“The government of Trinidad and Tobago said Monday that it would allow the U.S. military access to its airports in coming weeks as tensions build between the United States and Venezuela. The announcement comes after the U.S. military recently installed a radar system at the airport in Tobago. The Caribbean country’s government has said the radar is being used to fight local crime, and that the small nation would not be used as a launchpad to attack any other country. The U.S. would use the airports for activity that would be ‘logistical in nature, facilitating supply replenishment and routine personnel rotations,’ Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. It did not provide further details. Trinidad’s prime minister previously has praised ongoing U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.” (12/15/25)
“Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was taken to hospital after being beaten when she was arrested last week, her family says. The 53-year-old human rights activist told them in a phone call on Sunday that she was brought to an emergency department twice after being ‘attacked by plain clothed agents with severe and repeated baton blows to the head and neck’, according to the Narges Foundation. There was no comment from Iranian authorities, but they have said she was detained for making ‘provocative remarks’ at a memorial ceremony in the city of Mashhad on Friday. The Nobel Committee and award-winning film-maker Jafar Panahi are among those calling for her release. Ms Mohammadi, the vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for her activism against female oppression in Iran and promoting human rights.” (12/15/25)
“A near collision between a JetBlue commercial flight and US Air Force refuelling tanker near Venezuela is under review, US Southern Command told media on Monday. The passenger plane originating out of Curaçao halted its ascent in order to avoid hitting the military aircraft. The exact distance between the two planes remains unclear because the Air Force plane’s transponder – a device that transmits location information to air traffic controllers – was not on. JetBlue said in a statement to the BBC that its flight crew reported the incident to airline leadership and the carrier ‘will participate in any investigation’. The JetBlue plane was flying from Curacao, an island just off the coast of Venezuela, to New York.” (12/15/25)
“Spain’s government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros ($75 million) for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals, officials said Monday. The move is the latest government action in Spain against short-term rental companies such as Airbnb and Booking.com as the country grapples with a housing affordability problem, particularly in city centers. The consumer rights ministry said the rentals didn’t include license numbers — a requirement in many regions in Spain — or listed license numbers that didn’t match what authorities had. Other had incorrect information about hosts, it said. Airbnb said that it plans to challenge the fine in court.” (12/15/25)
“Prosecutors played audio recordings Monday as they tried to show jurors that a Wisconsin judge knew what was at stake last spring when she directed an immigrant to a private door while federal agents were in the courthouse to [abduct] the man. ‘I’ll get the heat,’ Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan told her court reporter as they discussed who would assist Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, according to courtroom audio. Dugan is on trial for obstruction and concealment, an extraordinary consequence of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. There is no dispute that Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz to leave her courtroom through a private door after telling immigration agents to speak with the chief judge about trying to [abduct] him.” (12/15/25)
“Inflation looks to be sapping some of Americans’ holiday cheer as they head out to buy gifts this Christmas season, according to the CNBC All-America Economic Survey. The survey found the high cost of goods has emerged as a major factor affecting how much shoppers spend and where they spend, suggesting inflation of the past several years and the rise in import goods prices from tariffs are being felt at the checkout counter. The survey of 1,000 people nationwide, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1%, found that the high cost of goods is the top reason Americans are spending less and, in a first for the survey, the main reason they are spending more. … Overall, 41% of Americans plan to spend less this year, with 42% saying they will spend about the same and 16% saying they will spend more.” (12/15/25)
“Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino will make a decision about his future at the bureau within the next few weeks, two sources familiar with his considerations tell Fox News. The sources deny recent reports that Bongino’s office at the FBI is empty, but they say his departure is a possibility in the near future. A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Bongino has not made any decisions about his future. Bongino’s tenure at the FBI has come under fire in recent weeks, alongside FBI Director Kash Patel. Earlier this month, a report from an alliance of active-duty and retired FBI personnel portrayed the bureau as directionless under its new leadership. Bongino and Patel pushed back on the report, however, defending sweeping reforms they say have delivered major gains in accountability and public safety.” (12/15/25)
“The European Union has adopted its latest package of sanctions, directly targeting companies and individuals accused of assisting Moscow in circumventing Western restrictions on oil exports. … Despite 19 previous rounds of sanctions, Russia has largely adapted to the measures, continuing to sell millions of barrels of oil to countries such as India and China, albeit at discounted rates. Much of this trade relies on a so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of vessels operating beyond the reach of the Western maritime industry. The new EU sanctions prohibit citizens of the bloc from conducting business with the newly listed entities and individuals. This move aims to significantly reduce their access to major shipping and insurance providers. In total, the EU has now sanctioned more than 2,600 individuals and companies.” (12/15/25)
“President Vladimir Putin is stalling efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, and is testing the West with tactics that fall ‘just below the threshold of war’, the head of Britain’s MI6 spy agency said Monday. Blaise Metreweli said Putin is ‘dragging out negotiations’ on stopping the conflict, and remains determined to ‘subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO members’. ‘We are now operating in a space between peace and war,’ Metreweli said of the wider global threat landscape in her first public speech since becoming chief of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency two months ago. Metreweli accused Moscow of sponsoring cyberattacks on other countries’ critical infrastructure, drone incursions around European airports, campaigns of arson, sabotage and disinformation, and ‘aggressive activities in our seas, above and below the waves’.” (12/15/25)
“President Trump’s advisers are furious with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) for starting an anti-abortion group to spur new action on the issue, which the White House views as a loser for Republicans in next year’s midterms. ‘Clearly, Senator Hawley and his political team learned nothing from the 2022 elections, when the SCOTUS abortion ruling [overturning Roe v. Wade] resuscitated the Democrats in the midterms,’ a close Trump adviser told Axios. Trump’s lieutenants believe the move by Hawley — a vocal populist who speaks up for the working class — is part of a plan to position himself to challenge Vice President Vance for the presidency in 2028.” (12/15/25)
