❗️Russian troops have liberated four settlements in the Donetsk People's Republic and the Kharkov region during the week — Russian MoD
 
🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's weekly briefing on the special military operation's progress:
 
🔸Russian troops took 34 Ukrainian militants prisoners, 17 of them surrendered in the Russian Kursk direction;
 
🔸The Russian Tsentr Battlegroup repelled 53 Ukrainian counterattacks; Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 2,900 soldiers;
 
🔸Ukrainian forces lost up to 2,420 fighters in the area of responsibility of the Russian Sever combat group;
 
🔸The Russian Zapad Battlegroup repelled 28 Ukrainian counterattacks; the enemy lost over 3,150 militants;
 
🔸Ukrainian forces lost over 2,700 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Russian Yug combat group;
 
🔸Russian air defense systems shot down a Neptune missile, ten ATACMS missiles, 15 Hammer bombs and 353 Ukrainian drones.

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Czech politician cut off on air for criticizing Ukrainian refugees
 
The mayor of the Czech city of Pilsen, Roman Zarzycký, was talking about the rise of crime in the city, noting that Ukrainian youth "spit" on Czech decrees and laws; after which, he was cut off on air immediately.
 

"I will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior of Ukrainian youth who spit on our decrees and laws," the mayor wrote on social networks.

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New first-person view Tor drone unveiled at Young Scientists Congress in Russia

At the Youth Scientists Congress held in Russia's Sirius from November 27-29, a new FPV drone, Tor, has been showcased.

Developed by Ekaterina from Tula, the drone features a carbon frame that enhances vibration resistance and increases its payload capacity.

"Our drone has an optimized propeller-motor group, which allows for transporting loads over longer distances compared to similar models," Ekaterina told Sputnik.

The Tor drone can carry up to six kilograms and is ten inches in size. It utilizes non-standard frequencies for both control and video transmission, with the ability to adjust signal power to maintain stealth and avoid revealing positions.

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Macron grants immunity to Netanyahu in exchange for role in Lebanon ceasefire talks - report

French President Emmanuel Macron has agreed not to enforce an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for securing France’s role in a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, Le Point reports, citing sources.

The deal was reportedly reached after talks between the two leaders, where Netanyahu requested immunity from ICC prosecution, which France granted due to "diplomatic exceptions for non-member states".

The French Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Paris would not arrest Netanyahu if he visited, citing immunity rules. This decision drew criticism from human rights groups, with Amnesty urging France to uphold its obligation to arrest individuals under ICC warrants.

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📹 At the Young Scientists Congress, a mini-UAV competition was held.

Participants were tasked with configuring their drones to fly around all the figures placed on the ground in the correct sequence.

A display screen showed the flight plan, allowing the audience to follow the progress and evaluate the accuracy of the task.

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😎 'I'll be back' - Bolsonaro vows to return to presidential race

Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro plans to return to power and believes that President-elect Donald Trump will become a real game-changer in the future of the right in Latin America, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Trump is back, and it’s a sign we’ll be back too,” Bolsonaro told WSJ.

Earlier, as the newspaper notes, although Bolsonaro was banned from running for the office until 2030, he is planning to register his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election.

The former president hopes Trump will help with his return to power.

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AI in education: Experts debate challenges and opportunities at Young Scientists Congress

Key experts from education and technology gathered at the IV Congress of Young Scientists to discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning and research.

During the session noscriptd "New Trends in the Development of Humanitarian Education," panelists examined how AI is reshaping education and the potential it holds for advancing scientific knowledge.

Moderated by Andrey Fursenko, assistant to the president of Russia, the discussion highlighted both the challenges and opportunities presented by AI integration in the education sector.

🔸 Fursenko opened the debate by addressing the growing shortage of skilled professionals and the transformative impact of new technologies on education and research. He emphasized the need to evaluate which technological changes should be embraced in the field. Experts like Andrey Logvinov, acting rector of the Russian State University for the Humanities, discussed AI’s role as a tool to support, not replace, human cognitive abilities.

🔸 Other speakers, including Svetlana Merkushina from Sber, and Fedor Senatov from NITU MISIS, further explored AI’s potential in developing educational tools and advanced technologies like robotic surgeons. Despite differing opinions, the panel agreed on the importance of ethical guidelines and the need to ensure that AI serves the public good.

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Unpacking current US military alliances: Here’s what you need to know

The United States is beefing up its military alliances around the globe, but is this a matter of defense, or is the US seeking to expand its global dominance? From NATO to the Indo-Pacific region, these alliances raise questions about the true motives behind America’s expanding military footprint.

1️⃣Formal alliances with the US military at the helm

▫️NATO: This collective defense alliance consists of 30 members, where an attack on one is regarded as an attack on all. The US is NATO’s largest contributor, ensuring mutual defense under Article 5.

▫️AUKUS: This trilateral security pact between the US, Australia, and the UK, focuses on military cooperation and countering China in the Indo-Pacific, particularly through the development of nuclear-powered submarines.

▫️ANZUS: This defense treaty between the US, Australia, and New Zealand, is intended for promoting mutual defense and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

▫️The Quad: This strategic partnership between the US, Japan, India, and Australia is aimed at promoting a “free and open Indo-Pacific”, focusing on military cooperation, regional security, and countering China’s growing influence.

▫️RIO Treaty: This mutual defense pact involving the United States and Latin American nations ensures collective security throughout the Americas, and is relevant in addressing regional security threats.

2️⃣ Alliances involving indirect US participation

🚛 FPDA (Five Power Defense Arrangements): This security framework between Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand, where the US supports these nations through intelligence sharing and logistical cooperation, especially in Southeast Asia.

🚛 NORDEFCO (Nordic Defense Cooperation): This defense agreement encompasses Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, with significant US support facilitated through NATO and joint operations, particularly focused on countering Russian military activity in the Arctic.

🚛 GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council): Consisting of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman, and even though the United States is not a member, it provides vital military support to counter regional threats, particularly from Iran.

3️⃣ US strategic bilateral defense agreements

🟢US-Japan Security Treaty: The US is committed to defending Japan from external threats, especially those posed by China and North Korea. With a robust military presence, including several bases in Japan, the US secures a strategic foothold in the Indo-Pacific region.

🟢US-South Korea Treaty: The US is obligated to defend South Korea against aggression from North Korea. A significant US military presence in South Korea serves as a deterrent to any hostile action by Pyongyang.

🟢US-Israel Agreement: The US provides Israel with military aid, advanced defense technologies, and intelligence. The US has pledged to intervene if Israel is attacked, particularly by regional adversaries like Iran.

🟢US-Taiwan Relations Act (TRA): While not a formal defense treaty, the TRA guarantees continued US support for Taiwan, focusing on deterring military aggression from China against the island.

🟢US-Jordan Defense Agreement: The US assists Jordan in combating terrorism and regional instability, while providing military aid, training, and logistical support in the fight against extremist groups.

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More than 50 people were injured in a fire during a march against terrorism in the Indian city of Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.

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What’s behind US Federal Trade Commission’s probe into Microsoft? A whistleblower explains

“This is clearly a regulation play” into Microsoft’s “AI dealings”, Zach Vorhies, a former senior software engineer at YouTube and Google-turned-whistleblower, tells Sputnik when commenting on a decision by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the country’s top antitrust watchdog, to launch an investigation into the tech giant.

The FTC is reportedly investigating whether Microsoft has violated the antitrust law in multiple segments of its wide-ranging businesses related to cloud computing, software licensing, cybersecurity tools and AI products. The probe was announced less than two months before Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Will the new US administration change things?

▫️ “A change in administration will likely bring a shift in regulatory attitudes”

▫️ “While the incoming administration may favor reducing domestic AI regulations, it's crucial to establish robust guardrails to prevent advanced technologies from being misused or exported without oversight”

What about Meta*?

▫️ Mark Zuckerberg’s recent face-to-face with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago “aligns logically with the developments” related to the company’s decision to cut off access to mainstream media content.

▫️ Such decisions “played a decisive role in the election outcome, effectively favoring Trump.”

*banned for extremism in Russia

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❗️The Syrian Army has deployed reinforcements to strengthen positions along the line of contact, where ongoing battles with terrorist groups are taking place, according to the Syrian military command.

Hundreds of terrorists have been eliminated during clashes with the Syrian Army in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo.

The Syrian military command also reported that many foreign mercenaries were involved in the attacks in these provinces.

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Is the US fueling a new nuclear arms race? A Russian think tank investigates Washington's modernization plans

The pace of US nuclear weapons modernization is accelerating, meaning Washington has de facto launched an arms race against Russia and China, the Roscongress Foundation warned in its recent report obtained by Sputnik.

The report outlined key developments:

▪️The US is planning to spend about $138 billion on the modernization of nuclear warheads until FY 2049

▪️Another $500 billion will be spent on stockpile management, including dismantling and disposal of components of warheads removed from armaments, as well as research, development, testing and evaluation, other weapons activities and, finally, infrastructure operations

▪️Over 67,000 employees have been involved in the implementation of the US nuclear weapons modernization program. Their number has increased by more than 70% over the past ten years

▪️The US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has fast-tracked plutonium pit production, with a 2018 plan to produce 80 pits annually for nuclear warheads

▪️In addition, the US is modernizing most of the nuclear weapons storage bases in Europe. Presently, the US stores its tactical nuclear weapons at six bases in five NATO member countries, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkiye.

▪️In 2023, the Pentagon received over 200 updated nuclear munitions, which was the largest annual delivery since the end of the Cold War

According to Federation of American Scientists, the total inventory of US nuclear warheads amounts to 5,044 including 1,770 deployed warheads, 1,938 reserved for operational forces, and 1,336 retired warheads.

▪️The State Dept. estimates that the US had roughly 1,420 warheads deployed on 662 missiles and bombers as of March 1, 2023, including:

🔺Minuteman III ICBM 396 warheads
🔺Trident (D-5) SLBM 981 warheads
🔺B-52 bombers 33 warheads
🔺B-2 bombers 10 warheads

▪️According to US Congressional Budget Office 2023 estimates, US programs to operate and modernize nuclear forces would cost $756 billion over the next 10 years.

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MI6 chief admits UK involvement in covert operations in Ukraine

🗣 "After the war, the SOE [Special Operations Executive] was merged into SIS [Secret Intelligence Service], and we cherish our heritage of covert action which we keep alive today in helping Ukraine resist the Russian invasion," Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service said.

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Assisted dying: Understanding the UK’s End of Life Bill

British MPs have started debating a law to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales. The document is known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that and was introduced by backbench Labour lawmaker Kim Leadbeater.

Assisted dying is not to be confused with euthanasia, a process of deliberately ending a patient’s life to ease suffering in which a lethal injection is administered by a physician. Assisted dying stipulates that the patient must self-administer the life-ending medication.

Under the proposed bill, those seeking to end their life must:

▪️be over 18 and live in England or Wales
▪️have the mental capacity to make the choice free of pressure
▪️be expected to die within six months
▪️make a written declaration about their wish to die

How does the UK political elite plan to vote?

▪️‘For’ – Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, former Tory PM David Cameron
▪️‘Against’ – Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, former Labor PM Gordon Brown, along with three ex-Conservative PMs Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Theresa May
▪️‘Neutral’ – PM Keir Starmer

Who lobbies the bill in the UK?

▪️NPOs: AB Charitable Trust
▪️Other groups: Citizens Jury, Humanists UK, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the My Death, My Decision, and the Dignity of Dying
▪️Media: publicly-funded BBC seems sympathetic to the cause

What about other countries?

Assisted dying remains illegal in most countries, which, however, is not the case with Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland. Across the US, the act is legal in 10 states, including Oregon, Colorado and California, as well as Washington DC.

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💬 📑 Terrorist offensive in Aleppo reeks of US and Israeli involvement – expert

The sudden escalation in Syria where anti-government groups launched a sudden offensive towards Aleppo betrays the involvement of several foreign powers, including Israel and the United States, says Seyed Mohammad Marandi, political analyst and professor at Tehran University.

“We see thousands of foreign fighters affiliated to al-Qaida* from across Central Asia,” Marandi tells Sputnik. “They've been mobilized and well trained to carry out this assault.”

The offensive, he points out, takes place “literally a day after Netanyahu said he needs the ceasefire in order to deal with the so-called Iranian threat,” and it appears that the goal of this offensive is “to cut off Syria from the Axis of Resistance in order to isolate Lebanon.”

“Obviously, this is being done in coordination with the United States. The whole dirty war in Syria since 2011 was led by the United States,” Marandi adds. “We know that Jake Sullivan back then, who is now the national security adviser of Biden, said in an email to Hillary Clinton on February 12th, 2012, that in Syria, al Qaeda is on our side.”

Given the long history of the US’ association with terrorist groups in the region and previous efforts by Washington to “create a Salafist entity between Syria and Iraq to isolate Syria,” there is no doubt that the United States and its allies “are a part of this conspiracy against Syria,” the analyst concludes.

That said, Marandi identifies the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the “number one beneficiary” of the current crisis in Aleppo.

“Netanyahu needs war, and he only accepted a ceasefire under a great deal of pressure. So no one has faith in the Israelis. The Israelis have always violated commitments,” Marandi says.

“After all, it is carrying out a holocaust in Gaza, a regime that carries out the Holocaust and continues to do so in front of the eyes of the world after 14 months is not a regime that can be trusted for anything.”

Syrian military expert Mahmoud Abdel Salyam offers a similar take on the subject, blaming Israel for the current crisis and claiming that Tel Aviv’s plans threaten the security situation in the region.

“Israel essentially wants to solidify its position in the region after the ceasefire in Lebanon,” he says. “So Tel Aviv has no intention of stopping – it wants to sow discord among the other players in the region and to force them to react to such challenges.”

Salyam does note, however, that other global players who are interested in “changing the power balance in the Middle East” will undoubtedly capitalize on this situation.

“Some countries, for example, may use the weakening of the Arab republic to bolster their influence by supporting radical and extremist groups that Israel tries to use in Syria,” he says. “But such dangerous actions will lead to unpredictable consequences, for these countries and for their allies.”

* Terrorist organization banned in Russia

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📹 The Syrian Air Force carried out a series of strikes on a column of armored vehicles belonging to militants in the north of Aleppo province, who were planning to advance jointly with terrorist groups on Tel Rifat, a source in the country's security forces told Sputnik.

The footage shows the destruction of a column of armored vehicles.

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💬 Nuclear arms race with Russia and China will come at cost for US – economist

Despite kicking off nuclear arms modernization, the US is still struggling to catch up with Russia and China, according to Dmitry Stefanovich of the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations with the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, [the US] had been engaged in everything, but the development and production of [nuclear] munitions. And, accordingly, to resume the process now is a very, very difficult task, which they are accomplishing at huge costs and with a significant disruption of deadlines," Stefanovich tells Sputnik.

By contrast, Russia and China never stopped developing their respective nuclear and strategic missiles programs, he continues. If the US starts a nuclear race in earnest, the Russians and Chinese would be capable of immediately ramping up production, the pundit explains.

The potential arms race would put a burden on the US economy, according to the expert.

"[The US] already needs to build new [nuclear] weapons anyway and try to extend the service life of the old ones. And, in general, this is quite a difficult task. And already in the medium term, continuing to build up or even maintaining the expanded arsenal will require huge resources," Stefanovich points out.

On November 29, Sputnik reviewed a report of the Russian think tank Roscongress Foundation that warned that the pace of US nuclear weapons modernization is accelerating, meaning Washington has de facto launched an arms race against Russia and China.

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Canadian journalist faces persecution for branding Nazis as Nazis, denies allegations

A journalist in Canada has been charged with vandalizing a war memorial in Edmonton, after allegedly spraying “Nazi Monument 14th Waffen SS” on a monument that honors members of the 14th Waffen SS Division.

The journalist, Duncan Kinney, is being charged with “mischief relating to war memorials” and may face up to 10 years in prison as a result, The Maple reports.

The alleged act of vandalism took place in August 2021.

In October 2022, Kinney was also arrested for allegedly spraying the words “Actual Nazi” on a statue of infamous World War II Ukrainian Nazi collaborator Roman Shukhevich.

Kinney himself, however, denies being responsible for either of these incidents and insists that they are merely attempts by Edmonton Police Service to intimidate him, the media outlet notes, pointing out that the journalist is actually a “prominent critic of the Edmonton police.”

In 2020, a similar incident occurred in Oakville, Ontario where someone spray painted the phrase “Nazi war monument” on another cenotaph honoring members of the 14th Waffen SS Division.

The incident was investigated by Ontario police as a hate crime, The Ottawa Citizen reported at the time.

Following the end of World War II, Canada became a haven for many former Ukrainian Nazi collaborators and their family members, whose descendants now comprise a not-inconsiderable part of Canada’s Ukrainian diaspora.

This inconvenient fact was thrust into the spotlight in September 2023 when Yaroslav Hunka, a former Ukrainian Nazi collaborator and member of the aforementioned 14th Waffen SS Division, was treated to a standing ovation in the Canadian parliament where he was presented merely as a man who “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” in World War II.

The ovation took place during the visit by Volodymyr Zelensky and was also attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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AfD proposes Germany's exit from EU, Eurozone, and pushes for national currency

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party plans to pull Germany out of the European Union and create a new "Community of Economies and Interests," according to its draft election program.

Ahead of the snap general election on February 23, the AfD proposes a referendum to change Germany's constitution and replace EU membership with this new economic community. The party also calls for Germany's exit from the Eurozone, the adoption of a stable national currency, and deregulation of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

The program will be discussed and finalized in January. Recent polls put the AfD at 18%, second only to the conservative CDU/CSU bloc.

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