China and Western-sanctioned Belarus have pledged to strengthen "strategic coordination", as their heads of state met in Beijing on Monday.

Referring to President Alexander Lukashenko as "an old friend", Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the two countries would improve relations in a range of areas, from industrial cooperation to cross-border transport.

China would also strengthen coordination with Belarus on multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, of which Belarus is expected to become a permanent member next year.

"China is willing to continue strengthening strategic coordination with Belarus, support each other resolutely, promote pragmatic cooperation, and continue deepening our bilateral relations," state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.

As we approach the end of 2023, the SOTT.net team would like to wish all our readers and followers a peaceful and happy Christmas, and a prosperous and adventurous new year. We remain ever grateful for the continuing support we receive from this far-flung network of like-minded truth-seekers. Without your support, there would be no Signs of the Times, so thank you. If it's within your means to do so, please consider donating below so that we may keep bringing you the news and views that matter!

Israel's ongoing, shocking obliteration of Gaza is truly of 'biblical' proportions. The Israeli regime has already killed more Palestinians in the past six weeks than it killed during the Nakba ('catastrophe') that initially 'shaped' Israel in 1948-9. We say 'biblical' not just because, like the war in Ukraine, it looks set to generate another wave of refugees, and not just because it could potentially ignite a wider Middle East war. This war is 'biblical' because it's not really a war, but rather a shockingly inhuman, AI-powered, hi-tech orgy of atavistic terrorism - a viciously cruel military bombardment of a defenseless civilian population.

In a grotesque perversion of scripture, Israeli PM Netanyahu claims that, "We [Israelis] are sons of light, they [Palestinians] are sons of darkness," whereas, in fact, he is a modern-day mad 'king' leading a real-world 'massacre of the innocents', of children, all of whom are being sacrificed for his career and 'legacy'.

We cannot speak for the unfathomable suffering of Gazans, but the contrived events of October 7th and Israel's subsequent 'revenge' have been something of a 'test' of all people: who has a conscience, and who does not? Who Sees the crux of the matter, beyond ideological superficiality and what the Israeli regime claims happened outside Gaza on October 7th?

'Left vs Right' tribalism, as we've observed recently, isn't much of a guide in matters of Truth, and of the heart. Many on the erstwhile 'conservative-christian' Right, in cheering this, certainly appear to have 'gone over to the Dark Side'. But as appalling as it is that this is happening, with nothing being done to stop it, the 'cost' for the perpetrators is the exposure of their nature for all the world to see. The burst of 'truth-telling' this has spurred on social media and in public discourse generally (with the possible exception of the vaccine mandates) is unprecedented.

Israel will seek a "security envelope" with special zones and arrangements that will prevent Hamas from being positioned on its border after the war in Gaza is over, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday.

On Friday, Reuters reported that Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the coastal enclave after the war ends.

Asked whether Israel was indeed seeking such a buffer zone, senior adviser Mark Regev told reporters: "Israel will have to have a security envelope. We can never again allow terrorists to cross the border and butcher our people the way they did on October 7."

President Putin's decree takes number of Russian service personnel to 1.32 million amid continuing Ukraine war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's military to increase the maximum number of troops by nearly 170,000 people, as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine continues into its 22nd month.

Putin's decree was released by the Kremlin on Friday and took force immediately. It brings the strength of the armed forces to 1.32 million service personnel and increases the overall number of Russian military personnel to about 2.2 million.

"The increase in the full-time strength of the armed forces is due to the growing threats to our country associated with the special military operation and the ongoing expansion of NATO," the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Rishi Sunak's attendance comes after he scaled back pledges to help the UK reach net zero by 2050...

King Charles gave a call to arms in his Cop28 climate summit opening statement, as Rishi Sunak expressed delight over the monarch's record championing the issue.

Sunak said it was a "proud moment" for him to witness Charles deliver his speech on Friday, which "speaks volumes about our type of leadership as a country".

"We've got our head of state there, delivering a call to arms in the opening statement, which speaks volumes about the respect that he's got on this issue around the world.

"We've got the head of government there with me, and we've got our chief diplomat there and the foreign secretary. There are very few countries that will be able to say what I've just said."

In the cutthroat world of asset management, my gig as an investment banker at Zurich's top Swiss joint was a tightrope walk between challenge and monotony. Crafting portfolios for the high rollers at the biggest Swiss bank needed a delicate mix of precision and strategy. The daily grind of summarizing, stacking up, and shaping portfolios for the wealthy wasn't just a skill; it was a meticulous drill where financial stability was the goal and the payoff.

In the established 60-40 asset allocation doctrine - a fundamental principle in wealth management - the goal was straightforward: allocate 60% to stocks and 40% to bonds. This implicit guideline, honed through market wisdom, provided clients with a safeguard against the unpredictable nature of individual stocks. However, the intricacies of my role extended beyond the numerical aspects of asset allocation. Placing emphasis on securing a resilient lending value for portfolios became paramount, evolving beyond a mere metric to become a vital component ingrained in each client's investment strategy.

Amid financial turmoil, stock selection gained extra importance, and in recent years, the spotlight turned towards ESG funds.

Pyongyang has rejected an offer to resume dialogue with Washington, saying its sovereignty is not open to negotiation...

North Korea has blasted Washington for offering renewed peace negotiations even as it ramps up military provocations in the region and tries to deny Pyongyang's sovereign right to develop its aerospace program.

Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's foreign policy chief and sister of leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed the possibility of resuming negotiations with US officials on Wednesday, citing the "extreme double standards" displayed at this week's UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting regarding the launch of Pyongyang's first spy satellite. She claimed that US officials asked North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to set the time and agenda for renewed dialogue.

Heavy troop losses and Western weapons did not help Ukraine achieve its goals, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said...

In the six months since Kiev launched its push against Russian defensive lines, it has lost over 125,000 troops and 16,000 heavy weapons, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu estimated during a ministerial meeting on Friday.

The Ukrainian government and its Western backers had high expectations for the operation, for which the former's army was provided with main battle tanks and other advanced arms. Ukrainian officials predicted that the push would help their country reclaim territory lost since major hostilities started in February 2022, and potentially launch an incursion into Crimea, which had broken away from Kiev in the wake of the 2014 armed coup.

The Russian minister reported:

"Total mobilization in Ukraine, delivery of Western arms and deployment of strategic reserves by the Ukrainian command have not changed the situation on the battlefield. Those desperate actions simply increased the losses of the Ukrainian armed forces."

As such, Kiev's military has been "significantly degraded" while Russian forces are "taking a more advantageous position and widening the zone under their control on all fronts," Shoigu added.

The operation recalls Israel's hunt for the terrorists behind the attack on Israelis at the 1972 Munich Olympics — which became the Spielberg film 'Munich'...

Israeli leaders are planning a program of targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders across the world — reminiscent of the "Wrath of God" operation that targeted the terrorists behind the attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, according to a new report.

Those in the sights of Mossad assassins include top Hamas heads living in Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar, the Wall Street Journal reported. Video from Qatar of Hamas political leaders celebrating the October 7 attacks while living comfortably in the wealthy Gulf emirate reportedly enraged Israeli officials.

Israel's clandestine operations have become the subject of both movies and international condemnation, including the famed "Operation Wrath of God" in the 70s and 80s to methodically hunt down the Palestinian terrorists who killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

That covert campaign was immortalized in Steven Spielberg's 2005 film, Munich, starring Daniel Craig and Eric Bana.

On November 22, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "I have instructed the Mossad to act against the heads of Hamas wherever they are" — much to the dismay of top intelligence officials who prefer to operate in silence, the Journal reported.

Well, Kiev - literally - never sleeps.

This document - attached, and verified at the highest level, is a report on several recon operations on the Ukraine-Belarus border conducted four months ago.
Several Ukrainian Special Ops groups had been engaged in deep recon previous to a possible Hail Mary-style plan: launching an offensive against the territory of Belarus, thus expanding the U.S. proxy war on Russia "multilaterally".

It's not clear if this was a Kiev idea; a plan dictated by the NATO masters; or a mix of the two. Minsk, of course, was not exactly observing from a distance.

Now let's get to the meat of the matter.

The document specifies "aerial reconnaissance 130 Rbpak crew MATRICE-30", in an intel report dated July 21, 2023.

"An aerial survey of the Republic of Belarus was conducted: two Matrice - 30 ascents were made.

The flight altitude is 950 m. Electronic warfare system was not detected, communication with remote control was not lost, GPS signals were in Normal mode.

Without crossing the DKU.

During flights in the direction of KALININO-SK-42. x: 5727537; Y: 5583485 a video surveillance vehicle "Grenadier" was discovered - SK-42. x:5727404; Y:5583417. Designed for station monitoring of approaches to the border.

Traces and signs of the passage of enemy DRGS, and the movement of enemy equipment in these directions are not detected.

No changes were detected along the DKU.

During the conducted aerial reconnaissance, no active actions related to the enemy's offensive were detected.

The area is wooded and impassable for enemy personnel and equipment.

This section of the DKU is not in demand of additional aerial survey."