Ceasefire tested: Lebanese Army moves into Chama as Israeli violations persist

The Lebanese Army has begun deploying forces in the village of Chama near the Israeli border, following the establishment of positions around the area, according to a statement by the Lebanese military. The operation, coordinated with the UN's force in the country - UNIFIL - aims to strengthen the army's presence in the region as Israeli forces withdraw after mediated negotiations under the recent ceasefire agreement.

In the coming days, engineering units will clear unexploded ordnance and landmines. Until recently, Chama was under Israeli control, with infrastructure destroyed and residents prevented from returning.

Despite the ceasefire, effective since November 27 after 14 months of escalation, Israel continues to violate the agreement through airspace incursions, strikes in southern Lebanon, surveillance over cities like Beirut, and border raids.

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9/11 defendants may avoid death penalty

A military appeals court has ruled that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin lacked the authority to nullify plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused 9/11 mastermind, and two co-defendants.

The reinstated agreements that were reached in July allow the men to plead guilty to war crimes in exchange for life sentences, sparing them the death penalty.

Austin may still appeal the decision, but if it stands, the guilty pleas could proceed next week at Guantanamo Bay, ending over a decade of pretrial delays.

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Celebrating New Year?

As the world prepares to welcome 2025, Haneen Salem, a photojournalist from Northern Gaza, shares a haunting glimpse of life in the enclave. In his video, rain falls amid the chaos of war, leaving him to wonder: is it a blessing or a curse?

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Putin’s 2025 New Year address: Russia overcame challenges because we stayed together

“Now, on the threshold of the New Year, we look to the future. We are confident that everything will be well, and we will move forward,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his traditional New Year address to his fellow compatriots in the final minutes of 2024.

In his speech, Putin mentioned that:

▪️Though this past year “has been filled with many significant and historically important events,” Russians have been able to “set ambitious goals and achieved them” by staying united.

▪️“The destiny of Russia and the well-being of its citizens have been, are, and always will be our highest priorities.”

▪️“Their sincere love of their motherland fills Russians’ lives with profound meaning, and the desire to contribute to the defense of its sovereignty, security, interests, and free development has become a matter of honor for them.”

▪️In order to mark the coming 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II, as well as to honor Russian soldiers and commanders who fight today to ensure “lasting peace and security for our people,” 2025 has been declared the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in Russia.

▪️“I wish prosperity and happiness to every home, every family, and to our beloved country - Russia. When we are united, everything is possible. Happy New Year, dear friends! Happy 2025!”

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From the ISS to Earth: Russian cosmonauts share heartfelt New Year's greetings from space

Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have extended their New Year greetings to their fellow citizens, wishing them health, success, peace, prosperity, and happiness, while encouraging them to spread kindness and bring smiles to those in need.

“Dear friends! We, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, wholeheartedly wish you a Happy New Year 2025 from the International Space Station!” Ovchinin said in a video message shared by Roscosmos.

“This is undoubtedly the warmest, most heartfelt, and family-oriented holiday of the year for every resident of our great country. On this day, we wish you happiness, health, and success!” he added.

Vagner encouraged Russians to spend the holidays with family and friends, reminding them not to overlook the presence of loved ones in the hustle of daily life. He urged everyone to spread kindness and share smiles with those around them.

“From hundreds of kilometers above our shared home, Earth, we cosmonauts feel the absence of communication with our families and loved ones more than anyone. Yet, even in space, we feel the love and support of our families, even though it will be several more months before we reunite with them. We wish you peace, prosperity, and well-being. Happy New Year!” added Gorbunov.

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🇨🇮 French forces to leave base in Côte d'Ivoire - President Ouattara

💬 “The Port-Bouët military base, formerly occupied by the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIMA), will be handed over to the Ivorian armed forces and renamed the ‘General of the Army Corps Ouattara Thomas d'Aquin Camp’ starting in January 2025,” President of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Alassane Ouattara said during his traditional New Year’s Eve address to the nation.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the upcoming withdrawal of French military forces from the base in Côte d'Ivoire indicates the lack of demand for the French military in the country.

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🇸🇳 Senegal to kick out foreign forces starting 2025 – President

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has confirmed that the country intends to eliminate all foreign military presence starting 2025.

Earlier, Faye announced the end of the French military presence but did not specify a timeline.

💬 “I have instructed the Minister of Armed Forces to propose a new doctrine of defense and security cooperation, which will entail the cessation of any foreign military presence in Senegal starting in 2025,” the president said in an address to the nation, as quoted by the APS national news agency.

Last January, French media reported that France plans to significantly reduce its military contingents in Gabon, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire. According to the plans cited by the media, the number of French military personnel in the capitals of Gabon, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire could be reduced to about a hundred in each of the three cities, where they would primarily perform support functions.

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🎤 Musk's team and AfD's Weidel in talks for possible live discussion – reports

Teams representing US billionaire Elon Musk and Alice Weidel, leader of Germany's right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, are discussing a potential live broadcast conversation, Weidel's spokesman Daniel Tapp told a German news magazine.

💬 "Weidel's team is in regular dialogue with Musk's team... Elon Musk has already shown interest in the AfD program several months ago," Tapp said. He added that while there has not yet been a phone call between the two, "this will change soon."

The discussion could be broadcast live on X, Musk's social platform.

Last week, Musk told Welt am Sonntag that the AfD is the only party capable of saving Germany from becoming "a shadow of its former self." On Tuesday, Musk predicted on X that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz would lose the country's snap election.

In response, Lars Klingbeil, co-chair of Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), accused Musk of trying to influence German elections and called for restrictions on X in Germany.

Earlier in December, a poll by Infratest Dimap for ARD showed the AfD as the second most popular party in Germany, with 19% of potential votes, trailing only the CDU/CSU opposition bloc.

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Dozens injured in crush in Doha suburbs after New Year's celebration

Dozens were injured in a crush at a subway station in Lusail, a Doha suburb, after New Year's fireworks and a concert, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Crowds rushed to the station before closing time, leading to chaos at Lusail Square. Police used batons and whips to manage the situation, as fences were hastily erected to control the flow of people.

Injured individuals were treated by paramedics along the subway passageway, with ambulances continuously arriving to assist.

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🇭🇺💰 Hungary to lose over $1 billion in frozen EU funds – reports

Hungary is set to lose €1.04 billion ($1.07 billion) out of €6.3 billion frozen by Brussels over rule-of-law claims, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. These funds must be allocated by the end of 2024, and Budapest is expected to miss out.

In total, around €19 billion in EU recovery and other funds remain frozen for Hungary. An EU court in June fined Hungary €200 million and ordered €1 million daily payments for not complying with European rules on accepting migrants.

The remaining funds are likely to stay blocked until Hungary's 2026 parliamentary elections. In December 2023, the European Commission said it was ready to release €10.2 billion after receiving clarifications on Budapest’s rule-of-law practices.

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💰 ‘One of the greatest examples of waste and theft of Western aid’ – US columnist blasts Ukraine’s corruption and mismanagement of American aid

💬 “The American shame,” US Hill columnist and former Navy officer James Durso writes in The Hill, “is that the U.S. heedlessly expanded NATO to the borders of Russia, and then, after Russia pushed back, enabled and funded the cynical maladministration by the Zelensky government, which will go down in history as one of the greatest examples of waste and theft of Western aid.”

Durso noted that independent investigations after the conflict will reveal the full extent of corruption, waste, and mismanagement.

💬 "The Zelensky government uses the war to suppress media stories that dare to question Ukrainian spending of American taxpayer dollars,” the columnist wrote, adding that those who “have exposed scandals of overpricing, shoddy equipment, and embezzlement at the highest levels of Zelensky’s administration risk being labeled as Russian saboteurs or sent to the front lines for reporting the truth."

On Monday, US President Joe Biden announced the allocation of nearly $2.5 billion to Kiev. According to his statement, $1.22 billion is designated under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which includes the purchase of new weapons for delivery to Ukraine.

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Russia ceases gas supply through Ukraine as of 8:00 Moscow time on January 1 – Gazprom

Gazprom announced that it no longer has the technical or legal ability to transit gas through Ukraine following the expiration of the five-year contract.

With this development, the Balkan Stream remains the only source of Russian pipeline gas for Europe without transit through Ukraine. The Balkan Stream, fed by the Turkish Stream pipeline, delivers about 14-15 billion cubic meters annually to Romania, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary.

The agreement between Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz, signed on December 30, 2019, for the transportation of natural gas through Ukrainian territory expired on December 31, 2024. The Kiev regime has previously stated that they do not plan to extend the transit contract.

💬 “Gazprom supplied about 15.5 billion cubic meters of gas through this route last year, accounting for approximately 4.5% of the total gas consumption in the EU. Moldova and four EU countries - Slovakia, Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic - received Russian gas via this route. Ukrainian transit dominated gas supplies to Austria, Slovakia, and Moldova,” Gazprom added.

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🟠 Putin’s 2025 New Year address: Russia overcame challenges because we stayed together

🟠 Russia halts gas supply through Ukraine at 8:00 Moscow time on January 1

🟠 Hungary to lose over $1 billion in frozen EU funds – reports

🟠 Senegal to expel foreign forces starting in 2025

🟠 French forces to leave base in Côte d'Ivoire – President Ouattara

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📊Kiev regime lost around 593,410 troops over 2024 - Sputnik calculations

Аccording to Sputnik calculations of the Russian Defense Ministry's data, the ministry's weekly briefs over the year indicate that Kiev lost around 4,000 soldiers weekly in early 2024. By March, this figure increased to 7,000, before it experienced a slight decrease.

The ministry's weekly briefs over the year indicate that Kiev lost around 4,000 soldiers weekly in early 2024. By March, this figure increased to 7,000, before it experienced a slight decrease.

Besides, in March, Ukrainian forces attempted to cross the Russian border in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, which resulted in losing around 3,000 troops more, Sputnik calculated on Wednesday.

After that, Kiev's combat losses started increasing, reaching over 10,000 people per week in late May, after which the number did not go lower than that.

Following the Ukrainian attack on Russia's Kursk Region in August, the losses further escalated, the calculations revealed.

The most significant weekly losses for Kiev's troops occurred from October 26 to November 1, with approximately 17,000 Ukrainian fighters being lost.

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