EU expands lists of personal sanctions against Russia, adds 61 individuals, 86 organizations, according to the document

The list of sanctions includes Russian aircraft manufacturer Ilyushin Aviation Complex, research foundation Tupolev, a Kazan Helicopter plant, Tula Arms Plant and Russia's federal financial monitoring service.

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On US aid to Ukraine: Kirby says that the US has allocated all remaining funds available to restock US supplies and to replace what they're sending to Ukraine.

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Fighting in Gaza continues to hinder full scale distribution of aid, UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated on Monday.

Humanitarian aid has arrived into Gaza via both Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings but it still does not meet the needs of the people because of continued fighting, the spokesman said.

"Humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza from both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. While this is indeed a positive development, the conditions to deliver humanitarian aid at scale that respond to the people’s needs still do not exist as the fighting continues," Dujarric told a briefing.

The UN colleagues of the World Food Program distributed more than 9,000 hot meals to internally displaced people, he added.

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🔥 Drone operators in action

📹 A Russian drone operator crew eliminates a Ukrainian dugout with personnel in Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) region.

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🇮🇱🇸🇾 Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes using six guided bombs on targets near Damascus, having wounded two Syrian soldiers, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit, deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said on Monday.

"On December 17th, from 22:02-22.09 [local time, 19:02-19:09 GMT], two F-15 tactical fighter jets of the Israeli air force, struck with six guided aerial bombs at objects in the vicinity of the city of Damascus from the occupied Golan Heights without entering Syrian airspace," Kulit told a briefing.

The Syrian air defense forces on duty intercepted some of the guided aerial bombs, but as a result of the Israeli air strike two Syrian soldiers were injured, the official added.

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🇪🇺 The European Union has exempt the Sakhalin-2 project from complying with the Russian oil price cap mechanism until June 28, 2024, according to a document published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Monday.

"The price cap mechanism provides that specific projects that are essential for the energy security of certain third countries may be exempted from the price cap agreed by the Price Cap Coalition. Decision (CFSP) 2023/2874 extends the exemption provided for in relation to the Sakhalin-2... Project, located in Russia, until 28 June 2024 to ensure Japan’s energy security needs," the document read.

In addition, the EU has excluded the items for personal use of travelers, as well as valuables for cultural exchange with Russia from the ban on Russian diamonds, according to the document.

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💵 The United States will run out of Ukraine aid funding on December 30 after it completes a transfer of $1.07 billion to replenish US stocks of weapons sent to Ukraine, Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCloud said in a letter obtained by Sputnik on Monday.

"Once these funds are obligated, the Department will have exhausted the funding available to us for security assistance to Ukraine," the official stated.

McCloud in the letter to Congress urged lawmakers to approve Biden's $106 billion supplemental package to address US national security concerns, which includes some $60 billion for Ukraine.

The United States will only be able to provide Ukraine with one more additional aid package before the end of the year absent approval for new funding, according to McCloud.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has arrived in Beijing, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier of the State Council Li Qiang.

The Russian delegation's visit to Beijing is scheduled for December 19-20. In addition to talks with Xi Jinping and Li Qiang, Mishustin is also expected to hold the 28th regular meeting of the heads of government of Russia and China.

During the upcoming contacts, the parties are expected to consider the development of Russia-China relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation. Special attention will be paid to expanding trade and economic cooperation and promoting major joint projects in various fields.

The countries are also expected to adopt a joint communiqué and sign a number of Russia-China documents.

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🇳🇪 EXCLUSIVE: Niger is not ruling out a possibility of military invasion of the country, prime minister says

🗣 "There is no need to have any illusions, anything can happen at any moment. But remember that we have a hardened army, an army that is stronger than terrorists," Niger's Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told Sputnik, adding that Niger will take all the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty "if any state decides to attack us."

In addition, Zeine noted that Niger continues to fight for the lifting of sanctions imposed by the ECOWAS, revealing that the country expects to resume negotiations with the organization in January.

👉 Check out the full interview

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🇷🇺 A special aircraft of the Russian Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) has delivered the final group of Russian citizens evacuated from the Gaza Strip: 73 people have arrived at Domodedovo, the ministry reported.

"A special aircraft of the Russian Emergencies Ministry transported the final group of citizens of the Russian Federation evacuated from the Gaza Strip. The IL-76 airplane of the Russian Emergencies Ministry delivered 73 citizens, including 45 children, from Cairo to Domodedovo airport... Russian rescuers evacuated from the zone of the Palestine-Israel conflict all willing Russians and members of their families - a total of 1,124 people, including 518 children," the statement read.

The ministry stressed that while working at the Rafah border checkpoint, task force of the EMERCOM together with representatives of the International Civil Defense Organization provided humanitarian aid to the evacuated citizens. It included hygiene kits, toys for children, and hot meals.

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❗️ US Defense Secretary Austin announces multinational operation to secure Red Sea amid increase in Houthi attacks.

According to the Pentagon, the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain are going to take part in the operation.

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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a statement announced the establishment of a multinational operation to secure the Red Sea amid a surge of Yemeni Houthis’ attacks on cargo ships.

“Today, I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea,” the statement said on Monday.

“Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity,” Austin stated.

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🇷🇺 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday he had reminded UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the G20 summit in September that Moscow was still waiting for the publication of the list of those allegedly killed in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

"I saw him [Guterres] later at the G20 summit in India this fall. We had a talk. I reminded him of my request. He told me, 'Well, it's not in my competence'," Lavrov told Russia's Channel One.

The top Russian diplomat replied that the Bucha incident had become a central one in the war unleashed against Russia and "in the series of unprecedented sanctions that anyone has ever imposed against anyone." The incident raises massive suspicions as the UN refuses to publish the list of the alleged victims, Lavrov added.

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European Union member states are weighing the possibility of revoking Hungary's voting rights as a strategic move to secure an agreement on the allocation of funds to Ukraine, according to sources cited by The Financial Times.

Insiders have revealed that EU officials are contemplating the application of Article 7 of the 2007 European Union Treaty that empowers the Union to suspend a member country's voting privileges in response to violations of European legislation.

While any other EU member can obstruct this process, recent political developments have left Hungary without a guaranteed protector within the EU following Poland's recent elections.

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🇵🇸🇮🇱 At least 66 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in the Palestine-Israel conflict in the Gaza Strip since October 7, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported on Monday.

"At least sixty-six Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed, several have been injured and others are missing during the war in Gaza," the IFJ said in a statement, calling for an investigation into the circumstances of their deaths.

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“This is how the censorship industrial regime works – they seize on every alleged crisis to justify new censorship,” said American journalist and free speech advocate Glenn Greenwald.

Greenwald slammed the European Union’s opening of a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s X platform Monday.

The bloc announced they were examining whether the social media site violated regulations relating to content moderation, “information manipulation,” and data transparency.

The European Commission has expressed concern over an alleged rise in “Russian disinformation” and anti-Israel content on the platform; European countries often crack down on public displays of pro-Palestine sentiment.

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❗️ Hunter Biden will be arraigned and have his initial appearance in federal court on new tax-related charges on January 11 in Los Angeles, a court filing revealed.

The filing stated on Monday that Biden will appear before Judge Alka Sagar in the US District Court in the Central District of California to be arraigned on four tax evasion charges.

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🇨🇳 At least 86 people were killed and another 96 were injured in a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu, China Central Television reported on Tuesday.

The report added that in the area of the epicenter of the earthquake, houses and roads were damaged, water supply and electricity were disrupted.

On Monday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said that a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in China at 15:59 GMT. The epicenter was located 101 kilometers (62.7 miles) southwest of the Chinese city of Lanzhou at a depth of 11 kilometers (6.8 miles).

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American lawmakers calling for TikTok to be banned may be given ammunition by a new report suggesting the social media platform is damaging the US Army’s recruitment efforts.

Veterans and even current members of the country’s armed forces have turned to social media to air complaints on a variety of matters.

“No sleep,” “the pay sucks,” and “sh**ty food” are among some of the complaints young veterans have reportedly shared on the video sharing site.

The US military is in the midst of a major recruiting crisis, having fallen short of its goals by thousands in the past years.

Various controversies have dogged the Army over its attempts at social media outreach, but the Pentagon continues to shape perceptions by consulting on popular films and video games.

👉 Check out the link to get the full story

🇷🇺🇳🇪 The visit of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Yunus-Bek Evkurov to Niger will strengthen cooperation between the two countries, Niger's military-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told Sputnik.

In early December, a Russian delegation led by Evkurov visited the Nigerien capital of Niamey.

"Niger has been cooperating with the Russian Federation for a very long time. So this visit of the Deputy Minister of Defense is part of strengthening and deepening this cooperation," Zeine said.

Niger has been facing challenges related to terrorism for about ten years, so the country requires support from friendly states, he added.

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❗️ The death toll from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in northwestern China has risen to 111, China Central Television reported on Tuesday.

So far, the earthquake has killed 100 people in Gansu province and 11 people in Qinghai province, the report added.

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