Alert: DR Congo: Displaced people in South Kivu close to ‘utter desperation’, WFP says

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Alert 23 December 2025

DR Congo: Displaced people in South Kivu close to 'utter desperation', WFP says An estimated 500,000 people have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), at the beginning of December.  Read more

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NORAD Set to Track Santa Tomorrow Night

View Online NORAD Set to Track Santa Tomorrow Night Dec. 23, 2025 |  By David Vergun On Christmas Eve, the North American Aerospace Defense Command will once again track Santa Claus on radar as he makes his journey around the globe, bringing a touch of magic to the Christmas season, said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell. What began decades ago as an unintentional phone call from a child to the then-Continental Air Defense Command has become a joyous occasion for families everywhere, showcasing the lighter side of NORAD's 70-year-old mission, he said.  The NORAD Santa tracker will go live on war.gov tomorrow night, and the War Department is excited to continue this tradition with the American people, he added. Thinking about service members as the holiday season draws closer, Parnell gave a shoutout to all who serve.  "As families across the country gather to begin celebrating Christmas and the birth of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, our thoughts turn to our courageous warfighters who continue to stand vigilant across the globe, sacrificing dearly to safeguard our freedoms right here at home," he said. NORAD's Santa Operations Center will be fully functional beginning Dec. 24 at 4 a.m. MST. Children can call 877-446-6723 to talk directly to a Santa tracker, who will be able to tell callers his current location. Operators will be available until midnight.   More than 1,000 Canadian and American uniformed personnel, War Department civilians and local participants at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where NORAD is located, volunteer their time on Christmas Eve to answer the hundreds of thousands of phone calls that come in from around the world. NORAD's mission to track Santa began by accident in 1955, when a young child, trying to reach Santa, dialed a misprinted phone number from a department store ad in the local newspaper. Instead of Santa, the child called the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor of NORAD.    Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night who answered the child's call, was quick to realize the mistake and, not wanting to let down the child, played along. So began the connection between NORAD and Santa, which continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.

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U.S. Space Forces Japan Celebrates First Year of Activation

View Online U.S. Space Forces Japan Celebrates First Year of Activation Dec. 23, 2025 |  By Air Force Capt. Tisha Yates U.S. Space Forces Japan celebrated its first year of activation at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Dec. 4.   As the newest independent service in the War Department and a newly activated component in the Indo-Pacific region, this small but essential team of guardians advances space expertise for Japan and joint partners.   U.S. Space Forces Japan is the second component under U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, following the activation of U.S. Space Forces Korea in 2022. The subcomponent supports the rapidly developing Japan Ministry of Defense space organizations and capabilities, and the need for robust space expertise to support U.S. forces in Japan  "I am proud and honored to have been chosen to lead this organization," said Space Force Col. Ryan Laughton, commander of U.S. Space Forces Japan. "It's exciting to be able to come in and craft a component into something that's never been done before, but ultimately it's been a team effort."  Over the last year, the component has experienced significant growth in expertise, manpower and operational capabilities. This includes building out directorates, establishing robust processes and developing strong relationships with counterparts at U.S. Forces Japan, other service components, U.S. partners and U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific.  The activation ensures space forces can plan, integrate, coordinate and execute efforts in Japan on behalf of U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific to best support the U.S. partnership agreements with Japan, deepen integration with Japanese space counterparts, and meet dynamic regional challenges to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.   "It's incredibly rewarding," said Space Force Capt. Rafael Fermin, chief of engagements at U.S. Space Forces Japan, "It comes with significant responsibility, but I'm proud to play a role in shaping and contributing to its long-term foundation and success."  The bilateral alliance with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Space Operations Group has strengthened exponentially over the year.   "Working with SOG, especially in my current role, has shown me how strong and steadily growing our collaboration is," Fermin said. "It's clear that we share many of the same goals and priorities, and we approach them as true partners. I'm excited to see how this relationship continues to deepen as our missions evolve."  Further emphasizing that strong partnership, Laughton noted that Japan is also investing heavily in its space capabilities.   "As the continues to grow, it has been an exciting challenge to learn how to be effective in performing our missions together," Laughton said, "But overall, working side by side with Japan's space guardians has been phenomenal."  The stars are the limit for U.S. Space Forces Japan's future. The component plans to continue its work to establish itself as the "one voice for space in Japan," providing a hub for collaboration with Japanese space partners, operating space effects for joint warfighters in the region and bringing options to U.S. Forces Japan as they move forward in their own transformation to a joint force headquarters.

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Diageo sells East African Breweries stake | EU gel polish ban raises SA salons liability fears

Global airlines set for $41bn profit | Multi-billion funding to reshape housing in Africa

Enjoy our pick of today's top stories from Bizcommunity's 19 industry sectors. 23 DEC 25 ALL INDUSTRIES  | PRESS OFFICES  | COMPANIES  | JOBS  | EVENTS  | PEOPLE  | MULTIMEDIA  | SUBMIT NEWS  | ADVERTISE  | LIST COMPANY  | SHARE  | FOLLOW  | MY ACCOUNT  | MY NEWSLETTERS  | SUBSCRIBE  | BROWSE  |  UNSUBSCRIBE Diageo sells East African Breweries stake to Asahi for $2.3bn DUNCAN MIRIRI AND EMMA RUMNEY  read EU bans key gel polish component, raising liability fears for South African salons JONATHAN KAISER read Global airlines set for $41bn profit in 2026 despite rising costs read AfDB and Nedbank secure multi-billion funding to reshape housing in Africa read Marketing & Media Addressing trust: PR at a turning point, a fundamentally new approach is demanded BRADLY HOWLAND Automotive Counterfeit parts: A rising risk for SA’s automotive and transport sectors VIJAY MAWALALL Energy & Mining #AfricanMiningIndaba: Mining partnerships benefit communities Entrepreneurship Black entrepreneurs receive free software for business growth ESG & Sustainability African ministers urged to meet 2030 water, sanitation and climate goals HR & Recruitment How leaders can set the tone for rest this festive season ANJA VAN BEEK Featured Press Office of the day More   |   Join Cox Yeats Cox Yeats is a leading South African law firm, with offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Our expert partners work across 15 different industries and our collaborative spirit means our one legal platform can serve a range of requirements. With insight and pragmatism, we tailor our approach specifically to the needs of each client, providing solutions that are efficient, effective and always strategically considered. Contact  |  News  |  VISIT PRESS OFFICE  |  Linkedin FOLLOW US List company List CV List new business List portfolio showcase List profile Submit event Submit gallery Submit job ad Submit new appointment Submit news Submit noticeboard Submit op-ed contribution Home My job ads My events My company My CV Advertising: We welcome your sales enquiries! Email sales and read more about our advertising rates 3rd Floor, 62 Roeland St, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa. Tel +27 (0)21 404 1460 © 2025 bizcommunity.com. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe. Manage subscription. Subscribe. Change email.