Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
U.S. announces launch of second phase of Gaza peace plan Trump says Iran has stopped killing protesters WaPo’s Marc A. Thiessen: There is no U.S. downside to striking the Iranian regime WINEP’s Michael Singh: Iran’s regime has already lost its most potent weapon Sciences Po’s Center for International Studies Nicole Grajewski: How Russia is supporting Iran’s repression Trump’s Gulf allies do not want him to bomb Iran China’s propaganda playbook for targeting rivals Beijing tells Chinese firms to stop using US and Israeli cybersecurity software, sources say European defense companies in line to benefit from bulk of EU’s $105 billion Ukraine loan Germany joins European partners with troop deployment to Greenland President of Somaliland Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi: My country, Somaliland, recognized The two faces of Venezuela’s regime smile at the U.S. and glower at homeIn The News
Israel
Days before protests erupted in Iran in late December, Israeli officials notified the Iranian leadership via Russia that they would not launch strikes against Iran if Israel were not attacked first. Iran responded through the Russian channel that it would also refrain from a preemptive attack, diplomats and regional officials with knowledge of the exchange said. – Washington Post
White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday announced the long-delayed launch of Phase 2 of President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, establishing a committee of Palestinian technocrats to administer the enclave and beginning the “full demilitarization and reconstruction.” – Washington Post
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face voters this year for the first time since the 2023 Hamas attack shook his security credentials, with the outcome of the latest crisis in Iran likely to be key to salvaging his legacy, analysts say. – Reuters
A new German-Israel agreement aims to counter cyber threats and enhance security infrastructure, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told parliament on Wednesday. – Reuters
The IDF on Wednesday unveiled a video with unusual clarity and detail of a full-fledged gunfight between soldiers from the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade and a Hamas terror cell in the Rafah area of deep southern Gaza. – Jerusalem Post
An IDF soldier from the Givati Brigade was arrested by Israeli authorities in September under suspicion of spying for Iran, a court released for publication on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Chief David Zini announced Wednesday that he will appoint “N.” as the new Deputy Head of the Shin Bet. – Jerusalem Post
IDF troops located rockets prepared for launch toward Israel during operations in the Gaza Strip, the IDF stated on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
The US and the UK issued warnings on Thursday against travel to Israel, as tensions spiraled over the Iranian regime’s lethal crackdown on protests in the country and amid indications an American strike on the Islamic Republic could be imminent. – Times of Israel
Roughly a dozen Palestinians received official invitations on Tuesday to serve on the technocratic committee slated to manage Gaza’s daily affairs in place of Hamas, an Arab diplomat and a Palestinian official told The Times of Israel. – Times of Israel
As part of the efforts of the Dar Al-Salam Center in the village of Kafr Qara to convert Jews to Islam and influence Israeli consciousness by promoting the illusion of Muslim moderation, the organization also operated on Wikipedia, as revealed in an investigation by Hakol Hayehudi (The Jewish Voice.) – Arutz Sheva
Salem Alketbi writes: Iran faces an unprecedented test of how far it can risk going. Israel has the tools to impose a decisive end and is displaying them openly. The United States is managing the overall pace, trying to prevent a total explosion without weakening the logic of deterrence. This is a genuine moment on the edge. The future will lead either to a forced calm or to a descent into a conflict that will redefine the balance of power in the Middle East for generations. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Iran signaled Wednesday it was preparing to conduct swift trials and the execution of antigovernment protesters, defying a warning from President Trump as it intensifies a crackdown on nationwide demonstrations. – Wall Street Journal
President Trump ordered a military buildup in the Caribbean in the fall as part of the pressure campaign against the now-ousted Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro. That move now limits his options if conflict breaks out between Washington and Tehran over a popular uprising in Iran, according to current and former defense officials. – Wall Street Journal
President Trump on Wednesday said Iran had stopped killing antiregime protesters and wouldn’t execute those it accused of trying to topple the government, appearing to narrow the possibility that the U.S. was about to launch military strikes against the country. – Wall Street Journal
Security forces fired directly into crowds of protesters in at least six different cities across Iran, illustrating how widely violence has spread, according to a Washington Post review of videos that have surfaced online recently. – Washington Post
An ongoing communications blackout inside Iran has left Iranians outside the country scrambling to reach family and friends, as the toll from a crackdown on anti-government protests has climbed to more than 2,600 killed, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. – Washington Post
The protests in Iran against the Islamic Republic appear broader and more combative than ever before. The government crackdown is also more violent. – New York Times
Iran on Wednesday postponed the execution of a 26-year-old protester who was sentenced to death just days after his arrest, according to human rights groups and family members. – New York Times
Armed Kurdish separatist groups sought to cross the border into Iran from Iraq, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, in a sign of foreign entities potentially seeking to take advantage of instability after days of crackdown on protests against Tehran. – Reuters
Iran reopened its airspace after a near-five-hour closure amid concerns about possible military action between the U.S. and Iran that forced airlines to cancel, reroute or delay some flights. – Reuters
After the regime in Iran falls and “free Iran” rises, the country would immediately recognize Israel, normalize US relations, and aim to broaden the Abraham Accords into the “Cyrus Accords” to unite Iran, Israel, and the larger Arab world, exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said in a statement shared early on Thursday morning. – Jerusalem Post
US military intervention in Iran could come in the next 24 hours, two European officials said on Wednesday evening, Reuters reported. – Jerusalem Post
John Ondrasik writes: The millions risking their lives to gather in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and countless other Iranian cities don’t fit neatly into these categories, she says: “They show that authoritarianism is not a Western invention imposed from outside, but something many societies are actively trying to escape.” It’s almost as if the Free Palestine movement has nothing to do with freedom, human rights or the welfare of innocents at all. – Wall Street Journal
Marc A. Thiessen writes: The Iranian regime has bedeviled every American president since Jimmy Carter. It has killed more Americans than any terrorist state. And now it is killing Iranians by the thousands in a desperate attempt to maintain its grip on power. Trump has the ability to obliterate its leaders and its architecture of repression, just as he did its nuclear weapons program. He should do it. If he does, I predict that before the year is out, he will visit a free Tehran — and receive a hero’s welcome from the Iranian people. – Washington Post
Razgar Alani writes: This transformation – from repression to the recognition of rights and freedoms – has resulted from factors such as changing attitudes toward modernity, technological progress, enlightenment, resistance, the preservation of national and cultural identities, and growing awareness among individuals and groups of their rights. These factors have played a decisive role in strengthening democratic culture and expanding political participation. – Jerusalem Post
Lazar Berman writes: Even if Trump defies expectations and backs off, and the regime figures out how to inflict enough violence to scare the public back into their homes, it is only a matter of time before mass anger erupts again. Iran’s adversaries have failed to meaningfully support the protesters in the past. At some point, however, they would do well to recognize that the Iranians risking their lives in the streets are their best chance for ending the threat from the Islamic Republic once and for all. – Times of Israel
Ksenia Svetlova writes: The masses calling for an end to Khamenei’s dictatorship is a nightmare for Moscow, which fears that the Russian people will follow suit, and in the worst-case scenario, wake up from their slumber and fight for their rights. The Kremlin still hopes that the Iranian regime will survive the current wave of protests and continue to prop up Russia. In the meantime, they are watching the burning of flags and other symbols of the regime with growing anxiety. – Haaretz
Michael Singh writes: Amid the threat of military strikes, this is a moment of danger for Iran’s adversaries and for its people. One cannot discount that in its desperation to survive, the regime could aim to dash for a nuclear weapon, commit major acts of terrorism or inflict further massacres against the Iranian people. But the very steps Iranian leaders might contemplate to save themselves would only increase the pressure against the regime—and likely invite new protests and potential military strikes, and perhaps hasten the regime’s demise. – Washington Institute
Roya Hakakian writes: But if unarmed protesters are left alone to face a military that has proven its instinct to slaughter its own people by the thousands, then both Israel and the United States will confirm the very narratives the clerics have long promoted: Western powers speak loudly of solidarity, but will ultimately abandon those who respond to their call to action. As the doctor’s letter read: “If anyone is going to help us, even tomorrow may be too late.” – The Free Press
Russia and Ukraine
For months Russian strikes have been systematically smashing Ukraine’s energy sector, hitting power plants and electricity relay stations, and plunging the country into darkness during the frigid winter. Starting Friday, one Russian city on the border, Belgorod, got a taste of what the Ukrainians have been going through when it was hit by widespread outages after Kyiv’s forces launched its own strike against the city’s infrastructure. – Washington Post
Ukraine’s parliament appointed young technocrat Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister on Wednesday as the government seeks to drive innovation to strengthen the military during a difficult phase of the nearly four-year war. – Reuters
Russia on Thursday expelled a British diplomat who it said was an undeclared officer in Britain’s intelligence services, and warned London that Moscow would not tolerate such espionage activities on its territory. – Reuters
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva arrived in Kyiv early on Thursday for high-level talks, two sources familiar with the matter said, as Ukraine prepares to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24. – Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he would declare a state of emergency in the energy sector to make up for lost time and tackle issues of disrupted power supplies following sustained Russian attacks on infrastructure. – Reuters
Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators accused former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko of bribery on Wednesday for allegedly running a vote-buying scheme, a source familiar with the matter said, the latest probe to rattle Kyiv’s ruling class. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that Ukraine – not Russia – is holding up a potential peace deal, rhetoric that stands in marked contrast to that of European allies, who have consistently argued Moscow has little interest in ending its war in Ukraine. – Reuters
Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that an attack on the oil tanker Matilda in the Black Sea on January 13 was carried out by two Ukrainian strike UAVs about 100 km from the city of Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar region. – Reuters
Ukrainian lawmakers appointed former prime minister Denys Shmyhal as energy minister and first deputy prime minister on Wednesday amid escalating Russian strikes on the power sector. – Reuters
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Russia was open for peace talks on Ukraine but that talk of a ceasefire ahead of a full peace deal was simply not serious. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that “much broader changes” were needed in the country’s system for mobilising troops for the war with Russia. – Reuters
Wide-scale desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers are among a raft of challenges facing Ukraine’s military as Russia presses on with its invasion of its neighbor after almost four years of fighting, the new defense minister said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Russia could be staring down a painful financial reckoning in Venezuela after the US military operation on January 3 threw into doubt years of strategic investment and cooperation between Moscow and Caracas, according to a think tank analyst. – Business Insider
Russia’s military is suffering heavy losses fighting in Ukraine, with up to 25,000 soldiers killed a month, NATO’s top civilian official said this week, calling the carnage “unsustainable” for Moscow. – Business Insider
An aerial video from Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine appears to show Russian military trucks parked in the facility, in what would likely be a breach of international law. – Defense News
Editorial: In Venezuela and Iran, Mr. Trump is targeting the weak links of this coalition of hostility. The Russia sanctions bill is an attempt to raise the costs of their cooperation by cutting off a major source of finance for Russia’s war of conquest. Congress can help the Commander in Chief play every card in this larger strategic contest by giving him the ability to impose sanctions on Russian oil purchasers. – Wall Street Journal
Nicole Grajewski writes: Russia is betting that layered, deniable support can keep Iran’s regime afloat long enough to avoid a catastrophic outcome. It is a calculated wager, shaped as much by Russia’s fear of losing another partner as by its confidence in repression. Whether that bet succeeds remains uncertain. What is clear is that Moscow sees the costs of inaction as rising sharply if the crisis escalates, even as the risks of deeper involvement grow in parallel. – Foreign Policy
Syria
Syrian authorities have asked Lebanese security forces to hand over more than 200 senior officers who fled to Lebanon after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, following a Reuters investigation that showed how the neighboring country was a hub for insurgent plotting. – Reuters
Germany is open to deepening relations with the new Syrian government, a German government spokesperson said, adding that Berlin is closely monitoring the situation in the country. – Reuters
Syria’s military said it would open a corridor Thursday for civilians to evacuate an area of Aleppo province that has seen a military buildup following intense clashes between government and Kurdish-led forces in Aleppo city. – Associated Press
Lebanon
A senior Hezbollah official has warned Lebanon’s government that pressing on with efforts to disarm the group throughout the country would trigger chaos and possibly civil war, according to comments circulated by the armed group on Wednesday. – Reuters
Lebanese authorities have arrested a Syrian citizen who is suspected of sending money to fighters loyal to former Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria, judicial officials said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Youssef Rajji, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, said that “so long as Hezbollah is not completely disarmed, Israel has the right to continue its attacks,” in an interview with Sky News, N12 reported on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Middle East & North Africa
President Trump’s powerful Gulf Arab allies fear the repercussions of a potential American strike on Iran, and some of them are publicly and privately lobbying his administration to choose diplomacy instead. – New York Times
In Najaf’s market, Ahmed Salam once ran two shops selling prayer beads and accessories to Iranian pilgrims in the Iraqi holy Shi’ite Muslim city, a prime destination for millions of visitors. – Reuters
The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday joined a U.S.-led initiative to secure AI and semiconductor supply chains, dubbed Pax Silica, further strengthening economic ties with the United States. – Reuters
The United States is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington strikes. – Reuters
Veysi Dag writes: The massacres on the Syrian coast, in Sweida, and in Aleppo are not aberrations. They are the predictable outcomes of a decade-long Turkish policy that prioritizes power, expansion, and control over coexistence, stability, and peace. Until Turkey’s role is confronted, the cycle of violence is likely to persist – adding more communities to an already growing list of victims. – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
The leaders of Japan and South Korea had spent hours discussing weighty issues like nuclear weapons, critical minerals and economic security. Now they just wanted to jam. – New York Times
South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said on Thursday that the government will keep monitoring developments on U.S. tariffs on certain AI semiconductor chips to minimise the impact on local industries, according to a ministry statement. – Reuters
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday he had discussed the recent depreciation of the Korean won with South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, adding that it was not in line with South Korea’s economic fundamentals. – Reuters
China
When Beijing wants to intimidate its rivals, it has an extensive—and often menacing—playbook to draw from. This menu for browbeating countries that cross it has been on display in the weeks since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi riled Beijing by saying that Japan could get drawn into conflict if China tried to seize Taiwan by force. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and considers its efforts to take control of the island to be an internal matter. – Wall Street Journal
Chinese authorities have told domestic companies to stop using cybersecurity software made by more than a dozen firms from the U.S. and Israel due to national security concerns, three people briefed on the matter said. – Reuters
China is working to set rules on how many advanced artificial intelligence chip companies can buy from foreign makers such as Nvidia , Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the matter. – Reuters
China‘s oil imports from Venezuela are expected to slump starting from February as fewer tankers have managed to leave for Caracas’ top crude buyer after the U.S. claimed control of the OPEC producer, traders and analysts said. – Reuters
China is willing to deepen cooperation with Canada while eliminating “interference”, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Canadian counterpart at a meeting in Beijing on Thursday. – Reuters
Chinese customs authorities told customs agents this week that Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips are not permitted to enter China, according to three people briefed on the matter. – Reuters
Beijing’s newest variant of its J-20 fifth-generation fighter aircraft has the ability to conduct precision strikes on maritime targets, according to Chinese state media. – USNI News
Eswar Prasad writes: Its currency would gain prominence in global finance, something Beijing has long desired, if its value was seen as determined by the market instead of the central bank. Doing what’s best for the long run would allow China to help the world economy. If not, China would not only damage global growth but also cede any claim to a leadership role in the evolving new world order. – New York Times
South Asia
Pakistan said on Wednesday it had signed an agreement with a firm connected to World Liberty Financial, the main crypto business of U.S. President Donald Trump’s family, to explore using World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin for cross-border payments. – Reuters
India is close to signing a long-coveted trade deal with the European Union this month, trade secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Thursday, in what would be the South Asian nation’s largest pact yet as it chases new markets amid U.S. tariff pressure. – Reuters
Sadanand Dhume writes: Meaningful economic change in India won’t be achieved by political leaders nibbling at the edges of a system that has failed to deliver widespread prosperity. India requires a bolder vision that ends bureaucratic overreach, makes it easier for businesses to acquire land, unleashes market forces in agriculture, slashes fuel and fertilizer subsidies, and privatizes loss-making public-sector companies. A little tweaking here and there won’t do the job. India needs a free market overhaul. – Wall Street Journal
Asia
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 60 injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Thailand, officials said Wednesday. – Washington Post
More U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are in the pipeline with four deals yet to be notified to Congress, a senior Taiwanese defence official said on Thursday, following the announcement of an $11 billion package last month, the largest ever for the island. – Reuters
Japan’s main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito have agreed to establish a new political party, their leaders said on Thursday, in an attempt to present a united front against ruling parties that they see as too right-leaning. – Reuters
Indonesian military rescued 18 workers at gold and copper miner Freeport Indonesia that had been surrounded by armed rebels for three days at a company outpost in the insurgency-plagued Papua region, officials said on Thursday. – Reuters
Taiwan signaled on Thursday that a tariff deal with the United States could come soon, after its negotiators left for the latest round of talks with Washington, saying both sides are expected to announce where they have reached “consensus”. – Reuters
Azerbaijan has released four Armenian prisoners arrested during wars between the two countries in 2020 and 2023, Armenia said on Wednesday, in a further sign of normalising ties between the long-standing foes. – Reuters
Kazakhstan on Wednesday urged the U.S. and Europe to help secure the transport of oil following drone attacks on tankers heading to a Black Sea terminal on the Russian coast which handles one percent of global supply. – Reuters
Thailand’s military continues to occupy civilian areas in Cambodia, having barricaded some with barbed wire and shipping containers, posing a risk to a truce between the neighbours who clashed twice last year, the Cambodian foreign minister said. – Reuters
Singapore’s parliament voted to remove opposition chief Pritam Singh from his post as leader of the opposition on Wednesday after he was convicted of lying to lawmakers. – Reuters
Hate speech and gun control laws proposed by the Australian government in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach mass shooting were criticised by conservative opposition and Greens parties on Thursday, putting in question whether they can pass. – Reuters
The Philippines and Japan signed two defence pacts on Thursday, including a deal allowing their forces to exchange supplies and services, with both countries seeking to strengthen security cooperation in response to rising regional tensions. – Reuters
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has signed an agreement with China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) to procure additional VN1 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). – Janes
Karishma Vaswani writes; America’s role is crucial. High costs alone won’t constrain Xi if he believes its commitment toward Taiwan is negotiable. A broader US-China trade deal cannot include Taipei, because that outcome would leave the island in a vulnerable position — precisely where Beijing wants it. A war over Taiwan would be disastrous for China. The danger lies in assuming that makes it unthinkable. – Bloomberg
Europe
The European Union said Ukraine must buy weapons and military platforms from European manufacturers under a new 90 billion-euro ($104.8 billion) loan, unless they aren’t able to supply what Kyiv needs. The European Commission on Wednesday outlined its proposal for the loan, intended to cover Ukraine’s financial needs for this year and next. – Wall Street Journal
Britain’s home secretary pressured the head of one of the country’s largest police forces to resign on Wednesday, after a watchdog found the force overstated the threat of violence posed by fans of an Israeli soccer team as a result of intelligence errors. – New York Times
The British government is rolling back plans to introduce a single, mandatory type of digital ID for workers, officials said on Wednesday. – New York Times
President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency defence cabinet in Paris on Thursday to discuss U.S. President Donald’s Trump’s stated intent to acquire Greenland and the forceful crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran. – Reuters
British prosecutors sought to reinstate a terrorism charge against a member of Irish rap group Kneecap on Wednesday for displaying a flag of Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah at a London gig, after a court threw out the case last year. – Reuters
Three pro-Palestinian activists detained in Britain ended their hunger strike on Wednesday, with some of them facing imminent death from the effects of their protest, campaign group Prisoners for Palestine said in a statement. – Reuters
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Wednesday, clearing the way for the government to focus on yet another budget showdown in the coming days. – Reuters
Germany will send 13 soldiers to Greenland on Thursday as part of a reconnaissance mission with other European nations, the German government and defence ministry said on Wednesday, following demands by President Donald Trump for Washington to have control of the island. – Reuters
Germany’s finance minister called on Wednesday for a new era of “European patriotism” to protect regional economic interests, proposing that companies receiving state aid be required to keep jobs in Europe and that public procurement prioritises Europe-made goods. – Reuters
Denmark will increase its military footprint in Greenland, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Wednesday. – Reuters
The European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday the EU intends to split the 90 billion euro ($104.89 billion) financial support approved for Ukraine into one third for its general budget and two thirds for military supplies. – Reuters
Finland’s military will initiate the acquisition of anti-personnel landmines and start training staff, conscripts and reservists to use them later this year, it said on Wednesday, after the country’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention that bans their usage took effect on January 10. – Reuters
France’s interior ministry said on Wednesday it has banned 10 British far-right activists from entering or staying in the country, after they carried out actions deemed to incite violence and seriously disturb public order on French territory. – Reuters
Bulgaria’s second-largest parliamentary grouping, the reformist PP-DB, declined a request on Wednesday from the president to try to form a new government, increasing the likelihood of a snap election in the European Union’s poorest member state. – Reuters
If the sovereignty of a European country and ally was affected, the knock-on effects would be unprecedented, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday during a cabinet meeting, referring to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to take control of the Arctic territory. – Reuters
France is looking into sending Eutelsat satellite terminals to Iran to help citizens after Iranian authorities imposed a blackout of internet services in a bid to quell the country’s most violent domestic unrest in decades. – Reuters
Portugal’s presidential election on Sunday is all but guaranteed to require a runoff vote for the first time in 40 years amid growing political fragmentation, and the race for a place in the second round is still wide open, a new opinion poll showed. – Reuters
Hungary’s main opposition Tisza party has widened its lead over Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz, two polls showed on Wednesday, ahead of an April election in which the veteran nationalist is seeking to retain his 16-year grip on power. – Reuters
But against a starkly different geopolitical background and tough odds — including backlash from powerful protectionist lobbies — the EU and the South American alliance known as Mercosur are expected to formally sign their quarter-century-in-the-making trade pact this Saturday at a ceremony in Paraguay. – Associated Press
Thousands of people braved freezing weather to protest in Bulgaria’s capital on Wednesday, calling for a fair election as the Balkan country appears to be headed to its eighth vote in the last five years. – Associated Press
Britain’s government is expected to approve a “mega” Chinese Embassy close to London’s financial district after years of controversy and political wrangling over the potential security risks it poses to the U.K. – Associated Press
France suspects that Iran’s crackdown on demonstrations across the country is the most violent in the country’s contemporary history, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday. – Agence France-Presse
French publisher Hachette said Wednesday it was recalling three textbooks for high-school students that refer to the victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught in Israel as “Jewish settlers.” – Agence France-Presse
German police arrested a 32-year-old man suspected of trying to burn down a synagogue in what is believed to be an antisemitic attack, local media reported on Wednesday. – Agence France-Presse
European NATO nations have vowed to strengthen their contributions to Arctic defense, with Greenland front and center. – Defense News
The Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) announced on its website on 8 January that it and the Royal Danish Army have integrated the Spike LR2 missile into Kongsberg’s Protector RS4 stabilised weapon station on the Eagle 5 4×4 armoured reconnaissance vehicle, with the first test firing hitting the centre of the target. – Janes
The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa: FAP) is in the process of acquiring an additional four modernised Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk medium-lift helicopters for the aeromedical evacuation and emergency transport roles. – Janes
The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered more Dutch Expeditionary Patrol Vehicles (DXPVs), unarmoured versions of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) known as ‘Kaaiman’, Oshkosh announced in a press release on 13 January. The company valued the order at USD25–30 million. – Janes
France and Spain are to be the launch customers for Thales’ upgraded TopOwl, acquiring the helmet-mounted display (HMD) system for their NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 helicopters. – Janes
Africa
Isaline Attelly, a native of the Caribbean island of Martinique, had been living in Benin for nearly a year before she learned that her family’s connection to the West African country went back much further. – Reuters
Ugandans voted in a tense national election on Thursday after an often violent campaign and internet shutdown aimed at curbing what the government called “misinformation”, with President Yoweri Museveni seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade. – Reuters
Nigeria’s government has hired a U.S. lobbying firm to nurture ties with the Trump administration and counter what it says is misinformation from Christian Evangelical groups and others that minimises its efforts to protect the country’s Christians. – Reuters
Thousands of people fled their homes in northwestern Nigeria this week after the leader of one of the armed gangs in the region ordered them out in retaliation for a security raid, officials and residents said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Ugandan pop star and opposition candidate Bobi Wine says he has been beaten, tasered and attacked with teargas and pepper spray while campaigning against long-serving President Yoweri Museveni. – Reuters
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade in an election on Thursday with internet restricted across the country following an often violent campaign. – Reuters
Sudan peace efforts resumed in Cairo on Wednesday with Egypt and the United Nations calling on warring parties to agree to a nationwide humanitarian truce, as the war between the army and its rival paramilitary nears the three-year mark. – Associated Press
Armed men killed at least 15 people, including eight children, during an attack on Wednesday in northwestern Cameroon, a community leader said. – Associated Press
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi writes: One of the proudest moments of my presidency will undoubtedly be listening to Somaliland’s national anthem as we inaugurate our first official embassy, in Israel. We recognize that widespread international recognition won’t occur overnight. Yet many countries in Africa and beyond have long sympathized with the moral and legal foundations of Somaliland’s case and have been waiting for a first mover. We, too, have waited—patiently—for decades. Now, Israel has taken this bold step. We are confident that others will follow. – Wall Street Journal
The Americas
On Wednesday, the acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said 400 political prisoners would be released. Days before, the notoriously anti-American interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, announced support for restarting diplomatic relations with the U.S. And the leader of the rubber-stamp Congress openly called for gestures of peace toward the U.S. – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. ouster of the Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro is forcing Beijing into a high-stakes recalculation of its ambitions in a region that looks like America’s backyard again, said people close to internal discussions in the Chinese leadership. – Wall Street Journal
A Venezuelan government envoy planned to travel on Thursday to Washington to meet U.S. officials and take initial steps toward reopening the Venezuelan embassy there, according to Venezuelans and Americans familiar with the matter. – New York Times
Some of the biggest early winners in the Trump administration’s efforts to assert more control over Venezuela’s energy industry are not the companies that produce oil but the ones that transform it into gasoline, diesel and other products. – New York Times
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele inaugurated a new maximum-security prison in nearby Costa Rica on Wednesday, less than three weeks before Costa Ricans elect a new president in an election that has put crime front and center in campaigns. – Reuters
Venezuelan politician and journalist Roland Carreno was freed on Wednesday in an ongoing prisoner release, and the government promised more liberations would come. – Reuters
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he believes it would be better for Venezuela to remain in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, but added he was unsure if that would be a better situation for the United States. – Reuters
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is leading Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas in voting intentions for this year’s election, a Quaest poll commissioned by brokerage Genial showed on Wednesday. – Reuters
The U.S. has completed the first sales of Venezuelan oil that are part of a $2 billion deal reached earlier this month between Caracas and Washington, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday. – Reuters
President Donald Trump is set to meet Thursday at the White House with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, whose political party is widely considered to have won 2024 elections rejected by then-President Nicolás Maduro before the United States captured him in an audacious military raid this month. – Associated Press
Costa Rica’s national security chief on Tuesday revealed details of an alleged plot to assassinate President Rodrigo Chaves ahead of presidential and legislative elections. – Associated Press
Brazil’s TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul, which is owned by Germany’s TKMS, has begun building the fourth and final MEKO A-100MB Tamandaré-class multi-purpose frigate for the Brazilian Navy on 9 January. – Janes
Elizabeth Dickinson writes: The real solution to the rising insecurity in Colombia isn’t a show of force; it’s the grinding, vital work of diplomacy, intelligence sharing, judicial investigations and humanitarian aid. The phone call between Mr. Petro and Mr. Trump was a start. The White House should continue to walk back its bluster with its longtime ally and face up to the real regional security risks that its Venezuelan intervention has already unleashed. – New York Times
North America
Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a critical three-day state visit during which he will meet with President Xi Jinping and seek to repair an important relationship that may be more vital now that the United States is no longer a reliable Canadian ally. – New York Times
Quebec premier Francois Legault said on Wednesday he was resigning after more than seven years in office, months ahead of an election which a party seeking independence for the Canadian province looks set to win. – Reuters
China praised on Thursday a visit to Beijing this week by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, calling it “pivotal” in work to recalibrate ties following months of intense re-engagement. The remarks by China’s top diplomat Wang Yi were made in a meeting with Canadian counterpart Anita Anand, who is part of Carney’s delegation on the first visit by a Canadian prime minister since 2017. – Reuters
Haitian security forces on Wednesday bombed three houses belonging to top gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, local outlet Gazette Haiti reported on Wednesday, after unverified footage showed a large explosion in the capital Port-au-Prince. – Reuters
Canada’s Pacific coast province of British Columbia is ending its three-year experiment in decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs. – Associated Press
United States
Top officials from Denmark and Greenland said after a visit to the White House on Wednesday that they hadn’t persuaded President Trump to abandon his ambitions to annex Greenland. – Wall Street Journal
The State Department will indefinitely pause immigrant visa processing for 75 countries as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to block low-income foreigners from immigrating to the U.S. – Wall Street Journal
If President Trump acquired Greenland, he would find himself in charge of a slow-growing economy heavily reliant on more than $1 billion of annual government subsidies and powered largely by sales of shrimp. – Wall Street Journal
The Senate on Wednesday blocked a bipartisan measure that aimed to prevent President Donald Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela, after two Republicans withdrew their support under pressure from the administration. – Washington Post
The U.S. has completed the first sales of Venezuelan oil that are part of a $2 billion deal reached earlier this month between Caracas and Washington, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had opted for now against imposing tariffs on rare earths, lithium and other critical minerals, and instead ordered his administration to seek supplies from international trading partners. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed a 25% tariff on certain AI chips, such as the Nvidia H200 AI processor and a similar semiconductor from AMD called the MI325X, under a new national security order released by the White House. – Reuters
President Donald Trump reiterated on Wednesday that the U.S. needs Greenland and that Denmark cannot be relied upon to protect the island, even as he said that “something will work out” with respect to the future governance of the Danish overseas territory. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez by phone on Wednesday, with the two leaders each separately describing the call as positive.- Reuters
U.S. Senate Republicans blocked a resolution on Wednesday that would have barred President Donald Trump from further military action in Venezuela without Congress’ authorization, after the Republican president put pressure on party members who had supported it. – Reuters
The Trump administration was accused on Wednesday of dragging its feet in delivering congressionally agreed benefits to Pacific island nations being courted by China to try to woo them away from the U.S. strategic orbit. – Reuters
FBI agents searched a Washington Post reporter’s home on Wednesday as part of an investigation into sharing secret government information, officials said, in a move that press advocates said threatened journalistic freedom. – Reuters
A former U.S. Navy sailor convicted of selling technical and operating manuals for ships and operating systems to an intelligence officer working for China was sentenced Monday to more than 16 years in prison, prosecutors said. – Associated Press
President Donald Trump on Wednesday cast the acquisition of Greenland as key to the Golden Dome missile defense project, writing on his social media platform that “the United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security” and enlisting NATO for help in acquiring the self-governing region from Denmark. – Politico
Arthur Herman writes: The most recent era of great-power competition is over, and the U.S. won. History shows, however, that such unipolar moments are fleeting. It is up to the second Trump administration to make sure it doesn’t slip away—that America’s status as the dominant superpower becomes a bridge to a more secure and more prosperous future for the rest of the free world. – Wall Street Journal
Cybersecurity
Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia are cracking down on sexually explicit content generated by Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot Grok on X, launching probes, imposing bans and demanding safeguards, in a growing global push to curb illegal material. – Reuters
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that Elon Musk’s X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law after the country’s media regulator launched a probe into the platform over sexualised imagery produced by the Grok AI chatbot. – Reuters
The Department of Homeland Security is finalizing plans for a new body that would replace the functions of the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) and serve as a communications hub between industry and government to discuss ongoing threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, including from cyber attacks. – CyberScoop
Microsoft announced Wednesday that it worked with international law enforcement to seize infrastructure used to run cybercrime subscription service RedVDS and organized civil actions in the United States and United Kingdom to disrupt its further use. – CyberScoop
A reported ransomware attack on AZ Monica hospital in Belgium has led to operations being canceled and forced the Red Cross to transfer seven patients requiring critical care to other hospitals. – The Record
A group of Western cyber agencies warned on Wednesday about the growing digital threats facing the operational technology at the heart of industrial systems. New guidance issued by Britain’s National Cyber Secure Centre (NCSC), a part of signals and cyber intelligence agency GCHQ, sets out how organizations should securely connect equipment such as industrial control systems, sensors and other critical services. – The Record
A privacy and surveillance expert who formerly held a leadership position at the American Civil Liberties Union was appointed Monday to the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) Board. – The Record
Defense
The plane used by the U.S. military to strike a boat accused of smuggling drugs off the coast of Venezuela last fall was painted to look like a civilian aircraft, a move that appears to be at odds with the Pentagon’s manual on the laws of war. – Associated Press
New robotic autonomous systems and forward-deployed forces are key to the Navy’s emerging hedge force concept the service is adopting to supplement the tasks of the existing fleet, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said Wednesday. – USNI News
The Navy completed a demonstration of its manned-unmanned teaming capabilities to further the development of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative, Naval Air Systems Command announced Monday. – USNI News
The Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a statutory framework called the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act of 2025 (COINS Act) that establishes more rigid regulations pertaining to outbound investments made by U.S. citizens in technology sectors. – Military.com