Kosovo Heads to Early Parliamentary Election Amid Prolonged Political Deadlock 
FBI Surges Resources to Minnesota Amid Fraud Investigations Linked to Somali Community 
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Plot Against Putin as Peace Talks Face New Strain 
Kremlin Says Ukrainian Drone Attack Hardens Russia’s Stance on Peace Talks 
Jazz Ensemble Cancels Kennedy Center New Year’s Eve Shows After Trump Renaming Sparks Backlash 
U.S. Government Agrees to Review Frozen NIH Diversity Research Grants After Legal Challenge 
China Conducts Largest-Ever Live-Fire War Games Around Taiwan Amid Rising Cross-Strait Tensions 
Trump Administration Probes Corporate DEI Programs, Raising Questions for Google Stock 
Bolsonaro Undergoes Second Medical Procedure for Persistent Hiccups While Hospitalized in Brasilia 
Zelenskiy and Trump Meet in Florida as Ukraine Peace Talks Face Major Hurdles 
Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland Sparks U.N. Debate and Regional Tensions 
Trump and Zelenskiy Signal Progress Toward Ukraine Peace Deal, Donbas Still Unresolved 
Israel Recognizes Somaliland as Independent State, Sparking Regional and Global Reactions 
Australia Orders Independent Review After Bondi Mass Shooting, Albanese Resists Royal Commission Calls 
Bolsonaro Undergoes Phrenic Nerve Block Procedure After Surgery-Related Complications 
Lavrov Says Russia Holds Strategic Initiative in Ukraine as Settlement Talks Continue 
Myanmar Election 2025 Faces Global Scrutiny Amid Civil War and Political Repression 
Over the weekend, the US, the United Kingdom, and Australia established an alliance that is believed to counter the growing threat from China but has also drawn criticism from another ally, France. Biden is set to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron over the recent AUKUS deal in the coming days.
The Associated Press reports that Biden will speak to Macron on the phone in the coming days regarding what might have been a diplomatic crisis following the AUKUS deal between the three countries. French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said that Biden is the one who made the request to speak with Macron, adding that there was some initial “shock” and “anger.” However, Attal revealed that it is time to move forward from the initial crisis that occurred.
The French have described it as a “crisis” as it would signal an end to the 2016 contract worth around $66 billion between France and Australia to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines. However, in the AUKUS deal, Australia signed on for eight nuclear-powered submarines. France said that it was not aware of the agreement that was made.
In response, France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia. Regarding the AUKUS deal, France believes that it steps on its feet in a region where it has a strong presence regarding the Indo-Pacific.
“France is a country of the Indo-Pacific,” said Attal, citing the French territory New Caledonia. Attal noted that the Indo-Pacific is also a key issue for France. Macron is expected to press Biden for an explanation that, according to Attal, led to a “major rupture in confidence.”
In other news, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mocked the US leader for an already-debunked claim that Biden was sleeping through his meeting with his successor Naftali Bennett. The debunked claim was widely spread around right-ring sites and outlets.
“I heard that Biden was very attentive, very, very attentive during the meeting,” said the former Prime Minister during a live Facebook broadcast. Netanyahu went on to mock Biden by dropping his head and closing his eyes. “He lowered his head in agreement.”
The Likud party later released a statement in response to the backlash received for imitating Biden that Netanyahu was mocking Bennett rather than the US leader.
