US President-elect Donald Trump nominates Daniel P. Driscoll to serve as Secretary of the Army

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🇰🇷 South Korea's parliament has tabled a proposal to impeach the country's president, according to Reuters.

Earlier, the ruling party said it would not support impeachment.

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🇮🇷How powerful is Iran's military that soon may be unleashed against terrorists in Syria? 🇸🇾

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told media this week that Iran is ready to deploy its military to aid the Syrian government if it were to make such request.

What forces does Iran have?

In 2024, Iran was ranked 14th in the Global Firepower annual military strength review.

🔘 Soldiers

⚪️approximately 610,000 active military personnel and 350,000 reserves
⚪️230,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that includes its own paramilitaries, navy and air force

🔘 Missiles

Iran has a sizeable arsenal of long-range weaponry that could be fired upon the country’s enemies.

In 2022, then-US Central Command head Gen. Kenneth McKenzie estimated the Iranian ballistic missile stockpile had “over 3,000” units. This includes:

⚪️ Shahab-1 and Shahab-2
⚪️ Ghadr
⚪️ Emad
⚪️ cruise missiles such as Paveh

🔘 Drones

⚪️loitering munitions such as Shahed-136
⚪️strike drones like Shahed-149, and others

🔘 Aircraft

The Iranian Air Force is comprised of 551 aircraft in total, including:

⚪️186 fighter aircraft
⚪️129 helicopters
⚪️32 military aircraft owned by the IRGC
⚪️5 helicopters owned by the IRGC

🔘 Armor

Iranian ground forces, among other things, include:

⚪️nearly 2,000 tanks
⚪️over 65,000 armored vehicles

🔘 Artillery

Iranian artillery forces include:

⚪️580 self-propelled guns
⚪️2,050 towed artillery pieces
⚪️775 multiple launch rocket artillery systems

🔘 Navy

Relatively modest in terms of size when compared to other branches of the Iranian military, Iran’s navy is comprised of:

⚪️21 patrol vessels
⚪️19 submarines
⚪️7 frigates
⚪️3 corvettes

Sources: Global Firepower, UK-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, media.

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Tucker Carlson in Moscow: Top sightseeing spots for his team

US journo Tucker Carlson has returned to Moscow to interview Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. His visit comes as the Russian capital is decorated for the upcoming New Year festivities. Let's explore the top five must-see destinations for Tucker's team!

🌟 Red Square: The most visited place by tourists in Moscow, it includes the unique architectural ensemble of the Spasskaya Tower, the Historical Museum, and St. Basil's Cathedral which are on the World Heritage List. The square is already decorated with a New Year Tree and will soon host a large skating rink.

🌟 The Kremlin: This ancient “fortress within the city” – which numbers at least 20 towers - accommodates breath-taking interiors of the Armory and the Diamond Fund museums.

🌟 The Bolshoi Theater: This eye-catching building is known for having one of the world’s oldest and best-known ballet and opera companies.

🌟 Gorky Park: This is Moscow’s central park with cafes, museums and a New Year fair.

🌟 VDNKh: A huge territory of this historic exhibition complex is rife with unique monuments of Soviet architecture. It is the VDNKh where Moscow’s largest skating rink opened late last month.

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The head of the US' largest health insurance company has been killed: What is known?

▪️The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance provider in the US, was tragically killed by a gunshot to the chest on Wednesday in New York's midtown Manhattan, authorities have confirmed during a press briefing. A masked man approached him and opened fire multiple times, according to police reports.

▪️Authorities have stated that no arrests have been made so far, and the investigation remains active. The motive behind the attack is still unclear.

▪️Brian Thompson, 50, was appointed UnitedHealthcare CEO in April 2021. Before taking the job, he led UnitedHealthcare’s government programs, overseeing Medicare, retirement, and community and state initiatives. His previous leadership experience also includes serving as the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare and Retirement.

▪️UnitedHealthcare is the largest US health insurer, providing benefits to tens of millions of Americans, who pay more for healthcare than in any other country.

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Jared Isaacman: Whom did Trump choose to lead NASA?

US President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire Jared Isaacman as his pick for the next NASA administrator.

▪️Born in 1983, Isaacman is known as the founder of payment processing company Shift4 Payments and Draken International, a defense contractor that provides training to the US military.

▪️In 2021, Isaacman led the Inspiration4 mission, the first spaceflight crewed only by private citizens.

▪️He also established the private spaceflight program Polaris and, during one of the Polaris missions, became the first private citizen to perform an extravehicular activity.

▪️He is regarded to be a close associate of SpaceX founder and Trump’s ally Elon Musk.

"Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology, and exploration," Trump stated in a social media post.

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🚀 The Russian Aerospace Forces successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with a military satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, according to Russia's Defense Ministry.

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✔️Follow @ResonantNews telegram channel for regular updates

⚡️Protests, Coup, War Zone or Espionage,

📹Resonant News shows you the bigger picture.

▶️You can also follow us on our Youtube channel. 👇

👉 🇮🇳One minute is all that they had. RISKIEST operation by Indian Special forces and Military intelligence 💀

👉🇮🇳Indian Army's MOST SUCCESSFUL Counter terrorism operation 💀

👉 🇮🇳A soldier narrates his UNUSUAL experiences

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👉 BRAHMOS- The Indo🇮🇳- Russian 🇷🇺 Missile, how much do you know about it? 🚀

Top 5 Facts about North and South Korea

North and South Korea have been divided for nearly 80 years, each pursuing its own ideological, political, and economic objectives. How do they differ and what do they have in common?

1. Population and Language

🇰🇵 North Korea: 26.16 million (2023)
🇰🇷 South Korea: 51.71 million (2023)

While both countries share a common Korean language and use the same alphabet, there are differences in spelling and pronunciation. The formal name for the North Korean language is Chosono, whereas in South Korea, it's called Hangugeo.

2. Economy

🇰🇵 North Korea's Economy: $29.6 billion (2023)
🇰🇷 South Korea's Economy: $1.74 trillion (2023)

Despite its smaller economy, North Korea's economy grew faster (3.1%) in 2023 compared to South Korea's (1.4%) in terms of real GDP growth. Moreover, in North Korea apartments are distributed for free after submitting applications and documents, whereas a South Korean have to save their income for 14 years to buy the property in Seoul or 9-10 years to buy it elsewhere in the country (as of 2021).

3. Major Natural Resources

🇰🇵 North Korea: Has over 200 types of minerals, including coal, iron, zinc, copper, gold, silver, molybdenite, and rare earths, with overall deposits estimated between $6 trillion and $10 trillion. According to 38North website, North Korea has the capacity to be one of the leading producers of zinc in the world.

🇰🇷 South Korea: Possesses 18.8 billion tons of mineral resources, including coal, iron ore, graphite, gold, silver, tungsten, lead, and zinc. However, it remains a consumer rather than a producer of metallic ores and rare earths.

4. Military Size

🇰🇵 North Korea (Korean People's Army): 1.3 million active personnel, 600,000 reservists, and 5.7 million Worker/Peasant Red Guard reservists, making it one of the world's largest militaries, behind only China and the US.

🇰🇷 South Korea (Republic of Korea Armed Forces): 500,000 active personnel and 3.1 million reservists, plus a significant US military presence with around 26,000 troops.

5. Nuclear Weapons

🇰🇵 North Korea: Estimated to possess 80-90 nuclear warheads made of uranium and plutonium, with projections suggesting this number could rise to 166 by 2030, according to Western experts.

🇰🇷 South Korea: Does not have nuclear weapons. National polls, as cited by The New York Times, indicate that many South Koreans no longer fully trust Washington's "nuclear umbrella."

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⚡️ French parliament issues vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Barnier, backed by majority of lawmakers – broadcast

The French government will resign for the first time since 1962.

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😁 Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's son Oleksiy is wanted by the police, according to Ukrainian media.

"Oleksiy Poroshenko has been declared wanted for failure to appear in response to a summons," the text says.

It is noted that he was summoned to the military registration and enlistment office twice - on September 4 and October 21 - but the man did not appear. Oleksiy has the military rank of reserve lieutenant.

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French government to resign following vote of no confidence in prime minister – broadcast

A vote of no confidence in French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, proposed by the left-wing France Unbowed party, was backed by a majority of lawmakers, paving the way for the government’s resignation, according to a broadcast on Wednesday.

A total of 331 deputies voted in favor of the motion, surpassing the 288 votes required for it to pass.

In September, following two months of political deadlock over the summer, President Macron appointed Michel Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, as France's new Prime Minister.

Barnier’s primary task — which ultimately led to his downfall — was to secure approval for the 2025 budget, which included €60 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts aimed at addressing France’s budget deficit. However, after weeks of deadlock over the budget, Barnier invoked Article 49.3 of the French Constitution on Monday to push through a social security financing bill. This provision allows the government to bypass a parliamentary vote and force through legislation. The move triggered no-confidence motions from both the left-wing alliance and the right-wing opposition.

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❗️ French President Macron to address the nation Thursday evening following vote of no confidence in PM – reports

French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation at 19:00 GMT on December 5, following parliament's approval of a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government, which took office less than three months ago, according to French media.

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"The degenerate who destroyed his own people decided, between snorting, to play the world judge" – Russian FM spokeswoman commented on Zelensky’s announcement of plans to impose sanctions on Georgia "for dispersing protests."

💬 "Maybe he's bitter that Georgia found the strength to reject the Ukrainian scenario?" Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized.

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🇷🇺 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Malta for the annual meeting of OSCE foreign ministers, a Sputnik correspondent reported

This is Lavrov's first visit to the EU member-state since the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Malta had canceled the visa of Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the eve of the OSCE foreign ministers' meeting.

💬 "Let me remind you that this is a ministerial event of the very same OSCE that claims to advocate for freedom of movement," Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel.

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❗️ South Korean president accepts defense minister's resignation, appoints new one – reports

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has appointed Seoul’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Choi Byung-hyuk, as the country’s new defense minister following the resignation of Kim Yong-hyun, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Kim apologized to citizens and announced that he had submitted his resignation to the president amid the controversy surrounding the introduction and subsequent lifting of martial law, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

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🥴 US prepares to impose additional sanctions in relation to Georgian protests – Blinken

💬 "Those who undermine democratic processes or institutions in Georgia... will be held to account. In addition to continuing our previously announced comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation, the United States is now preparing to use the tools at our disposal, including additional sanctions," US State Secretary Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

The opposition, which lost parliamentary elections to the ruling Georgian Dream party, took to the streets in response to the government's decision to suspend European Union accession talks until the end of 2028.

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🇷🇺🤝🇰🇵 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between Russia and the DPRK enters into force – North Korean state news agency

Deputy Foreign Minister of the DPRK, Kim Jong Gyu, and Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Andrey Rudenko, signed the protocol on the exchange of ratification instruments. The treaty takes effect from December 4, 2024, when the ratification instruments were exchanged according to Article 22 of the treaty, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

✍️ “The strong DPRK-Russia relations, based on the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, will be a powerful security mechanism that promotes the well-being of the peoples of the two countries, eases the regional situation, guarantees international strategic stability, and will serve as a strong driving force accelerating the establishment of an independent and just multipolar world order without domination, subjugation, and hegemony,” KCNA said.

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang on June 18-19, Russia and the DPRK signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, the fourth article of which states: "If one of the Parties is subjected to an armed attack by any state or several states and thus finds itself in a state of war, the other Party will immediately provide military and other assistance by all means at its disposal."

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💸🔼 Bitcoin price reaches all-time high of $100,000 - trading data

The price of bitcoin hit a new all-time record on Thursday, exceeding $100,000, trading data showed.

As of 02:45 GMT, Bitcoin was trading at $100,184 on the largest cryptocurrency trading volume exchange, Binance, reflecting a daily increase of 4.6%.

According to CoinMarketCap, which averages prices from over 20 exchanges, Bitcoin's price rose by 5.98% to an average of $101,130 (as of 02:45 GMT) in the last 24 hours.

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Slovakia advocates establishing NATO-Russia dialogue – Foreign Minister

Slovakia is in favor of establishing a dialogue between NATO and Russia with an eye to the future, the country's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said.

"I presented Slovakia's point of view, which is completely clear. Russia will remain where it is now, the country will not move anywhere, it will continue to be a close neighbor to us, so this dialogue must be set up really from the point of view of the future," Blanar told reporters following the talks of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

The Slovak foreign minister recalled that the last talks between NATO and Russia had been held at the beginning of 2022, and there have been no contacts since then. In his opinion, it is necessary to maintain communication channels with Russia, given that the country is a nuclear power.

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