Biden told reporters he does not think the United States is in a de facto proxy war with Iran as it deals with violence in the Middle East.

Iran has already rejected accusations from Western countries over Tehran's alleged involvement in the Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. In addition, Iran emphasized that resistance groups in the Middle East, such as the Houthis, do not receive any instructions from Iran.

The US and the UK carried out strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. US officials said these strikes were meant to degrade the Houthis' capability to launch attacks.

The Houthis threatened that the United States and the United Kingdom would pay a "high price" for the attack.

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The US military said it hit more than 60 targets at 16 Houthi locations, including command and control centers, ammunition depots, launchers, production facilities and air defense radar systems.

The Houthis claim that a total of 73 strikes were carried out on targets in four provinces, and that there were no serious consequences of these attacks.

Check out Sputnik's infographics to learn more about the impact locations of the US and UK strikes on Yemen.

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😪 Poor Ol’ Joe needs some rest...

While the entire world community is watching with bated breath the tense situation in the Middle East, where the United States has launched a new strike in Yemen, Biden is leaving Washington again to rest, the White House said.

After the White House's attempt to justify Biden's low public activity, he visited the state of Pennsylvania on Friday to communicate with small businesses: he went to a coffee shop, a bicycle shop and spoke briefly with reporters at the fire station.

After this intense activity, the US president is leaving for the weekend at the Camp David country residence.

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The war is spreading to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council briefing on the US-led "international coalition's" attacks on Yemeni territory.

"We have seen a situation of exactly this kind - armed aggression by a group of countries against another state," Nebenzia said.

Russia has already condemned the US strikes in Yemen.

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A demonstration in support of Palestine and Yemen brought together several hundred people in New York City overnight

The demonstrators temporarily blocked First Avenue near the UN headquarters before moving further to the northern part of the city.

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On January 13, Taiwan's citizens are electing the head of the administration, the deputy head and 113 members of the Legislative Yuan (parliament).

Among the candidates:

▪️Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party
▪️Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang Party
▪️Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party

This time, participation in the elections is only possible in person, remote voting is prohibited.

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What you need to know about those running for Taiwan's regional leadership:

Lai Ching-te, 64, is the candidate from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. He has repeatedly signaled a willingness to pursue a hard-line policy to achieve Taiwan's independence from mainland China, while also calling for close cooperation with Taipei's Western partners.

Hou Yu-ih, 66, is the candidate from the Kuomintang party. Hou opposes Taiwan's independence and favors normalizing Taipei's relations with Beijing. But Hou is unwilling to sit down with Chinese authorities to discuss Taiwan's reunification with the mainland.

Ko Wen-je, 64, is the candidate of the Taiwan People's Party, which he founded in 2019. Ko has repeatedly expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with Beijing and maintain the status quo. He also calls for maintaining peace through deterrence and cooperation.

According to recent polls, Lai Ching-te remains the favorite in the race for Taiwan's regional leadership.

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Taiwan's current head of administration, Tsai Ing-wen (Democratic Progressive Party), voted in the election.

Video from social media.

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📹 The Russian crew of the Msta-B howitzer paratroopers destroyed a Ukrainian self-propelled howitzer of NATO production.

The units of the airborne troops continue active combat and successfully advance northwest of Artemovsk.

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❗️The Russian Armed Forces struck at night the facilities of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, which produces shells and drones with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system.

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German government's selective austerity measures may destroy agriculture - the Alternative for Germany party (AfD)

Eugene Schmidt from AfD party argued that the government encouraged migrants to come to Germany by guaranteeing generous social benefits and refusing to do enough to secure borders. The Federal Office for Migration estimated that 351,915 migrants applied for asylum in Germany in 2023, up 51.1% from the year before.

"Our farmers are already suffering greatly from the monstrous energy prices. The government's plans to end subsidies will become a mortal blow to the industry," Schmidt said.

Thousands of farmers rallied nationwide this week in protest against the planned cuts to agricultural subsidies and tax breaks, prompting the government to walk back on some of the changes. Rail workers joined the strike to demand higher pay, bringing the European Union's biggest economy to a near-standstill. More rallies by farmers are expected this weekend and will continue into the next week.

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