Zelensky Leaves Empty-Handed: McConnell Admits Ukraine Aid Talks Going Nowhere, Punts to January

"Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will come up empty in his latest swing through the U.S. Capitol. Negotiations on additional American aid to Ukraine paired with a border security package are dead for 2023, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reportedly told his fellow Senate Republicans at their weekly lunch Tuesday.

The Republican leader’s comments come as Zelensky makes his third trip in a year through the U.S. Capitol with his hands out.
Republican opposition to additional aid to Ukraine has steadily grown as voters have balked at Zelensky’s pleas for more handouts from American taxpayers.
Congress has already authorized well over $100 billion in aid to Ukraine." Breitbart

Turkish MP Suffers Heart Attack During Tirade Against Israel

"Turkish parliamentarian Hasan Bitmez suffered a heart attack and collapsed next to the podium at the Turkish National Assembly on Tuesday after delivering a tirade against Israel.

The Grand Assembly of the Turkish parliament was ostensibly debating budgetary considerations on Tuesday, but Bitmez launched into a fiery condemnation of Israel’s war against the terrorists of Hamas in Gaza, accusing Israelis of “crimes against humanity” and “ethnic cleansing.” Bitmez’s last words before collapsing were reportedly, “Israel will not escape the wrath of Allah!” Breitbart

'Man Putin fears most' could be dead after vanishing from Russian prison

"Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken critic Alexei Navalny has been erased from the prison list where he has lived as an inmate for the past year – sparking panic among his lawyers and supporters.

It comes days after the Russian opposition leader’s team raised concerns after he collapsed in his prison cell during what has been described as a ‘serious health-related incident’.
Aides had expected Mr Navalny – described as the man Putin ‘fears most’ – to be moved to a harsher penal colony where Russian criminals and reoffenders are often sent.
But he has not been heard from in almost a week.
CEO of Hermitage Capital Bill Browder had pushed for Putin to face justice after the death of not only his former lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, but Alexander Litvinenko, Boris Nemstov and countless other Russians who spoke against the Kremlin.
Mr Browder told Metro.co.uk that Mr Navalny’s disappearance is alarming and disturbing, adding: ‘In the best case, he’s being transferred between prisons – in the worst case, something catastrophic has happened to him.
‘And the fact that the prison authorities are refusing to assist anyone in clarifying this is both horrific and sadistic.’" Metro

Ukraine's Security Service detains FSB informant who worked through intermediary from Moscow-linked church

"The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has detained a female FSB agent in Donetsk Oblast
who had been working for the Russians through an intermediary from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). The woman had been adjusting Russian attacks on Ukraine's Defense Forces in the oblast." MS

Ukraine’s HUR disrupts Russian Tax Service, erases entire database, full recovery impossible

"The operation took place a few days ago. Military intelligence operatives infiltrated the central server of the tax system and over 2,300 of its regional servers throughout Russia and occupied Crimea. The servers were infected with malware, and both the main database and its backup copies were completely destroyed." MS

Russian drones strike on Ukraine

"Last night, from December 11 to 12, Russian troops attacked the territory of Ukraine with kamikaze drones. Air defense forces destroyed 9 enemy UAVs, according to the Ukrainian Air Force." MS

Cruise missile from Yemen strikes tanker ship: US officials

"Aland-based cruise missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen struck a commercial tanker vessel, causing a fire and damage but no casualties. The attack on the tanker STRINDA took place about 60 nautical miles north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait at about 2100 GMT. he US Navy destroyer USS Mason was there and provided aid.The chemical tanker is Norway-flagged, and its Norwegian owner, Mowinckel Chemical Tankers, and manager Hansa Tankers could not be immediately reached for comment. " MS