"Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency after new cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus were detected in dairy cows in southern California, while insisting that the risk to the general public remains low.
The virus has been spreading through US dairy cattle herds since March, affecting at least 16 states. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports no confirmed human-to-human transmission so far, at least 61 human cases have been detected across the country, including 34 in California." RT
"The leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Syria rebel group that removed President Bashar al-Assad
from power met with British officials to request the removal of sanctions and the terror designation on his group.
Abu Mohammed al-Julani met with Stephen Hickey, director of the Middle East department at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and Ann Snow, the UK’s envoy to Syria in Damascus." ZH
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Brussels aims to strengthen Ukraine militarily and politically before ceasefire negotiations with Russia can begin, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said." NV
"The crude oil distillation unit (CDU) was reportedly hit in an overnight drone attack on an oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk, Russia’s Rostov Oblast." NV
"Russian troops seized the Ukrainian village of Trudove in Donetsk Oblast. According to the updated maps of the frontlines, the enemy also advanced in Uspenivka and Kurakhove, as well as near Pishane, Novoolenivka, Vovkove, Neskuchne, and Vidrodzhennya in Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces also improved their tactical positions near the village of Zahryzove in Kharkiv Oblast." NV
"250 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces units and Russian troops were recorded at the frontline, with the fiercest battles taking place in the Pokrovsk sector.
In the Kharkiv sector, one combat engagement was recorded in the vicinity of Vovchansk.
In the Kupiansk sector, there were 26 attacks over the past 24 hours. The defense forces successfully repelled enemy assaults near Petropavlivka, Kolisnykivka, and Lozova.
In the Lyman sector, the enemy launched 24 attacks near Hrekivka, Novoyehorivka, Nadiya, Yampolivka, and Terny.The Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled five attempts to attack Ukrainian troops' positions in the Siversk sector near Verkhniokamianske.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the enemy attempted to advance five times in the area of Chasiv Yar, Hryhorivka, and in the direction of Bila Hora.
In the Toretsk sector, the enemy initiated 13 attacks in the vicinity of Toretsk, Diliivka, and Shcherbynivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled 48 attacks in the areas of Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Dachenske, Zelene, Novovasylivka, Chumatske and Novooleynivka. The invaders, supported by aircraft, attempted to force Ukrainian units out of their positions, but were ultimately unsuccessful.
In the Kurakhove sector, the Defense Forces successfully repelled 25 attacks near Sontsivka, Staryi Terny, Kurakhove, and Dachne, where the enemy attempted to breach the Ukrainian troops' defensive line.
In the Vremivka sector, the enemy also initiated 25 assault actions near Kostiantynopolske, Rozlyv, Velyka Novosilka, Blahodatne, Novyi Komar, and Storozheve.
The enemy attempted to advance to the Novoandriivka in the Orikhiv sector but was repelled.
In the Prydniprovskyi sector, five combat engagements with the enemy occurred in the island zone of the Dnipro delta. The enemy was unable to achieve its objectives.
The Ukrainian defense forces continue the operation in the Kursk region. Enemy aircraft continue to strike at its own territory. Over the past day, Russian forces carried out 21 air strikes, dropping 31 guided aerial bombs. Ukrainian defenders repelled 68 invaders' assaults.
No signs of enemy offensive groups forming in the Volyn and Polissia sectors were detected.
The enemy maintains a military presence along the border with the Chernihiv and Sumy regions. From the territory of the Russian Federation, they have been shelling settlements, conducting sabotage and reconnaissance activities, and increasing the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine." Ukrin
"Germany has decided to relocate a heavy military equipment repair centre for the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Slovakia due to problems with work organization and inflexible processes on the fellow NATO state’s territory." Pravada
"The Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) announced the start of an operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern Syrian town of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) on December 17.The announcement came in the midst of a build-up of Turkish troops on the Syrian border in preparation for a possible invasion alongside its proxies in the SNA.
The Turkish military has built a concrete barrier between Kobani and the Turkey border, while Turkish warplanes can be seen flying above the city.
US media has also reported that Turkey is building up its forces along the border in preparation for a possible invasion. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that according to one US official, "A Turkish cross-border operation could be imminent." ZH
"Syria’s rebel groups will be disbanded and absorbed into the national army, the head of the faction which ousted Bashar al-Assad has said.
Meeting the country’s religious minority Druze community, Mohammed al-Jolani – who has started using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa – said rebels would be trained to “join the ranks of the defence ministry”.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the Islamist group led by Sharaa as Jolani which is now leading Syria – was once affiliated with al-Qaeda and is still classed as a terrorist organization by the UK, US and much of Europe." MS
"Authorities in Russia have arrested a suspect over the killing of a top general and his aide in a bomb blast in Moscow.
The Investigative Committee said in a statement on Wednesday that a national of Uzbekistan had been arrested on suspicion of having committed the attack that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov. It added the 29-year-old suspect said he had been “recruited by Ukrainian special forces”." NV
"Russian forces have seized control of Sontsivka and advanced near nine other settlements in Donetsk Oblast. The analyst data indicate the Russian troops have also made gains near Novotroitske, Berestky, Zelenivka, Novyi Komar, Storozheve, Kurakhove, Pushkyne, Dachenske, and Vidrodzhennia." NV
"Since the beginning of the day, a total of 88 combat clashes have occurred on the frontline, with the heaviest fighting concentrated in the Pokrovsk, Siversk, and Kurakhove directions.
In the Kharkiv sector of the font, the Russian forces launched strikes using unguided rockets near Vovchanski Khutory.In the Kupiansk sector, the Ukrainian defenses were attacked near Lozova.
In the Lyman sector, the Russian troops attempted seven attacks near Vyshneve, Tverdokhlibove, Zelenyi Hai, Terny, and the Serebriansky Forest. Five clashes are currently ongoing.
In the Siversk sector, the Russian forces are attacking the areas of Bilohorivka, Siversk, and Verkhniokamianske. The Ukrainian troops have repelled two out of eight attacks so far; battles are ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the Russian forces attempted attacks near Chasiv Yar and Stupochky, all of which were unsuccessful. Additionally, six guided aerial bombs were dropped near Pazeno and Vasiukivka.
In the Toretsk sector, the Russian troops are attempting to penetrate the Ukrainian defenses near Toretsk. Out of four enemy assaults, one has already been repelled, while three others continue.
In the Pokrovsk sector, the Russian forces conducted 13 attempts to dislodge the Ukrainian troops from their positions near Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Dachenske, Novyi Trud, Novooleksiivka, Pishchane, Novoolenivka, and Novoyelyzavetivka. The Ukrainian forces have repelled six attacks so far; seven clashes are ongoing.
In the Kurakhove sector, the Russian troops launched 15 assaults near Sontsivka, Stari Terny, Kurakhove, and Yantarne. Nine assaults have already been repelled.
In the Vremivka sector, the Russian forces attacked five times near Kostiantynopilske, Sukhi Yaly, Storozhove, Novosilka, and Novodarivka, with one engagement still ongoing.
In the Huliaipole sector, no active Russian operations have been reported today.
In the Orikhiv sector, two clashes occurred near Novoandriivka and Novodanylivka.
In the Prydniprovske sector, the Russian forces launched one assault using strike aviation, which was unsuccessful.
The Ukrainian forces continue their operations in Russia’s Kursk region. Russian aircraft have dropped five guided aerial bombs on this area since morning. The Ukrainian Defense Forces have already repelled 29 attacks there, while four engagements are ongoing." Ukrin
"Hundreds of vials containing live viruses have gone missing from a laboratory in Australia, sparking an investigation.Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced today that 323 samples of live viruses—including Hendra virus, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus—went missing in 2021 in a "serious breach of biosecurity protocols.".....nearly 100 of the missing vials containing Hendra virus, which is deadly. Two of the vials contained hantavirus, while 223 vials contained samples of lyssavirus.Hendra virus has a 57 percent fatality rate in humans and has had a devastating impact on those who have been infected. Hantavirus is carried by rodents and can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which has a mortality rate of around 38 percent, while lyssavirus is similar to rabies and also has a very high mortality rate." Newsweek
"While everyone, including local, state, and federal authorities, is desperately searching for answers, there has been a notable lack of disclosure regarding what is actually happening in the skies above New Jersey—some of the most restricted airspace in the world.One theory points to drones equipped with payload sensors designed to detect radioactive material, given ongoing and heightened Al-Qaeda threats on the East Coast. Others believe this could be part of a large psyop aimed at pushing through new drone legislation in Washington, DC. Additional theories suggest that Iranian or Chinese operators may be deploying drones to spark mass hysteria.
What may seem like a mere coincidence is worth noting: reports of drone sightings began in mid-November, and on December 2, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission disclosed that a medical device containing radioactive material was "lost in transit" in New Jersey." ZeroHedge
"This has begun in the overnight hours, with Israeli warplanes pummeling air defense systems and ammunition depots in Damascus and the coastal city of Tartous, near where a Russian naval base is located. The strike on Tartous resulted in the single biggest explosion seen inSyria in years, unleashing a fireball and mushroom cloud so large it led to quick speculation it could have been a tactical nuke.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) described that Israeli warplanes hit air defense units and "surface-to-surface missile depots" as part of a bid to degrade and disable Syria's military capability. SOHR also called it the "the heaviest strikes" on the region in over a decade.
The Telegraph wrote that "A 3.1 magnitude tremor was reported by the Geographic Survey of Israel’s seismology department at 11.49pm on Sunday night in the region of the bombings."
"The explosions in Tartous were extremely loud," Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from inside the country, additionally described. "Some experts are saying that might probably mean it was a chemical weapons production house." ZH
