Political situation in Georgia

Georgian opposition leader arrested at protests

Georgian police have arrested Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the country's largest opposition alliance, the Coalition for Change, Reuters reports.

In recent days, there have been large demonstrations in the Georgian capital Tbilisi against the government's decision to pause talks on EU membership. Japaridze was arrested in connection with his leaving such a demonstration.

It is unclear if he will face any charges.

Salome, 29, protests: "Here for the country's future"

Early Monday morning, police in Georgia's capital Tbilisi removed the last protesters from the area around the parliament building after another night of large and violent protests, Reuters reports.

The BBC has spoken to 29-year-old Salome who is taking part to show her displeasure.

- I am here for the future of the country and the future of my three-year-old son. I don't want him to live his life with protests and I don't want a Russian government, she tells the channel.

The protests, which have been held four nights in a row, are directed against the government's decision to stop talks about EU membership. Many are dissatisfied with the ruling pro-Russian party Georgian Dream, which in turn accuses the protesters of practicing "systematic violence".

The Russian invasion

Ukraine's response
Zelenskyi: Trump is reviewing our victory plan in this now

US President Donald Trump and his staff are well aware of where Ukraine stands on the issue of peace agreements with Russia. That's what Volodymyr Zelenskyy says in an interview with the Japanese news agency Kyodo.

The Ukrainian president says that Trump has been privy to his so-called victory plan.

- They are studying the plan and they will return, he says in the interview.

At the same time, Zelenskyy emphasizes that Ukraine will not capitulate.

- It is a fact and I think he understands it, he says.

Putin's Russia
The Kremlin held a seminar on Ukraine and the 2026 elections

Last week, the Kremlin organized a four-day seminar for politicians where the war in Ukraine and the parliamentary elections in Russia in 2026 were discussed, Russian independent media reports. The meeting was attended by governors and other high-ranking politicians.

One of the points raised was the goals of the election in two years, sources told Vedomosti newspaper. The so-called "55/55 formula" means that the goal is at least 55 percent turnout and that Putin's United Russia party gets at least 55 percent of the votes.

The goals, which are set before each Russian election, are higher than in 2021. At that time, the "45/45" formula was used.

Regarding the fighting in Ukraine, the Kremlin's victory narrative and how politicians can form opinion about soldiers returning from the war were discussed, among other things.
 

Rage Against Biden's Hunter Turn

Rage against Biden after the U-turn: "Disappointed"

Knut Sahlin Ekberg

Updated 12.52 | Published 09.30

Quick version

• President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter Biden, drawing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
• Several public figures, including Republican politicians and Democratic supporters, have expressed displeasure with Biden's decision.
• Biden is not the first president to pardon a family member; similar pardons have occurred under previous administrations.

President Joe Biden flipped last night. Now he pardons his son Hunter Biden.

Reactions and criticism have raged from Republicans and Democrats alike.

- This pardon will echo through history, says Republican Eric Burlison.

 

           

          Biden pardons his son: "Could have received 17 years in prison"

Despite Joe Biden previously being clear, he reversed last night. Now he pardons his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of weapons offenses and pleaded guilty to tax fraud.

In his statement, Biden writes that he wrestled with the issue but ended up with politics infecting the process and leading to a "judicial murder".

         

Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden, who is now pardoned by his father. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP

After the announcement, reactions poured in from allied Democrats and opposing Republicans.

President-elect Donald Trump called it a judicial abuse.

“Does Joe's pardon include the January 6 hostages, who have now been held for years? What an abuse and judicial murder!”, wrote the president-elect.

Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn criticized Biden's decision and expressed that: "There are two legal systems in Biden's United States." Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison called it "a shameless display of nepotism."

- This pardon will echo through history as a clear signal that under this administration the scales of justice are tipped in favor of those with power, connections and the surname Biden, Eric Burlison continued.

 

            

  Republican Eric Burlison Photo: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / AP

Former federal prosecutor Sarah Krissoff tells the BBC that she was not surprised by Joe Biden's decision to pardon, despite what the president previously said.

Joe Biden has consistently expressed that he would not pardon his son. The day after the election, the question was addressed to the White House again. The answer was the same: "The answer remains and it is no".

- President Biden has repeatedly said that he would not do this, but I sensed a few months ago that it would probably happen, says Sarah Krissoff and continues:

- He put his family first. It does not surprise me, despite the statements he made publicly that he would not do this.

Democrats criticize the decision

Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also says that the decision was expected.

“Everyone knew he was going to do it. He just waited to do it until there were no consequences for democratic electability," he writes on X.

Elon Musk just wrote "wow" and shared Donald Trump Jr's tweet.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP

But Democrats also criticize Biden's decision.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis writes that he understood the president's decision as a father, but that he is still disappointed.

“I am disappointed that he put his family before the country. This is a bad precedent that can be exploited by future presidents and will unfortunately tarnish his reputation," he writes.

Democrat Greg Staunton, Arizona congressman, is also critical.

“I respect President Biden. But here he made a mistake," he writes.

Several presidents have pardoned relatives

However, Joe Biden is not the first president to pardon a family member or relative.

On Bill Clinton's last day as president, he pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton, for drug offenses.

A month before Donald Trump left the White House, he pardoned his son-in-law's father, Charles Kushner, for, among other things, tax crimes. 

FACTS

This is Hunter Biden

Born 1970. Businessman and lawyer with a degree from the prestigious Yale University. He is the son of the current US President Joe Biden and his first wife Neilia Hunter.

In 1972, his mother and one-year-old sister died in a car accident. Hunter and his older brother Beau were in the car and were injured but survived.

In 1977, Joe Biden remarried to educator Jill Tracy Jacobs. In 1981, they had a daughter, Ashley Biden.

In 2015, the family suffered another tragedy when Joe Biden's eldest son Beau died of brain cancer.

Hunter Biden has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for much of his life. His dealings in Ukraine, in particular the cooperation with the energy company Burisma, have been the subject of several investigations.

(Source: TT)

Votes on Biden's pardon

Analysis: A decision where Biden put family first

In the end, Joe Biden reacted like a father when he pardoned his son Hunter, writes CNN's Jeff Zeleny in an analysis. For Biden, family has long come before everything else.

Unlike other decisions Joe Biden has made, this one did not come after long deliberations with associates. Instead, it was a family decision where his role as a father came first.

The Guardian's David Smith also writes about the strong family bond in an analysis.

“An act of love from a father who has already known too much grief? Or a hypocritical political maneuver reminiscent of his great political opponents? Perhaps both options can be true," he writes.

Regardless, many Americans will now see the decision as a double standard when Biden chooses a family member over other possible cases to pardon, according to Smith.

DN's Björn af Kleen also addresses the double standard. It will now be more difficult for Democrats to criticize Republicans. And it reinforces the American electorate's belief that there is a "cream pie for the children of power, hidden privileges that would never be revealed to ordinary mortals outside of Washington DC."

Expert: Joe Biden has nothing to lose - his way of saying "go to hell"

Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter Biden is almost unprecedented in US history. The reason is its scale, experts told Politico.

Former pardon lawyer Margaret Love says she has never seen anyone pardoned for crimes that did not lead to prosecution, with the exception of when Richard Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford in 1974.

- Even the most extensive Trump pardons were specific when it came to what was pardoned, says Love.

Joe Biden's pardon covers not only the crimes Hunter Biden is convicted of, but all crimes he has committed or may have committed from January 1, 2014 to December 1, 2024.

Dennis Goldford, professor emeritus of political science at Drake University in Iowa, interprets it all as Joe Biden no longer has anything to lose.

- I would think that this is his way of saying: "Go to hell", says Goldford to TT. 

Analysis: Biden questions the fairness of a system he has so far defended

Nowadays, there is one thing that Joe Biden and Donald Trump agree on: the Biden administration's Justice Department has been politicized. That's what Peter Baker writes in an analysis in the New York Times after the announcement that Biden is pardoning his son Hunter Biden.

Baker writes that Biden sounded very much like his successor when he railed against selective prosecution and political pressure. In the pardon, Biden suggests that the charges against Hunter were politically motivated.

"He questioned the fairness of a system that he has up to now defended," writes Baker.

In an analysis in The Atlantic with the headline "Biden's unforgivable hypocrisy", Jonathan Chait writes that Biden broke his promise not to pardon his son. Chait says it's tempting, but unfair, to draw a direct parallel to Donald Trump's consistent avoidance of justice.

"Yet principles become much harder to defend when their most famous defenders have flagrantly compromised them," Chait writes.

CNN's Stephen Collinson writes that Biden's pardon could have profound political consequences.

"According to the Republicans, this shows that it is the current president who is most to blame for politicizing the justice system [...]. Their claim may not be correct, but it can still be politically effective.”

The charges against Hunter Biden

Trump: "An abuse of the legal system"

Donald Trump reacts strongly to Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden. In an update on Truth Social, Trump writes that it is a "judicial murder".

Trump also wonders if the pardon includes "J-6 hostages", that is, people convicted of storming the Capitol. According to Trump, Biden's pardon is an abuse of the justice system.

Joe Biden turns around - pardons his son: "Judicial murder"

Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter Biden. That's what the outgoing president of the United States wrote in a statement last night.

Biden writes that he wrestled with the decision. Although he has repeatedly promised not to interfere in the work of the Department of Justice, he believes that Hunter Biden has been treated unfairly. Biden writes in his statement that his political enemies attacked the son to get at him.

"No reasonable person can look at the facts of Hunter's case and come to any conclusion other than that he was singled out because he is my son and that is wrong," Biden wrote.

Hunter Biden has been convicted of weapons offenses and pleaded guilty to tax crimes. The sentence was to be announced later in December.

In the statement, Joe Biden writes that he believes in the legal system but that "raw politics" interfered in the legal process and that it led to Hunter Biden being the victim of a judicial murder.

Dissatisfaction in both camps: "Putting family before America"

Joe Biden's pardon of son Hunter Biden provokes reactions among both Republicans and Democrats. The Wall Street Journal and The Hill have collected some reactions, which were mainly published on social media.

Republican Congressman James Comer writes in a post on X that Biden and his family "continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability," reports the WSJ.

Republican and Senator Chuck Grassley writes that he is shocked by Biden's pardon.

"Because he said many times he wouldn't and I believed him, shame on me," Grassley wrote on X, according to The Hill.

Even Democrats express skepticism. Colorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, thinks Biden is putting his family before the country. Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton writes on social media that he respects Biden, but:

“I think he was wrong in this case. This was not a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed crimes and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”

Now the EU has really embarrassed itself

 

EU
Now the EU has really embarrassed itself
The vote was a fiasco

Susanna Kierkegaard

Aftonbladet's editorial page is independent social democratic.

Published 4:00 p.m

         

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Speaker of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, hold up a document in the plenary hall in Strasbourg. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament Speaker  Roberta    Metsola after Parliament approved the commissioners on 27 November. Photo: Jean-Francois Badias / AP 

 

Carl-Oskar Bohlin has low self-confidence

Less than a week ago, the European Parliament proved totally inept. Parliament is involved in an eternal power struggle with the EU Commission. When the members won the right to question and then approve or reject the candidates for the European Commission, it was an incredible win.

After the last EU election, the possibility of max. The commissioner candidates who did not meet the criteria were replaced. The people got good value for their votes, one might say.

This time the hearings and subsequent negotiations were a real fiasco. All candidates were approved. Even those who did objectively poorly – among them Sweden's Jessika Roswall (M) – were saved with the help of political cow trading.

The focus of the negotiations was on national affairs, rather than the best interests of the Union. There was an argument about floods in Spain. The Commission's German president, Ursula von der Leyen, shamelessly promised to focus on the car industry, as if by chance just before the new elections in her home country.

The EU has been on the loose lately. The Union has probably never been needed as much as now,  A small slip can have big consequences.

During the pandemic, the EU was on top, despite the crisis. The member countries stuck together despite extreme pressures, procured vaccines jointly and borrowed jointly to kick-start the economy.

Now we are facing a couple of chaotic years with Donald Trump as American president. The EU will have to deal with tariffs and a totally unpredictable international playing field. Despite that, they have not succeeded in setting out a clear direction or preparing a response to the change. Ursula von der Leyen did not even mention Trump's election win in her speech after the commissioners were approved.

Vladimir Putin does not seem to be backing down, rather the threat to the EU has increased. The Union does not agree on what defense cooperation should look like in the coming years. Europe will have to fend for itself to a greater degree after Trump takes office. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether or how the EU can complement NATO.

Global warming is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Rich countries are inexplicably reluctant to invest in climate action in the parts of the world where they would do the most good. Even within the EU, the work has come to fruition.

 At the time, the authoritarian governments of Hungary and Poland were the EU's main concern. Now the problems have only grown.

A couple of years ago, the EU was a reasonable vioce in a crazy world. We could be proud of the world's best emissions trading system and the support for Ukraine. At the time, the authoritarian governments of Hungary and Poland were the EU's main concern. Now the problems have only grown.

 In a way, it is understandable that you want to get the EU commissioners in place as quickly as possible when the world is shaking. The European Parliament approved them anyway. Now we'll see if they do any good.

The Syrian war

Observer: At least 412 people killed in Syria

At least 412 people, including 61 civilians, have been killed in this week's jihadist rebel uprising in Syria. This is according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), according to AFP.

According to SOHR, eight civilians have been killed, including two children, and at least 50 injured in a Russian airstrike against a refugee camp in Idlib.

Syrian state television claims that the army has killed over 1,000 rebels in the past three days, but no evidence is presented.

Russia: Helping Syria fight back against rebels

The Russian air force is helping the Syrian army fight back against jihadist rebels in the provinces of Idlib, Hamah and Aleppo, the Russian military writes on its website according to AFP.

"In the past 24 hours, robot and bomb attacks have been carried out in places where militiamen and equipment have gathered," the statement reads. Russia claims 320 rebels killed.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the death toll is 412, of which 214 are rebels, 137 army soldiers and 61 civilians.

Russia is Syrian President al-Assad's main military backer ever since the country turned the fortunes of war in his favor after the 2015 intervention.

Details: Russian commander replaced - heavy losses

Russia has fired Sergei Kisel, commander of Russian forces in Syria. This is reported by two Russian military blogs with access to the Ministry of Defense, according to Reuters.

The bloggers are sharply critical of Kisel, who previously commanded the 1st Tank Army when the Russians were driven out of Ukrainian Kharkiv during the fall 2022 counteroffensive.

"Apparently, his hidden talents were supposed to be revealed in Syria, but something got in the way again," writes one of the bloggers.

According to the Ukrainian intelligence service HUR, the Russian forces have suffered heavy losses in Syria, Kyiv Post reports.

Russian units have been surrounded, and hundreds of soldiers are listed as missing, according to HUR.
Send feedback
 

 

Syria Army Stops Jihadis, Russia Iran Reinforce Syria; Jihadis Control Aleppo; Moscow Tough Kellogg

Alexander Mercouris 

The plastic agreement is postponed - until "a later date"

 

Busan
No global plastic agreement – ​​countries could not agree

TTUpdated 14.57 | Published 13.48

Luis Vayas Valdivieso, President of the INC-5 meeting in Busan. Picture from the press conference earlier this week. Photo: Son Hyung-Joo/Yonhap Via AP/TT

The countries of the world failed to agree on a global agreement to curb plastic pollution.

More time will be required, states the chairman of the meeting.

- We must build on the progress we have made, says Luis Vayas Valdivieso.

- There is an agreement to resume the meeting at a later date to finish the negotiations, says the Ecuadorian chairman Luis Vayas Valdivieso.

Almost 200 countries have had representatives on site in Busan, South Korea, where hopes have been for a new global plastic agreement.

But a week of talks has failed to bridge the deep divide between countries that want to stop the production of harmful chemicals and those that want to focus on the waste.

Delegates from countries such as Germany, Portugal and Senegal felt that the deal on the table was too weak, and considered that negotiations should continue at a later date. Environmental organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), on the contrary, thought that a vote should be held where the countries that want to adopt a more progressive text could do so, even if not all could agree.

- We know what we need to do to end plastic litter. Simply adding more meetings is not the solution, said policy manager Eirik Lindebjerg.

Over 100 countries support a target for production reduction and dozens also want to phase out some chemicals and unnecessary plastic products. But the world's two largest plastic producers, the US and China, are not among them.

- Although it is positive that we were able to agree on parts of the text, we must admit that some critical issues remain which mean that we cannot reach an agreement, says Luis Vayas Valdivieso.

......................................

The plastic pollution
Talks on plastics have collapsed - no deal

The UN talks on plastic pollution have ended in Busan, South Korea, without an agreement being reached. The talks are to resume next year, AP reports.

Over 100 countries backed a binding agreement to limit plastic production in the world. A number of oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, resisted.

 

Richard Wolff: The END of US Empire, Russia Defeats NATO Sanctions, Rise of BRICS ft. Michael Hudson

Danny Haiphong

 

Thailand the land of twilight ( "การเมืองไทย" ยุคนายกฯจำบ่มของรัฐบาลผสมเพื่อไทย )

Thai E-News 

  

ดูเพิ่ม - “คนไทย ๓๐ ล้านคน กำลังเป็น ‘หนี้’ และมีระดับหนี้ครัวเรือนในไตรมาส ๓ ที่สูงถึง ๑๖.๓ ล้านล้านบาท” และ “คนที่ก่อหนี้เก่งที่สุดคือวัยเริ่มทำงาน”

ดูเพิ่ม - ในขณะที่ภาคใต้น้ำท่วมหนักสุดในรอบหลายสิบปี เรือประมงไทยถูกทหารพม่ายิง มีคนไทยบาดเจ็บและถูกจับเป็นตัวประกัน มี 1 คนเสียชีวิตจากการกระโดดน้ำหนีตาย นายกรัฐมนตรีไทย:

ดูเพิ่ม - ตามข้อมูลของ ผบ.ทัพเรือภาค 3 ก็อาจจะพอฟังได้ว่าเรือไทยล้ำไปจริง ๆ แต่ไม่ชัดเจนว่าทำไมจึงต้องมีการยิงกันเกิดขึ้น ซึ่งถ้าเรือไทยไม่ได้ยิงตอบโต้ หรือเรือเมียนมาไม่ได้ยิงเตือนก่อน แต่ยิงใส่เรือเลยก็น่าจะถือว่าทำเกินกว่าเหตุ

ตาสว่างกว่า กับศิโรตม์

 

Live! #ศิโรตม์ทอล์ก อิ๊งยับเยินทิ้งใต้ถูกถล่มน้ำตาคลอ ยิ่งกว่าชัดสัญญาณยุบสภาเพื่อไทยแรง

SiroteTalk

 

รัฐบาลยึดทรัพย์หวานใจลุงยัดฟอกเงิน บอสใหญ่ฆ่าล้างบางขุมข่ายอดีตรองนายก ว้าบุก-พม่ายิงไทยตายรัฐบาลเฉย

SiroteTalk

 

TOP NEWS

Political situation in France
France's government could fall within the next week

France's minority government, led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, has ignored the National Assembly's demands for concessions in the budget negotiations. This is stated by the far-right party leader Marine Le Pen according to Reuters.

This increases the likelihood that the left-wing opposition and the National Assembly together will bring down the government in a vote of no confidence next week. On Sunday, Le Pen said her party will vote yes if the government does not meet them.

The government wants to reduce the budget deficit by 60 billion euros through tax increases and cut public spending. It has not gone down well with the French - two out of three are against the budget, and 53 percent want to see the government fall, according to a survey by France 24.

The Russian invasion The outside world's response
Russia teaches China how to dodge Western sanctions

China is closely studying Russia's approach to circumvent Western sanctions, sources told the Wall Street Journal.

It is done in preparation in case one should encounter them oneself, in particular in the event of an invasion of Taiwan.

Chinese officials regularly travel to Moscow for meetings with the Russian central bank, the finance ministry and other actors working to circumvent the sanctions.

The Russian economy has been surprisingly resilient during the nearly three years of sanctions, but recently the ruble has fallen to its lowest level since the start of the war following new US sanctions on the banking sector.

The Middle East crisis  The Gaza war
Unrwa pauses emergency aid - trucks get stolen

The UN's Palestine agency UNRWA has paused emergency deliveries to Gaza via the important Kerem Shalom border crossing, writes director Philippe Lazzarini at X.

The road has not been safe for several months – law and order has collapsed and the famine is getting worse, he continues.

“On November 16, a large truck convoy was stolen by armed gangs. Yesterday, we tried to drive in some food trucks the same way, and they were all taken.”

The ongoing siege and the actions of the Israeli authorities make emergency aid basically impossible, writes Lazzarini.

Unique law gives sex workers in Belgium more rights

As of Sunday, Belgian sex workers can sign employment contracts and receive the same work rights as in other industries, AP reports.

The new law gives sex workers the right to health insurance, paid vacation, parental allowance, unemployment insurance and pension. It also states their right to refuse clients and stop sex acts whenever they want.

- This is a huge step forward. This means that their profession is finally recognized as legitimate by the Belgian state, says Isabelle Jaramillo of the interest organization Espace P.

The law is unique of its kind in Europe. It follows the 2022 decision to decriminalize sex work.
 

Trump's victory

Positive tones from Trump and Trudeau's meeting

Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau had a "very productive meeting" at Mar-a-Lago, Trump writes on Truth Social.

The Canadian prime minister visited Trump to try to dissuade him from the 25 percent trade tariffs he has threatened Canada with, which would be a major blow to the Canadian economy.

No customs notice came after the meeting. According to Trump, a range of topics were discussed, such as the fentanyl crisis, energy, the Arctic and "the massive US trade deficit with Canada".

Trudeau himself calls the talks "excellent".

Trump threatens Brics countries with 100 percent tariffs

Donald Trump is threatening BRICS, the cooperation organization that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with heavy trade tariffs if they undermine the dollar.

"We demand a promise from these countries that they neither create a new Brics currency nor back any other currency to replace the mighty dollar, otherwise they face 100 percent tariffs," he writes on Truth Social.

Next dinner guest on site at Mar-a-Lago: Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had dinner last night with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, US media write.

The unexpected visit comes after Trump on Monday threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada during his very first day in the White House. Trudeau has repeatedly emphasized that both countries benefit from avoiding this.

With the dinner, Trudeau becomes the first head of government of one of the G7 countries to visit Trump after the election. Earlier this week, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg also visited Mar-a-Lago for dinner.

 

How Donald Trump Could Destroy EVERYTHING | Col. Larry Wilkerson & Scott Ritter

Dialogue Works

 

Latest news

Political situation in Georgia
Ex-president of Russia: A coup attempt in Georgia

There is an attempted coup in Georgia. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and now deputy head of the Russian Security Council, thinks so.

In a rambling post on Telegram, he comments on the situation in Georgia, where there have been large demonstrations in recent days against the government's decision to stop talks on joining the EU.

He writes that Georgia is "moving along the Ukrainian road into a dark abyss". Medvedev ends his post by writing: "Usually things like this end very badly."

According to the official election results, the ruling pro-Russian party Georgian Dream won its own majority in the parliament. But the election has been severely criticized and the result has not been recognized by the opposition or the EU Parliament, TT reports.

The pro-EU president Salomé Zourabichvili, who has also sharply criticized the election and the government, has backed the protests. She has also announced that she will not leave her post when the term ends.
 

The Social Democrats in Iceland win the election

The social democratic party Samlingsfronten in Iceland wins the election and becomes the largest party with 20.8 percent of the vote. This is confirmed by the Icelandic media after the last election results came in on Saturday. This means that the party gets 15 seats in the Icelandic parliament.

This is a large increase compared to the election three years ago, when the party received just over 10 percent of the vote.

- In my opinion, we should be given a mandate to immediately form a government tomorrow, said the newly elected member Dagur Eggertson to Ruv on Sunday.

The second largest party is the Independence Party, which receives 19.9 percent.

The new election was held after the previous government, which consisted of the Green Left, the Independence Party and the Progress Party, resigned in October.

The elections in Romania
Romania goes to new elections after the presidential chaos

On Sunday, Romania goes to the polls again. This time it is not about the presidential election, which became a messy story, but about elections to the parliament.

The political situation in the country has been shaky after last week's presidential election. The far-right candidate Calin Georgescu received the most votes in the first round, which came as a real surprise. He received 22 percent of the vote despite being only a few percentage points behind in the opinion polls before the presidential election.

In the parliamentary election, it is the nationalist right-wing party AUR that got the big headlines. They lead in the opinion polls and want, among other things, to stop support for Ukraine.

The governing parties PSD (social democratic) and PNL (conservative) appear to be settling for the second largest party.
 

Volkswagen's crisis
German Metal announces warning strike against VW

The German trade union IG Metall announces a warning strike against Volkswagen, reports TT.

- The warning strike will be carried out at all factories on Monday, says the regional union president Thorsten Gröger in the federal state of Lower Saxony, according to the German Tagesschau.

The strike is a protest against the planned cutbacks and austerity measures announced by the automotive giant.
 

The election in the United States

Trump's team
Trump appoints FBI critic as FBI director: "Big middle finger"

Donald Trump plans to oust current FBI Director Christopher A Wray and replace him with close ally Kash Patel. With Patel at the helm, the United States will end "the growing crime epidemic," Trump writes on Truth Social.

The election is seen as highly controversial, especially since Patel is an outspoken critic of the FBI and other crime prevention agencies, which he has called "the deep state." He has previously said he wants to close FBI headquarters, fire the entire management and make the agency more compliant.

Axios describes the appointment of Patel as "a massive middle finger to the intelligence services" that Trump has long seen as enemies. The New York Times believes that the decision will "send shock waves" through the FBI.

But Patel must first be approved by the Senate, which is expected to be difficult.

Jared Kushner's father becomes ambassador to France

Donald Trump appoints real estate mogul Charles Kushner, father of son-in-law Jared Kushner, as future ambassador to France. This is reported by AP.

In a post on Truth Social, the president-elect calls Charles Kushner "an outstanding business leader, philanthropist and negotiator."

70-year-old Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and illegal campaign donations a few years earlier.

His son Jared Kushner is married to Donald Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka, and was an adviser in the White House during Trump's last term.

The Russian invasion

The outside world's response
Sources: Trump has consulted Orbán on the Ukraine war

US President-elect Donald Trump has had several phone conversations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán since the election win, sources told Radio Free Europe's Hungarian editorial office. Hungarian government sources say Trump consulted Orbán about possible ways to quickly end the war in Ukraine.

Orbán has maintained his close ties with Vladimir Putin during the war, which was shown, among other things, in a state visit to Moscow this summer. In the EU, Hungary's leaders have also tried to stop support packages for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

According to the channel, it has never happened before that an American president has had such close and regular contact with a Hungarian prime minister. 

EU leaders' first day at work - visit to Kyiv

The European Commission's head of foreign affairs, Kaja Kallas, and the President of the European Council, António Costa, begin their new posts by visiting Ukraine. On Sunday, they both shared photos on social media showing their arrival in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

"During my first visit since taking office, my message is clear: the EU wants Ukraine to win the war. We will do everything necessary for that," writes Kallas on X.

On Sunday, the new EU Commission formally takes office after being approved by the EU Parliament earlier this week.

The battles
Many Ukrainian soldiers have deserted this year

In 2024, Ukrainian prosecutors have handled around 60,000 cases of soldiers who deserted, the Financial Times reports. The number of soldiers who abandoned their positions in the period January to October is higher than in both 2022 and 2023.

The paper points to a specific case in October where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers serving in the 123rd Brigade left the town of Vuhledar without permission.

- They said there would be 150 tanks. There were only 20... and nothing to cover us, says a disgruntled anonymous brigade officer.

Men drafted into the fighting are prohibited from leaving Ukraine. Deserting or abandoning one's position can lead to 12 years in prison.

Political situation in Angola

Biden to Angola to secure minerals for the West

Joe Biden is traveling to Angola today, among other things, to talk about a large railway project aimed at attracting important minerals to the West instead of China, reports Reuters. The project, which is partly funded by the United States, aims to establish smooth transport routes from both Congo-Kinshasa and Zambia to Angola.

The two former countries have a large supply of both copper and cobalt, two key components in batteries. China has close ties to Congo-Kinshasa, something that worried the US government.

The strategically important port of Lobito in Angola is one of the cornerstones of the project. It is located on the Atlantic and "offers a fast and efficient route" for transport to the West, writes the news agency.

Expert: Biden's visit is "a victory" for Lourenco

That Joe Biden visits Angola is "a victory" for President Joao Lourenco, says political expert Claudio Silva. In an interview with DW, he says that Lourenco has been striving for stronger cooperation with the outside world for several years.

- It is time for him to reap what he has sown, says Silva.

Biden lands in Angola on Monday and the plan is for the two countries to sign new military, political and economic agreements.

Politiska läget i Angola

Biden till Angola för att säkra mineraler till väst

Joe Biden reser i⁠ dag till Angola, bland annat för att prata om ett stort järnvägsprojekt som syftar till att locka viktiga mineraler till väst i⁠ stället för Kina, rapporterar Reuters. Projektet, som delvis finansieras av USA, syftar till att upprätta smidiga transportvägar från både Kongo-Kinshasa och Zambia till Angola.

De två förstnämnda länderna har stor tillgång till både koppar och kobolt, två nyckelkomponenter i batterier. Kina har nära band till Kongo-Kinshasa, något som oroat regeringen i USA.

Den strategiskt viktiga hamnen Lobito i Angola är en av grundstenarna i projektet. Den ligger vid Atlanten och ”erbjuder en snabb och effektiv väg” för transporter till väst, skriver nyhetsbyrån. 

Politiska läget i Angola

Expert: Bidens besök är ”en seger” för Lourenco

Att Joe Biden besöker Angola är ”en seger” för presidenten Joao Lourenco, menar den politiska experten Claudio Silva. I en intervju med DW säger han att Lourenco i flera år har strävat efter stärkt samarbete med omvärlden.

– Det är dags för honom att skörda det han sått, säger Silva.

Biden landar i Angola på måndagen och planen är att de två länderna ska underteckna nya militära, politiska och ekonomiska avtal.