🇺🇸⚡️- US consumer behavior this Christmas season signifies a deteriorating economic situation. Although Black Friday total spending reached record numbers, this increase was driven almost entirely by top earners and older people.

One of the alarming stories under the hood here is the use of "buy now, pay later" short term finance services such as Klarna and PayPals Pay in 4. About 41% of shoppers aged 16-24 used them to buy goods and 48% of households earning above $100,000 used them, Total usage of these services have increased 10% compared to last year, with many using them to pay for groceries.

Total consumer spending in the US is now more dominated by the top 10% than at any time in American history, making up around half of all spending.

🇨🇩🇷🇼⚡- Large scale advances by the M23 over the weekend. M23 have advanced towards the Muta Heights, capturing Bulungu and Matale. The Rwandan-backed group are now 26 km from Muta - Shabunda direction, South Kivu region, eastern DR Congo.

More importantly, M23 have restarted offensive operations along the N2 highway, capturing Kasika and Kalambi. M23 are now less than 9 km from the major town of Mwenga - Kamituga direction, South Kivu region, eastern DR Congo. Front-line sources report that the Congolese military, FARDC, have completely withdrawn from Kibumpa, Iganda and Ilangi towards Mwenga.

There has been non-stop airstrikes over the past 24 hours by the FARDC against M23 positions south of Bukavu to slow-down the M23 offensive. Neither side continues to observe the US-mediated ceasefire agreement they signed last month.

🇹🇯🏳🇨🇳⚡- Tajikistan orders the strengthening of security along the Tajik-Afghan border after two separate drone attacks originating from Afghanistan's territory killed 5 in Tajikistan, including 3 Chinese mine workers.

In a third separate incident, two Chinese citizens were shot dead in the in the Meimi district of Badakhshan province, Afghanistan.

All attacks were reportedly carried out by the Islamic State of the Khorasan region.

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡- "In Iran, they announced a $10,000 reward for anyone who provides information about IDF Unit 8200 personnel. Iran is trying to project a sense of recovery and rebuild its military capabilities.

Still, with a population thirsty for water and increasing economic distress in the background, it is hard to see how they can truly go on the offensive. Despite doubts about their readiness, the regime continues the arms race and is working to revive the cyber arm that was severely hit," - i24.

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡- "The Iranians are restoring the missile system, and Israel will have no choice but to take action in order not to let it become an existential threat.

The Iranians are learning from the previous attack, but Israel is building a new plan," - i24.

🇾🇪🇸🇦🇦🇪⚡- Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance Chief Amr bin Habrish has called on Saudi Arabia for urgent intervention, against what he described as "UAE backed invasion of the Hadhramaut region" of Yemen.

🇾🇪⚡- Military convoys of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, STC, continue to arrive at al-Mukalla, Hadhramaut Governorate, eastern Yemen.

Al-Mukalla is under pro-STC Hadhrami Elite Forces control.

🇮🇶⚡- Clashes have erupted in Kurdish-controlled Iraq between the Herki clan and the Barzani-led Peshmerga forces.

Fighting began after the Herki clan stood in solidarity with local protests against the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP.

🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡️- President Trump is currently on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

🇾🇪 - Current situation in the Hadhramaut Governorate, eastern Yemen.

The Saudi-backed Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance, HTA, affiliated with the Yemeni Presidential Council, have accused the Hadhrami Elite Forces, HEF, of preparing to launch attacks against the region's oil fields.

HEF, affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, clashed lightly with HTA over the past two nights.

🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡- "Trump invited Netanyahu to a meeting at the White House in the near future," - Netanyahu's Press Office.

🇸🇩⚡- Rapid Support Forces have reached the entrance to the city of Babanusa, Kordofan region, Sudan.

🇱🇧🇮🇶🇮🇱⚡- "US Envoy Tom Barrack warned Baghdad not to involve itself in Israel’s war against Hezbollah, telling Iraqi officials the country may face Israeli strikes if they or Iran-backed groups in Iraq intervened," - al-Hadath, Saudi outlet.

🇺🇸⚡- USS Gerald R. Ford makes her first port call since arriving in the Carribbean.

Image shows the aircraft carrier arriving at St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

🇺🇸⚡️- West Virginia Guardsman Andrew Wolfe is now awake and responding to hospital staff after a slow recovery from the DC shooting last week.

🇺🇸🇸🇾🇮🇱⚡- During the Trump-Netanyahu phone call, President Trump has agreed to a limited Israeli military operation in southern Syria in exchange for Tel-Aviv postponing escalation with Lebanon.

The decision to launch an Israeli operation in Syria came after an IDF unit was ambushed by a heavily armed unit in Beit Jinn, Damascus countryside, two days ago. Israel initially accused Jamaa Islamiya, a Sunni-Arab Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood group – the group denied responsibility. Israel has since blamed Bedouin tribes, affiliated with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led Public Internal Security forces, to have been behind the attack.