Paradox's Hearts of Iron IV Discord banned a Turkish player for using a real Atatürk photograph as a profile picture.
Moderator chakerathe said real photos of "controversial" historical figures from the game's era were barred, while in-game portraits were fine.
Then it got worse — the same moderator said Atatürk was a CUP member during the 1915 events and his involvement was "controversial."
A later team reply compared him to Karl Marx as a "polarizing figure."
First, players found Stalin and other wartime leaders used as avatars without issue — a clear double standard.
Second, Turkish players and historians pointed out that, in 1915, Mustafa Kemal was a front-line commander at Gallipoli, not CUP leadership running policy, making the moderator's framing a historical smear.
Paradox's own DLC had previously called him "the legendary Mustafa Kemal Atatürk."
Turkish players organized negative reviews across Paradox titles.
HOI4's recent score collapsed from "Very Positive" to "Overwhelmingly Negative" — roughly 7% positive among ~24,000 recent reviews, with 11,000+ negative reviews tied to the incident. Other Paradox games were also hit.
Objecting users had messages deleted; more were banned; the Discord closed new joins.
The HOI4 game director acknowledged on Reddit that enforcement was inconsistent and the rule needed revision, but stopped short of apologizing for the 1915 remarks.
No formal corporate apology as of today.
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Belgium’s foreign ministry warned in a leaked internal document that the U.S. under Trump is “no longer the ally it has been in the past” and called for a reassessment of ties with Washington.
The October 2025 document said Belgium should continue engaging with the Trump administration while strengthening contacts with Congress, Democratic opposition figures, Republican and Democratic states, and future bipartisan political leaders.
The ministry stressed that the document was an internal working paper, not an agreed government policy.
Source: FT
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Trump and Xi agreed to extend a trade truce until Jan. 10, 2027, avoiding escalation despite disputes over rare earths, technology curbs and Taiwan.
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Bloomberg
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EU's Kaja Kallas:
Trump's inviting Putin to the G20 was very hard to hear, because considering that even a few days ago, there were Russian intelligence officers charged for murders of Americans on American soil.
So, my question is, do these intelligence officers operate, you know, alone, or do they get orders from Vladimir Putin? And I can tell you, they get orders from President Putin.
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Zelensky said the Trump administration is pushing three steps to restart diplomacy with Russia:
A ceasefire on energy infrastructure.
Reopening the Black Sea grain corridor.
A trilateral U.S.-Russia-Ukraine meeting, possibly in Abu Dhabi.
Zelensky said the energy ceasefire proposal came from the U.S. and that Kyiv is ready to accept it.
“On the table now there is a proposition: energy ceasefire. We are ready.”
He said he told Trump he wanted a trilateral meeting with an energy ceasefire as one of the first outcomes.
“We are open — any country, any format.”
Source: Axios
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Zelensky said U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner returned from their September meeting with Vladimir Putin optimistic that Moscow was ready for progress.
He recalled that the two told him:
“We think that Putin is ready.”
Zelensky responded:
“Look, I’m not sure.”
According to Zelensky, the U.S. envoys replied:
“No, we are close.”
Source: Axios
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Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Prévot:
This is not the time to treat humanitarian aid as an optional expense. It is neither a reward nor a bargaining chip.
A hungry child is not responsible for the position taken by his government. That child has the right to eat, the right to receive care and the right to be protected.
That is why I urge every one of us not to cut humanitarian funding.
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Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Prévot:
Power cannot be its own judge. That remains true even when we dislike their rulings or proceedings.
When judges or staff members of an international court face sanctions or pressure for carrying out their mandates, Belgium will always stand with them to protect them.
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POLITICO says its reporter was denied White House access and had his press pass confiscated despite a judge’s order restoring access.
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Paradox Gets Review-Bombed After Linking Atatürk to 1915 Events
Hearts of Iron IV’s recent Steam rating fell to Overwhelmingly Negative after Turkish players protested a Discord ban and moderator remarks linking Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to the 1915 events.
READ MORE
Hearts of Iron IV’s recent Steam rating fell to Overwhelmingly Negative after Turkish players protested a Discord ban and moderator remarks linking Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to the 1915 events.
READ MORE
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Daniel Levy | Former Israeli Peace Negotiator | US/Middle East Project (USMEP):
FULL INTERVIEW
The new sanctions regime the UK has announced targeting Israeli settlement project crosses the rhetoric threshold.
The implications are significant. Not a single Israeli bank exists that doesn't invest on the settlement project.
The illegal occupation is a State of Israel project. The perpetrator is the IDF - not a ragtag band of armed settlers.
FULL INTERVIEW
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Clash Report
POLITICO says its reporter was denied White House access and had his press pass confiscated despite a judge’s order restoring access.
MS NOW and CNN reporters also reported being denied access to the White House despite a judge’s order restoring access.
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Q: How would you describe yesterday's meeting with President Trump and all the Arab leaders?
Ahmad al-Sharaa: Acceptable.
Q: And the meeting with Zelensky?
Ahmad al-Sharaa: Also good.
Ahmad al-Sharaa: Acceptable.
Q: And the meeting with Zelensky?
Ahmad al-Sharaa: Also good.
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Daniel Levy | Former Israeli Peace Negotiator | US/Middle East Project (USMEP):
FULL INTERVIEW
Ursula von der Leyen said Europe "should do more on Israel" - a duplicitous statement from someone who supported Israeli crimes.
Germany will do everything to block any shift (against Israel). But the UK could have a knock-on effect in Italy.
Despite UK sanctions, Spain's & Norway's arms embargo on Israel, Germany & Greece are buying Israeli weapons.
FULL INTERVIEW
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