⚡️🇸🇾🇮🇱🇸🇦🇷🇺🇹🇷🇸🇾 Al-Majalla: Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said no deal with Israel will be signed without a full withdrawal to the 7 December 2024 line. He rejected any attempt to impose a “new reality on the ground” and said agreements would follow limited adjustments to the 1974 framework.
Al-Shaibani highlighted Syria’s diplomatic shift from reliance on Russia and Iran toward engagement with the Gulf states, Türkiye, and the U.S., stressing balance over blocs.
On the SDF, he said Damascus has offered full integration with U.S. backing, ensuring coordination and continued action against IS.
He added that any U.S. presence must be coordinated, and withdrawal, if chosen, must be peaceful.
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⚡️🇺🇸 Multiple people injured after a shooting during a Christmas festival in Concord, North Carolina.
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⚡️🇱🇧 Israeli drones are flying over Zahrani at a very low altitude.
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⚡️🇨🇳🇹🇼Reuters: China used civilian ships in maritime exercises this summer to prepare for potentially using them in an invasion of Taiwan.
12 vessels were used in total, six roll on-roll off ferries (from Dalian and Yantai), and six deck cargo ships (from Xiamen and Taizhou).
Satellite images show the vessels performing landing operations and lowering their ramps to unload military equipment.
Former U.S. Naval Intelligence officer J. Michael Dahm raised concerns that such an exercise indicates that China has the capability of conducting a full scale invasion of Taiwan.
“The PLA continues to demonstrate new capabilities that are putting them on a path to having the amount of capability and capacity that they need to conduct a full-scale invasion.”
⚡️🇺🇸 Flight tracking data indicates that a third bomber or unidentified aircraft may be accompanying the B-52H Stratofortresses from Minot Air Force Base, while a fourth B-52 has taken off from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and is heading south toward the Gulf of Mexico.
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⚡️🇺🇸🇮🇳 DSCA: The U.S. has approved a $93M arms sale to India, including Javelin missile systems and Excalibur precision artillery rounds.
The package provides 100 Javelin rounds, 25 launch units, and up to 216 Excalibur projectiles.
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⚡️🇯🇴 L’Orient Today: Jordanian leaders have expressed growing anxiety over the country’s new conscription law, warning it could deepen the breakdown of Jordan’s fragile socioeconomic fabric.
The law reintroduces compulsory military service for young men in 2026, with officials describing it as a measure to instil discipline and national unity. However, sources close to the government told L’Orient Today that the decision reflects concerns over rising unemployment, drug use, and declining social cohesion among youth.
The move has sparked debate inside Jordan, where critics argue that the law could backfire economically if not paired with broader reforms addressing job creation and inequality.
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⚡️🇷🇴🇺🇦🇷🇺 Romania scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday when a drone breached its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure near the border, the Defense Ministry said.
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⚡🇺🇸 Cloudflare services are gradually being restored, with several global platforms and software systems beginning to recover their functionality.
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⚡️🇩🇰🇺🇳🇵🇸🇮🇱Permanent Representative of Denmark to the UN Lassen described the recently adopted resolution as the best chance at stability in the region so far.
"This plan represent our best opportunity to bring about lasting peace in The Middle East, a peace in which civilians in Gaza can live in dignity and safety, A peace in which Palestinians can shape their own future and where Gaza is reunited with the West Bank under a reformed Palestinian authority as part of a two state solution. A peace in which Israel is secure from terrorism.
The resolution was adopted with 120 votes in favor, 10 against, and 45 abstentions. The United States, Israel, and a few other countries voted against the resolution."
⚡️🇱🇧🇸🇦 The Saudi technical committee responsible for reviewing the lifting of the ban on Lebanese exports has arrived in Beirut and is meeting today with the Prime Minister at the Grand Serail.
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⚡️🇩🇪🇨🇳 German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is embarking on a high-stakes visit to Asia to push for an “open, rules-based global trading system” amid rising tensions between the US, China, and Europe.
He will meet senior officials in Beijing, participate in the German-Chinese financial dialogue, and travel to Shanghai and Singapore.
The agenda, coordinated with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the EU, will also address China’s role in resolving the war in Ukraine.
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⚡️🇸🇾🇨🇳 Al Majalla: Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is set to make an official visit to China soon, completing visits to all five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The trip is expected to pave the way for a future visit by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Damascus and Beijing have been quietly working to deepen bilateral ties.
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⚡🇺🇸 Meanwhile, on Guam, the Americans are quietly working to bring back aircraft operations on the Northwest Field.
Work started in 2018 when the runway was restored, now about 20 aircraft parking lots are being constructed. Like in Tinian, they are spaced of 90m reducing the vulnerability of grouped aircrafts to attacks (Pearl Harbor trauma ?).
13°37'39"N 144°51'23"E⚡️🇹🇭🇺🇸 Thailand said tariff talks with the United States will continue following a phone call between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and President Donald Trump, despite Washington’s earlier suspension over Thai compliance with a peace declaration with Cambodia.
The US had informed Bangkok of the temporary halt, but discussions resumed after the leaders spoke Friday night, Thai government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said.
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⚡️🇺🇸 A major fire has broken out aboard a container ship at the Port of Los Angeles after its arrival from Tokyo, with more than 100 firefighters and multiple fire boats responding.
Fifteen crew members were evacuated safely.
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⚡️🇮🇱🇸🇾 The Israeli army carried out preemptive operations in southern Syria, seizing and destroying weapons including missile parts and RPGs. The Spearhead Brigade (Brigade 55) under Division 210 remains active in the area.
Separately, an Israeli drone strike on the Daraa–Damascus highway killed 12 tribal members in vehicles with heavy machine guns. Identities and affiliations were not released.
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⚡️🇯🇵 Reuters: Japan’s Niigata regional governor has approved a partial restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world’s largest nuclear power plant, allowing TEPCO to bring units 6 and 7 online.
The move aims to strengthen energy security and reduce Japan’s fossil fuel imports.
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⚡️🇺🇸 Fox News: Two people are receiving medical treatment following an incident at the U.S. Capitol complex.
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⚡️🇨🇿 Two trains collided early Thursday morning near České Budějovice in the Czech Republic, injuring 42 people — two seriously and around 40 lightly.
The crash occurred on the route to Plzeň, halting all rail traffic. The site lies roughly 150 kilometres south of Prague.
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⚡️🇺🇦The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has approved of a measure allowing private critical infrastructure enterprises to integrate into the national air defence system for the first time and form air defence groups.
Air defence groups will function strictly under the command of the Armed Forces and will work through Ukraine’s digital air defence network and will be allowed to purchase or receive air defence assets upon military approval.
Only vetted employees who pass Security Service of Ukraine checks will be eligible to serve within these groups.
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⚡️🇱🇧🇮🇱The IDF reports that earlier this morning they targeted and killed a Hezbollah member in the Tayri area.
They allege that the targeted individual was involved in efforts to rebuild Hezbollah’s operational readiness in the region, which the military said violated existing understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
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⚡️🇺🇦🇷🇺There are currently six TU-95s from Olenya airfield are over the Republic of Karelia and will reach their launch lines in around an hour and a half to two hours.
Preparation for the take off of MiG-31Ks has also been detected in addition to the airspace above the Tambov region being closed.
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⚡️🇮🇱🇵🇸 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he will urgently convene cabinet ministers to ensure Israelis behind the latest attacks against Palestinians by settlers in the occupied West Bank are brought to justice.
Amid the growing international pressure, Israeli government prepares to raise greater government attention on the violence against Palestinians.
The Israeli military said security forces were deployed to Jab'a and searches were under way for those responsible for an attack that took place on Monday, where Israelis torched homes and vehicles of Palestinian residents.
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⚡️🇫🇷🇺🇳🇵🇸🇮🇱Permanent Representative of France to the UN Bonnafont on some the urgent needs required by the resolution:
"The objectives pursued by this text meet some urgent needs that is to ensure the protection of civilians, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the creation of conditions for a lasting ceasefire.
The resolution also emphasizes the importance of addressing the root causes of the conflict, including the Israeli occupation and the blockade of Gaza, and calls for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on international law and relevant UN resolutions."
⚡️🇺🇸 U.S. President Donald Trump on Tucker Carlson/Nick Fuentes:
We have had some great interviews with Tucker Carlson but you cannot tell them who to interview. You can't tell him who to interview.
If he wants to interview Nick Fuentes — I do not know much about him. Ultimately the people have to decide.
⚡️🇺🇸🇷🇺Russian Presidential aide Ushakov clarified that there has been no official communication from the U.S. that they have withdrawn from the agreements reached at the Anchorage summit.
“As you understand, there has not yet been an official denial from their side that these agreements and understandings are not working. There have been many comments.
Naturally, these comments are being made as the situation develops, in the course of negotiations with the Europeans and with the Ukrainians. There are many signals. Some we like, some we do not.
But the basis of everything is Anchorage.“
⚡️🇺🇸🇻🇪U.S. Representative Gimenez reports that the U.S. is investigating reports that Maduro’s regime is planning to sabotage critical infrastructure in Venezuela and blame the U.S. or opposition in Venezuela.
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⚡️🇮🇱🇪🇺 Al-Monitor: High numbers of Israelis are seeking foreign passports, a trend that surged after Netanyahu’s 2022 election win. In 2024, 82,000 Israelis permanently left the country, nearly double 2022’s figure, with working-age departures reaching 34,000.
Many seek European citizenship based on family lineage, particularly in Germany, Austria, Romania, and Poland.
Political dissatisfaction, social divides, high living costs, and security concerns drive departures, with some Israelis leaving to escape what they see as a restrictive political climate and diminished civil liberties.
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⚡️🇬🇧 Massive flooding struck Monmouth, Wales, after the River Monnow overflowed its banks, inundating nearby streets and properties.
Emergency services are responding across the area.
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