Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani:

I will represent Syria this week in official visits to brotherly countries of Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan.

These visits aim to promote stability, security, economic recovery, and foster strong partnerships.

Apple finally admits: Apple will pay $95 million to settle a five-year class action lawsuit accusing its Siri virtual assistant of recording users without consent.

The suit claims Siri accidentally activated, capturing private conversations later shared with advertisers.

Eligible users could receive up to $20 for each Siri-enabled device they owned during this period. However, the actual payout may vary based on the total number of claims filed.

Biden administration informs Congress of an $8 billion arms deal with Israel.

The package includes:

— AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM Missiles

— 155mm Artillery Shells

— Hellfire AGM-114 Missiles

— Small Diameter Bombs & JDAM Kits

— 500-lb Warheads & Bomb Fuzes.

To begin the process of integrating the factions into the Ministry of Defence, the Syrian Ministry of Defence began holding organisational meetings with military leaders.

Source: Levant 24

There is a covert alliance between China and Yemen's Houthis, indicating Beijing’s role in supplying advanced weaponry to the Iran-backed group.

According to U.S. intelligence, the Houthis have been using Chinese-made weapons, such as drones, anti-ship missiles, and precision-guided munitions, in their operations along the Red Sea.

In return, the Houthis reportedly grant safe passage to Chinese vessels through these crucial maritime routes.

Source: i24News

European nations are boosting defense spending amid reduced U.S. support.

The EU plans a €500 billion fund backed by sovereign bonds and more defense-focused budget allocations.

NATO is considering raising spending targets from 2% to 3% of GDP, still below the 5% sought by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s defense sector has grown, with funding favoring state-owned and specialized manufacturers.

Under the EU’s €500 million ammunition production initiative, Germany’s Rheinmetall received 20%, the UK’s Chemring 13%, and Thales 2%.

While Poland leads with 4% of GDP for defense, aiming for 4.7% by 2025, others lag behind—Spain contributes 1.3%, and the UK’s 2025 goal of 2.5% falls short of its internal target of 3.6%.

Source: FT

PKK/YPG/SDF targets hit by Turkish F-16 jets last night in Deyr Hafir, east of Manbij.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock:

Europe will not fund the Islamization of Syria.

During my visit, I saw a deeply divided society. While there’s hope for freedom, it could vanish for women and religious or ethnic minorities.

They assured me of their commitment to women’s participation in governance, but we will judge them by their actions, not words.

The first batch of French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets will be delivered to Ukraine by January 20, reports Avions Legendaires.

The batch will likely consist of 3 to 6 aircraft, expected to replace Ukraine’s Su-24 fleet.

Iranian Foreign Minister:

We are ready for constructive negotiations, without delay, on the nuclear issue to achieve the lifting of sanctions on Iran.

China’s new 6th generation fighter jet: J-50.

NEW: Crimea and Sevastopol were subjected to a massive attack by Storm Shadow cruise missiles and kamikaze drones.

Reports also indicate the use of Neptune missiles by Ukraine.

International flights to and from Damascus International Airport, Syria will resume starting January 7th.

Trapped: Russian tank vs pothole.

Top 10 Navies by Total Displacement (as of January 1, 2025)

1. 🇺🇸 United States
2. 🇨🇳 China
3. 🇷🇺 Russia
4. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
5. 🇯🇵 Japan
6. 🇮🇳 India
7. 🇫🇷 France
8. 🇰🇷 South Korea
9. 🇮🇹 Italy
10. 🇹🇷 Türkiye

Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) forces launched an operation against drug and human traffickers in Zawiya, west of Tripoli.

They destroyed the entrance of a drug warehouse with an armored vehicle.

Land bridge: Saudi Arabia’s aid trucks heading to Syria.

New details have emerged about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25.

Photos published by Azerbaijani outlet @caliber_az_official show clear shrapnel damage on the fuselage, disproving earlier claims of a “bird strike” or “internal explosion.”

Azerbaijani government asserts that the plane was shot down by Russia’s Pantsir-S air defense system.

After initially blaming a bird strike, Russia issued an apology following President Ilham Aliyev’s firm stance. Azerbaijan now demands compensation in addition to the apology.

Aliyev:

“Russia must confess its crime, punish those responsible, and pay compensation to Azerbaijan and the injured passengers. These are our conditions. The first—an apology—was met yesterday.”

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken:

We made sure that Ukraine was prepared for a full-scale invasion by Russia. Starting in September 2021, we quietly got a lot of weapons to Ukraine to make sure that they had in hand what they needed to defend themselves, things like Stingers, Javelins that were instrumental in preventing Russia from taking Kyiv and erasing Ukraine from the map.

NEW: Russia halts Mediterranean submarine operations after losing its Syrian base.

On January 2, RFS Novorossiysk was spotted passing westward through the Strait of Gibraltar, likely en route to the Baltic, monitored by HMS Cutlass.