❗️ Germany intends to provide Ukraine with about 40 Marder fighting vehicles, German government spokesperson says

❗️Ukrainian troops have shelled Donetsk with 155mm NATO-standard shells for the third time on Friday after a ceasefire declared by Russia came into effect, the Donetsk People’s Republic’s (DPR) mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of issues related to Ukrainian war crimes said.

❗️Russian Defense Ministry says Kiev continues shelling Donbass despite Russian troops observing Christmas truce

❗️Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️Russian troops eliminated up to 80 Ukrainian servicemen in the Donetsk direction;

▪️Russian forces eliminated more than 50 Ukrainian servicemen in the South Donetsk direction;

▪️The Russian Army eliminated more than 40 Ukrainian servicemen and a tank in the Kupyansk direction;

▪️Russian forces destroyed three Ukrainian warehouses with artillery ammunition in the DPR and the Kherson region;

▪️Russian troops destroyed a Ukrainian S-300 launcher and radar station in the DPR;

▪️The Russian Air Force shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 jet;

▪️The Russian Army suppressed Ukrainian troops in the Zaporozhye region after they fired eight missiles;

▪️Russian troops eliminated three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Krasny Liman direction;

▪️Russian forces destroyed a D-20 howitzer in the DPR and a US-made M-777 howitzer in the Zaporozhye region;

▪️Russian air defense systems destroyed five UAVs.

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🌋 After a brief pause, Hawaii’s Kilauea roars back into action

Officials have raised the volcano alert level for Kilauea to warning, and upgraded its aviation color code from orange to red, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said

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Protesters rally against arrest of Sputnik Lithuania editor Marat Kasem near the Latvian Embassy in Moscow. “Marat, we're with you!” and “Hands off Russian journalists!” posters read.

Russian Embassy Slams Germany's Decision to Send New Heavy Weapons to Ukraine

💬 "We strongly condemn this decision and see it as another step toward escalating the conflict in Ukraine. Its adoption looks especially cynical on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas holiday, which is highly revered in the Christian world, and also against the backdrop of ceasefire unilaterally announced by the Russian President in this regard," the embassy said in a statement.

On Thursday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden in a phone call agreed on a new batch of military aid for Ukraine including heavy weapons. Germany announced plans to send Ukraine a battalion of about 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Patriot air defense systems, as well as train Ukrainian troops in their use.

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‘They’re Helping a Lot’: Biden Praises Non-Existent Patriot Systems in Ukraine

US President Joe Biden has offered high praise for the non-existent Patriot missile systems the US has promised, but not yet delivered, to Ukraine. The president did not elaborate on how the air defense systems, which by all accounts haven’t been sent yet, were “helping” Ukraine at the moment.

Previously, a senior US defense official told media late last month that the Patriots earmarked for Kiev would take “several months” to arrive owing to the need to train crews and deploy the systems in the combat zone.

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❗️A fire alarm has gone off in a utility room in Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Moscow

🇺🇸 Friday marks the second anniversary of the January 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol by an enraged mob convinced the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from Donald Trump. Democrats have milked the event for political purposes for two straight years, with President Biden characterizing it as the “worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”

The Democrat-led probe spent $9 million on the January 6 investigation, which followed Russiagate, two failed impeachments, and other creative attempts to prevent Donald Trump from ever running for office again. Was the spending of taxpayers' money worth it, or was it just another longshot attempt to save the Democratic Party's credibility?

👉 Check out this article to find out

The Russian presidential council for human rights called the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe for help in freeing Sputnik editor Marat Kasem, who was arrested in Latvia on trumped-up charges.

💬 "Members of the standing commission of the Council for Human Rights… urge Deputy UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro, and the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic to step in and help free journalist Marat Kasem," they said.

Earlier in the day, the Russian ombudswoman urged UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk to weigh in on the arbitrary arrest in Latvia of Moscow-based Sputnik Lithuania editor.

💬 "I call on the UN high commissioner for human rights to take note of this egregious incident and do everything in his power to protect the rights of Marat Kasem," Tatiana Moskalkova wrote on social media.

The leaders of NATO and top EU institutions will hold a meeting on January 10 to sign a third declaration on Trans-Atlantic security cooperation, the alliance said on Friday.

The first two joint declarations on EU-NATO cooperation were signed in 2016 and 2018. They outlined how the EU and NATO would act together against common security threats, including cyber and hybrid threats. The EU and NATO currently have 21 member countries in common.

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⚡️ US to provide over $3 billion in new military assistance to Ukraine, White House says

The package includes:

▪️$225mln in foreign military financing for modernization of Ukraine's military;

▪️$682mln for regional partners and allies on NATO's eastern flank to backfill donations of military equipment;

▪️Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled howitzer artillery guns, mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAPS) light vehicles and other armed personnel carriers as well as surface-to-air missiles.

In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the new package of military and related assistance to Ukraine totals $3.75 billion.

US Gun Death Toll Over New Year Holiday Hits 651, Including 396 Suicides: Report

The death toll from all recorded murders or homicides and unintentional shootings was 255, the organization announced in its table of casualties, the Gun Violence Archive said in a report. The death toll included seven children aged up to 11 and teenagers from age 12 to age 17, the report added.

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🤔What's Going on With the US House This Friday?

🔹Rep. Kevin McCarthy picked up 15 new votes but still fell short of the gavel

🔹US House will head to a historic 14th ballot

🔹Lower chamber has adjourned until 10 p.m. EST

➡️The last tally had McCarthy with 214 ballots; however, he presently needs 217 in order to win the speaker vote as at least two House lawmakers are out of town

💬 "I remember even when I was a kid, Russia was demonized by the US government. So this has been going on for decades. And so that's kind of been the playbook now. And you see Twitter has also done this to other accounts. You know, the fact that people have this label now that says Russia affiliated media here, it gives people the perspective that they either should not listen to that type of media, or that if they listen to that type of media, they shouldn't believe what they say because they may be affiliated with Russia," says Sabrina Salvati, an activist, leftist, and podcaster.

🎧 Listen to more of Salvati's views in our podcast Fault Lines: New Leaks Reveal Twitter's Role in Promoting Russiagate

📹 Russian Grad MLRS hit Ukrainian targets as part of the special military operation in Ukraine

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🇯🇵🇺🇸 Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura on Friday held a meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in Washington, where the sides agreed to boost cooperation in the field of semiconductors production on the Japanese territory.

The minister also said that the Japanese government had decided to invest 70 billion yen [$526 million] into semiconductor company Rapidus and is going to continue to provide assistance.

The ministerial meeting was attended by the chiefs of both companies, where the parties discussed issues of joint training of personnel for Rapidus at IBM facilities, promotion of sales channels and others.

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