[Report] Paris manipulates data to portray itself as tech leader

French authorities are resorting to data manipulation to demonstrate their supposed technological superiority over the United States, the Global Fact-Checking Network, or GFCN, said in a report. "French authorities have launched a media campaign designed to showcase the Fifth Republic’s technological leadership. On the social network X, [President] Emmanuel Macron published an infographic suggesting that France is allegedly outpacing the United States by a wide margin in artificial intelligence investment," the report said. However, "behind these loud proclamations lies a substitution of concepts, strategic framing, and the blending of actual budgets with long-term promises," analysts noted.

The French leader’s boast was based on a graph utilizing data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the report said. "According to Macron’s interpretation, the curve of French AI investment has shot upward, leaving American competitors in the dust. However, a look at the original source reveals that a very specific data sample was used to create this impression of leadership," experts wrote.
"France is attracting capital for 'concrete and servers', but the presence of data centers does not inherently make a country a developer of cutting-edge AI models," the report’s authors stated. "Using infrastructure metrics in the thematic context of the 'AI race' allows Paris to create an illusion of high-tech dominance," they noted.

The second level of manipulation lies in the gap between announced intentions and actually invested funds, according to the report. "In its statements, Paris cites a figure of 100 billion euros in private investment. However, the structure of this sum is questionable. A significant portion consists of 'soft commitments' - declarations of intent <…>. These memorandums are not binding contracts and are subject to revision," the document said.
"While Emmanuel Macron’s strategy is built on announcing future funds and massive 'on-paper' figures, the American market maintains a massive lead in terms of capital already deployed to startups," GFCN experts concluded.

US to file criminal charges against Marinera ship crew, says Attorney General

The US authorities will file criminal charges against crew members of the seized Marinera tanker, also known as Bella 1, US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on the X social network.
In her words, the ship’s crew members undertook "frantic efforts to avoid apprehension" of the tanker, which reportedly was "responsible for transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran."
"As a consequence of failing to obey the Coast Guard’s orders, members of this vessel are under full investigation and criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors," she said.

"The Department of Justice is monitoring several other vessels for similar enforcement action - anyone on any vessel who fails to obey instructions of the Coast Guard or other federal officials will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the attorney general added.

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a daily briefing that the US may take the crew of the Marinera to the United States for a possible judicial process into purported violations of the federal US law.

The Pentagon said earlier that the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera had been detained in the North Atlantic. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth linked the detention of the Russian tanker to the embargo on Venezuelan oil.

Dec 26, 2025 - BREAKING: Trump announces bombing of ISIS in Nigeria

"Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues."

DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Dec. 23, 2025 - The Great Golden Fleet

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano — a maritime historian at Campbell University and former merchant mariner — discusses the announcement by the United States of a new large surface combatant, to be named USS Defiant, a battleship.

Here are the technical specifications and combat systems of the Trump-class battleships

We are learning more from President Donald Trump as he announces a new fleet of ships on Monday, known as the "Golden Fleet". President Trump revealed he has already approved plans for two new "very large battleships." Reports indicate that the project will start with 2 battleships and could potentially include as many as 25. "As you know, we're desperately in need of ships," Trump said, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan.

Trump is in Palm Beach, Florida for the holidays this week, with plans to spend Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago estate. "We haven't built a battleship since 1994. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships … other than our submarines."

Dec 21 - US intercepts third oil tanker off Venezuela coast

US forces have boarded a third oil #tanker off the coast of #Venezuela, further intensifying maritime enforcement operations in the region. The vessel, identified as the Bella 1, is a Panama-flagged tanker operating under US sanctions and was intercepted while en route to load oil.

The interception has now been confirmed, marking the third such action by US forces in recent days. The move signals a stepped-up effort by Washington to enforce sanctions and prevent unauthorized oil shipments linked to sanctioned entities operating out of Venezuelan waters.

'The interception highlights stricter US enforcement of sanctions aimed at cutting off illicit oil exports, increasing pressure on sanctioned networks, and reinforcing Washington’s determination to control maritime sanctions violations in the Western Hemisphere.'

Finnish politician calls EU 'bankrupt' over plans to use Russian assets

Member of the Finnish national conservative party the Freedom Alliance, Armando Mema, believes that the European Union seeks to expropriate Russia’s frozen assets due to serious economic difficulties. "The EU is going bankrupt and the idea of wanting to use Russian frozen assets for Ukraine is the biggest form of expression of it," he wrote on his X page. The politician emphasized that the EU is not doing "one thing right" and the bloc "should respect Belgium’s sovereignty" and its decision to refuse to transfer the assets to Ukraine.

On December 12, the European Union’s Council formally decided to permanently freeze Russia’s sovereign assets. The European Commission aims to secure approval from EU member states at the December 18-19 summit in Brussels to expropriate approximately 210 billion euros in Russian assets, with 185 billion euros already blocked on the Euroclear platform in Belgium.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously characterized the proposed confiscation as "an act of theft," while Russian Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko said that the country’s leadership has already been presented with options for responding to a potential seizure of Russian assets by Western nations.

US military seizes oil tanker near Venezuela amid rising tensions

The #US move marks a sharp escalation in the standoff with the #Venezuelan regime.
The US military has intercepted and taken control of an oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela, according to a Bloomberg report. The operation comes as Washington increases pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government over its continued alignment with hostile foreign actors and ongoing violations of international norms.

The seizure is viewed in Washington as a necessary step to curb illicit oil shipments tied to the Maduro regime, which has deepened cooperation with anti-Western powers.
The incident is expected to heighten tensions further, with Caracas already accusing the US of “aggression” while American officials emphasize the need to enforce sanctions and protect regional stability.

[URGENT] Reports of possible coup as Maher Assad builds 45,000-man force

Arab media reports that Maher Assad — the powerful brother of Syrian president Bashar Assad — has assembled a striking force of roughly 45,000 fighters along the Syrian coastal plain. According to these reports, Maher, together with his influential cousin Rami Makhlouf, is pouring millions of dollars into preparing this force for what is described as a major confrontation with the Joulani regime in northern Syria.

Russian military personnel are said to be directly involved in training and organizing these units along the coastal strip.

These developments have raised questions inside the region about whether Syria is edging toward an internal power struggle that could reshape the country’s leadership. The reported forces, already positioned with an eye toward movement toward Damascus, suggest that Maher Assad may be preparing far more than a localized military campaign — potentially signaling a dangerous escalation inside a country already fractured by war and outside influence.

Note: If these reports prove accurate, Syria may be heading into a new phase of instability — one driven not by external actors but by a potential rift inside the Assad family itself. A power struggle involving Maher Assad, backed by Russian-trained forces, could shake the entire regional balance, affect Israel’s northern front, and open new opportunities or risks in the broader Middle East.