The Justice Department said it will release the Epstein-related documents as soon as possible, noting that due to the large volume of material, the process could take several more weeks.

President Trump could consider deploying U.S. Marines to Chicago after Democrats escalated the dispute to the Supreme Court, potentially using federal troops to protect government buildings and ICE agents before turning to the National Guard.

Japan’s right-wing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is moving to tighten immigration rules by extending the residency period required for citizenship and making Japanese-language proficiency mandatory for permanent residency, framing the measures as a way to strengthen national identity.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have seized a vessel carrying 4 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Arabian Gulf, according to Tasnim news agency. An IRGC naval commander said the ship, which had 16 foreign crew members on board, was intercepted in a “precise,” intelligence-driven operation as it was preparing to leave Iranian waters. Iranian officials did not immediately release details about the tanker’s identity, flag, ownership, or the nationalities of its crew.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at an IDF Air Force wing ceremony that Hamas remains unwilling to disarm, pointing to an attack in Gaza earlier today that wounded an officer, and pledged a response. “Today we experienced an attack by Hamas. They have no intention of disarming—we will respond,” he said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel is “closely monitoring” developments in Iran amid concerns that Tehran is rebuilding and expanding its ballistic missile production. Speaking at a pilots’ graduation ceremony, Katz referred to Israeli strikes on Iran during “Operation Rising Lion,” which were carried out with the United States during June’s 12-day war. He said the defense establishment is closely tracking the situation but declined to provide further details, adding that one principle is clear: what existed before October 7 will not return, and Israel will not allow threats of annihilation against the state.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Türkiye will not bow down, will not remain silent, and will not forget, vowing that the country will never abandon Gaza.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that under the agreement, 600 aid trucks were supposed to enter Gaza each day, but accused Israel of failing to honor this commitment and repeatedly blocking humanitarian assistance with what he described as unfounded excuses.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that despite a ceasefire being in place in Gaza since October 11, severe hardships persist in residential areas left in ruins by Israeli attacks. He noted that colder weather and the onset of rainfall have further worsened conditions, saying scenes of tents flooded by heavy rain and babies and children suffering from hypothermia in Gaza are being watched with deep sorrow.

According to sources who spoke with Axios, the White House has taken control of the U.S. Department of Justice’s official account on X in an effort to manage and counter narratives surrounding the ongoing release of documents related to the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Officials said that approximately 700,000 additional files still require review before they can be made public, despite the Epstein Files Transparency Act mandating that all documents be released by last Friday, December 19. As a result, smaller batch releases are expected to continue into early January.