Political situation in France
Macron admits mistakes – will let voters decide
French President Emmanuel Macron admits that it was a stupid decision to call new elections this summer, reports Reuters.
– The dissolution caused more division in parliament than it contributed to solutions for the French people, Macron says in his televised New Year's speech.
To ease the political deadlock that prevails, Macron wants to let French voters have their say in a series of referendums in 2025.
– The hope, prosperity and peace of the coming quarter of a century depend on our choices today [...] And I will ask you to make decisions on some important issues, he says.
Macron admits mistakes – will let voters decide
French President Emmanuel Macron admits that it was a stupid decision to call new elections this summer, reports Reuters.
– The dissolution caused more division in parliament than it contributed to solutions for the French people, Macron says in his televised New Year's speech.
To ease the political deadlock that prevails, Macron wants to let French voters have their say in a series of referendums in 2025.
– The hope, prosperity and peace of the coming quarter of a century depend on our choices today [...] And I will ask you to make decisions on some important issues, he says.
Government crisis in Germany
Scholz: The election must not be decided by social media owners
The German new elections will not be decided by "social media owners". This is what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says in his New Year's speech, reports The Guardian.
– The fate of German society will be decided by the vast majority of reasonable and decent people, he says.
Scholz does not specifically mention Elon Musk in his speech, but the statement comes after the X owner has repeatedly expressed his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
North Korea-Russia relations
Kim Jong-Un wishes Putin a happy new year – and victory
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has sent a New Year's greeting to Vladimir Putin and the Russian people, Reuters reports, citing state-controlled media in North Korea. The dictator hopes that 2025 will offer new bilateral relations between the countries that have expanded their cooperation this year.
Kim Jong-Un says he wants to see Russia achieve "a great victory" in the war. He does not mention Ukraine specifically but writes that he hopes that the Russian army "defeats neo-Nazism".
The New Space Race
Scientist: AI could be the end of humans in space
If AI continues to develop at the rate it is, humans' role in space exploration could become increasingly smaller, reports the BBC.
- Robots are developing rapidly, and the arguments for sending humans into space are becoming increasingly weak, says Britain's Astronomer Royal Martin Rees. He already believes that using tax money to send humans into space is a waste - not to mention how dangerous it is.
According to the BBC, robots have already visited all the planets in the solar system, while humans have only made it to the moon so far.
Other researchers, however, question whether AI will actually be so good that it can completely replace human astronauts.
Ian Crawford, a planetary scientist at the University of London, states that AI can already beat humans at chess, but that we do not know how good the technology can be at exploring unknown environments.
Scientist: AI could be the end of humans in space
If AI continues to develop at the rate it is, humans' role in space exploration could become increasingly smaller, reports the BBC.
- Robots are developing rapidly, and the arguments for sending humans into space are becoming increasingly weak, says Britain's Astronomer Royal Martin Rees. He already believes that using tax money to send humans into space is a waste - not to mention how dangerous it is.
According to the BBC, robots have already visited all the planets in the solar system, while humans have only made it to the moon so far.
Other researchers, however, question whether AI will actually be so good that it can completely replace human astronauts.
Ian Crawford, a planetary scientist at the University of London, states that AI can already beat humans at chess, but that we do not know how good the technology can be at exploring unknown environments.
US Elections Trump's Victory
Professor: Absolutely certain that US democracy will collapse
Staffan I Lindberg, a political science professor at the University of Gothenburg, is 99 percent certain that democracy in the US will collapse with Donald Trump in power.
- For me, it is inconceivable that this is not getting more attention. What will the consequences be? There are almost no protective walls left, he tells DN.
According to Lindberg, the development has already begun. Trump has gotten rid of opponents within his own party and ensured that there are plenty of loyalists in Congress who are ready to back him on all points.
In addition, the president-elect has made it clear that he wants to purge everyone who is not on his side in the Justice Department.
Professor: Absolutely certain that US democracy will collapse
Staffan I Lindberg, a political science professor at the University of Gothenburg, is 99 percent certain that democracy in the US will collapse with Donald Trump in power.
- For me, it is inconceivable that this is not getting more attention. What will the consequences be? There are almost no protective walls left, he tells DN.
According to Lindberg, the development has already begun. Trump has gotten rid of opponents within his own party and ensured that there are plenty of loyalists in Congress who are ready to back him on all points.
In addition, the president-elect has made it clear that he wants to purge everyone who is not on his side in the Justice Department.
The coming year
Romania and Bulgaria celebrate entry into Schengen
Before
midnight, ceremonies have been held in Romania and Bulgaria to
celebrate the countries now joining the Schengen area, reports AP. Among
other things, the interior ministers met at the Ruse-Giurgiu border
crossing.
From midnight, residents of the countries can travel
freely without border controls to and from the other 25 EU countries as
well as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Romania
and Bulgaria partially joined the Schengen area in March, but only
border controls for sea and air were lifted. Those travelling by land
continued to be checked throughout the year, following resistance,
particularly from Austria, which felt that the countries were doing too
little to prevent illegal migration.
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