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Putin dismisses Trump’s NATO proposal amid rising tensions

Vladimir Putin rejected the suggestion from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s team that Ukraine’s membership in NATO would be delayed by at least a decade in exchange for Russia agreeing to end the war against Ukraine, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

According to experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Vladimir Putin rejected the proposal from Donald Trump’s teamregarding a potential peace plan. This proposal entailed delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership by at least a decade in exchange for Russia ending the war. Responding to a journalist’s question on December 26 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time about commenting on Trump’s team’s proposal, Putin stated that it doesn’t matter whether Ukraine joins NATO “today, tomorrow, or in 10 years.”

US intelligence points to possible misidentification of Azerbaijani plane by Russia, MSNBC reports

There is US intelligence that Russia may have mistakenly shot down an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday after misidentifying it as an incoming drone, MSNBC reported on Friday, citing two unidentified US military sources.

Exclusive: Survivors on Azerbaijani plane say they heard bangs before it went down

BAKU, Dec 27 (Reuters) – Two passengers and one crew member on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan told Reuters that they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.

Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived. “After the bang…I thought the plane was going to fall apart,” Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers, told Reuters from hospital.

EU country ready to host Russia-Ukraine talks – PM

Slovakia’s Robert Fico made the announcement on social media

Slovakia is willing to host any kind of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Friday. Fico reportedly floated the idea privately to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent visit to Moscow. Since his election in 2023, Slovakia has criticized the EU and NATO approach to the conflict and advocated for a ceasefire and talks. “If someone wants to organize a peace negotiation in the Slovak Republic, we will be ready and hospitable,” Fico said Friday in a Facebook post.

US could buy Nord Stream – Vucic

The Serbian president has made the prediction following recent reports about an American investor’s bid for the pipeline

The sabotaged Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could become the property of a US investor in a year, and gas supplies from Russia to the EU could be resumed through the connector, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has suggested. Vucic shared his view about the future of the pipeline in an interview with the German news outlet Handelsblatt published on Friday. “I dare to predict: In a year at the latest, Nord Stream will be owned by an American investor, and gas will flow from Russia to Europe through the pipeline,” the Serbian leader said. “Mark my words. One year until Nord Stream is up and running!”

You’re Sending Another $1.25Bn to Ukraine, By The Way

The Biden government is set to announce a $1.25 billion military aid package for Ukraine, according to U.S. officials.

The announcement is expected on Monday as the Biden regime aims to blow more cash on a losing war before the transition of power on January 20. The aid package is expected to include munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, the HAWK air defense system, Stinger missiles, and artillery rounds. This fresh funding comes amid new Russian assaults on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. Despite recent missile and drone attacks, Ukrainian forces reported successful interception efforts. Meanwhile, intense combat continues near the Russian border region of Kursk.

Nine new nations to join BRICS, boosting global influence

Nine countries are preparing to join the BRICS bloc, established in June 2009 during a summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The group’s official goals include developing a new currency system and reforming the UN. By 2020, the GDP of BRICS countries had surpassed the economic growth of the G7 nations.

BRICS currently includes nine member countries: Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, India, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, along with partner countries. On January 1, 2025, the bloc will expand further by incorporating nine new countries. The new partners will be Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

North Korean troops experience mass casualties on Ukraine front lines, White House says

On Dec. 17, a US military official said North Korea had suffered several hundred casualties while fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region.

North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia‘s war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or wounded in the last week alone in the Kursk region of Russia, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday. The number far exceeds the figure US officials have previously provided. “It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses,” Kirby said, describing the North Korean troops’ offensive as “massed, dismounted assaults.”

South Korean Parliament Impeaches Acting President Han Duck-Soo Amid Escalating Political Crisis

” … KRW depreciation to as low as W1,485 due to more political instability after the Democratic party …”

South Korea plunged deeper into political chaos on Friday as parliament voted to impeach Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo, just two weeks after impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived emergency martial law stunt. South Korea’s parliament voted with 192 lawmakers to impeach Han, exceeding the critical 151-vote majority in the 300-member legislature. This now means Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will serve as acting president. “I announce that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment motion has passed. Out of the 192 lawmakers who voted, 192 voted to impeach,” said National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik.

Iran announces weekend drills to prove military mettle

Iran announced surprise military drills on Saturday to showcase its continued strength after the Israeli blows to its defense systems as well as the loss of Syria to rebels marked one of the Islamic Republic’s biggest military setbacks yet.

“You will see that our power has not diminished, contrary to what the enemy claims in its psychological warfare, but has actually increased,” Iranian media quoted Iran’s Defense Minister, Brigadier General Aziz Nassirzadeh as saying. “Today, some deliberately and others inadvertently present analyses suggesting the weakening of resistance,” he added.

Italian journalist arrested in Iran, tossed into infamous Tehran prison, Rome officials say

An Italian war correspondent was arrested in Iran and has been held at an infamous Tehran prison for more than a week, Italian officials said.

Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on Dec. 19, according to Italy’s foreign ministry, but her arrest was only made public on Friday. Officials did not provide a reason for her arrest. The prominent Italian journalist works for Il Foglio newspaper and hosts “Stories,” a daily podcast on Chora Media. In a statement, Chora Media said Sala was being held in solitary confinement at the Evin prison in Tehran, infamous for its mistreatment of political prisoners since the 1970s. Sala left Rome for Iran on Dec. 12 with a valid journalist’s visa, according to Chora Media. During her time in Tehran, she produced three episodes of her podcast and published several stories.

Assad’s Downfall May Disrupt Strategic Interests Of China, Russia, Iran

Syria’s future is still uncertain. Should it descend into a failed state, it could mirror a post-2001 Afghanistan or present-day Yemen characterized by lawlessness, internal conflict, and lack of central governance…

The fall of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria could destabilize the partnerships between China, Russia, and Iran – a loose coalition driven by shared opposition to Western powers. For starters, the three countries have been key backers of the al-Assad regime. Their weakened support significantly contributed to Assad’s collapse of power. Russia, where Assad is in exile, has been a major supporter, providing military aid and deploying mercenaries to bolster the regime.

Russian Media Outlet Topwar.ru: Turkey Strengthens Its Influence At Russia’s Expense

The Russian media outlet Topwar.ru noted that the fall of the Assad regime in Syria represents a blow to Moscow’s prestige.

It also stated: “Turkey is the obvious beneficiary of the Islamist coup in Syria; it is taking full advantage of the fact that Russia’s foreign policy influence is weakened by the military conflict in Ukraine, which consumes a lot of resources.”

HTS Names UN-Designated Terrorist As Syria’s New Intelligence Chief

US Treasury had sanctioned him as early as 2012 for leadership in Al-Qaeda…

On Thursday, Syria’s de facto authorities appointed former Al-Qaeda commander and Nusra Front co-founder Anas Hassan Khattab as the head of the country’s general intelligence agency. Khattab, also known as Abu Ahmed Hudood, was blacklisted as a “terrorist” by the UN Security Council in September 2014 for his close association with Al-Qaeda. According to the listing, for several years, he was involved “in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of” and “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” the Nusra Front. This Al-Qaeda offshoot was rebranded as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in 2017.

Mainstream Media Ignores Sectarian Killings In ‘Liberated’ Syria While Jolani Plays Nice For Cameras

HTS issues order telling militants to stop filming their atrocities…

Since the rapid collapse of the Assad government and the takeover of Damascus by US-designated terror group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8, Syrians by the hundreds or even thousands have been filmed in city streets celebrating, expressing hope for a new era. But for every scene of hundreds gathered in a city square in front of Al Jazeera or CNN cameras, the reality is that there are many tens of thousands more families holed up in their homes, deeply fearful of venturing outside, with the more fortunate ones having stocked up on supplies just prior to Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s army of mujahideen fighters entering the capital.

In first, US THAAD system deployed in Israel assists in Houthi missile interception

Iran-backed rebels say fresh air strikes hit Yemeni capital, several hours after terrorists launch ballistic missile at Israel for 5th time in eight nights

An American missile defense system battery participated in the interception of a Houthi ballistic missile launched at Israel from Yemen early on Friday, the first time the system has been used since being deployed by the US in Israel in October. The THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, was used to try to intercept the missile, and an analysis would determine THAAD’s success, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Footage posted to social media showed the THAAD system launching an interceptor.

Security cameras show the moment of the Israeli bombing of Sana’a International Airport and the moment when the Director-General of the World Health Organization fled

Latest overnight Houthi missile attack sends millions of Israelis rushing to shelters again

IDF strikes in Yemen aimed to blockade Houthis, prevent Iranian arms transfers

Despite the Israeli airstrikes in Yemen the evening before, the Houthi terror group launched another ballistic missile at central Israel early Friday morning, which was, again, shot down outside of Israeli airspace. The IDF stated that a single missile was launched at Israel and intercepted high in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, alarm sirens were once again triggered across central Israel for fear of falling missile shrapnel, sending millions of Israelis scrambling out of their beds and into bunkers.

Elderly Holocaust survivor murdered in terror stabbing attack by former Shin Bet aide

MDA and Israel Police rushed to scene, and security guards neutralized the terrorist before arresting him.

Eighty-three-year-old Holocaust survivor Ludmila Lipovsky was murdered in a terror stabbing attack outside her nursing home in Herzliya on Friday morning. Security guards neutralized the attacker before arresting him. Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv confirmed that Lipovsky was pronounced dead on arrival. The Israel Police designated the incident as a terror attack after officers, along with MDA paramedics, arrived at the scene.

Caught on Camera: Left-Wing Politician Assaults AfD Member as Germany Funds and Enables Violence Against Conservatives

This shocking video of an SPD politician violently attacking an AfD council member exposes not only the hypocrisy of left-wing rhetoric but also the broader pattern of state-backed intimidation and aggression threatening democracy in Germany

A shocking video is making waves on social media, exposing the brutal reality of left-wing aggression: a Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) politician violently attacking a conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) council member in a Hürth bar. This disturbing act of unprovoked violence, captured in full view, exposes the escalating hatred and physical hostility not from the right, as the media repeatedly claims, but from left-wing ideologues and their enablers.

German president dissolves parliament for Feb. 23 snap elections

BERLIN, Dec 27 (Reuters) – President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday dissolved Germany’s lower house of parliament to pave the way for snap elections on Feb. 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-way coalition.

“Especially in difficult times, like now, stability requires a government capable of acting, and reliable majorities in parliament,” which was why early elections were the right way forward for Germany, Steinmeier said in Berlin. After the elections, problem-solving must become the core business of politics again, added Steinmeier in a speech.

US imposes sanctions on Georgian ex-prime minister, billionaire Ivanishvili

WASHINGTON/TBILISI, Dec 27 (Reuters) – The United States on Friday sanctioned Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister widely seen as the country’s de facto leader, saying he was undermining democracy and allowing Russia to benefit.

Ivanishvili, who made billions in Russia in metals and telecoms in the 1990s, has spearheaded a turn away from the West in Georgia and accused foreign intelligence agencies of trying to drive it into war with Russia. Critics say that under his Georgian Dream party, the country has become more authoritarian and pro-Moscow.

“I Like This Idea”: Kevin O’Leary Calls for “Economic Union” Between US & Canada To Secure Future

“So secure [the northern territories], give a common currency, figure out taxes across…”

Canadian businessman and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary appeared on Fox Business Thursday, voicing his dissatisfaction over Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s imploding leadership. O’Leary suggested that under President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, the United States and Canadian economies should unite to create an economic powerhouse. “This could be the beginning of an economic union,” O’Leary said, noting, “Think about the power of combining two economies, erasing the border between Canada and the United States and putting all that resource up to the northern borders where China and Russia are knocking on the doors. Give a common currency, figure out taxes, and get everything trading both ways.”

Trudeau continues ASSAULT on legal gun owners

In an attempt to address rising gun crimes in Canada, the Trudeau government added 324 firearms models to its prohibited list, building on the 2020 ban of 1,500 models. The total prohibited list has now grown to over 2,000 models. But here’s what the Trudeau government won’t tell Canadians – the majority of gun crimes are being committed by illegal guns and not by individuals who have gone through the strenuous process of legally obtaining a firearm.

Donald Trump asks Supreme Court to hold off TikTok ban so he can ‘negotiate a resolution’

President-Elect Donald Trump has made a last minute plea to get the United States Supreme Court to halt implementation of a nationwide TikTok ban.

Congress had passed a law earlier this year banning the popular video-sharing app as of January 19 if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company by then. Executives at the platform then made an emergency plea to the Supreme Court earlier this month to block the federal law, and on Friday Trump’s legal team filed its own request to delay the implementation of the law.

Trump Posts Bizarre Truth Social Message Allegedly Directed at Elon Musk — Claims Bill Gates Requested Mar-a-Lago Meeting

President-elect Donald Trump dropped a cryptic message on Truth Social Friday, claiming Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had requested to visit Mar-a-Lago while seemingly directing a personal message to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

“Where are you? When are you coming to the “Center of the Universe,” Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT,” the post read. The cryptic note has left pundits and the public wondering: Was this message intended for tech billionaire Elon Musk? The phrase “We miss you and x!” appears to be a direct nod to Musk and his son named X Æ A-Xii.

Here We Go Again: CDC Confirms First Severe Bird Flu Case with Mutations — Experts Sound Alarms About Potential New Pandemic

As if the public hasn’t been subjected to enough panic in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is back at it, this time stoking fears about a new potential pandemic.

The agency recently confirmed the first severe U.S. human case of H5N1 bird flu in a 65-year-old Louisiana man who had contact with sick backyard birds. Predictably, experts are now sounding the alarms about the virus’s supposed mutations and potential for human transmission. According to AP, genetic analysis of the virus revealed mutations in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, which experts claim could increase the virus’s ability to infect humans.

‘A winter wave’ of COVID could be coming as America gathers for the holidays

Just as everyone prepares to gather with family and friends for holiday celebrations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID could be on the rise, based on wastewater data.

Along with holiday travel hazards and hassles comes another seasonal concern: a rise in the potential for COVID-19. Evidence of COVID in the population is increasing across the nation – just as folks prepare to travel to and from holiday gatherings. The finding comes from measurements of COVID virus found in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Wastewater Surveillance System. An increase in COVID virus activity in wastewater nationwide for the week ending Dec. 14 – having risen to a moderate level, up from a low level the week before – suggests an increased risk of infection, the CDC says.

Just days ago in Oregon: A group of “Covid cautious” lunatics rented out a bowling alley, forced everyone (even employees) into masks, installed air purifiers, and—plot twist—segregated kids from adults

Patients Unknowingly Received Covid Jabs While Under Sedation at Hospitals, US Attorneys Claim

Patients at local hospitals were unknowingly given Covid vaccinations while under sedation, a group of lawyers has claimed.

According to the Freedom Counsel, which defends victims who were affected by the jab and mandates, they’ve received multiple accounts of people who claim they were injected with the experimental mRNA jab while under anesthesia for other medical procedures. “Were you or a family member covid vaxxed while under sedation? We are hearing stories of this abominable covert act,” Freedom Counsel founder Warner Mendenhall wrote on X earlier this month.

US may face bankruptcy if situation with national debt does not change — Musk

The US national debt for the first time climbed above $36 trillion on November 15

NEW YORK, December 27. /TASS/. The United States may actually go bankrupt if it does not change the situation with the increase of its national debt, businessman Elon Musk said on the X social network. “We either fix this or go de facto bankrupt,” the businessman said in a comment on the regulated exchange and prediction market Kalshi’s publication on the state debt level. The US national debt for the first time climbed above $36 trillion on November 15.

THE DEBT MARKET AND STOCK MARKET ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE. IMPORTANT UPDATES. Mannarino

Cocoa bean beats Bitcoin

Bloomberg has named chocolate’s main ingredient the best-performing commodity of 2024

Cocoa has been named the best-performing commodity of the year, outperforming Bitcoin, according to Bloomberg. The crypto coin was arguably the most watched asset this year, as it smashed the long-awaited $100,000 threshold in early December. Prices for chocolate’s main ingredient have almost tripled since the start of 2024 as faltering production in West Africa — the world’s biggest growing region — led to massive supply shortages, the publication wrote, citing exchange data. In early January, cocoa futures traded at around $4,000 per tonne. In mid-December they peaked at $12,700 per tonne, according to data from Trading Economics.

China Secretly Snaps Up More Gold, Positions for Its Greater Global Role

While 99% of the media keeps staring at official data by the Chinese central bank (PBoC)—misleadingly stating it added 5 tonnes of gold in November following a supposed six-month pause—the PBoC’s “unreported” purchases in London accounted for a stunning 60 tonnes in September and another 55 tonnes in October.

And while cross-border trade statistics from the U.K. for November have yet to be released, I foresee another purchase of a similar magnitude. Chinese authorities see a greater role for gold in the future international monetary system, or they wouldn’t continue buying such extraordinary amounts of gold. Via London alone, the PBoC has stockpiled 1,000 tonnes of gold since Russia’s foreign exchange assets were “frozen” by the West early 2022.

Biden Administration and ‘Mr. Monsanto’ Continue to Bully Mexico into Accepting GMO Corn

The Biden administration and Tom “Mr. Monsanto” Vilsack have emerged victorious in their effort to use the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to force Mexico to accept U.S. grown genetically engineered corn.

On Friday, an international trade panel ruled in favor of the United States in their ongoing dispute with Mexico over an attempted ban on imports of American genetically modified (GM) corn. The Mexican Department for the Economy said it disagreed with the ruling but would follow it. The Mexican government has been attempting to limit the introduction of GM corn to their country because they believe it poses an unreasonable risk to the domestic corn supply, and thus the health of the country’s numerous indigenous communities and farmers who depend on corn.

CEO Sam Altman celebrates ’12 Days of OpenAI’ as his company pursues advent of digital god

As Christians around the world prepared to celebrate the incarnation and birth of Christ, researchers at OpenAI prepared for the advent of a digital savior.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, OpenAI celebrated what it called the “12 Days of OpenAI,” a play on the historic Christian tradition of celebrating the “12 Days of Christmas.” Each day, OpenAI made special announcements, culminating in the unveiling of o3, OpenAI’s most advanced model yet. In the video announcing the o3 model, ARC Prize Foundation President Greg Kamradt explained that o3 had far surpassed all other AI models when measured against performance benchmarks set by his organization.

AI chatbot encourages teen to murder parents because of screen time limiting

A chatbot told a 17-year-old that murdering his parents was a “reasonable response” to them limiting his screen time, a lawsuit filedin a Texas court claims.

Two families are suing Character.ai arguing the chatbot “poses a clear and present danger” to young people, including by “actively promoting violence”. Character.ai – a platform which allows users to create digital personalities they can interact with – is already facing legal action over the suicide of a teenager in Florida. Google is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which claims the tech giant helped support the platform’s development. The BBC has approached Character.ai and Google for comment.

AI chatbot is instructing teen users to murder bullies and carry out school shootings

An AI chatbot which is being sued over a 14-year-old’s suicide is instructing teenage users to murder their bullies and carry out school shootings, a Telegraph investigation has found.

Character AI, which is available to anyone over 13 and has 20 million users, provides advice on how to get rid of evidence of a crime and lie to police. It encourages users who have identified themselves as minors not to tell parents or teachers about their “conversations”. The Telegraph spent days interacting with a Character AI chatbot while posing as a 13-year-old boy. The website is being sued by a mother whose son killed himself after allegedly speaking to one of its chatbots.

‘Godfather of AI’ says it could drive humans extinct in 10 years

Artificial intelligence could wipe out the human race within the next decade, the “Godfather of AI” has warned.

Prof Geoffrey Hinton, who has admitted regrets about his part in creating the technology, likened its rapid development to the industrial revolution – but warned the machines could “take control” this time. The 77-year-old British computer scientist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics this year, called for tighter government regulation of AI firms. Prof Hinton has previously predicted there was a 10 percent chance AI could lead to the downfall of humankind within three decades.

Newly Released Documents Reveals Disturbing Reality of the CIA’s MKULTRA Mind-Control Program

A newly released collection of over 1,200 documents sheds light on the CIA’s controversial MKULTRA mind control program.

Published Monday by the National Security Archive and ProQuest, this compilation provides a deeper look into one of the agency’s most infamous operations. The release comes half a century after Seymour Hersh’s New York Times investigation exposed the abuses of the program, according to the Archive. The collection was also unveiled 70 years after pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Company began supplying the CIA with LSD, the Archive noted.