🇻🇪💥 — First reactions from family members after learning that Venezuela has begun releasing political prisoners. Here, Sandra Castaño: her son has been imprisoned for more than six years.

👑👑❌🇮🇷🇮🇷 — In Qazvin, Northern Iran, a Basij militia member was knocked out by Monarchist Protesters

👑👑❌🇮🇷🇮🇷 — In Tehran, Supporters of the Iranian Monarchy raise the Lion and Sun flag, the symbol of the Pahlavi Dynasty

▶️#BREAKING

🇮🇷⚡️— By order of the Cyber Security Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the internet in Iran was not just cut off. It was completely shut down. Even the Iranian government's websites are offline!

🇩🇰🇬🇱🇩🇪🇫🇷❌🇺🇸⁉️— Danish politicians are calling on Germany and France to send their troops to protect Greenland from an American invasion.

🇫🇷🇪🇺 ❌🇧🇷🌐 — President Emmanuel Macron announces that France will vote NO on the European Union–Mercosur agreement.

“France has decided to vote against the signing of the agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries.

France is in favor of international trade, but the EU–Mercosur agreement is an agreement of another era, negotiated for too long on overly outdated foundations (1999 mandate).

While trade diversification is necessary, the economic gain of the EU–Mercosur agreement will be limited for French and European growth (+0.05% of EU GDP by 2040 according to the Commission).

It does not justify exposing sensitive agricultural sectors that are essential to our food sovereignty.

Since the announcement of the end of negotiations in December 2024, I have continued to mobilize for a fairer agreement in order to protect our farmers. On this basis, we have obtained concrete advances that must be acknowledged by the European Commission.

We had made three demands, which have evolved in the right direction:

1. We obtained a specific safeguard clause, an “emergency brake” on agricultural imports from Mercosur countries in the event of market destabilization in Europe, which can be activated in the event of only a 5% variation in prices and volumes of imported agricultural products, at the request of a single Member State or representatives of agricultural sectors.

This was a strong demand from agricultural unions. Safeguard measures, including the suspension of imports, can be imposed very quickly.

2. We obtained reciprocity measures on production conditions (mirror measures).

Our producers comply with the most ambitious standards in the world in terms of health, environment, and animal welfare. Imported products must be subject to the same conditions regarding pesticides, animal feed, or the use of antibiotics, so as not to unfairly compete with our farmers.

The Commission announced the implementation of this reciprocity for several pesticide substances that we have just banned in our national territory. This effort must be continued for all pesticides and animal feed.

These advances respond to a long-standing demand from our farmers.

3. There is no food security without controls: we obtained strengthened sanitary controls in Europe and veterinary and phytosanitary audits in third countries, in order to ensure that producers, notably from Mercosur, comply with our rules.

The establishment of a task force at the European Commission on the effectiveness of these controls foreshadows the European sanitary control force that France has long been requesting.

Several of these advances still need to be finalized; France will ensure this.

We have also obtained major commitments from the European Commission, confirmed during the agriculture meeting on January 7 in Brussels:

First, regarding the amount of direct CAP aid in the next multiannual budget of the European Union. An additional €45 billion will be accessible from 2028 onward, in addition to the nearly €294 billion secured for direct agricultural income support.

On this basis, France will have the means to guarantee the maintenance of the current aid envelope in its national agricultural plan until 2034.

Second, regarding fertilizers, there will be no price increase linked to the carbon border tax of the Union.

Despite these undeniable advances, it must be stated that there is a unanimous political rejection of the agreement, as clearly shown by recent debates in the National Assembly and the Senate.

In this context, France will vote against the signing of the agreement.

The signing stage of the agreement does not constitute the end of the story.

I will continue to fight for the full and concrete implementation of the commitments obtained from the European Commission and to protect our farmers.

At the European level, the priority today remains to accelerate our agenda of protection, competitiveness, and investment.”

Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) 🖇

🇪🇺🇺🇸🇬🇱🇺🇦— Europe may give Trump Greenland in exchange for Ukraine’s security — Politico

➡️According to a European diplomat, a potential deal scenario is being discussed in which the United States would receive Greenland, while the European Union would provide security guarantees and continued support for Kyiv.

➡️At the same time, Reuters reports that in France and several other EU countries, Trump’s actions regarding the island are increasingly viewed as inevitable.

🇹🇷🚢— A drone attacked another oil tanker off the coast of Turkey — media reports

➡️Off the coast of Turkey’s Kastamonu province, the oil tanker Elbus was attacked by a drone. The vessel sustained damage to the upper part of its hull, but the crew was not injured.

➡️The tanker is currently being towed to the port of İnebolu for inspection and damage assessment. The circumstances of the attack are under investigation.

👑👑❌🇮🇷🇮🇷 — Video transmited via Starlink by Iranian Journalist Ilia Hashemi shows large protests at the Imam Hossein Square at the Holy City of Yazd, with Regime banners being burned by protesters

🇨🇳🇺🇸⚡️— China hacked the emails of US Congress staff members — Financial Times

➡️Chinese intelligence, through the “Salt Typhoon” cyber campaign, gained access to the emails of staff members from key US congressional committees, as well as to calls and messages of government officials. The intrusions were discovered in December.

➡️The United States acknowledged vulnerabilities in its networks but postponed sanctions against China’s Ministry of State Security due to diplomatic considerations. China has denied the accusations.

🇺🇦🇺🇸⚡️— The document on security guarantees for Ukraine is essentially ready to be finalized at the highest level with Trump, Zelensky said

🇺🇸🛢️🇻🇪⚡️— American oil companies do not want to invest in Venezuela without strong guarantees from the US — Financial Times

➡️The publication reports that companies are concerned about political risks, sanctions, and the unpredictability of Trump’s decisions. Washington is willing to ease restrictions and attract businesses, but companies are demanding solid legal and financial protections.

➡️Without such guarantees, large-scale investments in Venezuelan oil are considered unlikely.

🇻🇪🛢️⚡️— Venezuela is an energy power, and this reality has created serious problems, said Acting President of Venezuela, Rodríguez

➡️She added that statements about drugs, democracy, and human rights have been used as pretexts to achieve one real goal — control over Venezuelan oil.

➡️This reflects her criticism of the United States’ actions and rhetoric, saying that what she describes as “energy greed” is driving external pressure and interest in Venezuela’s vast oil resources.

🇷🇺❌🇺🇦— Air raid sirens are sounding across Ukraine right now.

👑❌🇮🇷📺 — Anti-Regime Iranian protesters have set fire to the Islamic Republic Regime’s state TV (IRIB) building in Boostan Saadi Boulevard of Isfahan, the country’s third-largest city.

This was confirmed by BBC Persian

Over the past hour, Tasnim News and FARS News Agency have been trying to say that NOTHING was happening in Isfahan, ironically

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇬🇧— US Coast Guard showed footage of the pursuit and capture of the tanker “Mariner”

➡️The vessel was sailing under the Russian flag and was detained outside territorial waters, which, according to Russia’s Ministry of Transport, violates the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

➡️The United States claims the tanker was stopped for violating American sanctions under a federal court order, with assistance from the United Kingdom.

🇪🇺🇺🇸⚡️— European politicians are preparing for a direct confrontation with Trump — Politico

➡️Trump’s rhetoric regarding the Arctic island has ended any remaining complacency in Brussels, where officials are now attempting to define “red lines” and possible countermeasures.

“We must be ready for a direct confrontation with Trump,” one EU diplomat said.

🇺🇸⚠️❗️ — A United States Air Force (USAF) KC-135 Stratotanker flying over Basra, Southern Iraq, declared emergency midair

🇩🇰🇺🇸🇬🇱— Denmark will first shoot and then ask questions in the event of a US invasion of Greenland — The Telegraph

➡️Denmark’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that a rule dating back to 1952 remains in force: if foreign troops invade the territory, Danish soldiers must immediately open fire without waiting for further orders.

➡️The statement followed renewed US interest in Greenland. The rule specifically concerns the defense of Greenland itself and is still valid today.