Australia has updated its travel advisory for Iran:
Do not travel to Iran. If you are in Iran, you should leave as soon as possible. There are violent protests across Iran that may escalate without warning. The security forces' response to the protests has been severe, and many protesters and bystanders have been injured, killed, or arrested. Avoid large public gatherings, demonstrations, and protests, and follow the advice of local authorities. Australians, including dual citizens, are at high risk of arrest. The security situation is volatile. If you remain in Iran despite our advice, you are responsible for your own safety. The Australian Embassy's operations are suspended. Our ability to provide consular assistance in Iran is extremely limited.
In coordination with Israel, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Red Cross are resuming the search today for the body of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage, in the Zeitoun area.
The move follows Israel’s clear message to Hamas and the mediators that the Rafah crossing to Egypt will not be opened until his body is returned.
Iran is threatening a preemptive strike against Israel - for the second time in less than 24 hours.
After Iran’s Defense Council - established following the failure of the security forces during the 12-day war - issued a public threat yesterday, the commander of the Iranian army, General Amir Hatami, joined in today.
Speaking to cadets at the DAFOOS officers’ university, Hatami said the escalation in threats against Iran “will not go unanswered,” warning that any mistake by the enemy would be met with a “more decisive response and the severing of the attacker’s hand.”
He claimed that Iran’s enemies are seeking to directly harm civilians, exploit internal problems, and turn protests into “planned disturbances.” Protest, he said, is natural; violence and rapid escalation are the result of enemy interference.
The sequence of statements over the past two days indicates a deliberate escalation in Tehran’s military rhetoric, alongside rising regional tensions and growing internal pressure.
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Iran is threatening a preemptive strike against Israel - for the second time in less than 24 hours.
After Iran’s Defense Council - established following the failure of the security forces during the 12-day war - issued a public threat yesterday, the commander of the Iranian army, General Amir Hatami, joined in today.
Speaking to cadets at the DAFOOS officers’ university, Hatami said the escalation in threats against Iran “will not go unanswered,” warning that any mistake by the enemy would be met with a “more decisive response and the severing of the attacker’s hand.”
He claimed that Iran’s enemies are seeking to directly harm civilians, exploit internal problems, and turn protests into “planned disturbances.” Protest, he said, is natural; violence and rapid escalation are the result of enemy interference.
The sequence of statements over the past two days indicates a deliberate escalation in Tehran’s military rhetoric, alongside rising regional tensions and growing internal pressure.
De site zelf is niet down of illegaal, alleen geblokkeerd op providerniveau in Nederland/EU. Deze blokkade heeft alles te maken met de sancties tegen Russische propaganda in verband met de oorlog in Oekraïne, en Odysee is collateral damage omdat het als omweg wordt gebruikt. De blokkade begon bij sommige providers eind 2025 en is inmiddels breed toegepast (inclusief KPN). Het is geen volledige EU-verplichting voor het hele platform Odysee, maar een nationale interpretatie. Providers doen dit vaak met tegenzin, omdat het ingrijpt op netneutraliteit en vrijheid van internet. Maar ze riskeren boetes als ze sancties niet handhaven. Nou, dan kunnen we er ook op wachten dat Telegram wordt geblokkeerd binnenkort, vrees ik. 𝗝𝗲 𝗸𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗸𝗸𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗷𝗸 𝗼𝗺𝘇𝗲𝗶... Show more...
De site zelf is niet down of illegaal, alleen geblokkeerd op providerniveau in Nederland/EU. Deze blokkade heeft alles te maken met de sancties tegen Russische propaganda in verband met de oorlog in Oekraïne, en Odysee is collateral damage omdat het als omweg wordt gebruikt. De blokkade begon bij sommige providers eind 2025 en is inmiddels breed toegepast (inclusief KPN). Het is geen volledige EU-verplichting voor het hele platform Odysee, maar een nationale interpretatie. Providers doen dit vaak met tegenzin, omdat het ingrijpt op netneutraliteit en vrijheid van internet. Maar ze riskeren boetes als ze sancties niet handhaven. Nou, dan kunnen we er ook op wachten dat Telegram wordt geblokkeerd binnenkort, vrees ik. 𝗝𝗲 𝗸𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗸𝗸𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗷𝗸 𝗼𝗺𝘇𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗡𝗦 𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗻 (𝗯𝗶𝗷𝘃. 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗡𝗦: 𝟴.𝟴.𝟴.𝟴 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗲: 𝟭.𝟭.𝟭.𝟭) 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗩𝗣𝗡. ʜᴏᴇᴡᴇʟ ɪᴋ ᴅᴇ ᴢᴏʀɢᴇɴ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴅᴇꜱɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴇ ᴇɴ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴀɢᴀɴᴅᴀ ʙᴇɢʀɪᴊᴘ, ᴠɪɴᴅ ɪᴋ ᴅᴀᴛ ᴅᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀʜᴇɪᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇ ᴇᴜ ɴɪᴇᴛ ᴅᴇ ᴛᴀᴀᴋ ʜᴇᴇꜰᴛ ᴏᴍ ᴛᴇ ʙᴇꜱʟɪꜱꜱᴇɴ ᴡᴇʟᴋᴇ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴇʙʀᴏɴɴᴇɴ ʙᴜʀɢᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴏɢᴇɴ ʀᴀᴀᴅᴘʟᴇɢᴇɴ. ᴠᴏᴏʀ ᴇᴇɴ ᴀꜰɢᴇᴡᴏɢᴇɴ ᴏᴏʀᴅᴇᴇʟ ɪꜱ ʜᴇᴛ ᴊᴜɪꜱᴛ ʙᴇʟᴀɴɢʀɪᴊᴋ ᴏᴍ ᴢᴇʟꜰ ᴛᴏᴇɢᴀɴɢ ᴛᴇ ʜᴇʙʙᴇɴ ᴛᴏᴛ ᴠᴇʀꜱᴄʜɪʟʟᴇɴᴅᴇ ᴠɪꜱɪᴇꜱ, ᴏᴏᴋ ᴀʟꜱ ᴅɪᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴇᴇʟ ᴢɪᴊɴ. ʙʟᴏᴋᴋᴀᴅᴇꜱ ᴠᴀɴ ᴘʟᴀᴛꜰᴏʀᴍꜱ ʀɪꜱᴋᴇʀᴇɴ ᴅᴀᴛ ʙᴜʀɢᴇʀꜱ ɴɪᴇᴛ ᴍᴇᴇʀ ᴠᴏʟʟᴇᴅɪɢ ɢᴇÏɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴇʀᴅ ᴢɪᴊɴ, ᴇɴ ᴅᴀᴛ ᴠɪɴᴅ ɪᴋ ᴇᴇɴ ᴘʀɪɴᴄɪᴘɪᴇᴇʟ ʙᴇᴢᴡᴀᴀʀ ɪɴ ᴇᴇɴ ᴠʀɪᴊᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇɴʟᴇᴠɪɴɢ.
IDF: The Trilateral Work Plan for Military Cooperation Between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel Has Been Signed
The trilateral work plan for military cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, as well as the bilateral work plans between the IDF and the Hellenic Armed Forces and between the IDF and the Cypriot National Guard for 2026, were signed last week in Cyprus.
The Israeli delegation, led by Head of the IDF International Cooperation Division, BG Amit Adler, met in Nicosia with their Greek and Cypriot counterparts as part of the annual joint meeting between the militaries of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus.
The plans include, among other things, joint exercises and training, working groups across a range of fields, and strategic military dialogue on issues of shared interest.
The signing of these plans represents another step in deepening military cooperation between the countries and contributes to strengthening stability, security, and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The first "Or Eitan" laser system was handed over to the IDF this morning and will be integrated into the defense array. The system is named after Captain Eitan Oster, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon during the war.
Did Turkey secretly introduce radars into Syria last night with the aim of limiting Israel's freedom of aerial action in the skies of the Middle East?
Syrian channels claim that last night the Turkish army introduced military equipment into Syria through one of the border crossings between the two countries.
Prime Minister Netanyahu departed for Florida aboard Wing of Zion ahead of his scheduled Monday afternoon meeting with President Trump - the sixth such meeting within a year.
It can now be disclosed that, as part of the intensive and confidential contacts conducted over recent months between Israel and Somaliland, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi arrived in Israel for a secret visit in October.
The attached photograph of Foreign Minister Saar with the President of Somaliland was taken at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem during that confidential visit in October.
In addition, Foreign Minister Saar has been overseeing and conducting discreet contacts with Somaliland for several months. As part of this process, he met with the president’s delegation on multiple occasions.
22 Muslim countries issued a joint condemnation of the Israeli recognition of Somaliland. Guess who is not there? The countries that signed the Abraham Accords: Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. [!upload-photo_2025-12-28_08-02-40.jpg]
How Fragmented Is Somalia - and Why Does Somaliland Insist on Independence?
Somalia was formed by unifying territories formerly controlled by the British Empire with areas previously ruled by Italy, all inhabited by ethnic Somali populations.
The society is deeply tribal. Each tribe maintains its own ideology and a distinctly different way of life. The Issa tribe, which dominates Somaliland, is considerably more pragmatic and rejects radical Islam, whereas other tribes actively embrace it.
Since the outbreak of Somalia’s civil war in 1991, the state has effectively disintegrated into competing tribes locked in continuous conflict.
The Issa tribe declared the independence of the State of Somaliland and proceeded to establish functioning state institutions and government ministries, a multi-party democratic system, and levels of corrup
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How Fragmented Is Somalia - and Why Does Somaliland Insist on Independence?
Somalia was formed by unifying territories formerly controlled by the British Empire with areas previously ruled by Italy, all inhabited by ethnic Somali populations.
The society is deeply tribal. Each tribe maintains its own ideology and a distinctly different way of life. The Issa tribe, which dominates Somaliland, is considerably more pragmatic and rejects radical Islam, whereas other tribes actively embrace it.
Since the outbreak of Somalia’s civil war in 1991, the state has effectively disintegrated into competing tribes locked in continuous conflict.
The Issa tribe declared the independence of the State of Somaliland and proceeded to establish functioning state institutions and government ministries, a multi-party democratic system, and levels of corruption far lower than those typically seen in Africa - certainly far lower than those of the dysfunctional government in the capital, Mogadishu.
The people of Somaliland have succeeded in insulating themselves from the civil war, famine, and chronic instability that characterize the rest of Somalia. They have built an economy based on agriculture, fishing, light industry, and trade. Consequently, they have no incentive to reintegrate into a larger, bleeding, and non-functioning Somali state.
The different colors on the map reflect the fragmentation caused by the civil war: • Peach-pink areas: Territories controlled by the federal government, including the capital, Mogadishu. • Fuchsia-pink areas: The autonomous Puntland administration. • Gray areas: Territories controlled by al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate. • Black area in northern Puntland: Territory controlled by a local militia affiliated with ISIS. • Mustard-yellow area: Territory controlled by the government of Somaliland.
Somaliland - formerly a British colony - is, in practice, larger than the territory currently under the effective control of its government. While the government claims sovereignty over eastern Somaliland as part of its lawful territory, it does not presently exercise control there.
It is possible that one form of assistance the Somaliland government may seek from Israel is military support to reclaim the eastern part of the country and enforce its sovereignty over it.
The capital, Hargeisa, is located on the inland plateau at an elevation of 1,611 meters above sea level. The principal port city, of significant strategic value, is Berbera.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, through Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for the American administration. This move now enables Washington to advance its “day after” plan for the Gaza Strip.
At the core of this plan—far more than the so-called Sunrise Project—is population relocation, without which Gaza’s rehabilitation is simply not feasible.
In return for “hosting Gaza residents,” Somaliland asked for one thing only: international recognition, after 34 years of de facto independence on the ground.
Arab states that harbor deep hostility toward the Palestinians, yet readily exploit them as a tool against Israel, are opposing the move.
What we are witnessing is a sophisticated American maneuver executed through Netanyahu - an exceptionally shrewd step - using a Muslim state in the Horn of Africa, a region of growing strategic importance to the world’s major powers.
One additional point is critical. While President Trump may publicly shower the Syrian and Tu
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, through Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, pulled the chestnuts out of the fire for the American administration. This move now enables Washington to advance its “day after” plan for the Gaza Strip.
At the core of this plan—far more than the so-called Sunrise Project—is population relocation, without which Gaza’s rehabilitation is simply not feasible.
In return for “hosting Gaza residents,” Somaliland asked for one thing only: international recognition, after 34 years of de facto independence on the ground.
Arab states that harbor deep hostility toward the Palestinians, yet readily exploit them as a tool against Israel, are opposing the move.
What we are witnessing is a sophisticated American maneuver executed through Netanyahu - an exceptionally shrewd step - using a Muslim state in the Horn of Africa, a region of growing strategic importance to the world’s major powers.
One additional point is critical. While President Trump may publicly shower the Syrian and Turkish presidents with compliments and vague “promises,” in practice he is advancing policies that run directly counter to their strategic interests. Israel is the gateway linking India to Europe, and U.S. doctrine is centered on shaping a Middle East anchored by an alliance of pragmatic, moderate states - an alliance designed to compete with the Chinese-Russian-Turkish-Iranian-Qatari axis.
Azerbaijan, a neighbor of Iran, was added to the Abraham Accords not merely as a long-standing Israeli ally, but as a formal member of a U.S.-led regional coalition.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland strengthens ties with the United Arab Emirates and delivers a direct strategic blow to Turkey.
Somaliland is one of seven republics that once formed the Somali federation - a state in the Horn of Africa known both for the jihadist terror organization al-Shabaab and for hosting Turkey’s largest military base outside Turkish territory.
The entity also maintains close relations with the UAE. It has pursued international recognition for decades, and there is little doubt that Israel’s pioneering recognition - still unmatched by any other country - together with this week’s trilateral engagement with Greece and Cyprus, is intended to signal to Ankara that Israel will not sit idle while Erdoğan expands Islamist proxy networks across the region.
Kerst in een geseculariseerde samenleving – waar komt het licht vandaan?
Kerst is van oorsprong het feest van de geboorte van onze Heere Jezus Christus. Toch zien we dat Kerst in onze samenleving steeds vaker wordt beleefd als een algemeen moment van warmte, saamhorigheid en bezinning. Die verschuiving wordt zichtbaar wanneer we luisteren naar de kersttoespraken van Europese koningen.
Bij Koning Charles III klinkt Kerst duidelijk als een christelijk feest. Hij spreekt openlijk over Jezus Christus en over de boodschap van liefde, nederigheid en dienstbaarheid die met Zijn geboorte verbonden is. Het geloof vormt bij hem een herkenbare en benoemde bron van hoop en richting voor het leven en de samenleving.
In Nederland kiest Koning Willem-Alexander bewust voor een andere toon. Zijn kerstboodschap benadrukt verbondenheid, zorg voor elkaar en hoop, maar zonder expliciete verwijzing naar Christus. Daarmee weerspiegelt hij een samenleving waarin velen Kerst vieren zonder het kerstverhaal nog te kennen of te delen. De waarden blijven zichtbaar, maar hun oors
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Kerst in een geseculariseerde samenleving – waar komt het licht vandaan?
Kerst is van oorsprong het feest van de geboorte van onze Heere Jezus Christus. Toch zien we dat Kerst in onze samenleving steeds vaker wordt beleefd als een algemeen moment van warmte, saamhorigheid en bezinning. Die verschuiving wordt zichtbaar wanneer we luisteren naar de kersttoespraken van Europese koningen.
Bij Koning Charles III klinkt Kerst duidelijk als een christelijk feest. Hij spreekt openlijk over Jezus Christus en over de boodschap van liefde, nederigheid en dienstbaarheid die met Zijn geboorte verbonden is. Het geloof vormt bij hem een herkenbare en benoemde bron van hoop en richting voor het leven en de samenleving.
In Nederland kiest Koning Willem-Alexander bewust voor een andere toon. Zijn kerstboodschap benadrukt verbondenheid, zorg voor elkaar en hoop, maar zonder expliciete verwijzing naar Christus. Daarmee weerspiegelt hij een samenleving waarin velen Kerst vieren zonder het kerstverhaal nog te kennen of te delen. De waarden blijven zichtbaar, maar hun oorsprong wordt niet meer benoemd.
De Zweedse koning Koning Carl XVI Gustaf bevindt zich tussen deze benaderingen. Kerst is bij hem vooral een moment van traditie, rust en dankbaarheid. Het christelijke karakter klinkt mee, maar vooral als cultureel erfgoed.
Deze verschillen roepen een wezenlijke vraag op voor ons als kerk: kunnen begrippen als naastenliefde, hoop en vrede blijvend betekenis houden als zij losraken van Christus zelf? De Bijbel wijst ons immers op de bron van dat licht:
“Het Licht schijnt in de duisternis, en de duisternis heeft het niet gegrepen.” (Johannes 1:5)
En ook:
“Heden is voor u de Zaligmaker geboren, namelijk Christus, de Heere, in de stad van David.” (Lukas 2:11)
Het kerstlicht dat wij vieren is geen abstract symbool, maar heeft een Naam gekregen. Juist in een geseculariseerde samenleving is Kerst daarom een uitnodiging om niet alleen de waarden te koesteren, maar ook de Bron te blijven benoemen. Om het kerstverhaal te blijven vertellen, in woord en in daad, zodat het licht niet alleen verwarmt, maar ook richting geeft.
Patriot
in reply to Patriot • •Guess who is not there?
The countries that signed the Abraham Accords: Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
[!upload-photo_2025-12-28_08-02-40.jpg]