January 19, 2026 Eurasia, Middle Orient
Syria’s Kurds on Saturday said a presidential decree recognizing the minority’s rights and making Kurdish an official language fell short of their expectations as Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of a northern town. In a statement, the Kurdish administration in Syria’s north and northeast said the decree issued by …
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January 19, 2026 Eurasia
Britain is heading for a military disaster in the next decade. That grim conclusion is difficult to avoid given the enormous gulf between the ambitions of British politicians and the threadbare, confused state of its armed forces. The year is barely a fortnight old, and already Keir Starmer’s government has …
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January 19, 2026 Eurasia, South East Asia
Brazil’s decision to allow a Chinese military hospital ship to dock in Rio de Janeiro could provide a case study of how Beijing is expanding its naval presence in the Western Hemisphere. It also demonstrates how regional powers are dealing with the pressures arising from the intensifying competition between the …
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January 19, 2026 Eurasia, Middle Orient
Since the outbreak of mass protests in Iran, Israel’s public response has been unusually muted. Cabinet ministers were instructed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from commenting on the unfolding events, while Netanyahu himself limited his remarks to a brief statement expressing support for the Iranian protesters. At …
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January 19, 2026 Eurasia, Middle Orient
In the wake of intense fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi ordered the withdrawal of his personnel from contested areas of Aleppo province. “Based on invitations from friendly countries and mediators, and in demonstration of our good faith in completing …
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January 19, 2026 Eurasia, Middle Orient
Latest Developments Syrian Troops Ready Offensive on Kurdish-Held Areas: Syrian government troops are preparing to launch an offensive against Kurdish-held towns in the north and east of the country after clashes broke out a week earlier in Aleppo. The Syrian authorities have reportedly decided on a limited operation to pressure …
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January 19, 2026 Eurasia, Middle Orient
Aleppo, Syria – Syria is teetering on the brink of a return to full-scale war, as bloodshed returned to Aleppo’s streets following the Syrian government’s offensive to seize the Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods of Achrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud from the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Fighting erupted last Tuesday and continued for …
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January 19, 2026 Africa, Eurasia, Middle Orient
Israel’s agreement with Somaliland will boost its security in the Red Sea Basin and may encourage the United States and other countries to follow suit, though political obstacles and complications abound. The surprise announcement on December 26 that Israel will be the first country to grant Somaliland full recognition has …
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January 19, 2026 Africa, Eurasia, Middle Orient
The Somali Defense Minister’s request for Saudi Arabia to replicate its South Yemeni campaign in Somaliland coupled with reports about those two’s and Egypt’s impending alliance that would thus de facto include their Eritrean ally strongly suggest that something big might soon be afoot. Reports have recently circulated about three …
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January 19, 2026 Eurasia
Doing so will bring about long-overdue historical justice, advance shared values and security interests, and promote regional stability and development. Somalian-born congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s de facto admission that she’s an undeclared foreign agent, which she made last month while ranting against the Ethiopia-Somaliland Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), catapulted Somaliland to …
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