Category: World

Ahmad al-Sharaa plans to disband the Assad regime's security forces and close prisons. The rebels will grant amnesty to conscripts and form a new government of technocrats by March 2025.

Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, plans to disband the security forces of the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad. Ahmad al-Sharaa announced this in a letter to Reuters, UNN reports.

Details

The rebel leader's office said in a written statement to the agency that Sharaa would "disband the security forces of the previous regime and close the notorious prisons.

It is estimated that the Assad regime held tens of thousands of prisoners who were desperately searching for their loved ones. Some have been released alive, others have been identified as dead, and thousands more are still missing.

In Syria, rebels burn the grave of Bashar al-Assad's fatherDec 11 2024, 11:10 PM • 2844 views

In addition, the statement says, the military command, which is affiliated with the Sharaa group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is granting amnesty to conscripts.

The rebel leader also said that he was closely monitoring possible chemical weapons sites and coordinating with international organizations to secure them. The group has already announced that it will not use chemical weapons under any circumstances.

In the statement, Sharaa reiterated that he would form a government of technocrats, and that the current transitional government would remain in place until March 2025.

Recall

Syrian rebels, who have made significant progress in their offensive since last week, announced the capture of the capital Damascus on December 8 and announced the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad. Assad himself fled to Russia.

Mohamed al-Bashir has been appointed acting prime minister of Syria for the transitional government until March.

The IDF has begun withdrawing troops from the area of the city of Khiam in southern Lebanon in accordance with the November ceasefire agreement. The full withdrawal from all areas is expected to be completed by the end of January 2025.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the withdrawal of troops from the area of the city of Khiam in southern Lebanon. This withdrawal is being carried out in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed in November. This was reported by The Times of Israel, according to UNN.

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Meanwhile, the Israeli military notes that they still remain in other areas in southern Lebanon, and the IDF said that the army will continue to act "against any threats.

Earlier on Thursday, December 11, the Lebanese military announced the start of the deployment of forces in Hiam after the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the city in coordination with UNIFIL.

The army also called on Lebanese civilians to stay away from these areas as the military scans the city for unexploded ordnance.

It is emphasized that, according to the ceasefire agreement, the IDF must withdraw from all areas in southern Lebanon by the end of January 2025.

Recall

On November 26, it was officially announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between Israel and the Lebanese organization Hezbollah. This was announced by US President Joe Biden.

In his statement, Biden said that the United States was able to mediate this important decision, which should stop the conflict from escalating further.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russians have killed 50 priests and destroyed about 700 churches in Ukraine.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with CBN

Quote: "The Russians treat some Ukrainian churches similarly to the way they treat schools. That is, whenever they came into our territory, they destroyed schools and churches. Just to leave no trace of them. Therefore, many different priests were captured or killed. By the way, they slaughtered 50 priests. They killed them in different ways.

There is ample evidence of how they tortured them. Why were they tortured? Only because they were ‘obligated’ to serve Patriarch Kirill [Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church – ed.] and their church, while a priest serves only the people and God."

Details: The president further stated that Russian troops are destroying all schools and churches in the territory they occupy. Currently, it is known that Russians demolished around 700 churches.

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All flights have been suspended at Sochi airport since 19:30 due to the introduction of the “Carpet” plan. This comes amid a large-scale drone attack on Russian regions and occupied Crimea.

The airport in Sochi, Russia, has introduced the "Carpet" plan, probably due to a drone attack. Departing and arriving flights have been delayed, UNN reports with reference to the Baza Telegram channel.

According to Rosaviatsiya, the restrictions were introduced at 7:30 p.m.

Previously

Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Kovalenko reportedthat several regions of Russia and occupied Crimea are under attack by drones.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen believes that Donald Trump's future administration will not change the US$20 billion loan granted to Ukraine, which will be paid at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets, and that the loan does not involve the use of American taxpayer funds.

Source: Yellen in an interview with Bloomberg TV, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "These loans will be paid off over time by the extraordinary windfall revenues that are being earned in Europe at Euroclear on the Russian assets that are being frozen there."

As a result, she believes that in this way Russia is literally assisting Ukraine in its military efforts.

"So I feel confident that this [loan – ed.] is something that can stay in place," Yellen added.

"And what we’re really trying to do is to strengthen Ukraine’s situation, its ability to defend itself, and, hopefully, at some point to come to the table to bargain with Russia for a just peace," she said.

Background:

• On 10 December, the US Department of the Treasury announced the allocation of US$20 billion for Ukraine as part of the G7 initiative to utilise frozen Russian assets.
• This is part of the G7 plan to provide Ukraine with €50 billion using Russian assets. The funds will formally be provided as loans but will be repaid through a tax on excess profits derived from frozen Russian assets.

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Khalil Haqqani, an influential minister in the Taliban government, was killed in an explosion in Kabul. The Islamic State was behind the attack, and the United States offered $5 million for information about Haqqani.

Taliban government minister Khalil Haqqani was killed in an explosion in Kabul. The explosion took place on the territory of the ministry and killed several people.

This was reported by UNN with reference to Radio Liberty.

A Taliban spokesman later said that the Islamic State extremist group was behind the attack. Haqqani became the first senior member of the Taliban government to be killed in an explosion since seizing power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

What is known about Haqqani?

He had a reputation as one of the most influential and well-known figures in the Taliban leadership. In 2011, the United States designated Khalil Haqqani a global terrorist and announced a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

IDF eliminates Hezbollah's intelligence chief in SyriaNov 5 2024, 04:35 AM • 30900 views

Haqqani was known for his involvement in numerous terrorist attacks and cooperation with other radical groups. His death could have serious consequences for the Taliban's internal policy and the fight against terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

Note

Under the Taliban's rule, Afghanistan is experiencing difficulties in many areas. Since their return to power in 2021, the country has faced an acute humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by severe restrictions on women's rights and freedom of speech.

“The Taliban prohibits women from working in most fields, restricts their right to education, and is actively involved in repressions against activists and journalists. In addition, the country continues to be an important center for terrorist groups.

Israel destroys Hamas' secret command center in GazaOct 26 2024, 11:18 PM • 19942 views

The European Commission has recognised certain restrictions on the rights of migrants, which Russia and Belarus use as part of their migration pressure on EU member states, as acceptable.

Source: a statement by the European Commission on 11 December, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The EU executive body has approved a communication to support member states in countering "hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration by Russia and Belarus".

In the message, the European Commission also outlines a framework for actions that member states can take to counter Russia and Belarus' exploitation of EU principles and values.

It emphasises that Moscow and Minsk are "using human beings in an act of hostility, disregarding their vulnerability" in order to undermine EU unity and threaten the security and integrity of the Schengen area and the security of the association as a whole.

In light of this, the European Commission added that member states may deviate from EU law on the right to asylum and related guarantees "exceptionally and under stringent conditions".

At the same time, the Commission noted that such measures "have to be proportionate, limited to what is strictly necessary in clearly defined cases, and temporary".

Notably, the EU's new approach differs considerably from its previous stance and actually reflects the practice that member states on the border with Russia and Belarus have implemented or intend to introduce.

Background:

• In October, Poland adopted a new strategy for combating illegal migration, which provides for restrictions on the right to asylum for migrants.
• Meanwhile, the EU announced the allocation of €170 million in financial support to six European countries bordering Russia and Belarus for their border protection efforts.

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EU ambassadors have agreed on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia aimed at combating the “shadow fleet” of tankers. The sanctions will restrict the activities of third-country vessels and expand the list of sanctioned individuals and organizations.

EU ambassadors agree on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia.

The sanctions are aimed at combating the “shadow fleet” of tankers that Russia uses to circumvent the oil price cap set by the G7 countries and their partners.

This was reported by the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, UNN reports.

Details

Ambassadors have just agreed on the 15th package of sanctions in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. This package expands the existing sanctions list by adding new individuals and entities, and targets entities in Russia and third countries that indirectly contribute to Russia's military and technological development by circumventing export restrictions

– the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 said in a statement.

The adopted sanctions restrict the activities of third-country vessels that contribute to the support of Russian aggression.

Previously

The EU ambassadors could not agree on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia due to disputes between the two countries, which blocked the agreement. The reason was disagreement over the timing of European companies' withdrawal from the Russian market.

Britain imposes the largest package of sanctions against Russia's “shadow fleet”Nov 25 2024, 01:28 PM • 17252 views

The Biden administration is developing new approaches to counteract the growing cooperation between Russia, Iran, China, and the DPRK. The document provides for a review of security structures and options for rapid response to threats.

U.S. President Joe Biden has called on U.S. national security agencies to develop new approaches to counter the dangerously increasing cooperation between Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea. This happened on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.

This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.

Details

As stated in the national security memorandum released on Tuesday, Moscow is giving Iran fighter jets, air defense systems, and space technology in exchange for its assistance in the war against Ukraine.

In addition, Putin provides North Korea with fuel, financial support, and technology, officially recognizing it as a nuclear player.

Russia also conducts joint patrols with China in the Arctic.

A secret Biden administration document outlining this data was briefly described to journalists, but has not been independently verified by Reuters.

Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea have previously accused Washington of destabilizing policies in response to previous statements.

The new memorandum proposes that the US government revise the existing structure of security organizations to focus on issues that unite the four countries stretching from Europe to Asia. However, these initiatives could be either accepted or rejected by the new Trump administration.

Administration officials note that their document is not aimed at limiting the political maneuvers of the new team, but rather at creating options for rapid response. Among the challenges facing the United States:

coordinated application of sanctions and export restrictions against four countries,

minimizing the risk of countermeasures by them,

the ability to respond to simultaneous crises involving several states. For example, it has become known that North Korean troops are already in Russia.

Officials also emphasize that the United States is now dealing with a world where adversaries and competitors are rapidly learning from each other's experiences.

However, cooperation between Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea has its limits. In particular, Russia and Iran did not provide significant support to Bashar al-Assad, who was recently overthrown in Syria.

Representatives of the Biden administration believe that this new situation raises questions for China about whether it is ready to fully support this alliance and what course to take in the future.

Recall

Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of Defense Sabrina Singh said that the North Korean military remains in the Kursk region of the country, ready to engage in combat at any time.