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A fuel oil smuggling network generates an estimated USD 1 billion annually for Iran and its allies. It exploits subsidized fuel allocations in Iraq to export surplus oil to Asia. The main players are Iranian-backed Iraqi militias such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), which control the trade. The smuggling is carried out using forged documents and mixing with Iranian oil in order to circumvent US sanctions. The Iraqi government is under pressure to curb these activities, but Iran's influence is making this difficult.

Damage to a fiber optic cable between Finland and Sweden has led to internet outages. The incident, which according to GlobalConnect occurred at two points on the land line between the two countries, was discovered in Finland. Repair work is already underway. While one damage has been repaired, submarine cables are not affected. Finnish police believe a crime has been committed and both Finnish and Swedish authorities are investigating the incident. A link to sabotage is being investigated, especially after similar cable damage in November.

Attacks continue despite the ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel has bombed southern Lebanon, killing at least eleven people. Hezbollah fired rockets at the disputed area of the Shebaa Farms. Both sides accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. The USA declared that the ceasefire is “by and large” holding, although isolated attacks continue to take place. The agreement provides for Israel to leave southern Lebanon and Hezbollah to withdraw.

In Georgia, thousands have been protesting against the government for days and demanding new elections. Students and teachers are joining the demonstrations and boycotting classes. The protesters are demanding a European future for Georgia and accusing the government of losing legitimacy. There have already been injuries and arrests, and the police have used tear gas against the demonstrators. Some Baltic states have imposed sanctions against the Georgian leadership for suppressing legitimate protests. The future remains uncertain, but the resistance of the demonstrators remains strong.

In Ireland, the conservative Fianna Fáil party has won the general election with 48 seats in Dáil Éireann, but needs coalition partners as 88 seats are required for a majority. Second-placed Sinn Féin won 39 seats, but is unlikely to find coalition partners due to its stance on the reunification of Northern Ireland. The third strongest party is Fine Gael with 38 seats. Possible partners for Fianna Fáil are the Social Democrats, the Labor Party or independent MPs. The coalition talks are likely to drag on and a new government before Christmas seems unlikely. A key issue in the election was the housing shortage.

China has banned the export of gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials to the US with immediate effect. This was in response to the latest measures taken by the USA against China's semiconductor industry. The restrictions affect so-called “dual-use” goods, which have both civilian and military applications, and are intended to protect China's national security. In addition, exports of graphite goods will be monitored more strictly. The announcement exacerbates the trade conflicts between the world's two largest economies.

NATO is stepping up its efforts to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, but is limited in its ability to prevent underwater sabotage. After two communication cables were damaged, 30 NATO ships with 4,000 soldiers launched the naval maneuver “Freezing Winds”. Damaged cables are often caused by anchors, and sabotage is difficult to detect. The Baltic Sea remains vulnerable due to intensive shipping and geopolitical tensions. NATO relies on resilience, surveillance technologies and redundancy in cable networks, but cannot guarantee permanent monitoring.

In the face of increased Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure, more and more Ukrainians are turning to alternative energy sources such as solar panels and generators to survive winter blackouts. In Kiev, residents of high-rise buildings, such as Valerii Pyndyk, have installed solar panels to compensate for power cuts of up to eight hours a day. Companies and private individuals are increasingly investing in energy independence solutions, including solar systems and batteries. Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been hit hard with over 56 billion dollars worth of damage, and many power plants have been destroyed. Although more electricity is being imported from Europe, generators remain an expensive interim solution. With state and international support, the focus is on renewable energies: around 1.5 GW of solar power has been newly installed. However, the long-term restructuring of the energy system will take years to replace destroyed and outdated coal-fired power plants.

France's government is facing a vote of no confidence - the first since 1962. Prime Minister Barnier is fighting for his austerity budget, which is facing resistance from the left and right. Marine Le Pen supports the vote, which could exacerbate the fragile political situation. President Macron could retain Barnier as interim prime minister; new elections would be possible in July at the earliest.

US investigators are looking into possible manipulation at Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM). The agribusiness group is alleged to have used internal transactions to boost the results of its nutrition division. This could have misled investors and unlawfully influenced bonus payments to executives. An SEC investigation is running in parallel. ADM has admitted to accounting errors; the share price has fallen sharply.

In a surprising offensive, Islamist rebels in Syria, in particular the group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have taken Aleppo in the north-west of the country in a short space of time. Middle East expert Guido Steinberg explains that the weakness of Syria's allies - Russia, Iran and Hezbollah - has facilitated this offensive. These actors are currently preoccupied with other conflicts, which makes the Syrian army vulnerable. In addition, the Assad regime was poorly prepared. The HTS, a successor organization to the Al-Nusra Front, has received support from Turkey. Steinberg suspects that this is part of a larger Turkish strategy to weaken Syria's influence in the north and control Kurdish autonomous areas. Despite support from Russian airstrikes and Iranian ground troops, it will be difficult for the Assad regime to retake Aleppo, especially as the rebels now also control the western minority neighborhoods that support the regime.

USA: Further impede China's access to AI chip technology President Biden has introduced new export controls to make it more difficult for Chinese companies such as Huawei to access advanced AI technologies. The measures block 24 types of chip-making equipment and three software programs. They also restrict the sale of high-speed memory (HBM) to China. (WD.)

Ex-battery hopeful Northvolt: Will Brussels step in? The Swedish government does not want to help Northvolt financially. Instead, Brussels should help, demands deputy head of government Ebba Busch. After all, the problems at Northvolt are a sign of “a European crisis”. (RT)

Lilium: The fight for survival is coming to a head. The insolvent air taxi company is working flat out to find new investors. Now there is another problem: a class action lawsuit has been filed in New York against the company and the current CEOs and CFOs. (MM)

DAX: Reaches record high just below 20,000 points. The DAX continued its year-end rally - and closed at 19,993 points.

• Volkswagen: Strikes continue for the time being(MM) 
• Retail trade: sees recovery in business climate (TGS)
• Lanxess: Hedge fund gets in (again) - share price rises (HB)
• Opel: Production lines at main plant in Rüsselsheim stand still due to demand (NTV) German companies: Want to increase M&A activity in the USA (HB)
• Global arms sales: Increased to €600 billion (HB)
• Airbus: Will probably achieve its goal of delivering 750 aircraft by the end of the year (HB)
• Pat Gelsinger: Intel CEO retires (NTV)
• Denmark: Buys Copenhagen Airport for $4.5 billion (WSJ)
• Facebook: Becomes a dating platform in the US (AXS)