It began shortly after Midnight eastern US time: A large and violent attack by Russian forces against numerous targets inside Ukraine. | The Russian Defense Ministry made clear "This is retaliation for using U.S.-supplied ATACMS against Taganrog on Dec. 11." 93 missiles and more than 200 drones showered several Ukrainian regions with warheads, plunging them in suffocating blackouts. ● Word of the pending attack came around 10:00 PM eastern us time last night when as many as 8 Russian Tu-95s long-range bombers took to the air, all of them conducted a launch maneuver. Some such attack bombers took off from as far away as Murmansk Russia. There were also concerns of "Iskander" missiles being launched from Taganrog. Reports also confirmed "Kalibr" Missile carriers departing from Novorossiysk.

⚡ Urgent: Russian Missiles on the Move - Country-wide (Hal Turner)
■ An American target in Ukraine hit? The US ambassador was outraged by Moscow's "behavior" (ukraina.ru)
■ Russia hit the airport in Kiev with missiles, where F-16 pilots were being trained (kp.ru)
■ Putin's special address. After a massive strike on Ukraine and the disclosure of the DPRK's MTR (tsargradtv)
■ Ukraine strikes Russia with US-made ATACMS missiles (IMAGE) (12/12/24)

While the militants who have seized power make promises that delight Western journalists, the country is drowning in blood [...] s often happens, the statements issued by the rebels were far from the truth. HTS terrorists and allied opposition groups have already released dozens of videos demonstrating executions of members of Arab-Kurdish forces, Syrian soldiers (even those who surrendered voluntarily), Alawites, and Shiites. In several video clips, militants are seen slitting the throats of their captives. [...] There are videos of the rebels hunting down former soldiers, which they refer to as “patrolling” or “clearing” an area. Mostly, their targets are shot on the spot. In addition, the rebels have published dozens of video messages threatening various minorities and neighboring countries. Some of them claim that the coup in Syria gives them the freedom to destroy Israel and liberate Palestinian territories. [...] Russian-speaking terrorists from the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar and Ajnad al-Kavkaz jihadist militant groups, whose former leader and certain members are currently fighting in the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the side of Ukraine, have threatened that their next target will be Russia.

✅ Syrie : nouvelle victoire pour la stratégie du chaos (Le Grand Soir)

The Israeli occupation commits three massacres across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 40 Palestinians and injuring 98 others. | In the latest toll issued by the Ministry of Health in Gaza on day 434 of the ongoing genocide, the number of martyrs has reached 44,875, with 106,454 wounded since October 7, 2023. ● The Israeli occupation committed three massacres across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 40 Palestinians and injuring 98 others, according to the Ministry. ● While some of the victims were transported to the few partially functioning hospitals in the Strip, most of them remain trapped beneath the rubble, with almost impossible means to get out amid the continuous Israeli obstruction of rescue operations.

■ Israeli attacks kill 70 Palestinians, wound 100 in a day (PressTV)
■ Israel Killed Over 5,000 Civilians in Gaza in October 2023 (Antiwar)
■ IOF detained 12,100 Palestinians in West Bank since October 2023 (Al Mayadeen)

Over a week after former prime minister Michel Barnier was overthrown by Parliament, French President Emmanuel Macron picked François Bayrou as his replacement. | You can share an article by clicking on the share icons at the top right of it. ● French President Emmanuel Macron appointed François Bayrou as prime minister on Friday, December 13, over a week after lawmakers voted to oust conservative ex-prime minister Michel Barnier. A heavyweight politician, Bayrou heads the centrist MoDem party who has been allied to Macron since he swept to power in the 2017 election campaign.

💬 "The President of the Republic has appointed Mr. François Bayrou as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government," the French presidency said in a statement, giving no more details. Bayrou is the sixth prime minister under Macron.

Earlier Friday, Le Monde learned that Macron and Bayrou had a tense meeting after the president informed Bayrou he would not be named prime minister. Bayrou threatened to leave the coalition, and the president changed his mind, deciding to appoint him after all. ● Bayrou, 73, was acquitted in February after a seven-year-long case over the fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants by his party, opening up a potential return to government. (Prosecutors appealed and a new trial is to be held, at a date yet to be decided.) In 2017, he served as Macron's first justice minister but was replaced after just one month because of ethics concerns over the case. He has also been mayor of the southwestern city of Pau since 2014.

■ Macron appoints centrist ally François Bayrou as France's fourth prime minister in 2024 (Le Monde English)