqu’elle est invitée. » | Par Alexandra Marchand | mardi 2 décembre 2025
En cette saison festive, s’il faut prêter une oreille attentive aux conseils d’étiquette d’une gourou du lifestyle, c’est bien à ceux d’Ina Garten. À l’âge de 76 ans, cette Américaine, auteure d’une myriade de livres de cuisine et animatrice de l’émission The Barefoot Contessa sur la chaîne Food Network, s’illustre pour son approche de l’art de vivre à la croisée du raffinement et du décontracté. Dans une récente interview accordée au magazine américain People, la reine des fourneaux a confié pourquoi elle n’offre jamais de fleurs ou de vins à ses hôtes lorsqu’elle est invitée. » | Par Alexandra Marchand | mardi 2 décembre 2025
Trump Sells AI Chips to China Betraying US Soldiers
Under Trump and his regime, America is a f*****g chaotic mess! — © Mark Alexander
Schiff Calls Out Venezuela Tanker Seizure as Latest Escalation towards War
Republicans lack the spunk to stop this war. Trump is a warmonger. — © Mark Alexander
Democracy Now! US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker as Anti-Maduro Campaign Escalates
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Venezuelan Nobel Laureate Backs US Seizure of Oil Tanker
THE GUARDIAN: María Corina Machado says action was ‘very necessary step’ to confront Nicolás Maduro’s ‘criminal’ regime
Venezuela’s best-known opposition leader, the Nobel peace prize winner María Corina Machado, has said she supports the US seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, calling it a “very necessary step” to confront Nicolás Maduro’s “criminal” regime.
Speaking in Oslo on Thursday, a day after she was honoured for her “tireless” struggle for democratic change, Machado praised the US navy and coastguard helicopter raid on the vessel.
Machado said the huge oil wealth of Venezuela – which has the world’s largest proven reserves – had not been used by Maduro’s dictatorship to fund hospitals or feed impoverished teachers or improve security. Rather, his regime had used it to buy weapons that were used to repress its opponents. “So yes, these criminals have to be stopped and cutting the resources of illegal activities is a very necessary step,” Machado told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Machado said her arrival in Oslo marked a “historic turning point” that showed Venezuelans “the world is with them”. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, Miranda Bryant , and Camille Rodríguez Montilla in Oslo | Thursday, December 11, 2025
Yes, the world is with the Venezuelans. But that doesn’t mean that the world wants to see Venezuela’s rich oil assets being transferred to the Trumps! Toppling one dictator by another, one authoritarian by another is also no solution! Further, it is puzzling to me why the Norwegians have decided to bestow the peace prize on a person who is hell-bent on overthrowing a régime! Is this a prize for fostering peace or a prize for fostering democracy?
I should like to add that whilst I fully understand María Corina Machado’s strong desire for liberty and democracy, she should be careful that she and her country don’t jump from the frying pan into the fire! — © Mark Alexander
Venezuela’s best-known opposition leader, the Nobel peace prize winner María Corina Machado, has said she supports the US seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, calling it a “very necessary step” to confront Nicolás Maduro’s “criminal” regime.
Speaking in Oslo on Thursday, a day after she was honoured for her “tireless” struggle for democratic change, Machado praised the US navy and coastguard helicopter raid on the vessel.
Machado said the huge oil wealth of Venezuela – which has the world’s largest proven reserves – had not been used by Maduro’s dictatorship to fund hospitals or feed impoverished teachers or improve security. Rather, his regime had used it to buy weapons that were used to repress its opponents. “So yes, these criminals have to be stopped and cutting the resources of illegal activities is a very necessary step,” Machado told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Machado said her arrival in Oslo marked a “historic turning point” that showed Venezuelans “the world is with them”. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, Miranda Bryant , and Camille Rodríguez Montilla in Oslo | Thursday, December 11, 2025
Yes, the world is with the Venezuelans. But that doesn’t mean that the world wants to see Venezuela’s rich oil assets being transferred to the Trumps! Toppling one dictator by another, one authoritarian by another is also no solution! Further, it is puzzling to me why the Norwegians have decided to bestow the peace prize on a person who is hell-bent on overthrowing a régime! Is this a prize for fostering peace or a prize for fostering democracy?
I should like to add that whilst I fully understand María Corina Machado’s strong desire for liberty and democracy, she should be careful that she and her country don’t jump from the frying pan into the fire! — © Mark Alexander
L’Autriche interdit le port du voile islamique pour les jeunes filles à l’école
LE FIGARO : La loi, qui entrera pleinement en vigueur à la rentrée de septembre, suscite un vif débat sur la laïcité, la protection des enfants et les risques de stigmatisation des communautés musulmanes.
Les députés autrichiens ont voté jeudi 11 décembre l'interdiction du port du voile à l'école pour les filles de moins de 14 ans, une loi censée les protéger, mais jugée discriminatoire par des juristes et des organisations de défense des droits. La loi a été approuvée à une large majorité, à l'exception des écologistes qui la jugeaient anticonstitutionnelle.
Une première tentative de bannir le voile à l'école sous l'impulsion d'un gouvernement de coalition conservateurs-extrême droite en 2019 avait été retoquée un an plus tard par la Cour constitutionnelle autrichienne qui l'avait jugée discriminatoire. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 11 décembre 2025
Les députés autrichiens ont voté jeudi 11 décembre l'interdiction du port du voile à l'école pour les filles de moins de 14 ans, une loi censée les protéger, mais jugée discriminatoire par des juristes et des organisations de défense des droits. La loi a été approuvée à une large majorité, à l'exception des écologistes qui la jugeaient anticonstitutionnelle.
Une première tentative de bannir le voile à l'école sous l'impulsion d'un gouvernement de coalition conservateurs-extrême droite en 2019 avait été retoquée un an plus tard par la Cour constitutionnelle autrichienne qui l'avait jugée discriminatoire. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 11 décembre 2025
Venezuela: Vladimir Poutine apporte son « soutien » à Nicolás Maduro
LE FIGARO : Alors que les États-Unis viennent de saisir un pétrolier au large du Venezuela, le président russe « a confirmé son soutien à la politique du gouvernement de Nicolás Maduro visant à protéger ses intérêts nationaux et sa souveraineté ».
Après la saisie par les États-Unis d’un pétrolier au large du Venezuela, Vladimir Poutine a apporté son « soutien » à son homologue vénézuélien Nicolás Maduro dans un échange téléphonique jeudi 11 décembre. Le président russe « a exprimé sa solidarité avec le peuple vénézuélien et a confirmé son soutien à la politique du gouvernement de Nicolás Maduro visant à protéger ses intérêts nationaux et sa souveraineté dans un contexte de pressions extérieures croissantes », a écrit le Kremlin dans un communiqué relatant cette conversation, sans mentionner directement les États-Unis. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 11 décembre 2025
Après la saisie par les États-Unis d’un pétrolier au large du Venezuela, Vladimir Poutine a apporté son « soutien » à son homologue vénézuélien Nicolás Maduro dans un échange téléphonique jeudi 11 décembre. Le président russe « a exprimé sa solidarité avec le peuple vénézuélien et a confirmé son soutien à la politique du gouvernement de Nicolás Maduro visant à protéger ses intérêts nationaux et sa souveraineté dans un contexte de pressions extérieures croissantes », a écrit le Kremlin dans un communiqué relatant cette conversation, sans mentionner directement les États-Unis. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 11 décembre 2025
Full Keynote Speech: NATO Chief Rutte Urges Wartime Mindset as Russia Escalates Aggression
A wonderful, clear, hard-hitting, reassuring speech. Thank you. — © Mark Alexander
Habsburg und die Windsors | Zwischen Krone, Pflicht und Familienband
Berlin zur Kaiserzeit - Glanz und Schatten einer Epoche (3/3) | Film mit KI restauriert
Teil 1 befindet sich hier.
Teil 2 befindet sich hier.
»Radikale Schwiegersöhne«: Die Köpfe der neuen AfD-Jugend | SPIEGEL TV
Nobel de la paix: María Corina Machado affirme avoir bénéficié d'une aide américaine pour fuir le Venezuela
LE FIGARO : LE POINT DE SITUATION - Après plus d’un an de clandestinité, l’opposante vénézuélienne a quitté Caracas pour rejoindre Oslo, afin d’y recevoir le prix Nobel de la paix.
Arrivée à Oslo, la lauréate du prix Nobel de la Paix a donné jeudi 11 décembre une conférence de presse, initialement prévue en début de semaine. L’opposante politique, qui a passé près d’une année recluse dans sa maison pour échapper au régime Maduro est revenue sur sa fuite du Venezuela, le rôle de Donald Trump, une éventuelle candidature à la présidentielle et son retour possible dans son pays. Le Figaro fait le point. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 11 décembre 2025
Je suis très surpris que les autorités norvégiennes soient prêtes à politiser autant leurs décisions, surtout sur une question aussi controversée. — © Mark Alexander
Liens connexes à cet article ici.
Arrivée à Oslo, la lauréate du prix Nobel de la Paix a donné jeudi 11 décembre une conférence de presse, initialement prévue en début de semaine. L’opposante politique, qui a passé près d’une année recluse dans sa maison pour échapper au régime Maduro est revenue sur sa fuite du Venezuela, le rôle de Donald Trump, une éventuelle candidature à la présidentielle et son retour possible dans son pays. Le Figaro fait le point. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 11 décembre 2025
Je suis très surpris que les autorités norvégiennes soient prêtes à politiser autant leurs décisions, surtout sur une question aussi controversée. — © Mark Alexander
Liens connexes à cet article ici.
Trump’s Secret Business Deals with Putin—Profit over Peace? | To the Point
Dec 4, 2025 | Are U.S.–Russia talks about Ukraine really about peace—or big business? Donald Trump didn’t just send diplomats. He sent his son-in-law Jared Kushner and real estate mogul Steve Witkoff to Moscow. Behind the so-called peace plan, insiders claim major economic deals with Vladimir Putin are on the table. Could this come at Ukraine’s expense and threaten Europe’s security?
Meanwhile, Ukraine is losing ground on the battlefield, and a corruption scandal shakes its leadership. On To the Point we ask: Trump’s secret business deals with Putin—profit over peace?
Guests: Roman Goncharenko, DW – Malte Lehming, Tagesspiegel - Sudha David-Wilp, German Marshall Fund
Diplomats should be negotiating an end to this war, not Trump’s friends and family members. Witkoff has Russian roots and is a man who has made his money in real estate. Making deals will be in his DNA! And as for Kushner, we all know what he’s interested in: big bucks! Isn’t it true to say that the Trump regime is trying to bring this war to a close as quickly as possible so that Trump & Co get on as quickly as possible with enriching themselves? These people don’t give a damn about a just peace or Europe's security. Nor do they care how much land Ukraine has to give up as long as deals with Russia can be made as soon as possible. Trump can see that there are billions to be made and he wants to make those billions now. Time is not on the old man’s side.
Zelenskyy should give up no land to Russia. Not under any circumstances. Putin must be punished for his aggression. If he isn’t, he won’t stop at Ukraine. Poland or the Baltic States will be next on Putin’s list to invade. — © Mark Alexander
Meanwhile, Ukraine is losing ground on the battlefield, and a corruption scandal shakes its leadership. On To the Point we ask: Trump’s secret business deals with Putin—profit over peace?
Guests: Roman Goncharenko, DW – Malte Lehming, Tagesspiegel - Sudha David-Wilp, German Marshall Fund
Diplomats should be negotiating an end to this war, not Trump’s friends and family members. Witkoff has Russian roots and is a man who has made his money in real estate. Making deals will be in his DNA! And as for Kushner, we all know what he’s interested in: big bucks! Isn’t it true to say that the Trump regime is trying to bring this war to a close as quickly as possible so that Trump & Co get on as quickly as possible with enriching themselves? These people don’t give a damn about a just peace or Europe's security. Nor do they care how much land Ukraine has to give up as long as deals with Russia can be made as soon as possible. Trump can see that there are billions to be made and he wants to make those billions now. Time is not on the old man’s side.
Zelenskyy should give up no land to Russia. Not under any circumstances. Putin must be punished for his aggression. If he isn’t, he won’t stop at Ukraine. Poland or the Baltic States will be next on Putin’s list to invade. — © Mark Alexander
Zelenskyy to Hold Urgent Talks with Many World Leaders as US Pushes for Peace Deal | DW News
AfD Responds to Trump ‘Erasure’ Claims with Call for Nationalist Revival in Europe
THE GUARDIAN: Continent’s other nationalist parties wary of echoing sentiments of US president due to his unpopularity
Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has responded to US claims that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” by saying it backs efforts for a nationalist revival on the continent – but other nationalist parties in the EU are far more cautious.
“The AfD is fighting alongside its international friends for a conservative renaissance,” the party’s foreign policy spokesperson, Markus Frohnmaier, said on Wednesday, adding that he would meet Maga Republicans in Washington and New York this week.
The anti-immigration party, which leads nationwide polls, was “building strong partnerships with those forces that advocate national sovereignty, cultural identity and realistic security and migration policies”, Frohnmaier told AFP.
The New York City Young Republican club, whose state-wide chapter was recently suspended after details of a group chat emerged in which members praised Adolf Hitler – has invited Frohnmaier to its annual gala this week as guest of honour, Politico reported. » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Elon must be cock-a-hoop because of this news about the AfD. He must surely also be working on and perfecting his Hitlergruß! — © Mark Alexander
Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has responded to US claims that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” by saying it backs efforts for a nationalist revival on the continent – but other nationalist parties in the EU are far more cautious.
“The AfD is fighting alongside its international friends for a conservative renaissance,” the party’s foreign policy spokesperson, Markus Frohnmaier, said on Wednesday, adding that he would meet Maga Republicans in Washington and New York this week.
The anti-immigration party, which leads nationwide polls, was “building strong partnerships with those forces that advocate national sovereignty, cultural identity and realistic security and migration policies”, Frohnmaier told AFP.
The New York City Young Republican club, whose state-wide chapter was recently suspended after details of a group chat emerged in which members praised Adolf Hitler – has invited Frohnmaier to its annual gala this week as guest of honour, Politico reported. » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Elon must be cock-a-hoop because of this news about the AfD. He must surely also be working on and perfecting his Hitlergruß! — © Mark Alexander
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