France's Macron names Francois Bayrou as new prime minister Emmanuel #Macron has officially appointed Francois #Bayrou, leader of the centrist Democratic Movement political party, as the nation's prime minister, the Elysee Palace announced in a statement. "The President of the Republic has designated Francois Bayrou as prime minister and entrusted him with forming a new government," the statement said. Bayrou, aged 73, takes over from Michel Barnier, who also shares the same age and stepped down after France’s lower house passed a successful no-confidence motion against his cabinet on December 4. The Democratic Movement leader becomes France’s fourth prime minister in 2024, following the terms of Elisabeth #Borne, Gabriel #Attal, and #Barnier. Bayrou has been at the helm of the Democratic Movement since 2007. In 2014, he assumed the role of mayor in Pau, a city in southwestern France. Additionally, he has chaired the National Council for Refoundation since 2020. Bayrou is also a seasoned presidential candidate, having run for the French presidency in 2002, 2007, and 2012. In 2017, however, he opted not to run, endorsing Macron.

#TERROR #ATTACK: At least 40 hurt, truck rams people at a bus stop Dozens of pedestrians waiting at bus stop near the Cinema City in Gillot in the Tel Aviv area run over by truck In a suspected, but not confirmed, terror attack, a truck has reportedly struck pedestrians this morning (Sunday) near the Cinema City in Gillot in the Tel Aviv area, injuring at least 40 people. The police reported that near the Cinema City there was an incident where a truck ran over a number of people who were standing near a bus stop. A significant police force is on its way to the scene. MDA EMTs and Paramedics are currently providing medical treatment on site to dozens of casualties. There are victims still trapped under the truck. Magen David Adom (MDA0) Director-General Eli Bin said that this was a very serious incident, "an incident with many casualties, and ambulances are on the spot and on the way. At least ten of the injured are in serious condition." Police have instructed drivers to avoid the location of the incident and to find alternate routes. The #terrorist truck driver has been neutralized.

Biden diagnosed with coronavirus infection — White House Joe Biden has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms," Jean-Pierre said. The spokeswoman added that Biden will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. The president’s personal doctor informed that the US leader is experiencing runny nose, non-productive cough and general malaise. "He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus," the doctor said in a statement, published by the White House. According to the White House press pool, Biden is feeling well. The president was not wearing a face mask when he boarded Air Force One without assistance. When asked about his health, Biden told reporters traveling with him, "I feel good." The announcement was made shortly after UnidosUS CEO Janet Murguia said Biden would skip the next event in Las Vegas because of the novel coronavirus infection.

Is Kim Jong Un Preparing for War? 🔻 The situation on the Korean Peninsula is more dangerous than it has been at any time since early June 1950. That may sound overly dramatic, but we believe that, like his grandfather in 1950, Kim Jong Un has made a strategic decision to go to war. We do not know when or how Kim plans to pull the trigger, but the danger is already far beyond the routine warnings in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo about Pyongyang’s “provocations.” In other words, we do not see the war preparation themes in North Korean media appearing since the beginning of last year as typical bluster from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). 🔻 The first obvious signs that a decision had been made and a decisive break with the past was underway came in the summer and autumn of 2021, apparently the result of a reevaluation in Pyongyang of shifts in the international landscape and signs—at least to the North Koreans—that the United States was in global retreat. This shift in perspective provided the foundation for a grand realignment in the North’s approach, a strategic reorientation toward China and Russia that was already well underway by the time of the Putin–Xi summit of February 2022 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There are few signs that relations with China have moved very far, and, in fact, signs of real cooling in China-DPRK relations. However, ties with Russia developed steadily, especially in the military area, as underscored by the visit of the Russian Defense Minister in July and the Putin–Kim summit in the Russian Far East last September. 🔻 The North’s view that the global tides were running in its favor probably fed into decisions in Pyongyang about both the need and opportunity—and perhaps the timing—toward a military solution to the Korean question. At the start of 2023, the war preparations theme started appearing regularly in high-level North Korean pronouncements for domestic consumption. At one point, Kim Jong Un even resurrected language calling for “preparations for a revolutionary war for accomplishing…reunification.” Along with that, in March, authoritative articles in the party daily signaled a fundamentally and dangerously new approach to the Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea), introducing formulations putting South Korea beyond the pale, outside what could be considered the true Korea, and thus, as a legitimate target for the North’s military might. At the plenum last month, Kim made that shift crystal clear, declaring that “north-south relations have been completely fixed into the relations between two states hostile to each other and the relations between two belligerent states, not the consanguineous or homogenous ones any more.”

Houthis claim delivering strike on US ship supporting Israel Yemen-based Houthi terrorists from the Ansar Allah movement have attacked a pro-Israel U.S. ship with drones as well as with ballistic and anti-ship missiles, movement spokesman Yahya Sarea said. "The navy, missile troops and unmanned aviation of Yemen’s armed forces have carried out a joint operation using a large number of drones and ballistic and anti-ship missiles, delivering a strike on an American ship providing support to a Zionist formation (Israel)," the military official told the Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV channel. Sarea stressed that the operation was a "preliminary response to a treacherous attack" by the US on December 31 when the Houthi rebels opened fire and attempted to board a container ship run by the Danish shipping company Maersk and US Navy helicopters sank three of their boats. According to the spokesman, ten members of the Ansar Allah movement were killed.

Saudi Arabia officially joins BRICS Saudi Arabia has officially joined BRICS as a full-fledged member, the kingdom’s state-run news channel Al Ekhbariya reported. "The kingdom’s full membership of BRICS grouping comprising Russia, China and other countries has begun which strengthens its global positions," the TV channel said.

Amid all the Red Sea drama, Ethiopia now appears to have access to the sea through an agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland. 🔶️ Detailed negotiations to reach a formal agreement will be concluded in a month, said Redwan Hussein, national security adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. 🔶️ The MoU will enable Ethiopia to lease access to the Red Sea from Somaliland to use as a military base and for commercial purposes for 50 years, Hussein said. Ethiopia can also build infrastructure and a corridor, he said at a briefing on Monday in the capital Addis Ababa attended by Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi. 🔶️ In October, Abiy in a televised lecture identified access to the ocean as a strategic objective and warned that failure to secure it could lead to conflict before toning down his comments. 🔶️ Abiy’s remarks drew rebukes from Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti, all of whom described their sovereignty and territorial integrity as sacrosanct and not open for discussion. 🔶️ The Horn of Africa nation lost direct access to the sea in 1993, when Eritrea gained independence after a three-decade war. Its main trade route now runs along roads and a railway that link the capital, Addis Ababa, to a port in Djibouti, one of five neighbors with coastlines that include Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan and Kenya. 🔶️ More than a fifth of the world’s global commerce transited the Red Sea that connects the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal before attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi rebels led some ships to re-route around Africa to avoid the violence. 🔶️ Amid all the Red Sea drama, Ethiopia now appears to have access to the sea through an agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland.

It appears that while some US-flagged merchant ships reversed course - ARC Liberty and Maersk Chicago - and others are still heading for the Suez to head south; some are holding their positions - Maersk Kensington & Green Bay - while they await for escorts to be established. 🔶️ In the meantime, the French-owned Malta-flagged CMA CGM Aqaba just ran (Dec 20/21) the Bab el-Mandeb [BAM] into the Gulf of Aden. CMA CGM Pegasus (w/armed guards aboard) just departed Djibouti after sailing through the BAM on Dec 18 and is showing a destination of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea (but she may be heading to Asia). 🔶️ The French-owned CMA CGM Washington (Malta-flagged 14,360 TEU) and APL Salalah (Singapore-flagged 10,800 TEU and owned by CMA CGM) are the only containerships over 8000 TEU heading for the BAM in the Indian Ocean and will probably pick up an escort to run past Yemen. 🔶️ It appears that the French Navy is using the frigate Languedoc to escort their ships through the waters around Yemen and avoid the Houthi. 🔶️ It appears that France is withdrawing from Op Prosperity Guardian and will be conducting their own escort operation. 🔶️ The question is why the @USNavy @US5thFleet has not yet escorted Maersk Kensington through the BAM, as the ship has been sitting in the Red Sea for a week (since Dec 15), or Green Bay (since Dec 17) in the Gulf of Aden? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HObhQdNXq2U

The U.S. Navy releases footage of the inspection of a partially sunken U.S. Navy P-8A anti-submarine aircraft in Hawaii. Let us recall that on November 21, this Poseidon flew past the runway and landed in the ocean. https://youtu.be/sLRTvun9axY

Rundown of recent maritime security incidents off Yemen