December 22, 2025 – Short News

Jubilation at Dawn – Winter Solstice at Stonehenge!

Thousands of people celebrated the sunrise of the winter solstice at Stonehenge on Sunday, long before the first light reached the horizon. In the darkness, visitors gathered on the open field in southwest England, many dressed in druid and pagan robes, others simply, but with a clear inner sense of expectation. There was dancing, singing, and drumming as the cold crept into the ground and the atmosphere hovered between ritual and folk festival. Some withdrew between the massive stones, seeking silence, focus, and a moment for themselves. When the sun finally appeared between the pillars, jubilation erupted, as if something long overdue had been reclaimed together. For many, the site is not a tourist monument, but a spiritual anchor point. Stonehenge was built around 5,000 to 3,500 years ago and deliberately aligned with the movement of the sun. Even for early societies, the winter solstice marked a decisive moment in the annual cycle. The shortest day of the year thus once again became a shared sign of transition and perseverance.

According to English Heritage, around 8,500 people celebrated directly at the stone circle on Salisbury Plain, about 120 kilometers southwest of London. Hundreds of thousands more followed the ceremony via livestream, which reached more than 242,000 views worldwide. In the Northern Hemisphere, this day marks the shortest incidence of light of the year and the beginning of the astronomical winter. At the same time, the solstice is regarded by many as a moment of renewal, because from this point on the course of the sun begins to rise again. The days now become gradually longer, the light returns, barely perceptible, but reliable. It is precisely this certainty that gives the celebration its appeal. Not darkness stands at the center, but the prospect of its end. The solstice is thus understood less as a conclusion than as a quiet beginning.

“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” – Border Czar Homan Announces Escalation

Tom Homan, appointed by Trump as Border Czar, has announced that all 10,000 new ICE agents are to be hired and deployed immediately. It is about the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States. Everything that has happened so far, he said, has only been the beginning. Homan did not speak of planning, but of execution. No reservations, no limitations, no time buffer. Deportation policy will be massively expanded and visibly intensified. His words were deliberately provocative. This can also become reality in Germany if strategies against the AfD are not changed as quickly as possible. Engaging with and including especially younger people for an open and multicultural society must not end with social media pledges. Deterrence was part of the message. The state line is meant to be unmistakable. Anyone who believes the peak has been reached is wrong. The escalation is still to come.

That the Border Czar appeared at Turning Point USA was not a side note. At AmericaFest he was celebrated, not questioned. His announcements met with approval, his rhetoric with cheers. “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he shouted to the audience - and received exactly the reaction that was expected. AmericaFest has long served as a showcase of political radicalization for the Western world. Migration is not protected there, but hunted. Homan fit seamlessly into this picture. The connection between the movement and state enforcement was openly celebrated. No distance, no classification. Fascism. See also our article from today: “First the Threat, Then the Contempt – Turning Point AmericaFest as a Harbinger of Much More …”

"To Protect the Victims” – Justice Department Defends Partial Release of the Epstein Files and Everyone Knows Who Is Really Being Protected

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the only partial release of the Epstein files. The decision was necessary, he said, to protect survivors of sexual abuse. Thousands of documents are still being reviewed because they contain sensitive information. The Trump administration will fulfill its legal duty, but with caution. Blanche rejected criticism from the Democratic camp. Anyone demanding transparency now, he said, does not take the protection of victims seriously. The Justice Department has not delayed, but acted responsibly. The temporary removal of individual files from the website was also due to this goal. Among them was a photo of Donald Trump in the environment of Jeffrey Epstein. The files are to be released again after redactions. This has nothing to do with personal protection for the president, Blanche said.

Democratic lawmakers accuse the administration of deliberately withholding key files. Jamie Raskin spoke of a systematic shielding of politically sensitive content. This is not about victim protection, but about hiding connections and decisions. Criticism focuses especially on the absence of internal Justice Department memos and statements from survivors. The short term removal of already published files is also fueling mistrust. Several lawmakers are floating impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi. Others are at least calling for a comprehensive parliamentary investigation. Blanche sharply rejected the accusations and declared that the Justice Department is complying with the law. The debate shows how deep the mistrust surrounding the file release runs. Political pressure is growing, as is the demand for full disclosure. See also our investigative article from December 21, 2025: “Beauty, Power, and the Quiet Shadow – Trump, Maxwell, Brunel, and the System Behind the Facade”

Thousands in the Streets – Minneapolis Demands ICE Withdrawal

On December 20, 2025, thousands of people took to the streets in Minneapolis to demand the withdrawal of ICE from the state. The demonstrations were directed directly against the migration policy of the Trump administration. Protest marches moved through downtown, accompanied by chants, banners, and speeches. The mood was determined, not chaotic. Many participants spoke of fear in their communities and of everyday raids. ICE was perceived as a permanent threat, not an abstract authority. The demand was clearly formulated. ICE out of Minnesota. The demonstration was one of the largest in the city this year. We also note the extreme scale in Minneapolis, and the number of cases to be processed ranks among the top three in the United States. During the Christmas season, escalation threatens in many American cities, and we are already preparing for it. ICE aus dem Bundesstaat zu fordern. Die Demonstrationen richteten sich direkt gegen die Migrationspolitik der Trump Regierung. Protestzüge bewegten sich durch die Innenstadt, begleitet von Sprechchören, Bannern und Redebeiträgen. Die Stimmung war entschlossen, nicht chaotisch. Viele Teilnehmer sprachen von Angst in ihren Gemeinden und von alltäglichen Razzien. ICE wurde als permanente Bedrohung wahrgenommen, nicht als abstrakte Behörde. Die Forderung war eindeutig formuliert. ICE raus aus Minnesota. Die Demonstration war eine der größten der Stadt in diesem Jahr. Auch wir bemerken die extremen Ausmaße in Minneapolis und die Anzahl der zu bearbeitenden Fälle liegen in den Top 3 in den USA. Zur Weihnachtszeit droht die Eskalation in vielen Städten von Amerika, auch wir bereiten uns bereits darauf vor.

In their scale, the protests in Minneapolis reached a level comparable to the recent demonstrations in Chicago. Observers spoke of a new stage of escalation in civil resistance against deportation policy. Both cities are considered urban centers with strongly networked communities. The protests arose independently of one another, but were similar in demands and scope. It was no longer about individual cases, but about systemic criticism. ICE was named as a political instrument, not as a democratic enforcement agency. The mobilization showed that the resistance is regionally anchored. Not as a fringe movement, but as a mass phenomenon. Minneapolis and Chicago sent the same signal. The conflict is no longer locally confined.

See also our article from today: “Minneapolis Resists - As ICE Faces Growing Opposition and a City Protects Its Neighbors”

US Intelligence Contradicts Trump – Putin’s War Goals Considered Unchanged

Russia’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev continued a second day of talks in Miami about an alleged Ukraine settlement. What exactly for remains his secret - there are no concrete results. What he does reliably deliver there, however, is buying time, and that plays directly into Putin’s hands.

New assessments by US intelligence agencies come to a clear conclusion: Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his goals in the war against Ukraine. According to them, the Kremlin continues to seek full control over Ukraine and is looking beyond that to former spheres of influence of the Soviet Union. These assessments stand in clear contrast to public statements by Donald Trump and his circle, who claim that Putin wants to end the war. Similar intelligence reports have existed for months and were most recently updated in September. They also contradict Putin’s own portrayal of posing no threat to Europe. In Washington, the assessment is considered consistent. Russia has not reduced its strategic ambitions, but only tactically adjusted them.

The US analyses largely align with assessments by European security services. Poland and the Baltic states in particular assume that they could be targeted early in a worst case scenario. Russia currently controls around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including large parts of the Donbas as well as Crimea. Putin claims these territories fully for Russia. At the same time, Trump is pressuring Volodymyr Zelenskyy to withdraw Ukrainian troops from remaining parts of the Donbas. In Kyiv, this meets with broad rejection. While Trump’s negotiators continue to work on an agreement, intelligence agencies warn against false assumptions. A ceasefire would not change Putin’s long term plans. The danger does not become smaller just because Trump ignores it.

Nazi Speak in a Tailored Suit – How the AfD Turns People into Enemies

Alice Weidel writes that the federal government is “flying in Afghans and now also Kenyans.” This is not criticism, it is devaluation. People are sorted by origin as if they were a threat. Reasons for flight do not appear. Afghan women and men flee terror, persecution, and disenfranchisement, not convenience. Mentioning Kenyans as a group serves only to increase fear. Numbers are missing, programs are missing, context is missing. What remains is an image of “the others” who allegedly take something away. People from Kenya do not come to Germany under a mass program, but predominantly via legal work and training pathways, for example for nursing, healthcare, or skilled trades. There are bilateral agreements and regulated visas, not blanket admissions. In individual cases, it is about protection for politically persecuted individuals, mostly through organized admission programs. The portrayal that “Kenyans are being flown in” deliberately distorts this reality. These people fill the gaps created by the shortage of skilled workers. It is also regrettable how a once respectable newspaper called WELT has meanwhile sunk very low. Perhaps they should seriously consider a new, more fitting name.

The EU migration pact is only invoked as a pretext here. It is not explained, but used as a buzzword. Buses in the image, big words in the text, not a single concrete detail. Responsibility for political decisions is not named, instead people are made liable. That is exactly the pattern: first dehumanize, then inflame, then divide. Anyone who speaks like this does not want solutions, but approval through fear. This language is not accidental, it is deliberately chosen. And it must be named, every time. Not as an opinion, but as Nazi speak - no matter how well groomed it appears. It is actually a shame that Switzerland does not remigrate Ms. Weidel, then she would truly experience her desired policies. Whether she would still smile so strangely then?

US Coast Guard Hunts Next Oil Tanker – Trump’s Blockade Drags On

The U.S. Coast Guard pursued another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean on Sunday. According to a US official, it is a ship from the Venezuelan shadow fleet that is evading sanctions. The tanker sailed under a false flag and was subject to a judicial seizure order. Just the day before, US forces had seized the Panama registered tanker Centuries, the second seizure within less than two weeks. On December 10, the tanker Skipper had already been stopped, temporarily without a national flag. President Donald Trump openly speaks of a blockade of Venezuelan oil transports. Initial sanctioned ships are already avoiding Venezuelan ports. The escalation is visible, the legal basis remains disputed. Centuries festgesetzt, die zweite Beschlagnahme binnen weniger als zwei Wochen. Bereits am 10. Dezember war der Tanker Skipper gestoppt worden, zeitweise ohne nationale Flagge. Präsident Donald Trump spricht offen von einer Blockade venezolanischer Öltransporte. Erste sanktionierte Schiffe meiden inzwischen venezolanische Häfen. Die Eskalation ist sichtbar, die rechtliche Grundlage bleibt umstritten.

In Caracas, Nicolás Maduro spoke of attacks on oil tankers and announced further resistance. In Washington, resistance to Trump’s approach is growing. Senator Rand Paul warned of a dangerous provocation and a possible spiral toward war. Senator Tim Kaine criticized the use of the military without congressional approval. At the same time, the administration is expanding attacks on suspected smuggling ships in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, with more than one hundred dead since September. Human rights organizations speak of extrajudicial killings and a lack of evidence. Trump’s circle counters with maximum pressure on Maduro. The course is clear, the risks are as well. We will report directly from the convened United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, December 23, starting at 9 p.m.