Kazakhstan takes solid 2nd place among Russia's investment partners – Putin
President Putin highlighted the bilateral trade turnover between Russia and Kazakhstan which has exceeded $20BN this year
#Kazakhstan #Russia #Putin
Militant groups launch large-scale offensive against Syrian army
A large-scale offensive is underway in Syria’s Aleppo province, with multiple militant groups targeting the Syrian Arab Army.
Independent investigative journalist Vanessa Beeley reports from Damascus with the latest details.
#Syria
Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group launches offensive near Syrian govt-held Aleppo - reports
According to initial assessments, the Al Qaeda offshoot group has made advances towards west of Aleppo, capturing several cites amid heavy fighting.
#Syria
Russian-Kazakh negotiations begin in Astana
#Kazakhstan #Russia
Putin & Tokayev paint bridge of friendship between Kazakhstan and Russia
The leaders added a few touches to the painting at the residence of the Kazakh leader in Astana.
#Kazakhstan #Russia
❗️Putin lands in Astana
The Russian President has arrived for a two-day state visit to Kazakhstan.
#Kazakhstan #Russia
Amidst celebrations in Beirut following Wednesday's Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, RT's Steve Sweeney reports exclusively on the long-awaited end of the bombing and destruction
#Beirut
Kazakhstan’s Astana International Airport ready for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival
#Kremlin
❗️Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is demanding Israel's immediate compliance with the ceasefire agreement and withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanese territories — Anadolu
#IDF
Europe is set for its coldest winter since the conflict in Ukraine began, sending energy prices higher as the continent's gas reserves run out faster than usual — Bloomberg
#SMO
What Russia has done this year is significant for us in the BRICS family — South African BRICS Sous-Sherpa Ben Joubert
#BRICS
Attempts to ‘Ukrainize’ G20 agenda flopped — Sergey Lavrov
Western powers continue to harbor colonial attitudes to Global South countries, all while pushing green energy agendas on them without committing meaningful support to do so, the Russian FM explained.
Colonial powers are reluctant to give up their influence over organizations such as the WTO and IMF, unlike the more realistic and fair-minded groups like BRICS, he added.
The Middle East conflict has been exacerbated by “Israel's aggressive, militaristic policy and Washington's desire to monopolize mediation functions,” he explained, but Moscow was prepared for “any development” in the Ukraine conflict - which will only be resolved once the SMO’s goals have been achieved.
#Ukraine #Russia #G20
US wants to subjugate Armenia — Russian Foreign Intelligence
Washington has started supporting pro-Western parties in Armenia with the goal of getting them elected to parliament in the 2026 elections to control Yerevan's political direction, Russian SVR believes.
The US seeks to prevent Armenia from straying from the so-called "democratic path," as Georgia did when it began to prioritize its traditional national interests and focus on its values and priorities.
#SVR
Big Brother’s digital prison looms Down Under, as Aussie parliament set to ban social media for kids under 16
Australia is inching closer to banning social media for kids under 16, citing mental and physical health risks from too much scrolling.
The catch is that the proposed law would require social media platforms to implement age-verification measures, potentially including biometrics or even government IDs.
Critics claim that this could result in Australian netizens ending up in a digital prison where every post, like, or comment could be monitored, flagged, or labeled problematic by Big Brother.
The bill has already sailed through the House of Representatives, and now the Senate is expected to put it to a vote soon - a recent cartoon from Senator Pauline Hanson summed the proposed legislation up well.
#Australia
Residents return to ruins: Lebanese civilians share footage of devastated villages upon returning following the implementation of the ceasefire agreement — Social media video
#IDF
Myanmar military chief arrest warrant requested by ICC prosecutor
Karim Khan insists Myanmar’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, may bear criminal responsibility for the persecution of the Rohingya that drove hundreds of thousands of them to flee.
A panel of three ICC judges will now rule on Khan’s recommendation, which came after probing reports of rape, murder, and torched homes at the hands of the military leadership.
In 2017, about 700,000 Rohingya fled across the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh, many to one of the world’s largest and most insecure refugee camps, which houses around a million displaced people.
#Myanmar #ICC
Ukraine war tourism 'booming'
A Spanish influencer has shrugged off suggestions that his trip to visit demolished battlegrounds was morbid or immoral, insisting he was acting "with respect".
Some companies are offering tours of southern Ukraine for €3,300, and although many claim to send a slice of the profits to the Ukrainian Army, the founder of one tour group claimed it "wasn't about money, it's about memorialization of the war."
One local councilor raged at the tourists lining company pockets, asking: "Why do you want to come here to see our grief?"
#Ukraine
France vague on Netanyahu ICC arrest warrant policy
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot claimed the ICC “deals with questions of immunity for certain leaders” while refusing to be clear on whether France would respect the ICC warrant for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has insisted the warrants are “binding,” even though the ICC’s Rome Statute appears to offer contradictory regulations in such cases.
Article 27 says immunity shall not bar the courts from exercising jurisdiction over a person, but Article 98 stipulates that a state cannot “act inconsistently with its obligations under international law with respect to the… diplomatic immunity of a person.”
#France #Israel #ICC
'Kazakhstan and Russia, friends forever!' Poetic welcome greets Russian President in Astana
Not content with creating his slice of culture on the canvas, Vladimir Putin listened to children recite poetry.
#Kazakhstan #Russia
Beirut licks its wounds: RT crew shows scale of destruction
While locals celebrate the ceasefire with Israel that came into force Wednesday morning, the streets on the Lebanese capital themselves remain strewn with rubble and destruction following weeks of Israeli bombardments.
#Israel #Lebanon
🚨ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI: THE US🇺🇸 & RUSSIA🇷🇺 SHOULD BE NATURAL ALLIES
‘I probably shouldn’t say this on television but I’ll say it. I’ve never really understood the antagonism between the Russians and the Americans. They always seem to me like they could be natural allies. But is it possible in 10 or 15 years from now there could be a better understanding among these two nations? It’s possible, and if it is, it’ll be quite transformative for the world.’
-Donald Trump’s former White House Communications Director and the Founder of SkyBridge Capital Anthony Scaramucci
FULL INTERVIEW: https://rumble.com/v5sk9x5-anthony-scaramucci-trump-will-surprise-people-on-ukraine-will-he-bring-a-cr.html
❗️Key points from Wednesday’s Defense Ministry briefing
- Ukraine has lost around 1,535 troops over the last 24 hours
- Fifty-four fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down by Russian air defense systems
- Russian troops liberated Novaya Ilyinka in the DPR
#RussianMoD
It’s quite the Christmas Holiday for Ukraine, isn’t it? But what about the American people? — Tara Reade slams Biden’s aid move
#Kiev
The German newspaper Welt reports that at least six explosive devices, not the previously reported four, were used to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines, citing new sonar imagery and trial documents from Nord Stream AG's insurance claim
#NordStream
Pardon Assange, US lawmakers urge Biden
Congressmen James McGovern and Thomas Massie want the White House to “send a clear message that the US government under your leadership will not target or investigate journalists and media outlets simply for doing their jobs.”
The pair wrote to President Joe Biden to express how “deeply concerned” they were that Assange’s deal required him to plead guilty to felony charges, arguing it sets a precedent for other journalists to be prosecuted under the Espionage Act.
Assange’s wife Stella and brother Gabriel Shipton have urged Australian PM Anthony Albanese to persuade Biden to deliver the pardon in his farewell call to the outgoing US president.
#Assange #US
❗️Russian air defense systems downed 25 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and Crimea this morning, the Defense Ministry reported
#RussianMoD
Russia sends more humanitarian aid to Gaza
EMERCOM has delivered 28 tons of humanitarian cargo to the residents of the Gaza Strip, including food, essential supplies, and rehabilitation equipment.
The aid was transported to Egypt, where representatives of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society will distribute it to the people of Gaza.
In total, since the beginning of the conflict, Russia has delivered 827 tons of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
#EMERCOM
Key to Israel-Hezbollah peace: UNSC Resolution 1701 — Explainer
Almost two decades ago, UN Security Council Resolution 1701 dictated that Israel should withdraw troops from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah should withdraw north of the Litani River, with 15,000 UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) enforcing the buffer zone alongside the Lebanese army.
The terms included the disarmament of all Lebanese armed groups - including Hezbollah, which now has amassed around 150,000 rockets, while Israeli forces have largely ignored UNIFIL’s attempts to enforce their withdrawal.
Boosting funds for the Lebanese military is seen as one way to make the 2006 resolution work, but it remains unclear how transgressions will be reported or dealt with.
#Lebanon #Israel
Russian MoD shows off UAV recon teams watching over the enemy, adjusting artillery and tank fire for maximum effectiveness
#SMO
❗️Israeli forces fired on several vehicles in Lebanese territory to prevent access to a restricted area — Media
#IDF
