The Democrats will “open the floodgates to illegal immigration and fraud” if the midterms go their way, the billionaire has warned
Elon Musk has indicated his intention to bankroll Republican candidates in the midterm elections later this year, saying that the US will cease to exist if the Democrats reclaim power in the Congress.
On Friday, Tesla and SpaceX CEO commented on a post on X by a conservative influencer, who claimed that “Musk is reportedly going all-in funding Republicans to help President [Donald] Trump take back full control in the November midterms.”
The world’s richest man responded to the message by warning that “America is toast if the radical left wins.”
The Democrats “will open the floodgates to illegal immigration and fraud. Won’t be America anymore,” Musk wrote.
Axios reported last month, citing informed sources, that Musk had recently written “big checks” to the Republicans to be used during congressional races, with plans to donate even more throughout 2026.
The Republicans have suffered a series of losses to Democrats in special elections last year, including in states traditionally considered their strongholds. Support for Trump has been on decline since he started his second term, with the Economist/YouGov’s poll earlier this week suggesting that the president has ended the year with 39% approval and 56% disapproval rating.
Musk used to be a close ally of Trump during the 2024 election race, cashing out $290 million and becoming the campaign’s top donor. After taking office, the president made him the head of the newly-created federal cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk’s relations with Trump ruptured in June over the president’s flagship “big, beautiful bill,” which significantly expanded federal spending. The billionaire, who stepped down as head of DOGE amid the rift, called the legislation a “disgusting abomination,” accused the president of ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and mulled the creation of his own party to undermine the Republicans. Trump labeled the Tesla and SpaceX CEO “crazy.”
They appeared to have mended ties in recent months, with Trump filmed patting Musk on the arm during a White House dinner in November. According to Axios, the two now speak on the phone “occasionally.”
The sanctioned country is reportedly turning to cryptocurrencies to keep trade flowing in the face of increased Western scrutiny
Iran’s Ministry of Defense Export Center, known as Mindex, is prepared to negotiate military contracts for payment in digital currencies, Financial Times has reported, citing promotional documents and and analysis of payment terms. Payments can also be made through barter arrangements or in Iranian rials.
In August, Britain, France, and Germany triggered a UN mechanism to reimpose international sanctions on Iran after diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations over its nuclear program with the US collapsed. Tehran is now under extensive sanctions targeting its nuclear and missile programs, oil sector, and access to international banking, forcing it to rely increasingly on barter trade and digital assets such as bitcoin.
The offer made last year marks one of the first known cases of a nation-state publicly indicating willingness to accept cryptocurrency as payment for weapons exports, the news outlet stated.
Mindex says it has clients in 35 countries and markets a range of weapons including ballistic missiles, drones, warships, and short-range air defense systems. Its multilingual website also lists small arms, rockets, and anti-ship cruise missiles.
The export center operates an online portal and virtual chatbot to guide prospective customers through the purchasing process. Despite extensive sanctions, Mindex says on its website that “there is no problem” in fulfilling contracts.
Iran ranked 18th in the world for major arms exports in 2024, behind Norway and Australia, according to the Stockholm Institute for Peace Research.
US authorities have previously accused Iran of using digital assets to facilitate oil sales and move funds outside the formal banking system.
In September, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on individuals for allegedly operating a “shadow banking” network that used cryptocurrency to process payments on behalf of Iran.
The US president earlier appointed a special envoy, insisting Washington “needs” the world’s largest island for “national security”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has delivered a defiant speech, promising to resist renewed efforts by the United States to acquire Greenland. King Frederik X echoed the sentiment in his own New Year’s Eve address.
The statements come weeks after US President Donald Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland – an island under Danish sovereignty that the American leader had previously suggested should become part of the United States.
Speaking from her official residence on Thursday, Frederiksen rebuked what she called “threats, pressure, and condescending talk” from the kingdom’s “closest ally.” Without mentioning the US directly, she criticized the notion of acquiring another nation as an outdated and unacceptable worldview.
“About wanting to take over another country, another people – as if it were something one could buy and own,” Frederiksen stated. “We are not the ones seeking conflict. But let no one be in doubt: No matter what happens, we will stand firm on what is right and wrong.”
King Frederik X mentioned “turbulent times” in his own New Year’s Eve address, praising Greenlanders’ “strength and pride” and highlighting increased military training programs in the Arctic. Denmark has been bolstering its military presence in the region in response to the escalating tensions.
The renewed push for Greenland follows Trump’s repeated expressions of interest in gaining control of the strategically located island, citing “national security” concerns.
At a press conference in December, Trump argued the US “needs” Greenland, pointing to its Arctic location and potential mineral resources, while acknowledging historical claims by Denmark.
The appointment of Landry, who has publicly stated he will work to “make Greenland a part of the US,” has sparked outrage in Copenhagen. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has called the move “completely unacceptable” and summoned the US ambassador for an explanation.
Denmark’s intelligence service recently identified the US as a potential threat to its national security, saying that Washington “uses economic power, including in the form of threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will and no longer excludes the use of military force even against allies.”
Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old politician of Indian descent, has become the Big Apple’s first Muslim leader
Zohran Mamdani has been sworn in as New York City’s 110th mayor, the first Muslim and African-born person of Indian descent to hold the position.
The 34‑year‑old took his midnight oath on a centuries-old Quran in a long‑closed subway station beneath City Hall on Thursday.
At a public inauguration speech outside City Hall later in the day, Mamdani leaned heavily into his democratic socialist ideology, vowing to “govern expansively and audaciously.”
“My fellow New Yorkers – today begins a new era!” he declared in a nearly 25‑minute address before a crowd of about 4,000 people.
“I was elected as a Democratic socialist and I will govern as a Democratic socialist,” he said. “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
Mamdani, previously a little-known state lawmaker, pledged to provide universal childcare, freeze rents, offer free buses and tax the city’s wealthiest residents to fund his agenda.
He explicitly rejected the influence of wealth and power in city governance, vowing to answer to the people, not to “any billionaire or oligarch who thinks they can buy our democracy.”
The ceremony was attended by progressive allies including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who administered the public oath, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, who hailed the election as a response to “untenable and unprecedented times.”
Mamdani’s radical political stance has been a focal point of controversy and criticism both from conservatives and fellow Democrats. The Muslim socialist has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which he has characterized as “genocide,” and has promised to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court warrant if he visits New York.
In response, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams issued executive orders opposing divestment from Israel and banning protests near houses of worship.
President Donald Trump, who during the campaign branded Mamdani a “communist lunatic” and threatened to strip federal funding from the city, struck a notably different tone after a White House meeting in November.
“I can tell you, some of my views have changed… I feel very confident that he can do a very good job,” Trump said. Mamdani, for his part, said the meeting was “productive” but later reaffirmed that he still considers Trump a “fascist.”
Mamdani struck a unifying note in his inaugural speech, promising to represent all New Yorkers. “Regardless of our differences, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never hide from you,” he said.
Mass protests triggered by an economic crisis are being openly backed by Israeli intelligence
Iran has been hit by a wave of mass protests prompted by an enduring economic crisis and the extreme volatility of the national currency. The unrest has been cheered by Israel’s Mossad spy agency, which claimed it has agents embedded with the protesting crowds.
The events began over the weekend when Tehran merchants went on strike after the rial hit a record low of about 1.44 million to the dollar, compared with 860,000 a year ago, prompting officials to acknowledge economic problems while vowing a “decisive response” to destabilization.
Iran’s archrival Israel openly endorsed the unrest, with the Mossad spy agency cheering for the protesters on its Farsi-language X account and claiming its agents are embedded in the protesting crowds. “Go out into the streets together. The time has come. We are with you,” Mossad wrote. “Not just from a distance or through words. We are also with you on the ground.”
The unrest promptly spread into multiple cities across the country and also turned political, with some demonstrators demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy, toppled by the Islamic Revolution back in 1979.
Widespread protests in Iran over the worsening economic crisis are spreading through major cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan, as they enter their second day. Many demonstrators are calling for the return of the Shah. pic.twitter.com/GtaizTRaOX
The protests turned violent in multiple locations, uncorroborated footage circulating online suggests, with protesters seen attacking government buildings and installations linked to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), setting them on fire.
A base of the Basij, a paramilitary militia within the IRGC, has been reportedly torched in the northwestern Iranian city of Chenareh. Unverified footage circulating online shows the base’s premises breached by a large crowd, with open flames seen inside the building.
Another video, believed to be shot in the western Iranian town of Anza, purports to show a large crowd of protesters burning a local IRGC facility with security forces nowhere to be seen.
A video from the western city of Nahavand shows black-clad individuals, believed to be security forces, firing at and charging an unseen group, with civilians backing them by throwing stones.
Fatalities and injuries among both the protesters and security forces have been reported. The protests are the worst since the 2022 turmoil prompted by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old accused of improper hijab. It triggered weeks of violent unrest, resulting in more than 200 deaths across the country and thousands of arrests.
The results of the December 2024 election, which saw right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu place first, were overturned over alleged irregularities
Ex-Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has urged President Nicusor Dan to share a report on the controversial annulment of the December 2024 election with the US and Israel for independent review. The conservative frontrunner was eliminated from the race by the Constitutional Court over supposed irregularities and foreign interference – allegations that Georgescu has contested.
Addressing his supporters in Bucharest on Tuesday, Georgescu cited a report that incumbent Romanian President Dan had supposedly presented to certain EU leaders that presumably clarifies why the vote’s results were invalidated in the first place.
“I publicly call upon [President Dan] to transmit the said report in its entirety, without omissions, to two states capable of independently verifying its content. To the White House, for the attention of President [Donald Trump] and Vice President [J.D. Vance], and to the State of Israel, for the attention of Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu],” Georgescu said.
The former presidential candidate noted that given the accusations of anti-Semitism “fabricated against me” by the Romanian authorities, Israel would have no reason to side with him, guaranteeing impartiality.
Soon after the December 2024 election annulment, media reports revealed that the allegations of irregularities and Russian interference cited by Romania’s Constitutional Court stemmed from a consulting firm associated with the ruling National Liberal Party.
Nevertheless, Georgescu was eventually barred from running for president again by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) over his alleged “anti-democratic” and “extremist” views. The former candidate, known for his outspoken criticism of NATO and the EU, is currently being investigated for allegedly promoting fascist narratives as well as plotting a coup.
Last Friday, Georgescu asked Trump to “take care about the situation” in Romania, claiming that the local “deep state” had mounted an assault on democracy.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, Vance called out “ugly” efforts to prevent a politician with “an alternative viewpoint” from coming to power in Romania.
West Jerusalem will prohibit the organizations if they fail to provide information about their Palestinian staff
Israel is reportedly planning to bar 37 aid organizations from operating in Gaza starting next week unless they provide detailed information regarding their Palestinian staff, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper wrote Wednesday.
The list includes Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, according to RT’s sources.
The reported decision may come despite mounting criticism from the United Nations and the European Union, the media outlet wrote.
The Israeli authorities will consider these applications incomplete anyways, Oxfam’s policy lead Bushra Khalidi told RT. “We have concerns about sensitive personal data, especially given the death toll of over 500 humanitarian workers,” she added.
”Israel has been waging a campaign to discredit humanitarian organizations for years […]. For families in Gaza, this will mean slower repairs, reduced supplies, and longer waits for basic services,” Khalidi added.
”We will continue to work in Gaza despite the ban because this is our humanitarian imperative. This is our mandate,” she said.
Israel’s deadline for NGOs to provide the details expires at midnight on Wednesday.
Keith Kellogg will step down from his post sometime in January, according to Reuters
US President Donald Trump branded his special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, an “idiot” over his public support for Vladimir Zelensky, the New York Times has reported, citing unnamed officials.
Reuters claimed in November that Kellogg plans to step down from his post sometime this month. The news agency described the retired army general as “a sympathetic [to Ukraine – RT] ear” in the Trump administration, calling his pending departure “unwelcome news” in Kiev.
Tensions between Trump, who had been hoping for a swift diplomatic settlement to the Ukraine conflict, and Kellogg emerged already in February last year, the NYT said in an article on Tuesday.
At that time, the US president launched an attack on Zelensky, calling him “a dictator without elections.” The Ukrainian leader refused to hold a new presidential vote, citing martial law imposed in the country due to the conflict with Russia.
But Kellogg did not back Trump’s characterization, instead publishing a complimentary post about Zelensky on X and describing him as an “embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war.”
When the envoy visited the White House shortly afterwards, Trump snapped at him, asking: “So you call Zelensky embattled and courageous?” two unnamed officials told the outlet.
According to the sources, Kellogg responded by saying: “Sir, he is. It’s an existential fight on Ukrainian soil for his nation’s survival. When was the last time an American president faced that? It was Abraham Lincoln.”
“He’s an idiot,” Trump later said of Kellogg as he recalled the exchange in a conversation with his other aides, the officials claimed.
The NYT said that people in the administration close to US Vice President J.D. Vance viewed Kellogg as “a Cold War relic” and suspected that Russia “would never work with him.” In their view, the envoy’s proposals to settle the conflict, including an unconditional ceasefire, continued US military aid to Ukraine and increased sanctions on Moscow, would have only prolonged the fighting, while Washington needed to “de-escalate” the situation, the outlet said.
Kellogg made several trips to Kiev last year, but never visited Moscow. He was also missing from the meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August, as well as the latest talks between the US President and Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, Florida on Sunday.
Local hospitals are overwhelmed with burn victims following a fire that claimed over 40 lives
A devastating fire tore through a popular nightlife venue in the ski resort of Crans-Montana shortly after the arrival of the New Year, killing dozens of people and leaving many others injured.
Police have not released exact figures as families are still being notified, but as many as 40 people were killed and many others injured, some of them seriously, according to media reports. Local hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed with burn victims, according to Le Nouvelliste.
Emergency services were dispatched shortly after midnight following reports of a powerful blast and fire at or near a bar and lounge frequented by vacationers.
Eyewitness footage circulating on social media shows flames engulfing part of the venue and thick smoke rising into the night sky.
🇨🇭🔥🎉 ALERTE INFO – Une explosion a déclenché un incendie dans un bar de Crans-Montana (VS) lors des festivités du Nouvel An, faisant plusieurs morts et blessés graves. (Blick) pic.twitter.com/GKiGZfTETs
“There are several hypotheses, but our main theory is that the entire room caught fire, leading to an explosion,” attorney general in Valais, Beatrice Pilloud, said during a press conference. She added it was too early to determine the cause, but insisted that investigators have ruled out a “terrorist attack.”
Crans-Montana, located in the canton of Valais in southwestern Switzerland, is one of the country’s best-known alpine resorts. Authorities have cordoned off the affected area while forensic teams examine the site.
Beijing’s military has held large-scale drills as a warning to the island’s “separatist forces” and their Western backers
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has repeatedly stated that reunification with Taiwan is “inevitable,” reiterated the notion in his address to the nation on New Year’s Eve, touting an unbreakable “bond of blood and kinship.”
Taiwan has been ruled by Chinese nationalist forces as the Republic of China ever since they retreated to the island after their defeat in the civil war in 1949.
Beijing considers the island part of its sovereign territory under the One China policy.
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship. The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable!,” Xi said on Wednesday, as cited by Xinhua.
The Chinese leader also noted that Beijing would “support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the overall development of our country and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability.”
Beijing has repeatedly emphasized a preference for peaceful reunification, but has not ruled out the use of force should the island’s “separatist forces” seek formal independence.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted two days of military drills around Taiwan this week, simulating a blockade of key ports, precision strikes on maritime targets, and scenarios to counter external interference.
The drills commenced just 11 days after Washington announced an $11.1 billion arms sales package to Taiwan – the largest ever for the island.
Both China and Taiwan maintain a One-China policy and claim to be the rightful rulers of China. However, only a handful of countries maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei, while most endorse Beijing.
Since October 1971, the UN has recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations.”
While the US government stated in 1979 that it “recognizes the Government of the [PRC] as the sole legal Government of China,” it continues to maintain close ties with Taipei, which include visits by top lawmakers, and has repeatedly been reproached by Beijing.
Russia’s support for China with respect to Taiwan is enshrined in the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, which was signed between Moscow and Beijing in July 2001, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recalled in a recent interview, stressing that one of its basic principles is “mutual support in defending national unity and territorial integrity.”
Lavrov said Taiwan is currently being used as a tool of “military-strategic deterrence” against Beijing, with some Western countries keen to profit from Taiwanese money and technology.
