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On December 13, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated, "In response to last night's terrorist attacks on civilian targets within Russia by Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces launched a large-scale strike early this morning against facilities of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex and the energy facilities that support their operation." The Russian Armed Forces used land-based and sea-based precision-guided weapons in the attack, including Kinzhal missiles and drones. Energy and industrial facilities in Odessa were damaged. Much of Odessa is experiencing power outages, water shortages, and heating disruptions. An explosion was also reported in Podolsk, Odessa Oblast. Ukraine's DTEK Energy Company stated that 20 substations in the region were damaged.

Russian Ministry of Defense: Troops from the Eastern Military District are advancing in a special military operations zone.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: I hope to discuss a Ukraine-Russia peace plan with US President Donald Trump after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On December 13th, local time, a spokesperson for the Thai Ministry of Defense stated that the latest round of conflict on the Thai-Cambodian border has resulted in the deaths of 15 Thai soldiers and injuries to approximately 270 others. The spokesperson also stated that Thailand has established 970 temporary refugee centers, housing 263,105 people, and that the death toll among Thai civilians has reached 7. Intense clashes erupted on the Thai-Cambodian border on December 7th, with heavy artillery fire heard in multiple locations. Both sides accused the other of firing first.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Russian troops have intensified their shelling of the Odessa region's energy system, and we are working to restore local power supplies.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that 169 Ukrainian drones were shot down in the past 24 hours.

According to EuroPravda, the Czech president stated that the goal of supplying Ukraine with 1.8 million rounds of large-caliber ammunition this year has been achieved.

Iranian media reported that 18 crew members of a foreign oil tanker seized in the Gulf of Oman have been detained on suspicion of transporting "smuggled fuel."

On December 13th, Han Wenxiu, Deputy Director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and Director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group Office, stated that to ensure the success of next year's economic work, it is essential to adhere to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, improving quality and efficiency, strengthening counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments, and effectively enhancing the efficiency of macroeconomic governance. Since the Politburo meeting on September 26th last year, a series of policies and measures have been introduced and implemented, and additional policies will be introduced and implemented next year based on changes in the situation. It is crucial to leverage the integrated effect of existing and new policies to promote steady and positive economic growth. The market economy is largely an expectation economy; therefore, it is necessary to improve the expectation management mechanism, conduct effective economic publicity and public opinion guidance, respond promptly to market concerns, and effectively boost social confidence.

On December 13th, it was reported that an EU official stated on the 12th that Ukraine's accession to the EU before 2027 is "absolutely impossible." According to reports, a European diplomat said that Ukraine's accession to the EU before 2027 is "extremely difficult," and it is unclear whether EU leaders support this plan. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on the 8th that the EU's admission of Ukraine would be tantamount to declaring war on Russia, and that the EU is preparing for war with 2030 as the target date.

On December 13, Venezuelan President Maduro stated that the United States' usual tactics of lying, coercion, extortion, and threats are "completely ineffective" and "will never work" against Venezuela, following the recent seizure of an oil tanker in waters near Venezuela and the announcement of new sanctions.

On December 13th, two US officials stated that the UN-authorized international stabilization force in Gaza could be deployed as early as next month, but the method for disarming Hamas remains unclear. The force will not fight Hamas, and its size, composition, and rules of engagement are still being determined.

On December 13, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a U.S. heritage preservation organization, filed a lawsuit on December 12 against U.S. President Trump and several federal agencies, demanding a halt to the ongoing renovation project of the White House banquet hall and claiming the project is illegal. The trust issued a statement on December 12 announcing that it had filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking a halt to the White House banquet hall renovation project until it undergoes a comprehensive design review and public comment period, and receives congressional approval. The trust argues that the Trump administration, in rapidly advancing the White House banquet hall renovation project, failed to submit planning proposals for necessary review as required by law, and that the project, without congressional authorization, exceeds the president's constitutional authority. The lawsuit names Trump, the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, the General Services Administration, and the heads of these departments as defendants.

On December 13th, the White House announced that U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, Viktor Witkov, will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders in Berlin this weekend to advance the U.S.-proposed Russia-Ukraine peace plan by the end of the year. Analysts suggest this "urgent dispatch" highlights the U.S.'s attempt to narrow its differences with Ukraine on the terms of the Russia-Ukraine peace plan before the end of the year. Witkov is scheduled to hold talks with officials from France, the UK, and Germany on December 14th and 15th, respectively.

Nasdaq companies: Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Ferrovia, Insmed, Single-Chip Power Systems, Seagate Technology, and Western Digital will be included in the Nasdaq 100 Index.

Nasdaq companies: Biogen, CDW, GlobalFoundries, Lululemon, ON Semiconductor, and TradeDesk will be removed from the Nasdaq 100 Index.

Nasdaq: Six companies are set to be included in the Nasdaq 100 index.

Nasdaq announced that the changes to the Nasdaq 100 index components will take effect on December 22.

On December 13th, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the 12th that the Russian armed forces launched one large-scale attack and five joint attacks in the past week, seizing control of eight towns. The Ukrainian military reported on the 12th that it attacked multiple targets, including a Russian oil refinery, and the situation in the Kupyansk direction had stabilized. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on the 12th that Ukrainian forces carried out a precision strike on an oil refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region, aiming to cut off the Russian military's fuel supply chain. The attack caused a massive explosion and fire. On the same day, Ukrainian forces also launched multiple attacks in the Donetsk direction, destroying a Russian ammunition depot and striking Russian personnel assembly points.

On December 13th, Venezuelan Defense Minister López Obrador condemned the United States for attempting to intimidate Venezuela by sending F-18 fighter jets over the country's airspace on December 12th. López Obrador stated that the US actions were aimed at isolating the Caribbean region to satisfy US interests. He emphasized that the US government must understand that Venezuela will resolutely defend its national sovereignty and will never surrender. Resolving the conflict through dialogue and building genuine peace is the aspiration of all Venezuelan people. On December 9th, two US F-18 fighter jets entered Venezuelan airspace and remained there for at least 40 minutes.