❓What to know about Israeli PM Netanyahu’s corruption trial

Benjamin Netanyahu will take the witness stand for the first time in his ongoing corruption trial on Tuesday.

What are the charges against him?

◾️ Case 1000 centers on allegations that Netanyahu and his wife Sara received extravagant illicit gifts like champagne, cigars, and jewelry from Israel-born Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian investor James Packer in 2007 - 2016 to a tune of $186,000. Netanyahu reportedly helped Milchan renew his US visa and extended the tax exemption for returning expatriate Israelis.

◾️ In Case 2000, he is accused of fraud over an alleged deal with publisher Arnon Mozes, owner of the Yedioth Ahronoth. He reportedly considered enacting regulatory legislation to weaken rival outlet Israel Hayom, according to the indictment’s summary. Netanyahu did not follow through on that promise.

◾️ In Case 4000 (Bezeq-Walla), Netanyahu as communications minister is accused of authorizing regulatory decisions from 2012 to 2017 that financially benefited Israeli telecommunications company Bezeq, then owned by Shaul Elovitch. In exchange, Elovitch provided favorable coverage on his Walla news website. Elovitch and his wife are also on trial and deny wrongdoing.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and rejected calls for his resignation.

Fraud and breach of trust can result in prison sentences of up to three years. Bribery charges can result in up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine.

Fresh revelations in the trial, along with the ongoing military actions, could see Netanyahu’s coalition lose an early election, according to a poll by the Maariv daily.

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📹 This footage depicts the extensive destruction of Syrian naval ships in the port of Latakia, following a massive Israeli airstrike, as reported by Al Arabiya TV.

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🗣Israeli forces acted to destroy Syria's navy on Tuesday night, achieve 'great success,' - Israeli Defense Minister

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🗣Putin suggests Oreshnik's emergence reduces dependence on use of nukes

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that:

🔸 Moscow is not tightening its nuclear doctrine but is instead refining it.

🔸 Russia's focus should be on enhancing the Oreshnik system rather than altering its nuclear doctrine.

"It is not the nuclear doctrine that we need to improve now, but the Oreshnik system, because, if you sort it out, a sufficient number of these advanced weapons systems make the use of nuclear weapons unnecessary," Putin said during a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

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What is Erdogan's stance on Syria's turmoil?

Since the armed opposition has seized power in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made a number of statements both in support of the rebels and in relation to Syria and its people. Erdogan has announced, among other things, the opening of the Turkish-Syrian border in order “to ensure the Syrians safe passage”.

What else has the Turkish leader said about the upheaval engulfing Syria?

◾️On December 6, during his first comments on the situation, he referred to the events as "an opposition march," stating:

"We previously suggested to Bashar al-Assad that he hold a meeting to determine Syria’s fate, but we did not receive a positive response. Idlib, Hama, Homs, and the final goal of the march is Damascus. We hope that it will continue to Damascus without any incident."

◾️ The president emphasized the following day that Turkiye has no territorial claims over Syria and seeks a swift establishment of peace in the neighboring country.

◾️ He further stressed on December 8 that the next two to three months will be "very important" for both the world and Turkiye.

◾️ On December 9, Erdogan issued a new detailed statement on the conflict-torn Middle Eastern country:

⚪️Syrians are regarded as a "brotherly people," and Turkiye's approach to the situation is grounded in this sentiment rather than in any profit motives.

⚪️A “bright period” for Syria has begun.

⚪️Turkiye is ready to participate in rebuilding Syria, and is also awaiting the mass repatriation of Syrian refugees from Turkish soil.

⚪️The preservation of Syria's territorial integrity is the primary condition for resolving the Syrian crisis. "Syria belongs solely to the Syrians," Erdogan emphasized, specifically mentioning terrorist groups, including Kurdish forces and ISIS*, as outsiders.

◾️ Turkiye has initiated the process of opening its embassy in Damascus, according to Turkish media reports citing Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

*designated as a terrorist organization and is banned in Russia and several other countries

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🇷🇺🇮🇳Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Moscow - Peskov

"Vladimir Putin received in the Kremlin Indian Defense Minister Singh, who is on a working visit to Russia," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Russian Defense Minister Belousov is also attending Putin's meeting with the Indian Defense Minister in Moscow.

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📹 US military grounding V-22 Osprey fleet amid safety concerns

The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced the temporary suspension of all V-22 Osprey aircraft flights due to safety concerns after another forced landing, the NY Post reported.

🔎 The cause of the metal failures is under investigation.

The Associated Press revealed in November that safety problems have plagued the Osprey program for the past five years. Even its construction, with wings extending from both sides and helicopter propellers mounted vertically at the tips, has contributed to many of the crashes.

Earlier, Japan suspended flights of the Osprey, after one of the tiltrotor aircraft crashed last November. Eight servicemen were killed in the incident.

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🤝 Australia inks multimillion-dollar Nauru deal amid West’s battle with China for clout in Pacific

Australia has inked a deal with Nauru that could lock China out from any security arrangement with the island nation.

What does the five-year deal contain?

🔹 Canberra will provide Nauru, which uses Australian currency, with AUD $100 million (about US $63.8 million) in budget support.

🔹 AUD $40 million (US $25.5 million) will support the Nauru’s policing and security, including “through support for recruitment, training and infrastructure.”

🔹 The Commonwealth Bank will set up a branch in Nauru following the pullout of another Australian financial institution, Bendigo, next year.

🔹 In return, the island nation pledges that its critical infrastructure "shall not be used by any third party for security purposes."

🔹 Canberra will be able to veto any engagements by third countries in Nauru's "security and key critical infrastructure sectors," such as telecommunications, banking, or cybersecurity.

The deal comes amid a spiraling battle for influence in the Pacific between the US/Western nations and China. Australia acquired a similar veto over any security arrangement between the island nation of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean and China after the signing of the Falepili Union Treaty last year.

The US and its allies received an unpleasant surprise when Nauru switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in January 2024, formally restoring diplomatic relations with Beijing.

The Tuvalu deal followed a security agreement struck between China and the Solomon Islands in 2022 that irked the West, fueling Washington's push to maintain hegemony in the South Pacific.

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💬 Israel has no intention of interfering in Syria's internal affairs, hopes country's new leadership will restore ties with the Arab world

"Israel's presence in Golan Heights, buffer zone contributes to its security, sovereignty", adding that "Israel will not allow Iran to strengthen its presence in Syria," Israeli PM's representative told Sputnik.

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📹Russian servicemen ensured safe conduct of the 25th rotation of IAEA mission observers at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, with three inspectors arriving at the site, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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⚔️ Israel incursion in Syria is not a protective move, but full-blown offensive – Middle East expert

Having seized the Golan Heights, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) currently occupy Quneitra province, 16 kilometers deep into Syrian territory. International watchdogs say the IDF has launched around 300 airstrikes across Syria so far.

Tel Aviv insists its actions are prompted by security concerns. But Furkan Halit Yolcu, security expert and researcher at Sakarya University’s Middle East Institute, rejected Israel's narrative and called its actions an offensive land grab.

💬 "History says that this is not a protective move, but it's all about an offensive mindset that's going on, taking opportunities and claiming territory step by step," Yolcu told Sputnik. "Whenever there's an opportunity, whenever there is a chance Israel seems to be taking and seizing the moment and trying to gain a bit more territory when it can."

Yolcu doubts that Israel will be able to get away with it, and expects that the issue will definitely be addressed by the UN once a new Syrian government is formed.

💬 "It might turn into a bigger problem than it is now because [Syria doesn't] have a government yet," the pundit stressed. "But when the government is there and it's officially recognized by the community as the United Nations, then territorial disputes will start for sure."

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🗣A vehicle belonging to the IAEA team which arrived at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant was damaged as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack, the agency's head Rafael Grossi said.

💬 "Fortunately, there were no casualties and our employees are safe," Grossi stated.

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🗣Assad is in safety in Russia, the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said.

Commenting on the possibility of Assad’s extradition on the ICC warrant, the diplomat stressed that Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

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🔎CEO's murder and US health insurance plots: a deadly connection? (Part 1 👉 Part 2)

The murder of UnitedHealthcare (UHC) CEO Brian Thompson has shed light on growing outrage over the insurance industry’s high denial rates and skyrocketing healthcare costs.

What is known about UHC?

🔸 UHC is one of the largest insurance companies in the US, providing coverage to over 49 million people

🔸 UHC's claim denial rate in 2023 was double the industry average, with the company rejecting 32% of claims compared to the overall 16%.

🔸 A 2024 Senate report singled out UHC for its high denial rates, accusing Medicare Advantage insurers of prioritizing financial gain over medical necessity

🔸 The corporation's 2023 revenues rose $47.5 billion – 14.6% – year-on-year to $371.6 billion, according to its website

🔸 Some of those profits may have come from claim rejections: the 2024 Senate report showed that UHC's peer CVS "saved" $2.5 billion due to 225,000 denials of inpatient admissions. CVS insurance arm Aetna's claim denial rate is 20%

🔸 In July, protesters gathered near UHC's headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, to oppose the company's systemic refusal to approve care payments. Eleven protesters were arrested

🔸 A KFF study in March revealed that around 25% of US adults delay or skip necessary healthcare due to high costs

👉 Part 2

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🔎How murder of America’s top insurer CEO exposes deep healthcare crisis (Part 2 👉 Part 1)

UHC faced several scandals this year, including insider trading accusations, job cuts and lawsuits.

🔸 A federal lawsuit filed in May alleged that Thompson and his associates misled investors while using insider information in share trading.

🔸 UHC was also the subject of a 2022 Department of Justice (DoJ) antitrust investigation regarding its acquisition of Change Healthcare.

🔸 In November 2024, the DoJ filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block UHC's $3.3 billion acquisition of rival home health and hospice services provider Amedisys, alleging the insurer aimed to "eliminate competition."

🔸 UHC's subsidiary Optum laid off workers in several states in September

How did Americans react to UHC CEO's death?

Thanks perhaps to the scandals surrounding the company, Thompson's death garnered little sympathy online:

🔹 The news received 62,000 reactions on Facebook, with 57,000 of them being laughing emojis, according to CNN – but those reactions have since been concealed on UHC's Facebook* page

🔹 Social media comments mocked the murder, with one user saying: "Cause of death: Lead poisoning! It's a premeditated condition. Payout denied."

👉 Part 1

*banned for extremism in Russia

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🔸 Who is Muhammad al-Bashir, the man to form Syria’s transitional government?

🔸 What is Erdogan's stance on Syria's turmoil?

🔸 Check out why Israel incursion in Syria isn’t a protective move, but full-blown offensive

🔸 Netanyahu is on trial: what’s known so far

🔸 Unmasking the US billions spent on Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine

🔸 CEO's murder and US health insurance plots: a deadly connection?

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⚡️ Syria's interim government is formed, will last until March 2025 — Acting prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir

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