❗️‘It's time to shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge defense production and spending’ — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
So… Nothing’s changed…
#NATO
❗️Donald Trump rings New York Stock Exchange opening bell after being named TIME's 'Person of the Year'
#Trump
US deficit hits record $624B – worst-ever start to fiscal year
The US budget deficit for October and November 2024 reached $624.2 billion – 64% higher than the same period last year and the highest ever for the first two months of a fiscal year.
Growth in debt-funded spending has even surpassed levels seen during the COVID-19 crisis.
No DOGE alone is gonna help there
#US
❗️Anti-Assad forces to suspend Syrian constitution, parliament for duration of three-month transition period – statement
#Syria
❗️Trump opposes long-range strikes on Russia with US weaponry
“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that?” Donald Trump told Time magazine. “We’re just escalating this war and making it worse.”
Trump noted that he does not want the US to completely abandon Ukraine. “I want to reach an agreement,” he says, “and the only way you’re going to reach an agreement is not to abandon,” he said.
#Trump #Ukraine
⚡️Time magazine names Donald Trump Person of the Year
#Trump
Brazil’s Lula successfully undergoes second surgery this week
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva successfully underwent a follow-up procedure on Thursday morning to complement earlier surgery to drain a bleed on his brain.
Doctors operated on the leftist leader earlier on Tuesday to drain bleeding between his brain and meningeal membrane, which they said was related to a late October fall at his home.
#Brazil
‘I will fight to the end’: South Korea president defines impeachment threat
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to fight to the moves by his party to support his impeachment over recent martial law order. Yoon said he hopes allies will rally to support him but this appeared less likely after his address, according to reports.
"I will fight to the end," he said. "Whether they impeach me or investigate me, I will face it all squarely."
#SouthKorea
Bruised, battered, and still in charge? Mitch McConnell’s latest fall sparks Capitol questions
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 83, showed up at the Capitol with a wrist brace, a bruised hand, and bandages on his finger and face after taking another tumble.
This latest mishap adds to a string of 2023 incidents, including a concussion-inducing fall and two unsettling moments where McConnell froze mid-sentence while addressing reporters - leaving many questioning how much longer he’ll hold his spot on Capitol Hill.
Gerontocracy in all its glory…
#Capitol
Russia will respond to Ukraine’s strikes on Taganrog with Western-supplied missiles at a time and in a manner deemed appropriate, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said
#Kremlin
Teacher tosses kid over ‘your mom’ comments: Classroom clash ends in ER and firing
BeTraylin Elder, a teacher at DeRenn Middle School in Georgia, reportedly threw 11-year-old student TJ across the classroom after the boy confronted him over alleged inappropriate comments about his mother.
TJ ended up with a concussion and some choice bruises, landing him in the ER while Elder was fired.
However, the child's mother is seeking further action.
#US
Warm welcome! Dmitry Medvedev meets with Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wang Huning, during high-level visit to Beijing
#Russia
Trump taps Kari Lake to lead Voice of America propaganda machine
The president-elect announced on Truth Social that Kari Lake, a staunch ally and former news anchor, will lead the broadcaster.
Lake, who failed recent bids for Arizona's Senate and gubernatorial seats, is a vocal supporter of Trump’s, who hailed her appointment as ensuring the “FAIR and ACCURATE” promotion of “American values” worldwide, a sharp contrast to what he called the “lies” of mainstream media.
#VOA
Russian marines seize Ukrainian long-term fortifications in Kursk region
Defense Ministry footage shows Russian marines from the Pacific Fleet clearing the Kursk region of the enemy, forcing nearly 30 AFU soldiers out of strongholds and destroying equipment.
#RussianMoD
Huge underground network discovered by Syrian rebels near the Lebanese border
The tunnel is located near Al-Katifa, approximately 40 kilometers northeast of Damascus and 20 kilometers from the Lebanese border.
According to Al Jazeera, the tunnel's suspected use is transporting missiles and heavy weaponry, as shown in video footage, raising concerns about potential cross-border arms trafficking.
Whether the tunnel flows into Lebanon is currently unclear.
#Syria
West will ‘betray’ Ukraine – Slovakian PM
Robert Fico has claimed that Kiev “will lose territory,” possibly up to a third of its land, and “will not be invited to NATO,” while “the Russians are gaining more and more territory and the sanctions are not working.”
He concluded that Ukraine “has allowed itself to be dragged into this adventure that cannot end well for the country.”
#Ukraine
RFK Jr. wants to prove CIA killed his uncle – Report
John F. Kennedy's nephew is lobbying the proposal to nominate Amaryllis Fox Kennedy as the deputy director of the CIA to uncover the truth of his uncle's death, according to Axios.
An anonymous Republican source said on Wednesday that RFK Jr. has long suspected the CIA of being behind the assassination and "wants to get to the bottom of it.”
#RFK #CIA #US
Police probe if Luigi Mangione’s family knew about CEO murder
Authorities continue to investigate the brazen assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, now questioning whether Luigi Mangione's powerful and moneyed family knew he was hiding in plain sight.
Luigi Mangione's mother had reported him missing to police weeks before the shooting, but the circumstances of her statement – and whether the family contacted him afterward – remain murky.
So far, investigators have uncovered no evidence that the Mangione clan attempted to meddle in the case.
#UnitedShooting
South Korean MPs resume impeachment push over president’s martial law debacle
South Korea's opposition submitted a second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his martial law order votes, media reported Thursday. Passing requires two-thirds of the 300 National Assembly.
#SouthKorea
Missing American found after escape from Syrian prison – media
A man, claiming to be an American from Missouri, Travis Timmerman, was found Thursday in Syria after he said he was freed from a prison earlier in the week.
Speaking to journalists, he was a “pilgrim” and that he crossed into Syria by foot, before being detained. “He was held in prison for seven months and said he was well treated,” journalist Matt Bradley said on X.
#Syria
❗️Polish troops will not cross Ukrainian border even if ceasefire is established – PM
#Ukraine
Ukraine declined Christmas Eve ceasefire, prisoner swap – Kremlin
During talks with Vladimir Putin, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban proposed a Russia-Ukraine POW swap and ceasefire to be established on the Orthodox Christmas Eve. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said. Russia sent its proposals via Hungary, but Kiev seemingly rejected the initiative.
Moscow supports Orban's peace efforts and such consultations will continue, Peskov added.
#Ukraine #SMO
I can’t believe it’s not staged!: CNN reporter’s credibility questioned, Syria ‘rescue’ raises eyebrows
The outlet's reporting has been cast into doubt following a suspicious video that appears to show a Syrian prisoner being unexpectedly ‘rescued’ by Clarissa Ward.
Critics argue that the facility had already been cleared by CNN's 'moderate' jihadists days earlier, and both local media and the detained's families had inspected it. Was the straggler just waiting to hear English before making his appearance?
Interestingly, Ward’s reporting history includes some controversial moments, like claiming to physically detect chemical weapon residue and her team’s swift coverage of a Hamas rocket launch near Gaza in 2023.
So, is this news or fiction?
#CNN
What a catch! Russia’s FSB nets 2.6 tons of illegally harvested sturgeon in fishy smuggling operation - it’s off the scales…
#FSB
Joe's got his hands full: Biden rushes to approve a security memo on DPRK, Russia, China, and Iran
#WhiteHouse
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta just donated a cool million to President-elect Trump’s inaugural fund. Totally a selfless act of kindness and definitely not an attempt to say, “Sorry for banning you and your friends, please don’t break up Big Tech”
#Meta
Happy Constitution Day, Russia!
On December 12, 1993, the Russian Federation's Constitution was adopted, enshrining the separation of powers, federalism, and supreme legal force.
A cornerstone of Russia’s modern history!
#ConstitutionDay
Israeli air defense systems intercept targets over Eilat, local media reports
#RedSea
Zelensky dismisses Hungary's proposal for a Christmas ceasefire – as Ukraine continues to struggle on the battlefield ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
#SMO
West whitewashing Syrian rebels: From terrorists to ‘freedom fighters’
#Syria
