Animal Stories

The U.S. Navy cruiser USS Gettysburg accidentally shot down an F/A-18F Super Hornet during a mission over the Red Sea, forcing both pilots to eject.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), overseeing American military operations in the Middle East, confirmed the incident today. The downed aircraft belonged to the USS Harry S. Truman’s carrier strike group. Specific details regarding the time and location remain undisclosed.
"Both pilots safely ejected and were rescued. Preliminary assessments indicate one suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was not downed by hostile fire, and a comprehensive investigation is underway," CENTCOM stated.
The U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) later cited military officials reporting the incident occurred at 3 a.m. local time (7 a.m. Hanoi time). Although the squadron operating the aircraft was not explicitly mentioned, the jet likely belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron 11, the only unit aboard the USS Harry S. Truman equipped with F/A-18F fighters.


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Despite being the world’s foremost military power, the U.S. has faced numerous incidents of friendly fire. The latest occurred on December 22, when the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly fired at an F/A-18F Super Hornet over the Red Sea.
The mishap unfolded at 3 a.m., according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). After the missile struck, both pilots ejected safely and were rescued. The USS Gettysburg and the Super Hornet are part of the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group. U.S. forces are now considering retrieving the downed aircraft.
This isn’t the first time the U.S. military has experienced such tragic errors, even with advanced friend-or-foe identification technologies.


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Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has released footage of the raid and arrest of Akhmad Kurbanov, the suspect in the assassination of chemical corps commander General Igor Kirillov in Moscow.On December 20, the FSB published a video showing armed officers storming an apartment in the Moscow region where Akhmad Kurbanov was residing. The footage later cuts to Kurbanov, dressed in a black coat, handcuffed and kneeling in the snow outdoors.The FSB, in coordination with the rapid response unit of the Russian National Guard, apprehended Kurbanov, a 29-year-old Uzbek national, in connection with the December 17 bombing that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his aide, Major Ilya Polikarpov, in Moscow.

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The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a new budget bill to avert a government shutdown, just hours before the deadline. However, the Senate must still approve the measure.
The Republican-led bill was passed on December 20 with 366 votes in favor and 34 against. Most Democrats supported the legislation, while all opposing votes came from Republicans.
"Democrats have remained steadfast in our commitment to cooperation over division. The American people deserve a government that works for them," Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson wrote on social media.


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Billionaire Elon Musk has suggested that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should step down following a car attack that killed two people at a Christmas market in the country.
On December 20, Musk, a tech tycoon selected by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as co-chair of the Government Efficiency Team in the new administration, posted critical comments targeting Chancellor Scholz. The remarks came after a car rammed into a Christmas market in the central square of Magdeburg, a city in eastern Germany.
Musk described the attack as “a direct consequence of uncontrolled mass immigration.” The suspect in the incident is a 50-year-old physician originally from Saudi Arabia, residing in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
“Scholz should resign immediately. He is utterly incompetent,” Musk wrote on social media platform X.


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Germany faces heightened political uncertainty after Chancellor Olaf Scholz was ousted following a failed confidence vote on December 16. The loss, stemming from Scholz’s own request for the vote, fell short of the majority needed to maintain his position. With his departure, Germany is now gearing up for early elections set for February 23, 2025.This development comes amid significant economic and geopolitical challenges, further deepening the country’s political instability.Scholz’s governing coalition, composed of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Free Democratic Party (FDP), and the Greens, collapsed on November 6 due to budget disagreements. This left Scholz heading a minority government, struggling to push through key policies.“A failed project,” said Andrea Rommele, professor of political communication at Hertie School, Berlin, describing the breakdown of the three-party alliance.

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The collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's government has sparked a fierce scramble for influence and strategic interests in Syria among global powers, jeopardizing efforts to stabilize the war-torn nation.In the week following Assad's ousting, Syria has been struck by airstrikes from three foreign powers, each pursuing its own agenda: the U.S. targeting Islamic State (IS) remnants in the east, Turkey pressuring Kurdish militias in the northeast, and Israel attacking strategic assets within Syria.Meanwhile, Russia and Iran, Assad's key backers, have been rapidly repositioning or withdrawing their forces. Iran has evacuated 4,000 troops from Syria since Assad's fall, while Russia has pulled troops from central Syria to its coastal base in Hmeimim. It remains unclear whether this marks a complete withdrawal or a tactical redeployment.

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The Pentagon announced on December 19 that the number of U.S. troops stationed in Syria has risen to approximately 2,000, up from the previously stated figure of 900. Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, confirmed that the additional troops had been deployed several months ago.Ryder stated that he only recently became aware of the updated troop count. He emphasized that the increase was unrelated to recent regional developments, including the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the resurgence of Islamic State (IS) activity, or ongoing operations against the group.

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The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of being complicit in the assassination of General Igor Kirillov, following what it described as a lack of condemnation from Washington.Maria Zakharova, the ministry’s spokesperson, criticized the U.S. response to the December 17 bombing in Moscow, which killed General Kirillov, head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops (RKhBZ), and his aide, Major Ilya Polikarpov."It’s absurd to see those who established the Kyiv regime, recklessly funded and armed it, claiming they are uninvolved. All evidence is clear—Washington has never condemned any terrorist or assassination act carried out by Kyiv," Zakharova stated.The U.S. government has denied involvement in the attack. A U.S. official remarked that Washington had "no prior knowledge" of the bombing and did not "assist or facilitate" such actions.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his annual end-of-year press conference today at 12 p.m. Moscow time (4 p.m. Hanoi time). This event serves as a platform for the president to address domestic and international issues while responding to questions from citizens and journalists worldwide.For the first time, Russia is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to manage the overwhelming volume of submitted questions. The GigaChat system, developed by Sberbank, has processed over 1.7 million inquiries, providing the president with a comprehensive overview of key topics before the conference begins. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that AI replaces the manual sorting process previously required throughout the year.The conference also takes place amid Russia’s unprecedented defense spending. On December 1, the Russian government announced a defense budget of 13.5 trillion rubles (approximately $126 billion) for 2025, approved by President Putin. This figure represents 32.5% of the total government expenditure of $378.5 billion, marking the largest defense budget in modern Russian history.

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