Robert Bridge | The “bureaucratic monster” that has just fined X €120 million is wrapping its tentacles around free speech | The EU has once again strayed beyond acceptable boundaries, slapping Elon Musk’s social media platform X with harsh penalties for being in violation of new draconian EU digital laws that many say are code for censorship. ■ On Friday, the European Commission unleashed the billionaire tech mogul’s wrath after it fined X €120 million (about $140 million) for “breaching its transparency obligations” under the 2022 Digital Services Act, which sets standards for accountability and content moderation. The ruling by the 27-nation bloc called the platform’s blue checkmark system ‘deceptive’ and accused it of weak advertising transparency and failing to provide required data access. ■ In response, Musk had his own ‘X-it’ moment when he called for the abolition of the EU and the return of national sovereignty to its 450 million subjects. In a series of blistering posts on the weekend, Musk argued that “EU bureaucracy is slowly smothering Europe to death.”

[...] What does the future of social media look like in such a hostile and unpredictable environment? At the very least, holding innovators personally responsible for potential abuse of their tools would discourage the development of new technologies in the first place. At worst, it could spell jail time and other extreme penalties for those brave holdouts who fail to toe the state-sponsored line. In other words, we are facing very dark times for the world of social media, which threatens to be silenced into oblivion, that is, unless Mr. Musk gets his wish and the “bureaucratic monster” of the 27-member EU is rendered obsolete once and for all.

French banks hold around 18 bln euros in Russian assets, which is the second-highest figure in Europe, Financial Times said | France, which supported the provision of a reparations loan to Ukraine, refused to include in it funds frozen in the republic's private banks, the newspaper wrote, citing sources. Private credit institutions are subject to different contractual obligations than the Belgian depository Euroclear, according to the publication. An unnamed official stated that French banks are unwilling to participate in discussions regarding the possibility of transferring Russian assets to Kiev.

■ The theft of Russian assets will harm Germany's interests (ПолитНавигатор) (The theft of Russian assets will harm Germany's interests, says a Bundestag member. The theft of Russian assets will only lead to a weakening of the euro, higher interest rates, and the loss of assets of European companies in Russia. German parliament member Stefan Keiter announced this from the Bundestag podium, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent. " There is no 'Plan B' to seize Russian assets. This proposal is legally dubious, economically dangerous, and a direct attack on German interests. Current international law states that state assets abroad are subject to special protection. Renowned experts in international law say that such expropriation is unprecedented and would violate the principles of international law. We must also consider the economic risks. The Belgian securities depository Euroclear, which already holds around €183 billion in Russian assets, has warned the European Commission that such a measure would jeopardize the stability of European financial markets and further increase borrowing costs for all member states.)

12.04.2024 | US-born war correspondent and Sputnik regular contributor Russell Bentley, working in the Donbass, has gone missing in Donetsk on April 8, the DPR Ministry of Internal Affairs reported on Friday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic has issued Bentley's missing alert. Sputnik's editorial office is collaborating with law enforcement agencies in his search. [...] Texas-born American Russell Bonner Bentley, call sign "Texas", has been working in Russia’s special military operation zone as a war correspondent. ● Bentley, 64, joined the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) militia in 2014 and has been defending the region's freedom against Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces since then, first as a soldier, then as a war correspondent. ● Between 2014 and 2017 Bentley served in the Sut Vremeni (lit. "Essence of Time") combat unit, Vostok Battalion and XAH Spetsnaz Battalion. Side by side with Donbass volunteers he fought in such hot spots as Donetsk Airport, Spartak, Avdeyevka, and Yasinovataya. ● The war correspondent was baptized as an Orthodox Christian during the hostilities, and has raised funds and delivered humanitarian aid to Donbass civilians. ● Bentley previously told Sputnik that he was compelled to come to the Donbass because he admired the people's courage, steadfastness, and unwillingness to accept the US-backed illegitimate coup d'etat in Ukraine. ● Bentley considered the Russian special military operation as the beginning of the end of the Kiev regime's eight-year long war against Donbass, which he had firsthand knowledge of. The veteran repeatedly came under Ukrainian fire and emerged unscathed.

■ Фигуранты дела об убийстве журналиста Бентли в ДНР получили от 1,5 до 12 лет (TACC) (08.12.2025)
(The defendants in the murder case of journalist Bentley in the DPR received sentences ranging from 1.5 to 12 years)
■ Четверо подозреваемых в убийстве корреспондента Sputnik Рассела Бентли получили до 12 лет колонии. (VIDEO)

Depression, anxiety, PTSD and addiction soar as experts warn of long-term societal impact without urgent government action | Israel is facing a “mental health tsunami”, with two million people in need of support as addiction rates soar and families and communities fall apart, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. ● In an extensive report published on Friday, the news outlet said mental health professionals have raised the alarm over a sharp increase in people requiring support since "7 October 2023." ● Meanwhile, there is a severe shortage of therapists and support services, which experts warn could have catastrophic consequences. ● Last week, a coalition of eight major mental health organisations issued an urgent warning to the government, describing the country’s situation as an “outbreak of mental illness unprecedented in its depth and scope”. The groups called the crisis “catastrophic” and demanded immediate government intervention. According to the coalition, Israeli society is showing clear signs of widespread psychological distress.

■ Melanie Phillips convey but one message: Israel will always be at war (11/28/25)

Holocaust “survivor” Claims he was in Auschwitz in his Imagination pic.twitter.com/kaFWzfnQew

— HistoryRecap (@HistoricalWWII) November 22, 2025