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Intel report says Putin ordered campaign to influence US election –
A declassified U.S. intelligence report released Friday directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a campaign to influence the U.S. election and hurt Hillary Clinton’s candidacy – findings made public after officials briefed President-elect Donald Trump. The report said: “We assess with high confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election, the consistent goals of which were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.” [Fox News]
Vladimir Putin

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Armed conflicts and attacks

• Syrian Civil War
  • Russian military intervention in Syria
    • Russia begins to withdraw its forces from Syria, with its aircraft carrier battle group being the first to leave. The United Nations says the ceasefire is “largely holding”. (BBC)
• 2017 Ivory Coast mutiny
  • Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire soldiers launch mutinies in three cities across Ivory Coast. The Defense Minister Alain Donwahi says talks are ongoing with the soldiers, calling for all troops to return to their barracks. (Reuters), (AP)

Business and economy

• The Limited announces the closing of all of its brick-and-mortar stores and will begin operating only online after January 8. (Dayton Daily News)

Law and crime

• 2017 Fort Lauderdale airport shooting
  • An arriving passenger from Alaska removes his checked-baggage pistol and kills five people and injures six at the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Florida. (Fox News)
• Members of the Brazilian Primeiro Comando da Capital prison gang kill 31 inmates in the Monte Cristo prison in the state of Roraima. This action was revenge for an earlier massacre in a prison in Amazonas that killed 56 inmates. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• 2016 United States election interference by Russia
  • A declassified U.S. intelligence report claims that Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to influence the U.S. presidential election against Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. (Fox News)

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