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Russian teens detained over terror plot – FSB (VIDEO)

Four teenagers are in custody in Ekaterinburg, accused of planning a bombing and of ties to a banned terrorist organization

Russian security services have detained four teenagers in Ekaterinburg, central Russia, for allegedly planning a terrorist attack. They are aged 15 to 16.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the group planned to use an improvised explosive device in a public area. 

The teens allegedly shared the ideology of an unnamed terrorist organization banned in Russia, according to the FSB. 

During the investigation, officers seized materials for making explosives and communication equipment containing bomb-making instructions. They also gathered evidence linking the two suspects to the arson of a police car. 

“We committed arson, I filmed a video of the car being set on fire. After that, I had the idea to make and test explosives. I asked my friend to help me with this,” one of the suspects admitted in a video released by the FSB. 

Two of the four teens involved in the arson reportedly targeted the vehicle in August 2024 after subscribing to neo-Nazi channels on Telegram, where they encountered calls for action against police.

 ”I saw a parked police car in one of the city’s districts and decided to set it on fire together with a friend,” the detainee said in the footage. 

Another detainee confessed to creating a timer for the explosive device and assisting in assembling it. “I agreed to help make a timer and explosives,” the suspect said. 

A criminal case has been initiated under several articles of the Russian Criminal Code, including preparation for a terrorist act, illegal possession of explosives, and illegal manufacture of explosives, the FSB stated.

 

US Steel boss accuses Biden of corruption

David Burritt’s remark came in response to the outgoing US president blocking the purchase of the steelmaker by Japan’s Nippon Steel

The CEO of US Steel Corporation, David Burritt, has accused outgoing US President Joe Biden of undermining the country’s economic standing through a “politically corrupt” decision to block the planned acquisition of the steelmaker by Japan’s Nippon Steel.

The planned takeover, which was agreed to back in December 2023, would have entailed the Japanese company shelling out around $14.1 billion and assuming around $800 million in debt.

In a statement on Friday, Burritt charged that “President Biden’s action today is shameful and corrupt.” The US Steel CEO claimed that the White House’s spurning of the Japanese company’s overtures had insulted a “vital economic and national security ally” and “put American competitiveness at risk.” According to Burritt, the fact that the merger has fallen through plays into the hands of Chinese steel giants.

“Biden did it all while refusing to even meet with us to learn the facts,” the US Steel boss fumed, insisting that his company intends to “fight President Biden’s political corruption.”

In a separate joint statement also on Friday, the US Steel Corporation and Nippon Steel Corporation argued that the US president’s move represents a “clear violation of due process and the law governing” the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

“The process was manipulated to advance President Biden’s political agenda,” the two companies wrote. They further alleged that the White House had failed to “present any credible evidence of a national security issue, making clear that this was a political decision.”

Both Nippon Steel and US Steel believe the merger would have revitalized the American steelmaking industry and helped it compete more effectively against Chinese rivals.

Earlier in the day, the White House published Biden’s order, in which he wrote that “there is credible evidence that leads me to believe that (1) Nippon Steel Corporation… through the proposed acquisition by the Purchasers of United States Steel Corporation… might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.”

The outgoing president stipulated that the proposed transaction “is prohibited, and any substantially similar transaction between the Purchasers and U.S. Steel… is also prohibited.”

When the merger was originally agreed to in December 2023, it drew criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.

Caste behind bars: In Indian prisons, the marginalized are barred from cooking and forced to clean excrement

The Supreme Court recently told jails across the country to adhere to laws outlawing millenia-old discrimination, yet this is easier said than done

Mridul Kumar (22, name changed), a resident of Banda in north India’s populous state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), was jailed in 2018 for assaulting a neighbor who eventually died in the hospital. He was handed a jail sentence of four years.

Mridul is a dalit. Dalits are lowest in the Hindu caste hierarchy (indeed, they are technically below the pyramid and thus were known as ‘outcasts’) and have faced discrimination for millennia. Several steps have been taken to end this discrimination, yet it persists in India. 

Recounting his ordeal after his acquittal in May, the first thing that shocked him as he entered jail was the work distribution by jail authorities on the basis of caste. Mridul used to sell egg rolls on a cart in his hometown and assumed he would be assigned a role in the kitchen. To his shock he was asked his caste by the lower jail authorities and directed to clean the drains.

“I protested, I tried talking to authorities to assign me cutting and chopping work but they did not listen to me. I was asked to clean the drains,” Mridul said of his experience inside the prison.

The UP jail manual clearly mentions that “religious scruples and caste prejudices” are important for “reformative influences.” A separate chapter says: “Reasonable respect shall be paid to religious scruples and caste prejudices of the prisoners in all matters as far as it is compatible with discipline.” 

FILE PHOTO: Police personnel seen as people gather to celebrate after four convicts in the December 2012 gang rape case were hanged at 5:30am in Tihar jail, at Tihar Village on March 20, 2020 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by ©  Biplov Bhuyan / Hindustan Times via Getty Images

The prison administration holds sole discretionary power over the extent of the “reasonability and compatibility” of these prejudices. The “reasonability,” though, has only meant furthering blatant caste prejudice in assigning work to dalits while exempting other castes from harsh labor, both in male and female prisons.

In July 2020, Mridul raised this with the deputy jail superintendent who took note and assigned him to utensils-cleaning duty and also as a helper to inmates on cooking duty. Yet these inmates protested, as he was a scheduled caste (SC). The disheartened Mridul was assigned to gardening, of which he had no experience. 

On 3 October 2024, a Division Bench of then Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra delivered a judgement directing the federal government and states to revise their prison manuals and rules to address caste-based discrimination in prisons. It noted that existing manuals and rules as they stood violated Articles 14, 15, 17, 21, and 23

The decision came on a writ petition filed by journalist Sukanya Santha in 2023 after she revealed the widespread prevalence of caste-based discrimination in Indian prisons through an investigative story she published in 2020. Sukanya could not be reached for comment. 

Indian Police Service (IPS) senior officer Manoj Kumar, currently posted in Ratlam (in central India’s Madhya Pradesh, MP), once managed the jail there, and he says that the problem is so deeply ingrained in our society that even after this judgement, solving it remains a distant goal. 

“I remember a dalit inmate was once assigned to serve food, but this was so loudly protested by other inmates, including those who cooked food, that over 50% of them did not eat food that day,” the police officer said. “Some even refused to eat in plates touched by this person, and to contain the situation the authorities had to put this dalit inmate on another duty.”

The MP Jail Manual, despite recent amendments, perpetuates caste discrimination by mandating that Mehtar (scavenger) prisoners handle human excreta in prison toilets under its mal vahan (conservancy) chapter. This effectively institutionalizes manual scavenging within the prison system.

Discrimination in getting justice

The National Crime Records Bureau, responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data, in 2020 reported that a majority of India’s undertrials are from marginalized castes. In the 17 years to 2019, nearly two in three (64%) on average were from the SCs (21.7%), scheduled tribes (12.3%) and other backward classes (OBCs, 30%).

“Individuals belonging to marginalised communities are disproportionately impacted from these unwarranted detentions. Other factors such as limited access to legal assistance and difficulties in meeting bail conditions contribute to the heightened likelihood of underprivileged individuals spending time in prison without being convicted,” noted a study published in 2024.

FILE PHOTO: Tihar Jail inmates working in the shoe making unit during the annual press conference of Tihar prisons, New Delhi, India. ©  Parveen Negi / The India Today Group via Getty Images

“Even after 77 years of independence, caste-based discrimination in prisons represents a blatant violation of the ‘Right to Equality’ guaranteed under Articles 14 to 18 of the Constitution,” says Pranavesh Om, a lawyer practicing with the Allahabad High Court. “Our society and system have failed to reform archaic prison laws and rules, continuing practices that are both unconstitutional and inhumane.”

“While the Supreme Court’s judgment is welcome as it reaffirms citizens’ faith in the Constitution, I hope the Government will implement the mandated changes to Prison Rules within the given timeframe,” he adds. “However, we must also address how overburdened courts affect undertrial prisoners, particularly those from marginalized communities, who languish in prisons for years awaiting justice.”

As the saying goes: justice delayed is justice denied. This reality is reflected in NCRB reports showing the disproportionate number of undertrials from marginalized backgrounds.

“A person faces caste discrimination everywhere – not just outside but inside jails too,” said Naresh Paras, an activist who has been working with inmates for two decades. “In prisons, caste-based discrimination is commonplace, beginning right from the jail register where a prisoner’s caste must be recorded in a dedicated column. Dalit prisoners face discriminatory treatment from the moment their caste is documented. Work assignments in jail are made based on caste. Dalit prisoners are forced to sweep and clean toilets. If they refuse, they face physical abuse and torture. They are subjected to inhumane treatment.”

FILE PHOTO: Mandoli Central Jail Complex in East Delhi, India. ©  Getty Images / The India Today Group

“The dominant caste prisoners force dalits to do their personal chores and address them with caste-based slurs and abuse,” he added. “This discrimination violates their human dignity and self-respect, leading to stress. The prison system openly violates Article 21 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court’s order has kindled hope for justice. Perhaps prisoners can now be freed from caste discrimination, provided this order is properly implemented and monitored,” he adds.

Mridul once wanted to run a restaurant but now works as a hand pump mechanic. “My dreams shattered after being implicated in a false case and then realizing, from my jail experience, that I come from a lower caste. People would not want to eat food prepared by me. It is a hard truth but I accept it as I cannot do anything about it,” he concluded. 

Russian ally doesn’t want Trump-style election

Belarus does not need the vote to be marred by assassination attempts, President Alexander Lukashenko has said

Belarus must not allow its upcoming presidential election to devolve into a tumultuous spectacle resembling the White House race in the US, during which President-elect Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said.

Speaking at a government meeting on Friday, Lukashenko stressed that the election, which is scheduled for January 26, should be “a celebration.”

“We don’t need an American-style show where people get shot in the ear or the head. We need this election to be conducted in a dignified manner, so we avoid unnecessary criticism,” he said.

Lukashenko was referring to the most prominent assassination attempt on Trump which took place in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed Trump’s ear during a rally. The shooter was killed on the spot by the Republican’s security detail. One attendee of the rally was also killed, with several others injured.

Trump also became the target of another assassination attempt in September 2024 at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the assailant was apprehended as he tried to breach the security perimeter.

Lukashenko, who has led the country since 1994, urged the opposition – which he claimed is supported by the West – to return home and take part in the election. “It’s easy to yap from abroad. You have to go to the country and take part in the voting… Here, the people should decide,” he said.

In September, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov accused the West of meddling in the country’s internal affairs in light of the approaching election. The last presidential election, in which Lukashenko was reelected, was held in 2020, sparking a wave of protests over what the opposition claimed was widespread fraud. Minsk has denied the allegations, insisting that the unrest was orchestrated by the US, its European “satellites,” and neighboring Ukraine.

Fed official flags inflation risks posed by Trump’s policies

Tom Barkin discussed the uncertainty created by the president-elect return to the White House in an address to business leaders in Baltimore

A senior Federal Reserve official has highlighted the inflation risks associated with US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office in January.

Speaking on Friday to business leaders outside of Baltimore, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin said the US economy could see significant growth but also warned of inflationary pressures, particularly if hiring and wages increase.

Barkin pointed to several positive indicators, including strong consumer spending, low job losses, and steady wage growth. However, he acknowledged that consumers are beginning to push back against the rising prices, suggesting a potential tipping point in inflation dynamics.

“How economic policy uncertainty resolves will matter. But, with what we know today, I expect more upside than downside in terms of growth,” Barkin said. There could be “more risk on the inflation side,” especially if the labor market strengthens, he added.

Despite his pledge to lower inflation, if Trump follows through on some of his plans related to tariffs and immigration, economists worry that inflation could surge.

Immigration has been a key source of growth in the labor force and jobs in recent years. In November, Trump vowed to slap 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, a move that could collide with his campaign promise to reduce price growth. The US is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China, and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent US Census data.

Before the election, about seven in ten voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast. During a September visit to a grocery store in Pennsylvania, Trump promised shoppers to bring prices down.

Barkin noted that the plans for increased tariffs bring considerable uncertainty, with some analysts cautioning that the initiatives could spark inflation by increasing costs for businesses and consumers.

The Fed has already adjusted its policy expectations in light of Trump’s return to the White House. Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently stated that officials are incorporating tentative projections of the economic impacts of Trump’s agenda.

Last month, the central bank reduced its interest rate target to 4.25-4.50%, while scaling back expectations for rate cuts in 2025, signaling caution about inflation risks.

Trump names pick for State Dept spokesperson

Former Fox News host Tammy Bruce will replace Matthew Miller in the next administration

US President-elect Donald Trump has tapped political analyst and former Fox News anchor Tammy Bruce for the position of State Department spokesperson.

He made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

“It is my great honor to announce that Tammy Bruce will be joining our incredible nominee for US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as spokesperson for the US Department of State,” Trump wrote.

Bruce, who until Friday served as a Fox News contributor, will replace Matthew Miller in the position. Trump praised Bruce as “a highly respected political analyst” who “understood the power and importance of MAGA,” short for his slogan ‘Make America Great Again’, early on.

“She… saw the lies and fraud of the radical left, and quickly became one of the strongest Conservative voices on radio and television. As one of the longest serving news contributors, Tammy has brought truth to the American people for over two decades,” Trump wrote, adding that Bruce “will bring that same strength of conviction and fearless spirit” to her new position.

Bruce, 62, joined Fox News in 2005, and in 2019 became the host of Get Tammy Bruce, which airs on the Fox Nation streaming service. According to Bruce’s Fox News biography, she was a Democrat until she registered as unaffiliated in 2008, and “now works to make sure her experience as a liberal community organizer is used to expose and help defeat the leftist agenda.”

An outspoken feminist, she previously also headed the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women. The TV personality has authored several books, including ‘The New American Revolution’, ‘The Death of Right and Wrong’, and ‘The New Thought Police’. Her latest book, ‘Fear Itself: Exposing the Left’s Mind-Killing Agenda’, released last summer, slams the “bureaucratic” US administration for “weaponizing fear” to obtain “unprecedented government control over our lives.”

Trump is scheduled to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20. He has announced dozens of names of future officials since his victory over Joe Biden in the November election. Unlike several others tapped by Trump for positions in the new administration, Bruce will not need to be confirmed by the Senate for her role.

Top Ukrainian journalist predicts spring peace deal

Dmitry Gordon has said “the hot phase” of the conflict ended in 2024

Russia and Ukraine could sign a peace deal this spring, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon has predicted. In an interview published on his YouTube channel last week, Gordon said the “hot phase” of the conflict ended in 2024.

“The peace treaty will be signed somewhere around spring 2025, followed immediately by elections [in Ukraine],” Gordon stated. He said his prediction was based on intuition and information from sources close to the government in Kiev.

“I’ll reiterate: The hot phase of the war ends this year [2024],” Gordon added. He also cited US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who predicted last month that the conflict would be “resolved in the next few months” with Trump in office.

“Keith Kellogg is a very serious person. If such a person says that the war will end before the end of the year... people say such things when they have 100% verified information,” Gordon claimed.

Trump has pledged throughout his campaign to end the conflict within 24 hours of returning to the White House. While he has not provided specific details, reported plans include freezing the conflict, delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership by 20 years, and creating a demilitarized zone monitored by European peacekeepers.

According to Gordon, Trump’s approach could allow Russia to keep former Ukrainian territories that voted to join it and lift “the most painful” sanctions imposed on Moscow since 2022. At the same time, he claimed the potential deal would likely see NATO troops deployed along the line of contact and granting Ukraine access to frozen Russian assets for reconstruction.

Kiev has been reluctant to negotiate with Russia, and earlier this week, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky called Trump’s promise to end the conflict in one day “unrealistic.” Zelensky has insisted Ukraine needs firm security guarantees, including NATO membership, as the foundation for long-term peace.

Moscow has said it is open to talks but insists that any settlement must begin with Ukraine ceasing military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” that it will never regain control of its former regions that chose to join Russia. It has also insisted that all the goals of its military operation, including Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, must be part of any peace deal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier stated that Trump’s reported plans to send NATO peacekeepers to Ukraine and postpone Ukraine’s membership in the military bloc instead of providing guarantees that it will never join NATO were “unacceptable” for Moscow.

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia does not believe the fighting can stop at this stage, but remains open to negotiations. He added that Russian forces will continue advancing until Kiev agrees to talks.

Gordon, one of Ukraine’s top YouTube hosts, is known for his criticism of Russia. Earlier this year, a Moscow court sentenced him in absentia for inciting terrorism and spreading false information.

Death penalty abolition part of Zimbabwe’s new trajectory – MP

The country is strongly committed to protecting human rights, contrary to the claims of its detractors, Shacky Timburwa has said

The recent abolition of capital punishment in Zimbabwe is proof that the country prioritizes human rights, MP Shacky Timburwa has told RT. The lawmaker, from the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front party, suggested that world powers such as the US are happy to impose sanctions, citing supposed violations, despite their own track record being far from impeccable.

On December 31, 2024, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law, following its passage by the Senate.

Speaking to RT on Friday, Timburwa called it a testament to Zimbabwe’s commitment to “doing everything in [its] power to respect human rights, despite how people try to portray Zimbabwe as a country that is not respecting the rule of law, that is not respecting human rights.”

According to the MP there are countries that “portray themselves as the perfect examples of respecting human rights” and readily impose sanctions on other nations, citing purported violations. However, the lawmaker said the US itself is not beyond reproach, as it has many states that still carry out capital punishment.

Washington would be wise to “learn from other countries that advocate the protecting of the human rights,” Timburwa suggested.

The lawmaker mentioned that “we are being led by a president who was once arrested in the 1950’s-1960’s, and he was sentenced to death.” Mnangagwa was given the sentence by British colonial authorities in 1965 for allegedly bombing a train during the independence struggle.

“Since he was inaugurated into power in 2017, he’s been an advocate of trying to find a way of abolishing or getting rid of this particular law,” Timburwa explained.

According to official figures, the African nation has put 79 people to death since gaining independence in 1980, with the last execution carried out in 2005. Since then, a de facto moratorium has been in place.

Timburwa told RT that there are approximately 60 inmates on death row at present, with judges now expected to commute their sentences. The lawmaker stressed that the new legislation allows for the reinstatement of the death penalty in case of a public emergency. Timburwa argued that the provision “is important simply because there are people who can commit treasonous activities like acts of terrorism.”

According to The Death Penalty Project, a London-based legal action charity, Zimbabwe is the 30th country in Africa to abolish the death penalty, with 18 more having a de facto moratorium in place.

UK responds to Musk’s criticism over child rape scandal

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said the government is willing to work with the tycoon to tackle sexual abuse of minors

The UK will not refuse Elon Musk’s assistance in tackling systemic failures in addressing child sexual exploitation, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said.

Britain has been rocked by the exposure of, and failure to properly investigate, a grooming scandal in which hundreds of groups of Asian men, mostly Pakistanis, raped and tortured thousands of underage British girls – in towns across the north of England. 

Musk, who is known for his stance against illegal immigration, has been particularly vocal about the scandal, calling it a case of “state-sponsored evil.”

He went on to claim that Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who led the Crown Prosecutorial Service from 2008 to 2013, “was complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN,” and must not only resign, but also face charges for failing to deliver justice.

In an interview with ITV News on Friday, Streeting suggested that “some of the criticisms Elon Musk has made… are misjudged and certainly misinformed.” However, he said the UK’s Labor government is “willing to work with Elon Musk who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform, to help us tackle this issue.”

Streeting added that “political correctness was able to get in the way of going after the perpetrators of these serious crimes,” vowing that the government will do its utmost to prevent further incidents.

The grooming gang scandal, a euphemism for widespread child sexual exploitation, primarily came to light through cases in Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford. Investigations revealed systemic abuse spanning decades, with reports estimating that over 1,400 children were exploited in Rotherham alone from 1997 to 2013. In one of the most egregious cases, the police arrested a father who attempted to rescue his daughter from a house where she was being raped.

As the revelations were pouring in, some British media outlets blasted law enforcement for their “cowardice” and for attempting to downplay the scandal in order to not be accused of racism and prevent the rise of the far-right in the UK.

Moscow reacts to Germany’s call to close Russian bases in Syria

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock should address the US presence in her own country, Maria Zakharova has urged

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticized German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock for her demand that Russia withdraw from its military bases in Syria.

Zakharova, speaking on her Telegram channel on Friday, has urged Baerbock to instead address the presence of US military bases in Germany.

“This is being said by the foreign minister of a country that hosts US military bases. I have a question: when will the German foreign minister say something similar to Washington?” Zakharova wrote in response to Baerbock’s statement.

Baerbock’s remarks followed her visit to Damascus on Friday, where she and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot became the first EU ministers to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad was overthrown.

Baerbock’s visit was aimed at preventing the country from coming under Russian and Chinese influence, the German publication Tagesschau wrote on Friday.

The situation in Syria shifted dramatically in November when militant groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists, launched a sudden offensive against government forces. The attack led to the rapid collapse of Assad’s government, forcing him to flee to Moscow.

Russia had been a supporter of Assad’s government, helping Syria to fight terrorism since 2015. In 2017, Moscow and Damascus signed a deal for a 49-year lease by the Russian military of the Tartus naval base and the Khmeimim airbase in the east of the country.

Late in December, the head of HTS and the country’s de facto leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, best known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, said Damascus had “strategic interests” in maintaining good ties with Russia, describing it as the “second most powerful country in the world.”

“We don’t want Russia to exit Syria in a way that would not be befitting for its long-standing relations with the nation,” al-Julani said.

Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia echoed this sentiment on Friday, stating that Syria’s new de facto authorities have shown an interest in preserving ties with Moscow and its military presence in the region.

During his end-of-year press conference in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin the issue of maintaining a Russian military presence in Syria requires “careful consideration.” “We must reflect on how our relations will evolve with the political forces currently in control and those that will govern this country in the future,” Putin said.

US ‘concerned’ by Russia’s nuclear doctrine – Blinken

Washington is worried Moscow could consider using nuclear weapons, despite the Kremlin saying it views them as a “last resort”

The United States is “very concerned” that Russia could be considering the use of nuclear weapons, outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with Financial Times published on Saturday.

His comments came in response to questions about Moscow’s alleged “nuclear sabre-rattling,” apparently referring to changes it made in its nuclear doctrine last year.

Russia announced updates to its nuclear doctrine after deliberations by Ukraine’s Western backers, including the US, on whether to allow Ukraine to use foreign-made weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved changes to the doctrine, expanding the list of conditions that could trigger a nuclear response. The updates include scenarios where aggression by a non-nuclear state or group of states, supported by a nuclear state, could be viewed as a “joint attack.” The document, however, describes nuclear weapons as “an extreme and forced measure” and stresses Moscow’s goal as preventing tensions that could lead to military conflicts, including nuclear ones.

Blinken said Washington views the changes as heightening the risk of nuclear escalation.

“Even if the probability went from 5 to 15%, when it comes to nuclear weapons, nothing is more serious,” Blinken stated. He had previously criticized Russia’s plans to update its doctrine as “irresponsible” when first announced last September.

Blinken also claimed that China may have influenced Russia not to use nuclear weapons.

“We have reason to believe that China engaged Russia and said: ‘Don’t go there’,” he said. Blinken suggested China may have taken similar action when the US accused Russia of planning to deploy nuclear weapons in space, a claim Moscow dismissed as “fake.”

Moscow has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. Russian officials have repeatedly stated that they consider the use of such weapons to be a “last resort.” After the doctrine update in November, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow “resolutely advocates doing everything to prevent a nuclear war.” He added that Russia’s arsenal is intended as a deterrent to aggression and a means to prevent nuclear conflict.

The Kremlin has long said, however, that a US military buildup and the deployment of nuclear-capable missiles globally could trigger a proportional response. Last month, Russia and Belarus signed a security treaty that cemented plans to deploy Russian nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile systems in Belarus next year. The missiles, which Moscow says cannot be intercepted by existing Western defenses, are capable of reaching targets across Europe within minutes.

Russia rules out German and Japanese Security Council bids

Any reform would require a consensus among the permanent members, Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, has said

Germany and Japan will never become permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has said.

January will welcome in a new season for talks on reforming the Security Council, but some of the initiatives are “quite naive and impractical,” Nebenzia said in an interview with Russia 24 TV on Friday.

“There are countries that are vying for a seat on the Security Council that they will never get, we have already said this directly,” he said.

“In particular, Germany and Japan. They will not see a permanent seat on the Security Council.” 

“There can be no reform that is not supported by the majority of member states,” Nebenzia added.

London has previously stated that it wishes to see permanent seats for Germany, Japan, India, Brazil, and similar representation for Africa.

Security Council reform would require all five veto-holding permanent members, as well as two-thirds of the UN member states, to vote for the amendment, according to Article 108 of the organization’s charter.

Russia, China, the US, UK, and France are the five permanent members of the UNSC.

Non-permanent members are voted in on a two-year rotating basis. On Thursday, Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia were voted in as new non-permanent members, joining Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.

Last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow supports the expansion of the Security Council to include countries of the Global South.

“Our country has consistently supported and continues to support the expansion of the UN Security Council to include developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

On the other hand, Western states that often toe the line with Washington are already well represented in the council, she added.

Two Russian actors make longlist for BAFTA Awards

One of them, Yura Borisov, was previously nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in the same film, ‘Anora’.

Two Russian actors have made it onto the longlist for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. Yura Borisov and Mark Eydelshteyn are both contenders in the category of ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for their performances in the film ‘Anora’. The official list of nominees was published on the BAFTA website on Friday.

Both actors delivered compelling performances in the movie directed by American filmmaker Sean Baker, which has also been nominated for ‘Best Film’. Baker himself is up for the ‘Best Director’ award. The story revolves around the love affair between Anora, a sex worker from Brooklyn, and the son of a Russian oligarch. Their marriage ignites a fierce battle with the groom’s family, who will stop at nothing to tear them apart.

Mark Eydelshteyn, 22, portrays Ivan, the wealthy young man caught up in this turbulent relationship. Yura Borisov, 32, plays the role of Igor, the stoic enforcer for the groom’s family, adding depth and intensity to the narrative.

The winners of the BAFTA Film Awards will be announced on February 16.

In December 2024, Yura Borisov received a Golden Globe nomination for ‘Best Supporting Role’ for his performance in ‘Anora’. The film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d’Or.

Musk reacts to brutal combat video of Russian soldier (VIDEO)

The same day the man from Yakutia Region gave an interview to RT describing the circumstances of the deadly hand-to-hand fight with a Ukrainian soldier

Elon Musk has commented on a video of a Russian soldier who killed a Ukrainian servicemember with a knife in intense hand-to-hand combat, which went viral earlier this week. On Friday, the Russian soldier, an ethnic Yakut, gave an interview to RT, after several Russian Telegram channels shared a highly disturbing eight-minute body-cam video filmed near the village of Trudovoye in Russia’s Donetsk Region that dates back to last autumn.

In the clip, the now-deceased Ukrainian servicemember approaches a dilapidated building and engages in a short-range frenetic firefight with a Russian soldier. The two end up in hand-to-hand combat, with the body-cam wearer succumbing after being stabbed several times.

As the Ukrainian lies bleeding on the ground, he is heard telling the Russian: “Let me die in peace. I want to go on my own. Thank you. You were the greatest fighter in the world.” The Russian, also covered in blood, stands up and leaves.

Commenting on the story, Musk wrote on X on Friday: “I have a WW1 trench knife embedded in my bedroom wall just in case. 1917 edition. More useful than a gun in close quarters.”

I have a WW1 trench knife embedded in my bedroom wall just in case. 1917 edition. More useful than a gun in close quarters.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2025

RT interviewed the Russian soldier in the clip, Andrey Grigoryev, 35, who joined the army as a volunteer. He revealed the circumstances that led to the knife fight, explaining that the Ukrainian had killed one of his friends and that he did not have any way of evading hand-to-hand combat, even though his enemy was bigger and stronger.

BRUTAL EXCLUSIVE: Hero shows how he fought off Ukrainian soldier who stabbed him and killed friend:
'I took the shard and stuck it in his eye so he let go'.
Exclusive RT interview and fight footage below pic.twitter.com/acR4c5bS5o

— RT (@RT_com) January 3, 2025

Asked why he did not deliver the final blow after the fight, Grigoryev said he knew his enemy would not be able to get up. “He had two knife neck wounds and was stabbed three times near the heart,” he said.

Commenting on the end of the fight and the Ukrainian’s remarks, Grigoryev said: “We – Russians and Yakuts – are taught from childhood: In any situation, you have to remain human.”

India slams US outlet’s report on alleged plot against neighbor 

New Delhi has rejected allegations published by the Washington Post that it tried to offer a bribe for Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to be impeached 

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed a report by the Washington Post this week that alleged New Delhi’s involvement in a plot to oust Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu. The ministry’s spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, on Friday questioned the credibility of the US outlet’s reporting when asked to comment on two separate articles it published.  

One of the articles revealed the details of an alleged plot to impeach Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, while the other suggested that Indian intelligence agents were carrying out plans to eliminate militants in Pakistan whom India links to cross-border terrorism.  

“Both the newspaper and the reporter in question appear to nurse a compulsive hostility towards India. You can see a pattern in their activities. I leave you to judge their credibility. As far as we are concerned, they have none,” Jaiswal said. 

In its report on the Maldives, the US newspaper, citing a document titled Democratic Renewal Initiative, claimed that politicians from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) allegedly sought $6 million from New Delhi to fund a plot to impeach Muizzu. However, the plan reportedly did not materialize. 

Relations between India and the Maldives have become tense after Muizzu took office in November 2023. Muizzu’s administration, which is seen as pro-China in New Delhi, sought the withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives. While the troops were eventually replaced with civilian personnel from India to service several defense platforms donated by New Delhi, both nations later made efforts to repair ties.  

In October 2024, Muizzu visited India, his first bilateral trip since assuming office. Following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the two leaders expressed a commitment to strengthening their relationship and signed a range of bilateral agreements, including an outline for an economic and maritime security partnership.

India extended financial assistance, including a $400 million agreement and a 30-billion-rupee currency swap, to support the Maldives. India also announced a series of infrastructure and other economic initiatives in the island nation.

Germany facing longest recession ever – Handelsblatt

The EU’s largest economy is expected to shrink for a third consecutive year in 2025, marking the longest downturn since WWII

The German economy is on course for its longest post-war recession, with a third consecutive year of contraction projected for 2025, according to the Handelsblatt Research Institute (HRI).

The institute predicts a 0.1% decline in 2025, following contractions of 0.3% in 2023 and 0.2% in 2024.

This economic slump surpasses the two-year downturn of the early 2000s and reflects the compounded effects of an energy crisis, persistent inflation, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The German economy is in the midst of its greatest crisis in post-war history,” HRI chief economist Bert Rurup said.

Demographic challenges, such as an aging population, are adding to the strain. The HRI estimates Germany’s growth potential has fallen to just 0.5% annually.

“The economy is at the beginning of a strong aging spurt,” Rurup noted. Official data from the Federal Statistical Office, expected on January 15, is likely to confirm the contraction in 2024.

While the HRI forecasts modest recovery in 2026, growth is expected to reach just 0.9%, far below pre-crisis levels. The German central bank has also adjusted its 2025 growth outlook, revising it down from 1.1% to 0.2% in December.

Germany’s shift from affordable Russian gas to more expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US has driven up energy costs, severely affecting manufacturers and small businesses. Rising costs have led to shutdowns and bankruptcies across industries, including major players like Volkswagen.

Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Germany relied on Russian gas for over half of its energy needs. Following EU sanctions on Moscow, gas deliveries were drastically reduced or cut off entirely. In September 2022, the Nord Stream pipelines, which transported Russian gas to Germany, were destroyed by explosions. On January 1, 2025, Russia was forced to officially suspend gas transit to the EU through Ukraine.

Germany’s export sector, particularly high-value manufacturing, remains one of the few strengths in the economy. However, it also faces challenges from global uncertainties and high energy prices.

The loss of affordable Russian energy and rising costs have made recovery difficult. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel recently criticized the decision to abandon Russian gas. In an interview with France 2 TV in December, she called the past arrangement a “win-win situation,” saying it provided Germany with low-cost energy, while now prices have “exploded.”

The economic crisis has become a pressing issue for Germans. A poll in December conducted by public broadcaster ARD revealed that the economy is the top concern for voters. The early general election scheduled for February 23 follows the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition in November.09:09

Trump fumes over US flags at inauguration

The White House has refused to reconsider the decision to keep flags lowered in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter

US President-elect Donald Trump has expressed his disapproval over the decision to keep American flags at half-mast during his inauguration on January 20. The lowering of the flags was ordered by President Joe Biden in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 100.

According to US flag code, flags should remain at half-mast for 30 days following the death of a current or former president – in this case, until January 28.

In a statement released on Friday, Trump accused Democrats of being pleased that the flags will remain at half-mast during his inauguration, suggesting it reflects a lack of patriotism.

“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” he said. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves.”

Trump claimed it would be “the first time ever” that US flags are flown at half-mast during a presidential inauguration, insisting that “nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it.”

However, the flags were flown at half-mast when former President Richard Nixon was sworn in for his second term in January 1973, after he ordered them lowered following the death of former President Harry S. Truman.

Historically, there have also been instances where the 30-day half-mast period was temporarily adjusted at the discretion of the sitting president. In 1973, following the death of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, Nixon ordered flags raised to full-mast for one day to honor returning American prisoners of war from Vietnam before lowering them again to continue the mourning period.

Trump has previously expressed dissatisfaction with the practice of lowering flags. In 2018, following the death of Senator John McCain, flags were briefly returned to full-mast before being lowered again after public outcry.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to Trump’s remarks, stating that the Biden administration does not intend to reconsider the decision to keep flags at half-mast during the inauguration.

Cybertruck blast a ‘wake up call for terminally ill US’ – suspect’s note

“Americans only pay attention to spectacles,” the suspect wrote before detonating the vehicle outside a Trump hotel

The highly decorated US Army Green Beret suspected of staging an explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day claimed the act was not a terrorist attack but rather a “wake up call” to all Americans, according to letters found on his smartphone.

On January 1, 2025, a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver, identified as 37-year-old Army Green Beret Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, was found dead inside the vehicle. The explosion caused minor injuries to seven bystanders and resulted in minimal damage to the hotel, initially alarming federal investigators as a potential terrorist act.

The letters, which were made public by Las Vegas police on Friday, reveal Livelsberger’s deep frustration with societal issues and his internal struggles. In one letter, he wrote: “I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.”

BREAKING: Las Vegas Metro police release more letters from bomber Matthew Livelsberger where he tells Americans to “rally around” Donald Trump, Elon Musk and RFK Jr. https://t.co/RKxmEd5PFv pic.twitter.com/V7AN110STN

— David Charns (@davidcharns) January 3, 2025

“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?” Livelsberger wrote.

We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now we are terminally ill and headed toward collapse.

He listed a range of societal issues he said need to be resolved, including processed foods, obesity, income inequality, homelessness, weak leadership, a lack of masculinity, and blatant corruption.

“Stop obsessing over diversity. We are all diverse and DEI is a cancer,” he wrote, adding that “thankfully, we rejected the DEI candidate and will have a real President instead of Weekend at Bernie’s.”

“We must end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated settlement. It is the only way,” he noted, adding that “our population is too fat to join the military, yet we are facing a war with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran before 2030.”

His second letter was addressed to his fellow servicemembers, veterans, militias, and all Americans, in which he apparently urged them to ensure that Democrats do not prevent Trump from assuming power and “purging” the nation of its supposed ills.

“We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves,” he wrote. “Try peaceful means first, but be prepared to fight to get the Dems out of the federal government and military by any means necessary. They all must go, and a hard reset must occur for our country to avoid collapse.”

Livelsberger was a highly decorated member of the Special Forces, with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Congo, and reportedly even Ukraine, as well as several commendations, including multiple Bronze Stars. According to officials, he had been battling post-traumatic stress disorder and dealing with personal upheaval, including a recent separation from his wife.

Livelsberger reportedly took his own life with a gunshot before triggering the explosion. His writings indicate that he was overwhelmed by a combination of personal and professional pressures, though investigators caution against interpreting the letters as providing a definitive motive for his actions.

Greenland’s PM pushes for independence from Denmark

The renewed call comes after US President-elect Donald Trump expressed interest in purchasing the island

Greenland’s prime minister, Mute Egede, has renewed calls for independence from Denmark after US President-elect Donald Trump expressed interest in purchasing the Arctic island.

In his New Year’s address, Egede stressed the need to “remove the obstacles to cooperation – which we can describe as the shackles of the colonial era – and move on,” signaling a potential referendum on independence.

“Our cooperation with other countries and our trade relations cannot continue to take place solely through Denmark,” he said. “Work has already begun on creating the framework for Greenland as an independent state.”

Greenland (the world’s largest non-continental island by area, with a population of around 56,000) has been an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1979, managing its own internal affairs while Copenhagen oversees foreign and defense policies.

The island has the legal right to declare independence, but concerns persist regarding economic sustainability, as Greenland’s economy heavily relies on fishing and annual grants from Denmark, which constitute around two-thirds of its budget. A 2016 poll indicated that 64% of Greenlanders favored full independence. However, in a 2017 poll, 78% expressed opposition if it would lead to a decline in living standards.

The US president-elect said in a post on Truth Social in December that “for purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the US feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

During his first term, Trump repeatedly expressed his intention to purchase Greenland, referring to it as “a large real estate deal.” His renewed interest has faced firm rejections from both Greenlandic and Danish officials.

“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” Egede said in December. Similarly, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, dismissed the proposal, stressing that Greenland is not for sale.

Shortly after Trump’s post, Denmark announced plans to bolster its military presence in the region and in Greenland. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen revealed a defense package exceeding $1.5 billion aimed at enhancing surveillance and security in the area. This initiative includes deploying patrol vessels, long-range drones, and additional personnel to the Arctic Command.

“We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years; now we are planning a stronger presence,” Poulsen said, calling the timing of the announcement an “irony of fate.”

Greenland’s strategic importance has grown due to its abundant natural resources, such as rare earth minerals, and its pivotal location in the Arctic, which is becoming increasingly accessible due to climate change. The Arctic’s potential for resource extraction and new shipping routes has attracted global interest, particularly from Russia, China, and the US.

The upcoming parliamentary elections in Greenland scheduled before April 6, 2025 are expected to play a crucial role in determining the island’s path forward. “It is necessary to take major steps… The upcoming election period must, together with the citizens, create these new steps,” Egede said.

Pablo Escobar’s jet placed on Airbnb (PHOTOS)

With luxury walnut and gold interiors, the location offers customers the “chance to live like a billionaire”

A private jet reportedly once owned by notorious cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar has been converted into an Airbnb in Bristol, UK, complete with a hot tub and sauna.

The Boeing 727 hull is missing its wings and engines and features a renovated 1980s-style interior. Now called PYTCHAir, the plane has been spray-painted in bright colors and designs and offers its services from an industrial estate in Bristol.

Originally built in 1968, the jet was converted for private use in 1981 and eventually decommissioned in 2012, according to its current owner, businessman Johnny Palmer, who spoke to the Bristol Post in an article published Thursday.

“There is a bit of a roleplay cosplay thing going on there – people enjoy that experience and living that fantasy for a little while before returning to their normal lives,” Palmer said. Now, the grounded airliner offers customers the “chance to live like a billionaire at 32,” according to the Airbnb listing.

©  airbnb.com

While the listing itself makes no mention of Pablo Escobar, and the plane’s former ownership in the Cayman Islands complicates tracking its previous owners, one past holder is thought to be the notorious drug lord, according to Palmer.

©  airbnb.com

Escobar, the Colombian kingpin once dubbed the ‘king of cocaine’ due to his leadership of the Medellin Cartel, controlled 80% of the world’s cocaine trade at its height. He was shot dead at his home in Colombia in 1993, though the exact circumstances of his death remain disputed.

According to Palmer, the plane’s restoration was a project that took several years to complete. The interior, originally fitted in 1981, has been restored as best he could.

©  airbnb.com

“I did a lot of the electrical work myself, and I had a plumber and a carpenter – many people were involved in the process,” he said.

The interior is adorned with walnut paneling, leather seats, and a gold-plated shower and toilet. An additional outdoor shower is complemented by a hot tub and sauna.

The cheapest nights at the Airbnb will cost customers £250 ($311), while peak nights could run as high as £850.

Income from the business will be reinvested into further restoring the jet and enhancing the overall experience, according to Palmer.

Judge sets Trump sentencing date

The US president-elect has been ordered to appear in court ten days before his inauguration

The Manhattan judge who presided over former and future President Donald Trump’s hush money trial has denied a motion to dismiss the case and set the sentencing date for January 10, just ten days before his inauguration for a second term.

Judge Juan Merchan stated in his ruling on Friday that Trump can appear in person or virtually for the sentencing and indicated that the president-elect will receive an unconditional discharge, avoiding jail time.

“Finding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognizing that presidential immunity will likely attach once the defendant takes his Oath of Office, it is incumbent upon this Court to schedule the imposition of sentence prior to January 20, 2025. It is this Court’s firm belief that only by bringing finality to this matter will all three interests be served,” Merchan wrote.

Trump’s legal team has criticized the judge’s decision to proceed with sentencing, calling the case politically motivated. His spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said Trump “must be allowed to continue the presidential transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the witch hunts.”

“There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead,” he added.

The hush money case revolves around payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Prosecutors allege that Trump falsified business records to conceal the payments. Trump denies the allegations and has consistently rejected claims of wrongdoing, saying he is the victim of prosecutorial overreach.

Trump was charged in 2023 with misreporting hush money payments, with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg successfully elevating what would normally be a misdemeanor offense to 34 felony counts, one for each mention of the payments in Trump’s records. He was found guilty on all counts in May 2024.

The defense repeatedly sought to dismiss the case, citing a US Supreme Court ruling that grants presidents broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions taken while in office. However, Judge Merchan ruled that this immunity does not extend to actions taken before Trump’s presidency. The sentencing has been postponed multiple times, initially scheduled for July 11, 2024, then delayed to September 18, 2024, and later to November 26, 2024.

This case is one of Trump’s last remaining legal entanglements, after Special Counsel Jack Smith dropped charges in two federal cases – involving Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and attempts to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win – and a Georgia judge dismissed eight out of 13 state-level election meddling charges following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.

Ukrainian neo-Nazi officer upset over Russia’s e-scooter soldiers

The notorious Azov unit has run into an unconventional battlefield tactic

Russian assault troops are using electric scooters to swarm Ukrainian trenches, an officer from the notorious neo-Nazi Azov unit has complained to the New York Times.

In a bleak account of the battlefield situation published on New Year’s Eve, the US newspaper quoted Azov’s intelligence chief, Lt. Col. Dmitry Pavlenko-Krizheshevsky, who pointed out a new method of attack employed by the Russians.

“Hitting just one piece of equipment carrying 15 people, well, that’s possible; it can be done quite easily,” he said. “But when those 15 people are riding electric scooters, then that’s a very big problem.”

Ukrainian troops have increasingly relied on first-person-view (FPV) suicide drones to target armored vehicles transporting assault troops. In response, the Russians have utilized motorcycles, bicycles, all-terrain vehicles, and even scooters to disperse and cover ground quickly. Company-strength attacks of 150 to 200 men at a time are “quite normal” for the Russians, who have “significant reserves,” Pavlenko-Krizheshevsky noted.

Established as a volunteer unit in 2014 and incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard a year later, Azov infamously uses the Wolfsangel, a rune adopted by several German divisions during World War II, including the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. The unit’s co-founder is prominent Ukrainian nationalist and white supremacist Andrey Biletsky.

Azov has faced accusations of committing war crimes in Donbass since 2014 and has been formally designated a terrorist organization by the Russian authorities. While the original Azov Battalion was eliminated in the 2022 Battle of Mariupol, Biletsky raised the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade under the Azov banner in 2023.

Ukrainian officers who spoke to the NYT could not admit that Russian forces have continued advancing along the front line, but they described the situation as dire.

“The question is whether the front line will stabilize,” a major from the 68th Jaeger Brigade, identified only as Taras, who was fighting around Pokrovsk, said. “Unfortunately, there are no signs of that yet.”

Ukraine has struggled to mobilize sufficient forces to hold the front while coping with mass desertions. According to a recent report, 1,700 members of a brigade trained in France fled without firing a shot. Troop shortages have become so severe that Kiev might be willing to concede to US pressure and lower the draft age to 18, Russian intelligence has said.

EU’s von der Leyen has ‘severe pneumonia’ – spokesman

The European Commission president will continue to conduct “official business” from her personal residence in Hanover

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been diagnosed with severe pneumonia, resulting in the cancelation of official engagements for the next several weeks.

Stefan De Keersmaeker, a spokesperson for the European Commission, confirmed her condition on Friday, stating that planned trips to Lisbon, Portugal and Gdansk, Poland would be rescheduled for a later date.

“The president has canceled her external engagements for the first two weeks of January. She is dealing with a severe pneumonia,” he said, as cited by Politico.

Von der Leyen, 66, is currently recuperating but continues to handle “official business” remotely from her residence in Hanover, Germany, according to the spokesperson.

Von der Leyen began her second five-year term as president of the European Commission on December 1, 2024. The EC has not announced whether anyone will temporarily assume part of her responsibilities during her recovery. No changes to its broader agenda have been indicated, apart from the cancelation of von der Leyen’s personal engagements. She is expected to fully resume her duties in Brussels by mid-January, health permitting.

No further details about her condition or the circumstances leading to her illness have been disclosed. Pneumonia, an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs, can range in severity from mild to life-threatening. It is particularly dangerous for older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions.

The European Commission, which von der Leyen has led since 2019, is responsible for proposing legislation, enforcing EU treaties, and managing the bloc’s daily affairs. Her temporary absence coincides with a crucial period when the commission is set to address key issues, including implementing policies under the newly approved Competitiveness Compass, an economic framework for the next five years.

New Syrian authorities interested in Russia’s continued presence – Moscow

The new leadership in Damascus has been sending positive signals to Moscow, Russia’s UN envoy has said

The new de-facto authorities of Syria have shown interest in Russia’s continued presence in the country, Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, has said, admitting, however, a lack of concrete steps in that direction.

The senior diplomat made the remarks on Friday while speaking to the broadcaster Russia 1. Russia and Syria have been long-linked by “ties of friendship” that are not “bound by any regimes,” Nebenzia stated.

“The incumbent de-facto leaders of Syria are sending signals, including about the Russian stay in Syria, stating that the new Syrian authorities are interested in our continued presence,” the UN envoy said.

The new authorities fancy themselves a force “that cares about the interests of all Syrians,” the diplomat said, noting that they thus far appeared to be “behaving quite competently.”

“I don’t know whether they are being guided or understand themselves that it is necessary to send the right signals to the entirety of Syrian society,” he added.

Militant groups, led by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists, launched a surprise offensive against the Syrian government led by now-former President Bashar Assad in November last year. The attack resulted in a collapse of the Syrian military in a matter of days and the downfall of the government, with Assad fleeing the country for Moscow.

The development created uncertainty around Moscow’s military presence in the country and the fate of the Russian military installations primarily located on the country’s Mediterranean coast, namely Khmeimim Air Base near Latakia and a naval facility at Tartus.

Late in December, the head of HTS and the country’s de facto leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, best known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, said Damascus had “strategic interests” in maintaining good ties with Russia, describing it as the “second most powerful country in the world.”

“We don’t want Russia to exit Syria in a way that would not be befitting for its long-standing relations” with the nation, the HTS chief said at the time.

Zelensky claims injured soldier walked again after meeting him

“The president came and I started walking,” the wounded serviceman reportedly told the Ukrainian leader

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that an injured soldier credited him with restoring his ability to walk, adding that the tale should inspire his troops to “believe in Ukraine and believe in yourself.”

In an interview with the state-controlled United News telethon on Thursday, Zelensky was asked to share an inspirational story to motivate Ukrainians to continue to fight against Russia.

He recounted meeting an injured soldier who had been taken to the US for treatment.

“I took a photo with him. He didn’t walk,” the Ukrainian leader said. “I just got a message before the interview, in which he said: ‘the president came and I started walking. Let him come more often.’”

“I think, of course, that this result did not depend on me, [but] on the doctors, but it was a pleasant moment,” Zelensky continued.

It is unclear exactly how many Ukrainian soldiers have been injured since the conflict with Russia escalated in February 2022, as Kiev does not publish casualty figures. Zelensky claimed last month that 43,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed and 370,000 injured, although he insisted that the latter figure includes those with repeat and minor wounds.

The death toll put forward by Zelensky is widely seen as unrealistic. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said earlier this month that Ukraine had lost one million service members to death and injury since February 2022, with more than half of that number coming in 2024 alone.

Ukrainian battlefield commanders continue to complain of a critical shortage of manpower, despite Kiev implementing stricter mobilization rules and lowering the draft age from 27 to 25 this spring.

Zelensky admitted during Thursday’s interview that desertion increased significantly last year, saying that “people are getting tired” and “there are not many reserves.” Back in November, AP reported that 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers had officially been charged with desertion. However, the actual numbers could be twice as high, according to estimates published by other media outlets.

The US, Ukraine’s largest military backer, has urged Kiev to lower its draft age to 18 in order to bolster troop numbers on the front lines. According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Zelensky intends to comply with this request in the near future.

French prison hostage standoff ends

A convicted rapist reportedly held five staff captive with an improvised weapon

A convict who held five staff hostage at a corrections facility in Arles, France, surrendered to the police on Friday, the authorities in Paris have said.

The Maison Centrale d’Arles is located in Bouches-du-Rhone in Provence and houses inmates sentenced to lengthy terms, mainly for violent crimes. The suspected hostage-taker has been imprisoned since 2015 for rape at gunpoint, and had previous convictions for violence and aggravated robbery, according to police.

“The hostage-taker at the Arles central prison has been arrested,” French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Friday afternoon, noting that no one was injured in the process.

Darmanin also revealed that the suspect had taken five people hostage: a doctor, three nurses, and a prison guard. The doctor had been released earlier in the day, as part of a negotiating process.

Local authorities identified the suspect as Philippe, a 37-year-old inmate born in Guyana. Several law enforcement sources told BFM TV that he had an “unstable psychiatric profile,” although the Tarascon public prosecutor said that there had been “no psychotic elements” involved in the hostage standoff.

Philippe took hostages in the prison hospital on Thursday and reportedly demanded a transfer to another facility. He had “made a sort of bladed weapon with metal spikes,” the police prefect of Bouches-du-Rhone, Pierre-Edouard Colliex, told reporters on Friday.

The French government deployed the RAID special intervention force to Arles in case the talks with the suspect failed.

The Arles hostage situation happened the day after Darmanin visited the prisons in Marseille and spoke of wanting to increase the sentences of inmates who threatened “state agents” such as magistrates and prison guards.

The Maison Centrale is located in the Rhone valley, just north of Arles. It can hold 159 inmates and is currently at 85% occupancy, according to the French media.

The Musk vs. MAGA H-1B visa debate misses a glaring issue

The immigration scheme is inherently racist and anti-meritocratic – and I should know

The H-1B visa program is a bad deal for everyone. And the online civil war between Elon Musk and Trump’s MAGA supporters is missing the point.

All the drama started recently when a user of Musk’s X platform suggested that the supporters of US President-elect Donald Trump basically consist of tech bros insisting on the need for foreign “skilled workers” on one hand, and those insisting on keeping American jobs for Americans on the other.

Musk said he was in favor of “bringing in via legal immigration the top ~0.1% of engineering talent as being essential for America to keep winning,” and told critics to “go f**k yourself in the face,” referring to them as “subtards.”

As a migrant from South Africa, via Canada, he’s ultimately a beneficiary of migration himself, he explained. And hey, look at all the good that he’s done. And “those in the Republican Party who are hateful, unrepentant racists” opposing his position on the issue are “contemptible fools.”

In reality, it’s the program itself that’s racist. This is why it needs to go, and not be jacked up even further to increase the number of worker permits, as Trump’s new artificial intelligence policy adviser, Sriram Krishnan, has proposed.

As a Canadian citizen who was hired to co-host a nightly nationally broadcast TV news show in New York City, my then employer had to petition the US government for my work permission. If I was going to be taking a well-paying job away from an American, then they had to make a good case for it. I was told that the permit with the easiest qualifications to achieve, by a landslide, was the H-1B “skilled worker” visa. Basically, all you needed was a college degree or some relevant experience, and a statement from the employer that it’s what the job required. And that’s it. Not exactly the high-quality workers that the category label would suggest.

But I was told to forget about applying for the H-1B visa right from the get-go. Why? Because I was Canadian. And it was a known fact even two decades ago that almost all of these visas go to Indians wanting to work in Silicon Valley. US Immigration figures confirm this. According to statistics published in 2019, 75% of H-1B visas went to Indian nationals. Chinese citizens were second at just 12%. In third place were Canadians at just 1% of total petitions.

You can’t tell me that Canadians are less educated than Indians, or less interested in working in the US. They just don’t have Big Tech handling their applications and flooding US immigration with requests for overwhelmingly Indian nationals the second the quota renews every year, and guaranteeing that a single deserving person on their own – the very definition of a minority – won’t have the slightest hope of even being considered.

It’s effectively a modern slavery program reserved almost exclusively for these workers from the developing world. It’s not that the US salaries that they’re being offered are particularly low. In fact, stats show that their average US pay is over $100,000.

But the H-1B visa is tied to the employer, and if you want to change, another employer has to file to sponsor you. And you probably have to wait until the cap is renewed again the following year. This means it can be used to pressure the foreign worker to tolerate conditions or requests that an American worker likely wouldn’t. It’s not hard to see the appeal for guys like Musk, who would love to have everyone sleep on the floor at the office alongside them like it’s one giant, interminable (and profitable) slumber party.

The visa that I ultimately obtained was an O-1 for “extraordinary ability.” This required “a level of expertise indicating that you are one of the small percentage who have arisen to the very top of the field,” as defined by US immigration services. With this one, you can easily switch employer sponsorships, or even have your agent fulfill that role, preventing you from being tied to any one opportunity or contract. There was no quota to worry about, and the applications are made on a rolling case-by-case basis – not rammed through en masse by tech bros effectively favoring one particular nationality in a move that can only be described as systemic racism.

The O-1 category is what really brings in the best talent that, according to guys like Musk, America needs to compete on the global playing field. So, why don’t they encourage foreign recruits to apply under that category? Clearly because most wouldn’t qualify as legitimately being at the top of their game. They would have to show proof of things like public recognition or authorship, several letters of reference from peers highlighting their significant contributions to the field, and participation on industry panels. This isn’t who Silicon Valley is actually importing, as Musk is trying to pretend.

If Musk is so worried about racist views being expressed in debate about the H-1B program’s merits, then why is he ignoring its chronic marginalization of non-Indians or its lack of flexibility for the mostly Indian nationals who end up working in the US under it?

Trump’s MAGA supporters have essentially just picked up on the visible iceberg created by an immigration initiative that has long been exploited by corporate America, attempting to dress up inherently racist selection as meritocracy – and they’re the ones who are being called bigots?

German purchases of Russian uranium surge

The figure for 2024 showed a 70% jump from the previous year

Germany dramatically increased its uranium imports from Russia in 2024, bringing in 60.8 tons, a 70% jump from the previous year, according to a new report from Der Spiegel published on Friday.

The findings are based on data from Lower Saxony’s Ministry for Environment, Energy and Climate Protection.

The uranium is being processed at the Advanced Nuclear Fuels facility in Lingen, which operates under French ownership through Framatome, a division of energy giant EDF. The plant is gearing up to manufacture specialized nuclear fuel cells for the Soviet-designed WWER reactors still running in Eastern Europe. These power plants have historically depended on Russian-made fuel cells.

The German government noted that imports of uranium from Russia are not subject to any of the EU-wide sanctions imposed on Moscow.

“There is currently no European Union import or export embargo against Russia for nuclear fuel for peaceful use,” the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection said.

The EU has long debated sanctioning Russia’s nuclear sector as part of its efforts to sever energy ties with Moscow. Such restrictions, however, have never materialized, as they have been strongly opposed by several EU nations – namely Hungary and Slovakia – that are reliant on nuclear energy cooperation with Russia. 

Last month, the bloc’s new energy commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, admitted the EU had failed to overcome its dependency on Russian energy and urged a new plan to curtail the supply of oil, gas, and nuclear fuel from the country.

“It’s obvious to everybody that something new needs to happen because… now it’s beginning to go in the wrong direction,” Jorgensen said, promising to present “a tangible roadmap that will include efficient tools and means for us to solve the remaining part of the problem.”

Mike Johnson narrowly re-elected as US house speaker

The Republican has kept his position after an extended round of voting on Capitol Hill

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has been re-elected, in a narrow, party-lines vote. Johnson was elected after a pause in voting, with multiple Republicans initially refusing to back him.

Johnson was elected on Friday by 218 votes to 215, with Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie the sole member of the GOP to vote against him. All 215 House Democrats voted for New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries.

With Republicans holding a slim 219-215 majority in the House, Johnson could afford only two defections. When voting opened earlier on Friday, Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas joined Massie in opposing Johnson’s nomination.

However, both lawmakers changed their minds after speaking to Johnson during a brief recess.

Johnson replaced California Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker in October 2023, after a small band of hardline Republicans ousted McCarthy for his perceived loyalty to the party’s Democrat-friendly establishment. While Johnson was previously viewed as a member of the GOP’s establishment wing, he has spent much of his speakership portraying himself as a stalwart ally of President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump lent Johnson his endorsement on Monday. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the incoming president described Johnson as “a good, hard working, religious man.”

“A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129-year most consequential Presidential Election,” Trump added.

Johnson angered hardline Republicans last year when he passed a series of mammoth foreign aid bills, including one that gifted $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. The Louisiana lawmaker has since said that he no longer has “an appetite for further Ukraine funding,” and has backed Trump’s repeated promises to end the conflict shortly after being sworn into office later this month.

German MP calls for NordStream to be reactivated

Sevim Dagdelen has accused her country’s government of “happily watching the destruction of European industry”

Germany should respond to the rising energy prices caused by Ukraine's refusal to transit Russian gas to EU countries by repairing and reactivating the Nord Stream pipelines, leftist German MP Sevim Dagdelen has proposed.

Ukraine refused to extend its transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom beyond the end of 2024, cutting off the flow of natural gas fomr Russia to Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Italy and Moldova.

Ukraine’s decision caused EU gas prices to spike to €50 per megawatt hour, a figure unseen since October 2023.

"Ukraine drives the energy price up further by stopping the transit of Russian gas in Europe,” Dagdelen wrote on X on Thursday, complaining that “the German government and the EU are happily watching the destruction of European industry due to high energy prices.”

Energy costs soared in Germany after the government renounced Russian oil and gas imports in 2022. Whereas the country once relied on Russia for around 55% of its natural gas supply, it has struggled to make up the shortfall, and its leading manufacturers – including Volkswagen, Bosch, and BASF – have all announced layoffs and plant closures.

Prior to the start of the Ukraine conflict, Germany received gas from Russia via the Nord Stream 1 pipelines, while Nord Stream 2 was due to come online in 2022. Berlin revoked the certification for Nord Stream 2 several days before Russia’s military operation in Ukraine began, and both sets of lines were destroyed in an act of sabotage in September of that year.

While German investigators have reportedly settled on the theory that the pipelines were destroyed by Ukrainian saboteurs, American journalist Seymour Hersh maintains that they were blown up by the CIA and US Navy. The head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, has blamed “professional saboteurs from the Anglo-American special services,” referring to the US and UK.

In her post, Dagdelen called for the pipelines to “finally be put into operation,” and for the German government to “stop giving money to Kiev!”

Dagdelen is a member of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a leftist political faction that supports rapprochement with Russia and shares the right-wing Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) anti-immigration stance. The party’s leader, Sahra Wagenknecht, recently blamed the Ukraine conflict on the failure of the US to acknowledge Russia’s “red lines.”

Back in September, Wagenknecht declared that “if Ukraine is responsible for the terrorist act against the German energy supply, the arms deliveries must end immediately and the question of compensation must be put on the table.”

Dagdelen is not the first German MP to demand that Nord Stream be reopened. In September, AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla called the undersea pipes “a lifeline of German industry,” and declared that “Nord Stream must be repaired, opened, and secured.”

Central Asian president reveals advice he gave Trump on Ukraine

Russia is invincible, Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the US president-elect

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told US President-elect Donald Trump that Russia cannot be beaten on the battlefield and that Ukraine’s survival hinges entirely on Western aid, the central Asian leader revealed in an interview published on Friday by the outlet Ana-Tili. 

Trump had sought his opinion on the matter during a telephone conversation last month, Tokayev said.

“The situation is unique: Russia is militarily invincible, and Ukraine hopes to survive the war with the help of its Western allies, at least not to lose it,” the Kazakh leader explained.

Ending the hostilities “depends on the will and desire of the heads of the conflicting countries and, of course, Trump himself as the leader of a world power,” the Kazakh president added.

While Kazakhstan is “not asking to be mediators anywhere,” it is “always ready to help in resolving international problems,” Tokayev noted.

Astana practices a “multifaceted” foreign policy but is also firmly committed to developing a strategic partnership and allied relations with Russia, according to Tokayev. He described Russian President Vladimir Putin as “an experienced statesman” who “understands the specifics of Kazakhstan” and also mentioned that the two countries share the longest continuous land border in the world.

Tokayev has brought up Russia’s military invincibility before. At a meeting of the Astana Think Tank Forum in October, the Kazakh leader said he had shared this view with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“Russia is militarily invincible. This is a fact confirmed by Russia’s military potential, the support of the country’s population for President Putin’s policies, and by history itself,” Tokayev said at the time.

Wanting to end the conflict through negotiations is “not a sign of weakness, but an expression of strategic prudence,” he added at the conference. “The alternative is a war of mutual extermination. Perhaps some world powers are interested in this, but this is a path to the abyss.”

Trump overwhelmingly won the US presidential election in November while campaigning on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict “within 24 hours.” Not much is known about any peace plan he might propose, aside from media speculation.

Moscow has voiced readiness to talk and set out its terms for ending the fighting. Meanwhile, Kiev has insisted on perpetual Western support for its war effort and outlawed any talks with Russia while Putin is president.

Ukrainians abroad targeted in draft notice scam – officials

Poland’s Office for Foreigners has shared a letter that threatens immigrants with extradition if they reject conscription

Ukrainians living in Poland have been sent fake draft notices threatening criminal liability and deportation if they do not comply with a demand to report for conscription, Polish officials have claimed.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Poland’s Office for Foreigners shared a letter dated December 12 which warned an unnamed Ukrainian of a supposedly imminent visit by Polish officials.

”The purpose of this visit is to ensure your transfer to a mobilization point in connection with the obligation of military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the fake document read.

It went on to warn that if a potential recruit does not comply, Polish officials could take “further steps” to enforce mobilization. Draft dodgers, the letter said, “may face criminal consequences, including extradition to Ukraine.”

The official stressed that his office “is not the author of such letters.” While resembling official documents, they contain neither the agency’s logo nor specific articles of Ukraine’s mobilization laws.

Kiev’s embassy in Poland also addressed the issue, stating that Ukrainian conscripts, reservists, or those eligible for military service “are not being sent draft summonses or notifications.”

It remains unclear who is behind the purported scam. The Office for Foreigners did not specify whether it has launched an investigation into the matter.

The Ukrainian government has long tried to persuade citizens who fled the country after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022 to return home, with media reports suggesting it was pressuring the EU to cut financial aid to Ukrainian immigrants. As of October 2024, there were nearly 4.2 million Ukrainians who were granted temporary protection status in the EU, with Poland accounting for nearly 1 million.

Poland has also become home to the so-called ‘Ukrainian Legion’, a volunteer unit made up of Ukrainian citizens living in the country. According to officials in Kiev, the unit has received more than 1,000 applications, and some of its members have already been deployed to Ukraine.

‘Unpredictable’ Trump could help end Ukraine conflict – Zelensky

The US president-elect can be “decisive,” a quality which could help in resolving the situation

US President-elect Donald Trump could play a major role in ending the Ukraine conflict, Vladimir Zelensky has suggested. He made the remarks during an interview with Ukrainian TV that aired on Thursday, describing Trump as “unpredictable” and capable of achieving peace through “resolute” actions.

During his presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he could end the conflict in 24 hours. His team’s reported peace plans call for a 20-year delay in Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations, a freeze in the fighting, and the establishment of a demilitarized zone patrolled by European peacekeepers to monitor the ceasefire.

According to Zelensky, Trump’s pledge to end the conflict in one day may be unrealistic, but strong US leadership which he represents could make a significant difference in achieving peace.

“Trump can be decisive. I think for us this is the most important thing. He can be resolute, he can really stop [Russian President Vladimir] Putin or help us stop Putin,” Zelensky stated.

“A lot depends on Trump… I think Putin is afraid of him… I think he is strong and unpredictable and I believe he really wants to end the war,” he added, saying that with Trump on Kiev’s side it would be “easier” for Ukraine to gain support from its European allies and approach negotiations with Russia “from a position of strength.” 

Zelensky also called for firm security guarantees for Ukraine, including NATO membership, as the foundation for long-term peace. He stressed that any settlement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In early December, Zelensky met with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris for talks about possible steps toward peace. Following the meeting, Trump said Ukraine “would like to make a deal” with Russia and called for renewed negotiations and a ceasefire. Zelensky, however, later rejected Trump’s call, writing on X that a “ceasefire without guarantees can be reignited at any moment.”

Moscow counts Kiev’s aspiration to join NATO as among the root causes of the conflict and has insisted that all the goals of its military operation, including Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, must be a part of any potential peace deal. A settlement must also begin with Ukraine ceasing military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” that it will never regain control of its former regions that chose to join Russia.

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian authorities do not believe the fighting between Moscow and Kiev can be stopped at the moment. He reiterated Russia’s readiness for peace talks, but added that it will continue its advances on the front line as long as Kiev remains reluctant to negotiate.

Bernie Sanders confronts Musk on Indian immigrants

The US senator slammed the tycoon over his defense of H-1B visas, arguing they help replace Americans with low-wage foreign workers

US Senator Bernie Sanders has taken a swipe at Elon Musk over his defense of the H-1B immigration program, arguing that it only helps enrich billionaires who rely on cheap foreign labor while undermining ordinary Americans.

The H-1B visa program allows US companies to employ foreign workers in fields requiring advanced skills in fields such as technology, engineering, and medicine. It has been described as the only significant channel for foreign graduates to enter the US workforce, with the vast majority of approved petitions going to Indian nationals in recent years.

Both Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who US President-elect Donald Trump picked to lead his proposed ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ initiative (DOGE), have spoken out in support of the program. Musk, reportedly a former H-1B recipient, suggested that this type of visa “made America strong” by attracting foreign talent, while vowing to “go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”

Musk’s critics say the H-1B program has been of great benefit to his own companies – Tesla and SpaceX – as well as other big US corporations.

Writing on X on Thursday, Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, joined the critics.

“Elon Musk is wrong. The main function of the H-1B visa program is not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad. The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make,” he wrote.

Sanders noted that from 2022 to 2023, the top 30 largest US companies using the program hired over 34,000 new employees under H-1B, while laying off at least 85,000 American workers.

“The H-1B program must be ended. Bottom line. It should never be cheaper for a corporation to hire a guest worker from overseas than an American worker,” he said.

In 2016, Trump, who is known for his hardline stance on immigration, called the scheme “very unfair” to American workers and said it should be ended.

In late December, however, Trump appeared to have changed his mind and expressed support for the program.

“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” he said. Asked about the apparent flip-flop, Trump denied that he ever changed his mind, the New York Times reported.

Some of Trump’s biggest supporters, however, are critical of H-1B. Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist under Trump, called the program a “scam” that benefits “Silicon Valley’s sociopathic overlords.”

“It’s disgusting to talk about ‘high-skilled foreign workers’ while bringing in slave labor,” he said.

FSB eliminates Ukrainian saboteur in dramatic standoff (VIDEO)

The individual had been plotting an attack on a local law enforcement officer on Kiev’s behalf, according to the security agency

Russian security services have eliminated a Ukrainian operative during a tense confrontation in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday.

The individual, who has not been named, had reportedly been working with Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known as the GUR, to target a local law enforcement officer.

When FSB agents moved to arrest him, the saboteur barricaded himself in a residential building, according to the FSB. The standoff ended with the Ukrainian operative killed in a firefight, although he reportedly first managed to detonate a hand grenade, which caused moderate damage to the building.

A handgun, an improvised explosive device (IED), and fragments of a hand grenade were recovered from the scene, the FSB said.The operative’s firearm, a Makarov pistol, appears to have a threaded barrel suitable to accept a silencer attachment. 

Over the course of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, multiple Russian officials and public figures have been killed in assassinations attributed to Kiev’s spy agencies. Numerous plots, involving both Russian and Ukrainian nationals, have also been foiled by Russia’s security agencies.

Late in December, the FSB said it thwarted a Ukrainian plot to assassinate a prominent military blogger and a high-ranking Russian officer with an IED disguised as a portable music speaker and filled with ball bearings for added lethality. The suspect, a Russian national recruited by the GUR, was apprehended by the FSB, while the bomb was safely defused.

Never Home Alone: Russian films to defrost your soul

Legendary Soviet blockbusters, Russian box office favorites, and hidden gems: Six Russian movies for a festive holiday spirit

With time, Hollywood holiday blockbusters eventually lose their novelty. Watching the same movie for the umpteenth time can eventually get boring, and inevitably the moment comes when you crave something different. Below, we’ve chosen six Russian and Soviet holiday movies that offer a new perspective on the holidays and the magic of the season.

‘The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!’ (1976) 

It’s hard to imagine New Year’s in Russia without ‘The Irony of Fate’. It’s safe to say that this is the country’s best-known holiday movie, which has become a symbol of New Year’s. It’s been nearly half a century since the film was released on January 1, 1976. What’s remarkable is that this movie was made for television – it was never released in the theaters. Split into two one-and-a-half-hour parts, the episodes are always shown together as a single three-hour movie.

Interestingly, the tradition of showing this movie on New Year’s Eve only began in 1994. Before that, it was just one of the many popular holiday films, but it wasn’t a definitive part of the New Year’s movie playlist. Nowadays, it’s impossible to imagine the holiday season in Russia without ‘The Irony of Fate’.

It’s difficult to say what exactly made this film so popular, since every scene in it is special – cutting out even the smallest part of it would disrupt its magic. It’s also important to note that, despite the holiday narrative, ‘The Irony of Fate’ touches upon many social issues and is quite multi-layered. In it, we find romance, comedy, and satirical comments on a timeless issue for people all over the world – housing problems.

The movie opens with a satirical depiction of the standardized apartment blocks in large cities (in fact, it shows a brief animated sequence). The story then follows the main character, middle-aged doctor Evgeny Lukashin, who pays a traditional New Year’s Eve visit to the ‘banya’ (Russian steam bath) with friends, where he gets very drunk. His equally drunk companions only remember that one of them has to fly to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) that night, and mistakenly decide that Evgeny is the one. On landing in Leningrad, the still drunk Evgeny takes a taxi ‘home’. It turns out that both in Leningrad and Moscow, there are streets with the same names, identical apartment buildings, and apartments with the same layout – in fact, even his keys fit the lock perfectly! Thus begins the love story between the Moscow doctor and a schoolteacher who is the owner of the apartment in Leningrad.

It’s interesting that many viewers still struggle to define who they sympathize with. The main characters are both about to get married and are planning their respective weddings when an ironic twist of fate transforms their lives and brings them together, but leaves those who once loved them heartbroken. The film doesn’t pass judgment on anyone – it neither sympathizes with the protagonists nor comments on the actions of others. It simply shows that such things indeed happen in life, and that it’s not up to us to judge the choices of others.

‘Wizards’ (1982)

The movie ‘Wizards’ is structured to resemble a classic Russian fairy tale, featuring Ivan and his beloved Alyonushka, who the villains attempt to separate. Alyona is turned into an evil sorceress, forcing Ivan to break the spell and confront the villains. However, two key aspects made this movie one of the most beloved holiday classics in Russia.

Set in the early 1980s – around the time of the movie’s release – the story unfolds in a remote scientific research institute dedicated to studying magic. The institute’s director and his deputy are the villains, while Ivan and Alyonushka are shown as young and talented staff members. The deputy, wishing to win Alyonushka for himself, forces the director to side with him. The unconventional take on a classic Russian fairy tale in a modern setting was truly groundbreaking at the time.

Another important element is the film’s underlying message, which is a common feature of many Soviet films. It openly criticizes sluggish bureaucracy, the arrogance of those in power, and the rigidity of the establishment. Many Soviet films integrated social commentary into the context of supposedly ‘light’, entertaining films. ‘Wizards’ seamlessly combines musical comedy with references to famous Russian fairy tales, allowing viewers to enjoy it as both a whimsical tale and a satirical movie with elements of absurdity. But however you interpret it, the movie is quite entertaining and captures the festive holiday spirit.

Equally important is the fact that the screenplay was written by the brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky – Russia’s most renowned science fiction authors at the time. It came as a surprise that such esteemed authors had written the script of a whimsical holiday fairy tale, given their reputation for tackling profound topics. However, even in this context, the Strugatskys infused the script with profound meaning and poignant observations. 

‘Old New Year’ (1980)

Despite the title, few people remember that ‘Old New Year’ is a holiday film. It’s worth noting that the concept of the ‘old’ New Year originated in Russia in 1918 when the newly established Soviet government decided to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, joining most countries worldwide. As a result, all dates shifted by two weeks, and many people found it quite difficult to adjust to the new reality. Interestingly, the Orthodox Church still celebrates Christmas according to the Julian calendar on January 7 instead of December 25. This is how the notion of the old New Year came about, which, according to the new calendar, falls on the night of January 13-14. 

Today, fewer people celebrate the old New Year since the shift happened over a century ago. But not long ago, many people still observed it – in addition to another excuse to celebrate, it allowed them to confidently say that the New Year had arrived according to all calendars.

As the title suggests, the events of the movie ‘Old New Year’ unfold on January 13-14. It revolves around two families living in the same building. The first family consists of intellectuals – people of high moral standards with degrees in the humanities, extensive knowledge, and a touch of aristocratic flair. In the second family, we see successful working-class people who are simple and open, and are also celebrating their housewarming party.

The film is a highly nuanced exploration of the mid-life crisis. Despite their wealth and successful careers, the main characters in both families are depressed and struggle to understand what is going on in their life. Adding to their distress is the realization that the holiday season is over, the euphoria has faded, and the grind of everyday life is about to resume. In this context, the old New Year becomes more than just another party, but an opportunity to reflect on life’s true priorities.

'Old New Year' (1980) Directed by Naum Ardashnikov, Oleg Yefremov

‘Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka’ (1962)

The movie ‘Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka’ is based on Nikolai Gogol’s story ‘The Night Before Christmas’, which is part of a collection of short stories by the great Russian writer. Although it’s quite challenging to adapt classic literature to the screen, the movie’s creators succeeded in making a vibrant, magical film that appeals to audiences of all ages. Two key factors contributed to this success.

Firstly, Gogol had a deep appreciation for folklore and often incorporated fairy tale elements into his works, blending mysticism and supernatural forces into the narrative. Secondly, the film’s director, Aleksandr Rou, was famous in Russia for his adaptations of Russian fairy tales. By infusing Gogol’s text with his unique vision, Rou transformed the story into a true New Year’s adventure.

The story begins in a Ukrainian village, where a blacksmith named Vakula falls in love with Oksana, the daughter of a wealthy Cossack. This proud young woman sets an impossible task for the simple man – he must fetch her the shoes of none other than Empress Catherine the Great. Desperate to win her affection, Vakula receives unexpected help from the devil and together they embark on a journey to the capital, St. Petersburg, to meet the empress.

‘Six Degrees of Celebration’ (2010)

Great holiday movies weren’t just made in the Soviet Union, but in modern Russia as well. One great example is ‘Six Degrees of Celebration’, released in 2010. This holiday anthology features eight interconnected stories set in various cities across Russia, from Moscow to Yakutsk. Beyond the exciting stories, the movie offers an authentic journey through Russia.

Despite its fragmented structure, the comedy is tied together by a single narrative – people from different cities are surprisingly connected to each other through mutual acquaintances. This effectively illustrates the theory of six degrees of separation. A central theme of all the stories is that holiday miracles happen thanks to the actions of ordinary people, not magical forces.

Although ‘Six Degrees of Celebration’ was directed by six different directors, it maintains a cohesive structure while adhering to the anthology film format. The movie was a great commercial success in Russia and eventually turned into a franchise with 12 films to date. But since quantity often compromises quality, the first film still stands out in a particular way.

‘A Man in My Head’ (2009)

No list of holiday movies would be complete without this hidden gem. ‘A Man in My Head’ is a perfect example of an underrated yet brilliant holiday film, featuring unexpected plot twists and an interesting idea.

The story revolves around Alyona, a bookstore owner who goes to the ice rink just before the holidays, where she falls and injures her head. When she wakes up in the hospital, she discovers a strange man’s voice inside her head. As she comes to terms with this bizarre situation, Alyona decides to put her ‘inner man’ to good use. During the week leading up to New Year’s, she tackles a series of challenges by balancing two different viewpoints and ultimately finding the ‘golden mean’.

‘A Man in My Head’ is a unique take on the widely accepted notion that humans are inherently social creatures. By engaging the help of an outside ‘observer’ and considering an alternative viewpoint, Alyona discovers better solutions to her problems. What starts as a fantastical story evolves into a thoughtful exploration of the idea that one should never approach life from a narrow perspective or see things from just one angle. And, of course, it reminds us that the ‘miracle’ that everyone hopes for can indeed happen on New Year’s Eve.

'A man in my head' (2009) Directed by Alexey Pimanov

Taiwan reunification ‘closer than ever’ – Chinese ambassador

The country’s envoy in Moscow, Zhang Hanhui, believes the necessary strength is in place

China is making significant strides toward achieving its long-held goal of reunification with its self-governed region of Taiwan, according to Zhang Hanhui, Beijing’s ambassador to Russia. It follows a recent statement made by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who described reunification as inevitable.

In an opinion piece for RIA Novosti published on Friday, Zhang denounced Washington’s involvement in the affairs of the island, which Beijing insists is its sovereign territory.

“Reunification is a historical trend and the right path, albeit one that involves hardships. ‘Taiwan independence’ is… a path doomed to failure. The Chinese nation has always adhered to the common belief that territory cannot be divided... the nation cannot be fragmented,” Zhang wrote.

“China is closer than ever in its history to achieving the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he added.

Beijing is “full of confidence and possesses the strength to achieve... the complete reunification of the country,” the ambassador said.

Self-rule was established in Taiwan by nationalist forces after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Only a handful of nations currently recognize the island’s sovereignty, with most of the world, including Russia, complying with Beijing’s request that it be seen as part of the People’s Republic.

While the US officially adheres to the One-China policy, recognizing Taiwan as part of China, it simultaneously engages in military cooperation with the government in Taipei, provoking indignation from Beijing.

Last month, US President Joe Biden authorized $571 million in arms and supplies for the self-governing island.

Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims and insists upon its sovereignty. Under President Tsai Ing-wen, the island has consistently opposed China’s “One Country, Two Systems” framework. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs frequently condemns Beijing’s actions as provocative and detrimental to regional peace.

China held large-scale military drills around the island in October. The government in Taipei has claimed that Beijing will never “renounce the use of force” against it.

Despite this, Zhang reiterated Beijing’s preference for peaceful reunification, a sentiment previously expressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Zhang accused the United States of using Taipei as a tool to contain China, blaming Washington for escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait. He also acknowledged Russia’s consistent support for Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy, calling it a testament to the close strategic partnership between the two countries.

Elon Musk calls for release of British right-wing activist

Tommy Robinson should be freed while Keir Starmer should face charges for his mishandling of a mass-rape scandal, the billionaire has declared

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk has called for the release of Tommy Robinson, a controversial British right-wing activist jailed in October for airing a documentary containing libelous claims about a Syrian refugee.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for claiming in a documentary that a Syrian teenager who was attacked at a Yorkshire secondary school in 2018 had a lengthy record of attacking female students.

”Free Tommy Robinson!” Musk declared in a post on X on Thursday, before posting a link to the libellous documentary.

Robinson is an ardent critic of mass immigration and Islam, and was one of the leading voices on the right condemning the ‘grooming gangs’ scandal, in which groups of Asian men raped and tortured thousands of underage girls in towns across northern England over the last two decades. Almost all of the perpetrators were Pakistani men, and the victims white British girls.

Free Tommy Robinson!@TRobinsonNewEra

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2025

Successive British governments have declined to investigate the scandal, while the police mishandled cases, arrested victims and covered up the existence of the gangs, official inquiries later found.

In a slew of posts on Thursday and Friday, Musk drew attention to some of the most egregious cases of police mishandling of the scandal, including one incident in Rotherham where officers arrested a father who attempted to rescue his daughter from a house where she was being raped, and another where they arrested a rape victim without questioning the alleged perpetrators.

The scandal was a case of “state-sponsored evil,” Musk wrote in one post.

Musk shared posts condemning Lord Ahmed, the Muslim mayor of Rotherham who was later found to have sexually assaulted two children, and Prime MInister Keir Starmer, who led the Crown Prosecutorial Service between 2008 and 2013.

“In the UK, serious crimes such as rape require the Crown Prosecution Service’s approval for the police to charge suspects,” the billionaire wrote. “Who was the head of the CPS when rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice? Keir Starmer, 2008 -2013.”

“Starmer was complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN,” he continued in another post, adding that the prime minister “must go and he must face charges for his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain.”

Musk also shared a poll showing widespread discontent with Starmer’s government, declaring that “a new election should be called in Britain.” The Tesla tycoon – who has previously clashed with Starmer over the PM’s crackdown on online dissent following a spate of riots this summer – described Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party as “the only way to save” the UK.

Musk earlier met with Farage at US President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, with some media outlets claiming he had pledged as much as $100 million in support for the British party. Musk, however, denied the reports.

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