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Europe
Russia
9:08 am, December 31, 2024 Ukrainian sea and aerial drones targeted Sevastopol overnight on December 30-31. Russian forces intercepted four aerial targets over the sea and destroyed two unmanned boats at a distance from the coast. In Smolensk region, air defense systems had shot down several drones in the Yartsevsky district. Debris from one of the drones struck an oil depot, causing a fuel spill and a fire involving flammable materials. In North Ossetia, air defenses had downed a drone over a military training ground. A drone alert has been in effect across the North Caucasus Federal District since 4 a.m. Vladikavkaz International Airport remains closed for both arrivals and departures. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that its air defense systems destroyed 68 Ukrainian drones overnight: 25 in Bryansk, 17 in Crimea, 11 in Krasnodar Krai, 10 in Smolensk, two in Tver, and one each in the Rostov, Kursk, and Kaluga regions. (Source: Meduza - headquartered in Riga, Latvia)
Ukraine
Dec 31, 2024 01:27 PM IST Ukraine’s air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3:00 a.m., with at least two explosions heard in Kyiv minutes later. Another missile alert was issued at 8:00 a.m. followed by at least one explosion in the city. Missile debris fell in the Darnytskyi district of the capital. Authorities in the northeastern Sumy region reported strikes near the city of Shostka. 12 residential buildings had been damaged as well as two educational facilities and some social infrastructure objects were destroyed. The air force also reported missiles and drones targeting several other regions of Ukraine. Around half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war, and rolling electricity blackouts are common and widespread. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)
Asia
China
31/12/2024 - 09:08 Beijing today hit back at accusations that a China state-sponsored actor was behind a cyber breach at the US Treasury Department, calling the claims groundless. (Source: France 24 / AFP)
Gaza
(31 12 2024) The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said yesterday that 27 people were killed in the Palestinian territory in the past 24 hours. (Source: Gulf Today - United Arab Emirates)
Japan
December 31, 2024 7:28 AM Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense released its assessment of Chinese military power, reporting that Beijing had more than 600 operational nuclear warheads, about 100 more than last year's estimate. The United States and Japan have formulated their first guidelines for extended deterrence, which include the possible employment of the U.S.'s nuclear weapons, amid persistent threats posed to the security alliance by nuclear-armed China and North Korea. Extended deterrence, commonly known as a "nuclear umbrella," is a commitment made by the U.S. to deter and respond to scenarios-whether nuclear or nonnuclear-in defense of its allies and partners around the world, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and NATO member states. In July, the U.S. and Japan held their first "two plus two" ministerial meeting on extended deterrence in Tokyo. The guidelines for extended deterrence, which were announced by the U.S. State Department today, reinforces the existing extended deterrence consultation and communication procedures. Details were not disclosed, as they contained classified intelligence. According to the statement, which the Japanese Foreign Ministry also published, in the face of an increasingly severe strategic and nuclear threat environment, the new guidelines addressed strategic messaging to maximize deterrence and enhance measures for U.S. extended deterrence, bolstered by Japan's defense capabilities. In June, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said North Korea, one of the nine nations armed with nukes, was estimated to possess 50 warheads in its nuclear arsenal, up from 30 warheads in 2023. "Under the security environment surrounding Japan, which is becoming increasingly severe and uncertain at a remarkably rapid pace, it is indispensable to strengthen the Japan-U.S. Security Arrangements and to enhance the deterrence of the Japan-U.S. Alliance not only for the peace and security of Japan, but also for the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region”, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. Japan can now convey its requests to the U.S. through the Alliance Coordination Mechanism to discuss issues regarding the U.S.'s possible use of nukes during normal times and contingencies. The guidelines are the first written statement to clarify that Tokyo can convey its views to Washington on this issue. However, the U.S. still has the final say on the authorization of using nuclear weapons, as the president possesses the sole authority. China and North Korea are likely to continue the expansion of their nuclear weapons programs. It remains to be seen whether the U.S. military will deploy its nuclear-armed bombers and submarines to Japan, demonstrating its commitment to extended deterrence. (Source: Miami Herald / Newsweek = U.S.)
Syria
(Tuesday), December 31, 2024 8:39 AM GMT+1 Syria's new rulers have installed some foreign fighters in the country's armed forces. The Defence Ministry on Sunday announced 49 appointments to the army that included leaders of key Syrian armed factions. Among them three given the rank of brigadier-general and at least three others the rank of colonel. ’This is a small token of recognition for the sacrifices Islamist jihadists gave to our struggle for freedom from Assad's oppression,’ an HTS source told. Sharaa, the HTS-leader-turned de facto ruler of Syria, has purged dozens of foreign jihadi fighters as part of a campaign to Syrianise and moderate his group. In remarks broadcast on Sunday, Sharaa said the new Syria cannot be run by the mentality of groups and militias. Syria's new rulers, drawn mainly from HTS, have indicated that foreign fighters and their families may be given Syrian citizenship and be allowed to stay in the country because of their contributions to the fight against Assad. Thousands of Sunni Muslim foreigners joined Syria's rebels early in the 13-year civil war to fight against the rule of Assad and the Iran-backed Shi'ite militias who supported him. Some foreign fighters formed their own armed groups while others joined established formations such as islamic state. Other groups of foreign jihadists joined HTS, which disavowed previous links to al Qaeda and islamic state and fought against them. Uyghur militant Khudaberdi, also known as Zahid and the commander of the separatist Turkistan Islamic Party's (TIP) forces in Syria, was appointed a brigadier-general, a TIP statement said and the Syrian military source confirmed. Turkish citizen Jaftashi and Jordanian citizen Khatib were also made brigadier-generals Two other Uyghur fighters, Abdussamad and Ahmad, were given the rank of colonel, said the TIP statement published on its website. Jashari, an ethnically Albanian fighter also known as Albani, who head the Albanian jihadist group Xhemati Alban and was designated a terrorist by the U.S. Treasury in 2016, was appointed colonel. Egyptian Baqi was also given a military rank. All the names appear in Sunday's Defence Ministry announcement, though the nationalities are not included. The TIP is thought to have hundreds of fighters in Syria and aims to establish an islamic state in parts of China and central Asia, where there is a large Uyghur Muslim ethnic minority in the western region of Xinjiang. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement is a terrorist organisation listed by the UN Security Council, Mao, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, told today, using China's name for TIP. The international community should fully recognise the violent nature of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and resolutely crack down on it, she added. China also labels the TIP a terrorist organisation responsible for plots to attack overseas Chinese targets (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)
Yemen
Dec 31, 2024, 10:21 AM Two Yemeni hypersonic ballistic missiles hit Israeli Ben Gurion airport, power plant, carried out simultaneously with another operation with a large number of drones and guided missiles against the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. (Source: MEHR News Agency - Iran)
Southeast Asia
December 31, 2024 Protectionism and economic nationalism are on the rise in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam). /Source: The Diplomat - U. S./
North America
United States
31.12.2024 US President-elect Trump’s transition team has imposed a strict social media ban on Cabinet nominees. "All intended nominees should refrain from any public social media posts without prior approval of the incoming White House counsel," warned Trump’s Chief of Staff Wiles in a memo. "No member of the incoming administration or Transition speaks for the United States or the President-elect himself." This directive coincides with intensifying clashes over H-1B visas, which allow skilled foreign workers to take up crucial roles in industries such as technology. Musk, a Trump ally and billionaire entrepreneur, has publicly supported the program, calling foreign talent essential for innovation. Trump recently expressed support for H-1B visas, despite previously labeling them very bad and unfair to Americans. This shift in stance has caused frustration among some of his MAGA supporters. Musk, is set to co-chair Trump’s newly announced Department of Government Efficiency alongside former GOP primary candidate Ramaswamy, who aligning with Musk’s views, argued on social media that a culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ will not produce the best engineers. Trump’s Cabinet picks are under intense scrutiny ahead of confirmation hearings, with a narrow Republican majority in the Senate. Warrington, Trump’s incoming White House counsel, will oversee the team’s social media compliance. Trump has praised Warrington as an "esteemed lawyer and Conservative leader" who has served as his personal attorney and campaign counsel. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
by Çebi
10:39, 31-Dec-2024 The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday rejected President-elect Trump's attempt to overturn the rulings in a case of defamation and sexual abuse filed by writer Carroll. In May 2023, a federal jury from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, including nearly $3 million for defamation, after they 'found' that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the mid-1990s and then defamed her in 2022 when he denied her claim. (Source: CGTN - China)
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