World News

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Israel carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes across Syria as its troops advanced deeper into the country, a Syrian opposition war monitor said Tuesday, and the Israeli defense minister announced that his forces had destroyed Syria’s navy.

Israel acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. But it remained unclear if Israeli soldiers had gone beyond that area, which was established more than 50 years ago. Israel denied that it was advancing on the Syrian capital of Damascus.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the last 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists.

The targets included air defense systems, military airfields, missile depots and dozens of weapons production sites in Damascus and other cities. Associated Press reporters in the capital heard heavy airstrikes overnight and into Tuesday morning.

Israeli missile ships also simultaneously struck two Syrian navy facilities, where the military said 15 Syrian naval vessels were docked. Israel did not specify how many vessels it struck, but the private security firm Ambrey said it had seen evidence that at least six Soviet-era missile ships were hit.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel intended to establish a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.

Speaking at a navy base in Haifa, Katz said the army will create a “defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, in order to prevent terrorism in Syria from taking root.”

He gave few details on what that entailed, but warned Syria’s rebels that “whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad. We will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel.” Israel has also long warned that the Syria-Lebanon border could be used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah militants.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday it will recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the U.S. would work with groups in Syria and regional partners to ensure that the transition from President Bashar Assad’s deposed government runs smoothly.

He was not specific about which groups the U.S. would work with, but the State Department has not ruled out talks with the main Syrian rebel group despite its designation as a terrorist organization.

The qualified pledge of support for a post-Assad Syria comes as the Biden administration targets Islamic State fighters to try to prevent the group from reemerging as an international threat and maintains support for Israel as its forces conduct their own operations inside Syria.

The sudden ouster of Assad has left President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration to delicately maneuver through yet another volatile moment in the Middle East, while President-elect Donald Trump demands that the United States stay out of the fray.

Israeli warplanes pounded military sites in Syria after Israeli troops seized a border buffer zone following the collapse of President Bashar Assad’s rule. Israel denied its forces were advancing toward Damascus.

Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel’s incursion, accusing it of exploiting the disarray in Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad and violating international law. The buffer zone was established after the 1973 Mideast war.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified in his long-running trial for alleged corruption. The testimony is another low point for Israel’s longest-serving leader, who also faces an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Israel’s war in Gaza.

Summary

German authorities arrested three men, including two German-Lebanese brothers aged 15 and 20 and a 22-year-old German-Turkish man, for planning an Islamist terror attack.

Police discovered an assault rifle, knives, tactical gear, and evidence of preparations for a “serious act of violence.”

While the plot was in its early stages and posed no immediate threat, investigators noted the suspects’ strong religious ideology and support for the Islamic State.

The arrests took place in Mannheim and Hesse, with the men remanded into custody pending trial.

Former president Reuven Rivlin is quoted as saying that ties between Israel and the late Queen Elizabeth II were “difficult” because of her views on the Jewish state.

“The relationship between us and Queen Elizabeth was a little bit difficult because she believed that every one of us was either a terrorist or a son of a terrorist,” Rivlin told a gala event in London commemorating 100 years of Haifa’s Technion Institute of Technology, according to the British Jewish News.

“She refused to accept any Israeli official into [Buckingham] Palace, apart from international occasions,” he added, noting by way of comparison that King Charles III was always “so friendly.”

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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)

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

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.

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.