European Commission President von der Leyen: "We Europeans must defend ourselves and be self-reliant. We cannot afford to let the worldview of others define us. Europe must take responsibility for its own security; this is no longer an option but a necessity."

Dmitry Peskov said that Russia’s stance is “clear” and “consistent” in response to rumours about a possible deployment of NATO or European troops in Ukraine, firmly rejecting any such proposal.

Trump: Hezbollah in Lebanon is a bit of a problem. We will see what happens there.

Vanity Fair published a striking series of unusually candid interviews today with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, recorded by author Chris Whipple during the first year of President Donald J. Trump’s second term. In the interviews, Wiles described Trump as having “an alcoholic’s personality,” said Vice President JD Vance “has been a conspiracy theorist for a decade,” and characterized his shift from Trump critic to ally as “sort of political,” driven by his Senate ambitions rather than principle. She called Elon Musk “an avowed ketamine” user and “an odd, odd duck,” saying his behavior was not always rational and at times left her “aghast.” Wiles also labeled OMB Director Russell T. Vought “a right-wing absolute zealot” and said Attorney General Pam Bondi “completely whiffed” in her handling of the Epstein files. Wiles further revealed that she urged Trump to abandon his campaign of “score settling” after the first 90 days of his term, but conceded that the administration’s continued push for prosecutions has been fueled in part by the president’s desire for retribution against perceived enemies. While she said Trump is not constantly focused on revenge, she noted that “when there’s an opportunity, he will go for it.” She also acknowledged that Trump was not telling the truth when he accused former President Bill Clinton of visiting the private island of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Senate Minority Leader Schumer: "If they don't release the Epstein documents, there's gonna be such an outcry from one end of America to the other that I think they'll be forced to do it"

In a spectacular display of Nordic cooperation, 18 Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters were joined by two Danish F-35s and one Danish F-16 to form a massive Christmas tree shape in the skies over Copenhagen and eastern Denmark on December 16, 2025. This annual Swedish Air Force tradition, enhanced this year with Danish participation, highlights joint training and festive spirit amid strengthened regional defense ties.

Elon Musk has officially kicked off the Republican political campaign funding season for the 2026 midterms. Despite the feud with Trump in the middle of the year and Musk having created a new political party in the US to, according to him, "compete with the Republicans and Democrats," the billionaire ultimately made peace with Trump and will return to funding the party. In the presidential elections, Musk directed about $250 million to Trump's campaign, with sources close to the party expecting a similar amount for funding campaigns of congressmen and senators for the November 2026 elections. In this video, recorded during the Saudi Crown Prince's visit to the US, we can see the level of the "re"-rapprochement between Trump and Musk.

Nearly every member of the Trump administration issued coordinated statements this morning in defense of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, following the release of today’s Vanity Fair article.

Polymarket puts the odds of a U.S.–Venezuela military engagement by the end of the month at around 20%. Low probability — but potentially a big profit opportunity if you’re willing to take the risk 👀

The Islamists attacked Israel two years ago. Two days ago, they struck Australia. If you believe they’re finished, you haven’t learned the lesson.

New U.S. Census Bureau projections paint a dramatic demographic reshaping of the planet: China’s population is expected to plunge from 1.4 billion to just 662 million by 2100 — the steepest decline ever recorded for a single nation. Africa, by contrast, is set for explosive growth of roughly 155%. The Democratic Republic of Congo alone is projected to soar from 139 million to 584 million, becoming one of the world’s largest populations. Regional trends diverge sharply: Asia overall declines by 9%, Europe by 16%, and South America by 12%. North America grows modestly at 4%, driven largely by immigration. India remains the world’s most populous nation at 1.5 billion, while the U.S. is projected to reach 370 million. Analysts warn that aging populations in shrinking regions will pressure labor forces, pension systems, and military recruitment, while booming African cities will face immense infrastructure and governance challenges. China is attempting to reverse its downturn with pro-birth incentives and looser immigration rules, but most experts agree its demographic slide is now essentially irreversible.

UK MI6 Chief Blaise Metreweli warned: “AI-driven robots and drones are transformative for mass production, but catastrophic when weaponized. Breakthroughs capable of curing disease can just as easily be turned into tools of war. Power is becoming increasingly diffuse and unpredictable, as control over these technologies shifts away from governments and into the hands of corporations — and in some cases, individuals.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking at the Second Hanukkah Candle Lighting with IDF soldiers and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the Western Wall, said: “If the Maccabees had failed, there would be no Huckabees, no Judeo-Christian civilization, and no United States.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on tariffs: “This is fundamentally a national security issue.” “If the Supreme Court rules the other way, it would be a loss for the American people. Just look at the decline in fentanyl deaths after President Trump was able to impose fentanyl-related tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada.”

Germany’s Quantum Systems and Ukraine’s Frontline Robotics have formed a joint venture to mass-produce combat-proven Ukrainian drones in Germany, with all production dedicated to Ukraine’s armed forces. The companies said the move represents Germany’s first foreign-based manufacturing capacity fully focused on supporting Ukraine.

Orthodox Jewish passengers were violently assaulted and threatened on a crowded New York City subway train after being deliberately targeted by a group of attackers, according to a firsthand account. The witness said the attackers began verbally harassing the victims at the station, then boarded the train with them and escalated the violence once onboard. The assailants allegedly choked and beat the victims and issued death threats as the train continued along its route. “It happened about an hour ago on the 3 line,” the witness said. “We transferred from the 4 to the 3 at Franklin Station. They were already there, started cursing, got on the train with us, and followed us toward Kingston. We got off one stop early.” The incident reportedly occurred in full view of a packed subway car, with Orthodox Jewish passengers singled out, physically attacked, and threatened, while other riders looked on.

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced and released footage of multiple strikes conducted earlier today, December 15, by forces assigned to Joint Task Force–Southern Spear (JTF-SS) against three suspected narco-trafficking vessels operating in international waters in the Eastern Pacific. According to SOUTHCOM, the vessels were traveling along a known trafficking route and carrying illicit narcotics. Eight men were killed in the strikes — three aboard the first vessel, two on the second, and three on the third — all believed to be members of a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO).

According to an exclusive report by *The Washington Post*, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and other senior Pentagon officials are preparing to present a sweeping reorganization plan to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the coming days. The proposal would downgrade several U.S. Unified Combatant Commands and rebalance authority among the military’s top generals, advancing a consolidation effort long advocated by Hegseth and other members of the Trump administration. If approved, the plan would bring some of the most consequential changes to the military’s senior leadership structure in decades. It would reduce the prominence of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. European Command (EUCOM), and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) by placing them under a new umbrella organization called U.S. International Command (INTERCOM). The proposal also calls for reorganizing U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) into a single entity overseeing the Western Hemisphere, to be known as U.S. Americas Command (AMERICOM).

Barak Ravid reports that a U.S. official said Prime Minister Netanyahu has turned himself into a global pariah over the past two years, adding that he should reflect on why Egypt’s President Sisi refuses to meet with him and why, five years after the Abraham Accords, he has still not been invited to visit the UAE. The official added that while the Trump administration is putting in significant effort to repair the situation, it will not waste time trying to expand the Abraham Accords if Netanyahu is unwilling to take the steps necessary to de-escalate tensions.

Two soldiers killed in an ISIS-affiliated attack on Saturday in central Syria have been identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Both were serving with the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa National Guard, which is currently deployed to the Middle East.