It’s a bit early but before we open the bottle, we’d like to wish you and yours all the very best for 2026! It’s going to be a big year for Scotland. Thank you for supporting Bylines Scotland this year. We’ll be rocking and rolling next year! #Hogmanay2026

🐻‍❄️ Another classic FSB-style false flag: a claimed “Ukrainian drone attack” on his Valdai residence. 🔍 No evidence ✈️ No airport closures 🛑 No confirmation from Russia’s own Defense Ministry 📸 No videos This wasn’t an attack. It was a Kremlin cover-up after Zelensky’s successful talks with Trump.

Quite a journey we’ve been on in the last couple of decades haven’t we? From bankers too big to fail To billionaires too rich to jail

More than 75% of Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters think PM should open talks on joining EU customs union. YouGov poll for the Times suggests even 39% of Conservative voters support such a move www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Bylines Scotland is running stories written by members of our team about what Christmas means to them – writer James Jobson

The war on Gaza is officially on hold but as Israel continues to block aid, tens of thousands of lives are at risk | Jennie Kermode

I’ve just recorded a segment for Caolan’s updates on an issue that’s been badly underreported, and one Russian propaganda would rather you didn’t hear about.

✈️💥 Ukraine just knocked out two more Russian Su-30s in #Lipetsk with local resistance help—total of five aircraft this week and even generals in #Moscow aren’t safe anymore. The #Kremlin’s losing its own backyard. Share the truth and watch #Putin’s regime crumble. #RussiaIsCollapsing

For years, many Americans treated Putin as a transactional leader you could deal with. That’s a mistake. Today, he’s driven by ideology—not logic or Russia’s national interest. If we don’t understand that, we won’t deter him or end this war.

naiv, wer glaubt, dass es trump um nachhaltigen frieden geht. die us-protagonisten bei den gesprächen (witkoff, kushner) sind der beleg für primär wirtschaftliche interessen. @thomasjaeger.bsky.social "die russischen und us-geschäftsinteressen sind der motor, der die gespräche antreibt." true!

Russia is selling oil at $34, gutting budget revenues. Deficits are funded by massive bond issuance, draining bank liquidity forcing permanent central bank support. Deposits are leaving, defaults & restructurings are rising, real spending is falling, civilian output is shrinking.

Je kunt soms best wel met ze lachen, die Duitsers. www.der-postillon.com/2025/12/epst...

A lovely tribute to the volunteer editors of Sussex Bylines - we hope that you'll enjoy reading it as much as we did, and if you're interested in joining us, do get in touch

Bylines Scotland is running stories written by members of our team about what Christmas means to them – writer Tomasz Orynski

The story of Farage and Putin, told by British-Ukrainian soldier Shaun Pinner on a destroyed apartment block in Kyiv.

💸🇷🇺 Would you trust your money to any Russian bank right now? Nope, didn’t think so. 😉 Even those who boast about Russia’s “strength” are running to pull out their cash. In just 20 days this December, Russians withdrew 400 billion rubles from their own banks. They know the economy is crumbling.

Thrilled to learn the key question to be admitted into Mensa, world's largest high-IQ society, is recognizing a giraffe - here’s a complex study guide for Mensa hopefuls. May the odds be ever in your favour…

It wasn’t a life altering event, but one child’s words left a lasting imprint – Bylines Scotland Xmas series by writer and editor Ian Kinsey – 21 December

Best post of the week:

Did you know that the US hasn’t had an ambassador in Moscow in 6 months? Or that our chief envoy to Russia won’t take briefings from the CIA? But wait, there’s more. Much more in this 6-byline WSJ piece on the Witkoff-Putin axis. Free link www.wsj.com/world/putin-...

Articles of impeachment are now being drafted against the Trump loyal Attorney General Pam Bondi. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) are moving to file the articles of impeachment against Bondi for not fully releasing the Epstein Files as required by law.

“Coverups are difficult in free societies. They are routine for authoritarian governments. The Epstein coverup will be an indicator of how far we are down the road to authoritarianism. The success of such a coverup would take us much further down that road.” www.thebulwark.com/p/why-the-ep...

So, you ask, if they can’t just do a simple thing like release the files as the law requires, how can we trust them to do hard things like run the economy and keep us safe? The answer, of course, is that we can’t. We can never trust they can and will do the right thing.

Is the Russian army exhausted enough to matter — in terms of fighting capability, or push back against this senseless war? This is uncharacteristic of the population in this phase of Russian history. There is no push back against Putin’s criminal madness. youtu.be/Ek0oQRPkigQ

Bylines Scotland is running stories written by members of our team about what Christmas means to them – writer and Editor-in-Chief Patricia Dos Santos Paton

Epstein Survivor Jess Michaels: I'm feeling strangely validated. Because in plain sight, and with even with an act of Congress, we're seeing the exact same delays, negligence, corruption, incompetence that we've seen consistently and have been advocating about. They've actually proved our point.

President Clinton is right. This is not getting as much attnetion as it should. The USA under Trumpstein is betraying this promise, which means any agreement involving Russia and the USA is not worth the paper it’s written on 🤷‍♂️ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapes...

We will never be able to put our country back together until we prosecute those who are breaking the law multiple times a day. It’s what should have happened four years ago and it is a huge part of the reason we are in this mess today.

Pretty much sums up America today.

"The friends we both made from across Europe, helped us better understand other societies and enrich our learning experience – and all the while the exchange students in Dundee were doing the same back home; friends who have remained so for life." Stephen Gethins MP, on his experience of Erasmus.

🚀 Today’s geography lesson: Ukrainian long-range drones and missiles are making sure Russia’s war budget goes up in smoke. Massive strikes on evil infrastructure mean blackouts from Oryol to Rostov, and fires at places like TogliattiAzot. Proof that Russia can be defeated and peace secured!

Some Chinese media has started a discussion about what to do with Russian territories after Russia collapses. We need a similar discussion in Europe. Who takes what piece of Russia? What is the procedure to remove Russia as a recognized state from the world arena?

Labour’s green promises crumble as UK airport expansions soar, risking Net Zero goals and leaving communities under growing flight paths | Jonathan Fox

Trump shits on everything and everyone when they cease to be useful to him. What are the implications for Ukraine, and Trump's security guarantees, and war with Venezuela, based on Trump's avoidance of all accountability, responsibility and consistency. youtu.be/DnWcV9C-oqQ

“When they are defending their liberal democracy, they are in fact defending ours as well.” ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus shares a Christmas message with #Newsnight and says that the Ukrainians “deserve all the support they can have from us.”

“Chinese analysts have interpreted the new strategy as evidence of American retreat.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/b...

Loving your work! Thank you! ❤️ £17,911 🙏

Putin has started his annual four-hour long end of year address. His aim: to show Russians everything is just fine despite a collapsing economy, failing infrastructure and rising prices.

Ronnie Barbour meets up with Kenny MacAskill, leader of Alba, to discuss Scotland's energy needs, independence and youth participation in politics #Holyrood2026

Hi All, Sent out a free piece. The Chinese have transformed their standing recently, and some attribute it to long-term planning. Actually, it is more down to the disastrous leadership choices of Trump and Putin. Sometimes it really pays to be lucky more than good. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

The culture war is winning – and our values are the casualty | Nazish Saad

Trump’s authoritarian threat to Europe and the UK No room for complacency: the signs are that US authoritarianism will spread here – and we must be prepared By Helen Johnston @hj4euinspain.bsky.social

Bylines Scotland is running stories written by members of our team about what Christmas means to them – writer Frances Nixon

Scotland’s young people face limited opportunities after Brexit but could their vision for the future re-shape Scotland’s place in Europe? | Motaz Amer

Sorry for language but what the f*ck is the point of Electoral Commission if they don’t bother investigating Farage’s alleged illegal excess spending during Clacton election❓😡 And why the f*ck did the police investigation over it & HMRC investigation over stamp duty on Clacton House both fade away🤷🏼‍♂️

Dae it...dae it!

Military need & geopolitical reality not bureaucratic timelines or fiscal shortsightedness must drive Europe’s rearmament. We need to align pol, Econ & mil timelines to transform our forces, fast. Delayed deterrence is failed deterrence - & failed deterrence costs so much more.

"When I hear that Ukraine is supposed to hold elections, I respond that Russia should also commit to holding free and fair elections, which they haven't had for 25 years. We need to shift the focus to where the real problem lies." - Kaja Kallas.

We must accept that all Russians with money, that retain links with Russia and the regime, that earn money from that economy, are simply limbs and extensions of that regime and its aggressive, genocidal policies. They are agents of Putin's regime, in fact. youtu.be/-sCsqWg8KZY