NEW: Afghanistan vows to retaliate against Pakistan for deadly air strikes

The Afghan military has vowed to retaliate for deadly air strikes apparently carried out by Pakistan this week after an insurgent raid on its soil.

The Afghan defense ministry claimed the Waziristan refugees were the victims of the strikes. They described the incident as 'barbaric' and 'a clear aggression.' Kabul vowed to respond.

Israeli airstrikes targeted three sites in Qousaya, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

NEW: A US air strike in Somalia has reportedly killed two al-Shabaab members, including a senior commander.

The strike took place on Tuesday about 10km south-west of the town of Quyno Barrow, south of Mogadishu, according to a statement from US-AFRICOM.

Al-Shabab said a drone strike killed one of its top commanders, Mohamed Mire, near Quyno Barrow in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region.

NEW: At least 6,000 prisoners escaped a high-security prison in Mozambique's capital on Christmas Day after a riot, as post-election riots and violence rock the country. 33 prisoners died and 15 were injured in a confrontation with security forces, said police chief Bernardino Rafael.

NEW: Sudanese army shoots down 10 drones over White Nile town

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) destroyed 10 RSF drones near al-Dewaim in al-Aawaj, 20km south of al-Dewaim, White Nile.

No casualties or damage from the attacks, military sources told. Fighting broke out between SAF and RSF in the al-Aawaj region a few days ago, but airstrikes forced the RSF to withdraw.

For three months, the RSF has been trying to capture the Al-Dewaim bridge on the White Nile to secure a passage for military supplies to its troops in this state and al-Gezira state.

NEW: China's Xi Jinping will visit Russia in 2025, Russian ambassador says

China's President Xi Jinping will visit Russia in 2025, Russia's state-run RIA news agency quoted Moscow's ambassador to Beijing as saying early on Friday.

"As for concrete bilateral events, I can say that the appropriate plans are actively being drawn up. What can be said that is no secret, in terms of priority, is that the chairman of the People's Republic of China is expected in Russia next year." " ambassador Igor Morgulov told RIA.

- Reuters

Japan’s Cabinet approved a record $55 billion defense budget for 2025, marking the 13th consecutive increase.

The spending aligns with plans to strengthen the Self-Defense Forces and reach 2% of GDP by 2027.

Iranian Foreign Minister:

Syrian people alone will decide their country's future, free from foreign interference.

All parties must recognize that the region's people play the decisive role in shaping their destiny.

Chinese Military Aviation

J-10 (First flight: 1998)

↓ 13 years later

J-20 (First flight: 2011)

↓ 13 years later

J-36 (First flight: 2024)

Despite heavy sanctions, Russia's Oreshnik missile production depends on Western CNC technology from brands like FANUC, Siemens, and Heidenhain.

Russian firms continue using German and Japanese systems for precision manufacturing, as efforts to domesticate production lag.

In 2024, $3M worth of Heidenhain components reached Russia, with some entities exploiting loopholes by mislabeling foreign equipment as domestic.

Source: FT

Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air suspends flights on Astana-Yekaterinburg route for safety reasons.

Kadyrov ordered financial aid for plane crash victims and their families.

However, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration declined the offer, stating:

"Azerbaijan does not need any assistance. Neither the state nor its citizens will accept such aid. We provide and will continue to provide the necessary support to our citizens. Azerbaijan demands acknowledgment of the incident, an apology, and appropriate compensation."

South Korean parliament decided to impeach the Acting President Han Duck-soo, too.

Former Prime Minister Han has been acting president since President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached two weeks ago.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the acting presidency.

South Korean Intelligence has confirmed that the North Korean soldier who was taken prisoner by the Ukrainian forces died recently due to his injuries.

The Houthis claim to have successfully targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a hypersonic missile.

An Azerbaijani Airlines plane flying from Baku to Mineralnye Vody was forced to return to Baku after Russia closed the airspace over Dagestan.

Azerbaijan Airlines suspended flights to seven Russian cities including Grozny due to risks that may arise in flight safety.

Burkina Faso’s military received a significant shipment of military equipment from China, including:

▪️ 50 CS/VP14 MRAP vehicles
▪️ 30 VN22 6x6 armored personnel carriers
▪️ 10 CS/VN9 6x6 armored personnel carriers
▪️ 90 Shacman H3000 6x4 trucks
▪️ 45 Shacman H3000S 6x4 tractors

Kremlin says it's aware of Baku’s call for Russia to apologize for its air defense system hitting an Azerbaijani plane but will refrain from commenting until the investigation is complete.

“We’ve seen the statements, but I have nothing to add.”

Serbian President Vučić says Germany urgently needs cheap Russian gas, predicting the Nord Stream pipeline could be sold to U.S. investors and operational within a year.

“Germany maintained its economic competitiveness with cheap Russian gas. Changes are slow, and electricity in Germany is expensive.

The country urgently needs affordable energy. I predict that within a year, Nord Stream will belong to U.S. investors, and Russian gas will flow to Europe again. Mark my words.”

NEW: German President has dissolved the Bundestag.

New parliamentary elections are set for February 23, 2025.