Pro-Assad Resistance in Syria and Russia Targeting Transnistria (Again)

Andrew Sheves Good morning. It’s an abbreviated SITREP today, but there are two stories worth tracking.

Despite the calm in the majority of Syria following the HTS takeover, several majority Alawite towns in Syria remain pro-Assad strongholds. An ambush on Tuesday left 14 HTS-affiliated police dead and 10 wounded as the police tried to arrest a former regime figure. Currently, this doesn’t seem to indicate the beginnings of a counter-HTS insurgency, but it is a reminder that Syria remains somewhat fractured and that many of the former-regime figures are implicated in Assad’s crimes and will do whatever they can to avoid capture. [SOURCE - BBC]

There are rumors that Russia might be planning a false flag operation in Transnistria as an excuse to take control and ‘defend’ the breakaway region of Moldova. There’s a good explainer in Al Jazeera here.

Key Metrics

WTI is $71.03 (Down)

Low |—- < —————| High

Wheat is $185.735 (Down)

Low |—— < ————-| High

EuroDollar is $1.04 (Down)

Low | < ——————-| High

YuanDollar is $0.14 (Unchanged)

Low |———- < > ———| High

Graphs are illustrative to show comparative price over last 180 days

Metrics via AlphaVantage updated Dec 26 2024 08:05 UTC

Asia Stability Ratings and News Summary

More Unstable

🇦🇫 Afghanistan, 🇦🇲 Armenia, 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan, 🇧🇭 Bahrain, 🇧🇩 Bangladesh, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇨🇳 China, 🇬🇪 Georgia, 🇮🇳 India, 🇮🇷 Iran, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan, 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan, 🇱🇦 Laos, 🇲🇾 Malaysia, 🇲🇳 Mongolia, 🇲🇲 Myanmar, 🇳🇵 Nepal, 🇰🇵 North Korea, 🇴🇲 Oman, 🇵🇰 Pakistan, 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇰🇷 South Korea, 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka, 🇹🇼 Taiwan, 🇹🇯 Tajikistan, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan, 🇻🇳 Vietnam

More Stable

No countries were more stable over this period

Unchanged

🇧🇹 Bhutan, 🇧🇳 Brunei, 🇹🇱 East Timor, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇰🇼 Kuwait, 🇲🇻 Maldives, 🇶🇦 Qatar, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates, 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

Regional News Summary

In Singapore, three interior construction firms have been penalized a total of S$10 million for bid-rigging, a move that underscores the government’s commitment to maintaining fair practices in the construction industry [SOURCE - Channel News Asia]. Despite this enforcement action, Singapore’s economy remains stable, with core inflation dipping to 1.9% in November, prompting discussions among analysts about its implications for monetary policy [SOURCE - Dimsum Daily].

Meanwhile, the Bank of Singapore Limited has faced challenges from fraudulent websites impersonating the bank, highlighting the need for vigilance in the financial sector [[SOURCE - Government Information Office Hong Kong]](https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202412/20/P2024122000451.htm?utm_source=news.decis.a

Carpe tomorrow!