Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Hamas concedes on Israeli troops in Gaza, raising hopes for hostage deal Suspected Palestinian shooting attack on Israeli bus kills child Iran’s supreme leader accuses U.S. and Israel of orchestrating Assad ouster The Hill’s Jonathan Sweet and Mark Toth: Assad’s fall has Iran desperately searching for a new proxy Russia could launch another hypersonic missile at Ukraine soon, US official says WSJ Editorial: Russia’s assault on Georgia and Romania Washington Institute's Zohar Palti: Syria is the first major aftershock of October 7—with more to come? American Enterprise Institute’s Michael Rubin: Will Syria become the dumping ground for Hamas? South Korea’s martial-law chaos deepens, with a suicide attempt and raids Suicide bomb in Afghanistan kills Taliban minister wanted by the U.S. Dutch woman jailed for 10 years for keeping Yazidi slave in Syria Senators say US must boost security after Chinese Salt Typhoon telecom hackingIn The News
Israel
Hamas has yielded to two of Israel’s key demands for a cease-fire deal in Gaza, Arab mediators said, raising hopes of an agreement that could release some hostages within days despite the repeated collapse of previous negotiations. – Wall Street Journal
There is a chance now for a deal to release all the hostages held in Gaza, including U.S. citizens, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz told his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin in a phone call on Wednesday, Katz’s office said in a statement. – Reuters
A suspected Palestinian shooting attack on an Israeli bus in the occupied West Bank killed a child overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, Israeli emergency services said. – Reuters
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in a call that it was important for the United States and Israel to be in close consultation over events unfolding in Syria, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. – Reuters
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. – Reuters
A top U.S. military officer visited Beirut on Wednesday to monitor the withdrawal of the first Israeli troops from Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement reached last month, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. – Reuters
France on Wednesday called on Israel to respect the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of neighboring Syria and to withdraw its forces from the Golan demilitarized zone between the two countries. – Politico
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar congratulated Switzerland for independently designating Hamas as a terrorist organization through primary legislation in a post on X/Twitter on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
New documents allege to show communications between Israel and the regime of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad regarding Iran’s presence in the region and its weapons-smuggling efforts, according to a report by Sky News Arabia on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF and Shin Bet, in a joint operation, eliminated Fahmi Salami, commander of Hamas’s Nukhba Brigade in its Zeitoun Battalion, the IDF announced Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Karen Amouyal writes: Iran’s Axis of Resistance is undeniably weakened, but Tehran is not out of the game. Whether it retreats, recalibrates, or escalates its nuclear ambitions will shape the region’s future. For those of us watching from the front lines – whether in the North or South of Israel – this is a moment of opportunity and danger. The stakes are as high as ever. How Israel navigates this shifting landscape will determine not only its security but also its place in a Middle East that, once again, is reinventing itself. – Jerusalem Post
Catherine Perez-Shakdam and Stepan Stepanenko write: The collapse of Assad’s regime marks the start of a new and volatile chapter. Whether this upheaval leads to a more stable order or plunges the Middle East into further discord depends on the strategic choices that regional and international actors make now. For Israel and its neighbors, the challenge is to navigate an environment reshaped by the simultaneous weakening of Iran, the unsettling rise of jihadist actors, and the uncertain recalculations of global powers. – Jerusalem Post
Shlomo Levin writes: Amnesty is entitled to point out what it sees as humanitarian violations by Israel and to express its views on the conflict. But this report is yet another example of unaccountable, unelected human rights NGOs trampling on rights in their zest to fight for a popular cause. It hurts Israel, and it also undermines the entire human rights movement in the process. Amnesty should be ashamed. – Algemeiner
Iran
In his first address since the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iran’s supreme leader blasted the United States and Israel, accusing them of orchestrating the overthrow of one of Tehran’s key allies. – Washington Post
President-elect Donald Trump is now considering tapping Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, to be a special envoy for Iran, according to two people familiar with the transition plans. – Reuters
Israel’s arrest of almost 30 mostly Jewish citizens who allegedly spied for Iran in nine covert cells has caused alarm in the country and points to Tehran’s biggest effort in decades to infiltrate its arch foe, four Israeli security sources said. – Reuters
Britain, France and Germany have told the United Nations Security Council that they are ready – if necessary – to trigger a so-called “snap back” of all international sanctions on Iran to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon. – Reuters
The Pentagon on Wednesday flatly dismissed claims by a U.S. lawmaker that Iran might be launching drones over New Jersey from a “mothership” off the East Coast. – Reuters
Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser vowed a return to the maximum pressure campaign that defined Iran policy in the president-elect’s first term, even as leaders in Tehran signal they want to reduce tension. – Bloomberg
Jonathan Sweet and Mark Toth write: The Somali government is at risk, and so too are 480 U.S. Soldiers stationed there, and the 4,000 assigned to the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa Headquarters in neighboring Djibouti. Al-Shabaab would be a dangerous and capable proxy for Iran in the Horn of Africa. In addition to confronting Khamenei’s nuclear weapons program, the incoming Trump administration must maintain maximum pressure and situational awareness against Tehran’s machinations in the Horn of Africa. – The Hill
Russia & Ukraine
As Ukrainian officials brace for what could be severe cutbacks in Western military aid next year, they are scrambling to ramp up their own arms production, especially for weapons systems that can strike deep into Russian territory to replace those supplied by Western governments. – Washington Post
Russia could launch another hypersonic ballistic missile in Ukraine in the coming days, but Washington does not consider the Oreshnik weapon a game-changer in the war, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. – Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used his first meeting with Donald Trump since the U.S. election to explain Ukraine’s need for security guarantees in any negotiated end to the war with Russia, two sources familiar with the Dec. 7 discussions said. – Reuters
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Moscow was not ready to make concessions when it came to Ukraine and that President Vladimir Putin’s own proposals on how to end the conflict needed to be implemented. – Reuters
Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv’s military said on Wednesday, as Moscow bears down on the strategic logistics hub that is home to a unique Ukrainian coking mine. – Reuters
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the U.S. transfer to Ukraine of $20 billion backed by frozen Russian assets was “simply robbery” and suggested Moscow could seize Western assets on its territory “to enhance industrial potential” – Reuters
The United States is continuing to look for creative ways to reduce Russia’s oil revenue and lower global demand for oil creates an opportunity for more sanctions, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday. – Reuters
A Ukrainian drone struck the roof of a police barracks in Russia’s Caucasus region of Chechnya early on Thursday, injuring four people, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said, the second such incident in a week. – Reuters
Russia’s Defence Ministry said that Ukraine had attacked a military airfield in the southern Russian city of Taganrog on Wednesday morning with six U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles and promised retaliation. – Reuters
Russia said on Wednesday that relations with Washington were so confrontational that Russian citizens should not visit the United States, Canada and some EU countries in coming weeks because they risked being “hunted” down by U.S. authorities. – Reuters
Russia on Wednesday accused the Ukrainian armed forces of attacking a car used to transport experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Dec. 10, saying someone could have been killed. – Reuters
Rescue crews pulled two women from rubble several hours after a Russian missile struck a medical clinic in southern Ukraine, killing nine people and wounding 22 others, authorities said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Editorial: Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and now occupies a fifth of its territory. The West’s weak response let Mr. Putin know he could get away with much more as he seeks to rebuild a Greater Russia. Georgians fear Russia’s model for them now is Belarus, where Mr. Putin consolidated control after Russia helped extinguish dissent in the wake of the rigged presidential election in 2020 […]If Ukraine falls to Russia, this is what to expect from the Kremlin in Romania, the Baltics and elsewhere in Europe. – Wall Street Journal
Oleksandra Matviichuk writes: Stopping these drone and missile attacks will be the difference between life and death for many Ukrainians. It will also allow our country and military forces to continue our effort to protect global freedom and democracy from Putin’s unyielding authoritarianism. We know that Putin will stop at nothing to rebuild his idea of the Russian empire and rid Ukraine of the freedoms we fought so hard to protect. With the help of our allies, we will survive the winter, and win the war. – The Hill
Syria
Civilians, militia soldiers, lawyers and a rescue team from Turkey picked through heaps of clothes left in the cellblocks of the military-run Saydnaya prison, and stared at the red rope nooses hanging from a concrete wall behind the building. As many as 50 people were hanged each day in the prison, the State Department said in 2017. – Wall Street Journal
In the end, after 13 years of catastrophic civil war, Syria’s disparate opposition groups toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad in little more than a week. Rebuilding the country, and resolving competing priorities among the rebels, will likely take much longer. – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. dispatched B-52 bombers to carry out airstrikes against more than 75 Islamic State targets in central Syria. Rebels backed by Turkey attacked Kurdish forces and seized territory in the country’s north. And Israel has bombed hundreds of Syrian military targets across the country, methodically demolishing the capabilities of a longtime enemy. – Wall Street Journal
After sweeping into this capital city with ease, exposing the hollowness of the Assad regime after more than half a century of dictatorial rule, Syria’s rebels now face the more daunting task of governance. – Washington Post
Deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad joins a succession of autocratic Arab leaders ousted from power since the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011. His peers in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen were variously toppled, imprisoned, killed or exiled as he clung to power. – Washington Post
Satellite imagery and ship tracking data reviewed by The New York Times show that Russian naval and commercial activity in the key Syrian port of Tartus — which has played a critical role in Moscow’s projection of military power in the region — has ceased since Bashar al-Assad’s government fell on Sunday. – New York Times
The commander of Syria’s largest Kurdish militia has accused the United States of abandoning its Kurdish allies in Syria, key partners in America’s fight against the Islamic State, and warned of a resurgence by the Islamic State amid political uncertainty in Syria. – New York Times
The main commander of the fighters who toppled Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday that he would dissolve the security forces of the former regime, close its prisons and hunt down anyone involved in the torture or killing of detainees. – Reuters
Two U.S. congressmen have urged senior American officials to suspend some sanctions on Syria to ease pressure on its shattered economy after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, according to a letter dated Dec. 10 and seen by Reuters. – Reuters
There are currently 99 million Swiss francs ($112 million) worth of frozen Syrian assets in Switzerland, most of which have been blocked for years, the Swiss government said on Wednesday. – Reuters
The United Nations atomic watchdog said a probe into potential Syrian nuclear-weapons activities was interrupted by the ouster of President Bashar Al-Assad, just as monitors closed in on a breakthrough in the long-running investigation. – Bloomberg
Former Syrian President Bashar Assad was reportedly turned down after asking Russian President Vladimir Putin to help establish an Alawite statelet along Syria’s coast. – Washington Examiner
Mona Yacoubian writes: As the euphoria over Mr. al-Assad’s demise gives way to Syria’s complex reality, the challenges associated with the country’s new power brokers are only starting to emerge. Power vacuums, infighting and threats to Syria’s many minorities could provoke renewed chaos and violence. Yet Syria could also transform its nightmare into a nascent and inclusive state that reflects the diversity of its mosaic of religious sects and ethnic groups. – New York Times
Zohar Palti writes: In any case, support from France, Germany, and the United States will be crucial to determining the future of the Syrian Kurds—NATO nations must discuss this issue candidly with their alliance partners in Ankara, which views the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as an offshoot of its main domestic enemy, the terrorist-designated Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). On December 10, U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Michael Kurilla visited with SDF officials in Syria and stated that America remains committed to helping it carry on the fight against the Islamic State. Such statements—backed by the continued deployment of U.S. forces in Syria—will be instrumental to riding out the aftershocks of October 7 and the fall of Assad. – Washington Institute
Alexander Crowther and Jahara ‘Franky’ Matisek write: There is much gloom in the commentary about Syria’s future, a sad echo of Western disappointment in Libya and elsewhere in the early part of the century. But there are strategic gains tantalizingly within reach. Quite apart from the opportunity to damage Russia’s dangerous colonial projects, we could see Turkey benefiting as 3 million Syrian refugees who have temporary protection status return home, a setback for Iran’s regional ambition, an end to the ISIS presence and a halt to the old regime’s noxious involvement in Captagon drug smuggling. A stable Syria that shuns terrorism and war is a prize worth the struggle. As Shakespeare might have put it, Out of this nettle, chaos, we pluck this flower, opportunity. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Michael Rubin writes: In the short term, Israel’s buffer in the Golan Heights is wise, but in the longer term, a transplanted Hamas will undermine the largely Palestinian Kingdom of Jordan on Syria’s borders even more. King Abdullah II may be dead man walking unless the United States and its allies approach the region with greater proactivity. Syria was a terror sponsor under former President Bashar al-Assad on behalf of Iran and Hezbollah; it now will become a terror sponsor under Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani on behalf of Turkey and Hamas. The extremism and players may change, but the terror problem will be harder to eradicate. – American Enterprise Institute
Middle East & North Africa
President Biden’s two top national security officials left for the Middle East on Wednesday as the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s longtime autocratic ruler, to militias has prompted a diplomatic scramble in the region. – New York Times
Rights organisations strongly criticised FIFA on Wednesday after world soccer’s ruling body officially awarded the 2034 men’s World Cup to Saudi Arabia. – Reuters
Syrians lined up at the Turkish border on Wednesday to head home after rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad, speaking of their expectations for a better life following what was for many a decade of hardship in Turkey. – Reuters
Egypt’s reformed school curriculum is now teaching a more positive representation of Israel and peaceful coexistence, according to a report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE), published in December. – Jerusalem Post
Efraim Inbar writes: Recent developments also provide an opportunity to strengthen and expand the Abraham Accords. The Trump administration will find this more than welcome; a strong Israel, apprehensions about Iran, and a supportive America were the elements that led to the accords. Unfortunately, Israel has obtained this position only after enduring a costly war initiated by Hamas. This is the price the Jewish state has to pay periodically to survive in a tough neighborhood. – Jerusalem Post
Frida Ghitis writes: Who could have imagined that the Oct. 7 attacks would end in the collapse of the Assad regime, the death of Nasrallah, the defanging (at least for now) of Hezbollah, the collapse of much of Iran’s ability to project power across the Middle East and the humiliation of Russia as its protégé became a political refugee and Moscow’s ability to project power in the region was crippled? Alas, nobody knows what’s next for the region. Nerves are on edge. It’s too soon for anyone to confidently declare anything like a lasting victory. The aftermath of Hamas’ monumental miscalculation is yet another Middle East lesson in the law of unexpected consequences. – Politico
Korean Peninsula
South Korea’s martial-law crisis widened as the imprisoned former defense minister attempted suicide, investigators said they would seek to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol and police attempted to raid the presidential office. – Wall Street Journal
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday angrily defended his shock decision to declare martial law last week and signaled he would not resign from office, as a second effort to impeach him gathers momentum. – Washington Post
North Korean media on Thursday reported that public anger in South Korea was growing against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling party following the short-lived martial law last week. – Reuters
From plastic surgery clinics to tour firms and hotel chains, South Korea’s hospitality sector is wary of the potential impact of a protracted political crisis, as some overseas travellers cancel trips following last week’s brief bout of martial law. – Reuters
South Korea’s top court upheld on Thursday a two-year jail term for an opposition lawmaker on charges including bribery and academic fraud in a scandal that has deepened the political divide in the country and disenchanted many young voters. – Reuters
South Korea’s ruling party on Thursday picked Kweon Seong-dong, a veteran politician close to President Yoon Suk Yeol, as its new floor leader. – Reuters
China
In recent days, Beijing has launched a regulatory probe into U.S. semiconductor champion Nvidia, threatened to blacklist a prominent American apparel maker, blocked the export of critical minerals to the U.S. and squeezed the supply chain for drones, offering clues into how non-tariff measures are likely to dominate China’s tool kit. – Wall Street Journal
The de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said on Thursday that Chinese military activity in the region is currently elevated but it did not see that wider activity as a response to President Lai Ching-te’s recent U.S. visit. – Reuters
China’s ruling Communist Party has expelled Gou Zhongwen, the former director of the State General Administration of Sport, dismissing him from public offices for serious violations of law and discipline, state media said on Thursday. – Reuters
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing multiple sources. – Reuters
A powerful blast rocked a residential high-rise building in an affluent district of the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Wednesday, killing one person and sending shockwaves through nearby skyscrapers. – Reuters
China’s top leaders and policymakers are considering allowing the yuan to weaken in 2025 as they brace for higher U.S. trade tariffs as Donald Trump returns to the White House. – Reuters
Taiwan demanded Wednesday that China end its ongoing military activity in nearby waters, which it said is unilaterally undermining peace and stability and disrupting international shipping and trade. – Associated Press
Taiwanese officials detected 53 Chinese military aircraft, 11 People’s Liberation Army Navy ships and eight other Chinese government ships operating around the island over a 24 hour period starting on Tuesday. – USNI News
Minxin Pei writes: China has focused on acquiring advanced hardware and training to transform the PLA into a potent fighting force. But high-tech weaponry and training cannot make up for poor leadership. If anything, a military rotten from top to bottom is bound to lose a conflict with a professionally managed rival. Miao’s fall should encourage Xi to rethink the commissar system. No other reform can eliminate the most lethal threat to China’s national security. – Bloomberg
South Asia
An Islamic State suicide bombing in Kabul on Wednesday killed a Taliban minister who was a senior member of the notorious Haqqani family, with a U.S. bounty on his head for terrorist activities, in the highest-profile casualty since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan three years ago. – Wall Street Journal
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has withdrawn his request for a U.S.-backed $553 million loan to build a terminal for a deepwater port in Sri Lanka — the latest fallout since his indictment in the United States last month on fraud-related charges rocked U.S.-India relations. – Washington Post
Thousands of members of youth and student bodies belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Wednesday held a road march procession from Bangladesh’s capital toward its eastern border with India to protest against an attack on a diplomatic mission earlier this month and alleged desecration of Bangladeshi flags in India. – Associated Press
India and Britain will resume their talks on a free trade agreement by the end of January, an Indian government source told Reuters on Thursday. – Reuters
Asia
Two senior members of Taiwan’s government are in the United States to meet people connected to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, five sources told Reuters, in an effort by Taiwan to establish ties with the incoming administration. – Reuters
A New Zealand immigration official has overturned a ban on the U.S. conservative political commentator Candace Owens entering the country, citing “the importance of free speech,” a spokesperson for the official said Thursday. – Associated Press
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi scored a fresh legal victory Thursday as prosecutors dropped their challenge against his graft acquittal, a development that risks eroding public trust in Anwar Ibrahim’s government. – Bloomberg
The Australian government has signed a confidential agreement with Papua New Guinea, its second security pact in the Pacific in just under a week, in the latest move by the US ally to attempt to contain China’s growing strategic presence in the region. – Bloomberg
Europe
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany called for a confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday, taking the first formal step toward disbanding the German government and leading to snap elections likely to oust him from office. – New York Times
Travelers from the United States, Canada and dozens of other countries who do not require visas to enter the United Kingdom will soon need to apply for digital authorization in order to visit or transit through the country. – New York Times
Finland’s ministry of defence said on Thursday it had blocked seven real estate transactions involving two Russian buyers on grounds that allowing the acquisitions to take place could threaten national security. – Reuters
Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Wednesday that the large U.S. proportion of Western defense spending is unfair to Washington and that Europe needs to step up and bolster its defense industries to deter Russia and China. – Reuters
Romania’s pro-European parties reached a firm commitment late on Tuesday to form a governing majority that cordons off the hard right and potentially endorses a single candidate for a re-run of the country’s annulled presidential election. – Reuters
Sweden is leaving behind a foreign policy of seeking to be a “moral great power” on the global stage and will focus more squarely on Swedish interests and security, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Austria’s lower house voted on Wednesday in favour of lifting the parliamentary immunity of the leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Herbert Kickl, to let prosecutors investigate an allegation of perjury as prosecutors requested. – Reuters
European Union ambassadors agreed a 15th package of sanctions on Russia over its war against Ukraine, targeting its shadow tanker fleet and Chinese firms making drones for Moscow, diplomats said. – Reuters
Poland will make joint defence financing a priority during its presidency of the EU given alarm over matters from the Ukraine war to the return of NATO-sceptic Donald Trump to the White House, Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said. – Reuters
A Dutch court on Wednesday sentenced a woman to 10 years in prison for joining Islamic State in Syria and keeping a Yazidi woman as slave. – Reuters
The European Union on Wednesday gave a greenlight to Poland and other countries on Europe’s eastern flank to temporarily suspend asylum rights when they believe that Belarus and Russia are “weaponizing” migrants to destabilize the bloc. – Associated Press
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday that his government will protect major television stations in the country, like the U.S.-owned TVN, against hostile purchases, in a move aimed at protecting from any such attempts by Russia. – Associated Press
French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking a political deal that would allow him to both name a new prime minister and “guarantee the stability of the country,” following the resignation of ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier, a spokesperson for the outgoing government said Wednesday. – Associated Press
French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the deployment of a postwar peacekeeping force in Ukraine when the two meet in Warsaw on Thursday, a European Union diplomat and a French official told POLITICO. – Politico
The United Kingdom will “indefinitely” ban the sale and supply of puberty blockers for those under the age of 18, the Department of Health and Social Care announced on Wednesday. – New York Sun
Prosecutors on Wednesday called for two years in jail for a man suspected of punching and kicking Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam during the first day of the trial over the night of violence that sparked accusations of antisemitism. – Agence France-Presse
Ireland’s Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Martin received government approval for Ireland to intervene in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Genocide Convention, Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Department announced on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
The leader of an influential far-left Spanish political party who recently served as a government minister appears to have accused Israel of “genocide” in Syria following the collapse of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime this past weekend. – Algemeiner
British Army troops fired a high-energy laser from an armored vehicle for the first time, using beams of infrared light to destroy dozens of flying drones, in what may be a cost-effective way to address the threat of unmanned aerial systems, the Ministry of Defence said. – Defense News
Slovakia and Brazil have signed a memorandum under which Bratislava could buy four Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft for the country’s armed forces. – Defense News
Africa
The videos are a telling sign that the war in Sudan between the country’s military and the rebel Rapid Support Forces has turned into a battleground for more foreign powers, drawing in fighters and weapons from as far as Latin America and Europe. – Wall Street Journal
Indeed, billions of dollars in gold are flowing out of Sudan in virtually every direction, helping to turn the Sahel region of Africa into one of the world’s largest gold producers at a time when prices are hitting record highs. – New York Times
The arrest of mining executives in Mali, threats by Burkina Faso’s junta to strip permits and the seizure of a French-run uranium site in Niger have unsettled Western miners operating in West Africa and could limit further investments. – Reuters
More than 40 people have been killed over the last week in a flare-up of violence between two feuding communities in western Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congolese army and local authorities said. – Reuters
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor told judges on Wednesday that the suspect in the first trial examining war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region two decades ago was a feared militia leader who enthusiastically ordered atrocities including murder, rape and pillaging. – Reuters
Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers state will provide six gunboats to the navy for patrols as part of efforts to help combat oil theft, which has plagued the region, its governor said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Clashes erupted on Wednesday between forces from Somalia’s federal government and the semi-autonomous Jubbaland region, raising concerns that internal rivalries are diverting attention from the fight against the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group. – Reuters
Mali’s armed forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, committed abuses against civilians since the withdrawal of a U.N. peacekeeping mission late last year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday. – Associated Press
Ethiopia and Somalia agreed on Wednesday to hold “technical talks” to resolve a dispute sparked by Ethiopia’s deal with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, according to a statement following talks in Turkey. – Associated Press
Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi defended an initiative to amend the constitution, a move opposition leaders have warned he could use to extend his term in office. – Bloomberg
The Americas
Brazil’s Federal Police said on Wednesday they had dismantled an illegal mining scheme that extracted gold from Indigenous lands worth 4 billion reais ($166 million). – Reuters
Argentina’s former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner took the helm of the Peronist party on Wednesday, vowing a comeback to take on the highly popular libertarian President Javier Milei, who took office last year. – Reuters
Haiti’s government on Wednesday celebrated the reopening of the capital’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport, shut since last month, even as the U.S. aviation watchdog extended a ban on U.S. airlines flying there. – Reuters
Criminal gangs are operating in over a third of municipalities in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest driving a boom in violence, according to a report published Wednesday by a prominent nonprofit organization. – Associated Press
Argentina’s government on Wednesday accused its Venezuelan counterpart of continually harassing six members of the political opposition who have been sheltering for months in the Argentine diplomatic compound in the capital, Caracas. – Associated Press
Haiti’s main international airport reopened on Wednesday to commercial flights, one month after gangs opened fire on planes. It was the second closing this year because of gang violence. – Associated Press
The British monarchy took a hit this week as Jamaica introduced a bill that would ditch King Charles III as its symbolic head of state and turn the Caribbean nation into a full-fledged republic. – Bloomberg
North America
President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to slap a 25% tariff on imports from Canada in his first days in office represents a wild card that threatens to fuel widespread disruption in the Canadian economy, Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem said Wednesday. – Wall Street Journal
Canada is working on a broad plan, including drones and police dogs, to address concerns raised by President-elect Donald J. Trump about the shared border between the two nations, underscoring the urgency of avoiding threatened tariffs that would send its economy into meltdown. – New York Times
A federal congressman was assassinated late on Monday in Mexico’s Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, the latest killing in an outbreak of political violence in the country. – Reuters
TikTok’s Canadian unit said it has filed an emergency motion with Canada’s Federal Court seeking a judicial review of an order that the company shut down its operations in the country on national security concerns. – Reuters
Terry Glavin writes: In Canada, a crime motivated by racial, ethnic, or religious hatred is confirmed as a hate crime only at sentencing, after conviction, based on evidence at trial. Statistics Canada reports that Canada’s Jews were the targets in 70 percent of religiously-motivated hate incidents reported last year. That’s four times as many incidents as those in which Muslims were targeted, who now number 1 in 20 Canadians. Even so, it’s a rare thing for a Liberal politician to utter the word antisemitism in any statement without saying Islamophobia alongside it. – The Free Press
United States
The Biden administration is making a final push to reinforce the communication channels it established between the United States and China before the relationship between the world’s largest economies potentially faces fresh upheaval when President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office next month. – New York Times
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday that the U.S. will “react strongly” when countries try to manipulate their currencies for competitive advantage, but at the moment there is not such market intervention. – Reuters
The U.S. Capitol Police said they arrested a person suspected of assaulting Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace, who recently introduced a bill aimed at blocking the chamber’s first openly transgender member from using women’s bathrooms. – Reuters
In a rare bipartisan push Wednesday morning, senators on both sides of the aisle called on President Biden to instruct his administration to brief the upper chamber by Dec. 20 on efforts underway to free Austin Tice from Syria. – Fox News
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the annual defense bill, allocating nearly $900 billion with substantial funding earmarked for Israel-related initiatives, JNS reported. – Arutz Sheva
Cybersecurity
The United States must do more to address hacking threats after China’s alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to infiltrate American telecommunications companies and steal data about U.S. calls, senators said at a hearing Wednesday. – Reuters
The Justice Department late on Wednesday asked a U.S. appeals court to reject an emergency bid by TikTok to temporarily block a law that would require its Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban. – Reuters
President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would develop artificial intelligence with BRICS partners and other countries, in a bid to challenge the dominance of the United States in one of the most promising and crucial technologies of the 21st century. – Reuters
Malaysia launched on Thursday a national artificial intelligence office aimed at shaping policies and addressing regulatory issues, as it looks to establish itself as a regional hub for AI development. – Reuters
Australia’s corporate watchdog said on Thursday that the country’s federal court ordered crypto exchange Kraken’s local operator to pay an A$8 million ($5.1 million) fine for unlawfully issuing a credit facility to more than 1,100 customers. – Reuters
Google on Wednesday defeated an attempt in a London court to revive a lawsuit brought by a hospital patient on behalf of 1.6 million people over medical records provided to the U.S. tech giant by a British hospital trust. – Reuters
The Australian government said Thursday it will tax large digital platforms and search engines unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organizations. – Associated Press
A CIA analyst charged with leaking top secret details ahead of a planned Israeli attack on Iran earlier this year will remain jailed pending trial, a judge ordered Wednesday. – Times of Israel
A Russian nation-state threat actor has been observed leveraging tools from other cybercriminal groups to compromise targets in Ukraine, a recent report by Microsoft Threat Intelligence disclosed. – Cyberscoop
Defense
Chinese strikes on airfields will stymie U.S. military aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region if there is a conflict, a new study says, recommending that the United States invest in cheap, uncrewed aircraft and runway repair capabilities. – Reuters
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a defense policy bill on Wednesday, governing a record $895 billion in annual military spending, despite inclusion of a controversial policy targeting gender-affirming care for transgender children. – Reuters
The group that successfully persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to ban race-conscious admissions at civilian colleges is expanding its fight to end affirmative action at military academies with a new lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force Academy. – Reuters
FBI Director Christopher Wray announced he will resign before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, prematurely ending his historic and tumultuous tenure as head of the nation’s top investigative law enforcement agency. – Bloomberg
The Space Force expects its newest space observation satellites, Silent Barker, to be ready for initial operations early next year, according to the head of U.S. Space Command. – Defense News
Federal investigators arrested a 39-year-old man this week after accusing him of flying a drone and taking pictures of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, an arrest that comes amid other high-profile drone swarms at U.S. military bases. – Military.com
Tony Abbott writes: It is a tragedy that so many Americans have perished in recent wars. But the best way to honor their memory is to be smarter about future conflicts, not to surrender the ideals for which they died. Allies can pick up the slack. Australia and others should swiftly move to spend 3% of gross domestic on their armed forces. Britain and Europe should take a stronger lead on Ukraine. The West’s military-industrial base must be rebuilt. Effectively managing this transition is the great challenge Messrs. Trump and Vance must meet. Much hangs on their success. – Wall Street Journal
Nicole Malliotakis writes: The safety and security of the American people must always be our top priority, and we need to know whether these devices pose a threat to our homeland. While drones can be a tremendous tool for our law enforcement agencies, unchecked and unidentified flights near sensitive locations demand immediate action and close coordination across our federal agencies. The fact that the current administration and its agencies have neither intercepted these objects nor acted with urgency is shocking, concerning and unacceptable. Anything less than real answers and an action plan leaves us vulnerable to threats we cannot afford to ignore. – Fox News