International

Netanyahu: “Israel’s policy in Syria will depend on the emerging reality”

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, assured this Sunday in a video statement that Israel will determine its policy towards Syria according to the emerging reality in the country, which barely celebrates a week off from the regime of Bashar al-Assad and is still setting down a new transitional government.

“We have no interest in confronting Syria. We will determine Israel’s policy towards Syria based on the emerging reality on the ground,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli troops have been invading the border area between the Golan Heights (Syrian territory that Israel has occupied since 1967) and Syria for a week to eliminate, according to Tel Aviv, threats against the country.

The president assured that Syria has been an “active enemy” of Israel over the decades, allowing attacks on its territory or Iran’s arms trafficking to the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Transitionaly government

Since the overthrow of Al Asad, Syria has embarked on a transitional government with Mohamed al Bashir as acting prime minister until next March, as well as the leader of the insurgent coalition, the Islamist Ahmed al Charaa (known as the war name of Abu Mohamed al Jolani), as the “strong man” of the country.

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In this context, and although Israel celebrates the fall of Bashar al-Assad as a symbol of Iran’s weakness that it claims as its own triumph, the concern is growing in the Hebrew State about what kind of regime will go ahead in Syria and how it will affect the balance of power in the region.

The Israeli operation in the demilitarized Syrian zone, a territory that invaded a week ago for the first time in 50 years, is aimed at destroying weapons that could be used like Israel, as well as weapons smuggling routes from Iran to Hezbulah, a group with which the ceasefire in Lebanon began on November 27.

In this sense, the Israeli leader issued a warning to the region, reiterating that Israel will act “in any arena and at any time” to avoid the rearmament of the pro-Iranian group.

“Challenges” before Israel

Netanyahu assured that there are still “challengs” against Israel: “Iran, with its damn agents, and other potential threats, because reality is dynamic and is changing rapidly.”

The Israeli Prime Minister discussed all this in a call last night with the elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, in a conversation that he described as “very important” about the situation in the region, and in which they talked about “the need to complete Israel’s victory.”

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Since the beginning of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, which later led to the war in Lebanon with Hezbollah and conditioned the fall of Al Asad in Lebanon (by weakening this Lebanese militia, one of its main allies), Netanyahu defends achieving a “total victory” over Hamas that has been transferred to the rest of the open fronts he maintains in the Middle East.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.