"The Timing Is Absolutely Terrible": German Government Collapses Just One Week After French Implosion

Europe is disintegrating as legacy political regimes are collapsing over across the world.

Just one week after Marine Le Pen precipitated the collapse of the French government, on Monday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in the German Parliament on Monday, a defeat that effectively ended the increasingly unpopular government he has led since 2021 and ushered in elections early next year.

German lawmakers voted to dissolve the existing government by a vote of 394 to 207, with 116 abstaining.

The collapse of the government just nine months before elections had been scheduled was an extraordinary moment for Germany, once Europe's powerhouse but now a laughingstock at the mercy of both China and Russia. This will be only the fourth snap election in the 75 years since the modern state was founded, and it reflected a new era of more fractious and unstable politics in a country long known for durable coalitions built on plodding consensus.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/timing-absolutely-terrible-german-government-collapses-just-one-week-after-french

Romania's Constitutional Coup Is Meant To Buy More Time For NATO In Ukraine

Western democracy is just a process for legitimizing elite interests, and these same elites sometimes repeat the process until they get their desired result…

It was assessed late last month that “The Outcome Of Romania’s Presidential Election Could Spoil The US’ Potential Escalation Plans” if then-frontrunner Calin Georgescu, a populist conservative-nationalist that’s critical of NATO’s proxy war on Russian in Ukraine, had won the second round on 8 December. His first-round victory was annulled by the Constitutional Coup in a move that he condemned as a coup, however, on the pretext that his pre-election support on TikTok might have been due to foreign backing.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/romanias-constitutional-coup-meant-buy-more-time-nato-ukraine

Shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin Leaves Multiple Injured

Multiple injuries have been reported, police said.

The shooter is "down," according to Madison police.

Students from kindergarten through 12th grade attend the school.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/shooting-reported-christian-school-madison-wisconsin-police/story

California Certifies It’s 2024 Election Despite Huge Issues – It’s NOT Certifiable

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/california-certifies-its-2024-election-despite-huge-issues/

Canadian FinMin Freeland Quits, Warns Trudeau That Trump Tariffs Are "Grave Challenge"

"We need to take that threat extremely seriously…"

In a stunning move that shakes the government, Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet after he tried to move her to a different role.

Freeland has been the most powerful person in Trudeau’s cabinet for years, and was the point person in strategizing how to counter US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25% tariffs.

https://x.com/cafreeland/status/1868659332285702167

Daniel Baldwin Claims There Are "Bidding Wars" In Hollywood Over Diddy Blackmail Sex Tapes

Actor Daniel Baldwin has made extraordinary claims that Hollywood stars are involved in “bidding wars” to prevent copies of blackmail sex tapes filmed at the infamous Sean “Diddy” Combs’ freak off parties from falling into the wrong hands.

Appearing on the PBD podcast, Baldwin stated “He has videos of the parties… I’ve heard from friends that are attorneys… there’s a bidding war going on right now.”

The brother of Alec Baldwin continued, “They’re driving that price up because if you want your client and your famous actor to not be involved, a famous singer to not come out, here’s the price, and that they’re just selling to the individuals that are in those.”

“This is what I heard. They’re selling those videos,” he reiterated, claiming that some celebrities are buying them to try to save their own skins.

https://modernity.news/2024/12/16/daniel-baldwin-claims-there-are-bidding-wars-in-hollywood-over-diddy-blackmail-sex-tapes/

https://twitter.com/i/status/1868628107089121654

Russia warns Israel against annexing Golan Heights

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has advised “hotheads” in West Jerusalem to refrain from trying to exploit the situation in Syria

Israel should avoid being “intoxicated by opportunities” presented by the ongoing crisis in Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has warned after Israeli troops launched an incursion into the neighboring country.

Earlier this month, Syrian opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists launched a surprise offensive across the country, capturing a number of major cities, including the capital Damascus. In response, Syrian President Bashar Assad resigned and was granted asylum in Russia.

Following the fall of Assad’s government, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) invaded the buffer zone between Syria and the Golan Heights. Despite harsh criticism from the UN and Arab states, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that his cabinet had approved a plan to expand the Jewish population in the illegally occupied area and “settle” in the Golan Heights indefinitely.

Commenting on the developments on Monday, Ryabkov was asked which external players were acting behind the scenes in Syria. The diplomat said that aside from the US, whose presence is “definitely visible,” Israel is one of the main “beneficiaries” of the current situation.

“I would like to warn certain ‘hotheads’ in West Jerusalem against being intoxicated by opportunities,” Ryabkov said, stressing that “the annexation of the Golan Heights, which many are talking about now, is absolutely unacceptable.”

He called on Israel to return to full implementation of the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria, under which a buffer zone was established in the Golan Heights.

Previously the Israeli government claimed that the agreement had “collapsed” with the fall of the Assad government.

IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi stated that Israel “isn’t intervening in what is happening Syria” and has “no intention of administering Syria.” However, he said that after the Syrian Army collapsed, there is now a “threat that terror elements will come here, and we advanced so… extreme terror elements won’t settle close to the border with us.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has also said that the incursion into the buffer zone is intended to create a new “security area” that would be clear of “heavy strategic weapons and terrorist infrastructure.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/609447-russia-israel-syria-annexation/

Assad Breaks Silence, Claims He Intended to Continue Fighting from Russian Base.

Former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has issued his first statement since his ouster by Turkey-backed jihadist rebels, denying he fled the country as “part of a plan” and claiming he initially intended to carry on fighting from the Alawite heartland of Latakia. “As terrorism spread across Syria and ultimately reached Damascus on the evening of Saturday 7 December 2024, questions arose about the president’s fate and whereabouts,” reads the statement—posted to a Telegram account associated with the Syrian presidency but not yet independently verified. It complains of “a flood of misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth, aimed at recasting international terrorism as a liberation revolution for Syria.

”Assad, if he is the author of the statement, said he traveled to the Russian airbase of Hmeimim in Latakia, only hours after rebel forces had entered Damascus, intending to “oversee combat operations.” Latakia is home to most of Syria’s Alawite minority, which the Assad clan hails from, and he may have hoped members of the Shia offshoot sect would offer stiffer resistance to the mostly Sunni jihadists of the Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group than government forces elsewhere.

However, Assad claims he found that Syrian soldiers had already left their posts and that the Russians made the decision to exfiltrate after Hmeimim began to be targeted by drones.“With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8 December,” Assad said. “This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.”

NO PLAN TO LEAVE.

“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or part,” Assad insisted, claiming that, in his mind, the “only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught,” and he “did not leave the country as part of a plan as it was reported earlier.”

The whereabouts of Assad, his wife Asma, and their three children were initially unclear. Russian officials later confirmed their departure following negotiations with rebels.

There are concerns hundreds of thousands of Syrians, including Alawites like Assad, may attempt to leave the country like their former leader, fearing reprisals by the al-Qaeda-linked new regime.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/12/16/assad-breaks-silence-claims-he-intended-to-continue-fighting-from-russian-base/

UK Approves $4.6 Billion Takeover of Royal Mail by Czech Billionaire

Britain’s government gave the go-ahead Monday for the sale of Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire, paving the way for the postal service to pass into foreign ownership for the first time in its 500-year history.

Authorities confirmed Monday that the 3.6 billion-pound ($4.6 billion) takeover of Royal Mail’s owner, International Distribution Services, by billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group, can go ahead.

Kretinsky and IDS agreed to the deal in May but had been waiting for official approval under national security laws because of the importance of the postal service in the U.K.

The service will remain headquartered in the U.K. and as part of the deal, Britain’s government will retain a so-called “golden share” in the service, meaning it will need to approve any key changes to Royal Mail’s ownership, headquarters location and tax residency.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the move was a “good deal for the U.K.”

“We have negotiated something which secures the long-term future of Royal Mail and gives it the fresh start that we need,” he said.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/12/16/uk-approves-4-6-billion-takeover-of-royal-mail-by-czech-billionaire/

Israel Launches Dozens More Airstrikes in Syria, HTS Says It Doesn’t Want Conflict

Israeli troops are also advancing further into Syrian territory

Israel launched dozens of airstrikes in Syria overnight Saturday into Sunday despite the new de facto leader of the country, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, saying his group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was not interested in a conflict with Israel.

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli warplanes carried out about 60 strikes on Syria within five hours, bringing the total number of Israeli attacks since the downfall of former President Bashar al-Assad to about 800.

Before Israel carried out its latest round of strikes, Julani, who has been going by his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, criticized Israel’s recent actions but said he didn’t want a fight.

“We are not about to engage in a conflict with Israel,” said Julani, who was the leader of al-Qaeda in Syria before rebranding his group and forming HTS in 2017. He said that Israel’s “arguments” for attacking Syria “no longer exist” because Iran and Hezbollah no longer have a foothold in the country.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem acknowledged on Sunday that the Lebanese group lost its supply lines in Syria due to the regime change. “Yes, Hezbollah has lost the military supply route through Syria at this stage, but this loss is a detail in the resistance’s work,” he said.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/12/15/israel-launches-dozens-more-airstrikes-in-syria-hts-says-it-doesnt-want-conflict/

Israeli Attack on School-Turned-Shelter in Southern Gaza Kills 20

Israeli strikes in central Gaza earlier in the day killed a journalist and five civil defense workers

Israeli forces also attacked a school sheltering Palestinians in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, killing at least 15. Among the dead was a family of four, including two children. Beit Hanoun has been under a total Israeli siege since early October as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign.

Israeli strikes also targeted central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a journalist and five civil defense workers. According to Al Jazeera, the strike targeted the headquarters for the local civil defense rescue workers.

The journalist, Ahmed al-Louh, a cameraman for Al Jazeera, was killed while wearing a press vest and helmet. The report said al-Louh was the third journalist to be killed within 24 hours.

According to Gaza’s Government Media office, the death of al-Louh brings the total number of journalists killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza to 196.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/12/15/israeli-attack-on-school-turned-shelter-in-southern-gaza-kills-20/

After helping to overthrow leader Bashar al-Assad, Israel destroyed Syria's military capabilities and is seizing territory, annexing the Golan Heights and occupying more land. The Al-Qaeda-linked Salafi-jihadist rebels who now rule Syria, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have allowed Israel to do this. HTS leader (and former Al-Qaeda chief) Abu Mohammad al-Jolani said "We are not looking to engage in a conflict with Israel". Ben Norton reports.

https://youtu.be/tEOiNDVFJ_o

The War in Gaza Is Far Worse Than You Thought

Researchers went back to check Palestinian casualty reports from October 2023. They found a deadlier month for civilians—and children—than any other chapter of the "war on terror."

These numbers are a conservative estimate, based on the minimum reported casualties in cases that Airwars was able to verify were Israeli bombing rather than Hamas misfires. And the study only covers one month of the war. More than a year later, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that 45,600 people have been killed and 11,000 are missing. Again, unlike the Airwars report, these numbers don't distinguish between civilians and Hamas fighters.

But with hospitals overwhelmed, communications cut, and thousands of bodies left in the street or trapped under rubble, 45,600 deaths is possibly an undercount. Other researchers have estimated that the total death toll from war, starvation, and disease in Gaza could be greater than 100,000 or even 300,000.

More

https://reason.com/2024/12/13/the-war-in-gaza-is-far-worse-than-you-thought/

Israel is America's True Enemy, Here's Why!

In this video, we expose the harsh reality behind Israel’s impact on America. Far from being a trusted ally, Israel has become the U.S.'s most dangerous enemy, quietly undermining American interests while playing into the hands of global rivals like China and Russia. Through hard facts, we reveal how Israel's actions are eroding U.S. power and threatening its future. Don’t miss this breakdown of the true cost of America’s relationship with Israel.

https://youtu.be/5Soe-N-ZcUg

Judicial Watch FOIA Bombshell: How the Biden State Dept. Let YouTuber Gonzalo Lira Die in Ukrainian Prison

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/judicial-watch-foia-bombshell-how-biden-state-dept/

Google says it accessed parallel universes with its new supercomputer

Google's quantum computing breakthrough on Monday has left the physicist who heads the project a believer in 'the idea that we live in a multiverse.'

'Willow,' the tech giant's new quantum chip, succeeded in solving a computational problem so complex it would have taken today's best super-computers an estimated 10 septillion years to solve it — vastly more than the age of our entire universe.

But Google said its new quantum computer solved the puzzle 'in under five minutes.'

Calling Willow's performance 'astonishing,' the leader and founder of Google Quantum AI team, physicist Hartmut Neven, said its high-speed result 'lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes.'

Neven credited Oxford University physicist David Deutsch for proposing the theory that the successful development of quantum computing would, in effect, affirm the 'many worlds interpretation' of quantum mechanics and the existence of a multiverse.

Starting in the 1970s, Deutsch, in fact, had walked backwards into becoming a pioneer in the field of quantum computing, less out of interest in the technology itself, than his desire to test the multiverse theory.

Astrophysicist turned science writer Ethan Siegel blasted Google over the claim, accusing them of 'conflating unrelated concepts, which Neven also ought to know.'

'Neven has conflated the notion of a quantum mechanical Hilbert space, which is an infinite-dimensional mathematical space where quantum mechanical wavefunctions "live," with the notion of parallel universes and a multiverse,' Siegel argued Friday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14190325/Google-says-accessed-parallel-universes-new-supercomputer.html

USPS blows $3 billion on 32 mail trucks—$32M each. Outrageous waste.

The USPS has reached new heights of fiscal irresponsibility, spending an unthinkable $3 billion on just 32 mail trucks. That’s $32 million per truck. Let that sink in. Thirty-two million dollars—per truck. This isn’t just wasteful; it’s an insult to every American taxpayer. Where is the oversight? Who approved this absurd price tag without a second thought?

These aren’t gold-plated, space-age vehicles; they’re mail trucks replacing the aging Grumman Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) that have served since 1987. Sure, the fleet needs an upgrade, but this kind of reckless spending is indefensible. The USPS has long been plagued by inefficiency, but this decision drags incompetence to a whole new level.

The so-called Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs), part of a $6 billion contract with Oshkosh Defense, were touted as a step toward modernization. Featuring better fuel efficiency, safety features, and electric options, they might sound impressive—until you look at the cost. The USPS claims these trucks will save money in the long run, but the up-front price and the additional costs of charging stations and infrastructure upgrades make that hard to believe.

Critics are rightly questioning the lack of transparency in the procurement process. Were alternatives explored? Could the current fleet have been retrofitted at a fraction of the cost? These are basic questions that any competent organization would ask before committing billions. Yet here we are, saddled with an outrageous bill and no clear answers.

The USPS’s financial struggles are no secret. Years of deficits and operating losses should have pushed the agency toward tighter budgeting and smarter decisions. Instead, it’s doubling down on wasteful spending, further jeopardizing its ability to deliver essential services.

This is taxpayer money being thrown into the wind. Every American, regardless of political affiliation, should be outraged. The USPS needs to be held accountable for this absurd misuse of funds. Anything less is a slap in the face to every citizen who pays for this bloated, out-of-control bureaucracy.

https://citizenwatchreport.com/usps-blows-3-billion-on-32-mail-trucks-32m-each-outrageous-waste/

The Hidden Truth in Mainstream Media: We Are Being Programmed!

In this must-watch video, we explore the pervasive influence of mainstream media—be it television, radio, or newspapers—and how it programs the general public to think in certain ways. A prime example is the BBC's classic comedy, Yes Prime Minister, which cleverly reveals the underlying truths about how the system operates. While the humor may entertain, there is a wealth of insight embedded in the dialogue that often goes unnoticed by the audience. This oversight is not accidental; it is by design. Join us as we dissect the subtle messages within Yes Prime Minister and discuss the broader implications of media programming on our perceptions and beliefs. Your awareness of these dynamics is crucial in navigating the information landscape.

https://youtu.be/2Fn6sI3yXBY

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