JUST IN: Trump Confirms First Land Strike Against Drug Facility in Venezuela – “There Was a Major Explosion” (VIDEO)

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/just-trump-confirms-first-land-strike-against-drug/

President Trump revealed on a radio show late last week that the US had “knocked out” a drug facility in Venezuela as the campaign against foreign drug cartels and the Maduro regime intensifies.

The strike on Wednesday comes days after Trump told reporters, “Soon we’ll be starting the same program on land. The land is much easier.”

Trump confirmed the strike on a “dock area where they load the boats up with drugs” while speaking to reporters on Monday. Continue…

China’s Military AI and Biotechnology Directed at the United States

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/chinas-military-ai-biotechnology-directed-united-states/

Soldiers in a brigade attached to the 83rd Group Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conduct virtual reality exercises. Photo: Screenshot from China Central Television

According to a congressional report, the People’s Liberation Army continues to exploit military-civil fusion to integrate commercial and academic research into military systems. Military-Civil Fusion is China’s national strategy to merge civilian technology, research institutions, and industry with the defense sector in order to build a world-class military.

The strategy aligns commercial innovation with military requirements across fields ranging from artificial intelligence to semiconductors, pooling state and private resources to accelerate military development. Chinese authorities describe military-civil fusion as a core component of comprehensive national power and a central driver of long-term military modernization. Continue…

SHOCK VIDEO: Small Plane Pulling Advertising Banner Crashes Into Sea in Rio’s Copacabana Beach

Beach day turned tragic in Rio.

With summer firing from all cylinders, Rio de Janeiro is sizzling, to the delight of the millions of tourists who flock to some of its famous beaches, such as Copacabana.

But this last weekend, tragedy struck as a small plane towing an advertising banner crashed into the sea, killing the pilot.

Associated Press reported: Continue…

U.K. Metropolitan Police to Require Officers to Declare Freemason Membership

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/u-k-metropolitan-police-require-officers-declare-freemason/

The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has introduced a new policy requiring its officers and staff members to declare whether they are Freemasons.

The MPS wrote in a statement on X, “There have been calls going back a number of years for the role of Freemasonry in policing to be properly addressed, including as a recommendation in the report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel.”

“We strongly believe that failing to act on these calls would further damage trust not only among the public but also other officers and staff,” added the MPS.

In response to the new policy, the United Grand Lodge of England has sued the MPS.

The United Grand Lodge of England in a press release wrote, “In the light of the legal position, the failure of the Met consultation process, and in order to prevent damage to members, UGLE intends to seek a judicial review of the decision in the High Court and has sent a “letter before claim” to the Met outlining the action it intends to take.” Continue…

Former Fox News Contributor Dennis Michael Lynch GOES NUCLEAR: Says If Somali Deportations and Indictments on Tim Walz Don’t Happen, ‘MAGA and the Rule of Law Are Total BS’

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/former-fox-news-contributor-dennis-michael-lynch-goes/

In a blistering video, former Fox News contributor and Newsmax TV host Dennis Michael Lynch didn’t hold back, issuing a stark ultimatum to the Trump administration.

Lynch’s outrage stems from the massive Somali-led fraud scandals in Minnesota, which have exposed billions in stolen taxpayer dollars under Democrat Gov. Tim Walz’s watch.

“This is going to be the shortest video I’ve ever done in my life, based on what we’ve all seen in Minnesota,” Lynch begins in a clip posted on X. Continue…

Jennings: "Until Somebody In Power Goes To Jail", Blue State Fraud Won't Stop

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/jennings-until-somebody-power-goes-jail-blue-state-fraud-wont-stop

In a heated CNN clash, conservative commentator Scott Jennings called out the lack of real accountability in Democrat-run states, demanding elected officials face consequences for enabling billion-dollar scams.

Jennings addressed the rot in blue states where massive fraud schemes have flourished under lax oversight. Facing pushback from host Abby Phillip, Jennings insisted that prosecuting small-time operators isn’t enough—real change demands jailing those at the top who allowed it all to happen. Continue…

CIA Drone Carried Out First Known Land Strike On Venezuela

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/cia-drone-carried-out-first-known-land-strike-venezuela

The CIA is reported to have carried out a bombing operation within Venezuelan territory, CNN and The New York Times report in follow-up to President Trump touting that the US had knocked out "a big facility".

CNN while citing unnamed sources, reports that the CIA conducted a drone strike on a remote dock along Venezuela's coastline, after the US suspected the site was being used to store and transport illegal drugs, and which were supposedly bound for America.

Reports indicate the location was unoccupied at the time of the strike, which occurred earlier this month. The New York Times published a similar account based on anonymous sources, specifying that the operation took place last Wednesday. Continue…

Trump Says Netanyahu Pardon "On Its Way", Israeli President Says Otherwise

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-says-netanyahu-pardon-its-way-israeli-president-says-otherwise

President Donald Trump said on Dec. 29 that Israeli President Isaac Herzog told him a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “on its way.” That assertion, however, was disputed by Herzog’s office.

“He’s a wartime prime minister who’s a hero. How do you not give a pardon?” Trump, while standing alongside Netanyahu, told reporters ahead of a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

“I spoke to the president … he tells me it’s on its way.”

Trump suggested the fate of Israel would be far worse if Netanyahu had not been in charge during recent crises—including the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks.

“If you had the wrong prime minister right now, Israel would not exist,” Trump said.

“They were met with a force the likes of which very few countries could have handled.”

Herzog’s office, nevertheless, issued a statement that appeared to contradict Trump’s comments.

When asked about the U.S. president’s remarks, Herzog’s office said the Israeli president had not spoken with Trump since a pardon request was submitted several weeks ago. Continue…

Meta "Joining Forces" With China-Founded Manus AI In $2 Billion Deal

https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/meta-joining-forces-asia-based-manus-ai-2-billion-deal

Mark Zuckerberg has been aggressively repositioning Meta Platforms' focus and spending toward artificial intelligence, particularly to achieve "personal superintelligence" that enhances existing apps like Facebook and Instagram and, of course, boosts revenue. Put simply, the pivot to AI looks like a far better venture than Zuckerberg's absolutely horrendous bet on the metaverse.

A new Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday said that Meta is buying an AI startup with Chinese founders that conducts deep research called Manus. The move is a familiar strategy: if you cannot beat the competition, buy it. Zuckerberg has repeatedly taken this approach this year, including aggressively poaching AI talent across Silicon Valley.

Manus is entering the next chapter: we’re joining forces with Meta to take general agents to the next level. Continue…

Tesla Publishes Downbeat Wall Street Estimates For Vehicle Sales

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tesla-publishes-downbeat-wall-street-estimates-vehicle-sales

Tesla has compiled vehicle delivery forecasts from a broad group of Wall Street firms, including Daiwa, DB, Wedbush, Canaccord, Baird, Wolfe, Exane, GS, RBC, Evercore ISI, Barclays, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Jefferies, Needham, HSBC, Cantor Fitzgerald, and William Blair. The overall sell-side analyst consensus implies Q4 deliveries of roughly 422,850 vehicles, representing a 15% year-over-year decline and a 10% drop from the Bloomberg-compiled average of 445,061 vehicles. Continue…

Irish Gov’t to Push for European Union to Ban Anonymous Social Media Accounts

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/12/29/irish-govt-to-push-for-eu-to-ban-anonymous-social-media-accounts/

The left-wing Irish government has vowed to push for the European Union to prohibit the use of anonymous social media accounts in what may set the ground for another battle over free speech with the Trump administration in the United States.

Ireland will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for a six month term starting in July and looks set to push for more restrictions on the internet, namely the imposition of ID-verification for social media accounts. The move would effectively end anonymity on social media, which critics have warned will hinder dissidents from speaking out against power structures.

Speaking to the Extra news outlet, Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris said that anonymous accounts and so-called disinformation are “an issue in relation to our democracy. And I don’t just mean ours. I mean democracy in the world.”

“This isn’t just Ireland’s view. If you look at the comments of Emmanuel Macron… of Keir Starmer… recently, in terms of being open to considering what Australia have done, if you look at the actions of Australia, you know this is a global conversation Ireland will and should be a part of,” he said. Continue…

💥REPORT: Former Tim Horton’s manager claims Calgary franchise owners paid Jason Kenney $5K a piece to approve the TFW Program.

https://breaking-news.ca/%f0%9f%92%a5report-former-tim-hortons-manager-claims-calgary-franchise-owners-paid-jason-kenney-5k-a-piece-to-approve-the-tfw-program/

After its approval, she was told not to hire, promote, or give raises to Canadians, and was even advised to garbage resumes from Canadian applicants, because they were under contract with Mercan, an immigration recruitment agency

BREAKING: RCMP issue dangerous person alert for Big Island Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

https://www.westernstandard.news/saskatchewan/breaking-rcmp-issue-dangerous-person-alert-for-big-island-lake-cree-nation-saskatchewan/70055

The Saskatchewan RCMP issued a dangerous person warning on Tuesday for two individuals, armed with a gun, last seen on an ATV on Big Island Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan.

The alert covers both sides of the Saskatchewan-Alberta border and includes municipalities such as Bonnyville, Alberta; Cold Lake, Alberta; and Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan.

RCMP officials have instructed individuals to seek immediate safety, lock their doors, and avoid the Big Island Lake Cree Nation area.

Individuals are instructed not to approach the suspect, to call 911 in emergencies, not to share police locations, and to wait for RCMP updates.

This article will be updated as details become available.

Equalization payments continue to hinder Canadian unity

https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/equalization-payments-continue-to-hinder-canadian-unity/70048

Western Canada's reaction to the distribution of Canada's 2026-27 equalization payments underscores the uphill battle Prime Minister Mark Carney faces in seeking national unity.

The federal government recently released figures for how equalization payments would be distributed to provinces across Canada.

Consistent with historical trends, Canada's western provinces will not receive any payments, while the provinces east of Saskatchewan will receive a share of the program funds.

This trend has frustrated individuals in Alberta and British Columbia, and the displeasure has even reached the highest level of Saskatchewan's provincial government.

"This map is a clear indication of which provinces are driving Canada’s economy and how the equalization formula disincentivizes economic growth," said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe in an X post on Dec. 11.

The 2026-27 equalization payments, caluclated using the federal government's formula, will be the first payments made under Carney's reign as prime minister, and they come as he continues to try to follow through on his goal of uniting Canada. Continue…

Holiday Overdose Calls in Toronto Jump 35 Percent Compared With Previous Years

https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/holiday-overdose-calls-in-toronto-jump-35-percent-compared-with-previous-years-5964207?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=holiday-overdose-calls-in-toronto-jump-35-percent-compared-with-previous-years-0

Toronto Public Health is sounding the alarm after a spike in opioid overdose calls in the city throughout the holiday season.

Toronto Paramedic Services responded to 122 suspected cases of opioid overdoses between Dec. 20 and Dec. 28, marking a 35 percent rise from the average call volume for similar periods in the past two years, the public health department said in a Dec. 29 alert.

The increase in calls did not lead to a similar escalation in fatalities, however. Public health said there were fewer than five deaths associated with opioids, a figure that matches last year’s count.

The alert also pointed to an increase in the average number of daily calls in December compared to the previous 11 months of 2025, noting that overdoses are “occurring throughout the city.”

“The holiday season can be a challenging time for some,” the advisory reads. “Feelings of stress or social isolation may intensify at this time of year, which can affect people’s substance use.”

City data shows paramedics received 736 opioid overdose calls between Sept. 8 and Nov. 30. Twenty-seven of the overdoses were fatal. Continue…

Iran brands Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist group in act of 'reciprocity'

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/iran-royal-canadian-navy-terrorist-group

More than 18 months after Canada labelled Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization, the Middle East nation has done the same to the Royal Canadian Navy.

Iran’s foreign ministry said its decision was made “within the framework of reciprocity” as it relates to Ottawa’s 2024 decision to classify the IRGC as a terrorist entity, a move it said in a statement is “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law.”

It cited a piece of Iranian legislation enacted in 2019 that allows the country to apply the designation to “all countries that in any way comply with or support the decision of the United States of America to declare the (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.”

Formed after the 1979 Iranian revolution and now considered a “pillar” of the nation’s armed forces, the IRGC is a militia that controls vast business empires and operates armed and intelligence forces with little to no civilian oversight. Its more than 150,000 members oversee Iran’s missile program and nuclear efforts.

The U.S. first listed the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in April 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term. Canada, advancing its own efforts to rebuke the Iranian regime’s “unlawful actions and its support of terrorism,” followed suit last June.

“The Government of Canada has concluded after a deliberative process based on very, very strong and compelling evidence that the cabinet received that now is the time to list the IRGC as a criminal organization,” the Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters in Ottawa. Continue…