Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed agreement with Russia to include defense issues

The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Russia and Iran encompasses various dimensions in the fields of economy, trade, energy, environment, and issues related to defense and security, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

Earlier, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic to Russia Kazem Jalali said that the Russian-Iranian agreement would be signed on January 17, 2025 in Moscow during negotiations between the presidents of the two countries.

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Nippon Steel and US Steel initiated legal action against President Joe Biden's decision to block Nippon Steel's proposed purchase of its American counterpart. The two companies are challenging the move, arguing that the Biden administration's intervention is unlawful and unwarranted.

In a joint statement, they announced the filing of two lawsuits aimed at addressing what they described as "unlawful interference" with Nippon Steel's acquisition of US Steel, asserting that the president's actions were driven by political motives rather than legal grounds.

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Nearly 50 people killed in Gaza Strip due to Israeli strikes in past day, according to the Gaza Strip's health ministry.

At least 49 people have been killed, and 75 injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip over the past day, the Gaza Strip's health ministry said.

"Over the last 24 hours, the Israeli occupation carried out three mass killings of families in the Gaza Strip. Hospitals received 49 fatalities and 75 injured individuals," the statement read.

Overall, since the escalation of the conflict in October 2023, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,854, with more than 109,000 people wounded, the ministry added.

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Did Democrats lie to Americans about Biden's mental capacity?

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer denied accusations that the party misled Americans about President Joe Biden's mental health when questioned by NBC News host Kristen Welker on Sunday.

“We didn’t,” Schumer asserted. “And let’s look at President Biden. He’s had an amazing record... And when he stepped down, he did it on his own because he thought it was better not only for the Democratic Party but for America.”

How did the alleged cover-up unfold?

▪️In February 2024, Schumer dismissed concerns about Biden's mental acuity as "right-wing propaganda," stating, “His mental acuity is great. It’s as good as it’s been over the years.”

▪️However, in early June 2024, the WSJ reignited the discussion, raising questions about Biden's health that CNN downplayed as a Republican tactic to undermine his 2024 presidential campaign.

▪️In late December 2024, the Wall Street Journal published a report detailing "how the White House functioned with a diminished Biden in charge" during his tenure. The report claimed aides controlled access to him, shortened meetings, and noscripted public appearances while denying signs of his cognitive decline.

Democratic Party substitutes Biden with Harris

▪️The Democratic strategy to shield Biden’s image held up until the June 27 debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Following a widely criticized performance, top Democrats and prominent public figures openly urged Biden to step aside.

▪️After Trump’s victory, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg—who had invested heavily in Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign—fiercely criticized the Democratic Party for concealing Biden’s decline and selecting Harris as his replacement.

▪️Despite admissions from Democratic donors acknowledging the party’s awareness of Biden’s decline, top Democrats continue to deny allegations of deception.

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Close to Ukraine’s ‘industrial heart’: Why does Russia’s liberation of Kurakhovo matter?

The liberation of Kurakhovo adds greatly to Russian troops’ advance on western front lines, political and military analyst Sergey Poletaev told Sputnik.

On January 6, the Russian military fully freed the strategic city of Kurakhovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated, dubbing the city the largest settlement in southwest Donbass.

What does it mean for Russian forces?

👉Logistics: The capture of Kurakhovo will significantly complicate logistical support for the Ukrainian military in the DPR and will deprive Kiev forces of the ability to shell the regional capital Donetsk. 

Poletaev pointed out that “it reflects very serious problems in the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” which will only worsen in the near future.

👉 Tactics: Following the takeover of Kurakhovo, a powerful fortified area with a developed network of firing positions and underground communications, Russian assault units will have significant room to maneuver, which will in turn increase the pace of liberation of the DPR territory.

👉 Resources: Poletaev said that the seizure of Kurakhovo clears the way for Russian troops to advance on the Dnepropetrovsk region, described by US media as Ukraine’s “industrial heart.”

There are many industrial enterprises in the region related to the military-industrial complex, including the Pavlograd Chemical Plant, which produces explosives, and Yuzhmash, which deals with rocket technologies.

👉 Political image: “I am sure that Kiev held on to Kurakhovo because of [Donald] Trump's upcoming inauguration, so as not to lose face and use the city as a bargaining chip in possible peace talks with Moscow,” Poletaev said.

Volodymyr Zelensky will face reputational risks as “everyone will now point to Kurakhovo as a sign of Ukrainian forces’ weakness,” the analyst concluded.

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❗️Brazil, which holds the BRICS presidency, announced Indonesia's accession to the organization as a full member.

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⚡️ Justin Trudeau resigns as Liberal Party leader

🇨🇦 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as the head of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Trudeau says he will resign as Canadian prime minister as soon as the new leader of the ruling Liberal Party is elected, adding that he is proroguing the Canadian parliament till March 24.

Trudeau, who led the party for 11 years, made this announcement as his popularity in the country nearly hit rock bottom.

He also has been facing pressure to step down as prime minister following the December 16 resignation of his Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland who claimed that she and Trudeau had been "at odds" over the best path forward for Canada.

Also, the Canadian Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has been expected to hold a meeting on January 7 to consider a motion of no-confidence in Trudeau’s government.

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Will Trump keep his promise to stop US war profiteering?

President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to rein in the US military-industrial complex and end “forever wars” might instead lead to new Pentagon armament projects, warns William D. Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. What fuels Hartung’s concerns?

▪️Hartung highlights the strong ties between the previous Trump administration and American arms manufacturers. During his first term, Trump significantly increased US military spending.

▪️Trump's rhetoric could, however, signal a shift, with defense giants like Lockheed Martin and RTX potentially being replaced by innovative Silicon Valley competitors, Hartung suggests.

▪️For instance, Trump’s government efficiency czar Elon Musk recently criticized Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets as “broken and obsolete,” proposing instead a greater reliance on drones developed by his Silicon Valley peers, Hartung notes.

▪️In addition to Musk, Silicon Valley’s military tech sector may receive further backing from Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. Vance, a former associate of Peter Thiel - the founder of the surveillance and military data analytics firm Palantir Technologies - benefited from Thiel’s reported $15 million contribution to his Senate campaign.

▪️Notably absent from Hartung’s analysis is Palantir Technologies' involvement in military operations in Ukraine, where it has turned the country into an “AI war lab,” as described by Time Magazine in February.

▪️Hartung also cites Trump’s decision to appoint private equity billionaire Stephen Feinberg as Deputy Secretary of Defense. Feinberg’s firm, Cerberus Capital, has a long history of investing in arms companies.

▪️Despite the potential rise of Silicon Valley in military contracts, Hartung believes the Big Five American defense firms are also likely to secure significant shares of Pentagon funding. Such funding increases, he warns, may come at the expense of vital social programs.

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Abridged history of Trudeau’s screw-ups that led to his inglorious exit

Trudeau’s departure can hardly be considered a surprise in light of the following:

Economy and social services

▪️Inflation under his leadership surged 14.5% over 4 years, and housing became unaffordable to Canadians due to high immigration and insufficient construction.

▪️Job market is in decline, with the official unemployment rate reaching 6.8%.

▪️Long waits for medical procedures and cutbacks in education and public services have become a new norm.

Crackdown on liberties

Canadian economy and social services aside, Trudeau also did not endear himself to his fellow Canadians by cracking down on their liberties hard:

▪️His COVID-era policies were nothing short of draconian

▪️In 2022, he invoked the Emergencies Act to crack down on truckers’ protests, in a move deemed unconstitutional by the Canadian Federal Court in 2024

▪️The speech law proposed by his government last year, threatening jail time for thought crimes, sounded like something straight out of George Orwell’s works

Trudeau’s foreign policy blunders

▪️His fanatical support for Israel amid the Gaza crisis, for some reason, did not amuse those Canadians who did not want to see innocent Palestinians suffer

▪️His generous support of the Kiev regime, which cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $7.7 bln, as Canada’s indigenous communities continue to lack clean drinking water, didn't win Trudeau many supporters outside of the Ukrainian diaspora

Corruption probes

All the while, Trudeau is plagued by a seemingly never-ending series of ethics and corruption probes, including the SNC-Lavalin and WE Charity affairs and alleged pay-to-play corruption involving the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

As a result:

▪️A recent Ipsos poll showed that 73% of Canadians want Trudeau out, including 43% of Liberal voters.

▪️Conservatives have launched several no-confidence votes, with one being scheduled for January 7.

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Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the 60th presidential election by the US Congress and will become the 45th and 47th American leader.

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Yemen's Houthis claim a massive drone and missile attack on US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea as it was preparing to strike Yemen.

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Zelensky, his entourage amass $100Bln in 5 years, according to a Ukrainian lawmaker

"Zelensky's three large-scale projects have led him to his fabulous enrichment. The COVID pandemic brought him and his entourage from $500,000 to $1 million. Only on vaccines and masks. The 'Big Construction' project — about $8 billion. The war, according to my estimates, cost about $50 billion," Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinsky said on Telegram.

The lawmaker noted that these figures do not include kickbacks from the tax, customs and banking systems, as well as excise goods, courts, law enforcement and grain trade.

"In total, about $100 billion over five years. This means that, in terms of real cash, Zelensky and Co. are richer than [outgoing US President Joe] Biden, [US investor Warren] Buffet and [US entrepreneur Elon] Musk combined. Their 'wealth' is stock quotes, while this is real money. Therefore, now it is very important to not let them [Zelensky and his associates] escape," Dubinsky added.

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❗️🛢 US Treasury authorizes transactions with new Syria gov't

The US Department of the Treasury issued a general license authorizing transactions with the new governing institutions in Syria to show support for new leadership in the country.

The license, valid through July 7, 2025, covers energy transactions and non-commercial remittances, including through the Central Bank of Syria.

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