❗️Russian air defense intercepted and destroyed 85 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

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🔥LAFD Chief Crowley remains on duty amid wildfire crisis, mayor's office confirms

Amid swirling rumors of a shake-up in Los Angeles’ firefighting leadership, the Mayor’s office has denied reports that LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley has been fired or resigned during the ongoing wildfire crisis.

“The Mayor and Chief Crowley met. The priority remains fighting these fires and protecting Angelenos," Mayor’s Office stated.

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💯 White House calls Ukraine ‘free and vibrant democracy.’

“Today, Ukraine remains a free and vibrant democracy,” a Washington press release says on a phone call by US President Joe Biden to Volodymyr Zelensky.

So far, democracy in Ukraine has been so vibrant that they even had to cancel the presidential election in 2024. Ukrainian men are free to choose between dying on the front lines and dying on the front lines in a doomed struggle.

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🟠 Ignore gas prices, think about harming Russia – Biden to US citizens

🟠 California governor calls for focusing on combating disinformation instead of wildfires

🟠 Trump admin to get around $4 billion left in unspent aid for Ukraine – Pentagon

🟠 Watch Russian sharpshooters eliminate Ukrainian targets

🟠 Chief LA firefighter highlights budget cuts' impact on fire services

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⚔️Panama vs. Trump: Canal dispute could reach UN Security Council

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino is reportedly considering taking the issue of US pressure on the Panama Canal to the United Nations Security Council.

This is in response to the US President-elect Donald Trump's plans to annex the Canal, which Panama sees as undue interference, according to European media.

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📹THROWBACK to 2022: Karen Bass for Mayor of LA - How it all started

"I'm confident you're gonna be an outstanding mayor of LA," Obama expressed unwavering confidence in Karen Bass.

"Outstanding" performance:

🔥LAFD $17 million budget cut

🔥$150 billion in damage disaster

🔥Empty reservoirs

🔥Entire neighborhoods wiped out

🔥Visits Ghana while city is burning

Is Obama as proud of her now?

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💸Bitcoin may smash new record highs in anticipation of Trump’s crypto-friendly policies

Bitcoin's price is primed for new record highs after topping $107,780 in December. It is currently trading at approximately $94,282.07, but under an optimistic scenario, Bitcoin could reach upwards of $120,000 in Q1 2025, crypto experts told Russian media.
Here’s why:

📊Boosted investor confidence:

➖ Since crypto-friendly Donald Trump's US presidential election win on November 5, there has been anticipation of a further favorable environment for Bitcoin.

➖ Total assets in Bitcoin exchange traded funds (ETFs) reached around $113 billion in December driven by post-election tailwinds, according to Bloomberg analysis. - The token went on a streak of highs on Trump’s promise to set up a strategic US Bitcoin reserve.

➖ Trump’s pick of digital-asset supporter Paul Atkins as his new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair in early December lifted Bitcoin to $100,000 for the first time.

🤝Relaxed regulations:

📍The token trended higher for most of 2024 after the launch of several US spot Bitcoin ETFs in January. This allowed trading on traditional market exchanges rather than cryptocurrency exchanges.

📍The approval of cryptocurrency ETFs by the US SEC prompted increased capital inflows into Bitcoin ETFs.

🔍Supply constraints:

Since Bitcoin’s total supply is permanently capped at 21 million coins, this tightened supply also affects the price as demand continues to grow.

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☢️US nukes in Turkiye could make it a target in a potential global conflict

Turkiye risks becoming a frontline target in the event of a nuclear war, according to the Turkish newspaper Aydinlik. The US decision to upgrade its B61 nuclear bombs to the B61-12 variant has raised alarm, with 50 of these bombs stored at Turkiye's Incirlik Air Base in Adana.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov recently cautioned that escalating tensions near Russia’s borders, driven by Western nations, could lead to the use of nuclear weapons. As the US bolsters its arsenal, Turkiye is facing growing concerns about its strategic vulnerability.

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❗️Russian troops liberated the settlement of Shevchenko in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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🔫Is someone planning a party? US Army storage in California robbed

Unidentified individuals have stolen three military Humvee vehicles, 18 bayonets, machine gun equipment, and other items from a US Army storage facility in California, local police reported.

The theft occurred on Wednesday evening, with the perpetrators also attempting to break into a uniform storage area, but failing to breach the lock. Authorities are investigating the incident, which has raised concerns about the security of military assets.

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🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian MoD daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:    

▪️Ukraine lost over 535 militants and a Leopard tank in the Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr combat zone.

▪️Russia's Battlegroup Zapad repelled six counterattacks in its area of responsibility, enemy lost up to 365 militants.

▪️Ukraine lost over 185 troops in the Russia's Battlegroup Vostok area of responsibility.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 105 soldiers in the Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr areas of responsibility.

▪️Russian air defence systems shot down 5 HIMARS missiles and 181 Ukrainian drones.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 210 servicemen and two warehouses in the Russia's Battlegroup Yug area of responsibility.

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🇷🇺 Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov congratulated the servicemen of the 74th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade on the liberation of the settlement of Shevchenko in the Donetsk People’s Republic, expressing gratitude to the command and personnel for their successful execution of combat missions and steadfast commitment to military duty, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced.

“Today, as throughout many years, the servicemen of the unit honorably fulfil their combat missions in the fight against neo-Nazis, confidently pushing them back,” the minister’s said in a telegram to the brigade.

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How US financial tycoons understand freedom of speech

JPMorgan Chase has disabled employee comments on its internal platform after backlash over mandatory return-to-office policies. The bank faced criticism for moving away from hybrid work, requiring employees to return five days a week.

Instead of addressing concerns about work-life balance, the response was to silence dissent and "encourage discussions" with managers privately. Freedom of expression, corporate style.

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❗️Ukrainian losses in the Russian Kursk region during the day amounted to 240 militants, Russia's Defense Ministry announced.

Russia's Battlegroup Sever repelled nine counterattacks in its area of responsibility.

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🪖Germany to create new army unit for infrastructure security

Germany’s Bundeswehr is set to establish a fourth major army unit tasked with protecting critical infrastructure and key military facilities nationwide, according to German media, quoting an army spokesman.

Currently, the German Army has three divisions, each consisting of approximately 20,000 troops: two armored divisions and a rapid reaction force division.

Germany is undergoing a significant shift in its defense policy, with a focus on rearmament and increased defense spending. The trend is driven by the country's commitment to NATO, which marks a departure from Germany's traditionally cautious military stance since World War II.

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🇷🇺 The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage showing the Russian flag being raised over a building in the recently liberated settlement of Shevchenko in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

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🪖Ukrainian servicemen massively earning Darwin Awards due to trash-quality ammunition

Ukrainian soldiers are suffering significant losses due to the use of low-quality ammunition and improvised explosive devices – at best, they "get their hands torn off and their faces burned," Ukrainian media reported, citing the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Aerial Reconnaissance Support Center, Maria Berlinska.

In late November 2024, Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation opened a criminal case after the supply of defective 120 mm shells to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. As previously reported by Ukrainian media, servicemen complained about a low-quality batch of 120 mm shells produced by the state Ukroboronprom corporation. Later, Ukrainian journalist Yuliya Kiriyenko-Merinova said that Ukroboronprom had also supplied the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a batch of defective 82 mm shells.

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🔍Danish gov't privately contacts Trump to prevent possible Greenland takeover

Danish authorities have privately contacted US President-elect Trump's team to express readiness to boost US military presence in Greenland to prevent the incoming US administration from claiming the island, Axios reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Danish government reportedly wants to convince Trump, including through the messages passed to his advisers earlier this week, that his security concerns can be addressed without claiming Greenland.

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