AMERICA
Trump, Musk, and Rising Tensions: America’s Skies, Secrets, and Workers in the Spotlight”
1. Drone Chaos in New Jersey Skies: Residents Call for Action
Officials at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Little Manek, New Jersey, have confirmed that “multiple” drones have entered the skies over the facility. The sightings add to concerns about the increasing number of drone incidents in the area. According to ABC News, the source said it is “aware” of the incident and is “cooperating with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of our employees and operations.” There are no direct threats to the facility, but we can confirm that unauthorized drones have entered the skies over Naval Weapons Station Earle. There are some risks.
2. Elon Musk’s DOGE Exposes Shocking Government Waste Secrets
Republican Senator Joni Ernst is working with the Department of Government Operations (DOGE), led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, on a new case of government waste. A whistleblower recently alleged that Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) employees have been living in Florida for years and working full-time at HUD headquarters in Washington, D.C., earning tax-deductible salaries. The press release noted that the “Florida native” was “released in place,” receives full pay and benefits, including 100% taxpayer-funded union time (TFUT), and also works part-time as a bona fide construction worker. Ernst’s team has been investigating the man in Port St. Lucie, Florida, since at least 2020.
3. ‘America First!’: Trump Backs Dockworkers Against Automation
President-elect Donald Trump made headlines on Thursday as he voiced support for 45,000 West Coast workers on the East and Gulf Coasts, while also claiming that his job talks were being hampered by automation issues. After meeting with the International Longshoremen’s Association, its president, Harold Daggett, and its vice president, Dennis Daggett, the former president wrote an article on Social Truth that demonstrates his desire to stand up for workers in the face of technological change and fulfill their promise of job security. “Just finished meeting with the International Longshoremen’s Association and its president, Harold Daggett, and its vice president, Dennis Daggett,” Trump wrote in his article titled “The True Association.” The savings do not come close to the pain, injury, and suffering of American workers, in this case our long-term employees.
4. Trump’s First 9 Minutes as President: Here’s the Plan
US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pardon “non-violent” participants in the January 6 Capitol protests in his first hour as president. “It’s going to start in the first hour,” he said of the pardons. “Probably the first nine minutes.”In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said the majority of people shouldn’t be in prison and shouldn’t be going through terrible things, adding that he will review everything. Time magazine has named Trump its “Person of the Year” for the second time because Trump “turned around history” and “created political change” that has changed America’s smile as an international leader.
ASIA
Biden, Japan, Pakistan, and Nusrat: Key Global Shifts in 2024
1. Biden Strikes Fresh Science Deal with China, Igniting Republican Backlash
Biden administration signs new cooperation agreement with China; Despite opposition from Republicans, the US and China renewed their 45-year-old Science and Technology Agreement (FTA) and increased security measures across the country. The new agreement limits cooperation to basic research and eliminates key technologies due to concerns about intellectual property rights and information transparency. While Republicans believe the renewal will impress the incoming Trump administration, China welcomed the agreement as a step toward resolving international issues.
2. Japan’s High Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional in Landmark Ruling
The Fukuoka High Court on Friday became Japan’s third top court to rule that a law banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, but upheld a lower court ruling that rejected the plaintiffs’ compensation claims. The law banning same-sex marriage violates the right to pursue happiness guaranteed by Article 13 of the Constitution, which includes equality, the promotion of personal dignity and equality between men and women. President Takeshi Okada said: “There is no reason to reject same-sex marriage. Following the ruling, four plaintiffs took to the podium outside the courthouse, holding signs and asking why Japan’s parliament has not yet legalized same-sex marriage.
3. Why Pakistan’s Religious Seminaries Bill is the New Battleground
Following an attack by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistani government now faces a new challenge: a bill that would change the registration process for religious seminaries, under pressure from Fazal-ur-Rehman, the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami sect. Fazl (JUIF) Party. The bills were passed in October, along with the controversial 26th Amendment, proposed by the government and requiring the support of JUIF lawmakers, which would have put the government in check on the power of the judiciary. But when the bill was sent to him for final approval, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “disagreements” and sent it back to the government for further consideration. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has since said it has concerns about the draft law, which has led to the blocking.
4. The Guardian Names Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Chain of Light 2024’s Top Album
As 2024 draws to a close, The Guardian has released its list of the best albums of the year, celebrating the world’s most popular voices. Time: The legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s posthumous album Chain of Light is No. 1, while Arooj Aftab He is No. 6 with his Grammy-nominated album Night Reign. The posthumous Chain of Light is a compilation of four unreleased recordings from 1990, when Nusrat was on the verge of world stardom. For example, “Ya Allah Ya Rehman” and the unheard “Ya Gaus Ya Meeran”. The latter is a nine-minute epic with complex rhythms and great impact, reminding listeners of Nusrat’s unique ability to transcend spirituality and music.
MENA
Syria in Turmoil: Assad’s Fall, Israeli Strikes, and Russian Troop Withdrawal
1. Syrians Celebrate Assad’s Fall as US Pushes for Political Transition
Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the overthrow of former President Bashar Assad, a turning point in the energy shift over time. Protesters are now working to restore stability and usher in political change after seizing the capital on Sunday. US President Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday to urge Middle Eastern countries to unite after Syria’s political transition. Its part of Blinken’s 12th visit to the Middle East since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in Gaza last year, and his first since Assad was ousted from power. Support the Middle East peace process.
2. Syria Urges UN to Pressure Israel for Withdrawal
The Syrian interim government has called on the United Nations Security Council to immediately stop the Israeli offensive against Syrian territory and to take action to withdraw its forces from the northern region, which it entered in violation of the 1974 annulment agreement. UN Ambassador Qusay Aldahak said in the same letter to the Security Council and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that he was making the request “to my government.” This appears to be the first letter that Syria’s new government has written to the United Nations. The document was dated December 9, the day after rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad and ended his family’s more than 50-year rule in Syria. “The Syrian Republic is in trouble,” Ambassador Aldahak wrote.
3. Israeli Airstrikes Hit Multiple Targets Across Syria
Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on targets in several Syrian cities on Friday, war activists reported. No injuries were reported and research by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Early Friday, Israel attacked six military bases in Damascus and the Syrian province of Sweida, the observatory said. Human Rights watch said Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes since the fall of the Syrian government, which it said was trying to neutralize the threat after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The targets of the strikes were weapons bases, anti-aircraft batteries and an airport.
4. Russian Troops Begin Pulling Out of Southern Syria
SYRIA – Russian troops and military vehicles withdrew from southern Syria on Friday to their main base in the coastal city of Latakia. He organized power in the Middle East after the collapse of Germany. His rights were supported by Russia, which granted him asylum after his overthrow on Sunday. Hayati Russia saw a soldier heading north on the Damascus-Homs highway near the village of Sinchar. Military vehicles flying the Russian flag include tanks and military personnel. Military equipment was previously located in southern regions such as Daraa and Damascus.
EUROPE
Georgia Protests, Europe’s Right Turn, France’s Budget, and Russia’s Strike on Ukraine
1. Protests Intensify in Georgia Ahead of Presidential Election
Protests in local governments have continued for a third week as Georgia prepares for presidential elections on Saturday. The elections will be held by Electoral College votes, not by popular vote. New political choices and anti-government rhetoric. Bakhidze announced that Tbilisi will not begin EU accession talks before 2028. The ruling Georgian Dream party has also been accused of being pro-Russian, largely because of the financial clout of its founder, oligarch Bitzina Ivanishvili, including in Russian business.
2. Europe’s Rightward Shift Threatens Green Deal: Can Key EU Policies Survive
Today, the EU’s Green Deal is under pressure from the economic crisis: German car factories are closed, farmers are protesting against extreme environmental measures and electricity prices are high in homes. But climate change is still an inevitability for European leaders, as the recent floods in Spain have shown. Ursula von der Leyen promised in 2019 that the EU would be carbon neutral by 2050. This would work towards environmental goals while stimulating its economy and increasing Europe’s competitiveness. Politics in 2024 is different from 2019; citizens sit in the European Parliament mostly at the expense of Green MEPs.
3. France’s New PM Puts National Budget as Top Priority
The French president’s next priority will be to get the 2025 budget approved by a majority of the divided parties. “Anyone who becomes president under President Macton will face a very difficult balancing act, trying to run the government because they will be trying to get approval from the left and the right wing of French politics,” France 24 correspondent Catherine Norris Trent said outside the Elysee Palace in Paris.
4. Russia Launches Massive Drone and Missile Strike on Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Russia had begun its heaviest bombing of Ukraine’s energy sector in three years, also targeting transport and other key areas. Around half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war as Russia sought to disable Kiev’s air defences with missiles and drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched a massive airstrike on Ukraine on Friday, firing 93 missiles and nearly 200 drones, the worst attack on the country since Russia launched a full-scale bombing nearly three years ago. Russia “threatens millions of people,” he said on his Telegram channel, reiterating his call for the international community to unite against Russian President Vladimir Putin when faced with such attacks. The world needs a strong response: a massive strike, a massive response. That’s the only way not to panic, Zelensky said.
