By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | January 8, 2026
A major expansion of the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) has taken effect, legally obliging digital platforms to deploy surveillance-style systems that scan, detect, and block user content before it can be seen.
The government’s new Online Safety Act 2023 (Priority Offenses) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which came into force on January 8, 2026, designates “cyberflashing” and “encouraging or assisting serious self-harm” as priority offenses, categories that trigger the strictest compliance duties under the OSA.
This marks a decisive move toward preemptive censorship. Services that allow user interaction, including messaging apps, forums, and search engines, must now monitor communications at scale to ensure that prohibited content is automatically filtered or suppressed before users can even encounter it.
To meet the law’s demands, companies are expected to rely heavily on automated scanning systems, content detection algorithms, and artificial intelligence models trained to evaluate the legality of text, images, and videos in real time. … continue
By Bert Weteringe – clintel – December 30, 2025
The energy yields of offshore wind turbines are overestimated by up to 50% in national policy documents. This conclusion is based on an analysis of operational data from 72 wind farms. … continue
By Bill Buppert | The Libertarian Institute | January 8, 2026
The Washington State ferry system is in tatters.
It continues to get worse barely a week into the new year… continue
By P Gosselin | No Tricks Zone | January 8, 2026
The shutdown of the power supply in southern Berlin has brought the fragility of the “Energiewende” (transition to green energies) policy clearly to our attention.
The goal of the transition to renewable energy is not only to switch the power supply to wind and solar energy but also to transition the other two pillars of energy supply—namely, heating and the transport sector— over to electricity. […]
But now, the attack in Berlin demonstrates to us that such an energy system, based solely on electricity, is highly vulnerable. We are learning that when the power fails, the heat supply also fails—at least when it is supposed to be generated by heat pumps. And to make matters worse, we are learning that in freezing temperatures, heat pumps face total loss due to bursting pipes. … Full article
Remix News | January 7, 2026
Following claims spreading that Russians were responsible for the catastrophic attack on energy infrastructure in some of Berlin’s wealthiest neighborhood, the Berlin police are refuting these claims. Notably, a Christian Democrat (CDU) politician appeared on public media outlet ZDF and said the Russians are likely responsible.
CDU MP Roderich Kiesewetter is being accused of spreading rumors, or so-called disinformation, on Monday that Russia might be behind the attack on Berlin’s power grid. Berlin police are now calling it “fake news.”
“There is absolutely no evidence of this so far.” said Deputy Police Chief Marco Langner at a press conference on Tuesday. “These are the usual fake news stories we always encounter in such situations, intended to unsettle people.” […]
The attack, which took out power to 45,000 households in areas such as Wannsee and Zehlendorf, is still ongoing for many residents, many of whom are still without power. The attack has also been highly embarrassing for not only the CDU-led Berlin government of Mayor Kai Wegner, but also for the entire federal security apparatus, which has failed to catch the terror groups for well over a decade.
Additionally, scenes of elderly victims being carted into gym halls while refugees are transferred to warm hotels has created a shocking juxtaposition for many Berlin residents. – Full article
MEMO | January 8, 2026
Illegal Israeli settler attacks have forced around 20 Palestinian families to abandon their homes in the eastern West Bank, a Palestinian rights group said Thursday, Anadolu reports.
The Bedouin rights group Al-Baidar said the families, from the Kaabneh Bedouin clan, were displaced from the northern section of the Shalal al-Auja Bedouin community, north of Jericho, following a series of repeated assaults by illegal settlers.
Hassan Malihat, the group’s general supervisor, said residents were left with no choice but to leave their homes and sources of income, citing growing fear, constant intimidation and the absence of any form of protection.
He said the attacks are part of a broader pattern of forced displacement targeting Bedouin communities across the Jordan Valley, aimed at clearing land for settlement expansion.
Malihat warned that the affected families depend largely on farming and livestock herding, meaning the displacement puts their livelihoods at immediate risk. … Full article
Palestinian Information Center – January 8, 2026
GAZA – Nine Palestinians were killed on Thursday in a series of Israeli violations of the fragile ceasefire agreement, including airstrikes, artillery shelling, and gunfire from military vehicles targeting multiple areas across the besieged Gaza Strip.
A medical source confirmed that one person was killed and others injured after an Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people west of Faisal Tower, northwest of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
Later in the evening, a local source reported the killing of Kamal Abdulrahman Awad, 43, and three injuries, one critical, in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Atatra area in Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis.
Another local source reported that Ibrahim Subuh was killed when Israeli forces bombed Abu Hussein School, which was sheltering displaced families in northern Gaza.
Earlier, medical sources said four Palestinians were killed and others injured in a suicide drone strike targeting a displacement tent on Street 5 in Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis.
Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli drone fire near Bani Suheila roundabout, east of Khan Yunis.
In the late afternoon, Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes on Al-Atatra in Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis.
Earlier in the day, a Palestinian child was shot and killed by Israeli forces in northern Gaza. Local sources confirmed the child, Hamsa Nidal Houso, 11, was shot dead by Israeli gunfire in the Fallujah area, west of Jabalia camp.
Several civilians were also injured when Israeli forces bombed Abu Hussein School in Jabalia camp.
Civil defense teams reported a child was wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, during the ongoing bombardment of residential areas and displacement camps.
Israeli artillery shelling has continued since dawn across eastern Gaza, including around Tel Al-Akhdar, east of Al-Bureij camp.
Local sources said Israeli tanks and helicopters opened fire on areas east of Al-Bureij.
The Israeli forces also opened heavy gunfire and fired smoke shells near Kissufim Road, east of Deir al-Balah.
Israeli naval boats opened fire at the coast of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes early Thursday targeting eastern Gaza City, and two more in the north, alongside intense ground fire from military vehicles toward the city’s eastern neighborhoods.
Later, Israeli aircraft launched a strike near Hamad Hospital in northwest Gaza City, with no injuries immediately reported.
Tanks also fired heavily on the eastern and southern areas of Khan Yunis. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | January 8, 2026
Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia, has confirmed ongoing talks with “Israel” over potential security cooperation, including discussions around establishing a military base, Daka Kassim, head of the political department at the Somaliland Foreign Ministry, told Israeli Channel 12 on Wednesday night.
This disclosure comes shortly after Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry had officially denied any such cooperation, following the first diplomatic visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to the self-declared East African state.
While Kassim initially refrained from providing a definitive answer on the issue of a military base, he noted that the outcome would depend on the progress of diplomatic talks between the two sides, particularly after the opening of embassies.
Later in the interview, when asked directly whether the possibility of a military base in Somaliland was under discussion, Kassim confirmed that it was. … Full article
By Adrian Korczyński – New Eastern Outlook – January 8, 2026
… By pushing NATO’s frontier toward Russia despite clear warnings, Washington ensured: Europe’s continued dependence on the U.S., the justification for colossal military spending, the consolidation of Western unity through fear, the economic weakening of Russia, and the empowerment of the military-industrial complex.
The West needed confrontation. Russia did not
The scale of imbalance becomes clear when observing the reality of U.S. military presence on the continent: more than one hundred significant American bases across Europe, including missile defence installations in Poland and Romania, and the enormous Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo—constructed after the de facto Western-engineered detachment and informal annexation of a historically Serbian province, turned into a strategic outpost overlooking Serbia, the closest Russian partner on the continent. Never has so much American military power been positioned so close to Russia.
And yet Russia’s request was modest: no NATO bases in Kyiv or Tbilisi, no missiles minutes from Moscow, no hostile infrastructure on its immediate border. … Full article
Sputnik – 08.01.2026
President Donald Trump has directed the US withdrawal from the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) as part of a larger move away from 66 international organizations deemed “contrary to US interests.”
This move by the US President fits Donald Trump’s pattern of cutting Ukraine-related aid, including military suspensions earlier in 2025. … continue
By Adam Dick | Peace and Prosperity Blog | January 8, 2026
On Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump declared in a post at Truth Social that he has determined the military budget for the next fiscal year should be hiked to 1.5 trillion dollars.
A Thursday Reuters article by Costas Pitas and Andrea Shalal quantifies Trumps proposed spending increase as amounting to a 66 percent increase over what the US Congress approved for 2026. The Reuters article further relates that this proposed increase in spending is, historically speaking, very large. … continue
Al Mayadeen | January 8, 2026
Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA announced on Wednesday that it was holding negotiations with the United States to sell crude oil, emphasizing that talks were taking place “within the framework of existing commercial relations between the two countries” and noting that progress has been made.
In a statement, PDVSA said the process is being conducted under arrangements similar to those applied with international companies such as Chevron, stressing that it is based on a purely commercial deal that complies with standards of legality, transparency, and mutual benefit.
The company also reaffirmed its commitment to building partnerships that support national development for the benefit of the Venezuelan people and contribute to global energy stability.
Later, PDVSA ascertained that the US deal is purely commercial, reaffirming its commitment to alliances that safeguard the rights of the Venezuelan people.
Venezuela to send 50mln oil barrels to US
This comes after US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela had agreed to transfer up to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States.
According to Trump, the high-quality and sanctioned oil will be sold at market price. He stated that the resulting revenue will be under his direct control as president, claiming that the funds would aid both the Venezuelan people and the United States. … Full article
CARACAS – One hundred people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, the Latin American country’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said.
“Venezuela was the victim of a barbaric, treacherous attack… so far there are 100 dead and a similar number of wounded,” Venezuela’s Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello said, adding that among those killed were civilians — including “people who were in their homes.”
Cabello also said the current priority is the return of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, and stated that both suffered injuries during their kidnapping.
He described the aggression as a shock to a population that “was in no situation that required a military attack,” saying it has left “a wave of terror.”
By Joseph Solis-Mullen | The Libertarian Institute | January 8, 2026
From trade frictions to security flashpoints, the new year ahead promises a mix of continuity and potential volatility in U.S.-China relations. While Beijing’s growth in relative power—economic, technological, and military—continues, it is not aimed at “taking over the world.” Instead, it reflects a pragmatic pursuit of stability and influence in Asia. Washington would benefit from strategic empathy, recognizing China’s core concerns to avoid counterproductive escalations that could harm both nations in the long-term.
With that said, here’s what to be on the lookout for in Sino-American relations in 2026. … continue
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said Venezuela would only purchase American-made products as part of a “deal” with Washington to sell the Latin American country’s oil.
“I have just been informed that Venezuela is going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal. These purchases will include, among other things, American Agricultural Products, and American Made Medicines, Medical Devices, and Equipment to improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities. In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He said it is a “wise choice,” and a good thing for Venezuelans and Americans.
teleSUR | January 8, 2026
On Thursday, He Yadong, a spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM), questioned the United States for attempting to restrict Venezuela’s international economic relations and reaffirmed his country’s willingness to maintain trade ties with the South American nation.
“The hegemonic actions of the U.S. seriously violate international law, infringe on Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America. China firmly opposes such actions,” He said.
“Economic and trade cooperation between China and Venezuela is conducted between sovereign states and is protected by international law and the laws of both countries. No other country has the right to interfere.” … continue
A look at recent U.S. regime change efforts
The Dissident | January 7, 2026
With Trump’s recent regime change in Venezuela , the subject of American regime change is back in the mainstream conversation.
This marks the perfect time to note that the long-running hybrid regime change war on Venezuela is not unique to the country and is a repeat of similar regime change campaigns that Washington has unleashed around the world.
In this article, I will review the recent history of U.S. regime change operations. … continue
By Eric Striker • Unz Review • January 8, 2026
Washington’s snatching of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his visibly brutalized wife, Cilia, has been widely condemned as naked criminality. Supporters of US interventionism have taken to justifying the attack under the guise of the Monroe, or “Donroe,” Doctrine, while leaders of the American left such as Bernie Sanders have largely ignored the moral implications by fixating on the legalistic aspect of the spectacle.
Practically nothing substantial has been presented to the public justifying military intervention in Venezuela. US officials have made half-hearted attempts at blowing the cobwebs off the Reagan-era Cold War boogeyman trope, but the Venezuelan state of Maduro last year spent only 18% of its GDP on public expenditures, making the US (37%) twice as “communist.” It should also be noted that Venezuela’s Communist Party has long been part of the heterogenous US-backed anti-Maduro opposition and is perceived inside the country as a front for the CIA.
The next ginned up fable accuses Maduro, in a Brooklyn federal court case overseen by 92-year-old Zionist Jew Alvin Hellerstein, of being a global cocaine kingpin.
The original Department of Justice case was cobbled together during Trump’s first term but was pursued heavily by the successive Biden administration, which introduced a $25 million dollar bounty in hopes that someone inside the regime would capture Maduro for them. Critics have dismissed the charges as both baseless and hypocritical, pointing out that several current US-installed leaders in Latin America are running actual narco regimes. The well of irony goes deeper: the very Delta Force unit responsible for capturing Maduro is itself a violent cocaine trafficking ring, as journalists documenting JSOC operator’s use of military planes to import millions of dollars worth of cocaine from Colombia to Fort Bragg for both personal use and illicit profit have shown.
The last excuse, tossed to the nihilists in the MAGA base as red meat, is that America wants to steal the oil to make gas prices cheaper. During World War II, the United States strong-armed Venezuelan oil into the hands of American businesses to fuel the Allied war effort, but the 30 to 50 million barrels of oil Trump is demanding for America is only enough to last two months. Venezuela’s low-quality crude requires refining infrastructure that experts believe could cost 10s of billions of dollars in investment and potentially a decade to come to fruition, meaning that the US would have to pay a hefty price to produce the product in order to “steal” it.
Military action for oil makes no sense. … continue
A case that becomes harder to dismiss the longer you look
By Dr. Roger McFillin | Radically Genuine | December 18, 2025
Let me be direct about something before we go any further.
We call them psychiatric “medications.” We say children are being “medicated” for their “conditions.” This language is a lie.
These are drugs. Chemical compounds made in a factory. They do not correct any known abnormality. They do not heal anything. They are not medicinal in any meaningful sense of the word. They are chemicals that alter brain function that numb, restrict, and sedate.
We need to stop hiding behind medical language that implies these interventions are “therapeutic” and healing. They are not. They are chemical management of behavior with the potential for severe health consequences. Once we are honest about what we are actually doing to children, the ethical questions become unavoidable. … continue
Al Mayadeen | January 7, 2026
A network of unlisted websites tied to the pro-“Israel” doxxing group Canary Mission reveals a sprawling, professionalized operation that includes anonymous contributors, international tech vendors, marketing strategies, and a secret internal platform known as BlackNest. According to materials uncovered by Drop Site, BlackNest tracks firings, arrests, and deportations as measurable “company impact” metrics, outcomes the group openly celebrates.
BlackNest is one of several unlisted websites and content management systems used by Canary Mission, whose doxxing campaign operates out of “Israel” and has reportedly been leveraged by senior levels of the Trump administration. The information contained across these hidden platforms, ranging from names of staff and contractors to internal meeting notes, quarterly plans, and strategic documents, offers a rare look at how the operation has expanded and evolved.
The group’s non-public sites outline plans to broaden its efforts to punish Americans for pro-Palestine speech through doxxing and pressure campaigns, with arrests and deportations increasingly carried out by allies inside the State Department.
Web development material tied to BlackNest sheds light on how Canary Mission defines success. The platform categorizes outcomes under labels such as “change of behavior,” job loss, denial of entry to the United States, arrests, and “deportation/forced to flee.” The site also compiles media mentions, largely from US outlets, and highlights coverage that references Canary Mission’s influence.
Drop Site News previously reported on how donations flow to the group, but details about its staff, internal structure, and technical operations remained largely opaque due to Canary Mission’s secrecy. That changed after Drop Site obtained more than 100 gigabytes of data accessed through the backend of Canary Mission’s website, uncovering multiple live but intentionally hidden sites. … Full article
IMEMC | January 8, 2026
Israeli occupation forces abducted a Palestinian man on Wednesday evening after he was injured during an assault carried out by armed illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers in the town of as‑Samu’, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank’s southern part.
Local sources said that a group of colonizers invaded the al‑Kharaba area east of as‑Samu’ and attacked residents with sticks and rifle butts, injuring Ali Mohammad al‑Daghamin with multiple bruises.
Minutes later, Israeli forces arrived, fired tear gas at the residents to secure the colonizers’ assault, and then abducted al‑Daghamin instead of detaining the attackers.
In the Wadi al‑Jawaya community in Masafer Yatta, Israeli forces—accompanied by colonizers wearing military uniforms—invaded the eastern part of the community and stormed the homes of the family of ‘Ayed Obada Shawahin. Soldiers searched the homes extensively and ransacked their contents. … Full article
Palestinian Information Center – January 7, 2026
A Palestinian teen was injured on Wednesday evening by live ammunition during an Israeli military raid on the towns of Beita and Odala, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank.
In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its medical teams transported a 17-year-old child to the hospital after he was shot in the abdomen with Israeli gunfire during the military raid on Beita. … Full article
IMEMC | January 8, 2026
On Wednesday, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home, a factory, and agricultural facilities in the Jerusalem and Nablus governorates, while a citizen was coerced to demolish his apartment in the Bethlehem governorate.
Media sources reported that a large army force, accompanied by bulldozers, stormed Anata town, east of occupied Jerusalem, and evacuated workers inside an iron factory.
The sources added that heavy machinery operated by the Israeli forces tore down an iron factory at the entrance of Anata town which was a source of livelihood for several Palestinian families.
It was also reported that Israeli soldiers injured a young man after firing a concussion grenade, striking him in the foot.
Meanwhile, the army demolished a farm owned by a local citizen in the Wa’ar al-Beik area of Anata town.
The Jerusalem Governorate reported that occupation bulldozers demolished a farm belonging to the citizen Iyas Dandis under the pretext of not having a permit.
In related news, the army demolished part of Al-Aqsa School and Kindergarten in the Sa’diyya neighborhood of Jerusalem’s Old City. … Full article
MEMO | January 7, 2026
Two Palestinians were killed and three others injured in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday, a medical source said, marking a new violation of last year’s ceasefire deal.
The strike targeted a house in al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, an area from which the Israeli army had withdrawn under the ceasefire deal, the source told Anadolu.
The Israeli army claimed that its forces came under fire in northern Gaza. … Full article
Press TV – January 7, 2026
At least one person has been killed and another injured when the Israeli military conducted an airstrike against an area in Lebanon’s South Governorate, amid the Tel Aviv regime’s repeated violations of a ceasefire in place since late 2024.
The official National News Agency (NNA) reported the strike targeted a vehicle in Jwaya village of the Tyre district on Wednesday.
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center at the Health Ministry confirmed one fatality and one injury.
Lebanese security sources identified the deceased as Hussein Hamza.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee later claimed on the social media platform X that the attack targeted a member of the Hezbollah resistance movement.
The deadly airstrike came hours after a multinational US-led committee tasked with overseeing the 2024 ceasefire agreement held its first meeting this year. … Full article
By Robert Inlakesh | The Palestine Chronicle | January 7, 2026
On January 6, 2026, a joint statement was published by the US State Department, affirming that the Israelis and Syrians had established a “joint fusion mechanism”. Despite being labeled an official normalization deal, this mechanism works as a soft normalization arrangement.
As the topic of Syrian normalization is often one that triggers a rather aggressive reaction from all sides, it is important to cut through the propaganda to establish what just happened.
As a product of a direct meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials in Paris, with the participation of the United States, both Damascus and Tel Aviv have agreed to a quasi-normalization deal of sorts.
The joint statement that was published on the US State Department website makes the issue extremely clear: a “joint fusion mechanism”, or “dedicated communication cell”, has now been established. This mechanism includes facilitating Israeli-Syrian cooperation in the following arenas:
- Intelligence sharing
- Diplomatic engagement
- Commercial opportunities
- Military de-escalation
Some supporters of Syrian President, Ahmed al-Shara’a, have been adamant that what was reached and is being pursued is solely to do with security issues and the issue of southern Syria. Today’s joint statement thoroughly debunks any such claims. … continue
By Robert Inlakesh | Al Mayadeen | January 7, 2026
More than a simple recognition of Somaliland, “Israel” is hatching a scheme alongside its Emirati allies aimed at a regional expansion agenda. For the so-called “Greater Israel” vision to come alive, dominance must be secured not only across West Asia and North Africa, but also throughout the Horn of Africa. … continue
RT | January 7, 2026
The leaders of the UK and France have announced that they’ve agreed to deploy forces in Ukraine if Kiev reaches a peace deal with Russia, despite Moscow categorically ruling out the presence of NATO forces in the country under any pretext.
The agreement was unveiled on Tuesday at a meeting of the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ group in Paris. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the three countries had signed a “Declaration of Intent” on deploying forces “in the event of a peace deal.” He called the agreement “a vital part of our iron-cast commitment,” while asserting it would create a legal framework for British, French, and partner forces to operate on Ukrainian soil. … continue
RT | January 7, 2026
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has urged the US to kidnap the head of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, claiming the move would send a strong message to President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky made the remarks on Wednesday, demanding his Western backers to put more “pressure” on Russia and arguing that would help to put the Ukraine conflict to its end. The Ukrainian leader suggested that the US could kidnap Kadyrov to supposedly speed up the negotiations process.
The Ukrainian leader praised the US action against Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.
“The whole world can see the result. They did it quickly. Well, let them carry out some kind of operation against Kadyrov… Maybe then Putin will see this and think about it,” Zelensky asserted. … Full article
RT | January 7, 2026
The UK provided “enabling support” to the US military in seizing the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera, the British Defence Ministry has said.
The oil tanker was interdicted on Wednesday in international waters to the northwest of Scotland. The Pentagon claimed the vessel, formerly known as ‘Bella 1’, had been involved in alleged “violations of US sanctions.”
The UK assisted the US during the operation at Washington’s request, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. … Full article
Al-Manar | January 7, 2026
Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, has said that “no foreign agent” is running Venezuela in the wake of President Nicolas Maduro’s abduction by United States military forces.
Rodriguez, who had been Maduro’s vice president before his abduction, spoke during a televised event on Tuesday, a day after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in a New York court to drug-trafficking conspiracy charges.
“The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no one else. There is no foreign agent governing Venezuela,” said Rodriguez, sworn in as interim president with support from Venezuela’s Supreme Court and military.
She rejected claims that the United States controls the nation and called for unity amid mounting tensions.
Venezuela’s prosecutor general, meanwhile, called for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.
“The military operation, without a declaration of war or a UN Security Council resolution, represents an illegal act of armed aggression of a terrorist nature,” Tarek William Saab said.
The statements come amid the continuing fallout from Saturday’s military operation, which left dozens of people in Venezuela dead. The offensive has been broadly condemned as a violation of international law. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | January 7, 2026
The United States is preparing “to recalibrate” its unilateral sanctions regime on Venezuelan oil, CNBC reported. Washington says the move would allow crude exports to continue without a fixed end date, a claim Caracas and several international observers reject as part of a coercive campaign to seize control over the country’s strategic resources.
The reported policy shift comes amid extraordinary tensions following the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces, an operation carried out without an extradition process, a United Nations mandate, or consent from Venezuelan institutions. Caracas has described the act as a grave breach of sovereignty and international law, while allied governments have warned it marks a dangerous escalation from sanctions enforcement to outright military intervention.
Against this backdrop, US President Donald Trump is expected to meet executives from major American oil companies on Friday to discuss what the White House has described as the “future” of Venezuela’s energy resources. Fox Business, citing a senior US official, said the talks will focus on managing Venezuelan oil flows as sanctions are selectively eased. … continue
By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR | January 7, 2026
I want to make you a wager… I bet that 99% of Americans have never read the speech that President James Monroe made to the US Congress on December 2, 1823. As part of that speech — which was the seventh annual address to the US Congress — President Monroe outlined a policy that is now commonly referred to as the Monroe Doctrine. Understanding what President Monroe actually said has taken on more importance because Donald Trump referenced the Monroe Doctrine to justify his kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro. I am going to show you that President Monroe said nothing that would excuse or support Trump’s action. To the contrary, Trump is behaving like one of the old European colonial tyrants.
Trump is not the first to misunderstand the Monroe Doctrine, which is now widely interpreted in America as giving the US control of the Western Hemisphere and giving the US the right to take action against ANY foreign government that has relations with the countries of Central and South America, Mexico and Canada.
The essence of the Monroe Doctrine originally was a firm declaration to oppose European colonization of the Americas. Read carefully what Monroe said… continue
RT | January 7, 2026
The US military on Wednesday seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic, after pursuing it all the way from the Caribbean Sea.
The vessel, previously named Bella 1, was intercepted for alleged “violation of US sanctions” in the international waters to the northwest of Scotland. … continue
US navy forces boarded the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera at around 12:00 GMT, after which the contact with the vessel was lost, the Russian Transport Ministry said on Wednesday.
“Today around 3:00 p.m. Moscow time, in open seas outside the territorial waters of any state, US navy forces boarded the vessel, and the contact with the ship was lost,” the ministry said in a statement.
On December 24, 2025, Marinera received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag, issued on the basis of Russian legislation and norms of international law, the ministry added.
“In accordance with the norms of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies on the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered under the jurisdiction of other states,” the ministry said.
By Guo Yuandan and Liu Xuanzun | Global Times | January 6, 2026
Recently, the US launched a military strike against Venezuela and forcibly seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. According to US media reports, the operation began with cyberwarfare. Chinese cybersecurity firm Antiy released a report on Tuesday saying that the US likely conducted cyberattacks to cause widespread power outages, thereby “opening operational channels” for subsequent airstrikes and special operations.
A cybersecurity expert told the Global Times that with its cyberattack capabilities, the US typically aims to gain deep control over other countries’ information systems and continuously conduct covert information gathering; during wartime, these capabilities can be converted into battlefield intelligence advantages, enabling attacks on critical infrastructure such as financial and military systems at any time, which could further lead to the collapse and disintegration of societal operations.
According to US media reports, the US side suggested that it used cyberattacks or other technical capabilities to cut power in Caracas during strikes on the Venezuelan capital. The US side also reportedly confirmed that US Cyber Command participated in the operation.
According to the latest report by Antiy, “the blackout in Caracas was largely intended to provide more covert support for the low-altitude entry and operations of [the US] helicopter fleet, requiring precision, certainty, and controllability. The likelihood of power infrastructure being compromised by firepower strikes or physical damage is relatively low, whereas cyberattacks are more likely to cause blackouts, thereby ‘opening operational channels’ for subsequent US airstrikes and special operations.”
“It cannot be ruled out that the US attempted to disable its opponent’s air defense weapon systems through cyberattacks during the operation.”
The report suggests that in the US cyberwarfare against Venezuela, possible tactical moves may include breaching Venezuela’s critical infrastructure and key information systems to obtain internal documents, materials, intelligence, and other information; breaching and controlling the mobile phones or terminal computers of key Venezuelan personnel to directly access information, turning these devices into mobile eavesdropping tools or stepping stones for further attacks; breaching Venezuela’s security devices and smart home systems in key buildings to achieve internal reconnaissance and surveillance purposes; and breaching critical infrastructure to gain control, continuously monitor operational status, and prepare for the transition to cyberspace attacks. … Full article
Sputnik – 07.01.2026
MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Wednesday expressed her surprise at Washington’s claim that its military operation in Venezuela was bloodless, pointing the US State Department to the dozens of deceased Venezuelans and Cubans.
“What do you mean by nobody died? What about the citizens of Venezuela and Cuba, are they not people? I have a question: in what dimension are we even living? I want an answer. Just the other day, Mr. Rubio [US Secretary of State] sent Christmas greetings to his Russian counterpart. I, using this opportunity, would also like to congratulate the State Department on Christmas and ask a question, when the US says that this so-called operation was bloodless, does it mean they don’t consider the citizens of Venezuela and Cuba as people? Who gave them such a right? Who gave them the right not to see the bloody consequences which they themselves have caused, which have resulted from their actions?” Zakharova said on Sputnik radio. … continue
Global Times | January 7, 2026
When asked to comment on the claims by US Department of State that “This is OUR Hemisphere, and President Trump will not allow our security to be threatened,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday at a press conference that dividing spheres of influence and creating geopolitical confrontation will not make a country more secure, nor will it bring peace to the world. Shared security and cooperative security are the only sustainable paths to security, she added.
Sputnik – 07.01.2026
BEIJING – The US military operation against Venezuela has threatened the stability of the global supply chain and the economic situation in the country, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the ABC TV channel reported, citing sources familiar with the White House’s position, that the US had required Venezuela to “agree” to an exclusive partnership with the US on oil and give preference to Washington in the sale of heavy oil. US President Donald Trump has previously called himself a key figure in the governance of Venezuela after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces.
“The blatant use of force against Venezuela has seriously affected Venezuela’s economic and social order and threatens the stability of the global supply chain. China strongly condemns this,” Mao said.
Cooperation between China and Venezuela is cooperation between sovereign states, protected by international law and the laws of both countries, Mao added when asked about Beijing’s plans to protect its energy interests in Venezuela. … continue
Global Times – January 6, 2026
The US’ sudden military operation against Venezuela and the forcible seizure of the country’s president has dominated headlines worldwide since Saturday. The operation is viewed by global media and observers as a real-life example of the Monroe Doctrine in action, under which the Trump Administration claims that the Western Hemisphere is its sphere of influence.
Focus on the Monroe Doctrine intensified further after US President Donald Trump invoked the doctrine to defend the strike on Venezuela at a press conference on Saturday amid mounting international condemnation. “All the way back, it dates back to the Monroe Doctrine,” Trump stated at the press conference, according to a Sunday report by ABC News. “The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we’ve surpassed it by a long shot. They’re calling it the ‘Don-roe Doctrine’ now,” he added.
Trump’s version of Monroe Doctrine, centered on “America First,” is a geopolitical strategy for the US to impose hegemonic control over the Western Hemisphere. Its core objective is to reconsolidate Latin America as America’s “backyard” through exclusive cooperation, extract regional resources, and ultimately serve US economic interests and consolidate its global hegemony, Xu Yanran, an associate professor at the School of International Relations, Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.
At a press conference on Monday, when asked for response to the sphere of influence concept – the Monroe Doctrine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated China’s stance to “oppose hegemony and power politics.”
What exactly is the Monroe Doctrine? What role has it played in shaping US-Latin America relations over the past 200 years? And what does the doctrine’s resurgence mean for the region and the world? To answer these questions, the Global Times has launched a two-part series to decode the doctrine – a scourge that has haunted Latin America for 200 years – and to expose the US’ long-standing interventionist schemes in various fields across the region. In the first installment, we examine the doctrine’s historical evolution, draw comparisons between the Trump and original versions, and explore its potential implications for both the region and the wider world. … continue
During an address to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), Benoni Belli, Brazil’s ambassador to the organization, described the United States’ military action against Venezuela as “a very serious attack against Venezuela’s sovereignty and a threat to the entire international community.”
The Brazilian diplomat warned that the bombings of Venezuelan territory and the kidnapping of its president represent an unacceptable violation of international law. “The current situation is grave and evokes times we thought were behind us, which are once again devastating Latin America and the Caribbean,” Belli stated.
Belli rejected the logic that “the ends justify the means,” arguing that such reasoning lacks legitimacy and allows the strongest powers to impose their will on sovereign nations. “These acts open the possibility that the strongest will define what is just or unjust, disregarding national sovereignty,” he emphasized.
The ambassador’s statement highlights the geopolitical implications of a unilateral military intervention, and warned that it undermines multilateralism and fosters a global order based on the law of the strongest.
Global Times – January 6, 2026
On Monday local time, a highly anticipated international meeting and an equally high-profile so-called “trial” unfolded on the same day in New York, the US. Inside the UN headquarters in Manhattan, the Security Council convened an emergency meeting to discuss the heightened tensions triggered by US military actions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The UN secretary-general, multiple Security Council members, and representatives from many countries all stressed the imperative of adhering to the UN Charter and opposing the use of force to resolve international disputes. This cross-regional, cross-alignment consensus underscores a fundamental point: defending international law is not an “interest choice” of any single country, but a basic consensus of the international community.
If Washington seeks to intimidate and deter others through the public spectacle of humiliating a foreign head of state, it has clearly underestimated both the shared consensus and the bottom lines of the international community. From any perspective, US actions lack both legitimacy and legality. … continue
By GABRIEL MILLARD-CLOTHIER | The Mail on Sunday | December 28, 2025
Road safety experts were calling for an inquiry on Saturday night as it was revealed motorists are three times more likely to die in hybrids than in petrol cars.
A total of 122 people died in hybrid car crashes last year, compared with 777 in accidents involving petrol cars, according to Department for Transport figures analysed by The Mail on Sunday.
But as hybrids are outnumbered by almost 20 to 1 on Britain’s roads by petrol models, that means hybrids are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash.
Experts believe the higher death rates could be explained by hybrids’ combination of petrol engines and batteries and electric motors, which can be harder to control and more prone to fires. […]
The cars’ batteries may also be to blame. They can be damaged by the heat of the engine, which burns at extremely hot temperatures, making them more liable to set ablaze. […]
Hybrids were found by a leading insurer of company cars, Tusker, to burst into flames at higher rates than others. Among their fleet of 30,000 cars, hybrid vehicles had an almost three times’ higher risk with 3,475 fires per 100,000…. Full article
By Jo Nova | January 2, 2026
In the renewable frenzy of the early 2020s Ÿnsect raised €600 million to “Reinvent the food chain” and pioneer alternative foods that “respect the planet’s boundaries”.
Some $200 million of their funding came from hapless taxpayers somewhere. But in record time, seemingly before it began, it has already gone. Bankrupted. And not because people don’t want to eat mealworms (which they don’t) but because there wasn’t much market in making animal feed either.
It turns out that farm owners didn’t want to spend 2 to 10 times as much on “sustainable” cattle fodder. So the company shifted focus to high end pet food, where besotted owners have money to spare, but that crashed too. … continue
By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. | The Defender | January 5, 2026
The federal government will stop paying physicians based on the number of patients they vaccinate, and is urging state health agencies to stop using similar financial incentives.
In a Dec. 30, 2025, memo to state health officials, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it “does not tie payment to performance on immunization quality measures in Medicaid and CHIP [Childhood Health Insurance Program] at the federal level.”
Under the new policies, CMS will no longer require states to report how many children are vaccinated, but states may continue to voluntarily provide the data.
CMS stated it will explore options to more strongly encourage informed consent before vaccination and “will also explore how religious exemptions for vaccinations can be accounted for in the data and the subsequent measures.” … continue
By Nicolas Hulscher, MPH | FOCAL POINTS | January 5, 2026
Today, the CDC formally adopted a revised childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, following a Presidential Memorandum directing alignment with international best practices.
This marks the largest rollback of routine childhood vaccination in U.S. history.
After reviewing peer-country schedules and the scientific evidence underlying them, federal health leadership acknowledged that we are hyper-vaccinating our children.
The result is a dramatically smaller routine childhood vaccine schedule, cutting approximately 55 routine doses.
This is a major victory — even as serious safety concerns remain for the vaccines that continue to be recommended. … continue
By Rick Jaffe, Esq. | The Defender | January 6, 2026
Federal health officials on Monday announced a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, reducing the number of vaccines universally recommended for all children from 17 to 11.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) emphasized that all currently recommended vaccines will remain available and fully covered by insurance.
However, health officials moved six vaccines from the universally recommended category into a category designed to emphasize shared decision-making between families and clinicians.
What does it mean when a vaccine shifts from the mandatory universal recommendation category to “shared clinical decision-making” (SCDM)? What changes? And why is the vaccine establishment so terrified of the change? … continue
IMEMC | January 6, 2026
Israeli forces conducted new attacks across the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing five Palestinians and injuring others in strikes that targeted displacement areas, residential zones, and the vicinity of medical facilities, despite the “ceasefire” agreement that took effect on 11 October 2025.
Four Palestinians were killed on Monday evening when Israeli forces bombed a tent sheltering displaced families in the Al‑Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Earlier in the day, Naji Suleiman Ibrahim Qdeih died from wounds sustained in a previous Israeli strike on the same coastal displacement zone.
A fourteen‑year‑old boy was moderately wounded after being targeted by an Israeli “quadcopter” drone near the Bani Suheila roundabout east of Khan Younis. Witnesses said the drone fired directly at the child while he was in a public area.
In addition, Israeli occupation forces detonated and bombarded multiple residential buildings east of Khan Younis.
In the north, Israeli warplanes launched several airstrikes around the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, triggering panic among displaced families sheltering nearby and among medical teams working inside the facility.
No casualties were immediately reported, but residents described scenes of fear and chaos as explosions shook the area.
In a separate attack, Israeli soldiers shot a child in the head in Beit Lahia, inflicting life-threatening wounds. … Full article
MEMO | January 6, 2026
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Monday that its teams have been unable to visit Palestinian detainees held in Israeli detention centres since October 2023.
In a statement, the committee said it had not received approval to access the detainees during this period. It stressed the importance of being informed about the status and location of all detainees and being allowed to carry out its humanitarian work in accordance with international humanitarian law.
The ICRC underlined the need to ensure humane treatment for detainees, provide decent detention conditions, and allow them to communicate with their families.
The statement added that many Palestinian families are living in deep anxiety while waiting for any information about their detained relatives.
The committee said it continues to hold talks with Israeli authorities to resume visits to all Palestinian detainees, without giving a specific timeline.
MEMO | January 6, 2026
Eleven Palestinians were wounded Tuesday when Israeli forces raided Birzeit University north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to medical and local sources.
The Health Ministry said in a statement that 11 people arrived at the Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah following an Israeli assault on the university. It said three were injured by live fire, three by shrapnel and five treated for tear gas inhalation.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said three students were shot in the legs and hospitalized for treatment.
Local sources said Israeli forces raided the Birzeit University campus, broke into facilities after smashing doors and using live fire, sound grenades and tear gas inside the grounds, triggering panic among students and staff.
The raid followed a student event held in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and coincided with preparations to screen a film titled “Hind Rajab,” which documents the killing of a five-year-old child during the Gaza war, the sources told Anadolu. … Full article
IMEMC | January 6, 2026
Illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers carried out a series of attacks, land seizures, home takeovers, and agricultural destruction across the occupied West Bank on Monday, targeting communities in occupied Jerusalem, Salfit in the central West Bank, Nablus in the northern West Bank, the Jordan Valley in the northeastern West Bank, Hebron in the southern West Bank, and Bethlehem in the southern West Bank.
Home Seized in Silwan in Occupied Jerusalem
Before dawn, colonizers seized a Palestinian home in Silwan, south of the Al‑Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
Local sources said the property, belonging to the Basbous family in the Baten al‑Hawa neighborhood, consists of two apartments housing thirteen residents. Colonizers took control of the building under heavy military and police protection.
Colonizers Invade Khallet as‑Sidra Near Jerusalem
Armed colonizer militias invaded the Khallet as‑Sidra area near Mikhmas, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, releasing livestock into Palestinian agricultural land in an apparent attempt to damage crops and pressure residents.
Livestock Theft and Provocations in Salfit
Colonizers gathered near the northern outskirts of Bruqin, west of Salfit in the central West Bank, while another group stole ten sheep from the “Al‑Naqoos” area. The livestock belonged to resident Mohannad Farouq Mohammad Barakat.
Residents reported colonizers moving near homes and gathering around neighborhoods, raising fears of further attacks.
Agricultural Roads Blocked in Nablus
In Beit Furik, east of Nablus in the northern West Bank, colonizers used bulldozers to close agricultural roads with dirt barriers.
These roads are essential for farmers accessing their fields and have been repeatedly targeted in systematic efforts to restrict Palestinian land use.
Assault in the Northern Jordan Valley
A group of colonizers assaulted Palestinian shepherd Anwar Jamil Sawafta while he was grazing his livestock west of Bardala in the northern Jordan Valley.
Israeli forces intervened on behalf of the colonizers and detained the injured shepherd instead of the attackers.
Olive Saplings Destroyed in Masafer Yatta in the Southern West Bank
Colonizers uprooted and destroyed around 150 olive saplings in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, in the southern West Bank. … Full article
The Cradle | January 6, 2026
Head of Palestine’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC), Minister Muayyad Shaaban, said in a new report that over 23,000 attacks have been carried out on Palestinians by settlers and the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank this year.
According to the CWRC report, 2025 saw Israeli troops and illegal settlers commit 23,827 attacks across the territory.
“The attacks were categorized as follows: 1,382 targeted land and trees, 16,664 attacks targeted individuals, while 5,398 attacks targeted property,” the report reads.
“The Israeli army was responsible for 18,384 attacks, while colonizers carried out 4,723 attacks, and both parties together were involved in an additional 720 attacks,” Shaaban is quoted as saying during a press conference at CWRC headquarters in Ramallah. … continue
Palestinian Information Center – January 6, 2026
BEIRUT – Two people were killed on Tuesday evening in an Israeli airstrike targeting the town of Khirbet Selm in southern Lebanon, marking a new violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the Israeli army launched an airstrike on a house in the town, resulting in the killing of two individuals.
In a statement, the Israeli military claimed it had targeted Hezbollah members in Khirbet Selm.
In a related incident, the Lebanese News Agency reported that an Israeli drone carried out a strike near a home in the town of Kfardounine, causing material damage. Another drone dropped a stun grenade toward Lebanese civilians inspecting their destroyed homes in the western neighborhood of Aitaroun. … Full article
MEMO | January 6, 2026
The American news network CNN on Monday reported that Saudi Arabia has levelled unprecedented accusations against the United Arab Emirates amid rising tensions between the two Gulf states, centred on concerns over the UAE’s role in Syria.
According to the network, Riyadh believes that Abu Dhabi has “cultivated ties with elements of the Druze community, some of whose leaders have openly discussed secession”. Saudi Arabia sees this as a direct threat to Syria’s unity and its national security.
CNN said Saudi concerns over UAE policies in Syria are part of a broader view that supporting non-state actors in the region or engaging in sensitive local arrangements could lead to regional instability and set dangerous precedents affecting neighbouring countries, especially Saudi Arabia. … continue
By Junaid S. Ahmad | MEMO | January 6, 2026
Geopolitics is most dangerous not when it erupts, but when it reorganises quietly — when the ground shifts beneath familiar alliances while elites continue to speak the language of yesterday. The Gulf today is in precisely such a moment. What once masqueraded as a coherent bloc has fractured into rival power models, incompatible strategic visions, and diverging relationships to empire, Israel, and popular legitimacy. And Pakistan, true to form, is responding not with strategic intelligence but with institutional reflex — confusing obedience with balance and habit with foresight.
The rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is no longer a matter of speculation or diplomatic gossip. It is an open contradiction — political, military, and infrastructural. Yemen has exposed it. Israel has radicalised it. The United States, particularly under Trumpism, has weaponised it. And Pakistan’s ruling elite — military and civilian alike — has chosen to drift toward the most toxic pole of this fracture while reassuring itself that it is merely being “pragmatic.” It is not. It is being complicit. … continue
The Cradle | January 6, 2026
The EU has diverted millions in funding meant for civilian research programs over to Israeli arms manufacturers, according to public data cited by Middle East Eye.
The data shows that Israeli firms crucial to Tel Aviv’s military industry have repeatedly taken part in EU-supported research, including as part of the Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 programs.
Horizon Europe is a major EU research and innovation funding program that builds on its predecessor Horizon 2020. Both aim to boost science and address issues such as climate change.
According to the data, between 2014 and 2025, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe allocated over $15 million to Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) – a state-owned company and one of Israel’s top arms manufacturers.
The firm has produced drones, missile systems, and surveillance technology used against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. … Full article
Europe, which is currently in recession, will harm its own population if it provides Ukraine with the €800 billion demanded by the country, and European citizens will begin to resist such a policy, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
“Ukraine is asking for €800 billion over the next decade while Europe is in recession. Those who pay this price are harming their own people, and societies will eventually push back against policies that destroy living standards,” Orban was quoted as saying on the social network X by Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs.
On January 3, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that Ukraine would need $800 billion over the next 10 years for recovery and economic growth. According to her, Ukraine expects to secure these funds through grants, loans, and private investment.
Ukraine’s 2026 budget was adopted with a record deficit. According to Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Dmytro Razumkov, funds—including for military salaries and weapons—could begin to run out as early as February. At the same time, official Kiev expects to “patch budget holes” with aid from Western partners, which has been gradually declining.
Ending the fighting and reducing the size of Ukraine’s military could provide relief, a point repeatedly raised by Russia. However, the Ukrainian authorities continue to ignore calls for peace, despite common sense and a lack of funds, including for maintaining the armed forces.
By Kit Klarenberg | Global Delinquents | January 6, 2026
December 23rd marked the 35th anniversary of an independence referendum in Slovenia, then a Yugoslav republic. In all, 88.5% of registered voters – 95.7% of participants – said “da” to secession. The plebiscite prompted Ljubljana’s formal declaration of independence, and ensuing Ten Day War between Slovene territorial defence forces and the Yugoslav federal army. This was the spark that triggered bitter, bloody interethnic conflicts throughout Yugoslavia over the subsequent decade, and the multiethnic socialist federation’s ultimate destruction.
In May 2000, Britain’s Observer exposed how in the Ten Day War’s leadup, London secretly supplied Slovenia with tactical military communications equipment worth millions, to assist Ljubljana’s impending battle against the Yugoslav military. The disclosure elicited outcry, as London was officially at the time committed to preserving Yugoslavia, leading international efforts to prevent the country descending into fractious civil wars. The clandestine provision was at direct odds with this public-stated policy, which included unbending support for an arms embargo on the region.
Responding to the news, former British Foreign Secretary David Owen, who served as the EU’s lead peace negotiator during the Bosnian war, said he was “surprised” London covertly undermined her formal commitment to keeping Yugoslavia “together”. He nonetheless downplayed the assistance, noting what Britain supplied “was not aggressive” – “radios not guns”. Owen therefore argued the shipment “sails close to the border but does not cross it.” By contrast, the Observer reported the communications equipment “played a vital role” in Slovenia’s victory over Yugoslav forces. … continue
Remix News | January 5, 2026
France is at the point of a deep political crisis, the main point of reference of which has become the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, writes Do Rzeczy, citing data from recent poll results showing the scale of the collapse of trust in the government and growing concerns about the future of the country.
Support for the French president has fallen to 25 percent, the lowest level during his term. A staggering 58 percent of French people expect his immediate resignation, unwilling to wait until his term ends in May 2027.
At the same time, only 35 percent of respondents believe Macron can prevent the country from being drawn into war, while 39 percent see a very serious risk of such a scenario.
The scale of public pessimism is overwhelming, with 90 percent of the French believing the country is declining, including 32 percent who believe this process is irreversible.
Only 10 percent of respondents believe France is not collapsing. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | January 6, 2026
A member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, lawmaker Juan Romero, has described recent US actions as a “blatant act of aggression,” stressing that the Venezuelan people are fully prepared to defend their sovereignty against any external threat.
In an interview for Al Mayadeen, Romero said Venezuela was on the highest level of alert and ready to reaffirm its historical stance in confronting foreign aggression, particularly in the aftermath of the US attack on January 3.
Romero invoked the legacy of Venezuela’s liberator, Simón Bolívar, emphasizing that free peoples have historically succeeded in breaking the dominance of major empires and affirming that Venezuelan society would remain united and resilient in the face of any potential challenges.
He also compared the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro to the abduction of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, describing such actions as part of the interventionist mechanisms employed by major powers.
Romero told Al Mayadeen that these practices constitute a flagrant violation of the principle of sovereign equality enshrined by the United Nations and amount to an unjustified and illegal act of aggression against a sovereign state.
Concluding his remarks, he recalled President Maduro’s previous statements that, in the event of an attack on the country, Venezuela would resort to a strategy of prolonged popular war involving all segments of society, stressing that the country remains ready to confront any threat and safeguard its independence by all available means. … Full article
The US Department of Justice indictment of Venezuela’s kidnapped leader is a political rant that relies on coerced testimony from an unreliable witness
By Max Blumenthal | The Grayzone | January 5, 2026
The January 3 US military raid on Venezuela to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores was followed by the Department of Justice’s release of its superseding indictment of the two abductees as well as their son, Nicolasito Maduro, and two close political allies: former Minister of Justice Ramon Chacin and ex-Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace Diosdado Cabello. The DOJ has also thrown Tren De Aragua (TDA) cartel leader Hector “Niño” Guerrero into the mix of defendants, situating him at the heart of its narrative.
The indictment amounts to a 25 page rant accusing Maduro and Flores of a conspiracy to traffic “thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States,” relying heavily on testimony from coerced witnesses about alleged shipments that largely took place outside US jurisdiction. It accuses Maduro of “having partnered with narco-terrorists” like TDA, ignoring a recent US intelligence assessment that concluded he had no control over the Venezuelan gang. Finally, the prosecutors stacked the indictment by charging Maduro with “possession of machine guns,” a laughable offense which could easily be applied to hundreds of thousands of gun-loving Americans under an antiquated 1934 law. … continue
RT | January 6, 2026
The BBC has instructed staff to avoid describing the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a “kidnapping” and to use less loaded alternatives such as “seized,” according to a leaked internal memo shared online by British journalist and Guardian columnist Owen Jones. […]
In his post, Jones called ‘seized’ “at best, a euphemism,” branding the policy “Orwellian stuff” and recalling that US President Donald Trump himself has acknowledged that ‘kidnapped’ is “not a bad term.” … Full article
teleSUR | January 6, 2026
Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene strongly criticized actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump following the Jan. 3 raid in Venezuela, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores were kidnapped.
“From an America First standpoint, Venezuela belongs to the Venezuelan people. They should elect their own government leaders. We have our own government leaders, the Trump administration, and we’ve elected them to run America, not to be globalists, not to run other countries, not to pursue regime change,” she said in an interview with CNN.
In a separate interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Greene said the Trump administration’s actions against the South American nation followed “the same Washington playbook” and argued they ultimately “harm citizens.”
Greene called the military incursion a betrayal of Trump’s promise to keep the U.S. out of foreign military entanglements – a central tenet of the Make America Great Again movement. … Full article
Sputnik – 06.01.2026
On January 3, the US launched a massive attack on Venezuela, capturing Maduro and his wife and taking them to New York. US President Donald Trump announced that Maduro and Flores would face trial for allegedly being involved in “narco-terrorism” and posing a threat, including to the US.
The Global Majority in Latin America, Africa, and Asia should hold the United States to account by stopping purchases of US weapons, including F-16s, F-35s, and halting collaboration with companies like Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and Raytheon, former UN independent expert Alfred de Zayas told Sputnik.
“US businesses are vulnerable,” he explained. … continue
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- US bears full responsibility for consequences of any fresh aggression against Iran: FM on Trump’s threat
- Gaza races to preserve what remains of its 5,000-year-old archaeological legacy
- UNRWA head slams ‘outrageous’ Israeli law to cut water, energy to agency’s facilities
- Israeli attacks in Gaza kill fisherman, injure woman and child
- Palestinian child killed by Israeli gunfire in Gaza
- Trump Says Hamas Will Be Given a ‘Short Period of Time’ to Disarm
- Is Israel About to Return to Genocide? Three Scenarios for What Comes Next
- Netanyahu Aligned Think Tanker: Somaliland Offered To ‘Absorb’ One Million Palestinians
- Pentagon audit reveals ‘untracked’ billions in US arms sent to Israel
- The Epstein Saga: Chapter 4, Good Old Robert
- The DOJ is flaunting the law on the Epstein Files. Why isn’t Pam Bondi in handcuffs?
- US kills two in fresh strikes on vessel in Pacific
- Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence Could Have Triggered a Nuclear War: Here’s Why
- Attack on Putin’s residence could be anti-Zelensky plot in Kiev – ex-CIA analyst
- Ukraine’s Escalation May Be Aimed at Prolonging Conflict as Talks Advance — Ex-Pentagon Analyst
- The EU has everything to gain from peace. Why does it keep insisting on war?
- Hamas says disarmament linked to Palestinian State, end of occupation
- Child, Elderly Man Injured In Colonizer Attack Near Bethlehem
- Palestinian Injured After Israeli Military Vehicle Rams His car
- Somali president rejects displacement of Palestinians from Gaza
- Arms, silence, and alignment: The moral and geopolitical cost of India-Israel military ties
- Ireland’s Simon Harris to Push EU-Wide Ban on Social Media Anonymity
- WHO Instructs Governments to Track Online Anti-Vaccine Messaging in Real Time with AI: Journal ‘Vaccines’
- Mapping Censorship: France’s Empire of Silence Across Europe and Beyond
- Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence Planned by Forces Trying to Torpedo Ukraine Peace Push: Expert
- Ukraine launched 91 kamikaze drones at Putin’s state residence – Lavrov
- Ukraine Takes Part in NATO War Games, Further Integrating Into Collective Defense Architecture
- Hungary vows to defy immigrant scheme
- European military stocks slump as Trump signals Ukraine peace deal close
- Chinese embassy expresses extreme shock, indignation over demolition of Chinese monument in Panama
- Venezuela under siege: Why US escalation could destabilize an entire region
- The Epstein Saga: Chapter 3, Those friends in the Secret Service
- Italy arrests Palestinian activist amid crackdown on anti-Israel voices
- ‘A peaceful community’: Nigerians reject Trump ISIS claim after strike
- US Arms Sales to Taiwan Push Region Toward Conflict – Chinese Embassy
- No, NPR, CBS, and NBC, Climate Change Isn’t a Proven Cause of Arctic Warming
- Meteorologist Dr. Ryan Maue Warns “Germany Won’t Make It” If Winter Turns Severe
- EU gas usage hit all-time record on Christmas Day – Gazprom
- Lavrov Denounces Western Complicity in Ukraine Corruption Amid War Escalation
- EU ‘main obstacle’ to Ukraine peace – Lavrov
- Anti-Russia States Cannot Join Ukraine Peacekeeping – German Lawmaker
- Zelensky demands more money from Western backers
- Unmasking The Great Ozempic Scam
- HHS/CDC Fund Online Game ‘Bad Vaxx’ to ‘Psychologically Inoculate’ Vaccine Resistance
- Israeli strike injures UN peacekeeper in southern Lebanon
- Israeli forces kill Palestinian man in Gaza; settler violence, abductions intensify in West Bank
- Dr. Abu Safiya Marks One Year as a Hostage of Israeli Forces
- Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate: “706 Relatives of Journalists Killed in Gaza”
- NSW Premier Admits New “Security” Bill Restricts Civil Liberties, Promises More “Hate Speech” Laws Ahead
- UK teacher ‘likened to terrorist’ for showing students Trump videos – Telegraph
- US Under Secretary of State Slams UK and EU Over Online Speech Regulation, Announces Release of Files on Past Censorship Efforts
- Head of EU Parliament’s biggest faction wants German soldiers in Ukraine
- What Is Actually Behind Israel’s Recognition Of Somaliland?
- Hamas condemns ‘Israel’-Somaliland recognition
- Trump rejects ‘Israel’s’ recognition of Somaliland
- Israeli forces arrest writer and political researcher Sari Orabi
- IOF, settlers destroy 8,000 trees in one week in West Bank
- Israeli Forces Wound Teen, Storm Clinic Near Jerusalem
- Hamas calls for ‘impartial international probe’ into Al-Aqsa Flood operation
- The architecture of extermination: Why the Gaza genocide is premeditated and repeatable
- Israeli fighter jets launch heavy strikes on southern, eastern Lebanon
- Deadly terror attack hits Alawite mosque in central Syria
- Israeli-UAE Aggression In Yemen Could Backfire Enormously
- German journalist says she was sexually assaulted in Israeli custody
- Moscow accuses Bloomberg of spreading ‘fake news’
- What Is Europe Dragging Turkey into: the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict or Negotiations?
- Moscow warns against travel to ‘lawless’ Germany
- Nigeria rebuffs Trump’s persecution narrative despite US coordination
- ‘Carrots’ can’t save the climate – we need a big ‘stick’
- Fuel rationing chaos looms in New York State
- Higher Mortality Rates Detected in Vaccinated 3-Month-Olds Compared With Unvaccinated Infants
- UK government spent over half a million on social media influencers
- Israeli attacks kill 3 Lebanese in east, south Lebanon as ceasefire violations mount
- Palestinian baby injured, olive trees destroyed in illegal settler attacks in occupied West Bank
- 9,300 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails face “colonial erasure”
- Syrians suffering brutal Israeli detention
- The Rebirth of ISIS, Israel and the Continuation of Syria’s Civil War
- Europe’s Panic Economy: Frozen Assets, Empty Arsenals, and the Quiet Admission of Defeat
- Iran says no basis for inspection of bombed nuclear sites
- IOF open fire on aid convoys, fishermen in Gaza
- Syria: Israeli Occupation Forces Attack Citizens in Quneitra, Carry out Incursion in Daraa
- HTS forces abduct prominent American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem in Syria
- How reporting facts can now land you in jail for 14 years as a terrorist
- German communists’ bank accounts terminated
- Bill Gates, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Ordered to Testify in Dutch COVID Vaccine Injury Lawsuit
- Nocebo effects during the covid event
- The vindication (and brutal punishment) of Dr. Reiner Fuellmich
- US Department of State Discloses Names of 5 Europeans Sanctioned for Censorship Against US
- The Epstein Saga: Chapter 1, Mr. Clinton
- Bill Clinton is in the frame again, but this time it’s Trump who put him there
- US Navy effectively becomes a tool of modern piracy
- Belgium’s ‘population replacement’: 72.9% of children and teens in Brussels have a non-EU migration background, only 10.5% are Belgians of Belgian origin
- EU Morphing Into Its Own Worst Enemy – Viktor Orban
- Next year’s election is a choice between peace and war, warns Hungarian PM Orbán
- Uruguay Sentences 9 Ex-Soldiers to Prison for Dictatorship-Era Torture in Roslik Case
- 24 Palestinians injured in large-scale Israeli raid on Occupied Jerusalem
- Knesset extends law restricting foreign media until 2027
- Who is the Pro-Israel Clique behind TikTok’s US Takeover?
- Victoria Moves to Force Online Platforms to ID Users and Expand State Powers to Curb “Hate Speech”
- German politicians and police on lobby trips to Israel
- Israeli military superiority undermines US interests: Report
- Pentagon’s claim of China’s ICBM a pretext for US to upgrade nuclear power: FM
- Trump Debuts the Next US Navy Ship Disaster
- US’ ‘100x More Powerful’ Battleship Dreams Vs. Hard Reality
- US boat strike kills another person in eastern Pacific as Trump escalates pressure on Venezuela
- Ukrainian forces kill 20 civilians in a week – Russian diplomat
- Ukraine: Does Europe Work for a Stalled Conflict?
- EU country seizes gold and luxury watches from ex-Ukrainian prosecutor general – media
- Zelensky Says Some US Security Guarantees to Ukraine Will Not Be Made Public
- Ukrainian investigative journalist ‘kidnapped’ by draft officers
- Pennsylvania High Court Rules Police Can Access Google Searches Without Warrant
- UK Police Pilot AI System to Track “Suspicious” Driver Journeys
- Israeli strike on Saida region kills three, including LAF soldier
- Army Shoots A Palestinian, Abducts Five In Jerusalem, Beit Jala
- Major Demolition in Silwan Displaces 100 Palestinians
- New satellite images confirm Israel continues systematic destruction of Gaza despite ‘ceasefire’
- Two Palestinians Killed in Gaza as Ceasefire Violations Continue
- Australia evaluates purchase of Israeli AI-powered weapons used in Gaza: Report
- Shocking Betrayal: Why Progressives are Ditching Climate Laws and Dooming the Planet
- Follow the Science and Ditch Net Zero
- Cold, Green Europe: What Happens When Ideology Trumps Physics
- EU ‘crushed’ itself by sanctioning Russia – Orban
- Russian LNG Exports to China Rise to Record High
- US war hawk senator calls for seizure of Russian oil tankers
- Venezuela’s Drug-running Hobbyists
- The Geopolitical Imperative Behind US Policy Toward Venezuela
- Honduras: The Making of a Controlled Democracy
- Honduran Parties Accuse Military of Intimidating Vote Counters
- US officials admit to major violations during 2020 election
- Kremlin backs US rebuke of Reuters ‘lies’
- Ex US national security adviser accuses CIA of working against Trump
- Trump Administration Moves to Overhaul Childhood Vaccine Schedule, Embrace Informed Consent Model
- Michigan lawmakers push 11 bills to make vaccine exemptions harder for families, expand state power over mandates
- Hepatitis B Vaccination of Newborns: Seriously Misleading Media Reports
- South Carolina Measles Outbreak Spurs Renewed Debate About MMR Vaccine
- Israeli forces kill two young Palestinians during raids in occupied West Bank
- Three civilians killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza City
- Israeli drone strikes kill one, injure several in Southern Lebanon
- British protestors arrested for chanting ‘globalize the Intifada’
- Whistleblowers accuse CPJ of ‘shielding’ Israel to appease donors
- UK doctor arrested under pressure from Israel lobby over ‘anti-genocide posts’
- The empire of lies: How the BBC strangles free speech under the mask of objectivity and why Trump is right to sue
- Reuters spreads lies and propaganda to prolong Ukraine conflict – Tulsi Gabbard
- EU loan to Ukraine pushing bloc ‘into war’ with Russia – Orban
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