World News

Summary

Trump mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada” on Truth Social, following recent discussions about tariffs on Canada.

Trump has joked about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, linking the idea to U.S. trade deficits with Canada and Mexico.

Trudeau, responding to tariff threats, pledged to counter any unfair trade measures.

The remarks have sparked lighthearted responses, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford joking about the War of 1812 and Sen. Bernie Sanders referencing Canada’s healthcare system.

Summary

Russia has imposed a 55.65% tariff on Chinese furniture sliding rail parts, previously exempt from duties, angering both Russian manufacturers and Chinese commentators.

Industry leaders warn the tariff could bankrupt importers, raise domestic furniture prices by 15%, and harm Russia’s furniture industry, which relies heavily on Chinese imports.

Critics note similar European imports face lower duties.

The move has sparked feelings of betrayal in China, despite booming bilateral trade reaching $240 billion in 2023.

The tariff comes amid U.S. sanctions and China’s critical role in supporting Russia’s economy during the Ukraine war.

Israeli forces destroyed the Syrian military fleet in an operation on Monday night as part of a broad campaign to eliminate strategic threats to Israel, defence minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, during a visit to a naval base in Haifa.

“The IDF (military) has been operating in Syria in recent days to strike and destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel. The navy operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet with great success,” Katz said.

Reuters reports that in a statement he said Israeli forces were establishing themselves in the buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and said he had ordered a “sterile defensive zone” to be created in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, to prevent any terrorist threat to Israel.

Summary

Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton stated he would not stand beside Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander flags at press events if elected prime minister, arguing for unity under a single national flag.

Dutton called the use of multiple flags “confusing” and divisive.

Indigenous leaders and critics, including Mick Gooda and Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, condemned the stance as divisive and dismissive of Indigenous cultures, which are represented by official Australian flags.

This follows Dutton’s history of opposing symbolic Indigenous measures, including the Voice to Parliament referendum.

A sponge made of cotton and squid bone that has absorbed about 99.9% of microplastics in water samples in China could provide an elusive answer to ubiquitous microplastic pollution in water across the globe, a new report suggests.

Just as importantly, the filter’s production appears to be scalable, the University of Wuhan study authors said in the paper, which was peer-reviewed and published in the journal Science Advances. That would address a problem that has stymied the use of previous microplastic filtration systems that were successful in controlled settings, but could not be scaled up.

If it is successfully deployed on a larger scale in forthcoming research, the filter could change the course of one of the world’s most serious public health crises.

“Microplastic remediation in aquatic bodies is essential for the entire ecosystem, but is challenging to achieve with a universal and efficient strategy,” the study’ authors wrote in the paper.

Summary

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed the deployment of over a dozen Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, integrating the country’s military with Russia under the Union State treaty.

Signed by Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, the treaty allows joint use of Russian nuclear weapons, though Moscow retains control.

Putin’s updated nuclear doctrine lowers the threshold for nuclear use, even in response to conventional attacks.

Critics, including Belarusian opposition figures, denounce the treaty as undermining Belarus’s sovereignty, while Lukashenko has also requested advanced Russian missiles, escalating tensions with NATO and neighboring countries.

https://archive.is/YWzvN

A Mexican federal congressman has been assassinated, in the latest killing in an outbreak of political violence in the country.

The Veracruz attorney general’s office confirmed the death of Benito Aguas, a member of the leftist government’s ruling coalition in the 500-member lower house of congress.

Another man was also found dead at the scene, according to the attorney general’s office, adding that an investigation into the suspected murders was ongoing.

Local media reported that Aguas was shot multiple times in the mountainous municipality of Zongolica in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz and died later from his wounds.

The UN would consider taking the Syrian rebel group that toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad off its designated terrorist list if it passes the key test of forming a truly inclusive transitional government, according to a senior official at the world body.

Geir Pedersen, UN special envoy for Syria, held out the prospect of removing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the organisation’s list of proscribed terrorist groups. But he said the group could not seek to govern Syria in the way that it had governed Idlib, the northern province where it was based and from where it led the military breakout that resulted in the sudden collapse of the Assad regime.

At a briefing in Geneva, Pedersen also said Syria remained at a crossroads and that the situation was extremely fluid.

He urged Israel to cease its land and aerial attacks inside Syria immediately, saying the development was very troubling. “The bombardment needs to stop,” he said. He added that Israel’s actions around the Golan Heights represented a violation of the disengagement agreement signed with the UN in 1974.

Summary

A U.S. court blocked Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to amend his family trust to give control of his media empire to his son Lachlan, deeming it a "carefully crafted charade" favoring Lachlan over his siblings.

The trust is currently set to equally divide control among Murdoch’s four eldest children after his death.

The ruling highlighted bad faith efforts by Rupert and Lachlan and was welcomed by the other siblings.

Murdoch and Lachlan plan to appeal the decision, which has sparked internal family tensions likened to the TV drama Succession.

Summary

Satellite images show Russian warships missing from the Tartus naval base in Syria after rebel forces ousted Bashar Assad in a swift offensive, ending his 13-year rule.

Earlier images from December showed warships docking and leaving intermittently, but all vessels were gone by December 9.

The loss of Tartus and the nearby Khmeimim airbase, key to Russia's military logistics, would be a significant blow.

Moscow has not confirmed its forces' status.

The U.S. attributes Assad's downfall to weakened support from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah.

Summary

A 35,000-year-old carved turtle sculpture, discovered deep in Manot Cave, Israel, may represent the earliest evidence of religious behavior in the Levant.

Found in a secluded chamber possibly used for rituals, the dolomite boulder was intentionally placed and shaped with flint tools, suggesting its use as a totem or spiritual figure.

Turtles hold symbolic significance in global mythologies, often representing longevity and strength.

The discovery highlights the ritual practices of prehistoric humans and adds to Manot Cave's significance, already known for evidence of Neanderthal-human interbreeding.

Summary

As Biden accelerates military aid to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration, uncertainty looms over U.S. support for Kyiv.

Biden has approved $2 billion more in aid, eased restrictions on longer-range missiles, and advanced a $50 billion loan backed by frozen Russian assets.

Ukraine braces for reduced U.S. support under Trump, who calls for a ceasefire likely favoring Russia.

Moscow, stretched by escalating offensives, faces mounting losses, including setbacks in Syria.

Zelenskyy urges continued Western aid, warning that a premature ceasefire would benefit Putin.

Summary

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported China’s largest naval deployment in nearly 30 years, with 47 military aircraft and 12 warships detected near the island in 24 hours.

This buildup surpasses China’s 2022 drills and is aimed at asserting control over the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan accused China of trying to make the Strait an “internal sea” and remains on high alert following recent tensions, including President Lai Ching-te’s visit to the US.

Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has not publicly commented but vowed to defend its sovereignty.

> The Russian agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source on Assad and his family being given asylum in Moscow, his longtime ally and protector. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but contacted the Kremlin for comment.

> RIA also said Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria.

> Assad reportedly left Syria early Sunday, and Syrians have been pouring into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule.

Summary

Taiwan detected 47 Chinese military aircraft and 12 warships in the last 24 hours, the highest number since China ramped up war games two months ago.

The increased activity follows a visit by Taiwan’s President to the US, which China views as a threat to its sovereignty.

Summary

Malaysian lawmakers voted in favor of broadening the government’s control over the internet, unmoved by criticism that the law risks suppressing dissent and free speech.

The bill imposes stricter penalties on content violations and grants sweeping powers to law enforcement, such as the right of any authorized officer to search and seize without a warrant. Service providers may also be held liable under the law, and compelled to disclose user data to authorities during investigations of alleged violations.

Archived at https://archive.ph/VNQYc

The review said victim testimonies dating from the 1970s suggested that Father Thaddeus Kotik, who died in 1992, was a “serial and prolific” child abuser on Caldey Island, a tiny community home to Cistercian Order monks off the coast of south Wales. The scenic island and its abbey are popular tourist attractions.

Victims alleged that Kotik used sweets, chocolate and a tortoise to lure girls and boys to isolated locations on the island, and that he befriended families living on the island with affection, gifts and babysitting offers to access the children.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt.”

Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad’s brutal rule.

There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance.

The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress.

“It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media.

Summary

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is recovering in intensive care after undergoing a successful craniotomy to treat a brain bleed caused by a fall in October.

The 79-year-old underwent surgery at São Paulo's Sirio Libanês hospital following a Monday MRI that detected an intracranial hemorrhage.

Doctors reported no complications and said Lula is "doing well" under close monitoring.

The injury had previously led him to cancel a BRICS summit trip.

>In Texas, we documented 858 migrant drownings, while the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is legally mandated to record migrant deaths, recorded 587 along the entire southwest border. In Mexico, where no single agency is comprehensively documenting migration-related deaths, we found records of 249 people who drowned in the river. > >... > >Our data on drownings reveals the changing demographic of those dying in the Rio Grande as more families with children attempted to cross. In 2023 about one in five drowning victims was a woman and one in ten a child. More people from nationalities other than Mexican were increasingly dying in the river. After peaking in 2022, drowning deaths dropped in 2023 but analysis of available data for 2024 indicates they are rising again. > >... > >Four-year old Angelica was found clinging to her father’s lifeless body in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas. Her family, originally from Venezuela, had fled the brutal economic and political situation in their home country, and were seeking a better life in the United States. The entire family, Angelica’s father, mother, uncle, and 11-year-old brother, Santiago, drowned while trying to wade across the Rio Grande in November 2023. Angelica was the only survivor. > >Carolina, 27, and her children Kylian, 3, and baby Noel, just two months old, fled the dictatorship in Nicaragua to join her husband in the United States. Both of the children drowned in August 2022, in the same section of river, where police and soldiers have been deployed to stop asylum seekers from touching US soil. > >Militarizing the river is a binational effort. In 2022, as the number of drowning deaths peaked, so did Mexico’s deployment of soldiers to turn back asylum seekers: more than 11,500 soldiers from the Army and the National Guard were sent that year, double the number in 2019, when Mexico first deployed its military as immigration enforcers. > >In Texas, under Operation Lone Star, more than 10,000 National Guard soldiers and police have been deployed to the river, since it began in March 2021.

Incidentally, the Washington Post investigated alongside with Lighthouse on this story and also wrote an article (arc'd)

> The Israeli prime minister is facing corruption charges that could see him sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

> Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing multiple corruption charges in Israeli courts, is due to testify on Tuesday for the first time in his trial.

> He is up against three separate cases of corruption filed in 2019: Case 1000, Case 2000, and Case 4000, which include allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

Summary

North Korea is set to receive Soviet-era MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets from Russia in exchange for deploying thousands of troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo.

While the troops are reportedly in combat zones, their direct involvement in fighting remains disputed.

This military collaboration has raised concerns about the potential transfer of advanced technology to bolster North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.

The growing Russia-North Korea alliance has been called a “dangerous escalation” by U.S. officials and has alarmed regional powers like South Korea.

Summary

Haitian gang leader Monel “Mikano” Felix reportedly ordered the massacre of at least 110 people in Port-au-Prince’s Cite Soleil slum after accusing elderly voodoo practitioners of cursing his son.

Victims, primarily voodoo followers, were killed with knives and machetes over two days.

Cite Soleil, a gang-controlled area, has become emblematic of Haiti’s worsening gang violence, which persists despite international interventions.

Voodoo, recognized as a formal religion in Haiti, has deep historical roots but remains stigmatized amid ongoing violence and unrest.

"Monopoly money found in backpack believed to belong to suspect in murder of CEO."

That's 1st class trolling!

Summary

The UK’s tap water safety is at risk due to the closure of all domestic laboratories certified to test water treatment products under EU-derived Regulation 31.

Without certified labs, new products cannot be approved, and existing ones requiring retesting are becoming non-compliant.

Industry insiders blame Brexit, as EU countries will share lab capacity starting in 2026, while UK rules prohibit foreign testing.

This has created a backlog of products, limited market competition, and raised costs. While officials claim water remains safe, experts warn of delays in adopting innovative treatments.

Summary

Following the collapse of the Assad regime, Russia is seeking to secure its military bases in Syria through diplomatic engagement with the new rebel leadership.

The Kremlin is softening its rhetoric towards the Islamist group HTS, which led the revolt against Assad, and has reportedly received assurances from the Syrian opposition regarding the safety of Russian military installations.

This shift in approach suggests a potential strategy similar to Russia’s engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan.