Houthis have ‘stalemated’ American superpower - US media

The US military is “locked in a dangerous stalemate” in its campaign against the Houthis, proving “unable to effectively stop the rebels from attacking ships,” and at the same time “unlikely” to be given a free hand for all-out war against the group, a report published Saturday by Business Insider suggested.

“The restrained approach to the ongoing Houthi crisis leaves the US military engaged in combat operations without a clear path to victory,” the outlet said, pointing to the toll Houthi attacks have had on Red Sea shipping, which up until a year ago accounted for up to 15% of all maritime trade.

“The threat still persists, and there doesn’t seem to be much abating that,” former US Central Command chief Gen. (ret.) Joseph Votel said. Instead, US operations “have been clearly focused on trying to defend ourselves and going after launch sites, production sites, storage sites, maybe some command and control sites – but none of that seems to be deterring the Houthis at all,” Votel complained.

“Allowing the Houthis to protract their gradual escalation campaign is a much more dangerous policy choice for the US in the long run than a more decisive military effort would have been,” Brian Carter, Middle East analyst at the DC-based American Enterprise Institute, a neocon think tank, argued, highlighting the impact Houthi persistence has had on the US’s perceived strength and military reputation abroad.

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📹 Georgian police use water cannons to disperse protesters

Georgian security forces are using water cannons to disperse demonstrators at the side entrance to parliament, while protesters are responding with firecrackers, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said protesters hurled firecrackers at the parliament, causing a fire in the building, which has since been extinguished.

Video from social media

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🇸🇾 Syrian Armed Forces are successfully repelling terrorist attack and will soon launch counteroffensive – Syrian Armed Forces Command

The Syrian Armed Forces are successfully and decisively repelling a terrorist attack and will soon launch a counteroffensive to liberate all territories, the Syrian Armed Forces Command said in a statement.

"The command of the army and armed forces confirms that the process of repelling the terrorist attack is proceeding successfully and decisively. Soon, a counteroffensive will take place to regain control over all areas and liberate them from the scourge of terrorism," the statement read.

Syrian army reinforcements have arrived in Hama, and government operations are continuing as usual, according to the province's governor Kamal Barmo. He also denounced reports of terrorist vehicles entering Hama as false. Earlier, the Syrian Defense Ministry dismissed claims about the entry of terrorist groups into cities in northern Hama province as untrue.

On Saturday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reiterated that Syria will continue defending its territorial integrity and is capable of defeating terrorists with the help of its allies and friends.

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Norway establishes NATO amphibious assault training center in the Arctic – reports

Norway established a NATO amphibious assault training center in the northern part of the country, specifically in the Sorreisa commune, located beyond the Arctic Circle, according to the Barents Observer, which cited Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram.

The training facility in northern Norway will be able to accommodate several hundred NATO soldiers, the report states.

It is designed to train amphibious assault units from NATO countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. The report also notes that Norway does not have its own amphibious assault force.

Norway plans to invest approximately $1.45 billion in military infrastructure in the Troms region alone, where the new NATO facility will be located, the report adds.

Earlier, Alexander Bortnikov, Director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), stated that NATO was rapidly expanding its presence in the Arctic and Baltic regions.

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💉 Cancer vaccine: melanoma and metastases disappear after use – Russian scientist

After the use of the cancer vaccine, which is being developed by experts at the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Ministry of Health, melanoma is dissolved, and metastases also disappear. This has been shown by preclinical studies of the drug, the center's director, Alexander Gintsburg, told Sputnik.

💬 "In preclinical studies, we see that the tumor — melanoma — simply dissolves and disappears, and not only the tumor itself, but even the metastasis disappears. I do not rule out that we will have patients even at stage 4," Gintsburg said.

He noted that, at present, plans are in place to begin testing the drug's effects on a number of other types of cancer, including lung, kidney, and pancreatic cancer. Oncology institutes are expected to be involved in this work, Gintsburg explained.

Earlier, Gintsburg told Sputnik that the cancer vaccine would be personalized — that is, it would be made individually for each patient. Artificial intelligence will assist in its development by analyzing the parameters of the tumor and generating a "blueprint" for the future drug. Based on this, specialists will produce the vaccine within a week.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Joint China-Russia patrols not directed against third countries - Defense Ministry

Joint patrols by Russia and China are not aimed at third countries and are unrelated to the current international and regional situation, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said on Sunday.

The Russian Aerospace Forces and the Chinese Air Force conducted joint patrols in the Sea of Japan and the western Pacific Ocean from November 29 to 30, Zhang reported.

💬 "We have effectively tested and enhanced the capabilities of the two countries' air forces through joint training and operations," he said in a statement on WeChat.

💬 "These joint Russian-Chinese strategic air patrols are a routine part of our annual cooperation plan. They are not directed against any third country and are not linked to the current international and regional situation," the spokesman added.

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