What Will Happen to Venezuela's Political Prisoners? | DW News

9 Jan 2026 | Venezuela's opposition says the former presidential candidate Enrique Marquez has been released from prison. Mr Marquez opposed Nicolas Maduro in the contested 2024 presidential election.

Caracas has started releasing political prisoners days after US forces abducted President Nicolás Maduro and put him in front of a US judge to face drugs charges.

Rights groups estimate that around 800 political prisoners are being held in Venezuelan jails.

The Ten Greatest Kings in Persian History

These are they.

Khamenei’s Days Numbered? Iran’s Power Elites ‘SECRETLY’ Seek French Exit as Protests Swell | Report

Jan 9, 2026 | Iran is facing one of its most volatile moments in years as a deepening economic crisis and violent anti-government protests shake the country.

According to a report by French daily Le Figaro, senior Iranian officials are quietly seeking French visas for their families, signalling growing panic within the ruling elite. Iranian-French journalist Emmanuel Razavi claims even top reformist leaders, including the speaker of parliament, are involved.

Street unrest has turned deadly, with two police officers killed and dozens of protesters dead. As U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back protesters, Tehran has issued stern warnings against dissent, underscoring fears of a prolonged internal confrontation.

Why Spain’s Prime Minister Has Broken Ranks in Europe – and Dared to Confront Trump

THE GUARDIAN: Outrage at the US, close ties with Venezuela and mounting domestic challenges have prompted Pedro Sánchez to take a stand

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, rarely utters the words “Donald Trump” in public. Since the US president took office, Sánchez has typically referred to the US administration and its president without explicitly naming him. This was initially interpreted as a calculation designed to avoid personal confrontation, but even without using Trump’s name, Sánchez has managed to deliver harsher criticism of the US president’s aggression than any of his fellow European leaders.

This week, Sánchez did not wait for a joint EU statement to issue judgment on the US’s illegal military intervention to capture the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro: he swiftly joined Latin American countries in condemning it. A few hours later he went even further, saying the operation in Caracas represented “a terrible precedent and a very dangerous one [which] reminds us of past aggressions, and pushes the world toward a future of uncertainty and insecurity, similar to what we already experienced after other invasions driven by the thirst for oil”.

Sanchez was speaking in Paris on Tuesday after a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” for Ukraine. Indeed, he made the case that on Venezuela, Ukraine and Gaza he was applying the same reasoning in defence of an international order “based on the observance of fair rules, not on the law of the jungle”. He also pushed back against US sabre-rattling over Greenland: “Spain, believing in peace, diplomacy and the United Nations, cannot, of course, accept this, just as we cannot accept the explicit threat to the territorial integrity of a European state, as is the case with Denmark.” » | María Ramírez | Friday, January 9, 2026

Kudos to Pedro Sanchez for having the courage to stand up to the arrogant orange bully. — © Mark Alexander

French President Condemns US for ‘Turning Away from Allies’

THE GUARDIAN: Emmanuel Macron’s comments come as Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warns against turning world into ‘robber’s den’

The presidents of France and Germany have sharply condemned US foreign policy under Donald Trump, saying respectively that Washington was “breaking free from international rules” and the world risked turning into a “robber’s den”.

In unusually strong and apparently uncoordinated remarks, Emmanuel Macron and Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned the postwar rules-based international order could soon disintegrate.

“The US is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from the international rules that it was until recently promoting,” Macron told France’s diplomatic corps at the Élysée Palace on Thursday.

“Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less effectively,” the French president said. “We are living in a world of great powers, with a real temptation to divide up the world.”

He said France “rejects the new colonialism and new imperialism – but also vassalage and defeatism. What we have achieved for France and in Europe is a step in the right direction. Greater strategic autonomy, less dependence on the US and China.”

The comments came as EU leaders – torn between the needs to defend international law and to keep the US onboard as a vital economic partner and defence ally in Ukraine and beyond – struggle to agree a coordinated response to Washington’s actions. » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Thursday, January 8, 2026

Morality, Military Might and a Sense of Mischief: Key Takeaways from Trump’s New York Times Interview

THE GUARDIAN: Trump sounds off on Venezuela’s future, Taiwan’s security and his aims for Greenland, days after operation to seize Nicolás Maduro

Just days after launching an unprecedented operation in Venezuela to seize its president and effectively take control of its oil industry, Donald Trump sat down with New York Times journalists for a wide-ranging interview that took in everything from international law, Taiwan, Greenland and weight-loss drugs.

The president, riding high on the success of an operation that has upended the rules of global power, spoke candidly and casually about the new world order he appears eager to usher in; an order governed not by international norms or long-lasting alliances, but national strength and military power.

Here are some key points from his interview with the Times. » | Jonathan Yerushalmy | Friday, January 9, 2026

Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’

THE NEW YORK TIMES: On topic after topic, President Trump made clear that he would be the arbiter of any limits to his authorities, not international law or treaties.

President Trump declared on Wednesday evening that his power as commander in chief is constrained only by his “own morality,” brushing aside international law and other checks on his ability to use military might to strike, invade or coerce nations around the world.

Asked in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times if there were any limits on his global powers, Mr. Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

“I don’t need international law,” he added. “I’m not looking to hurt people.”

When pressed further about whether his administration needed to abide by international law, Mr. Trump said, “I do.” But he made clear he would be the arbiter when such constraints applied to the United States.

“It depends what your definition of international law is,” he said.

Mr. Trump’s assessment of his own freedom to use any instrument of military, economic or political power to cement American supremacy was the most blunt acknowledgment yet of his worldview. At its core is the concept that national strength, rather than laws, treaties and conventions, should be the deciding factor as powers collide. » | David E. Sanger, Tyler Pager, Katie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs | The reporters are White House correspondents for The Times. They interviewed President Trump in the Oval Office. | Thursday, January 8, 2026

Leer en español.

Such ARROGANCE! — © Mark Alexander

‘I Don’t Need International Law’: Trump Says Power Constrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’

THE GUARDIAN: President says morality ‘the only thing that can stop me’ in New York Times interview on limits to his authority

Donald Trump has said ‘I don’t need international law” and that his power is limited only by his “own morality”.

In a new interview with the New York Times, Trump said the only constraint to his power as president of the US is “my own morality, my own mind”.

“It’s the only thing that can stop me,” Trump said, adding: “I’m not looking to hurt people.” He went on to concede “I do” in regards to whether his administration needed to adhere to international law, but said: “It depends on what your definition of international law is.”

Trump, who spoke to the newspaper as his administration looks into “a range of options” in attempts to gain control of Greenland, also emphasized the importance of ownership.

“Ownership is very important,” Trump said, adding: “Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do with, you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”

Trump also dismissed concerns that his decision to oust Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s president would set the precedent of a potential Chinese takeover of Taiwan or Russia’s attempt to control Ukraine. » | Maya Yang | Thursday, January 8, 2026

Huge Anti-government Protests across Iran | BBC News

Jan 9, 2026 | Huge crowds of protesters have been marching through Iran's capital and other cities, videos show, in what is said to be the largest show of force by opponents of the clerical establishment in years.

The demonstrations in Tehran and the second city of Mashhad on Thursday evening were not dispersed by security forces.

It was the 12th consecutive day of unrest that has been sparked by anger over the collapse of the Iranian currency and has spread to more than 100 cities and towns across all 31 of Iran's provinces, according to human rights groups.

The US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency said at least 34 protesters - five of them children - and eight security personnel have been killed, and that 2,270 other protesters have been arrested.

Norway-based monitor Iran Human Rights said at least 45 protesters, including eight children, have been killed by security forces. BBC Persian has confirmed the deaths and identities of 22 people, while Iranian authorities have reported the deaths of six security personnel.

How Iran's Regime Tries to Crack Down on Spreading Anti-government Protests | DW News

Jan 9, 2026 | After weeks of anti-regime protests in Iran, authorities there have cut off the entire country from the internet and from international telephone calls. The move follows a night-time demonstration called by Iran's exiled crown prince, which drew thousands of protesters to the streets across the country. Human rights activists now fear a further crackdown. Meanwhile, Iranian state media have broken their silence over the demonstrations and described protesters as "terrorist agents” of the US and Israel.

How Power Covered Up a Killing in Minneapolis. The Murder of Renee Nicole Macklin Good by ICE.

Jan 8, 2026 | The killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good in Minneapolis was captured on video—and yet, within hours, the Trump administration declared the case closed. But the video tells a very different story. It shows Macklin Good reversing her car, allowing an ICE vehicle to pass. It shows an officer ordering her to exit. It shows her attempting to leave at low speed—and an ICE agent firing multiple shots. The officer is never struck. He remains standing. She is shot in the face and dies at the scene.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Strong language alert!

Stephen Miller: Might Makes Right

The world as we knew it is OVER. Steve Schmidt explains.

Do Iranians Really Want Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi in Power? | DW News

Jan 7, 2026 | Chants of 'Long live the Shah' have resurfaced during Iran's protests, sparking debate over exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi's influence. Experts say his support inside Iran is unclear and amplified by the diaspora. Pahlavi, son of the last Shah, campaigns against the Islamic Republic and calls for free elections, not monarchy. Some protesters see him as a transitional leader amid a lack of alternatives, but many remain cautious given Iran's history.

Internet Blackout in Iran as Protests Enter 12th Day

Jan 8, 2026 | Huge demonstrations are taking place across Iran tonight after the exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi urged people to take to the streets or shout from their windows or rooftops.

Columbian President Withdraws Criticism on Trump

Jan 8, 2026 | President Trump says the US could be running Venezuela for years.

I Hate Donald Trump?

January 8, 2026

ALL DECENT PEOPLE HATE TRUMP. — Mark Alexander

Die Coburger | Aufstieg Zur Bedeutendsten Dynastie

Mar 7, 2024 | Die Coburger - Die Geschichte der wahrscheinlich europäischsten Familie des Kontinents

Die Coburger (2017)
Regisseur: Julia Melchior
Genre: Dokumentarfilm, Geschichte, Biografie
Sprache: Deutsch
Erscheinungsdatum: 13. Juni 2017 (Deutschland)

Handlung:
Die Coburger Herzöge schienen zur Bedeutungslosigkeit verdammt. Durch geschickte Heiratspolitik gelingt ihnen im 19. Jahrhundert der kometenhafte Aufstieg zur bedeutendsten Dynastie ihrer Zeit. Sie begründen die Königshäuser von Belgien und Bulgarien, herrschen in England und Portugal und heiraten in die Paläste von ganz Europa ein.

Königshausexpertin Julia Melchior ergründet in ihrem neuen Film das europäische Familiennetzwerk der Coburger. Bulgariens Ex-König Simeon empfängt sie in seiner Residenz in Sofia. In Belgien öffnet die königliche Familie die Palasttüren und in Großbritannien begibt sie sich auf die Suche nach den Coburg’schen Wurzeln der britischen Königsfamilie. Anekdotenreich und bildgewaltig erzählt der Film anhand ausgewählter Biografien die Geschichte der wahrscheinlich europäischsten Familie des Kontinents.


To watch this documentary in English, please click here.

En Corée du Nord, Kim Jong-un sur le qui-vive après le coup de force de Donald Trump au Venezuela

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - La chute de Nicolás Maduro ravive l’anxiété du dictateur nord-coréen et plombe les chances de retrouvailles avec président américain.

Alors que Nicolás Maduro menotté était incarcéré à New York, Kim Jong-un a réagi à sa façon par-delà le Pacifique à la chute du président «socialiste» du Venezuela, affichant sa détermination face à Donald Trump. Le « leader suprême » de Corée du Nord a supervisé en personne un test de missile hypersonique sur la côte orientale de la péninsule coréenne, ce 4 janvier au matin, avec pour objectif de « renforcer sa force de dissuasion nucléaire » dans un contexte international troublé. « Une nécessité mise en lumière par la récente crise géopolitique et les événements internationaux compliqués », a ajouté Kim, sans élaborer sur la crise en cours à Caracas, selon l’agence officielle KCNA.

Si l’efficacité de cette nouvelle arme reste nimbée de mystère, l’opération militaire éclair orchestrée par la Maison-Blanche contre Maduro ravive la paranoïa d’un régime nord-coréen barricadé face à « l’ennemi américain » depuis la guerre de Corée (1950-1953). Pyongyang a réagi au quart de tour et avec véhémence au coup de main de Trump, dénonçant des méthodes de « voyou », affichant sa solidarité ancienne avec le régime Chaviste. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | jeudi 8 janvier 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

Might Makes Right Madness

This is INSANITY.

Storm Goretti 'Weather Bomb' Hits UK, as Rare 'Danger to Life' Warning Comes into Force | BBC News

Jan 8, 2026 | A rare red wind warning comes into force for parts of south-west England as the UK is hit by Storm Goretti.

The Met Office warns to expect "flying debris resulting in danger to life" in the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall, with schools there closing early and all trains cancelled.

This sort of warning is only issued in the most extreme circumstances, BBC Weather's Simon King says.