Pope Leo condemns suffering in Gaza in his Christmas sermon
Dec. 25th, 2025 09:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ionelvThe Independent reports:
Recalling the incarnation of God through Jesus’s birth in a Bethlehem manger, Leo likened God’s word to "a fragile tent among us."
He then drew a direct parallel, asking: "How then can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold; and of those so many other refugees and displaced persons on every continent, or of the makeshift shelters of thousands of homeless people in our own cities?"
The pontiff also reflected on the vulnerability of "defenseless populations, tried by so many wars," and the plight of "young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them, and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths."
Culturally appropriate seasonal wishes or lack thereof, according to your chosen norms!
Dec. 25th, 2025 09:30 amjames_davis_nicoll
Culturally appropriate seasonal wishes or lack thereof, according to your chosen norms!
May your solstice experiences harmoniously conform to your preferences!
Да, верующий, безусловно, счастливее скептика
Dec. 25th, 2025 05:33 pmmikerrrДа, верующий, безусловно, счастливее скептика. Но этот факт мало отличается от того факта, что выпивший человек куда веселее трезвого.
(с) Бернард Шоу, драматург
(с) Бернард Шоу, драматург
Ranked: Approval Ratings of World Leaders Heading Into 2026
Dec. 25th, 2025 01:05 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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Ranked: Approval Ratings of World Leaders Heading Into 2026
See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Narendra Modi remains the world’s most popular major leader heading into 2026, despite softer approval than earlier in 2025.
- Most approval gains over 2025 stemmed from leadership changes rather than improving sentiment toward incumbents.
Public approval of political leaders reflects a mix of economic conditions, policy decisions, and broader voter sentiment. As 2025 comes to a close, approval ratings offer a snapshot of how leaders around the world are perceived heading into 2026.
This visualization ranks major global leaders by approval rating, based on surveys conducted between December 8 and 14, 2025, by Morning Consult,
High Approval at the Top, but Fewer Standouts
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks first overall, with 71% approval heading into 2026. Although still well ahead of peers, his approval declined modestly from 75% in January 2025.
A similar pattern appears elsewhere: even leaders near the top of the rankings faced gradual erosion in support over the year, reflecting persistent inflation, cost-of-living pressures, and political fatigue among voters.
| Rank | Leader | Country | Approve | Don’t know / No opinion | Disapprove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Narendra Modi |  India | 71% | 7% | 22% |
| 2 | Sanae Takaichi |  Japan | 61% | 13% | 26% |
| 3 | Lee Jae-myung |  South Korea | 56% | 8% | 35% |
| 4 | Javier Milei |  Argentina | 55% | 4% | 41% |
| 5 | Mark Carney |  Canada | 48% | 11% | 41% |
| 6 | Anthony Albanese |  Australia | 47% | 9% | 43% |
| 7 | Claudia Sheinbaum |  Mexico | 45% | 6% | 49% |
| 8 | Karin Keller-Sutter |  Switzerland | 43% | 27% | 30% |
| 9 | Donald Trump |  United States | 43% | 6% | 51% |
| 10 | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |  Brazil | 42% | 4% | 54% |
| 11 | Giorgia Meloni |  Italy | 41% | 6% | 52% |
| 12 | Bart de Wever |  Belgium | 41% | 10% | 49% |
| 13 | Christian Stocker |  Austria | 41% | 12% | 48% |
| 14 | Donald Tusk |  Poland | 38% | 11% | 51% |
| 15 | Jonas Gahr Støre |  Norway | 37% | 2% | 61% |
| 16 | Ulf Kristersson |  Sweden | 37% | 8% | 55% |
| 17 | Dick Schoof |  Netherlands | 36% | 24% | 40% |
| 18 | Friedrich Merz |  Germany | 36% | 5% | 60% |
| 19 | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |  Turkey | 34% | 15% | 51% |
| 20 | Cyril Ramaphosa |  South Africa | 34% | 10% | 57% |
| 21 | Pedro Sánchez |  Spain | 33% | 6% | 61% |
| 22 | Keir Starmer |  United Kingdom | 23% | 9% | 67% |
| 23 | Emmanuel Macron |  France | 13% | 7% | 80% |
Approval Gains Reflect New Leadership, Not Turnarounds
Japan, South Korea, Canada, Austria, and Belgium all show higher approval ratings at the end of 2025, but these increases reflect new leaders replacing unpopular predecessors.
Much of Europe enters 2026 with leaders facing net-negative approval. France’s Emmanuel Macron ranks last, with approval in the low teens and disapproval near 80%. The UK’s Keir Starmer, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and several Nordic leaders also post approval ratings in the 30% range or lower.
In the United States, Donald Trump sits in the middle of the ranking, with approval and disapproval nearly evenly split.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Top Nations by GDP Per Capita Growth on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
weight and sleep and health
Dec. 24th, 2025 09:26 amhudebnik159.8 lbs.
breakfast: grapefruit, yogurt, cereal, soy milk, dried cranberries
mid-morning: protein bar
lunch: fish, tapenade, quinoa, dessert bites
mid-afternoon: trail mix
dinner: hamburger, French fries
snacks: cookies
dessert: hot chocolate
In bed 12:30ish, with D. Up 8:45.
breakfast: grapefruit, yogurt, cereal, soy milk, dried cranberries
mid-morning: protein bar
lunch: fish, tapenade, quinoa, dessert bites
mid-afternoon: trail mix
dinner: hamburger, French fries
snacks: cookies
dessert: hot chocolate
In bed 12:30ish, with D. Up 8:45.
The Grinch Confronts Christmas in America
Dec. 25th, 2025 04:23 amneatorama_feed
You know what Christmas needs? More chaos and destruction! In this bizarre animated sequence the Grinch gets lost on his way to Whoville and somehow ends up in the United States. Instead of correcting his mistake, he instead decides to ruin Christmas here. But since he's not familiar with the huge and powerful transportation and logistics systems in America, he takes quite a beating- to a ridiculous degree. He discovers that his nefarious schemes are no match for the country's over-the-top Christmas spirit. Yet instead of a genuine change of heart, the Grinch realizes that it is in his own best interest to leave Christmas alone. It's the American way.
This involves teleportation, time travel, and the suspension of the laws of physics, which is what cartoons are for. It's the kind of nonsense you'd expect from Landon Fernald of Landon’s Animation Wheelhouse (previously at Neatorama). He hand-animated all the scenes in Blender, and did the music as well. -via The Awesomer
Merry Christmas!
Dec. 25th, 2025 01:48 pmprofiterole_readsAnd Merry Heated Rivalry Season Finale's Eve! <3
I hope everyone is having a great day.
I hope everyone is having a great day.
Interesting Links for 25-12-2025
Dec. 25th, 2025 12:00 pmandrewducker- 1. The 2025 Headline of the Year Nominees
- (tags:headline funny journalism )
- 2. There's no such thing as a fake feather
- (tags:birds materials video )
- 3. Dutch Tesla Fleet Goes Bankrupt After Betting on Musk's Self-Driving Promises
- (tags:Tesla automation fraud ElonMusk )
- 4. Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi Games' Affordance of Childlike Wonder and Reduced Burnout Risk in Young Adults
- (tags:psychology mentalhealth games Mario )
- 5. Why Britain doesn't have enough dentists
- (tags:teeth UK bureaucracy OhForFucksSake )
Manga rec: K-9: Public Security Bureau – Division 9 – Special Abilities Countermeasure
Dec. 25th, 2025 11:32 amvriddy posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
anime_mangaI've fallen in love with this manga and am continually surprised at how few people seem to have heard of it, so here's my humble attempt to spread the word :D (This is a cross-post from my journal, where I'm also delighted to discuss this fandom anytime :D :D)
It only took one promo picture to get me to check it out:
...I didn't really ask any more questions after that. Bonus impact for stumbling on it in Japanese because the "kept pet" implied in the verb is lovely, and obviously plays with the K-9/"police dog" title.
Anyway, meet Oboro on the left - he's great - and Ren on the right - she's great. The art is beautiful, and everyone is very pretty.
This seems pretty simplistic at first glance, but that slowly changes as we drill deeper into the worldbuilding and learn the nuances of these abilities and how they manifest. The implications are deeply fucked up, with often devastating consequences that I'm totally here for as my heart gets shattered again and again.
TOGETHER THEY FIGHT CRIME! More specifically, crime related to sin users. But they also get their asses kicked and handed over to them quite a bit, haha.
( A bit more on the story and on them )
It only took one promo picture to get me to check it out:
...I didn't really ask any more questions after that. Bonus impact for stumbling on it in Japanese because the "kept pet" implied in the verb is lovely, and obviously plays with the K-9/"police dog" title.
Anyway, meet Oboro on the left - he's great - and Ren on the right - she's great. The art is beautiful, and everyone is very pretty.
About the world
Some people have special abilities, most of which are not well understood. Only one thing is known for sure: these abilities manifest after someone commits a crime. For example, the criminal from the first chapter is an arsonist and can control/become fire. (Somewhat unrelated, but this is pretty fun coming in from the Boku No Hero Academia world, because it's like a universe in which only bad guys get a quirk.) Here, these abilities are called "sins." In the Japanese, it's simply the kanji for crime with "sin" written in katakana beside it.This seems pretty simplistic at first glance, but that slowly changes as we drill deeper into the worldbuilding and learn the nuances of these abilities and how they manifest. The implications are deeply fucked up, with often devastating consequences that I'm totally here for as my heart gets shattered again and again.
The story premise
Our plucky detective Ren is selected to join Division 9, a newly created division that pairs a detective with a sin user in order to fight fire with fire -- what could possibly go wrong?! I love her. She kicks so much ass.
So, who's our main cast?
( Short character profiles )
TOGETHER THEY FIGHT CRIME! More specifically, crime related to sin users. But they also get their asses kicked and handed over to them quite a bit, haha.
( A bit more on the story and on them )
Where to read? How many chapters are out?
( 37 chapters, 3 volumes. Totally possible to catch up in a reasonable amount of time! )Bonus scythe, for fellow appreciators of the Rule of Cool
MGS: Rat in a Foxhole by thelonebamf
Dec. 25th, 2025 09:23 pm22degreehalo posting in fancakeFandom: Metal Gear Solid
Pairings/Characters: Snake/Otacon
Rating: G
Length: 13,779 (1:33:04)
Creator Links:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
thelonebamf
Theme: Amnesty, Ambiguous Relationships, Angst (With A Happy Ending), Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Trauma & Recovery, Pre-Canon
Summary: Snake returns from Operation N313, lauded a hero and finds the latest shipment of Foxhound recruits already at the camp. Still struggling to sort out his thoughts about the mission, he finds his attention drawn to one rookie in particular, a scrawny, unassuming runt who can't seem to stay out of trouble.
Reccer's Notes: This just works so damn well as an alternate first meeting for these two! It's such a dismal, pessimistic setting - as expected with this canon - but the way these two forge a connection, finding some degree of comfort and caring and hope - makes me really emotional! And I love the use of the book, as well!(Also somehow even though I always knew the Hal connection to 2001: A Space Odyssey I never noticed how Dave fits in to it, too?! 🤦)
Fanwork Links: Rat in a Foxhole [podfic], Rat in a Foxhole
Pairings/Characters: Snake/Otacon
Rating: G
Length: 13,779 (1:33:04)
Creator Links:
Theme: Amnesty, Ambiguous Relationships, Angst (With A Happy Ending), Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Trauma & Recovery, Pre-Canon
Summary: Snake returns from Operation N313, lauded a hero and finds the latest shipment of Foxhound recruits already at the camp. Still struggling to sort out his thoughts about the mission, he finds his attention drawn to one rookie in particular, a scrawny, unassuming runt who can't seem to stay out of trouble.
Reccer's Notes: This just works so damn well as an alternate first meeting for these two! It's such a dismal, pessimistic setting - as expected with this canon - but the way these two forge a connection, finding some degree of comfort and caring and hope - makes me really emotional! And I love the use of the book, as well!
Fanwork Links: Rat in a Foxhole [podfic], Rat in a Foxhole
25 December
Dec. 25th, 2025 10:44 amantisoppistUnexpected bonus Christmas extract from Son who doesn't really do fiction.
Wishing you all a happier time than being stuck in Antarctica, whether or not you celebrate Christmas.
After an hour's rest, they struggled on until noon. The tents were pitched and supper was issued: cold seal steak and tea - nothing more.
On the same night exactly one year before, after a festive dinner on board the Endurance, Greenstreet had written in his diary: 'Here endeth another Christmas Day. I wonder how and under what circumstances our next one will be spent.' That night he failed to even mention what day it was. And Shackleton recorded briefly all that really needed to be said: 'Curions Christmas. Thoughts of home.'
Wishing you all a happier time than being stuck in Antarctica, whether or not you celebrate Christmas.
FIC: Kamen Rider Gotchard, B-Robo Kabutack - Finders Keepers
Dec. 25th, 2025 10:13 amsonofgodzillaTitle: Finders Keepers
Universe: Kamen Rider Gotchard, B-Robo Kabutack
Prompt: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: S02E08 - I, Eye Guy
Character(s): Kugimiya Licht, Harima Shiroi, Captain Tonborg, OCs
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Summary: This, thought Kugimiya Licht, was less than ideal, a waste of his time even. Through the course of their investigation, they had uncovered the cache of aged Octi-Eye cards buried in the ground, there was nothing contest. Finders keepers, as the children he had watched outside the window of his villa on the Palatine Hill had oft been moved to call out.
Length: 1858 words
Author's Notes: WWTHYWC! #22. Merry, merry Christmas, friends 🎄🎉🎁💝🍰 also: external link.
( Finders Keepers )
Universe: Kamen Rider Gotchard, B-Robo Kabutack
Prompt: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: S02E08 - I, Eye Guy
Character(s): Kugimiya Licht, Harima Shiroi, Captain Tonborg, OCs
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Summary: This, thought Kugimiya Licht, was less than ideal, a waste of his time even. Through the course of their investigation, they had uncovered the cache of aged Octi-Eye cards buried in the ground, there was nothing contest. Finders keepers, as the children he had watched outside the window of his villa on the Palatine Hill had oft been moved to call out.
Length: 1858 words
Author's Notes: WWTHYWC! #22. Merry, merry Christmas, friends 🎄🎉🎁💝🍰 also: external link.
( Finders Keepers )
SVSSS: blood, leave no stain by Boomchick
Dec. 25th, 2025 09:12 pm22degreehalo posting in fancakeFandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu
Rating: T
Length: 4,491
Creator Links:boomchick
Theme: Amnesty, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Mythical Creatures: Demons, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Spells & Curses, Trauma and Recovery
Summary: Luo Binghe's healing powers falter in the shape of the wounds Xiu Ya once gave him. He does the only logical thing--HIDES IT.
Shen Qingqiu knows something is wrong with his husband, but finding out what is going to hurt...
A sweet little post-canon fic about healing, plotted with and illustrated by the incredible Falcities for the SVSSS Gotcha for Gaza
Reccer's Notes: This is such a sweet, thoughtful fic! Binghe always tries so hard to be strong, and never really quite escapes the trauma reaction that he doesn't deserve help or that suffering is just something to be endured. In this post-canon fic, his husband gets the opportunity to tell him otherwise and show him just how much he loves all parts of him, including the demonic parts!
It also has quite possibly my favourite (and very appropriate to the themes!) no beta tag ever: No beta but we live regardless
Fanwork Links: blood, leave no stain
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu
Rating: T
Length: 4,491
Creator Links:
boomchickTheme: Amnesty, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Mythical Creatures: Demons, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Spells & Curses, Trauma and Recovery
Summary: Luo Binghe's healing powers falter in the shape of the wounds Xiu Ya once gave him. He does the only logical thing--HIDES IT.
Shen Qingqiu knows something is wrong with his husband, but finding out what is going to hurt...
A sweet little post-canon fic about healing, plotted with and illustrated by the incredible Falcities for the SVSSS Gotcha for Gaza
Reccer's Notes: This is such a sweet, thoughtful fic! Binghe always tries so hard to be strong, and never really quite escapes the trauma reaction that he doesn't deserve help or that suffering is just something to be endured. In this post-canon fic, his husband gets the opportunity to tell him otherwise and show him just how much he loves all parts of him, including the demonic parts!
It also has quite possibly my favourite (and very appropriate to the themes!) no beta tag ever: No beta but we live regardless
Fanwork Links: blood, leave no stain
SVSSS: the future is a foreign country by marquisguyun
Dec. 25th, 2025 09:01 pm22degreehalo posting in fancakeFandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu
Rating: T
Length: 3,248
Creator Links:marquisguyun
Theme: Amnesty, Character Development, Domestic, Happy Endings, Hurt/Comfort, Time Travel
Summary: Luo Binghe had suffered through numerous life-changing revelations since waking up on the floor of the woodshed. First he had thought he was dead and a ghost, then he'd been informed he was in the future, then they'd tried to tell him that he was a demon. But still, the most unbelievable thing this strange future version of his shijie had tried to convince him of was that he was married to their shizun.
Reccer's Notes: This was written for the prompt 'Time Travel - Character discovers future self is apparently happy in the MOST unlikely relationship', and truly I cannot think of a better canon ship for that than this pair 😄 This is so sweet, and baby Binghe's POV is so perfectly young and hurt and yearning and protective-instincts-inciting...! And then the canon couple themselves are just so very sweet and perfect... <33 Such love!!!
Fanwork Links: the future is a foreign country
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu
Rating: T
Length: 3,248
Creator Links:
marquisguyunTheme: Amnesty, Character Development, Domestic, Happy Endings, Hurt/Comfort, Time Travel
Summary: Luo Binghe had suffered through numerous life-changing revelations since waking up on the floor of the woodshed. First he had thought he was dead and a ghost, then he'd been informed he was in the future, then they'd tried to tell him that he was a demon. But still, the most unbelievable thing this strange future version of his shijie had tried to convince him of was that he was married to their shizun.
Reccer's Notes: This was written for the prompt 'Time Travel - Character discovers future self is apparently happy in the MOST unlikely relationship', and truly I cannot think of a better canon ship for that than this pair 😄 This is so sweet, and baby Binghe's POV is so perfectly young and hurt and yearning and protective-instincts-inciting...! And then the canon couple themselves are just so very sweet and perfect... <33 Such love!!!
Fanwork Links: the future is a foreign country