News of the World

[kyonides]

U.S. Navy Engages in Fight with Houthis, Sinking Three Boats and Killing Crews

“On Dec. 31 at 6:30am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats. The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew served and small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANGZHOU, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel. A contract embarked security team on the MAERSK HANZGHOU returned fire,” Central Command (Centcom) outlined in an issued statement.

“U.S. helicopters from the USS EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and GRAVELY (DDG 107) responded to the distress call and in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired upon the U.S. helicopters with crew served weapons and small arms. The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment,” Centcom said.

It is the first time that the U.S. military has killed Houthi crews in response to attack on commercial vessels and U.S. ships in the Red Sea since they began in October. There have been at least 23 attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels since then, with some of them causing damage.

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II Announces Abdication After 52 Years on the Throne

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II announced Sunday that she plans to leave the throne to make way for her son, Crown Prince Frederik.

The queen announced during her New Year’s speech that she would abdicate on Jan. 14th, which is the 52nd anniversary of her own accession to the throne at age 31 following the death of her father, King Frederik IX.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the decision in a news release that paid tribute to the 83-year-old monarch, offering a “heartfelt thank you to Her Majesty the Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom.”

The 6-foot-tall (1.82-meters-tall), chain-smoking Margrethe has been one of the most popular public figures in Denmark. She often walked the streets of Copenhagen virtually unescorted and won the admiration of Danes for her warm manners and for her talents as a linguist and designer.

A keen skier, she was a member of a Danish women’s air force unit as a princess, taking part in judo courses and endurance tests in the snow. Margrethe remained tough even as she grew older. In 2011, at age 70, she visited Danish troops in southern Afghanistan wearing a military jumpsuit.

Russian News

Vladimir Putin Vows Russia ‘Will Never Back Down’ in New Year’s Address

In an attempt to reassure a war-weary nation, strongman Vladimir Putin put on a brave face as he addressed his people on New Year’s Eve, promising that Russia will overcome the issues that face it, presumably including the stagnating war in Ukraine and the economic challenges posed by Western sanctions.

“We have proven time and time again that we can solve even the most difficult problems, and we will never back down, because there is no such force that can divide us, makes us forget the memory and faith of our fathers, to stop our development,” Putin said according to state news agency TASS.

“We are one country, one big family. We will ensure the confident development of the Fatherland, the well-being of our citizens, we will become even stronger. We are together. And this is the most reliable guarantee of the future of Russia,” he continued.

The address from Putin came amid increasing warnings about the Ukraine war’s impact on the Russian military, with Britain’s Ministry of Defence claiming on Saturday that the average daily number of Russian casualties rose by nearly 300 during 2023. Should the casualty rate remain consistent over the next year, Russia will have lost over half a million military personnel, according to the UK intel assessment.

Perhaps everybody, including Russians, should take his words at face value.

Russia Launches Fresh Drone Strikes on Ukraine After Vowing Retaliation for Belgorod Attack

The Ukrainian Air Force said Sunday that it had shot down 21 of 49 drones launched by Russian forces overnight.

Twenty-eight people were wounded in an attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday. A central hotel, apartment buildings, kindergarten, shops and administrative buildings sustained damage, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that it had hit “decision-making centers and military facilities” in Kharkiv, reporting that its strike on the Kharkiv Palace Hotel had “destroyed representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate and Ukrainian Armed Forces” involved in the “terrorist attack” in Belgorod.

In the Kyiv region that surrounds the capital, a Russian drone attack caused a fire to break out at a critical infrastructure facility, local officials said. They did not identify the facility further.

Shelling in the center of the Russian border city of Belgorod Saturday killed 24 people, including three children. A further 108 people were wounded in the strike, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Sunday, making it one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil since the start of Moscow´s invasion of Ukraine 22 months ago.

Five Non-U.S. Elections to Watch in 2024

A Very Large Article

Taiwan – January 13

Aside from the United States, Taiwan is arguably holding the single most important presidential election in the world this year. Incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen is term-limited out of running, so voters must choose among three new options: Lai Ching-te (William Lai), the candidate representing Tsai’s stridently anti-communist Taiwan People’s Party (TPP); Hou Yu-ih of the China-friendly Kuomintang; and Ko Wen-je of the minor Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), a surprise third-party run eating into Kuomintang support.

Lai has consistently been polling ahead of his contenders, though polls as of December 17 show Lai with a much narrower three-point lead against Hou, the candidate consistently landing in second place. Hou’s and Ko’s votes combined could easily defeat Lai – and they know it. The two parties attempted to form a unity ticket in November, but egos prevailed, as neither candidate agreed to take the vice-presidential slot, so they may yet seal each other’s losses.
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El Salvador – February 4

Voters in El Salvador are facing an unprecedented election in 2024. Their president for most of the last five years, Nayib Bukele, is running for reelection – which is explicitly unconstitutional. Yet polls show him enjoying an over 60 percent lead over his closest contender, and the nation’s Supreme Court issued a ruling stating that he can run so long as he resigns shortly before the election. Bukele stepped down on December 1 to fulfill the ruling’s provisions.

Bukele, of the third-party “New Ideas” coalition, is wildly popular due to his law enforcement policies. The president declared war on the country’s extremely violent drug and human trafficking gangs, placing the country in a “state of exception” that greatly expanded the government’s ability to conduct mass arrests, stage mass trials, and otherwise rapidly process suspected criminals. Bukele has openly touted the construction of “megaprisons” to house tens of thousands of men suspected of drug activity. As a result, local reports indicate, gangs have largely disappeared from public life, allowing civilians to engage in normal activities such as using public parks, establishing small businesses, and going to school without the fear of being attacked or extorted by a gang member.
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Tunisia – September/October 2024

Tunisia, the birthplace of the “Arab Spring” and a pivotal crossing point for many African migrants seeking entry into Europe, is expected to hold its first presidential election in 2024 following the abrupt dissolution of the government in 2021 and the adoption of a new constitution a year later.

Tunisia has been turbulent politically since Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire to protest police allegedly demanding bribes in 2010, an event largely considered the trigger for the series of government topplings known as the Arab Spring. The country returned to presidential elections after the overthrow of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, a direct result of Bouazizi’s protest.

Unlike other “Arab Spring” nations, Tunisia appeared to return to democracy with the election of 88-year-old veteran politician Beji Caid Essebsi in 2014. Current President Kais Saied succeeded him in what was largely considered a free and fair election in 2019 following Essebsi’s death.
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Portugal – March 20

Portuguese voters will go to the polls in March to determine the makeup of their national legislature in a snap election triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister António Costa, a socialist caught up in a police corruption probe that abruptly ended his career. The Socialist Party currently has a majority in the parliament but is plagued by corruption allegations beyond Costa: multiple socialist government ministers, Costa’s chief of staff, and the head of Portugal’s environmental agency were among the implicated.

The chaos in the Socialist Party has created a window of opportunity for the right-wing populist party Chega, which advocates for a more robust law-and-order agenda, less government bureaucracy, and the eradication of corruption. Polling in December indicated that the establishment center-right party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), was likely to garner the most votes nationwide, surpassing the socialists. But the same polls showed Chega – a relatively new, populist outsider party – attracting 13 percent of the vote, making it likely the third-largest party in Parliament. Such an outcome would give the party significant leverage to move the PSD further right and limit Socialist Party influence in legislation. It would also give Chega influence in supporting a prime minister if it joins a coalition government.
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Pakistan (again) – February 8

Pakistan’s politics are so dysfunctional that it actually appeared in the 2023 iteration of Breitbart News’ elections-to-watch list but never actually held the elections leaders promised that year. After stalling on calling elections for as long as possible, the country’s Supreme Court ordered the prime minister to hold elections, refreshing the makeup of the Parliament and paving the way for a new prime minister.

The currently ongoing political crisis in Pakistan began with the ouster of widely popular radical Islamist Prime Minister Imran Khan in April 2022 with a parliamentary vote of no confidence. Khan is arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician and rose to power on a platform condemning establishment predecessor Nawaz Sharif and his inner circle for alleged corruption. Khan also emboldened violent Islamist extremists, who continue to enthusiastically support Khan despite his ouster and subsequent arrests. Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz’s brother, succeeded Khan as interim prime minister, fueling more popular outrage against Pakistan’s political elite.

Khan is currently in prison after multiple attempts to detain him resulted in mob scenes in front of his home, forcing police to retreat. He has been nonetheless galvanizing his base and campaigning from prison by writing speeches and having an AI likeness of himself deliver them. Khan is attempting to appear on the ballot for February’s election representing his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – alongside the leaders of the two other major parties in the country, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PMLN) leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz Sharif, Maryam’s father, is also reportedly filing to run for office and openly seeking the prime ministership.