📞 Putin holds phone talks with Iranian counterpart - Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian focused on the dangerous situation in Syria in a telephone call on Monday, the Kremlin said.

The two leaders also discussed key issues of developing cooperation between Russia and Iran.

The counterparts planned further contacts.

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Hunter Biden’s corruption scandals

Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Sunday before jetting off on a trip to Africa.

▪️ Hunter, the first child of a sitting US president ever to face criminal charges, was convicted of tax evasion, and lying over his drug use while purchasing a handgun.

▪️ He was to be sentenced in both cases in mid-December. The maximum penalty in the tax case was 17 years, while the gun charge carried a punishment of up to 25 years.

▪️ Along with the criminal tax charges, Hunter also faced six misdemeanor offenses for failing to pay his taxes on time, and making false deductions in returns.

Tax and gun convictions minor compared to more serious suspected crimes

◻️ In 2023, House Republicans launched a probe into Hunter’s suspicious business dealings, revolving around an alleged influence-peddling scheme seeing the collection of over $20 mln in bribes for access to his powerful father during the Obama years.

◻️ In August 2024, investigators released a 300-page report detailing payments to the Bidens from shady business actors from around the world, including Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

◻️ Hunter is also mixed up in an international criminal conspiracy. In 2022, the Russian military published damning docs implicating his investment firm for research into deadly pathogens in Ukraine – with foreign media corroborating the story using files from Hunter’s “laptop from hell.”

◻️ The laptop also details Hunter’s ‘highly active’ personal life – from smoking crack on camera while waving a gun around and cavorting with prostitutes, to terrorizing and intimidating his ex-wife and withholding child support.

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🎥🎥 Putin meets with Russia's bright young scientific minds

👉Watch the livestream here or follow the link to the Sputnik's website

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Unraveling Syria’s chaotic conflict: Shedding light on who’s fighting whom

Militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group have broken the de-escalation agreement in Syria, subsequently joining forces with militants from the so-called "Syrian National Army." Their actions are directed not only against the government’s armed forces but also against the Kurds, particularly in the provinces of Aleppo and Hama.

Who’s fighting whom in Syria?

◾️Syrian state forces: The government’s army, commonly referred to as "Assad's Army", controls the bulk of Syrian territory. A limited contingent of Russian forces is stationed in Syria, providing assistance to Assad’s military in its fight against militant groups. The Russian Aerospace Forces are conducting airstrikes on warehouses, artillery positions, and other terrorist targets in the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama. Additionally, the Syrian army receives support from military advisers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) present in the country. Reports from local media indicate that Iraqi units have also moved to the Syrian border to bolster the fight against terrorism.

◾️The Syrian Democratic Forces (Kurds): Predominately a Kurdish military group, which controls large swathes of northeastern Syria, namely, the provinces of Hasakah, Raqqah and Deir al-Zor. The Syrian Democratic Forces are actively engaged in combat against jihadi militants in Syria, while maintaining a truce with government forces. However, true reconciliation with Damascus remains elusive, as the Kurdish militias receive support from the United States.

◾️The Syrian National Army: Previously known as the Syrian Free Army, the SNA primarily operates in the areas of Aleppo province not controlled by the Syrian government. This group traditionally enjoys support from Washington, with its members receiving training at the US military base in Al-Tanf, set up in Syria without legal authorization. Although the SNA claims to have backing from Turkiye, Ankara officially denies any connections with these Syrian militants.

◾️Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*: Formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra*, is a jihadist group that originated as a branch of Al-Qaeda* in Syria. In 2017, Western nations attempted to rebrand the group as a "moderate opposition" following claims that it had severed ties with ISIS. Notably, both NATO countries and Ukraine have maintained close connections with this jihadi organization, as revealed by Sputnik. Additionally, there are former members of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham* in the Ukrainian International Legion who are obtaining Ukrainian citizenship, as previously reported by Sputnik.

◾️ISIS*. Despite the defeat of the terror group in Syria in 2019, some holdout factions continue to operate in remote areas of the country that remain outside the control of Bashar Assad’s government. These jihadists are effectively battling against all parties. Notably, they have yet to engage in clashes with the jihadists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*. In the ongoing escalation, ISIS* militants are involved in sporadic attacks on the government forces.

*Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Jabhat al-Nusra are terrorist organizations outlawed in Russia.

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French opposition puts forward no confidence vote in PM Barnier

The left-wing opposition in the French parliament has proposed a vote of no confidence in French Prime Minister Michel Barnier over the bill on social insurance budget for 2025 bypassing lawmakers, Mathilde Panot, the leader of the left-wing Unconquered France party, said, as quoted by BFMTV broadcaster.

Marine Le Pen's National Rally party has confirmed it will support a vote of no confidence in Barnier's cabinet, meaning the French government will resign.

The vote will take place on Wednesday. If it receives the required majority of votes (289 out of 577), it will pass and the government will resign.

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❓Why Syria is the heart of the Middle East power struggle – and why the US won’t let go

Why are new clashes in Syria sparking global concern, and what makes the country so crucial in the battle for Middle East power?

◾️ Geopolitical importance:

🔸 Central location: Syria is a key crossroads between Asia, Europe, and Africa, influencing regional stability and global power dynamics.

🔸 Buffer state: It serves as a buffer between rival powers, especially the US, Turkyie, Iran, and Russia.

🔸 Arab-Israeli conflict: Syria’s dispute with Israel over the Golan Heights remains a critical issue for regional security.

◾️ Economic importance:

🔸 Energy resources: Syria has significant oil and natural gas reserves, particularly in Deir ez-Zor, although many fields have been contested by various factions, including the US and Kurdish forces.

🔸 Strategic trade routes: Syria's location makes it important for regional trade, including potential pipeline routes for oil and gas.

◾️ Key regional and global actors:

🔸 Russia: Russia’s military presence in Syria strengthens its influence in the Mediterranean and challenges US power.

🔸 Turkyie: Turkyie is concerned about Kurdish separatism in Syria and views it as a direct security threat.

🔸 US Interests:

⚪️The US aims to limit Iran’s influence in Syria, particularly preventing Iranian military entrenchment.

⚪️The US backs Kurdish forces in northern Syria, although this strains relations with Turkyie.

⚪️The US has violated Syria’s sovereignty through military interventions without authorization from the Syrian government or the UN, further destabilizing the region.

⚪️Despite claiming to fight terrorism, the US has indirectly fueled extremism in Syria. Washington has backed opposition groups, including those with ties to radical Islamists.

🔸 Israeli Interests:

⚪️Israel views the Golan Heights as crucial for its defense, yet its annexation and military presence there violate international law, drawing global criticism.

⚪️Israel seeks control over Syria’s water resources in the Golan, exacerbating regional conflicts with its neighbors.

⚪️Israel’s violations of Syria’s sovereignty and expansion of settlements undermine peace efforts and worsen regional tensions.

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Protests in Georgia

Protesters outside the parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia, are hurling firecrackers at riot police, who are using water cannons to push the demonstrators back from the building's walls, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

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❗️❗️❗️Rep. Paul Gosar: Joe ‘Big Guy’ Biden’s pardon for corrupt son unmasks ‘Biden family crime syndicate’

💬 “Throughout his term, Joe ‘the Big Guy’ Biden has repeatedly lied to the American people. It should come as no surprise that he now pardons his corrupt son after continuous claims he would not,” Arizona Congressman (R) Paul Gosar told Sputnik, commenting on the president’s move Sunday to exonerate Hunter Biden of his criminal tax and handgun convictions.

“With this pardon, Joe Biden is undeniably providing cover to the crooked Biden family crime syndicate that has been selling influence to foreigners for years,” Gosar said, referring to the infamous alleged pay-to-play scheme run by Hunter involving the sale of access to his powerful vice president father during the Obama years for tens of millions of dollars.

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💰 No business like war business: How US arms makers are profiting from Ukraine crisis

Forty-one US firms made the list of the world’s top 100 defense companies, recording $317 bln in revenues, a new SIPRI report shows. Together with defense firms from other NATO members and other US allies worldwide, the collective West recorded over $494 bln in sales – more than 78% of the $632 bln world total. Here are the details:

◾️ The list’s top five biggest companies (Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and General Dynamics) are American.

◾️ The five raked in $198.34 bln in 2023 (nearly double Russia’s entire $109 bln defense budget).

SIPRI attributed the record revenues to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Coincidentally, the same five US companies have made a killing selling arms for both.

🔸 In January 2023, for instance, Northrop Grumman got $522.3 mln to make 155 mm artillery shells (in high demand in Ukraine). In June 2024, the company made plans to build a shell factory in Ukraine using money from a $2 bln US ”co-production” scheme.

🔸 In March 2023, RTX’s Raytheon got $1.2 bln for Patriot missiles, receiving $478 mln more in August 2024. RTX also won $1.2 bln to build six NASAM missile batteries for Ukraine.

🔸 In August 2023, a General Dynamics subsidiary got $34 mln for tank maintenance in Ukraine. That’s on top of a $23.1 mln contract to build monkey model Abrams tanks for Kiev the same year.

🔸 Lockheed won $4.8 bln to build GMLRS precision missiles in April 2023. Large quantities of these have appeared in Ukraine.

🔸 In June 2024, Lockheed got $1.9 bln for more HIMARS artillery.

🔸 In August, Lockheed and Raytheon got $1.3 bln for Javelin missiles.

🔸 In October, Boeing won $6.9 bln to make small diameter bombs for Ukraine, Japan and Bulgaria. Separately, it got $600 mln for JDAM munitions testing and integration.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. SIPRI’s list shows huge revenues for an array of Western arms makers sending their wares to Ukraine, from BAE Systems, Thales and Leonardo to Saab, Hanwha Group, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Rheinmetall and ThyssenKrupp.

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US doesn't need independent Georgia, will foment coup in Tbilisi – expert

💬 "Georgia being independent of the North Atlantic [Alliance's] structure and the EU political course is disadvantageous to the United States, because America has its own geopolitical goals [in the Caucasus]," Shota Apkhaidze, director of the Caucasus Center for Islamic Studies, told Sputnik.

The US has invested billions of dollars in Georgia and opposes its detente with Russia, China or Iran, Apkhaidze stressed. Georgia has been the second largest recipient of US foreign and security aid in Eurasia after Ukraine.

The US Congressional Research Service September report revealed that the US has provided more than $6.2 billion in assistance to Georgia since 1992. Georgia has also been designated one of NATO's "closest partners" and an important part of the alliance's Black Sea strategy.

But "the leadership of the Georgian Dream actually turned out to be the only government of independent Georgia that entered into a confrontation with the West," the pundit stressed.

The US froze its strategic partnership with Georgia on November 30, after Tbilisi said it was of temporarily suspending EU membership talks. The ruling Georgian Dream party's move followed European Parliament attempts to interfere in the nation's affairs by denouncing recent general elections as "unfair" and insisting they be re-run.

Ironically, Georgian Dream has never been a "pro-Russian" party and has had clear pro-Western aspirations, Apkhaidze noted.

"The Georgian dream was absolutely not going to change its foreign policy vector," he stressed. “They were simply forced by the West – the EU and the US – to take such steps."

The government "protects sovereignty because it is forced to do so," Apkhaidze said, warning that the US might organize a repeat of the 2014 Euromaidan coup in Ukraine – which followed the blueprint of the 2003 ‘Rose Revolution’ in Georgia.

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🇬🇪 Riot police have begun dispersing an opposition rally outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, and are detaining participants, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

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🔸 Why is Syria the heart of the Middle East power struggle?

🔸 Shedding light on who’s fighting whom in Syria

🔸 Rep. Paul Gosar to Sputnik: Biden’s pardon for corrupt son unmasks ‘Biden family crime syndicate’

🔸 Check out Biden’s top most desperate lame-duck decisions

🔸 Who is Trump’s pick for advisor on Arab, Middle Eastern affairs?

🔸 No business like war business: How US arms makers are profiting from Ukraine crisis

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⚡️ Israeli Army launches new wave of strikes on Lebanon – statement

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are currently targeting "terror sites" in Lebanon, the official statement read.

The strikes are carried out in response to an alleged Hezbollah mortar attack on the Mount Dov area this evening, which reportedly violated the ceasefire agreement, according to The Times of Israel.

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