Zelensky:

Intentions must become security guarantees and therefore be ratified—by the U.S. Congress, by European parliaments, by all partners.

A Budapest-style piece of paper will not satisfy Ukraine; Ukraine does not need a Minsk-style, meticulously drafted trap.

Signatures under weak agreements only fuel war. My signature will be under a strong agreement.

Zelensky:

What does Ukraine want? Peace—yes. At any cost? No. We want the end of the war, not the end of Ukraine.

Are we tired? Extremely. Does that mean we are ready to surrender? Those who think so are deeply mistaken.

Zelensky:

When Putin says, “We’re not going to attack you,” that is the first warning of exactly where his tanks will go and where his drones will fly.

And today we have every right to say this plainly: Ukraine is the only shield that separates Europe’s comfortable way of life from the Russian world.

Bulgaria has adopted the euro, becoming the 21st member of the eurozone.

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in shortly after midnight Thursday as New York City’s 112th Mayor, following a private ceremony beneath City Hall Park.

A public inauguration will take place Thursday afternoon at City Hall Plaza, where Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders are expected to participate.

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The Justice Department is reviewing more than 5.2 million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, far more than previously disclosed.

More than 400 attorneys are now involved, but officials do not expect additional releases until Jan. 20 or 21, well past the Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress.

Source: AP

This is the video Jackie Chan was talking about:

“When I grow up! In Palestine, we never grow up. At any moment we might get shot. We might be killed. As we are walking we might find ourselves shot. That’s our life in Palestine.”

NEW: Several people were killed and others injured after an explosion tore through a bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.

Authorities said the cause of the blast is still unknown.

Source: AFP

SOUTHCOM:

On Dec. 31, at the direction of Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.

Trump and Netanyahu watched fireworks outside Mar-a-Lago during New Year’s celebrations.

Reporter: Do you have a New Year’s Resolution?

Trump: Peace on Earth.

Truck-mounted electromagnetic catapult has been installed on armed Chinese container ship in Shanghai.

A 21-year-old Iranian Basij (paramilitary volunteer militia) member died during protests over economic collapse.

State media say he was killed in Kuhdasht, Lorestan, blaming protesters.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić:

Regarding Israel and cooperation with Israel, we have good relations with the Jewish state.

We purchase many important systems from them, including the Hermes and SkyStriker platforms, as well as the Elbit PULS, which is more powerful than HIMARS.

PULS fires six rockets, compared to five for HIMARS. You’ve seen how much trouble HIMARS has caused the Russians, and we intend to continue this cooperation.

Reports claimed Israel, Greece, and Cyprus planned a 2,500-troop rapid-response force in the eastern Mediterranean.

Cyprus denied the claims twice, stressing no such force exists.

No standing or rapid-response force created.

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WATCH: Assad-era general gets catfished, spills plans, and goes full mask-off.

Suhail al-Hassan (“The Tiger”), former Assad special forces commander now in Russia, was tricked by a hacker posing as an Israeli intelligence officer.

He believed the call was real, discussed armed reorganization on Syria’s coast, and said funding/coordination comes from Rami Makhlouf (Assad’s cousin).

While trying to win favor, Suheil openly cheered Israel’s war on Gaza and used dehumanizing language about Palestinians and others:

“Finish them off and purify them… These are the sons of impurity and filth. May God’s curse be upon ‘the Flood.’”

He insulted entire sects on the same call:

“The Sunnis are like Hamas… And the Shia are the same, and the Easterners are worse.”

The fake “Israeli officer” even floated “David’s Corridor” talk; Suheil responded reverently instead of pushing back.

Another ex-regime officer, Ghiath Dalla, said he was “happy with the conversation” and agreed.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić:

We are buying weapons from various parts of the world, and we do not hide it—we are proud of it.

We procure equipment from France, Israel, China, the Russian Federation, and many other places across the world, and we choose the best.