📹🇫🇷 The opening ceremony of Notre Dame in Paris is taking place under heightened security measures: citizens are being searched by the police, special forces are on duty on the embankment, and a helicopter is hovering over the area.

Parisians are outraged that the authorities have closed the city center, and many will have to watch the ceremony “from behind bars on some screen.”

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🇷🇴 Romanian court overturns election results: Are elites afraid of losing to Georgescu’s pro-sovereignty agenda?

Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the presidential election, revealing the political elite’s fear of losing to Călin Georgescu, Moldavian political commentator Cornel Ciurea tells Sputnik.

Georgescu’s win would shift power to pro-sovereignty forces seen as radicals and anti-system by the establishment.

“The pillars of Romania’s elite – social democrats and national liberals first and foremost, and President Iohannis represents national liberals – could make such a decision and force the Constitutional Court to approve it,” Ciurea says. He notes that Georgescu, though labeled as pro-Russian, has only advocated for peace and resolving the Ukraine conflict - positions unwanted by the elite.

Such views, Ciurea explains, lead to Georgescu being branded as an extremist and sidelined. Tatiana Bitkova, a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences (INION RAN), agrees, adding that Euro-Atlantic institutions had a vested interest in Georgescu’s defeat and called the annulment abnormal.

Ciurea added that Georgescu’s near-victory in a US-dominated Romania likely triggered intervention by American elites to block his win.

“The annulment effectively bans Georgescu from victory,” he says, comparing it to US-EU interference in Georgia’s elections, where tensions are rising.

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🇷🇺🇸🇾 Over 300 terrorists, 55 vehicles eliminated in Syria in 24 hours - Russian Army

The Russian Air Force continues its joint operations with the Syrian army to repel the terrorist offensive in the Syrian provinces of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo, the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria reported.

"Over the past 24 hours, more than 300 militants have been eliminated and 55 motor vehicles and an equipment depot have been destroyed," the report said.

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❗️ US prepares new $988 million military aid package for Ukraine - reports

With $2.21 billion remaining in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the Biden administration is pushing to buy arms for Ukraine for nearly half of that amount, Reuters reports.

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🇸🇾 Participants in Syria talks: All parties should seek political solution in Syria — Joint statement

Participants in the ongoing talks on Syria in Qatar, including Russia, Turkey, Iran and a number of Arab countries, supported the need to protect the SAR from anarchy and terrorism and to ensure the return of refugees.

More takeaways:

🔸 Participants agreed to increase humanitarian aid to Syrians and guarantee its delivery to all affected areas;

🔸 Countries stressed the need to stop military action in order to start a political process based on Resolution 2254;

🔸 They also supported UN efforts to find a political solution;

🔸 Together, the participants agreed to continue close coordination in order to work effectively for a political solution in Syria.

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❗️ Pentagon confirms allocation of $988 million in arms to Ukraine

The Pentagon said the new military assistance package includes ammunition for HIMARS, drones, and equipment and spare parts for repair and maintenance of artillery, tanks and armored vehicles.

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📈 Lloyd Austin: US will spend record $841bln on defense in 2025

The US defense budget will increase to $841 billion in 2025 to support the country's military potential, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin said during a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California.

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Syrian Army retreats from Homs city, militants take control - Al Mayadeen

Syrian militants have entered the city of Homs and captured all its neighborhoods without a fight, the Lebanese Al Mayadeen quoted sources as saying. Earlier, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported the capture of Syrian third-largest city Homs by terrorists.

Homs is about 150 kilometers from the capital city of Damascus.

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Jake Sullivan: Abrams and F-16s undermanned in Ukraine, while ATACMS is no 'silver bullet'

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also spoke at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California today, commenting on US military support for Ukraine.

Here are the key takeaways:

◼️ The Abrams tanks sent to Ukraine are undermanned because "it's not the most useful piece of equipment for them in this fight," Jake Sullivan admitted.

◼️ According to the National Security Advisor, Ukraine failed to provide the US with enough pilots for F-16 training because Ukraine does not have enough pilots.

◼️ The US cannot provide more ATACMS because of its own arsenal, so permission to strike deep into Russian territory is not a "silver bullet," Sullivan said.

"First reason Ukraine is where it is because of the bravery of the Ukrainians. Second reason is because of the munitions provided by the US," Jake Sullivan concluded.

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⚠️ WARNING! GRAPHIC CONTENT

📹🇬🇪 Journalist beating under investigation in Georgia

A video of a Georgian opposition journalist being beaten by masked people during protests in Tbilisi has appeared online.

The Georgian Interior Ministry is investigating an attack on a journalist. The ruling Georgian Dream party's executive secretary condemned the attack, suggesting it was done by "those who want disorder and chaos in the country."

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🇬🇪 Georgian opposition seeks Western support in Paris

Meanwhile, Georgia's president and one of the opposition leaders, Salome Zourabichvili, met with French President Macron and Donald Trump during the reopening of Notre Dame.

"Exposed the stolen election and extremely alarming repression against the people of Georgia. Underscored the need for a strong US. The Georgian people have a friend in Donald Trump. God bless the United States of America," she wrote on X.

Despite the upcoming presidential elections in Georgia, scheduled by the parliament, Salome Zourabichvili refused to step down as president as scheduled on December 29.

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🇸🇰 Robert Fico: Ukraine will never win on the battlefield

Russia is winning militarily in the conflict in Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Slovak television.

"Russia is winning militarily. And Ukraine will never win this war on the battlefield. And then there is the new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who says that we will not negotiate peace, let them kill more," Fico said.

Fico also criticized Joe Biden's proposal to draft 18-year-old Ukrainians into the Ukrainian military.

"Those who really see the situation in Ukraine know that young people refuse to be drafted. And special units are catching these guys in restaurants and recruiting them into the army. But this is not a solution," said the prime minister.

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⚡️ Syrian press: Damascus International Airport evacuated of all employees, all flights are halted. Explosions are heard in the capital

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🤝🆘 'Macron might need a chiropractor': Trump crushes Macron in powerful handshake

A video of the handshake between President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris has gone viral. Some people found Trump's grip and Macron's double slap on the hand to be signs of a really painful handshake.

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Syrian prime minister ready to cooperate with any government that Syrians choose

Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali has declared his readiness to cooperate with any government that Syrians choose, Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya reported.

State institutions belonging to all Syrians should be preserved, he said, and all Syrians should think rationally about the interests of their country.

“We extend our hand even to the oppositionists, who have confirmed that they do not intend to harm anyone,” the prime minister said.

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