Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Israel buries last captive recovered from Gaza, ending a painful chapter PA's Mahmoud Abbas seeks to exclude Hamas from local election JPost Editorial: Israel’s hostage dilemma: The need for clear, firm guidelines to break the cycle A battered Iran is still able to mount a deadly response to U.S. strikes EU's Kallas: We expect to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation Iran's Shamkhani warns of ‘immediate, unprecedented’ attack on Tel Aviv in event of US strikes Ukraine sees ‘progress’ in latest talks with Russia despite ongoing attacks Putin, still harboring Assad, welcomes new Syrian leader to Moscow again Iraq’s nominee for Prime Minister rejects Trump threats Taiwan military practices repelling a Chinese assault from the sea Trump’s Venezuela plan does not foresee more military force, Rubio says WSJ Editorial: Why the U.S. needs Diego GarciaIn The News
Israel
The last Israeli captive recovered from Gaza was buried on Wednesday at a funeral attended by hundreds of mourners which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ended a “painful” chapter in Israel’s history. – Reuters
The demilitarization of Gaza will include decommissioning weapons through an agreed process “supported by an internationally funded buyback” program, the United States told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. – Reuters
Israel’s announcement that Gaza’s Rafah crossing will reopen to pedestrians in the next few days carried radically different meanings for Palestinians who fled the Strip during the war. – Haaretz
Anti-Hamas gangs in the Gaza Strip may be utilizing new tactics to fight against the terror group, Saudi outlet Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Tuesday. An example of this included when the Helles Gang killed several Gazans who approached the yellow line in the Shejaia and Tuffah neighborhoods. – Jerusalem Post
In a move designed to appease the Trump administration, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking to prevent Hamas from participating in the upcoming municipal election. – Jerusalem Post
Israel’s defense establishment believes that Hamas will soon relinquish authority over the Gaza Strip to a newly formed committee of Palestinian technocrats; however, at least in the short term, the terror group would remain de facto in control of the territory, an Israeli security official said Thursday. – Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned down 11 chances to kill Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, months before the terror group’s October 7, 2023, attack, Channel 12 reported Wednesday, citing a senior defense official. – Times of Israel
In a win for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lawmakers on Wednesday evening voted 62-55 in favor of the first reading of the 2026 state budget, following a two-day delay caused by last-minute Haredi demands related to the coalition’s ultra-Orthodox draft exemption bill. – Times of Israel
Editorial: Israel has tried, through military force, to make hostage-taking not worth the cost. The devastation in Gaza and the severe degradation of Hamas’s capabilities are meant to send that message. But as long as hostage deals remain wildly asymmetric – and as long as terrorists believe that Israeli society will always force its leaders’ hands – the incentive to take hostages will remain. If Israel ever hopes to break the cycle, it will need clear, firm guidelines anchored in law. The time to set those guidelines is now, during that rare interlude when no Israeli – dead or alive – is in Hamas’ clutches. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Israel pounded Iran’s military in June’s 12-day war, but the regime emerged from the bruising conflict with much of its arsenal of thousands of ballistic missiles intact, which gives it the ability to inflict real damage on the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East. – Wall Street Journal
President Trump’s ultimatum to Iran to negotiate away its nuclear program or face a possible attack leaves Tehran with a daunting dilemma: Either path risks putting the already weakened regime in a more precarious position. – Wall Street Journal
Iran says the protests began as legitimate demonstrations by people expressing their economic grievances, but quickly escalated into riots organized by foreign infiltrators. The Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of being behind the violence. The protesters’ families, however, offer sharply different accounts. – New York Times
The European Union will most likely include Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on its list of terrorist organisations, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday ahead of a foreign affairs ministers council. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters, multiple sources said, even as Israeli and Arab officials said air power alone would not topple the clerical rulers. – Reuters
Iran executed a man on Wednesday who was accused of spying for Israel, the Iranian judiciary’s media outlet Mizan reported, naming him as Hamidreza Sabet Esmaeilipour. – Reuters
Iranian officials reached out to the wider Middle East on Wednesday over the threat of a possible U.S. military strike on the country, while the value of Iran’s currency reached a new low a month since the start of protests that spread nationwide and sparked a bloody crackdown. – Associated Press
Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned that any US military action would be met with a harsh response, including strikes on Tel Aviv, in a Hebrew post on X/Twitter on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Iranian authorities said Tuesday that they confiscated 51 Starlink satellite-internet terminals in the Kurdistan province, calling the shipment anti-security goods. Brigadier-General Hossein Rahimi, head of the Economic Security Police, told reporters the devices had been hidden among household items and intercepted under the guise of border transport. – Jerusalem Post
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that the Iranian regime is historically weak due to serious economic troubles, but also said that Tehran’s violent crackdown on protesters has appeared to have successfully quelled the demonstrations that have swept the country in recent weeks. – Jewish Insider
Russia and Ukraine
The U.S. vision for ending the Russia-Ukraine war is simple. Ukraine gives up territory that has been the cornerstone of its defenses against Russia for over a decade. In return, Kyiv is promised a Western military shield that is anathema to Moscow. – Wall Street Journal
Ukraine’s top diplomat cited “progress” in the latest round of talks with Russia held in the United Arab Emirates, saying that Moscow had sent more serious negotiators this time around. The talks, which include the United States, are set to resume Sunday. – Washington Post
The Ukrainian Railways train, which was carrying more than 200 passengers, was attacked by three drones. Five people were killed in the strike, the latest in Russia’s monthslong campaign against the Ukrainian rail infrastructure. – New York Times
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummelled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Ukraine has identified areas in an agreement with the United States on post-war recovery that need to be worked through in more depth, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday. – Reuters
There is active work under way to reconcile the territorial issue of Donetsk at U.S.-mediated talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, describing the disagreement as a key remaining issue that is “very difficult” to resolve. – Reuters
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it summoned Hungary’s ambassador to Kyiv on Thursday to protest over Budapest’s allegations of Ukrainian meddling in the upcoming Hungarian parliamentary election. – Reuters
Russia’s defense industry is poised to slow sharply this year as the Kremlin opts to prioritize economic stability and balancing finances over further increases in spending on the war in Ukraine. – Bloomberg
The number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia’s war on Ukraine could be 2 million by spring, with Russia sustaining the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since World War II, a report warned Tuesday. – Associated Press
Turkey
Turkey aims to lift its trade volume with Nigeria to $5 billion from about $2 billion, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday following a meeting with visiting Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. – Reuters
Turkey’s foreign minister on Wednesday urged the U.S. to resolve its disputes with Iran “one by one” instead of through a sweeping deal, saying this would avoid humiliating Iranian officials, and added that Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme. – Reuters
Turkish authorities have arrested six people, including an Iranian national, on suspicion of spying for Iran, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday. – Associated Press
Middle East & North Africa
The Syrian government’s campaign to wrest the country’s northeast from the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led militia is fueling a fierce debate in Washington over whether to support the country’s new president at the expense of the Kurdish-led group that helped the U.S. defeat Islamic State. – Wall Street Journal
The nominee to be Iraq’s next prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, vowed to continue pursuing the position on Wednesday, and dismissed a threat made by President Trump to withdraw U.S. support for the country if his nomination went ahead. – New York Times
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia welcomed President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria in Moscow on Wednesday as the two leaders work to establish a new relationship between their countries more than a year after the fall of the Russian-backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. – New York Times
Egypt said on Wednesday that it is working on securing the release of four citizens who were detained by Iran last month after Tehran seized a foreign tanker on charges of carrying “smuggled fuel” in the Gulf. – Reuters
Saudi Arabia is drafting plans to extend its premium residency program to a wider selection of desirable individuals, including superyacht owners, those looking to live in the kingdom’s flagship development projects and top students, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. – Reuters
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is expected to set the March price for its flagship Arab Light crude for Asian buyers at a discount for the first time since December 2020 amid ample supplies, trade sources said this week. – Reuters
Gulf governments are stepping up infrastructure deals with foreign investors, with Kuwait set to launch an oil pipeline network stake sale as soon as February in a deal that could raise up to $7 billion, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. – Reuters
Ras Al Khaimah, one of seven city-states in the United Arab Emirates, is stepping up efforts to lure Chinese and Hong Kong investors into its real estate, green and digital sectors as the UAE and China seek to deepen cooperation. – Reuters
Lebanese Parliament Member Samy Gemayel criticized Hezbollah’s public support for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on social media this week, urging the group to stop dragging Lebanon into Tehran’s conflicts. – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
South Korea’s exports likely rose at the fastest annualised pace in more than four years in January due to surging demand for artificial intelligence chips and favourable calendar effects, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday. – Reuters
South Korea’s Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan arrived in Washington on Thursday and said he would meet U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to clarify Seoul’s position on a “delayed” Korea-U.S. trade deal, said Yonhap News Agency. – Reuters
South Korea’s top diplomat said Donald Trump’s recent threat to raise tariffs on goods from its US ally is not connected to an ongoing investigation into a high-profile data breach at e-commerce company Coupang Inc. – Bloomberg
South Korea has embarked on a foray into the regulation of AI, launching what has been billed as the most comprehensive set of laws anywhere in the world, that could prove a model for other countries, but the new legislation has already encountered pushback. – The Guardian
China
The ouster of China’s top general deals a fresh blow to leader Xi Jinping’s quest to forge a more modern fighting force capable of challenging American pre-eminence. – Wall Street Journal
China has approved purchases of Nvidia’s popular H200 artificial-intelligence chip for the first time, giving authorization to several of Nvidia’s Chinese customers, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. – Wall Street Journal
President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain met in Beijing on Thursday, setting the stage for the two countries to reset ties at a time when relations between the United States and its European allies have been shaken by disputes over security and trade. – New York Times
China executed 11 criminals from gangs based in northern Myanmar that included key members of telecom fraud groups, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday. – Reuters
China’s second-largest grid operator plans to invest 65 billion yuan ($9.4 billion) in pumped hydro stations through 2030, as the country seeks more storage capacity to balance weather-dependent renewable power. – Reuters
Chinese airlines are canceling all flights on 49 routes to Japan, a move that marks a further escalation of the high-profile economic pressure campaign over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s controversial comments on Beijing-claimed Taiwan. – Newsweek
Kurt Campbell writes: Mr. Trump’s ambiguity is strategic or merely tactical. If Mr. Trump is playing a long game in hopes of improving America’s increasingly weak military and economic hand, then his ambiguity may well prove to be a cunning strategic gambit to keep the United States ahead of its primary global competitor. If he is instead just shoring up his political position at home while appeasing China, the costs for Americans now and in the coming decades could be catastrophic. – New York Times
Jennifer Jun, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, and Victor Cha write: However, it leaves questions for the two aquaculture cages, Shen Lan 1 and Shen Lan 2, and their support vessels, which remain in place and continue to operate in the PMZ. How China manages these remaining structures will shape whether the relocation of the Atlantic Amsterdam reflects a limited response to South Korea’s most pressing concerns or the beginning of a broader effort to promote stability in the area. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
South Asia
It was the last time Mr. Habibi was seen in public. His arrest and unknown whereabouts remain at the center of tensions between the Trump administration, which has made the release of U.S. citizens held abroad a priority, and a Taliban government seeking to forge diplomatic and economic ties with the United States. – New York Times
Authorities in Pakistan have ordered enhanced screening of people entering the country for signs of infections of the deadly Nipah virus after India confirmed two cases, adding to the number of Asian countries stepping up controls. – Reuters
From her exile in India, Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina has slammed the country’s upcoming election after her party was barred from the polls, remarks that could deepen tensions ahead of the pivotal vote next month. – Associated Press
Sadanand Dhume writes: Mr. Chatterjee points out that India has more than 200 shifting tariff rates on imports. To attract more foreign investment, it needs to do a better job of rolling out a red carpet instead of red tape. “India should strive to be a predictable market,” Mr. Chatterjee says. “No matter what the U.S. is doing, the best strategy for India is to have lower and simpler tariffs.” India needs deeper economic liberalization. Still, the revival of a trade deal once deemed dead in the water is good news for both the EU and India. “The EU might be boring, but it’s predictable and trustworthy,” Ms. Mohan says. In 2026, boring is welcome. – Wall Street Journal
Michael Kugelman writes: Beijing has called for de-escalation and dialogue. The Taliban, however, may not see China as a neutral intermediary, owing to China’s deep alliance with Pakistan. As a result, greater strife between Afghanistan and Pakistan remains a distinct possibility. Such a conflict could be bloody, displace thousands of people, destabilize the broader region, and spur global terrorism. The world can’t afford to look away. – Foreign Affairs
Sumit Ganguly writes: In the wake of this agreement, the key question that lies ahead for both Brussels and New Delhi is whether they can ensure that it is not merely a statement of good intentions and lofty aspirations. Given the many uncertainties that the Trump administration has introduced into the global order, India and the EU, working in concert on shared security concerns, could restore a degree of stability—but only if they succeed in giving substance to this agreement. – Foreign Policy
Benazir Samad writes: Considering these opportunities and prospects, Pakistan’s connection with Central Asia is as much about people and shared heritage as it is about commerce and corridors. Pakistan should adopt a cultural reorientation of strategy, one that recognizes that true regional connectivity flows from people and their history and shared values, not merely from roads or borders. – Foreign Policy
Asia
Taiwan’s military on Thursday simulated repelling a Chinese assault from the sea, integrating shore-launched missiles and drones with fast patrol boats to stop an attempted invasion. – Reuters
Taiwan’s air force showcased its ability to rapidly replenish and get back in the air its most advanced F-16 fighter jets in a readiness drill on Wednesday, designed to demonstrate combat-oriented training. – Reuters
Vietnam and the European Union said on Thursday they elevated diplomatic relations, as both sides seek to expand international partnerships amid global disruptions. – Reuters
The European Union and Vietnam want to boost trade and investment in critical minerals, semiconductors and infrastructure, according to a draft joint statement seen by Reuters that is set to be adopted on Thursday as the two sides upgrade diplomatic relations. – Reuters
Foreign ministers from Southeast Asia began a meeting on Thursday to tackle key issues in the region, including tensions in the South China Sea, an escalating civil war in Myanmar and a border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. – Reuters
Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in India have prompted authorities in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia to step up airport screening in an effort to prevent the infection from spreading. – Reuters
Indonesia’s main rescue agency had its funding cut by a parliamentary panel on Wednesday as part of a plan to divert government expenditure to other programmes, despite concerns over the number of disasters the agency has to deal with. – Reuters
Australia was committed to returning a key northern port leased for 99 years to a Chinese company to Australian ownership, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday after Beijing’s envoy to Canberra warned of trade reprisals. – Reuters
The leaders of Britain and China called Thursday for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” to deepen ties between their nations at a time of growing global uncertainty. Neither publicly mentioned Donald Trump, but the American president’s challenges to the post-Cold War order was clearly on their minds. – Associated Press
Southeast Asian countries should steadfastly maintain restraint and adhere to international law as acts of aggression across Asia and “unilateral actions” elsewhere in the world threaten the rules-based global order, Manila’s top diplomat said Thursday. – Associated Press
Bryan Clark and David Byrd write: But submarines are also a massive investment that will constrain Australia’s ability to develop and field other defense capabilities. Leaders in the Australia Department of Defence (ADoD) will need to make hard choices guided by a realistic strategy to defend the country’s northern approaches from Chinese predation. By abandoning its unachievable strategy of denial and pursuing new technologies under AUKUS, the ADoD can establish sustainable Australian deterrence and defense. – Hudson Institute
Europe
Spain’s decision to give legal residency to potentially half a million undocumented immigrants shows the country is an outlier among Western democracies in treating them as an asset, rather than a threat. – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Embassy in Denmark on Tuesday removed 44 Danish flags that had been placed in planters outside the building to honor the 44 Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan, drawing outrage from the country’s veterans amid heightened tensions between Copenhagen and Washington over President Donald Trump’s dismissal of the country’s contribution to the war in Afghanistan as he threatened to take over the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland. – Washington Post
Frustrated by the inertia of European Union nations in working to address the continent’s challenges, Germany and France are pushing for a “two-speed” system that will allow Europe’s largest economies to make changes, unencumbered by the need for broader consensus. – Washington Post
The European Union will exempt gas from key suppliers including the U.S. and Qatar from extra checks under its upcoming Russian gas ban, a draft European Commission document seen by Reuters showed. – Reuters
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday he was disappointed by Europe’s decision to strike a major trade agreement with India, saying it showed Europe put trade ahead of the interests of the Ukrainian people. – Reuters
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had made good progress on tariffs, travel and small-boat migration in a meeting on Thursday that put their relationship in a “strong place”. – Reuters
Talks between the United States, Greenland and Denmark began on Wednesday, the Danish foreign ministry said, as the three parties seek to resolve a diplomatic crisis over President Donald Trump’s threats against the Arctic territory. – Reuters
Greenland’s prime minister said on Wednesday there were red lines that could not be crossed in discussions with the United States, but acknowledged that more needed to be done to boost security in the region in the face of a more aggressive Russia. – Reuters
France supports the reinforcement of the defence position in the Arctic, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. – Reuters
Switzerland will raise its value-added tax rate for a decade to boost defense spending, its government announced today. – Politico
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday rejected U.S. criticism of his government’s deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands — pointing out that key members of Donald Trump’s administration openly backed it just months ago. – Politico
Jeff Landry writes: My mission as special envoy for Greenland is straightforward: to advance American national security while opening avenues of economic opportunity, including for states like Louisiana, where I am governor. That work means advising the president on strengthening America’s presence, deepening local partnerships and aligning U.S. Arctic strategy with today’s realities. Greenland has never been peripheral to America’s security. History proves it. Strategy demands it. – New York Times
James Stavridis writes: Let’s hope the US stays the course, but I suspect the Europeans are starting to think about other options for their defense. People ask me all the time, “Who will win the war in Ukraine — the Russians or the Ukrainians?” The real winner could be the Europeans — if they band together and build a stronger pan-continental defense. Let’s hope this would be inside NATO, and alongside the US. But if necessary, I think they could go it alone. – Bloomberg
Gordon G. Chang writes: Greenland guards one of the entry points to the Arctic Ocean, not to mention the North Atlantic in general. Trump is right that American security now depends on Greenland, although he should remember there is strength in allies […] Of the eight countries with territory inside the Arctic Circle — the Arctic Five plus Finland, Iceland and Sweden — all but Russia are in that alliance. That’s a powerful combination on America’s side. With the threat of force off the table, NATO once again looks united in the Arctic. – The Hill
Luke Coffey writes: Despite occasional tensions in the transatlantic relationship, it is essential that both sides of the Atlantic continue to work together. Without a stable and secure Europe, the US economy would suffer, with knock-on effects for the global economy as well. As the Ankara summit approaches, NATO’s leaders have little time to waste. Managing differences across the Atlantic while delivering progress on security, spending and diplomacy will determine whether the alliance emerges stronger — or more divided — at a moment of growing geopolitical uncertainty. – Hudson Institute
Africa
Naval exercises held off the coast of South Africa have led to a new round of hostility between the country and the United States. The exercises, held this month, were led by China and joined by members of the BRICS group of emerging economies, including South Africa, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Two of the group’s original members, Brazil and India, did not participate. – New York Times
A Ugandan court on Wednesday released on bail a prominent rights activist whose detention was seen by campaign groups as part of a widespread crackdown on dissent ahead of the country’s general election that was held on January 15. – Reuters
Sustained gunfire and loud blasts were heard early on Thursday near Niamey International Airport in Niger, according to a Reuters witness. – Reuters
Nigerian police fired tear gas to disperse residents protesting in Lagos on Wednesday over demolition work in one of Africa’s largest floating slums that has displaced thousands of people, with one protester reportedly injured. – Reuters
The leader of a Congolese rebel coalition that includes the M23 group said a deal between Kinshasa and Washington related to critical minerals in the war-hit region was deeply flawed and unconstitutional, casting doubt on its implementation. – Reuters
The Economic Community of West African States lifted all remaining sanctions on Guinea with immediate effect, fully reintegrating the country into the regional economic bloc. – Bloomberg
Donald Booth and Areig Elhag write: Decisive U.S. leadership is essential to align regional actors, neutralize spoilers, and ensure that Sudanese civilians—not just armed factions—shape their country’s future. Success would help end one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises while denying space to extremists and U.S. rivals. Most important, taking the lead on Sudan would align the interests of America’s major Gulf partners and advance broader U.S. strategic interests across the Middle East—from undermining Iran’s increasingly brutal regime to expanding the Abraham Accords and keeping energy supplies safe from disruption by Yemen’s Houthi movement. – Washington Institute
The Americas
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the United States was not in a “state of war” with Venezuela and that the Trump administration does not “intend” to take further military action there, tempering previous threats to again use lethal force unless the interim government in Caracas grants Washington unfettered access to its oil industry and expels U.S. adversaries, including Russia, Iran and China. – Washington Post
A commercial plane carrying 15 people, including two politicians, crashed in a restive region along Colombia’s border with Venezuela on Wednesday, according to SATENA, the airline operating the flight. There were no survivors, an official said. – New York Times
The United States is handing over to Venezuela a tanker that it seized this month, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday. – Reuters
Brazil’s state-run oil firm Petrobras said on Wednesday it has expanded and renewed oil sales contracts with Indian state-owned oil refiners. – Reuters
North America
Mexican security forces were closing in on the 44-year-old Canadian—a snowboarder who once competed for Canada in the Olympics but has since landed on America’s most-wanted list for allegedly running a vast cocaine-trafficking network—said Mexican and U.S. officials familiar with the operation. – Wall Street Journal
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard agreed on Wednesday to begin formal discussions on possible reforms to the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, Greer’s office said. – Reuters
The threat to the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve is boosting economic uncertainty around the world, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said on Wednesday in his strongest comments to date on the outlook for the Fed. – Reuters
United States
A federal immigration judge on Wednesday granted U.S. asylum to a Chinese citizen who fled his homeland after gathering evidence of alleged human-rights violations against China’s Uyghur population. – Wall Street Journal
A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for taking part in what prosecutors called a failed Iran-backed murder-for-hire plot against Masih Alinejad, a prominent Iranian dissident living in the U.S., the Justice Department said. – Reuters
The federal government’s funding is set to expire on Jan. 30, 2026, and lawmakers in Washington are once again racing against the clock to avert a shutdown that could disrupt government operations and affect service members, veterans and federal workers. – Military.com
Editorial: Mr. Trump didn’t help his case to persuade Mr. Starmer with his week-long threats over Greenland and NATO. But he’s right on the need for Diego Garcia. As for the Brits, they no longer have an empire, but they remain a close U.S. ally, and the partnership has been a bulwark of global freedom for a century. The joint base is best kept in the free world’s hands. – Wall Street Journal
Joel M. Margolis writes: Regardless of whether Israeli settlements comply with international law, nothing in that legal realm can supersede the Constitutional safeguards planned for New York’s synagogues. The US government is legally barred from accepting any international obligation inconsistent with the Constitution. The current trend of unbridled antisemitism has trampled on Jewish civil rights. Some of the worst offenders are those who harass Jews at the entrances to their synagogues. A buffer zone is the bare minimum needed to keep that threat at bay. – Algemeiner
Cybersecurity
ASML has become Europe’s most valuable company thanks to its dominance in making lithography systems, huge “chip printing” machines that cost $250 million each and are indispensable to firms driving the AI boom. – Reuters
Nvidia Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. are in discussions to invest as much as $60 billion in OpenAI as part of a major new funding round, the Information reported, citing people familiar with the talks. – Bloomberg
An identity tool that underpins the digital lives of Dutch people and has partly fallen into American hands is prompting the country to reconsider its reliance on U.S. technology. – Politico
The Department of Homeland Security is actively working on 200-plus artificial intelligence use cases, a nearly 37% increase compared to July 2025, according to its latest AI inventory posted Wednesday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a driving force behind the growth. – Fedscoop
Hungarian and Romanian police have arrested four young suspects in connection with bomb threats, false emergency calls and the misuse of personal data — part of online swatting incidents that prompted repeated police deployments across the region. – The Record
Britain risks leaving itself exposed to cyberattacks and hybrid forms of warfare unless it exercises an ability to impose costs on hostile states, ministers were warned during a parliamentary hearing on national security. – The Record
Stephen Lewarne writes: AI will disrupt labor markets, but disruption isn’t synonymous with destruction. The danger isn’t that AI will eliminate work faster than society can adapt. It is that governments will intervene where they shouldn’t and neglect where they should help. In preparing for an employment shock that won’t come, Washington risks wasting billions of dollars only to slow the adaptation that makes technological change a boon for jobs. – Wall Street Journal
Shaoyu Yuan writes: For now, Washington may keep debating how serious China is about cyber espionage. But Salt Typhoon already answered the question that matters most: When basic defenses fail at scale, intent becomes irrelevant. In strategic competition in cyberspace, the advantage often goes to the side that treats security as routine maintenance — funded, audited, and enforced — not as an emergency patch after the damage is done. – War on the Rocks
Defense
The U.S. Space Force is positioning its Space Warfighter Operational Readiness Domain, or SWORD, as a cornerstone for maintaining space superiority in an increasingly contested domain. – Defense News
An American destroyer joined Philippine forces near Scarborough Shoal for a joint patrol following the recent departure of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) from the Western Pacific. – USNI News
Senior officials at the Defense Department say the Pentagon’s new cyber force generation model will help the military boot out Chinese threats from America’s critical infrastructure networks. – Defensescoop
Air Combat Command has established a team that will help develop and validate enhanced tactics, techniques and procedures for protecting U.S. military installations from small unmanned aerial systems. – Defensescoop
Arturo McFields writes: China’s military ships and spy submarines should not be welcome in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. needs to be aware of these events and proceed accordingly with those who engage in military activities with a U.S. enemy. Today, more than ever, the U.S. National Security Strategy is of paramount importance. The most powerful nation in the world needs to reassert and reinforce the Monroe Doctrine, to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere and deny competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities in the region. Now is the right time to take action. – The Hill
Jack Wilmer and Lt. Gen. Charlie Moore write: Golden Dome must be designed as an integrated digital-physical architecture in which resilience, cyber assurance, and operational advantage are engineered from inception, not added later. Its success will hinge on the system’s ability to operate confidently in a contested and deceptive environment — distinguishing anomaly from adversary, sustaining mission assurance under pressure, and shaping the battlespace rather than merely reacting to it. Done right, Golden Dome will strengthen deterrence for decades. Done poorly, we will be trying to mitigate its vulnerabilities for decades. – Defensescoop