Good Morning. 

Iranian state-run IRNA news agency reports that a militant attack near the Pakistani border with Iran left five Iranian forces dead, Ukraine attacks Moscow with at least 34 drones in the biggest drone strike on the capital to date, the U.S. is seeing a surge in lengthy prison sentences associated with Nigerian cybercriminals, BBC reports that Mauritian island Agalega has become a confidential spy station, and Telefónica will pay over $85M to resolve a U.S. probe of Venezuelan bribery.

Let’s dive in.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

U.S. Economic and Military Might: Building Expectations of Trump’s Foreign Policy

• Current and former advisers of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump anticipate that he will navigate widening conflicts across the globe by both building deterrence against foreign rivals and favoring transactional policies with Western allies, using personal diplomacy as his first line of defense.

• Trump’s former national security adviser Robert O’Brien states that “American adversaries understand that the things they’ve gotten away with over the last four years will not be tolerated any further.”

• Experts suggest that the U.S.-China relationship is going to dominate the upcoming U.S. President’s second term, while Trump has also made clear that he aims to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible and take a hard line in negotiations with Iran.

Counterterrorism

• Iranian state-run IRNA news agency reports that a militant attack near the Pakistani border with Iran left five Iranian forces dead. ➚

• Putin signs a mutual defense treaty with North Korea, which calls each country to come to the other's aid in the event of an armed attack. ➚

• U.N. nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi will visit Iran this Wednesday and begin consultations with Iranian officials. ➚

• Taliban officials will be attending the upcoming major U.N. climate conference in Azerbaijan. ➚

Military & Defense

• Ukraine attacks Moscow with at least 34 drones in the biggest drone strike on the capital to date. ➚

• U.S. President-elect Donald Trump advises Putin against escalations in the Ukraine war, noting the significant presence of U.S. military in Europe. ➚

• China firmly opposes new Philippine maritime law and vows to protect its own territorial sovereignty and interests in the South China Sea. ➚

• Russian security agencies tell state-run Tass that street battles have begun in the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Kurakhove. ➚

• Palestinian medics say at least 40 Palestinians are killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza, over half of which were in a residential building. ➚

Cybersecurity

• The U.S. is seeing a surge in prison sentences associated with Nigerian cybercriminals, many of which are very lengthy. ➚

• Cybersecurity agency CISA warns that a Palo Alto Networks Expedition vulnerability tracked as CVE-2024-5910 is being exploited in attacks. ➚

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• BBC reports that Mauritian island Agalega has become a confidential spy station. ➚

• Russia and Venezuela sign agreements on intelligence-gathering and counter-espionage. ➚

• The European Commission warns its staff that “Brussels is one of the world’s biggest spy hubs.” ➚

Transnational Organized Crime

• Telefónica will pay over $85M to resolve a U.S. probe of Venezuelan bribery. ➚

• Nigeria's human rights commission reports there is 'no evidence' that the Nigerian army meaningfully attacked women and children or conducted secretive mass abortions. ➚

• Adding to the ongoing wave of violent crime in Mexico, gunmen kill 10 people in a bar in the central Mexican state of Queretaro. ➚

The America Builds podcast sits at the nexus of national security, technology, and venture capital. Hosts Will Allen and Hayley Menser interview the brilliant operators and investors pushing the boundaries of frontier technology.