Aletho News

Lavrov warns Israel against ‘sowing a storm’ in Syria

RT | December 26, 2024

Israel should refrain from solving its geopolitical problems at the expense of war-torn Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has cautioned. Reckless actions by the Jewish state could erode the security framework in the Middle East, he warned, during an online press conference on Thursday.

Lavrov stressed that Russia insists on Syria remaining an independent country following the demise of former President Bashar Assad, reiterating that Moscow maintains contact both with Damascus and other regional partners. “The disintegration of Syria must not be allowed,” he said.

In light of this, the minister urged Israel, which has established a so-called ‘buffer zone’ in internationally recognized Syrian territory, “to understand its responsibility in these collective [stabilization] efforts and refrain from ensuring its security at the expense of others.”

“One cannot expect to destroy all military facilities in a neighboring country and then live in peace and harmony forever. This is like sowing a storm that will inevitably come back to haunt those who engage in such actions.” … continue

Manufacturing rebels: How the UK and US empowered HTS

By Kit Klarenberg | The Cradle | December 26, 2024

On 18 December, The Telegraph published an extraordinary investigation into how the UK and US trained and “prepared” fighters in the Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA), a “rebel” force that collaborated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the mass offensive toppling of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad weeks earlier. 

In an unprecedented disclosure, the outlet revealed that Washington not only “knew about the offensive” well in advance, but also had “precise intelligence about its scale.” Washington’s now-confirmed “effective alliance” with HTS was described as “one of many ironies” emerging from the decade-and-a-half-long proxy war. … continue

Syrians take to streets nationwide against shrine desecration; HTS militants fire on protesters

Press TV – December 26, 2024

Protests have erupted across Syria over militants’ desecration of an Alawite shrine in Aleppo, with armed groups belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) opening fire on protesters.

Tens of thousands took to the streets in Latakia, Tartus, Homs, Hama, and Qardaha on Wednesday, resulting in violent.

Protesters came out after video was circulated on social networks showing a fire inside the shrine of Sheikh Abu Abdullah al-Hussein al-Khasibi in Aleppo, with armed men walking inside and killing the guards of the shrine, an incident that has drawn strong condemnation from the Alawite minority.

According to reports from local sources, the protests were spread after armed individuals opened fire on protesters in Homs, resulting in the death of one person and injury of five others. … continue

They must have their Srebrenica in Syria…

By Stephen Karganovic | Strategic Culture Foundation | December 25, 2024

Following the abrupt and mysterious change of circumstances in Syria, the collective West propaganda machinery went into overdrive to pillory the previous government for a variety of heinous offences, real and imagined. The largely invented horror stories publicised after 8 December are shaped by an unmistakably political agenda. They serve as a cynical alibi for the utter devastation wrought upon Syria by terrorist, head-chopping gangs trained, financed, and unleashed by the very regional and ultramarine powers which are engaged in the spreading of those falsehoods.

Attentive readers will recall numerous false flags and horror porn mantras about “Assad killing his own people” that resonated throughout the decade and a half long assault on Syria. Most were quickly discredited as nasty fabrications. But, of course, the purpose of propaganda is not to demonstrate facts but to influence perceptions and create indelible subliminal impressions. In this infamous category, the alleged Ghouta chemical weapon attack on Syrian civilians, falsely attributed to the Assad government and subsequently debunked, is a salient example. The fabricated incident was thoroughly investigated and ultimately found to be devoid of substance, but attesting to the power of professionally conducted disinformation even many years after discreditation Ghouta remains a vibrant propaganda meme firmly embedded in the public mind as an atrocity typifying the malevolence of the “Assad regime.” … continue

NATO state probes Russian tanker over mysterious cable incident – media

RT | December 26, 2024

Authorities in Finland are investigating whether a Russian oil tanker had anything to do with the severing of an undersea electricity cable this week, the Financial Times has reported. The incident was the latest in a series of cable breaks in the region.

Finnish officials stopped the tanker, the Eagle S, after the Estlink 2 electricity cable in the Gulf of Finland was cut on Wednesday, the British newspaper reported on Thursday. The Estlink 2 delivers power from Finland to Estonia, and has been operational since 2014.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that “the authorities are on standby over Christmas and are investigating the matter,” while the cable’s operator, Fingrid, said that “we are investigating several possible causes, from sabotage to technical failure, and nothing has been ruled out yet.”

The Eagle S is the focus of the government’s investigation, the Financial Times reported, citing anonymous “people familiar with the probe.” … continue

European countries fear losing reliable Russian gas as Zelensky remains stubborn

By Ahmed Adel | December 26, 2024

The contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine is just days away from expiring, but several European countries, including Hungary, Austria and Slovakia, seek to extend critical supplies. This agreement is necessary for Central Europe since there are few replacement options.

Major Central European gas companies have signed a statement calling for the continuation of transit. These include Slovakia’s SPP, its gas network operator Eustream, Hungary’s MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Plc and MVM Group, as well as trade associations and major industrial customers from Hungary, Austria, Italy and Slovakia, Bloomberg reports.

“We will present the declaration to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, so that she has first-hand information about the threat to energy and economic security in our region,” SPP Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Vojtech Ferencz said.

Russia’s share of Hungary’s gas imports is 47%, while Slovakia’s is almost 90%. Austria also received 97% of its gas imports from Gazprom in January 2024. Economists attribute this high dependence to infrastructure and long-term contracts. Nord Stream, Yamal and transit pipelines through Ukraine provide uninterrupted direct supplies, and long-term agreements ensure the predictability of gas supplies. … continue

No Ukraine aid in Biden’s record US defense budget

RT | December 26, 2024

Ukraine appears to have been left out of US President Joe Biden’s latest record-setting $895 billion defense budget, as the bill largely focuses on internal American issues. Last year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included provisions that the Pentagon was to spend on procuring arms and ammunition for Kiev.

Earlier this week, Biden officially approved bill H.R. 5009 – the ‘Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025’ – which was set to pass in October.

The bill was held back due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans in Congress on how the money should be spent, including how much of it should be committed towards providing support for Washington’s allies such as Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine.

After months of debate, both sides passed the bill and Biden signed it into law on Monday, despite the fact that it still includes controversial provisions, such as prohibiting the military healthcare system from covering “gender dysphoria treatments.”

While the $895 billion budget has surpassed last year’s by $9 billion, unlike its predecessor, it does not include any money to be spent on Ukraine. However, the bill contains measures aimed at strengthening the US presence and defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, primarily to “counter China.” Beijing has already condemned the bill, citing its “negative content on China” and attempts to play up the ‘China threat’ narrative.

Nevertheless, Kiev is still likely to receive money from Washington before President-elect Donald Trump takes over, as the White House has reportedly been preparing a separate military aid package for Ukraine. … continue

Truce in Ukraine Path to Nowhere, Russia Will Not Be Satisfied With Idle Talks – Lavrov

Sputnik – 26.12.2024

Reaching a truce in the Ukrainian conflict is a path to nowhere, and Russia will not be satisfied with idle talks about settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

“We cannot be satisfied with an idle talks. So far, all we hear is talk about the need to come up with some kind of truce… A truce is a path to nowhere, we need final legal agreements that will fix all the conditions for ensuring the security of Russia and the legitimate security interests of our neighbors, but in a context that will consolidate in an international legal way the impossibility of violating these agreements,” Lavrov told a press conference for Russian and foreign media.

No one really hides the fact that the truce is necessary in order to gain time to pump Kiev with weapons, Lavrov said.

Russia is ready to hold consultations with the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump on Ukraine and hopes the White House will study the root causes of the conflict, Lavrov said.

“I very much hope that Trump’s administration, including [Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia Keith] Kellogg, will get to the root causes of the conflict. We are always ready for consultations,” Lavrov told a press conference for Russian and foreign media.

France proposed to Russia through closed channels several times to establish a dialogue on Ukraine without Kiev’s participation, Lavrov said.

“Our French colleagues have contacted us several times through closed channels asking to establish a dialogue on the Ukrainian issue. By the way, without Ukraine,” Lavrov said.

Such signals from Paris came as if in violation of the Western rule about “not a word about Ukraine without Ukraine,” the minister said, adding that at the same time, France is also the initiator of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine and is training Ukrainian soldiers.

“Such ambiguous behavior does not cause a desire to take seriously what is happening at the initiative of our French colleagues,” Lavrov concluded. … Full article

Russia shot down Ukrainian F-16 – official

RT | December 26, 2024

One of the F-16 jets donated to Ukraine by NATO has reportedly been downed while attempting to launch missiles at Russia’s Zaporozhye Region.

Preliminary information from the front line was reported on Thursday by Vladimir Rogov, the co-chair of Russia’s Coordinating Council for the Integration of New Regions.

“The F-16 aircraft was in position to launch a missile strike on the region, and it was shot down,” Rogov wrote on Telegram.

Several European NATO members delivered a “small number” of the US-made fighters to Ukraine in July. Advertised by Kiev as a game-changer in challenging Russian air superiority, the planes ended up never being used in air-to-air combat.

A number of F-16s were reportedly used to defend against incoming Russian missiles in August, but one of the jets was lost. A Ukrainian lawmaker later revealed that it had been shot down by a Patriot air defense battery, which was also donated by NATO. … Full article

UN General Assembly Adopts Controversial Cybercrime Treaty Amid Criticism Over Censorship and Surveillance Risks

By Didi Rankovic | Reclaim The Net | December 26, 2024

As we expected, even though opponents have been warning that the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime needed to have a narrower scope, strong human rights safeguard and be more clearly defined in order to avoid abuse – the UN General Assembly has just adopted the documents, after five years of wrangling between various stakeholders.

It is now up to UN-member states to first sign, and then ratify the treaty that will come into force three months after the 40th country does that.

The UN bureaucracy is pleased with the development, hailing the convention as a “landmark” and “historic” global treaty that will improve cross-border cooperation against cybercrime and digital threats.

But critics have been saying that speech and human rights might fall victim to the treaty since various UN members treat human rights and privacy in vastly different ways – while the treaty now in a way “standardizes” law enforcement agencies’ investigative powers across borders. … continue

McCarthyism, European style: The elite crackdown on Ukraine dissent

Experts lambasted as Kremlin mouthpieces turned out to be right 

By Eldar Mamedov | Responsible Statecraft | December 12, 2024

As the war between Russia and Ukraine is framed by the ruling politicians and commentators in Europe and America as part of a purported global struggle between democracies and autocracies, the quality of democracy in the West itself has taken a hit.

The dominant voices advocating for Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat, both defined in maximalist and increasingly unattainable terms, are intent on snuffing out more thoughtful and nuanced perspectives, thus depriving the public of a democratic debate on the existential questions of war and peace.

In a familiar pattern throughout the West, respected academics who correctly predicted the quagmire Ukraine and the West now find themselves in have been smeared and delegitimized as Kremlin mouthpieces, subjected to harassment, marginalization and ostracism.

The situation is particularly alarming in Europe. … continue

CNN Loses Chunks of Viewership as Ratings Dive Into Death Spiral

By Svetlana Ekimenko – Sputnik – 26.12.2024

CNN, just like a bunch of other liberal news networks, has been hemorrhaging viewership at lightning speed since Donald Trump’s electoral victory in November.

The Cable News Network (CNN) has seen overall prime-time viewership plummet by 45% scooping up only 394,000 total viewers since November 5, according to Nielsen Media Research. When it comes to the prime 25-to-54 age demographic, CNN suffered a 52% decline, with just an average audience of 77,000 having tuned in after Trump’s win.

Overall, CNN witnessed its worst-ever performance among viewers in this key demographic. Audiences feel that CNN “didn’t meet the mark” when covering Trump during the campaign, The Washington Post cited one journalist as saying.

Trump’s campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt had repeatedly criticized the “hostile environment” the network offered to the Republican contender.

CNN is also reportedly heading for major layoffs as part of an overhaul by its corporate parent Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD), which is up to its eyeballs in debt after its Warner Brothers and Discovery merger deal in 2022.

By the end of the third quarter of 2023, WBD’s gross debt stood at $45.3 billion, according to Forbes. MSNBC’s ratings have also collapsed post-election, with the audience down 46% compared with the first 10 months of 2024, according to Nielsen.

Trumps “Bleach” Conference Alluded To The Antidote For Future Pandemics

Globally ridiculed for his comments, Trump was erroneously thought to be referring to chlorine dioxide, a treatment deployed by Bolivia which led to the best outcomes in South America.

Pierre Kory’s Medical Musings | December 25, 2024

This is the first post in a series I plan on doing on chlorine dioxide, a broad and powerful anti-microbial and disinfectant that is, contrary to the propaganda surrounding it, safe for human ingestion at therapeutic doses. I promise that what you will come to learn (especially in later posts) will massively impact your ability to protect your health, especially in regards to any future pandemics that may arise from bioweapons research.

Let’s start by recapping what one news site called “Trump’s Craziest and Most Surreal’ Press conference. You know, the one where literally everyone across the world thought Trump was either out of his mind or a complete imbecile for thinking that “bleach” could be injected as a treatment for Covid.

Fun foreshadowing fact: By the end of this post, I hope to convince you that the treatment many thought that Trump was referring to (e.g. chlorine dioxide which is NOT bleach) is not only an extremely safe and highly effective treatment for Covid, but it also works against a diverse and likely complete array of pathogenic organisms.

You also won’t be surprised to learn that nearly every single health or regulatory agency in the world refers to chlorine dioxide as “bleach” or “bleach-like” and they maintain that there is “insufficient evidence” to recommend it as a treatment (and also that it is “very dangerous and should never be ingested.” Sound familiar?

By now, most of my readers can already call bullshit. Statements from authorities like the ones above are indefensible given the fact that over 500 U.S public water treatment plants add chlorine dioxide to the water full time and as many as 900 use it either part time or seasonally (Leister 2021). Safety levels of orally ingested doses have been well established and are far above therapeutic dosing ranges, period.

Further, numerous oral care and dental products on the market contain chlorine dioxide and a number of trials using intravenous chlorine dioxide have been done safely.

It would appear, once again, that like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, chlorine dioxide is the target of a Disinformation campaign given how broadly effective, inexpensive, and widely available it is as a therapeutic. To demonstrate how “dangerous” chlorine dioxide is to the powers that be, know that chlorine dioxide was attacked as a proposed treatment for Covid -19 even before HCQ and ivermectin. It literally was one of the first therapeutics “they” tried to discredit as physicians across the world were searching for effective therapeutics for our patients We were simply told to stay away from “bleach” (which seemed reasonable to me at the time). … continue

Russia to launch new gas pipeline to China – deputy PM

RT | December 25, 2024

Russia has begun developing a new gas pipeline to China via Kazakhstan that will have a planned annual capacity of 45 billion cubic meters (bcm), Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak told the broadcaster Russia 24 on Wednesday.

China will receive 35 bcm of gas per year via the conduit, while the remainder will go to Kazakhstan.

The official highlighted the project’s strategic importance during discussions on bilateral energy cooperation.

“The process has been launched,” Novak said, adding that it includes technical and economic feasibility studies and negotiations to finalize the framework of the agreement.

As part of the deal, Kazakhstan, which will host part of the pipeline’s infrastructure, is set to receive up to 10 bcm of gas annually.

Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev confirmed the country’s interest in the project, emphasizing its benefits for the country’s energy supply. “Kazakhstan fully supports this project [that] will [supply] our northern regions,” he told journalists on Tuesday.

China is Russia’s biggest trade partner and the economic cooperation between the two nations has been steadily increasing despite unprecedented Western sanctions on Moscow. Bilateral turnover is expected to surpass $200 billion by the end of the year, Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov said back in October.

Russian energy major Gazprom reported a new daily record for gas deliveries to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline earlier this month. Under a bilateral agreement, Russia will supply 38 bcm of gas annually to the Asian country via the pipeline starting in 2025.

Decline of German Greens the result of stupid energy policy and war madness

By Patrick Poppel | December 25, 2024

The Green Party is currently preparing for the federal election. To this end, they also put original green concerns up for discussion. The Greens’ entire election campaign is now tailored to their top candidate, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, a special election campaign where a personality is put in the foreground.

Criticism of the minister should be avoided as much as possible, at least until the date of the federal election. But the concept didn’t fully work. Some Greens close to the climate movement, such as Luisa Neubauer, noted that Habeck simply questioned a central goal of green climate policy in an interview. … continue

‘Act of terrorism’ sank Russian cargo ship – owner

RT | December 25, 2024

A “terrorist attack” is to blame for the sinking of the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major in the Mediterranean Sea, Russian state shipping company Oboronlogistics announced on Wednesday.

The freighter went down in waters between Spain and Algeria on Monday. Initial reports spoke of an explosion in the engine room that caused the vessel to list sharply to the starboard. Spanish rescue ships recovered 14 crew members, but two are still missing.

“Oboronlogistics believes that on December 23, 2024, a targeted terrorist attack was carried out on the Ursa Major vessel,” the company said in a statement.

According to the surviving crew members, “three successive explosions” happened on board the ship, which then began to take on water. … continue

Palestinian death toll from Israeli onslaught in West Bank city rises to 8

MEMO | December 25, 2024

Four Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, taking the death toll from an ongoing military operation in the area to eight, the Health Ministry said early Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

A ministry statement said that seven more people were injured, including two seriously, in the offensive.

The Israeli army began a large-scale military operation in Tulkarem late Monday, triggering clashes with angry Palestinian residents, according to witnesses.

An Israeli military statement said an army commander was injured in a roadside bomb explosion in the city on Wednesday.

The army said the commander suffered moderate injuries after his vehicle hit an explosive device in the area.

Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinians have also been violently attacked by illegal Israeli settlers.

At least 832 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,500 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The future of the West Bank hangs in the balance

By Robert Inlakesh | Al Mayadeen | December 25, 2024

Despite concentrated efforts to eliminate resistance strongholds, ethnic cleansing, mass displacement, and escalation of violence, will the West Bank witness a Third Intifada? … continue

Israel kills well-known Palestinian artist, her husband in Gaza

Press TV – December 25, 2024

Israel has killed a Palestinian artist and visionary entrepreneur along with her husband in an airstrike on their home in the central part of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Walaa Jumaa al-Afranji and Ahmed Saeed Salama were killed in the bombing of their residential apartment south of the Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday morning.

The couple were pronounced dead after being taken to the Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Afranji was a famous novelist, artist and fashion enthusiast from Gaza City. She had been displaced to the camp in the wake of Israel’s campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing in October 2023.

Afranji worked at the well-known “Surprise” gift shop in the bustling Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. She also ran her own clothes company, “Fashion Room by Walaa.”

Afranji was also a professional calligrapher and artisan, creating handcrafted gifts such as photo frames, key rings and plant pots. She had showcased part of her work on Instagram, grabbing 95,000 followers.

Walaa, known for her cultural and artistic initiatives, sought to revive Gaza’s heritage by engraving and painting on stones. Her tragic death has deeply affected youth on social media, honoring her contributions to Gaza’s cultural resilience.

In October, Israel killed Palestinian artist Mahasen al-Khatib in an airstrike on her neighborhood in the northern refugee camp of Jabalia.

Khatib used her talent to defend and advocate human rights and raise awareness about the crimes of Israel.

US-funded group recalls Gaza famine alert after criticism by Washington

RT | December 25, 2024

The US government-funded Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) took down its own alert for Gaza on Tuesday after a rebuke by the US ambassador to Israel. The group was launched by the US Agency for International Development in the mid-1980s to warn of unfolding food crises.

FEWS NET has been releasing updates on the situation in the Palestinian enclave monthly since October. The latest issue stressed that “Israel’s near-total blockade of humanitarian and commercial food supplies to besieged areas of North Gaza Governorate” has been a major factor contributing to food scarcity in the area.

The report cited an estimate by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which said that as of mid-November some 65,000-75,000 people remained in the area. The figure was what triggered a negative reaction from Ambassador Jack Lew, Washington’s envoy to Israel, who called the data “outdated and inaccurate” and its mention by FEWS NET “irresponsible.”

The US diplomat estimated the current civilian population in Northern Gaza at between 7,000 and 15,000 people and cited similar ranges reported by other sources, including the Israeli military.

FEWS NET took down its report hours after publication, but an archived version remains available online. No amended variant was published on its website at the time of the writing.

Some critics of Israel have argued that Lew’s intervention de facto acknowledged that West Jerusalem is succeeding in a campaign to depopulate Northern Gaza and that Washington is supporting that outcome. … Full article

Brutal Israeli attacks hit Gaza as ceasefire talks ‘deadlocked’

The Cradle | December 25, 2024

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by brutal Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, health authorities in the besieged enclave announced on 25 December.

The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 23 people were killed and 39 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the previous day.

At least three, including a child, were killed on Wednesday, and several others were injured when Israeli jets hit the vicinity of the Al-Muhabbain school, which shelters displaced Palestinians in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.

Israel launched deadly attacks on other areas of the strip on Wednesday.

“Two Palestinians were killed and several others were injured when Israeli drones targeted a group of citizens in the Abu Khater neighborhood, near the Islamic University, southeast of Khan Yunis,” medical sources told WAFA news agency. … continue

‘Israel’ Struggles to Deter Threat by Yemen’s Ansarullah

Al-Manar | December 24, 2024

Facing the escalating challenges from Yemen’s Ansarullah revolutionary group, the Zionist entity weighs its options, with no clear resolution yet to the significant threat posed by the intensified actions in support of Gaza over the past year.

Zionist officials and experts are deliberating strategies to counter these threats, with recent military responses proving ineffective at best, Al-Akhbar Lebanese newspaper reported on Monday.

Ansaruallah, having pledged its support to the Palestinian resistance, has disrupted maritime activity by targeting commercial ships heading to Israeli ports through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. This strategy aims to pressure Israel to stop its genocidal war on Gaza. … continue

Israel attacks eastern Lebanon in yet anther violation of ceasefire

Press TV – December 25, 2024

Israel has carried out airstrikes against Lebanon in violation of a ceasefire reached last month between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah.

The regime’s warplanes hit targets in the Baalbek region in the east of the country before dawn on Wednesday, said the country’s National News Agency.

The attack near the town of Taraya did not result in casualties, it said, branding the strike as the “first violation of the ceasefire agreement” in the area.

At least 300 Israeli violations have been reported since the ceasefire agreement took effect on November 27 to end over nearly 70 days of Israel’s offensive on the country.

A committee made up of France, the United States, Lebanon, and United Nations peacekeepers is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and ensuring violations are identified and dealt with.

Beirut has urged the parties — particularly the US and France — to press Israel to speed up its withdrawal from the country’s south under the terms of the deal.

The truce demanded an immediate halt to Israel’s aggression on Lebanese soil and gave the regime’s forces 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon.

Five Syrians injured by Israeli army gunfire in Quneitra countryside

By Ahmad Karakira | Al Mayadeen | December 25, 2024

Israeli forces have established new positions in the countryside of Quneitra in Syria, specifically along the axes of Rasm al-Rawadi, Umm al-Edam, and al-Mantara Dam.

The village of Swisah in the southern countryside of Quneitra witnessed a protest against the Israeli occupation forces that had advanced into the village, entering barracks within and around it, local sources told Al Mayadeen.

The Israeli forces, consisting of bulldozers and tanks, stormed a barracks in the center of the village, carrying out acts of vandalism and cutting down trees in its surroundings but without approaching residential homes, the sources indicated.

Subsequently, the occupation forces moved to a barracks west of the village, continuing their acts of destruction, which prompted residents to gather near the site in protest against the incursion and raise the Syrian flag.

The Israeli forces then opened fire to prevent the protesters from approaching, injuring five individuals. … continue

US shuts down ‘disinformation’ agency

RT | December 25, 2024

The US State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) has shut down after Republicans cut its funding. The agency was responsible for spreading propaganda abroad and, according to conservatives, censoring dissident thought at home.

The GEC announced on Monday that it would cease operations by the end of that day. “The State Department has consulted with Congress regarding next steps,” the statement added.

The organization employed around 120 people and had an annual budget of $61 million. Established in 2016, its stated goal was to “recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts.”

In practice, the GEC spearheaded complex propaganda campaigns of its own. In two campaigns, the agency funded video games aimed at teaching children about the supposed dangers of anti-American narratives, releasing them in the UK, Ukraine, Latvia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the GEC funneled money to a range of NGOs which then compiled lists of social media accounts supposedly spreading “disinformation” about the virus and its origins, which were then presented to the platforms to be banned or removed. Many of the accounts belonged to what Twitter’s former trust and safety chief, Yoel Roth, called “ordinary Americans,” raising concerns among conservatives that the GEC was violating its prohibition on operating within the US. … continue

Four Killed, 5 Injured in Ukraine’s Shelling of Lgov Town in Kursk Region

Sputnik – 25.12.2024

As a result of Ukraine’s shelling of the town Lgov in Russia’s Kursk Region four people have been killed and five have been injured, Governor Alexander Khinshtein said on Wednesday.

“According to preliminary information, three people were killed as a result of the barbaric shelling by the armed forces of Ukraine of the town of Lgov, and another person died later in hospital. Five victims were hospitalized, including one woman in serious condition. They are currently receiving all the necessary medical and psychological assistance,” Khinshtein said on Telegram.

Three residential buildings were seriously damaged, Khinshtein added.

“A five-storey residential building, two one-storey residential buildings, as well as a detached one-storey beauty salon were seriously damaged. Windows were blasted in neighboring private residential buildings, and at least 12 vehicles were damaged. Also, an insignificant section of the gas pipeline was destroyed due to the blast,” Khinstein said.

The operational headquarters of the government of the Kursk Region has been deployed in Lgov after the shelling, the governor added.

According to preliminary data, the attack was carried out using a HIMARS multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), a spokesperson for the military investigative authorities told Sputnik at the scene of the incident.

“During the inspection, fragments and shrapnel of a shell were discovered, presumably from a HIMARS MLRS. All of them will be seized and subsequently sent for examination to determine the specific type and kind of the shell,” the spokesperson said.

Mauritian Prime Minister Rejects Blinken’s Call to Sign Deal With UK on Chagos – Reports

Sputnik – 25.12.2024

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam to sign the deal with the United Kingdom on the status of the Chagos archipelago, which was agreed by the previous Mauritian government, but he was refused, a news portal reported, citing sources.

Ramgoolam made it clear that he did not agree with the original agreement reached in October and told Blinken that he had sent a counter-offer to London, the report said on Tuesday.

The report noted that Ramgoolam thus confirmed his desire to achieve a better deal for Mauritius.

On October 3, the United Kingdom agreed to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Under the deal, the UK also promised to create a new trust fund and provide other support for the benefit of Chagossians, as well as to provide a package of financial support to Mauritius, including an “indexed annual payment for the duration of the agreement” and infrastructure investment, according to the UK-Mauritius joint statement. The UK however will retain control of the US-UK base on the Diego Garcia island for an initial period of 99 years. To enter into force, the deal must be ratified in the British parliament, which is expected next year.

Mauritius and the Chagos Islands had been colonial possessions of the British Crown since 1845. In 1968, Mauritius gained independence, but the islands remained a British overseas territory. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Chagos population was deported to the Seychelles and Mauritius. In 1966, the UK leased the largest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States for 50 years. The lease was extended for 20 years in 2016.

Pentagon’s African Biolabs: Russia Warns of Global Pathogen Threat

Sputnik – 24.12.2024

The US military-biological presence on the African continent is growing at a rapid pace, Deputy Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces of the Russian armed forces Major General Aleksey Rtishev said on Tuesday.

“The documents at our disposal confirm that the US military-biological presence on the African continent is increasing rapidly,” Rtishev told a briefing.

The United States deployed branches of naval military medical center in Ghana and Djibouti, Rtishev added.

“Active work in the region is being carried out by research organizations of the US Department of Defense. For example, branches of the military medical center of the naval forces are located in Ghana and Djibouti, where active work is being carried out in natural foci of diseases, isolation and sequencing of pathogens,” Rtishev said.

American specialists capable of enhancing the pathogenic functions of microorganisms are actively working in Africa, Rtishev said. He added that the US government views the region as a rich reservoir of dangerous infectious agents and a testing ground for experimental drugs, and Washington is using a biological risk management system in Africa that has already been tested in Georgia and Ukraine. … continue

‘These kids need to be killed’: Shocking details of Israeli brutalities in Gaza

Press TV – December 24, 2024

An Israeli professor says the regime’s soldiers are increasingly engaged in war crimes in the besieged Gaza Strip.

A detailed analysis published in Haaretz by Professor Yoel Elizur documents disturbing incidents, including one commander’s unprovoked attack on a 4-year-old child in the blockaded Palestinian territory.

“The commander suddenly starts running, grabs the boy, and breaks his arm at the elbow and his leg here. Stepped on his stomach three times and left,” the article quotes soldiers as saying. “These kids need to be killed from the day they are born,” the commander shouted while responding to an objection.

Elizur, an emeritus professor at the Hebrew University in occupied al-Quds, further revealed that soldiers who oppose such actions face severe consequences. … continue

Israeli airstrike on fire station in Gaza kills civil defense worker and his child

Palestinian Information Center – December 24, 2024

GAZA – Gaza’s civil defense service said that one of its members was martyred along with his child and another one was injured in an Israeli airstrike on its headquarters in the central area of Gaza City on Tuesday afternoon.

The aerial attack on the civil defense headquarters claimed the life of firefighter Najeeb Sokkar and injured his only child, Mohamed. Sokkar was preparing food for his son when the strike happened.

Another firefighter was seriously injured in the same strike.

In September, the Israeli occupation army carried out an aerial attack on the same fire station, injuring four civil defense workers.

A recent similar attack on another civil defense center in an-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed four employees.

Israeli Soldiers Shoot 3 Palestinians, Including a Woman and a Child, in the West Bank

IMEMC | December 24, 2024

On Monday, Israeli forces shot three Palestinians, including a child and a woman, in several regions of the occupied West Bank.

Media sources said that occupation forces shot a child, on Monday afternoon, in the town of Beita, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, sparking protests.

Mahmoud Barham, the Mayor of Beita, said that the army invaded the town and opened fire with many live rounds and tear gas canisters, shooting a child in the leg with live ammunition; he was transported to the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, in the evening, Israeli forces shot a Palestinian woman after storming the town of Husan, west of Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.

Rami Hamamra, the director of the Husan village council, told the WAFA News Agency that occupation forces stormed the village, and deployed infantry units in various areas of the town.

Hamamra added that soldiers opened fire at a vehicle with live rounds, shooting a woman in the leg; she was transported to the hospital in Bethlehem.

Furthermore, the army demolished a home and shot a citizen, on Monday morning, after storming the village of Shuyukh al-Arroub, northeast of Hebron in the southern West Bank.

Ibrahim Halayqa, the head of the Shuyukh al-Arroub village council, told WAFA that Israeli forces demolished the home of the citizen, Mohammad Haroun Halayqa, which is shelter for seven individuals.

Halayqa added that during the demolition, local citizens protested the violation, while soldiers opened fire with live rounds, shooting a young man in the thigh; his condition was not known at the time of writing this report.

In related news, Israeli forces shot four Palestinians, on Monday, including three in the Qalandia refugee camp and one near the town of Hizma, north and northeast of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank.

Israel occupation forces demolish two homes, commercial store in Jerusalem

MEMO | December 24, 2024

Israeli occupation forces demolished two homes in Jerusalem this morning, the Palestinian Information Centre has reported. Local sources said that one of the homes belonged to Jerusalemite Fares Salah Al-Din, while the other, which was still under construction, belonged to fellow Jerusalemite Habis Ali.

The occupation forces also bulldozed many olive trees during the demolition operation.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops used bulldozers to demolish a commercial store in Beit Hanina, north of occupied Jerusalem. The store belonged to Muhammad al-Halhouli, and was demolished on the pretext that he did not have a licence to build the property.

Building licences are very rarely approved for Palestinians in the occupied city.

The occupation forces closed the road leading to the demolished store and prevented citizens from access to the area.

Israel seeks to occupy south Lebanon past 60-day truce period

The Cradle | December 24, 2024

Israeli forces are unhappy with the Lebanese army’s efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement announced on 27 November and are planning to maintain a presence in south Lebanon, according to exclusive information.

“The French conveyed to the Lebanese army that the Israeli military is not satisfied with what is happening [in south Lebanon] and that it will not leave before destroying all of Hezbollah’s infrastructure [south of Litani River, even after the 60-day implementation period ends],” Lebanese security sources told The Cradle on 23 December.

The information came as an Israeli attack killed two people in the town of Taybeh in southern Lebanon’s Marjayoun District.

The Lebanese National News Agency’s (NNA) correspondent in Marjayoun reported on Monday afternoon that “two people were killed and another was injured in an enemy raid that targeted a group of people near the official school in Taybeh.”

Israeli ground troops continued their campaign of mass detonations and destruction of homes and buildings across southern Lebanon, blowing up houses in Al-Bustan and Al-Zaloutieh in the Tyre District. … continue

Frustrated by Incessant Missile Attacks, Israel Threatens to Start Assassinating Houthi Leaders

By Ilya Tsukanov – Sputnik – 24.12.2024

Israeli terror bombing attacks targeting Yemen’s port and energy infrastructure and a year-long US-led naval deployment in the Red Sea at Tel Aviv’s urging have failed to deter Ansar Allah (better known as the Houthis) from launching increasingly impactful drone and missile attacks.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to start targeting the Houthis’ leaders.

“We will inflict a devastating blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen,” Katz said.

“Just as we took care of Sinwar in Gaza, Haniyeh in Tehran and Nasrallah in Beirut, we will deal with the heads of the Houthis in Sanaa or anywhere in Yemen,” Katz warned, referring to the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah assassinated by Israel this year. “We will act both against their infrastructure and against them to remove the threat.”

Katz also took a pot shot at Iran, whom the US and Israel have regularly accused of backing the Yemeni militia, warning that “whoever sponsors the Houthi terror in Hodeidah or Sanaa will pay the full price.” … continue

Sednaya: Investigating Syria’s most notorious prison

The Cradle | December 24, 2024

When militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by former Al-Qaeda leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani – who now goes by his real name Ahmad al-Sharaa – finally toppled Bashar al-Assad’s government on 8 December 2024, they quickly released the prisoners in Sednaya. 

A flood of new media reports about the horrors of the prison quickly emerged.

But which reports about the crimes of Assad’s government are true, and which are fabricated as part of a new propaganda campaign to legitimize Julani’s rule and whitewash the opposition’s similar past atrocities? … continue

Syrian Christians march in Damascus to protest burning of Christmas tree by HTS militants

The Cradle | December 24, 2024

Hundreds of Syrian Christians protested on the streets of the capital, Damascus, on 24 December in condemnation of the recent burning of a Christmas tree in the central governorate of Hama by extremist militants affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the group that took over Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government earlier this month.

Carrying wooden crosses and the new Syrian flag, the demonstrators marched through the capital towards the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy in the Bab al-Sharqi neighborhood.

“We demand the rights of Christians,” the protesters chanted.

Protests had been taking place the night before across the capital. Some Christians have decided to carry rifles to defend themselves from HTS – under which several extremist factions are incorporated, including foreigners who illegally traveled to Syria to fight Assad’s government after the war began in 2011.

Protests led by Syrian Christians also took place in Sahnaya, Jaramana, Hama, and other areas of the country. […]

Last week, militants shot at and attacked the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in the city of Hama, vandalizing statues and desecrating graves. HTS apologized for the incident. Executions of Alawites and ex-Syrian army soldiers have also been reported.

HTS’s leader, now the de facto ruler of Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has been meeting with western and Arab officials to discuss the transitional political process in the country – which his government has vowed will be inclusive.

Under its previous name, the Nusra Front – which was Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria – HTS was responsible for numerous war crimes and atrocities against minorities, including the execution of Alawites and people from other sects, as well as the kidnapping of nuns.

Sharaa himself was a member of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), which became ISIS after crossing from Syria back into Iraqi territory in 2013.

The Nusra Front was formed in 2012 before taking on other names in the years that followed until it became HTS in 2017. – Full article

HTS militants launch attacks ‘every 10 minutes’ in Syrian minority cities amid media blackout

Press TV – December 24, 2024

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants, who seized control of Syria earlier this month, are launching unrelenting attacks on minority-populated cities amid rampant looting, kidnapping and assassination, according to a new report.

“Every 10 minutes, an attack is reported, including incidents of looting, kidnapping, assassination, or abduction,” a report by the Iraqi Almaalomah news agency revealed on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

“These attacks, perpetrated by armed groups, are targeting minorities, particularly along the coast,” it further noted.

The militant group seized control of Damascus on December 8, culminating a swift offensive that had began in Aleppo just two weeks prior to that and ultimately brought an end to Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule.

The report by Almaalomah noted that numerous violations committed by HTS militants under Abu Mohammad al-Julani’s leadership have been documented, with some instances being carried out as “acts of revenge.”

Additionally, it mentioned incidents of verbal abuse and harassment aimed at residents of Qardaha, Tartous, Latakia, and other areas.

It also revealed that media do not have access to approximately 90 percent of the facts on the ground in Syria due to the imposed information blackout. […]

In recent days, disturbing videos have surfaced from Syria, revealing horrific acts of violence perpetrated by militants against minorities.

The acts include brutal shootings and throat-slashing, with those deemed to be close to Assad facing particular targeting.

On Thursday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch in Syria announced the cancelation of Christmas and other New Year celebrations, citing “current security conditions” after the fall of Assad’s government.

The announcement came as gunmen opened fire at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Hama on Wednesday, and graves at a nearby cemetery were vandalized.

The attack followed the vandalism of Hagia Sophia Greek Orthodox Church of Suqaylabiyah on December 12. – Full article

The strange case of Didier Reynders and Ursula von der Leyen

By Sonja van den Ende | Strategic Culture Foundation | December 24, 2024

On December 5, various Western media reported that Didier Reynders, a former Belgian EU Justice Commissioner, had been buying lottery tickets with dubious funds in the Belgian National Lottery for approximately ten years in order to launder the winnings into his account. Didier Reynders, who served as European Commissioner for Justice under the current Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, until December 1, 2024, is currently under investigation by Belgian authorities.

This raises questions about Ursula von der Leyen’s awareness of her closest colleague’s money laundering activities. Moreover, this is not the first time such a scandal has surfaced, raising questions about the integrity of EU-MEPs.

We start with Didier Reynders, as the so-called “laundering of lottery money” is just the tip of the iceberg for this extremely corrupt individual. Another investigation into Didier Reynders, former EU Justice Commissioner and a pillar of the Belgian establishment, has linked him to a wider probe into money laundering through state-owned institutions. This has sparked fresh interest in allegations of Belgium’s political interference in Congo and Libya and associated arms deals. … continue

Zelensky admits offering money to Slovak PM

RT | December 24, 2024

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed that he offered money to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during their recent meeting in Brussels, amid a row between the two nations over the transit of Russian gas.

Kiev intends to cut supplies of Russian fuel through its territory when a five-year transit contract expires at the end of the year, which Slovakia says would undermine its energy security. After a meeting of EU leaders with Zelensky last week, Fico claimed he had rejected an offer of €500 million ($520 million) in exchange for Bratislava’s backing of the Ukrainian bid to join NATO. Zelensky disputed the reason for his proposal in a post on X on Tuesday.

“We offered him solutions regarding potential compensation for Slovaks – the Slovaks specifically – for losses from Russian transit, as well as alternatives for transit – any other gas, not Russian, at the request of the European Commission,” he wrote. … continue

Violence at recruitment centers in Ukraine escalating

By Lucas Leiroz | December 24, 2024

Ukraine’s draconian recruitment policies are reaching intolerable levels of violence, resulting in more and more victims. Recently, a man was murdered by the military while trying to prevent his son from being forcibly sent to the front. This is just one of many scandals involving the brutal way in which recruitment officers treat ordinary Ukrainian citizens, which shows how Kiev is completely lost, with no chance of continuing the war in the long term.

Recently, a video began circulating on the internet showing the murder of a man inside a Ukrainian training center. According to reports from photographers and internet users, the motive for the murder was that the man was trying to prevent the forced recruitment of his son by Ukrainian officers. The case was reported by Artyom Dmitruk, a former Ukrainian parliamentarian exiled in London who has become a critic of Zelensky’s policies. Ukrainian authorities are still silent about the incident, neither confirming nor refuting Dmitruk’s claims.

The video is absolutely disturbing. A woman can be heard screaming as soldiers force a man to walk down a stair. Two shots are then heard, with the man falling to the ground and the woman screaming desperately. According to Dmitruk, the incident took place in Odessa. He claims that not only was the recruit’s father killed, but the soldier himself is now at risk of death, as the Ukrainian military may want to eliminate him to prevent the truth about the case from coming to light. … continue