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Kyiv Independent

Russian troops have suffered record-high casualties during combat operations in November and December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Dec. 11 after receiving a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Despite staggering losses, Russian forces continue their rapid advance in eastern Ukraine, pushing back outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian defenders. Zelensky highlighted the unprecedented scale of manpower losses, particularly in November and December, emphasizing that the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors in Donetsk Oblast remain active battle zones.

On Dec. 1, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry reported that Russian losses in November amounted to 45,720 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured, alongside over $3 billion in equipment losses. The month also saw the single highest daily casualty count since the start of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, with 2,030 enemy personnel lost in a day. Estimates from Ukraine and Western analysts place total Russian losses at 600,000 to 750,000 troops, though Moscow has not disclosed official figures.

While enduring heavy losses, Russian forces maintain an advantage on the battlefield, making gains toward key towns in Donetsk Oblast, such as Pokrovsk, and weakening Ukrainian defences near the Russian border in Kursk.

Zelensky also commended Ukrainian forces for recent strikes on Russian military and infrastructure targets. He specifically noted attacks on energy and fuel facilities, as well as military sites within Russian territory. Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed a successful strike on a Druzhba oil pipeline loading station near Bryansk, Russia, which resulted in a large-scale fire.

Defence Today

SYDNEY — While the United States, Japan, and Australia have formalized agreements and commitments to enhance their national security cooperation, independent studies reveal there is significant work ahead in training and operational integration to achieve seamless collaboration.

Two recent reports highlight the progress and challenges in these partnerships. The first, from the University of Western Australia (UWA), examines Japan-Australia relations, while the second, by the Carnegie Foundation, focuses on the Australia-US alliance. Together, they outline critical overlaps and potential pathways for trilateral cooperation among these Pacific partners.

Japan and Australia: Deepening Strategic Bonds

The UWA study, authored by Tom Corben of the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, delves into the evolving partnership between Tokyo and Canberra. Corben underscores the strategic importance of advancing beyond intelligence sharing and policy coordination to practical, operational collaboration. He recommends leveraging Australia’s expansive training and testing facilities and fully implementing the recent agreement to rotate Japanese marines through northern Australia.

While Japan and Australia share close ties with the US military, their bilateral defence relationship is relatively new, shaped by overcoming decades of historical mistrust stemming from World War II. Corben emphasizes the need to build an independent agenda that supports, but does not solely depend on, trilateral cooperation with the US.

“A robust and well-defined Australia-Japan defence relationship is essential to stand on its own two feet,” Corben notes. The success of this partnership hinges on harmonizing modernization agendas. However, legal and regulatory barriers, such as those stemming from AUKUS ITAR reforms, could deter Japanese firms from collaborating with Australia.

Key recommendations include:

• Enhancing submarine surveillance through joint deployments and intelligence sharing.
• Prioritizing bilateral exercises with Japanese forces stationed in Darwin before expanding to trilateral activities with the US.
• Collaborating on long-range strike weapon development, such as manufacturing Japanese-designed missiles in Australia, to mitigate US export restrictions.

Australia-US Alliance: Addressing Operational Gaps

The Carnegie Foundation report, edited by Evan Feigenbaum, highlights the potential for Australia and the US to forge a broader, more resilient alliance. However, this requires addressing fundamental challenges through candid self-assessment and significant reforms.

Feigenbaum stresses that both nations must align national strategies, update outdated regulations, and address Australian sovereignty concerns. With shrinking strategic warning times, accelerating alliance management and operational readiness is a pressing priority.

Critical gaps include the lack of historical precedence for dividing roles and missions in high-intensity Indo-Pacific conflicts. Addressing this requires:

• Annual meetings of contracting officers to streamline procurement strategies and share best practices.
• Greater integration of industrial bases to enhance defence production and innovation.
• Establishing a “Future Warfare Strategy Team” of strategists, military personnel, and researchers to develop contingency responses for scenarios such as a Taiwan blockade, Korean peninsula crisis, or increased Chinese coercion in the region.

The report also suggests leveraging entrepreneurial ecosystems and venture capital to drive defence innovation, similar to the Pentagon’s Defence Innovation Unit.

A Shared Vision for Trilateral Cooperation

Both reports underscore the urgency of building operational synergy and trust among the three Pacific partners. While progress has been made, achieving seamless collaboration will require strategic foresight, practical reforms, and a commitment to aligning national priorities. Together, these efforts could shape the future of security in the Indo-Pacific region.

ft.com

The Australian economy has been faltering under the Labor Party’s leadership, marking a period of economic stagnation and hardship for many citizens. Over the past two and a half years, Australians have faced deteriorating financial conditions, with key economic indicators painting a grim picture of the nation’s trajectory.

Slowest Growth Since 1991 Recession

Australia’s annual economic growth has been dismal, recording the slowest pace since the 1991 recession. Seven consecutive quarters of negative per capita growth underscore the troubling reality that economic activity has failed to keep up with population increases. This sluggish performance highlights a fundamental weakness in the Albanese government’s economic management.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) had forecast stronger growth, but the economy has fallen short of these expectations. While global challenges and inflationary pressures cannot be ignored, domestic policies and mismanagement have compounded these issues, leaving Australian households worse off.

Employment Growth Driven by Public Sector Expansion

Despite a strong labour market on the surface, the employment gains have largely been fuelled by government-funded initiatives such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the unemployment rate dropped to 3.9% in November, accompanied by a 52,600 increase in full-time jobs. However, this apparent success is heavily reliant on unsustainable public sector spending, rather than organic growth in the private sector.

The underemployment rate also saw a marginal decline, reaching 6.1%. Yet, these figures mask the economy’s overdependence on public expenditure, which reached a record-high share of GDP in Q3, as reported by the ABS. The Labor government’s approach of ramping up infrastructure investments and public consumption spending may provide short-term relief, but it burdens future generations with soaring debt levels.

Ballooning Public Debt

Analysis by Westpac reveals that federal and state government borrowing is set to almost double by 2024-25, reaching approximately 6% of GDP. This explosion in debt reflects a worrying trend of fiscal irresponsibility, as public spending accelerates without commensurate economic returns. While infrastructure and social programs like the NDIS are essential, the lack of strategic prioritization and efficiency in these investments raises serious concerns about long-term economic sustainability.

Soaring Migration Without Adequate Planning

Labor’s open-door migration policy has added to the strain on the economy. Initially forecasting net overseas migration (NOM) of 470,000 for FY23 and FY24, subsequent budgets revised this figure upwards significantly. Over one million net overseas migrants have arrived, exacerbating housing shortages, infrastructure congestion, and cost-of-living pressures.

While migration can drive economic growth, its benefits depend on robust planning and investment in housing, transport, and services. The Albanese government’s failure to adequately prepare for this influx has left many Australians struggling to find affordable housing and access basic services.

Australians Are Worse Off

The combination of slow economic growth, spiralling public debt, and uncoordinated migration policies has left Australians feeling the pinch. Cost-of-living pressures have intensified, wages have stagnated, and the dream of home ownership is slipping away for many.

The Labor government’s reliance on public spending to prop up the economy is a temporary fix that masks deeper structural issues. Without significant reforms to encourage private sector growth, streamline public expenditures, and manage migration effectively, Australia risks falling further behind in global competitiveness.

Conclusion

The past two and a half years under Labor leadership have highlighted critical failures in economic management. As the government continues to prioritise short-term fixes over sustainable strategies, Australians are left bearing the brunt of higher costs, fewer opportunities, and mounting debt. The nation needs a bold and visionary approach to steer the economy back on track and restore prosperity for all citizens.

In a remarkable display of wartime bravery, a small team of Australian commandos embarked on a daring mission as part of the z special unit into Japanese-occupied Singapore. Operating with exceptional military intelligence, these operatives navigated through enemy waters under cover of darkness, showcasing extraordinary historical courage as they prepared to strike at the heart of Japanese naval power in the pacific theatre operations.

In today’s video we examine this extraordinary covert operation that would leave an indelible mark on military history. We will also dive into the involvement of Australia’s first commandos as they cause terror behind Japanese lines during World War 2.

Photo Justin Chambers – Palletised cargo descends under parachute from a C-17A Globemaster III to the sea ice drop zone near Mawson Research Station, Antarctica.

Operation Southern Discovery is the Australian Defence Force contribution to the Australian Antarctic Program.

Operation Southern Discovery is an enduring peace-time activity in support of the Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP). It includes Australia’s national interests, which are based on the region’s scientific, environmental, strategic and economic importance.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) involvement in the AAP is consistent with the Antarctic Treaty’s prohibition of any military activity other than the provision of personnel or equipment in support of scientific or other peaceful purposes.

Operation Southern Discovery covers approximately 7 per cent of the world’s surface and includes Antarctic locations, the Southern Ocean south of 60 degrees, the internationally recognised Australian exclusive economic zone of Macquarie Island as well as the territory of Heard Island and McDonald Island.

Operation Southern Discovery occurs annually, and is primarily, although not exclusively, in support during each Austral summer period (i.e. November to March).

ADF elements regularly allocated to Operation Southern Discovery include:

• Royal Australian Air Force aircraft providing a logistics air bridge from Hobart Airport to Wilkins Aerodrome in Antarctica.
• Royal Australian Navy hydrographic capabilities to ensure safety of marine navigation and assist scientific research.
• Royal Australian Navy meteorological capabilities providing weather forecasting and climate research and analysis.
• Australian Army geospatial survey capabilities assisting infrastructure projects and airfield surveys.

The Straits Times

Recent Chinese naval deployments in the East and South China Seas have prompted heightened alertness in Taiwan. However, a US military official characterized the activity as routine, stating that the current levels of Chinese naval manoeuvres align with past large-scale exercises.

Despite this reassurance, Taiwan’s defence ministry has described the recent deployments as the most significant in nearly three decades. This divergence in assessment underscores the contrasting perspectives on regional security and the evolving dynamics in the Taiwan Strait.

China has maintained silence regarding the recent naval exercises. In a departure from its usual practice of issuing statements, often with a nationalistic tone, the Chinese military has refrained from confirming the existence of any ongoing drills.

Observers anticipated that the deployments might be a response to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s recent Pacific tour, which included stops aimed at strengthening Taiwan’s international relationships. However, the US official did not attribute the naval activity directly to Lai’s diplomatic engagements.

While the US official’s remarks suggest continuity rather than escalation in China’s military posture, Taiwan’s interpretation reflects its vulnerability and the growing complexity of its security environment. As such, the differing narratives signal the need for careful monitoring and clear communication to mitigate the risk of miscalculation in this sensitive region.

For those confused about the new Syrian leader, here’s a quick rundown of Mohammad al-Jolani, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who is trying to rebrand himself from a notorious terrorist to a moderate leader

Mohammad al-Jolani’s transformation from a feared terrorist leader to a figure attempting to position himself as a moderate is nothing short of remarkable—and controversial. Al-Jolani first rose to prominence through his associations with Al-Qaeda and ISIS, earning himself a $10 million FBI bounty in 2017.

Key milestones in his radical journey include:

• Early Life: Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1982 to Syrian exiles, al-Jolani’s radicalization began during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.
• Militant Roots: At 21, he joined Al-Qaeda in Iraq, where he quickly ascended the ranks.
• Formation of Jabhat al-Nusra: In 2011, he founded this group, pledging allegiance to Al-Qaeda in 2013. By that year, he had already been designated a global terrorist by the U.S. State Department.

Breaking Ties

Al-Jolani’s efforts to shed his terrorist image began in 2016 when he severed ties with Al-Qaeda. This move set the stage for a rebranding effort aimed at gaining broader legitimacy.

• New Names: His group first became Jabhat Fath al-Sham before evolving into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
• Targeting ISIS: HTS has fought against ISIS, most notably in operations such as the 2023 killing of ISIS leader Abu Hussein Al-Husseini al-Qurashi.

Ruling Idlib

Today, al-Jolani’s HTS governs the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, a region home to more than 3 million people. This governance is conducted under the umbrella of the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG).

• Civil Services: The SSG provides essential services such as education, healthcare, and a judiciary.
• Sharia Law: While supporting Sharia law, al-Jolani has expressed ambitions to implement it nationwide.
• Human Rights Concerns: Despite accusations of human rights violations, al-Jolani denies the claims, even inviting inspections of HTS-run prisons.

Rebranding for Western Audiences

Al-Jolani is actively attempting to reshape his image to appeal to Western powers. In his most publicized moves:

• He denies being a terrorist or posing a threat to the West.
• He sought dialogue with the Trump administration to form potential partnerships.
• In a CNN interview, he portrayed his past radical affiliations as a youthful mistake.

Final Thoughts

Al-Jolani’s transformation raises significant questions about the boundaries between pragmatic rebranding and deeper ideological shifts. While his attempts to present himself as a moderate leader may resonate with some, his past—and the continued implementation of Sharia law—remains a point of contention for many observers.

News.com.au

Australia is grappling with an intensifying housing crisis, and two recent surveys highlight a clear public consensus: it’s time to significantly reduce immigration to alleviate pressure on the housing market. With housing access and affordability reaching a national crisis point, a recalibration of immigration policies must be prioritized to secure the future for Australians.

Public Sentiment is Clear

The latest True Issues survey conducted by JWS Research reveals a staggering 78% of Australians agree that housing affordability has reached crisis levels. This statistic underscores a pervasive anxiety gripping the nation, with soaring property prices and rental costs pushing many into financial hardship or homelessness. Another recent survey echoes these concerns, showing that Australians overwhelmingly support lowering immigration levels to ease demand on housing and infrastructure.

The Impact of High Immigration Levels

For decades, high immigration has been a cornerstone of Australia’s economic and demographic policy. While it has contributed to economic growth, it has also placed immense strain on critical infrastructure, including housing.

Between 2012 and 2023, Australia welcomed over 1.8 million permanent migrants, while housing construction lagged woefully behind demand. This imbalance has led to skyrocketing property prices, rental shortages, and a generational divide where younger Australians struggle to achieve the dream of home ownership.

Housing Supply vs. Demand

The link between immigration and housing affordability is irrefutable. More people mean more demand for housing, and when supply fails to keep pace, prices soar. The current housing shortfall is exacerbated by labour shortages, high construction costs, and restrictive zoning regulations—challenges that immigration only amplifies. Reducing immigration would provide a much-needed breathing space to address these underlying issues.

Social and Economic Considerations

Reducing immigration isn’t just about housing; it’s also about preserving social cohesion and ensuring equitable access to resources. Overburdened schools, hospitals, and transport networks are straining under population pressures, further diminishing quality of life for Australians. Moderating immigration levels would ease these pressures, allowing governments to invest in infrastructure and services without being perpetually outpaced by demand.

A Call to Action

Policymakers must heed the message delivered by these surveys. A major reduction in immigration would:

• Relieve Pressure on Housing: Lower demand would stabilise property prices and rental markets, making housing more accessible.
• Enhance Infrastructure Planning: Slower population growth would enable governments to catch up on infrastructure deficits.
• Prioritize Australian Workers: Reducing reliance on imported labour would encourage investment in training and development for the domestic workforce.

Conclusion

Australia’s housing crisis is a national emergency that demands decisive action. Reducing immigration levels is not an isolationist policy but a practical solution to a pressing issue. By prioritising the needs of existing Australians and addressing the root causes of housing unaffordability, the nation can rebuild a sustainable and prosperous future for all. It’s time to listen to the voices of Australians and put their interests first.

Downer Release

Commencing in December 2020, Downer delivered a series of critical upgrades at RAAF Base Williamtown, including major aircraft pavement reconstruction, stormwater drainage improvements, aeronautical ground lighting (AGL) runway upgrades, and the installation of two advanced aircraft arrestor systems. This $180 million project forms a key part of the Department of Defence’s National Airfield Program, managed by the Security and Estate Group on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

The National Airfield Program focuses on ensuring Defence airfields across Australia remain fully operational and capable of supporting Defence operations. At RAAF Base Williamtown, these upgrades enhance the base’s ability to accommodate larger Defence aircraft and improve its operational readiness. Additionally, the upgrades to the runway and taxiway network will allow Newcastle Airport to handle larger Code E civilian aircraft, including the Airbus A330, A350, and Boeing 777 and 787, providing significant benefits to civilian air travel in the region.

Jamie Flood, General Manager of Defence Major Projects at Downer, reflected on the project’s successful completion, saying:

“Downer was privileged to be involved in this project from the outset, providing construction advice to the Commonwealth during the planning stages and subsequently delivering these important upgrades.

“The works required significant coordination with military and civilian airfield operators to ensure minimal disruptions to aircraft operations.

“We’re pleased to have successfully delivered another major project to support Defence capability, delivering outcomes to help safeguard Australia’s future.”

Key Achievements During the Project:

• 213,000 tonnes of asphalt placed on airfield surfaces.
• 112 km of airfield ground lighting primary cabling installed.
• 426 night shifts conducted on a closed airfield with zero impact on daily base operations.
• 771,251 total hours worked, with 220 personnel on-site daily during peak construction.
• 4.7% of the project’s value delivered by Indigenous-owned businesses.
• 85% of the workforce sourced locally.

The project’s seamless execution highlights the effective collaboration between Downer, the Department of Defence, and various stakeholders, ensuring that operational requirements were met without compromising the safety and efficiency of airfield operations. These upgrades are a testament to Australia’s commitment to maintaining robust Defence infrastructure while simultaneously supporting regional economic growth and civilian aviation.