📹THROWBACK: Trump's wildfire solution

🔊In 2018, after visiting fire-ravaged Paradise, California, Trump pointed to Finland as an example, claiming they spend a lot of time on "raking and cleaning" their forests to avoid fires.

🔊He doubled down, telling California to "take care of the floors" to reduce wildfires.

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📹Israel deploys surveillance balloons over Jenin

The move coincides with ongoing military operations in the city, aiming to monitor activity and strengthen raiding the area.

Footage from social media

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❗️200 prisoners to be freed in Israel-Hamas deal

Israel is set to release 200 Palestinian detainees in exchange of four hostages on January 25, the Palestinian Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs reports.

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🤝Hostage handover in Gaza: Moment captured

The footage captures the moment four hostages were handed over to the Red Cross and the subsequent departure from Palestine Square in central Gaza City.

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❗️Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfield infrastructure and drone storage facilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 132 locations, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian MoD daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:    

▪️Ukraine lost up to 400 servicemen in the Russian Zapad Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Russian air defence systems shot down three HIMARS missiles and 44 Ukrainian drones.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 550 troops in the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 210 servicemen and four warehouses in the Russia's Battlegroup Yug area of responsibility.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 90 soldiers in the areas of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr and Sever.

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💵NATO dumps almost $200 billion into Ukraine

The bloc has collectively financed Kiev to the tune of $191.2 billion over the past three years, according to calculations by Sputnik, based on data from the Ukrainian Finance Ministry and the University of Kiel.

Here’s the breakdown:

📑Financial aid (for budgetary and social spending): $43.3 billion

🤝Humanitarian aid: $13.4 billion

⚔️Military aid: $133.4 billion

Who gave what?

🟠The US contributed 54% ($103.8 billion), making it the largest donor. The United States also provided the majority of military aid ($68.9 billion), humanitarian aid ($3.7 billion), and budgetary support ($31.2 billion).

🟠Germany was the second-largest contributor, providing $17 billion, or 8.9% of the total aid.

🟠The UK contributed $14.8 billion, or 7.7%.

🟠Other NATO countries each contributed less than 5% of the total.

The West continues to invest vast sums in aid to Ukraine, but much of it has proven futile, as Kiev suffers enormous losses. Furthermore, a significant portion of Western military supplies intended for Ukraine has ended up in the hands of black market dealers.

A US Defense Department Inspector General audit released in October 2024 revealed that hundreds of pieces of military equipment provided to Ukraine by Washington required repairs before they could be used on the battlefield.

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📹The Israeli military has published footage capturing the moment the hostages crossed into Israeli territory.

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✍️Western pressure pays off?

Ukrainian authorities are almost done with a law that would allow the "voluntary connoscription" of young people aged 18 to 25, who were previously exempt from mobilization.

The law is expected to be presented soon, along with some amendments which have not been disclosed so far, and is being touted by Ukrainian officials as a "fair contract," complete with financial incentives, training guarantees, and promises of strong communication between soldiers and commanders.

After all, why not recruit those previously free from mobilization? Especially since the West, including Jake Sullivan and Antony Blinken, has been pushing for the mobilization age to drop to 18, and even Volodymyr Zelensky himself has responded by requesting more weapons.

Meanwhile, the law’s development is unfolding against the backdrop of growing citizen discontent and increasing draft evasion.

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Gulf of Mexico? Not anymore...

In a bold move to celebrate "American greatness," the US has officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.

The move, announced by the US Department of Homeland Security, is part of a larger effort to name geographical features in honor of the nation’s history.

Among other changes, the name of the mountain in Alaska officially called by its native name of Denali since 2015, has been changed back to Mount McKinley – after the US president assassinated in 1901.

While Trump declared his intention to rename the Gulf in his inauguration speech, Mexico pointed out that the name "Gulf of Mexico" has been used for centuries and serves as an international navigation landmark. In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum jokingly proposed renaming the US as America Mexicana.

But it’s unlikely that Trump’s decision will be recognized on an international level.

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❗️3 killed in Ukrainian cluster strike in Russia's Kherson

Ukrainian forces targeted the town of Alyoshki in the Kherson region with cluster munitions and remotely operated mine systems, resulting in three deaths, Kherson region Governor Vladimir Saldo told Russian media.

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