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Europe
European Commission
18.12.2024 At the doorstep of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels, Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief told reporters today that Russia does not want peace, and that is a problem, so Europe must support Ukraine as much as it can. After more than a thousand days of the Russian war on Ukraine which started in February 2022, she said: 'We will also discuss Russia's hybrid activities and war in Ukraine, and what we can do more.' For his part, European Council President Costa stressed that the enlargement was "a priority," and "the most important geopolitical investment in peace, security and prosperity." (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
European Union
18 December 2024 Turkey was to receive an extra €1 billion from European Union funds to contribute to migration and border management, including voluntary returns of Syrian refugees, der Leyen said. (Source: Brussels Signal)
Russia
(December 18, 2024) Russia detains Uzbek suspect in general's killing. The man was promised $100,000 to carry out the attack, as well as the possibility 'to settle in a European country', the Investigative Committee's statement said. The suspect told interrogators that he had come to Moscow to carry out the attack and that a camera mounted on the dashboard of a rented car parked outside the building had filmed the attack and streamed it live 'to the attack organisers, in the (Ukrainian) city of Dnipro'. (Source: TRT World - Turkey)
9:25 am, December 18, 2024 Ukraine’s military cannot independently retake Crimea and Donbas, President Zelensky said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien, published yesterday. (Source: Meduza - headquartered in Riga, Latvia / Le Parisien - France)
18 December 2024, 08:29 Russia’s Investigative Committee now claim a 29-year-old Uzebekistani suspect has been arrested over the killing of the 54-year-old Lieutenant General Kirillov of the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defence Forces (NBC) and general's aide, Polikarpov. It reported that the individual had been recruited by Ukrainian special forces and paid $100,000 for the assassination. The hidden bomb contained an equivalent to 300g of high explosives. (Source: LBC - United Kingdom)
Ukraine
18 December 2024 3:26PM Ukraine has unveiled a ‘Trident’ laser weapon after the UK said earlier this year it would be sharing its prototypes with Kyiv. The UK’s DragonFire laser could be used in Ukraine to counter Russian drones. The UK successfully tested a DragonFire laser weapon for the first time in April. In April, Shapps, former British Defence Minister, said the military was rushing to get it into service by 2027. Colonel Sukharevsky, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said at the Europe Defence Industry conference that the laser would be capable of downing aircraft at distances of more than 2km, adding that efforts are underway to scale up its capabilities. He mentioned Ukraine was only the fifth country to have a high-power laser weapon in its arsenal. (Source: The Telegraph - United Kingdom)
United Kingdom
18/12/2024 - 22:48 Parallel legal systems in Britain. 'Sharia law does not form any part of the law in England and Wales," a Government spokesman stated. Sharia as jurisprudence is based on Islamic scholars' opinions from the time of Mohammed in the 7th century until the 13th century. An estimated 100,000 Islamic marriages have been conducted in Britain, with many not officially registered with civil authorities. Britain becomes 'western capital' for sharia law courts as 85 open throughout the UK. (Source: GB News - United Kingdom)
Asia
Syria
(Wednesday), 18 December 2024 The fall of Assad has raised questions about Russia's future presence in Syria. Russia’s two key strategic bases - giving it easier access to the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea - are the port at Tartous, established by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and then expanded and modernised by Russia in 2012, and the airbase at Hmeimim, which has been operational since 2015 and was used to launch air strikes across Syria in support of Assad. Moscow is seeking to negotiate with the new regime. On Monday, Kremlin press secretary Peskov said there have been no final decisions and that Russia was in contact with representatives of the forces that now control the situation in Syria. BBC Verify has been monitoring Hmeimim air base activity by using Planet Labs satellite imagery. There are signs of sustained activity, involving sizeable military transport planes. Two large Antonov An-124 aircraft, which may be used to move assets out of Syria, were seen at the base on Friday. They had left by yesterday, but two large planes were again in the base by today morning. Further imagery taken by Maxar Technologies on Sunday shows dozens of military vehicles parked at the airfield near a Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane, which could be used for evacuations. Heathcote, intelligence manager at McKenzie Intelligence, said the rapid collapse of the Assad government meant it was unlikely Russia had a plan to evacuate resources. Ozberk, a former naval officer and defence analyst, agreed that the imagery indicated early stages of a Russian withdrawal from Syria, with clear signs of an air-based evacuation. Last week Russian warships had left the port at Tartous, with analysts suggesting they were being stationed in international waters for the time being. Those vessels have not returned - but more than 100 military vehicles have arrived at the base in recent days, satellite images show. Recent footage geolocated to 30km south of Homs also showed large columns of Russian vehicles on the move, indicating they've been redirected from other Russian outposts across the country. Another video showed a column of Russian vehicles on the same highway further south, 70km outside Damascus. Russia is now withdrawing units and military equipment that were deployed in nearly a hundred strongholds across the country before the fall of Damascus, said Mardasov, a non-resident scholar in the Middle East Institutes Syria programme. (Source: BBC – United Kingdom)
December 18, 2024 12:36 Conspiracy theories regarding the origins of HTS leader run rampant on social media and traditional media across the Middle East and beyond. Even before his announcement that Syria is not looking for a confrontation with Israel, the leader of HTS, Sharaa, faced harsh campaigns from Iran sympathizers and anti-Islamist actors. Sharaa, who took the nickname Julani, also faces attacks from anti-Islamist actors who reject Salafi ideologies and base their disdain on his roles in several al-Qaeda offshoots. An Iranian user named Dr. Shahla surfed on the trend, tweeting, 'It is very likely that he will turn out to be like Abu Hafs, the preacher of the Libyan mosque, who turned out to be a Jewish officer in the Israeli Mossad.' A user named 'Roaring of the Syrian Revolution' claimed to his tens of thousands of followers on X/Twitter and Telegram that Jolani is a 'creation of the Mossad,' also alleging that he is the son of Iraqi Shi’i cleric Sader, referring to some physical similarities between the two. Another leader claimed by conspiracists to be Julani’s doppelganger was no other than leader Zelensky. Ghamry, an anchor at the Cairo-based Tahrir Egyptian Network (TeN), pointed at the similarity between the two, adding, 'The terrorist Julani kept dressing, talking and taking pictures like the Jew Zelensky… And the media applauds him… Netanyahu is so happy with you.' In a different post, he added, 'This tells us that Mossad and CIA have a shortage of stylist jobs.' An Egyptian account opined that Julani, in fact, looks like Israeli spy Cohen. Another claimed that he resembles Zionism’s visionary Hertzel. A Houthi newspaper from Yemen published a caricature showing Julani being controlled as a puppet by Erdogan, which in turn was controlled by Israel and the US. Soubi, an Egyptian law scholar and lawyer, posted on X, 'Israeli Mossad: This is a spy we prepared well…' also pointing at what she deemed the USA’s 'double game' of both regarding Julani as a wanted terrorist and leading interviews with him on CNN. The Mossad theories went beyond the Middle Eastern sphere. Danish politician and former economic analyst Palsvig uploaded a viral post that accused Sharaa of being a Mossad mole. Palsvig insinuated that Julani was a Jew named David, who graduated from a non-existing institute named the 'School of Islamic Jurisprudence in Tel Aviv.' The post was viewed over two million views, received 14,000 likes, and was reposted 6,600 times on X. Another eccentric conspiracy theory had to do with Sharaa’s tactical attire, which was depicted as being made by Israeli footwear firm Source (‘Shoresh’). Viral posts circulated showing a pixelated screenshot of al-Sharaa with a logo on his back, even though, upon close inspection, it was the logo of a Chinese clothing company named Emersongear. Some understood that these were mere conspiracy theories, making fun of the extent of their ridiculousness. A user named Lateef wrote, ironically, 'Confirmed news about Julani from reliable sources: of Jewish origin, a graduate of Tel Aviv University, an extremist Islamist who maintains prayers in mosques, and a isis / Taliban / Muslim Brotherhood member. These are our reliable sources. Do you understand now why our people are suffering?' To this, a user named Ammar commented, 'And he will also turn out to be Iranian at the same time. Just like [the theories that] ‘Sisi's mother is Jewish’ and ‘Bashar is of Jewish origin,’ and the list goes on.' (Source: The Jerusalem Post - Israel)
11:01 ET, Dec 18 2024 Selvi, a well-established commentator from Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, said 'a reliable source told him' Assad handed over a list with the location of weapons depots, missile systems, and warplanes as a guarantee that Israel would not target him during his flight. Israel started dropping airstrikes on Syrian military strongholds soon after the fall of Assad's government. Syria’s new de facto leader, Sharaa, signalled a retreat from confrontation with Israel following the attacks. The Israelis have clearly crossed the disengagement line in Syria, which threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region, he declared. "The general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts", he added. (Source: The U.S. Sun)
2024-12-18 09:21 Since the beginning of 2024, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has documented 253 operations by isis, including armed attacks, executions, and explosions targeting military and security forces in areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration. These operations resulted in 115 fatalities, including 73 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), and other military groups in those areas, 13 isis members, and 29 civilians. (Source: Shafaq News - Iraq)
Tibet
December 18, 2024 As the Indian Parliament’s winter session is underway in Delhi, members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile on its second day of Tibet advocacy initiative in New Delhi reached out to several dignitaries. The parliamentarians were grouped into 6 committees. Their objective is to raise awareness about the serious challenges faced by the Tibetan people under the Chinese Communist regime, express gratitude to the government and people of India for their hospitality in hosting His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees since 1959, and encourage Indian Parliamentarians to join the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet (APIPFT). In an eight point appeal letter submitted to visited dignitaries, the Tibetan Parliamentarians appealed that Tibet should be recognised as an occupied nation with a distinct and sovereign past, supported by historical evidence. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) should engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama or elected Tibetan leaders to resolve the Tibet-China conflict, under the Middle Way Policy seeking genuine autonomy within China’s constitution. They also appealed that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) should initiate studies on the environmental impact of China’s exploitation of Tibet’s resources and its contribution to global climate change. Independent human rights organizations must be granted access to monitor the human rights situation in Tibet, UN Special Rapporteurs should be invited to visit. China must also release all Tibetan political prisoners, including Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama. The PRC should cease its policies aimed at eradicating Tibetan culture, language, and religion. A national legislative framework should be established to combat China’s authoritarianism and disinformation campaigns, The advocacy effort is being coordinated by the India Tibet Coordination Office (ITCO) with its Coordinator and staff alongside Tibetan Parliamentary staff members accompanying the committees during their meetings. (Source: „Report fielded by Tibetan Parliamentary Secretariat")
North America
United States Dec 18, 2024 01:20 PM IST Vocal leftist Doran, a USAF veteran, nurse and substitute teacher has claimed Trump will be arrested on December 20 under Executive Order 13848. He claimed that Trump will never make it to the White House because millions of Americans will storm Washington DC on January 20, 2025. Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the US is set to take place on January 20 next year on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. He is expected to deliver an inaugural address. Biden has confirmed that he will be in attendance, and has ensured a peaceful transfer of power. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)
NATO
18.12.2024 NATO's new Ukraine command in Wiesbaden, Germany has started operations. The NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) command, staffed by 700 personnel from across the alliance, will oversee weapons deliveries and training programs for Ukrainian forces, taking over from a smaller US-led mission, the 300-person US-led Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U). The command will coordinate the provision, transfer and repair of military equipment critical to Ukraine’s operations, as well as training in allied countries. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
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