Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Israel strikes port and energy targets in Yemen Iran pauses the process to implement a new, stricter headscarf law for women, official says Bloomberg’s Marc Champion: Trump’s ‘max pressure’ policy on Iran might finally work Killing of top Russian general is a message from Ukraine: you aren’t safe—even at home Revenge attacks in post-Assad Syria fuel fear and mistrust Russia withdraws air-defense systems, other advanced weaponry from Syria to Libya North Korean troops suffer 100 deaths, struggling in drone warfare, South Korea says Bloomberg’s Karishma Vaswani: Beijing and Pyongyang will exploit South Korea’s turmoil Corruption in China’s military threatens its readiness, U.S. says CEPA’s Christopher Cytera: Chip wars: how to trump China US imposes more sanctions over Pakistan's missile program US government tells officials, politicians to ditch regular calls and textsIn The News
Israel
For decades after Israel conquered the Golan Heights, the minority Druze community that lives in this mountainside village considered themselves Syrians. But for many younger Druze in the area, Israel is the only country they have known, and they see their future there, not in Syria. – Wall Street Journal
The United States, joined by Arab mediators, sought to conclude an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the 14-month-old war in the Gaza Strip, where medics said Israeli strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians on Wednesday. – Reuters
The Israeli military said on Thursday that sirens sounded in numerous areas in central Israel after a missile was launched from Yemen. – Reuters
The brother of an Israeli man held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants Hamas criticized the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday for inaction and urged it to “send a resonating message that terror will never prevail.” – Reuters
The United Nations’ senior expert on torture visited the Israeli kibbutz communities attacked on Oct. 7, 2023, for the first time on Wednesday to offer support to families of Israelis abducted by Hamas fighters to the Gaza Strip. – Reuters
Israeli airstrikes on Yemen killed nine people early on Thursday, said Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by the Houthi movement controlling much of the country. – Reuters
Israel’s deputy foreign minister said Syria’s new leaders are “wolves in clothes of sheep,” who are trying to persuade the world they are not radical Islamists — but her government isn’t convinced. – Bloomberg
CIA chief William Burns has arrived in Qatar in an attempt to bridge the gaps between Hamas and Israel and complete the formulation of an agreement to release hostages over the next few days – Haaretz
At least NIS 100 million (nearly $28 million) will be needed to rehabilitate nature sites in northern Israel, where 223,000 dunams (over 55,000 acres) have been burned by fires caused by rockets and other projectiles fired from Lebanon by the Hezbollah terror group, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said. – Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to hold a high-level meeting on Thursday with top security officials as efforts to reach a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas appeared to gather momentum, Israeli televion reported Wednesday. – Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured the mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria for 12 years, that the IDF is not conducting airstrikes in areas of the country where he might be held, according to a copy of a letter obtained by Walla. – Jerusalem Post
The Hamas terror group is optimistic regarding the possibility of a new prisoner swap-ceasefire deal in the near future – one which will end the war in Gaza and free hundreds of convicted terrorists. – Arutz Sheva
As negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a potential hostage-prisoner exchange gain momentum, the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds reported Wednesday that discussions are focusing on which Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for Israeli hostages held in Gaza. – Ynet
Jonatan Shimshoni writes: It requires grabbing the bull by the horns and wrestling the Palestinian-Israeli impasse to the floor, where success has eluded past administrations. The US’s regional allies have reportedly internalized the key lesson of this past year: Absent a dynamic constructive process, the Israeli-Palestinian arena is bound to explode, undermine regional stability, and create threatening internal dynamics – from Jordan and Egypt next door to Saudi Arabia and others in the Gulf. In light of this development, a determined US initiative is likely to be reciprocated by its Arab allies mobilizing to do much of the heavy lifting. – Jerusalem Post
Harley Lippman writes: The actions taken by the IDF in recent days show that Jerusalem is determined to safeguard that border and its people from any spillover of the internal fighting in Syria. At the same time, Israel’s leadership must see what strategic gains are to be made over the next months and years, as Syria emerges from the fighting to a new dawn, and an extremely pro-Israel US president and administration enter the White House. An opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime – it would be a shame to miss it. – Jerusalem Post
Uri Kaufman writes: Netanyahu authorized setting off the pagers. Then he ordered an airstrike in the Beirut neighborhood of Dahiyeh that wiped out Hezbollah’s senior leadership. These actions indeed widened the war. But only to the extent that they opened the door for Syrian rebels to rid the region of Bashar Assad’s brutal regime. Iran’s proxy army has collapsed. Hamas is surrounded in a tiny part of Gaza, trying to negotiate a hostage deal. Its fondest ambition is to survive. – Jerusalem Post
Gary Willig writes: This agenda-driven ‘reporting’ has dangerous real-word consequences. It lends credence to the attempts to punish Israelis for the crime of living at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. It gives politicians cause to criticize Israel for things they would do if they were in Israel’s shoes and to push to cut off arms sales to the Jewish State.Most egregiously, by pursuing a narrative instead of facts, these mainstream media outlets feed the antisemitism that has made the world a far less safe place to be a Jew over the last year. – Arutz Sheva
Rami Chris Robbins writes: Under US law UNRWA and its staff have no immunity as murder, rape, and abduction of Jewish civilians is outside the scope of UNRWA’s official duties.For decades we have said that UNRWA schools, teachers, and textbooks are the mother’s milk feeding Palestinian radicalization and terror. Even before October 7, we said that UNRWA had become an active supporter of terrorism, not just a malignant actor. Following UNRWA’s direct involvement and support on October 7, 2023, there is no other reasonable conclusion: the UN Agency has become a foreign terrorist organization according to US law. – Arutz Sheva
Dan Perry and Chris Stephen write: Originally, there were three Hamas leaders in the court’s crosshairs, but two are confirmed dead and the court has been unable to obtain, despite strenuous efforts, proof of life for the third, Deif. A more cautious panel of judges would have required the chief prosecutor Karim Khan to find new Hamas suspects, rather than issue indictments weighted against Israel. Its critics can also point to the court’s ineffectiveness. After 22 years of existence, with more than $3 billion spent, it has achieved only six war crimes convictions, a pathetic record for a court that claims to be the summit of human rights law. Some think the court has accepted its fate. – The Hill
Iran
Iran has paused the process of implementing a new, stricter law on women’s mandatory headscarf, or hijab, an official said — a bill that many believe could have reignited the protests that engulfed the Islamic Republic after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. – Associated Press
The Iranian rial on Wednesday fell to its lowest level in history, losing more than 10% of value since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election in November and signaling new challenges for Tehran as it remains locked in the wars raging in the Middle East. – Associated Press
The main US adversary in the region, Iran, has seen its so-called Axis of Resistance devastated in the 14 months since Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 in the deadliest attack on the country in decades. – Bloomberg
With Iran suffering increasing rates of hyperinflation and mounting regional setbacks, and with questions regarding the leadership’s succession plans abounding, prospects for the mullah regime’s survival appear to be dimming. – New York Sun
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump had a window to negotiate with Iran, saying the development of a nuclear weapon by Tehran was not inevitable. – Agence France-Presse
Marc Champion writes: Trump’s maximum pressure campaign was designed to get Iran to agree to long-lasting nuclear restrictions as well as less aggressive missile and foreign policies. He will have unprecedented leverage to secure such a deal once he returns to office and should use it to the full. Bombing Iran’s nuclear sites, by contrast, should be considered only when all else has failed; the costs will be high, success hard to attain and the consequences unpredictable. – Bloomberg
Farhad Rezaei writes: As Khamenei admitted in his recent speech, they sought to assist Assad, but their efforts were thwarted by Israel and the United States, both on the ground and in the air. Assad’s fall, along with the destruction of Hamas and Hezbollah, would mark the end of Iran’s regional hegemony project, severely limiting its ability to project power, rebuild proxy groups, and supply them with arms. The US and Israel should seize this opportunity to try to change the regime by supporting the Iranian people who seek change, a critical step toward achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. – Jerusalem Post
Seth Mandel writes: At moments like this we see the activists and protesters who have enabled these crimes for who they are. They aren’t just now finding out what goes on in Sednaya prison and others like it. They did not back a regime that turned out to be evil. They chose to back an evil regime, eyes wide open […]The Iranian empire responsible for the barbaric crimes in Syria, in Gaza, in Lebanon may be receding, but now is not the time to look away. Now is the time to sear into our memories just how low Tehran’s apologists are capable of sinking. – Commentary
Russia & Ukraine
For more than two years, Russia’s expanding war economy fueled consumer spending and juiced company profits. But latterly, the conflict has pumped up inflation and interest rates, pummeling bottom lines and leaving a trail of disgruntled Russian oligarchs and executives in its wake. – Wall Street Journal
The attack on Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was part of an escalating campaign by Ukraine’s security and intelligence services to kill high-profile figures in Russia’s war effort. Its aim is to bring the fight to Russia, raising the immediate costs of the war for Moscow’s leaders. – Wall Street Journal
Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and other European leaders at Mr. Rutte’s residence in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the deteriorating situation in the war with Russia and how Europe can offer more support to Kyiv. – New York Times
Russia will protect its citizens and peacekeepers in Moldova’s separatist Transdniestria region, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. – Reuters
The World Bank said on Wednesday its executive board approved $2.05 billion in Development Policy Operation funding for Ukraine that includes the first grant from a new $20 billion U.S. loan fund for Kyiv that is backed by income from frozen Russian sovereign assets. – Reuters
Ukraine struck Russian territory with at least 13 missiles and 84 drones, triggering a fire at an oil refinery in the southern Rostov region that burned for hours, Russian officials said on Thursday. – Reuters
Russia can definitely work with the administration of Donald Trump after he is sworn in as U.S. president next month, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday. – Reuters
An oil spill from damaged tankers has contaminated a long stretch of sandy beaches along the Russian Black Sea shoreline, polluting the air and threatening wildlife in one of the worst ecological disasters to hit the region in years. – Reuters
Russia now views arms control over the vast nuclear arsenals that were built up during the Cold War to be a thing of the past due to the lack of trust between Moscow and the West, Russia’s top general said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Russia said on Wednesday that Ukraine had repeatedly dropped white phosphorus munitions from drones in September, but Kyiv denied it had used such weapons and said it was Moscow which had used prohibited chemical substances on the battlefield. – Reuters
Ukraine on Wednesday dismissed a Russian allegation that its drones repeatedly dropped white phosphorus in September as “false and nonsensical”, saying that Kyiv was fully compliant with its international arms control obligations. – Reuters
Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza said his mother was in hospital in Berlin on Tuesday, while German police said they were investigating a case of attempted homicide. – Reuters
Britain on Thursday said it would send an additional 225 million pounds ($286 million) of military equipment to Ukraine to help it in the war against Russia. – Reuters
Andriy Yermark writes: Ukrainians crave a peace that is just and sustainable, one that protects Ukraine, the U.S., Europe and our collective interests around the world. We must coalesce around new security, economic and legal measures that protect our shared interests. Only this kind of framework will prevent Mr. Putin from again threatening and invading Ukraine—and deter authoritarians worldwide from attacking other U.S. allies and partners. – Wall Street Journal
Lev Stesin writes: Putin was looking forward to the “reset” provided by Donald Trump and his desire to negotiate some agreement over Ukraine. Russia was approaching the future negotiations from a position of growing strength. That was only a month ago. Vladimir Putin feels personally humiliated by Assad’s collapse. Betraying allies was exclusively an American thing. That is not the case anymore. Putin will try to improve his world position before the talks over Ukraine commence. He is angry and may become reckless. Georgia and Moldova provide two immediate opportunities to re-assert Russia’s standing. The outgoing and new administrations must be vigilant and ready for Russia, the wounded maestro of the chaos, to strike back. – Algemeiner
Igor Anokhin and Spencer Faragasso write: Russia is launching near daily barrages containing dozens of drones and missiles on Ukraine’s infrastructures and military installations. The development of decoy drones poses a complicated challenge for Ukrainian defenders […]Ukraine now needs to weigh deciding which drones to target, how to assess if the drone represents a true threat, and how to conserve ammunition for the airborne weapons that take priority. More Western defense aid in the form of anti-aircraft artillery ammunition, interceptor missiles, advanced state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems, UAV detection and radar systems, and hunter-killer-interceptor drones are urgently needed to shore up Ukrainian defenses. – Institute for Science and International Security
Lera Burlakova writes: This is not to say that Russian art should be “canceled.” Instead, it should be critically scrutinized — analyzed like evidence in court, studied by researchers, or dissected under a microscope. We must ask ourselves: What stories are being told? Whose voices are missing, and why? What historical and political context is being ignored? […]As we confront the devastation caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is well worth ensuring cultural consumption doesn’t inadvertently become a route for imperial narratives that fuel its aggression. Russian art must be seen in the context of the state that produces it, whether for domestic use or for export. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Syria
Rebels burned four homes Sunday in the retaliatory attack, a day after a family in al-Hakeem had attacked one of their pickup trucks, killing at least three fighters. – Washington Post
The White House has given the rebel group that toppled the Syrian government a list of former officials who might have knowledge about Austin Tice, an American journalist who was abducted in Damascus in 2012. – New York Times
Shortly before the first domestic flight since Bashar al-Assad’s fall landed at Aleppo International Airport late Wednesday morning, the final preparations were still being made. Workers rushed to remove about a dozen empty ammunition boxes, gas masks and helmets from a grassy patch next to the runway. – New York Times
France said on Wednesday it would host an international meeting on Syria in January and that the lifting of sanctions and reconstruction aid would be conditional on clear political and security commitments by the transitional authority. – Reuters
Hadi al-Bahra, head of the Syrian National Coalition that grouped opponents of Bashar al-Assad during the civil war, said on Wednesday Syria’s transitional government should be credible and not exclude any Syrian party or be based on sectarianism. – Reuters
Assaf Orion writes: Besides its immediate defensive goals, Israel’s presence on Syrian soil is probably rooted in a desire to seek operational advantages against possible new threats down the road and gain leverage that can help it negotiate improved security arrangements in the Golan. Yet the longer this presence lasts, the more it will be seen as an illegal land grab, and the higher the risk of provoking action against it—whether in the form of local forces trying to liberate Syrian land, international players applying more political pressure, or both. – Washington Institute
Alexander Langlois and Abed al-Thalji write: The opposition’s organization, coupled with the weakening of Assad’s partners inside and outside of Syria, appears to have broken the so-called “frozen” conflict […]As a result, Syrians have a rare opportunity to rebuild their country in line with UNSCR 2254. For this process to succeed, it must be Syrian-led and Syrian-owned—should international actors actually allow that to happen. Regional states, in particular, must end their zero-sum national security thinking and adopt pragmatic policies that support Syrian aspirations and not merely narrow, near-sighted national interests. – The National Interest
Turkey
Turkey-backed forces are aiming to capture more territory in northern Syria from Kurdish groups, according to Turkish officials familiar with the matter, a move that could stir tensions with the US. – Bloomberg
There is no ceasefire deal between Turkey and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, contrary to a US announcement on the issue, a Turkish defense ministry official said on Thursday. – Jerusalem Post
Bernard-Henri Lévy writes: The Turkish economy is fragile and would not withstand sanctions. The United States still has a few hundred men on the ground, despite their withdrawal in 2019. And they have, along with Europe, considerable leverage: Turkey’s presence in NATO. Will we make use of this leverage? Will we brandish, even if it is complicated to implement, the threat of expulsion from an alliance that presupposes a minimum of shared values? Will we dare to tell Ankara: “Don’t touch our Kurdish friends… this is the ultimate red line… the West rebuilt itself 75 years ago on the ‘never again’ of genocide… stop”? – New York Sun
Middle East & North Africa
Russia is withdrawing advanced air-defense systems and other sophisticated arms from bases in Syria and shifting them to Libya, U.S. and Libyan officials said, as Moscow scrambles to preserve a military presence in the Middle East after the collapse of the Assad regime in Damascus. – Wall Street Journal
Delegations from rival Libyan institutions resumed talks in Morocco on Wednesday to try to break a political deadlock and prevent the country from sliding back into chaos. – Reuters
The Oman Investment Authority (OIA) has acquired a stake in the artificial intelligence company XAI owned by Elon Musk, Omani state news agency said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Egypt has made significant progress in removing antisemitic and anti-Christian content from its school textbooks, and about 80 percent of Egyptian students in elementary or preparatory education are learning from the “reformed” versions, according to a new report published by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (Impact-se), an Israeli watchdog group. – Algemeiner
Douglas Bloomfield writes: Both men want Saudi Arabia to join the accords, but in the wake of the Gaza war, the Saudis have upped the ante to include serious Israel-Palestinian negotiations about statehood. Netanyahu rejects Palestinian sovereignty, but he’s been known to engage in negotiations that seemed serious but were going nowhere. The prize for the Saudis is a mutual defense treaty with the United States and civil nuclear cooperation; Trump and Netanyahu will look for flexibility when it comes to the Palestinians. – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
At least 100 North Korean troops deployed to Russia have been killed with another 1,000 injured in combat against Ukrainian forces in intense fighting in the Kursk region, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday citing the country’s spy agency. – Reuters
The United States voiced alarm at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that Russia was close to accepting a nuclear-armed North Korea, as Moscow and Pyongyang defended their growing cooperation. – Reuters
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is willing to present his views himself during legal proceedings related to his short-lived declaration of martial law, a lawyer advising Yoon said on Thursday. – Reuters
As South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s relations with the opposition broke down this year, Western diplomats hoped the internal tensions would not affect his tough stance on China and North Korea that had won praise from Washington. – Reuters
South Korea’s acting leader said Thursday he would veto a spate of contentious bills sponsored by the main opposition party, deepening political strife in the wake of parliament’s impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. – Associated Press
Karishma Vaswani writes: With Seoul preoccupied with political crisis, Kim will be able to strengthen his relationship with Moscow undeterred, as Gabriela Bernal notes for the Sydney-based Lowy Institute thinktank. Both North Korea and Russia may seek to exploit the situation and double down on military collaboration with little fear of South Korean intervention. The news that several hundred North Korean soldiers have died fighting on Moscow’s behalf, is unlikely to prevent further cooperation. – Bloomberg
China
China’s crackdown on corruption within its defense industry could set back its weapons procurement programs, delaying its military modernization, the Pentagon said Wednesday. – Wall Street Journal
China is loosening its visa policy and allowing some travelers to stay in the country for up to 10 days without obtaining the document. – Washington Post
A Chinese man was arrested on the territory of a German naval base, police said on Wednesday, and a public broadcaster said prosecutors were considering spying charges. – Reuters
The Pentagon this week released its annual report on China’s military, which touches on wide-ranging issues related to some of the most important developments in China’s national security over the past year. – Reuters
A U.S. envoy told Reuters that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s team should stay active at the United Nations Human Rights Council, partly to counter what she described as China’s “dangerous” influence. – Reuters
There are no so-called “secret police stations”, China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, after a New York resident who prosecutors say operated such a station pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent. – Reuters
The UK Treasury has drawn up proposals for closer economic ties with China focused on financial services and clean energy, as Keir Starmer presses ahead with his bid to reset ties despite national security concerns. – Bloomberg
Olivia Enos and Alexis Mrachek write: It is of utmost importance that the U.S. work with its allies to counter Uyghur forced labor and implement measures similar to the UFLPA, to ensure that companies do not profit from Uyghur exploitation. The next administration has a unique opportunity to build upon what it accomplished during President Trump’s first term. Targeting Uyghur forced labor is critical to promote and protect those inherent, inalienable rights that all human beings possess, including Uyghurs. – The Hill
Chistopher Cytera writes: TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, continues to pose US data security concerns despite storing data in Virginia and Oregon. Recent reports suggest data transfers to China still occur despite previous assurances. An outright ban is politically sensitive, given the platform’s popularity. Instead, imposing steep fines for data breaches and potential censorship could be warranted […]The Trump administration will take actions that can be implemented unilaterally, hoping to bring along allies. These measures are proposed in that spirit. They would allow the US to target China where it hurts – economically and strategically – without costing taxpayers, while boosting American tech and manufacturing. – Center for European Policy Analysis
South Asia
The Taliban operated openly, running a social experiment unlike anything in the country. Tens — then hundreds — of thousands of people flocked here to escape the war and grow poppy, fleeing the American efforts to wipe out the crop. – New York Times
The United States said on Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan’s long-range ballistic-missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program. – Reuters
Bangladesh’s interim government has accused energy supplier Adani Power of breaching a multi-billion-dollar agreement by withholding tax benefits that a power plant central to the deal received from New Delhi, according to documents seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Sri Lanka is unconcerned about the Adani Group’s dealings with other countries and only focused on its $1 billion worth of projects in the island nation, President Anura Kumara Dissanyake told Indian media during an official visit to Delhi this week. – Reuters
Pakistan on Thursday denounced new U.S. sanctions on the country’s ballistic missile program as “discriminatory” that put the region’s peace and security at risk. – Associated Press
Pakistani authorities on Wednesday postponed a polio vaccination campaign in the country’s restive southern Balochistan province after health workers boycotted it to oppose a proposed privatization of hospitals. – Associated Press
Government forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed five suspected militants in a gunbattle on Thursday, the Indian military said. – Associated Press
At the outset of 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was riding a wave of international acclaim and anticipating an election campaign that looked like such a formality he talked of a thousand-year legacy. – Bloomberg
Asia
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has said he might pardon people who engaged in graft if they return what they stole, underlining his commitment to tackle corruption. – Reuters
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said legal experts would consider clemency requests for Mary Jane Veloso, who had been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking before the two countries reached a deal for her repatriation this week. – Reuters
Vietnam wants to expand its international defence cooperation to build trust and prevent wars, its prime minister said on Thursday, and the United States said it was hopeful its defence industry could play a key role. – Reuters
China and India took a further step towards easing their long-running border dispute on Wednesday, with senior officials holding formal talks for the first time in five years and committing to finding mutually acceptable solutions. – Reuters
A plan by Myanmar’s ruling junta to hold an election amid raging fighting is expected to be discussed in talks on Thursday between its foreign minister and counterparts from neighbouring countries, according to three sources. – Reuters
Australian rescue and medical teams have reached Vanuatu, authorities said on Thursday, where at least 14 people including one French and two Chinese nationals were killed and hundreds were injured in a 7.3 magnitude earthquake two days ago. – Reuters
Two Malaysians who were detained in Guantanamo Bay since 2006 have safely arrived in Malaysia and will undergo a rehabilitation process before being reintegrated into society, state news agency Bernama reported on Wednesday, citing the Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain. – Reuters
Indonesia has been experiencing a mining boom on demand for stainless steel, electric vehicle batteries and more that are needed for the global energy transition. The island nation has sought to expand its mining and processing capabilities while facing backlash from international and local watchdogs for various environmental concerns. – Associated Press
Seven foreign tourists who were hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar were not poisoned by alcohol or illicit drugs, officials said Wednesday following a toxicology report. – Associated Press
U.S. weapons manufacturers could work with Vietnamese counterparts to help build up Vietnam’s armed forces, the U.S. ambassador to the southeast Asian country said on Thursday. – Associated Press
Australia will try to rein in a spike in international student arrivals by imposing different speeds of visa processing, in the latest effort by the center-left government to cut migration numbers ahead of an expected tight election. – Bloomberg
Europe
The man most likely to replace Olaf Scholz as chancellor of Germany after the coalition government fell on Monday earned his fortune working in the private sector before returning to politics at 63. – New York Times
It is also the political disarray across the continent — a wave of instability that is depriving Europe of robust leadership at the very moment that Mr. Trump is challenging its deeply felt support for Ukraine and its hard-fought resistance of Russian aggression. – New York TImes
European Union leaders aim to send a “clear signal” to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at a summit on Thursday about their continued support for Ukraine and will also discuss the security and economic challenges posed by his return to the White House. – Reuters
Poland’s Warsaw Chopin airport will remove security scanners manufactured by Chinese company Nuctech over security concerns, an airport official said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Denmark, which oversees security in and around Greenland, on Wednesday warned of a heightened risk of military confrontation in the Arctic, driven by aggressive threatening behaviour by Russia. – Reuters
The Cour de Cassation, France’s highest court, upheld on Wednesday former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction for corruption and influence peddling. – Reuters
The German government has doubled its arms exports to Ukraine this year and halved them to Israel compared to 2023, data from the economy ministry showed on Wednesday. – Reuters
A new NATO command in the German city of Wiesbaden has taken up its work to coordinate Western military aid for Ukraine, the alliance’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday. – Reuters
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that she was preparing for an early presidential election, saying President Emmanuel Macron’s time in office was all but over. – Reuters
The Netherlands, in coordination with Finland and Sweden, has intercepted Russian aircraft carrying supersonic missiles over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on X on Wednesday. – Reuters
Finland is considering pulling out of an international agreement banning anti-personnel landmines because of Russia’s use of such weapons in Ukraine, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said. – Reuters
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister, faces a possible six-year prison term if a court finds him guilty on Friday of kidnapping a boat full of migrants who were held offshore Italy for almost three weeks in 2019. – Reuters
Bosnia and Herzegovina initialled an agreement with the European Union’s border agency Frontex on Wednesday providing for technical assistance and deployment of EU guards on its borders to control and prevent illegal migration and cross-border crime. – Reuters
Sweden and Finland, which recently gave up neutrality and joined NATO following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sent out updated civil preparedness guides on Monday with instructions how to survive in war. – Associated Press
Even if Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is brought to an end soon, Europe will face a hostile Russia whose battle-hardened army is backed by a war economy churning out huge volumes of armaments. – Bloomberg
Alice Weidel, the long-shot chancellor candidate from the far-right Alternative for Germany, slammed the European Union for destroying the country’s auto industry and proposed winding back the bloc to a free-trade zone. – Bloomberg
Luxembourg’s prime minister said political instability in Germany, France and other nations is slowing the European Union’s agenda as the bloc seeks to boost competitiveness and prepare for Donald Trump’s second presidency. – Bloomberg
The European Commission has started an investigation into Poland’s plan to use state aid for its first nuclear power plant. – Bloomberg
European Union leaders are set to avoid directly calling out China for its support of Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a draft statement they plan to adopt at a summit in Brussels this week. – Bloomberg
After months of pondering, Slovakia has decided to purchase 12 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for its military, according to Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák. The move could encourage Ukraine to intensify its lobbying in Washington as Kyiv seeks the 12 AH-1Z Viper helos that Bratislava rejected. – Defense News
Lance Landrum and Arnis Cimermanis write: Sweden and Finland can and should take on a substantial leadership role in the alliance. As much as the alliance brings stability and security to both nations, they also increase the security of NATO allies and its combined warfighting capabilities. Both countries will be at the forefront on a bevy of issues, including Arctic security, allied policy planning and implementation, regional alignment, cold weather operations, Russian expertise, and civil defense. The Nordic-Baltic region is becoming a new center of gravity in Europe, and the US should encourage all NATO states to engage with their new partners across the full spectrum of national influence, not the least of which is meeting NATO defense and deterrence requirements. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Irina Arabidze writes: Helping Georgia peacefully overcome its repressive regime would demonstrate to American allies across the globe that Washington remains committed to upholding its partners in the face of intensifying great power competition. As the new administration prepares to confront China and address Russian belligerence in Europe, it has an opportunity to showcase its first international success through a low-cost, high-dividend victory in Georgia. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Brendan O’Neill writes: Ireland’s elites are playing with fire. By responding so defensively to Israel’s accusations, they have contributed to the nasty woke prejudice that says charges of anti-Semitism are often a ruse, a ploy designed to silence Israel’s critics […]Racism must always be combatted, except when the targets are Jews, when maybe it should be queried. Racism is ‘rampant’, but anti-Semitism? Have you considered the possibility that that’s a moral panic? Israel offered Ireland’s rulers an opportunity for self-reflection, but instead they doubled down on their poisonous ideology of Israelophobia. A truly shameful moment in Irish history. – Spiked
Africa
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce at the United Nations on Thursday additional funding for humanitarian assistance to Sudan and efforts to support civil society in the country, where a conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes. – Reuters
The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech firm of using conflict minerals in its supply chain, lawyers for the Congolese government told Reuters. – Reuters
Ghana’s Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed two separate cases challenging the legality of one of Africa’s most restrictive pieces of anti-LGBT legislation, paving the way for the president to sign it into law. – Reuters
Morocco has mediated the release of four French nationals held for a year in detention in Burkina Faso, the Moroccan foreign ministry said on Thursday. – Reuters
The Americas
President Javier Milei said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will help boost his free-market overhaul of Argentina as this large South American nation, which had long kept the U.S. at arm’s length, repositions itself closer to Washington. – Wall Street Journal
The government of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele agreed to scale back his ambitious plan to adopt bitcoin as a national currency in exchange for a much-needed $1.4 billion loan by the International Monetary Fund. – Wall Street Journal
Paraguay has reversed its decision to halt cooperation between its antidrug agency and the United States, officials announced Wednesday, a rupture that critics said would have jeopardized critical U.S. investigations in a major cocaine transit country. – Washington Post
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Herschel Walker, the former football star who he had previously backed for the 2022 Senate race in Georgia, as the U.S. ambassador to The Bahamas, Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday. – Reuters
Mexico’s Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch confirmed on Wednesday the death of a staff investigator in the violence-racked city of Culiacan, where a deadly conflict pitting two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel has been playing out for months. – Reuters
As a kid growing up poor in the mountains of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, Javier dreamed of becoming a player with the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. Now in his late 30s, he occupies a critical role in the syndicate, albeit one with little glamour: Javier purchases Chinese-made fentanyl ingredients and smuggles them to drug labs in Mexico, where cartel cooks turn them into the synthetic opioid that is ravaging U.S. communities. – Reuters
Colombia has offered to take custody of Argentina’s embassy in Caracas, where six of opposition leader María Corina Machado’s aides have been sheltered since March. – Bloomberg
A Montreal synagogue was damaged in an apparent firebombing investigators are calling an arson attack – and it’s the second time in just over a year the Jewish establishment was targeted. – New York Post
In a potentially unprecedented move, a Canadian police labour organization has called for the resignation of a sitting prime minister. “Our members have lost faith in Justin Trudeau’s government to do the right thing for the right reasons,” tweeted the Toronto Police Association (TPA) on Tuesday. – Western Standard
Luis Fleischman writes: Therefore, opposition to the regime should not be limited to political action and electoral moves. The opposition should also prepare for an armed confrontation with the regime. Arming the opposition requires will and external aid […]The Maduro regime will not collapse because of electoral processes. It is a Cuban-type regime designed to perpetuate itself indefinitely. Cutting its source of support (which is no longer oil but drugs), taking advantage of its weaknesses, and organizing an armed opposition look like the only cards left in the hands of those who wish to see Venezuelan democracy restored. – The National Interest
United States
The U.S. Congress has two days to avert a partial government shutdown after Republican President-elect Donald Trump rejected a bipartisan deal late on Wednesday and demanded lawmakers also raise the nation’s debt ceiling before he takes office next month. – Reuters
While it is important to keep pressure on China to help further reduce U.S. fentanyl deaths, the incoming Trump administration must be careful to maintain the progress President Joe Biden has made with Beijing on the issue, the head of the White House’s drug-control policy said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Reported sightings of drones over New Jersey have prompted a spike in the number of people in the state pointing lasers at airplanes flying overhead, which is illegal and can be dangerous, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said. – Reuters
Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Wednesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a bid by TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance to block a law intended to force the sale of the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban on national security grounds. – Reuters
A New York resident who prosecutors say operated a “secret police station” in the Chinatown district of Manhattan to aid Beijing’s targeting of dissidents, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent. – Reuters
North American graphite miners asked the U.S. government on Wednesday to impose a tariff as high as 920% on Chinese suppliers of the battery metal in order to counter what they describe as Beijing’s “malicious trade practices.” – Reuters
FBI agents searched the home of Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Brian Williams this week as part of an investigation into a bomb threat made against City Hall, where Williams oversees public safety. – Politico
Cybersecurity
The U.S. government is urging senior government officials and politicians to ditch phone calls and text messages following intrusions at major American telecommunications companies blamed on Chinese hackers. – Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to hear a bid by TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to block a law intended to force the sale of the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban on national security grounds. – Reuters
Russia banned the cybersecurity company Recorded Future on Wednesday, labeling it an “undesirable” organization — much to its CEO’s delight. The company stands accused of collaborating with the Central Intelligence Agency, Ukraine and other countries. – CyberScoop
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a binding directive on Tuesday giving federal agencies a series of deadlines to identify cloud systems, implement assessment tools and abide by the agency’s Secure Cloud Business Applications (SCuBA) secure configuration baselines. – The Record
Defense
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which sets policy for the Pentagon, for the 64th straight year, sending it to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature. – Reuters
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has told Democratic senators that he shares their security concerns over Elon Musk’s reported contacts with Russian leaders but added that the Pentagon has adequate competition in its space programs to prevent over-reliance on the billionaire’s SpaceX. – Bloomberg
The U.S. Army has awarded Palantir a $400.7 million contract to continue providing its artificial intelligence-enabled Vantage system as the service’s main data platform, the company announced Wednesday. – Defense News
The U.S. Navy has wasted $1.84 billion since 2015 on rehabilitating its Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruisers, funds the service would rather have spent on newer technology, according to a government watchdog report. – Defence News
Daniel Henninger writes: The blame-shifting language coming out of Washington about the drones is typical. They are sending the complaining jurisdictions “resources,” while they conduct an “ongoing investigation.” Legislation will be introduced in Congress to sort out jurisdictional responsibility for monitoring drone traffic. And people ask why we need the Department of Government Efficiency.Perhaps the most maddening thing about the no-explanation drone response is the government’s insouciance. The feds are giving the impression that despite public concern, they just don’t care. – Wall Street Journal
Sheldon H. Jacobson: What remains an open question is whether these drones are U.S. or foreign government-owned and operated. If the former is true, then anxiety about their presence is likely unfounded, and information about them should be publicly shared (provided that disclosing such information does not pose a national security threat). If they are foreign-owned, action must be taken. Of course, until definitive information is publicly shared by the FAA, which remains uncharacteristically silent on the issue except for a mostly uninformative joint statement with other government agencies, speculation on the source of the drones will continue, and the potential risks will remain unknown. The best way to end all such speculation and angst is to simply reveal the truth. – The Hill
Michael C. Horowitz and Joshua A. Schwartz write: To adjust to the realities of the present, the Department of Defense should not go all in on just quality or quantity, but focus on both stealth and scale. For the United States, growth by defense technology firms, the launch of a new Pentagon office focused on scaling artificial intelligence adoption, and Congressional support for innovation means there is an opportunity now to build effectively for the future. The incoming Trump administration, given its interest in new and innovative approaches to defense technology, has an opportunity to build on initiatives like Replicator and make this a reality. – War on the Rocks