China will provide consular protection and assistance to two Chinese employees of smartphone maker Vivo arrested by Indian authorities. It urged India not to discriminate against Chinese companies. “The Chinese government firmly supports Chinese companies to safeguard their lawful rights and interests,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference on Monday.
Turkey intensified its airstrikes against Kurdish groups in Syria and northern Iraq in retaliation for the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq over the weekend. The Turkish Defence Ministry reported on Monday that its forces have killed at least 26 militants in the strikes.
China promoted Hu Zhongming on Monday to become the new head of its navy as tensions worsen in the South China Sea.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the shooting down of two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve, saying that “this Christmas sets the right mood for the entire year ahead.” “The stronger our air defence, the fewer Russian devils will be in our skies and on our land,” he said.
The UK’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that it will deploy the Royal Navy patrol vessel, HMS Trent, off the coast of Guyana later this month, as the South American country faces a border dispute with neighbour Venezuela over the Essequibo region. A spokesperson said, “HMS Trent will visit regional ally and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic Patrol Task deployment.”
An Israeli air strike outside Syria’s capital, Damascus, on Monday killed a senior adviser in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, media sources reported. The adviser, Sayyed Razi Mousavi, was in charge of coordinating Syria and Iran’s military alliance. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi claimed Mousavi’s assassination showed Israel’s weakness. “This act is a sign of the Zionist regime’s frustration and weakness in the region for which it will certainly pay the price,” Iranian media reported, citing Raisi.