January, 2026

• 11 January

  Poland in 2026: Gliding Economy, Grinding Politics

  

  Two things can be said about Poland at the beginning of 2026: it is doing well and doing badly at the same time. The Polish economy is growing faster than almost anywhere else in Europe, EU funds are arriving in record amounts, and defence spending is set to reach nearly …

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• 11 January

  As ceasefires unravel, Israel faces critical decisions on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria fronts – editorial

  

  Israel faces mounting challenges: a stalled ceasefire in Gaza, rising Hezbollah threats in Lebanon, and a critical security opportunity with Syria. With ceasefires unraveling on nearly every front, Israel is once again confronting the unstable reality of the Middle East. The coming weeks will decide whether the Jewish state drifts …

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• 11 January

  Israeli official asked about Starlink in Iran as Musk weighed in, sources say

  

  The inquiry surfaced as internet monitors and media reported near-total connectivity loss across Iran, renewing attention on satellite internet as a tool to bypass state shutdowns. Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, a junior minister in Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office, contacted Israeli-American venture capitalist Dovi Frances this week to ask whether Starlink …

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• 11 January

  ‘Mercenaries for foreigners’: Khamenei accuses Iranian protesters of acting on behalf of Trump

  

  The demonstrations, which began in Tehran last month, have spread to all of Iran’s 31 provinces but have yet to reach the scale of the 2022-3 unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald …

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• 11 January

  Elections in Kosovo: how to represent the diaspora?

  

  As new early elections approach, scheduled for December 28th, the debate in Kosovo regarding voting rights for the influential and large diaspora is reopening: some are proposing the introduction of reserved seats, along the lines of Croatia Kosovo’s diaspora abroad is, according to the World Bank 2024 country report, among …

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• 11 January

  Iran supreme leader signals upcoming crackdown on protesters ‘ruining their own streets’ for Trump

  Protests in Iran raged Friday night in the Islamic Republic, online videos purported to show, despite a threat from the country’s theocracy to crack down on demonstrators after shutting down the internet and cutting telephone lines off to the world. At least 65 people have been killed in the protests …

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• 11 January

  Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 9, 2026

  

  Toplines Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed that Russian forces conducted an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) strike against Lviv Oblast on the night of January 8 to 9, likely as part of the Kremlin’s reflexive control campaign that aims to deter Western support for Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported …

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• 11 January

  The Syrian army enters Ashrafieh in Aleppo after hours of fighting

  

  Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in northern Aleppo saw rapid field developments, as parts of the two areas began to be handed over to the Syrian state, according to on-the-ground information verified by Enab Baladi correspondents. Successive defections were recorded among members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its …

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• 11 January

  Iran’s political deadlock — and a way out the regime is unlikely to take

  

  On Sunday, December 28, Iran’s latest wave of unrest began not on a university campus or in a symbolic political square but in the very heart of the country’s economic sphere: the Grand Bazaar commercial center in downtown Tehran. As 2025 was drawing to a close, Iran’s currency, the rial, …

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• 11 January

  Prospects for Syria-Israel Relations

  

  Israel may believe the tense status quo is sustainable, but Washington is frustrated about the potential implications for Arab normalization, Turkish military friction, and near-term economic plans. Prospects for more normal if not formally peaceful relations between Syria and Israel were diminishing in recent months. Thus it was positive that …

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