“Today we have succeeded where so many others have failed,” US President Donald Trump declared jubilantly as the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed a peace agreement earlier this month which, according to White House calculations, marked the eighth war ended singlehandedly by the US leader.

However, across the Atlantic, the term “peace” remains elusive in many parts of the African continent, including the DRC.

Instead of celebrating the agreement signed on December 4, people in eastern DRC remained sheltered in their homes, gripped by fear of what to expect next, as animosities continue.

In the week following the peace agreement, more than 500,000 people were displaced across the region, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Rwanda-backed forces continue offensive in DRC

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Restive times despite ‘peace’

“The signing [of the peace deal] triggered renewed fighting between rebels and DRC defense forces. The result was the rebels taking control of new territories, including the city of Uvira,” an anonymous source from a humanitarian organization operating in the DRC told DW. On Tuesday, reports indicated that M23 fighters were preparing to withdraw from the strategic city, following a request from US mediators.

“It seems more like a political agreement based on the result of American pressure than a real peace process or agreement,” the aid worker added.

But the DRC isn’t the only place where Trump’s rhetoric about ending wars and establishing order seems to be smoke and mirrors.

Thousands of people have been displaced in recent days amid clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border, despite a truce mediated by TrumpImage: Suy Se/AFP/Getty Images

Following a peace ceremony sponsored by the White House in October, more than half a million people have fled renewed border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, which also held on the other side of the hemisphere, with reports on the ground pointing to continued clashes despite reassurances issued by the Trump White House to the contrary.

Violations of the ceasefire terms between Israel and Hamas have also been recorded in recent weeks, and Trump’s perception of the US’s role in the brief war between Israel and Iran earlier this year reflects the Islamic Republic’s lack of military capabilities to retaliate against Israel  rather than a true peace initiative of sorts.

Rescheduling battles and postponing clashes

Of the eight wars that Trump claims to have ended, two were not even real conflicts at all: There was no state of war between Egypt and Ethiopia nor between Serbia and Kosovo . Those ‘conflicts’ were merely diplomatic disagreements.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict explained (Oct. 2023)

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Elsewhere, even Trump allies seem to be distancing themselves from his sphere of influence: Regarding the tensions between India and Pakistan, New Delhi seeks to reduce US involvement, while Pakistan continues to woo Trump’s administration.

The only conflict, which the Trump administration can demonstrably say it helped solve, is the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where the US’ proactive involvement effectively led to the ending of tension that lasted for almost 40 years.

“What he calls peace were mostly temporary pauses, normalization deals, or press-conference victories that ignored the root causes of conflict,” Medea Benjamin, founder of the US-based anti-war group Code Pink, said. “These were not durable peace agreements but short-term political fixes that postponed rather than prevented renewed war,” he told DW.

Not all that glitters is gold

As a man with a penchant for gold, Trump’s desire to go down in history as the fifth US president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize is no secret.

However, historian Theo Zenou argued that a greater force drives the president’s efforts during his second term at the White House: his “desire to be acclaimed worldwide as a great leader.”

“He knows there is nothing loftier than being thought of as a peacemaker. However, he doesn’t want to do the hard work of being a peacemaker, which involves overseeing lengthy processes of reconciliations between warring nations,” Zenou told DW.

Eugenio Costa Almeida, a researcher at the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-UL), said that there is a tactic to Trump’s role as a diplomat which goes beyond the dimension of personal prestige, operating “at the intersection of geopolitical strategy, economic interests, and a logic of personal and electoral leadership affirmation.”

‘America First,’ rest of the world second

However, Costa Almeida also noted that the US leader is failing to make that difficult intersection work effectively, stressing that the proliferation of peace initiatives promoted by Trump excludes key actors in the conflicts.

In the case of the DRC, he highlights that the M23 rebel group was completely left out of the peace deal, having signed a tentative agreement with the DRC government in Qatar months earlier.

For Benjamin, Trump’s peacebuilding efforts have little to do with a genuine interest in healing a fragmented world; rather, they reflect the overt desires of his political supporters.

Trump’s peace deals could mean a reduction in foreign aid spending — a key pledge from his 2024 re-election campaignImage: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

By appearing to end these conflicts abroad, the US President gets to live up to the “America First” slogan which got him elected by his MAGA supporters in the first place, allowing Trump to justify turning off military, development and other financial aid to foreign lands, Benjamin explained.

Peace as a tool of coercion

But then there is still the issue of the war at home: America’s increasingly hegemonic competition withChina.

According to the recently presented National Security Strategy Plan, combating China’s power on the international stage is now one of the US government’s top priorities.

The signing of so-called peace agreements left, right and center allows Trump to “assert global leadership, and position the United States as an indispensable mediator at a time when China is expanding its diplomatic and economic influence in Africa, as well as in other regions,” said Costa Almeida.

“Competition between global powers, especially for access to strategic resources such as critical minerals and rare earth minerals such as those in the DRC, suggests that reducing the sphere of influence of rivals such as China may be an underlying factor,” he added.

Historian Theo Zenou says Donald Trump’s desire to become recognized as a peacemaker is largely driven by his egoImage: Theodora Silver

Zenou pointed out that Trump is willing to use “all means acceptable to him” to achieve his — and the US’ — goals, saying he would not hesitate to resort to “coercion or bullying to get what he wants.”

Thus, the agreements facilitated by Trump might just serve the primary purpose among the unwitting participant nations “to curry favor with [Trump], and to secure lower tariffs or closer cooperation with the US on economic and security matters.”

Edited by: Sertan Sanderson

SOURCE PAGE

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Get our free Inside Washington email

Donald Trump has indicated he is considering an executive order to reclassify cannabis, a move that could significantly reshape the US cannabis industry, ease criminal penalties, and unlock substantial research funding.

The potential shift would represent one of the most significant federal changes to cannabis policy in decades, reducing oversight to the level of common prescription drugs and potentially opening doors long closed to banks and investors.

“We are looking at that very strongly,” Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, responding to reports of his intention to direct federal health and law enforcement agencies to treat cannabis as a Schedule III drug.

He added: “A lot of people want to see it – the reclassification – because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify.”

Currently, under the US Controlled Substances Act, cannabis is listed as a Schedule I substance, alongside drugs like heroin and ecstasy.

This classification implies a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, despite many local authorities permitting its medical or recreational use.

open image in gallery

Reclassifying cannabis would potentially lower criminal penalties and open up the potential for research (AP)

A shift to Schedule III would place it alongside common prescription drugs such as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and testosterone.

Such a reclassification promises to reduce federal oversight, potentially lowering taxes and making it considerably easier for cannabis producers to secure vital funding.

Federal restrictions currently deter most banks and institutional investors, forcing companies to rely on costly loans or alternative lenders.

Initial reports of Mr Trump’s potential move to loosen federal restrictions on the psychoactive drug saw cannabis-related company stocks rise.

However, US-listed cannabis-linked stocks, including Canopy Growth, Organigram Global, SNDL, Aurora Cannabis, Trulieve Cannabis, and Tilray Brands, closed down between 4 per cent and 13 per cent on Monday.

Despite this, their values remain higher than before the reclassification reports first emerged last week.

A spokesperson for Aurora Cannabis told Reuters: “Should the US move to reclassify cannabis – we see this as a meaningful step forward for the global industry and one that must also come with smart regulation.”

Trulieve Cannabis declined to comment, while others did not immediately respond.

A White House official stated on Friday that “no final decisions have been made on the rescheduling of marijuana”.

This development follows the Biden administration’s request last year for the Department of Health and Human Services to review cannabis’s classification, which subsequently recommended a move to Schedule III.

The final decision now rests with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

SOURCE PAGE

I love spoiling my dog with treats and toys all year, but that holds especially true for Christmas. If, like me, you often wait until the last minute to grab gifts for every person (and pet) on your list, there’s still time to make sure they have enough treats, toys, and accessories under the Christmas tree.  

PetSmart makes this easier than ever with its large selection of dog toys like Lamb Chop and Kong Reindeer, delicious holiday-themed treats from Bocce’s and Blue Buffalo, and festive accessories like collars, bandanas, and harnesses. Shop the 10 picks that I’m snagging for my dog while prices start at just $4. 

PetSmart Dog Christmas Gifts

• Holiday Lamb Chop, $7 
• Merry & Bright Gingerbread Crinkle Dog Toy, $5
• Bocce’s Bakery Snowman Snack Soft and Chewy Dog Treats, $4 (orig. $8)
• Holiday Keepsake: Holiday Paw Print Ornament, $10 
• Merry & Bright Trees Vest Harness, $20 
• Merry & Bright Buffalo Bandana, $4 (orig. $8) 
• Crunchy Biscuits: Blue Buffalo Santa Snack Biscuit Dog Treats, $5 (orig. $6)
• Durable Dog Toy: Kong Holiday Cozie Reindeer, $17
• PetSmart Charities Holiday Chance & Friends Dog Toy, $5
• Merry & Bright Presents Holiday Dog Collar, $13 

Kong Holiday Cozie Reindeer

Petsmart

Kong is known for being a durable pet toy brand, and this fluffy reindeer is no exception. The long arms and legs make it a great option for play fetch and tug of war with your dog, and the crunchy texture under the arms and squeaker sound provide extra stimulation with pets. It’s available in three sizes, making it a great pick for any breed. 

Holiday Lamb Chop

Petsmart

I have yet to meet a dog who doesn’t love a classic Lamb Chop toy, and this one has a Santa hat with snowflake details that make for a festive Christmas gift. While the soft, fluffy exterior is great for snuggling, the squeaker inside creates a fun experience for dogs to enjoy, too.  

Merry & Bright Buffalo Bandana

Petsmart

While I love dressing up my dog in a holiday sweater, I recognize that it isn’t always the most comfortable option for her. This year, I’m opting for this simple bandana that she can wear all day instead. The bandana is on sale in three sizes, has a red and black buffalo print, and easily ties around the neck. 

Bocce’s Bakery Snowman Snack Soft and Chewy Dog Treats

Petsmart

My dog is always begging for treats, which is why I make a point to snag a couple bags as a Christmas gift each year. Bocce’s is one of my go-to brands for tasty cookies that my dog always loves, and this chicken and pumpkin recipe is sure to be a new favorite. Since they’re currently on sale for $4 per bag, I’m stocking to make sure I never run out. 

Keep scrolling through to shop for more Christmas gifts for dogs from PetSmart. 

Merry & Bright Presents Holiday Dog Collar

Petsmart

Merry & Bright Gingerbread Crinkle Dog Toy

Petsmart

Holiday Paw Print Ornament

Petsmart

SOURCE PAGE

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 03:49 EST, 16 December 2025 | Updated: 05:38 EST, 16 December 2025

British families must be prepared to send their sons and daughters to war against Russia, the head of the military has warned. 

In a stark message, Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said ‘more people’ needed to be ready to take up arms to protect the country. 

He explained that although the chances of a direct Russian attack on UK soil remain remote, that ‘does not mean the chances are zero’.

Sir Richard called for schools to encourage children to take up jobs in the arms industry and said more British families will ‘know what sacrifice for our nation means’. 

His comments come just days Mark Rutte, secretary general of the NATO alliance, predicted that Europe is Vladimir Putin’s next target. 

Mr Rutte urged NATO states, such as Britain, to switch to a ‘wartime mindset’ and warned too many countries are ‘quietly complacent’.   

Meanwhile, armed forces minister Al Carns said the country was on a ‘war footing’ and warned that the ‘shadow of war was at Europe’s door’.

He said: ‘The shadow of war is knocking on Europe’s door and that war could be bigger and bloodier than what we have experienced in recent times. 

In a stark message, Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton (pictured) said ‘more people’ needed to be ready to take up arms to protect the country

Europe has been warned that it may be Vladimir Putin’s next target 

Speaking at a Royal United Services Institute event in Westminster last night, Sir Richard called on civilians to help build national resilience to ensure the UK functions in a crisis.

He said: ‘Every day the UK is subject to an onslaught of cyber attacks from Russia and we know that Russian agents are seeking to conduct sabotage and have killed on our shores. 

‘But Russia’s hard power is growing quickly.’

As a result of increased defence spending and the experiences in Ukraine, Russia has a ‘massive, increasingly technically sophisticated, and now, highly combat-experienced, military,’ he added.

Setting out the ‘whole of society’ effort needed to respond to the increasingly dangerous situation in Europe, the Chief of the Defence Staff said: ‘First, it means more people being ready to fight for their country.’

That meant not just regular forces, but an increase in the reserves and cadets, he said.

The ‘painfully slow’ pace of private investment in the defence industry also needed to accelerate. 

Armed Forces minister Al Carns (pictured) said the country was on a ‘war footing’ and warned that the ‘shadow of war was at Europe’s door’

‘Building this industrial capacity also means we need more people who leave schools and universities to join that industry,’ he said.

‘So, we need defence and political leaders to explain the importance of the industry to the nation, and we need schools and parents to encourage children and young adults to take up careers in the industry.’

Sir Richard added: ‘Sons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans will all have a role to play. To build. To serve. 

‘And if necessary, to fight. And more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means.’

The Government announced earlier this year that UK defence and security spending would rise to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035 at the latest.

Sir Richard said: ‘Our objective must be to avoid war, but the price of maintaining peace is rising.

‘Unless we can explain the risks, we can’t expect decision makers in government or society more broadly to pay that price.’

Share or comment on this article:
More British families will ‘know what sacrifice means’ as country prepares for war with Russia 

SOURCE PAGE

Hero veteran Warren Howell says it is important to remember the victims and the soldiers who took their own lives, because they unable to live with the horrors they saw

War veteran Warren Howell says Bosnia was ‘beyond anything you could imagine’(Image: Supplied)

It is literally the stuff of nightmares. Hero veteran Warren Howell is still haunted by the horrifying sight of three women cuddled together, whose throats had been slit in Bosnia.

The young man was a UN peacekeeper sent to secure the village of Stupni Do, the scene of an ‘ethnic cleansing’ massacre. In nearby woods there was a pregnant woman tied to a tree and shot dead, while other victims were burned alive.

“I can still remember the smell of rotted burnt flesh,” he told the Mirror. “It is beyond anything you could imagine”. Warren attended The Royal British Legion’s Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum at the weekend as December marks 30 years since the end of the Bosnian war.

Warren Howell, 51, says the memories of Bosnia will live with him forever(Image: Supplied)

He joined 1,000 veterans who served in Bosnia, to remember the 59 British lives lost in one of the bloodiest conflicts in Europe, since the end of the Second World War.

Many of those attending, like Warren, still live with the horror they saw. For Warren Stupni Do, when Croatian forces attacked Bosnian Muslims, who lived in a small hillside village.

Award-winning photojournalist Alix Fazzina highlights Srebrenica genocide 30 years on (Image: © Alixandra Fazzina)

On October 23rd 1993, 38 men, women and children were killed, some raped beforehand and others burned alive.

Warren, who was based nearby as part of ‘Operation Grapple,’ which was the UK’s code name for its contribution to UN peacekeeping in Bosnia, was sent to the community soon after the horror had taken place.

Among those who died were five children aged one to 13, as well as an 80-year old woman.

Warren, 51, from Warrington, who has suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since, told The Mirror how these gruesome images took its toll on a lot of soldiers.

Some of his comrades have killed themselves since and others have tried, including Warren.

He says on Sunday he will remember his lost colleagues and the victims of the ethnic cleansing they were unable to stop.

Civilians in Sarajevo hiding from snipers in 1993(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Recalling the horrifying sights ‘etched’ into his brain, he said: “We went up to a village called Stupni Do, it was a massacre.

“As we approached, the first thing that hit you was the smell of burning, rotted flesh. I’d never smelt dead bodies before, it was horrendous.

“It was quite a haunting, it was a small village in a wooded area. There was a body on the floor, it was half skeleton with a boot on.

“It had booby traps attached to it, a grenade – we had to watch for those as they would put booby traps everywhere.”

He said as they walked into the village the soldiers were shocked into a “sombre silence” as they tried but failed to take in the horrors in front of them.

“We went into a cellar area where they stored potatoes. There were two to three women huddled up together, they had their heads back and their throats had been slit.

“You could see they were in absolute terror before they died. They were only young as well.

“I can still see those women as clear as day, it’s etched into my brain. That memory doesn’t go anywhere. It’s never going to go.”

As the soldiers continued their grim patrol, they came across numerous cows and animals shot dead. But then in the surrounding woods, where there were individual buildings, their grim discoveries continued. One “old chap was charred” in one of the burned out buildings.

“In some of the other buildings you had infant skulls and skeletons and remnants of bodies as well.

“They were obviously trying to hide from the soldiers but were unable to escape.

“There were just charred bodies everywhere, babies, small skulls, skeletons, people tied to trees. “

There was even a pregnant woman who appeared to have been shot and tied to a tree.

“It was so upsetting and you felt guilty too. It hits you like a brick wall. The whole village, kids and babies, were all dead.

“We were keeping the place secure, we didn’t know if the troops were going to come back. We stayed there overnight in the back of our warriors, we didn’t sleep much.”

“It was horrendous, one of the most frustrating things was we couldn’t do anything about it, we were always too late.

“We never got the opportunity to step in and we could not fire unless we were being fired on.”

After that Warren said he started fearing the patrols, worried what they would see next or when they would be fired upon.

They saw bodies floating down a stream, a tractor laden down with more victims dead on the back.

“Back then I didn’t know it was called ethnic cleansing, not until Kate Adie with Martin Bell, did their reports on TV.

“Apparently they (those fighting) used to put symbols on the houses if they were to be cleansed or not,” he explained

A month after the massacre Warren was back in the UK and that’s when his PTSD struck, he started feeling ‘really angry and lashing out’.

“I didn’t know what was wrong with me and I always remember I looked at myself in the mirror and I didn’t recognise who I was. It was coming back to a normal life, after the shock of witnessing such an intense thing.

“I locked myself in my bedroom, it was near Christmas but I didn’t want to know. “

Three decades later Warren can still recall the taste in his mouth he experienced at that massacred village. But he is determined to remember those victims this weekend, as always.

“What they suffered was inhumane, those poor people, how scared and frightened they must have been.

“I live with that image of those women hugging and clinging on to every moment of their lives, probably begging for their lives.

“How can anyone kill civilians in such a way. They had no defence no protection, they could have been raped before they were killed, that was happening a lot.The people who did this were monsters.

“I think it’s important to remember the innocent lives that were lost, in such cruel ways. It was all over Bosnia. There were mass graves, mass burials.

“It’s also important to remember those who suffered trauma during that war, those who witnessed that.”

Warren has been helped in his recovery by the Royal British Legion, and adds: One day I will go back I think but doing this remembrance is really powerful for me as well, it’s a little bit of closure.”

SOURCE PAGE

When armed soldiers in the small West African nation of Benin appeared on national television on December 7 to announce they had seized power in a coup, it felt to many across the region like another episode of the ongoing coup crisis that has seen several governments toppled since 2020.

But the scenes played out differently this time.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

Amid reports of gunfire and civilians scampering to safety in the economic capital, Cotonou, Beninese and others across the region waited with bated breath as conflicting intelligence emerged. The small group of putschists, on the one hand, declared victory, but Benin’s forces and government officials said the plot had failed.

By evening, the situation was clear – Benin’s government was still standing. President Patrice Talon and loyalist forces in the army had managed to hold control, thanks to help from the country’s bigger neighbours, particularly its eastern ally and regional power, Nigeria.

While Talon now enjoys victory as the president who could not be unseated, the spotlight is also on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The regional bloc rallied to save the day in Benin after their seeming resignation in the face of the crises rocking the region, including just last month, when the military took power in Guinea-Bissau.

This time, though, after much criticism and embarrassment, ECOWAS was ready to push back against the narrative of it being an ineffective bloc by baring its teeth and biting, political analyst Ryan Cummings told Al Jazeera.

“It wanted to remind the region that it does have the power to intervene when the context allows,” Cummings said. “At some point, there needed to be a line drawn in the sand [and] what was at stake was West Africa’s most stable sovereign country falling.”

People gather at the market of Dantokpa, two days after Benin’s forces thwarted the attempted coup against the government, in Cotonou, December 9, 2025 [Charles Placide Tossou/Reuters]

Is a new ECOWAS on the horizon?

Benin’s military victory was an astonishing turnaround for an ECOWAS that has been cast as a dead weight in the region since 2020, when a coup in Mali spurred an astonishing series of military takeovers across the region in quick succession.

Between 2020 and 2025, nine coup attempts toppled five democratic governments and two military ones. The latest successful coup, in Guinea-Bissau, happened on November 28. Bissau-Guineans had voted in the presidential election some days before and were waiting for the results to be announced when the military seized the national television station, detained incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and announced a new military leader.

ECOWAS, whose high-level delegation was in Bissau to monitor the electoral process when the coup happened, appeared on the back foot, unable to do much more than issue condemnatory statements. Those statements sounded similar to those it issued after the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea. The bloc appeared a far cry from the institution that, between 1990 and 2003, successfully intervened to stop the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and later in the Ivory Coast. The last ECOWAS military intervention, in 2017, halted Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh’s attempt to overturn the election results.

Indeed, ECOWAS’s success in its heyday hinged on the health of its members. Nigeria, arguably ECOWAS’s backbone, whose troops led the interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, has been mired in insecurity and economic crises of its own lately. In July 2023, when Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the ECOWAS chair, he threatened to invade Niger after the coup there.

It was disastrous timing. Faced with livelihood-eroding inflation and incessant attacks by armed groups at home, Nigerians were some of the loudest voices resisting an invasion. Many believed Tinubu, sworn in just months earlier, had misplaced his priorities. By the time ECOWAS had finished debating what to do weeks later, the military government in Niger had consolidated support throughout the armed forces and Nigeriens themselves had decided they wanted to back the military. ECOWAS and Tinubu backed off, defeated.

Niger left the alliance altogether in January this year, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with fellow military governments in Mali and Burkina Faso. All three share cultural and geographic affinities, but are also linked by their collective dislike for France, the former colonial power, which they blame for interfering in their countries. Even as they battle rampaging armed groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the three governments have cut ties with French forces formerly stationed there and welcomed Russian fighters whose effectiveness, security experts say, fluctuates.

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who chairs ECOWAS, walks with Guinea-Bissau’s transitional president, Major-General Horta Inta-A, during a meeting in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, on December 1, 2025 [Delcyo Sanca/Reuters]

But Benin was different, and ECOWAS appeared wide awake. Aside from the fact that it was one coup too far, Cummings said, the country’s proximity to Nigeria, and two grave mistakes the putschists made, gave ECOWAS a fighting chance.

The first mistake was that the rebels had failed to take Talon hostage, as is the modus operandi with putschists in the region. That allowed the president to directly send an SOS to his counterparts following the first failed attacks on the presidential palace at dawn.

The second mistake was perhaps even graver.

“Not all the armed forces were on board,” Cummings said, noting that the small group of about 100 rebel soldiers had likely assumed other units would fall in line but had underestimated how loyal other factions were to the president. That was a miscalculation in a country where military rule ended in 1990 and where 73 percent of Beninese believe that democracy is better than any other form of government, according to poll site Afrobarometer. Many take particular pride in their country being hailed as the region’s most stable democracy.

“There was division within the army, and that was the window of opportunity that allowed ECOWAS to deploy because there wasn’t going to be a case of ‘If we deploy, we will be targeted by the army’. I dare say that if there were no countercoup, there was no way ECOWAS would have gotten involved because it would have been a conventional war,” Cummings added.

Quickly reading the room, Benin’s neighbours reacted swiftly. For the first time in nearly a decade, the bloc deployed its standby ground forces from Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone. Abuja authorised air attacks on rebel soldiers who were effectively cornered in a military base in Cotonou and at the national TV building, but who were putting up a last-ditch attempt at resistance. France also supported the mission by providing intelligence. By nightfall, the rebels had been completely dislodged by Nigerian jets. The battle for Cotonou was over.

At least 14 people have since been arrested. Several casualties were reported on both sides, with one civilian, the wife of a high-ranking officer marked for assassination, among the dead. On Wednesday, Beninese authorities revealed that the coup leader, Colonel Pascal Tigri, was hiding in neighbouring Togo.

At stake for ECOWAS was the risk of losing yet another member, possibly to the landlocked AES, said Kabiru Adamu, founder of Abuja-based Beacon Security intelligence firm. “I am 90 percent sure Benin would have joined the AES because they desperately need a littoral state,” he said, referring to Benin’s Cotonou port, which would have expanded AES export capabilities.

Nigeria could also not afford a military government mismanaging the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, as has been witnessed in the AES countries, Cummings said. Armed group JNIM launched its first attack on Nigerian soil in October, adding to Abuja’s pressures as it continues to face Boko Haram in the northeast and armed bandit groups in the northwest. Abuja has also come under diplomatic fire from the US, which falsely alleges a “Christian genocide” in the country.

“We know that this insecurity is the stick with which Tinubu is being beaten, and we already know his nose is bloodied,” Cummings said.

Revelling in the glory of the Benin mission last Sunday, Tinubu praised Nigeria’s forces in a statement, saying the “Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order”. A group of Nigerian governors also hailed the president’s action, and said it reinforced Nigeria’s regional power status and would deter further coup plotters.

Nigerian ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) soldiers guard a corner in downtown Monrovia during fighting between militias loyal to Charles Taylor and Roosevelt Johnson in Liberia in 1996. Between 1990-2003, ECOWAS successfully intervened to help stop the Liberian civil war [File: Reuters]

Not yet out of the woods

If there is a perception that ECOWAS has reawakened and future putschists will be discouraged, the reality may not be so positive, analysts say. The bloc still has much to do before it can be taken seriously again, particularly in upholding democracy and calling out sham elections before governments become vulnerable to mass uprisings or coups, Beacon Security’s Adamu said.

In Benin, for example, ECOWAS did not react as President Talon, in power since 2016, grew increasingly autocratic, barring opposition groups in two previous presidential elections. His government has again barred the main opposition challenger, Renaud Agbodjo, from elections scheduled for next April, while Talon’s pick, former finance minister Romuald Wadagni, is the obvious favourite.

“It’s clear that the elections have been engineered already,” Adamu said. “In the entire subregion, it’s difficult to point to any single country where the rule of law has not been jettisoned and where the voice of the people is heard without fear.”

ECOWAS, Adamu added, needs to proactively re-educate member states on democratic principles, hold them accountable when there are lapses, as in the Benin case, and then intervene when threats emerge.

The bloc appears to be taking heed. On December 9, two days after the failed Benin coup, ECOWAS declared a state of emergency.

“Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community,” Omar Touray, ECOWAS Commission president, said at a meeting in the Abuja headquarters. Touray cited situations that constitute coup risks, such as the erosion of electoral integrity and mounting geopolitical tensions, as the bloc splits along foreign influences. Currently, ECOWAS member states have stayed close to Western allies like France, while the AES is firmly pro-Russia.

Another challenge the bloc faces is managing potential fallout with the AES states amid France’s increasing closeness with Abuja. As Paris faces hostility in Francophone West Africa, it has drawn closer to Nigeria, where it does not have the same negative colonial reputation, and which it perceives as useful for protecting French business interests in the region, Cummings said. At the same time, ECOWAS is still hoping to woo the three rogue ex-members back into its fold, and countries like Ghana have already established bilateral ties with the military governments.

“The challenge with that is that the AES would see the intervention [in Benin] as an act not from ECOWAS itself but something engineered by France,” Adamu said. Seeing France instigating an intervention which could have benefitted AES reinforces their earlier complaints that Paris pokes its nose into the region’s affairs, and could push them further away, he said.

“So now we have a situation where they feel like France did it, and the sad thing is that we haven’t seen ECOWAS dispel that notion, so the ECOWAS standby force has [re]started on a contentious step,” Adamu added.

SOURCE PAGE

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

New European body to assess claims for reparations on Ukraine to be set up

Top European officials meet on Tuesday to set up an international body to decide on tens of billions of euros of eventual reparations to compensate Ukraine over Russia’s invasion, AFP reported.

The International Claims Commission for Ukraine will assess and decide on claims for reparations, including any amount to be paid out.

The body was expected to be agreed at a high-level summit Tuesday in The Hague attended by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

The commission’s establishment follows the setting up of a so-called “Register of Damages”, which has already received more than 80,000 claims for reparations from individuals or organisations.

The reparations mechanism is being coordinated via the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, the 46-nation group protecting human rights on the continent, AFP noted.

Share

Morning opening: What are you saying, Russia?

Jakub Krupa

After positive comments from European, Ukrainian and US leaders taking part in Berlin talks, the focus now shifts to Russia as we wait for Moscow’s first reaction to some of the proposals for ending the war in Ukraine discussed last night.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff attend a family picture at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said this morning that Moscow had no understanding of the discussions just yet, as it awaits a debrief from the US negotiators. He also ruled out any territorial concessions by Russia.

Given the notably very positive tone of the US comments – from both the US officials involved and the US president, Donald Trump – about “tremendous support” from Europe, the Europeans will be feeling that the pressure is now on Moscow to, even reluctantly and begrudgingly, take a step closer towards the proposed plan.

But, crucially, they will be thinking that even if Moscow says niet, as it has so many times before, it will be hard for the US to blame Europe and Ukraine for that, which could be crucial in tense and delicate relations with Washington.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues his Europe tour ahead of this week’s crucial European Council meeting on the use of frozen Russian assets. He will be in the Netherlands today, addressing the Dutch parliament, and meeting with the country’s prime minister, Dick Schoof, among others.

Other EU leaders will also be busy. Finland’s prime minister, Petteri Orpo, hosts the first Eastern Flank Summit in Helsinki, bringing together leaders from the Nordics, the Baltics, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania.

I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day.

It’s Tuesday, 16 December 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.

Share



SOURCE PAGE

When US President Donald Trump recently announced the rollback of vehicle fuel efficiency regulations, he called it the end of the “green new scam.”

He was referring to efforts to electrify transportation in the US by the outgoing Biden administration, which gave incentives for automakers to phase-out internal combustion engine cars in favor of low emission, climate-friendly electric vehicles (EVs). 

Since coming to power in January, the Trump administration has already repealed a range of incentives aimed at getting fossil-fuel powered cars off the road. These include revoking a Biden executive order stipulating that 50% of cars sold in the US by 2030 should be electric; freezing billions in funding for charging infrastructure, and eliminating a $7,500 (€6,444) tax credit on EV purchases. Trump has concurrently defunded green energy programs in favor of oil and gas.

Arguing that the “absurd tailpipe emissions standards” were “killing” the automobile industry, Trump confirmed to a retinue of car company executives gathered in the Oval Office that fuel efficiency regulations also made cars too expensive. 

Industry experts claim the EV incentives were spurring greater investment in electric cars and charging infrastructure, as well as creating new jobs. But Trump has now promised to forgo an electrified future in favor of 19th century technology. 

Chinese ports overflow with EVs headed for overseas markets as the US rejects climate-friendly cars Image: AFP/Getty Images

Will petrol cars really be cheaper than EVs?

As a result of the rollbacks, US vehicles will only require a fuel economy of around 35 miles (56 kilometers), as opposed to 50 miles per gallon under Biden’s updated fuel economy standards for 2022-2031 model passenger cars and light trucks. 

Both the climate and consumers will lose out due to the roll backs, say critics. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat whose state is a renewable energy and EV powerhouse, said Trump was “handing his Big Oil donors exactly what they want: weaker protections for consumers and bigger profits for polluters.” 

Confirming US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates, Newsom said that national fuel consumption would have been reduced by 70 billion gallons (265 billion litres) a year under the outgoing efficiency standards.

Steven Higashide, Director of the Clean Transportation Program at the US nonprofit advocacy group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, says weakened fuel economy rules will ultimately raise the price of gas. 

“US vehicle pollution and reliance on oil have dropped and drivers can save money by choosing more efficient vehicles,” he said in a statement.

Fifty years of increasing fuel efficiency standards have helped shield drivers from oil market shocks, given them cleaner air, and ultimately saved them over $5 trillion (€4.26 trillion), said Higashide.

California’s Newsom takes center stage at COP30

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

China set to consolidate its clean car dominance

Trump’s move to rollback auto efficiency standards is “a clear win” for the US oil industry, noted Ben Scott, Head of Energy Demand at UK-based climate think tank, Carbon Tracker. “But it’s an even bigger victory for China, as it pushes the US further behind in the EV transition,” he added. 

Some 20% of cars sold worldwide were electric in 2024 — a massive 25% increase from 2023. Of the 17 million sold, 11 million were in China – as opposed to about 1.6 million in the US. Near half of China’s domestic car sales were electric in 2024, compared to 10% in the US.  

And China, in direct contrast to the US, is dominating the global EV market through massive state incentives that have also helped to drive down costs, making low emission cars cheaper than most petrol models within the country. 

Trump’s EV rollbacks will worsen this divide as they tie US domestic automakers to outdated internal combustion engine technology “instead of committing fully to the future,” said Scott.

US auto giant Ford announced this week it was retreating from plans to electrify larger vehicles, in part due to regulatory changes, and will shift focus to gas-powered and hybrid trucks. 

China’s BYD electric car brand overtook Tesla as the biggest EV seller in the world in 2024Image: PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

Though China now has an EV oversupply problem, in part due to US and European Union tariffs that are limiting exports, Scott believes these cheaper cars will make their way to price-sensitive markets across the Global South. 

“The shift to electric vehicles is inevitable everywhere,” he said.

Refueling petrol car market a major setback to climate  

Moving people and goods around in the US contributes to 29% of planet-heating carbon emissions, the largest share by sector in the economy. 

But the latest fuel economy standards were preventing more than 710 million metric tons of climate pollution from getting into the atmosphere, according to NTSHA.

Electric cars that generate one third of the emissions of petrol cars were set to hasten the decarbonisation of US roads as EV sales broke records throughout the first nine months of 2025. 

But this progress is set to stall.

“Clearly the unpredictable nature of US policy related to fuel economy standards and EV incentives will slow the decarbonization of US vehicle fleets,” said Ben Scott.

This will ultimately lead to the “slowing of climate progress,” he added.   

US struggles with bumpy road to e-mobility

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Despite concerns that EV batteries too expend a lot of energy and resources, “robust battery recycling can significantly reduce the amount of newly mined materials required,” said Ellen Kennedy, clean transportation expert at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a US energy think tank.  

More than 90% of lithium and 95% of nickel and cobalt can be recycled from batteries, she notes.

“Battery mineral recycling and recovery is continuing to improve, whereas fossil fuels are limited in supply and can only be used once,” she told DW.

In contrast to the one-time consumption of 2,150 million tons of oil in 2024 for global on-road transportation, some 125 million tons of minerals can create an inexhaustible circular economy for batteries through reuse and recycling, Kennedy explained. 

“This is a self-sustaining extraction that can keep EVs on the road into the future,” she said.

Edited by: Tamsin Walker

SOURCE PAGE

Michelle Obama has revealed that she and her husband Barack were due to see Rob Reiner on the night of his death.

On Sunday (14 December), the legendary Hollywood director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found stabbed to death at their Los Angeles home. Nick Reiner, the couple’s son, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday (15 December), the former first lady said that she was supposed to see the couple, whom she has “known for many years”.

She added: “Unlike some people, Rob and Michelle are some of the most decent and courageous people you ever want to know. They are not deranged or crazy; they are passionate people.”

SOURCE PAGE

NEED TO KNOW

• A man on Reddit married his late best friend’s girlfriend years after the friend died in a car accident
• He helped raise his friend’s daughter from infancy and was called “dad” for years
• The teen later accused him and her mother of cheating and rejected the parental bond

A man sought support from the Reddit community following a painful family conflict that left him questioning choices he believed were made out of love and loyalty.

The father shared his story in an emotional post, asking whether he and his wife were wrong for marrying after tragedy bonded them together.

“Seventeen years ago my best friend died in a car crash with his entire family,” he wrote, explaining that they were all just 20 years old at the time. His friend’s girlfriend was six months pregnant and had been cut off by her religious family, leaving her “completely alone.”

The Reddit poster explained that he stepped in to help however he could while still a college student. “Eventually a couple of years later because I was helping her with babysitting and stuff we just fell for each other,” he wrote, emphasizing that their relationship developed slowly.

Stock photo of a sad groom.

Getty

They married when the child, Emily, was 5 years old, and the bond between them felt natural and loving. “She started calling me dad which was so nice,” he shared, describing how meaningful that moment was to him.

Over time, they welcomed three more children together, but Emily remained just as cherished. “Emily is still our baby girl and there has never been any difference in treatment between her and the others,” he wrote, adding, “I love her very much.”

That sense of security was shaken when Emily, now a teenager, suddenly stopped calling him dad. “A couple of months ago she stopped calling me dad and started calling me by my name,” he wrote, admitting he initially thought it was a phase.

The issue came to a head on his 37th birthday when he asked her directly why she had changed. “She told me because I’m not her dad and just her stepdad,” he recalled, stunned by the blunt response.

Emily then made an accusation that cut even deeper, claiming her parents had betrayed her biological father. “She accused me and her mom of cheating on my late friend,” he wrote, firmly stating that “there was nothing between us prior to that.”

Confused and hurt, the father struggled to understand where the idea came from. “She’s known about how her dad was because I wanted to keep his memory alive,” he explained, adding that the timing made no sense to him. Now he’s wondering if he was wrong for marrying his late best friend’s girlfriend.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Reddit commenters quickly rallied around him, suggesting an outside influence may be at play. One person wrote, “Someone on her dad’s side has told her this,” adding that grief can cause people to place blame unfairly.

“Is she only mad at you, or her mom also? If she’s still okay with her mom, perhaps mom should be the one to have a talk with her and reassure her about the true story,” another wrote. “Maybe your wife can also find out where she got this version of things. I think you need to know the source.”

Others encouraged patience and open communication rather than defensiveness. “Talk to her,” another commenter advised, suggesting family therapy and reassurance that her feelings mattered.

SOURCE PAGE