Saturday, November 29, 2025
Trump Says Venezuela Airspace to Be Shut ‘In Its Entirety’ as Tensions Rise
Pope Leo in Turkey: Pontiff Visits Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Mosque
The Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo, is visiting Istanbul's Sultanahmet Mosque shortly as part of his four-day trip to Turkiye.
The pontiff is following in the footsteps of his predecessors Pope Benedict who visited the place of worship in 2006 and Francis who did the same in 2014.
Unusually, Pope Leo is not expected to visit the nearby Hagia Sophia. It was built in the sixth century and it has great significance to both Christians and Muslims.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports.
The pontiff is following in the footsteps of his predecessors Pope Benedict who visited the place of worship in 2006 and Francis who did the same in 2014.
Unusually, Pope Leo is not expected to visit the nearby Hagia Sophia. It was built in the sixth century and it has great significance to both Christians and Muslims.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports.
Truth To Power: The Dark Truth Behind ‘Raise The Colours’
Strong language alert!
Sandra Navidi warnt: Trump und die US-Wirtschaft wackeln!
Trump Ramps Up Authoritarianism in Wake of DC Shooting, from Immigration to Cancelling Biden Orders
ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.
Michael Lambert: The UK Economy Is Heading for Trouble
I know this has been stated so many times before, but I will state it again: This country’s economic woes begin and end with Brexit.
The country has been in terminal decline since the end of the Great War, but we hitched our wagon to Europe’s for that very reason: to arrest that terminal decline. I am old enough to remember the very first referendum on the European question. The people who voted for that idiotic Brexit were taken in by the likes of Farage because of their lack of understanding of the history of this nation’s decline. Harsh though it sounds, it must be re-iterated: Brexiteers were taken in because they knew no better. Because they knew no better, people like Farage could fool them.
Even Thatcher, who was no lover of the European Project, realised the importance of the European Single Market. In fact, without her unstinting efforts, the Single Market would probably not have come about. Margaret Thatcher was one of the Single Market’s main architects, arguably the main architect. She knew that there was no prosperity for Britain unless we were in it, unless we took an active part in it. Not so much politically, perhaps, but certainly economically.
There is therefore only one solution to this problem, and it is this: we MUST correct our mistake and re-join that market. Our main obstacle to our doing so is our dullard politicians. Some say that Europe won’t let us back in. Poppycock! With Russia knocking on Europe’s door and with Trump abandoning Europe in favour of befriending Vladimir Putin, the European Union needs all the friends it can get. It also needs Britain’s first-class military expertise to help guarantee Europe’s continued security.
So, we need a leader who is charismatic, powerful, and courageous. One who will swim against the tide. One who will take us back into the European Union as FULL MEMBERS, with no ifs and buts. We need to embrace the euro as well and ditch the pound. We need not only to be taken back into the EU, but we need to demonstrate our absolute commitment to the Project. Our place in the EU needs to be locked in. Then, and only then, will this country have a fighting chance for a full economic recovery. Re-entering the European Union would not only help stimulate economic growth for this country, it would also help stimulate European economic growth, too. Our re-entrance would shore up optimism. Nothing hampers economic growth as much as pessimism and restrictions to trade. Commerce thrives on optimism and freedom from restrictions.
Moreover, it should be added that many of our other woes would be solved by re-entry into the EU as well. The problem of a shortage of labour, for example, and the problem of illegal immigrants.
Thank you, Michael, for your most interesting video. Watching your videos is always a pleasure. — © Mark Alexander
Trump to Hand Putin Ukraine’s Occupied Territories
THE TELEGRAPH: US president sends envoys to Moscow with peace plan that recognises Russia’s war gains
The United States is poised to recognise Russia’s control over Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian territories to secure a deal to end the war.
The Telegraph understands that Donald Trump has sent his peace envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to make the direct offer to Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The plan to recognise territory, which breaks US diplomatic convention, is likely to go ahead despite concerns among Ukraine’s European allies.
One well-placed source said: “It’s increasingly clear the Americans don’t care about the European position. They say the Europeans can do whatever they want.”
Russia’s president on Thursday said Washington’s legal recognition of Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as Russian territory would be one of the key issues in negotiations over the US president’s peace plan.
The Kremlin on Friday said it had received a revised strategy for ending the war drawn up after emergency talks between Ukrainian and American officials in Geneva, Switzerland, last weekend.
An initial 28-point peace plan, formulated by Mr Witkoff after discussions with Russian officials, offered America’s “de facto” recognition of Crimea and the two eastern Donbas regions.
The strategy also proposed “de facto” recognition of Russian-held land behind the line of contact in Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions after any ceasefire agreement. » | Joe Barnes, Brussels Correspondent | Friday, November 28, 2025
The United States is poised to recognise Russia’s control over Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian territories to secure a deal to end the war.
The Telegraph understands that Donald Trump has sent his peace envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to make the direct offer to Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The plan to recognise territory, which breaks US diplomatic convention, is likely to go ahead despite concerns among Ukraine’s European allies.
One well-placed source said: “It’s increasingly clear the Americans don’t care about the European position. They say the Europeans can do whatever they want.”
Russia’s president on Thursday said Washington’s legal recognition of Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as Russian territory would be one of the key issues in negotiations over the US president’s peace plan.
The Kremlin on Friday said it had received a revised strategy for ending the war drawn up after emergency talks between Ukrainian and American officials in Geneva, Switzerland, last weekend.
An initial 28-point peace plan, formulated by Mr Witkoff after discussions with Russian officials, offered America’s “de facto” recognition of Crimea and the two eastern Donbas regions.
The strategy also proposed “de facto” recognition of Russian-held land behind the line of contact in Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions after any ceasefire agreement. » | Joe Barnes, Brussels Correspondent | Friday, November 28, 2025
Friday, November 28, 2025
Republicans Break from Trump over Truth Social Rants
The Guardian View on Ukraine Peace Talks: Putin Is Taking Trump for Another Ride on the Kremlin Carousel
THE GUARDIAN — EDITORIAL: Russia’s president is only interested in a deal on Moscow’s terms. Equipping Kyiv with the resources to fight on is the quickest route to a just settlement
As Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Day deadline for a Ukraine peace agreement came and went this week, the Russia expert Mark Galeotti pointed to a telling indicator of how the Kremlin is treating the latest flurry of White House diplomacy. In the government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a foreign policy scholar close to Vladimir Putin’s regime bluntly observed: “As long as hostilities continue, leverage remains. As soon as they cease, Russia finds itself alone (we harbour no illusions) in the face of coordinated political and diplomatic pressure.”
Mr Putin has no interest in a ceasefire followed by talks where Ukraine’s rights as a sovereign nation would be defended and reasserted. He seeks the capitulation and reabsorption of Russia’s neighbour into Moscow’s orbit. Whether that is achieved through battlefield attrition, or through a Trump-backed deal imposed on Ukraine, is a matter of relative indifference. On Thursday, the Russian president reiterated his demand that Ukraine surrender further territory in its east, adding that the alternative would be to lose it through “force of arms”. Once again, he described Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government as “illegitimate”, and questioned the legally binding nature of any future agreement. » | Editorial | Friday, November 28, 2025
As Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Day deadline for a Ukraine peace agreement came and went this week, the Russia expert Mark Galeotti pointed to a telling indicator of how the Kremlin is treating the latest flurry of White House diplomacy. In the government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a foreign policy scholar close to Vladimir Putin’s regime bluntly observed: “As long as hostilities continue, leverage remains. As soon as they cease, Russia finds itself alone (we harbour no illusions) in the face of coordinated political and diplomatic pressure.”
Mr Putin has no interest in a ceasefire followed by talks where Ukraine’s rights as a sovereign nation would be defended and reasserted. He seeks the capitulation and reabsorption of Russia’s neighbour into Moscow’s orbit. Whether that is achieved through battlefield attrition, or through a Trump-backed deal imposed on Ukraine, is a matter of relative indifference. On Thursday, the Russian president reiterated his demand that Ukraine surrender further territory in its east, adding that the alternative would be to lose it through “force of arms”. Once again, he described Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government as “illegitimate”, and questioned the legally binding nature of any future agreement. » | Editorial | Friday, November 28, 2025
Antisemitism Allegations against the Teenage Farage Matter – Look At What He Went On to Do
THE GUARDIAN: Farage has cosied up to US figures who espoused conspiracy theories about Jews. That kind of talk is becoming alarmingly mainstream on the Maga right
Nigel Farage could have strangled this story at birth. Confronted with the testimony of more than 20 former schoolmates, who shared with the Guardian their memories of a young Farage taunting Jews and other minorities in the most appalling terms – telling a Jewish pupil that “Hitler was right”, singing “Gas ’em all” and making a hissing sound to simulate lethal gas – he could have said: “I have no memory of what’s been described, but such behaviour would of course have been atrocious and if I was involved in any way, I am genuinely sorry.”
Sure, it would have been more of an “ifpology” than an apology, its admission of guilt wholly conditional, but it would surely have closed the story down. Reassured that the Reform UK leader had declared racist and antisemitic abuse unacceptable, most observers would have allowed that these events took place half a century ago and moved on.
But that is not what Farage did. Instead, he and his party have offered shifting accounts, moving from outright denial to non-denial denial and back again. That slipperiness itself raises questions about the character of the man who, according to the polls, is on course to be Britain’s next prime minister. But this episode also points to a larger and more alarming phenomenon, one that stretches far beyond these shores. » | Jonathan Freedland | Friday, November 28, 2025
Nigel Farage could have strangled this story at birth. Confronted with the testimony of more than 20 former schoolmates, who shared with the Guardian their memories of a young Farage taunting Jews and other minorities in the most appalling terms – telling a Jewish pupil that “Hitler was right”, singing “Gas ’em all” and making a hissing sound to simulate lethal gas – he could have said: “I have no memory of what’s been described, but such behaviour would of course have been atrocious and if I was involved in any way, I am genuinely sorry.”
Sure, it would have been more of an “ifpology” than an apology, its admission of guilt wholly conditional, but it would surely have closed the story down. Reassured that the Reform UK leader had declared racist and antisemitic abuse unacceptable, most observers would have allowed that these events took place half a century ago and moved on.
But that is not what Farage did. Instead, he and his party have offered shifting accounts, moving from outright denial to non-denial denial and back again. That slipperiness itself raises questions about the character of the man who, according to the polls, is on course to be Britain’s next prime minister. But this episode also points to a larger and more alarming phenomenon, one that stretches far beyond these shores. » | Jonathan Freedland | Friday, November 28, 2025
Riding Switzerland's Newest Luxurious Scenic Train |🇨🇭Golden Pass Express
How Do We Know Trump Is Anti-Christian?
Trump Is ‘No Friend’ to Ukraine as Europe ‘Steps Up’ to Take Down Putin | Sir Bill Browder
UK Government Advised against Mass Prostate Cancer Screening by Expert Committee | BBC News
Nov 28, 2025 | The UK’s National Screening Committee advised against routine prostate cancer screening for the majority of men.
Health secretary, Wes Streeting, said he'll "examine the evidence" and will take into account different views on screening ahead of a decision in March.
Mass testing could cause more harm than good - even for those at high risk, including black men and those with a family history, according to the expert committee.
Health secretary, Wes Streeting, said he'll "examine the evidence" and will take into account different views on screening ahead of a decision in March.
Mass testing could cause more harm than good - even for those at high risk, including black men and those with a family history, according to the expert committee.
Zelensky’s Top Aide Resigns Amid Widening Corruption Scandal
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and top peace negotiator, became the highest-ranking casualty of an investigation into a vast kickback scheme.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Friday in the highest-level political realignment in Ukraine since Russia’s all-out invasion nearly four years ago.
The departure of Mr. Yermak, who had headed Ukraine’s negotiating team in peace talks with the Trump administration, also put in doubt the future of the latest round of diplomatic efforts by the United States, Ukraine and European nations to end the war.
Mr. Yermak stepped down amid a spiraling, $100 million embezzlement scandal that has already led to the dismissal of two cabinet ministers and even threatened to topple Mr. Zelensky’s entire cabinet.
“I am grateful to Andriy for always representing Ukraine’s position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be represented,” Mr. Zelensky said in a video address announcing the resignation. He said he had accepted the resignation to “avoid rumors and speculation” about his chief of staff.
Mr. Yermak, 54, is the highest-level official to lose his job in the fallout from the 15-month investigation called Operation Midas, revealed by Ukraine’s top anti-corruption agencies, which said the effort had produced 1,000 hours of wiretaps.
Mr. Yermak has not been officially named in the investigation. But on Friday, investigators searched his home in Kyiv. » | Kim Barker and Andrew E. Kramer | Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine | Friday, November 28, 2025
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Friday in the highest-level political realignment in Ukraine since Russia’s all-out invasion nearly four years ago.
The departure of Mr. Yermak, who had headed Ukraine’s negotiating team in peace talks with the Trump administration, also put in doubt the future of the latest round of diplomatic efforts by the United States, Ukraine and European nations to end the war.
Mr. Yermak stepped down amid a spiraling, $100 million embezzlement scandal that has already led to the dismissal of two cabinet ministers and even threatened to topple Mr. Zelensky’s entire cabinet.
“I am grateful to Andriy for always representing Ukraine’s position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be represented,” Mr. Zelensky said in a video address announcing the resignation. He said he had accepted the resignation to “avoid rumors and speculation” about his chief of staff.
Mr. Yermak, 54, is the highest-level official to lose his job in the fallout from the 15-month investigation called Operation Midas, revealed by Ukraine’s top anti-corruption agencies, which said the effort had produced 1,000 hours of wiretaps.
Mr. Yermak has not been officially named in the investigation. But on Friday, investigators searched his home in Kyiv. » | Kim Barker and Andrew E. Kramer | Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine | Friday, November 28, 2025
German Christmas Markets: Classics, Highlights and Special Locations
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