Tensions have reached a fever pitch in the Middle East with the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that while "diplomacy remains on the table," Washington is closely monitoring Tehran. In response, Iranian officials dismissed the U.S. naval presence as "easy targets," warning of a massive retaliation. Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem declared that the group is "not neutral" and that any strike on Iran would "set the entir

An Israeli drone strike targeted a civilian vehicle in the town of Doueir, Nabatieh district, killing two 22-year-old men: Lebanese national Samer Hattit and Egyptian national Ahmed Ramadan. According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), the vehicle was struck by three guided missiles on Monday night, causing it to burst into flames. Both victims were civilians working in local family businesses. The attack marks a fresh violation of the hostilities cessation agreement si

Final preparations are underway to reopen the Rafah Crossing this Wednesday or Thursday following a trilateral U.S.-Egyptian-Israeli agreement. European Union monitors have already arrived on the Palestinian side to manage security screenings in coordination with Palestinian Authority staff. Initially, the crossing will be limited to pedestrians only, with Israel receiving a daily "passenger list" for Shin Bet approval. The plan surprisingly allows for the departure of low-le

At least 104 political prisoners were released in Venezuela this past Sunday, according to the rights group Foro Penal. This wave of releases follows the historic U.S. military operation on January 3rd that resulted in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are currently awaiting trial in New York on drug trafficking charges. Alfredo Romero, head of Foro Penal, confirmed that the total number of freed prisoners since the U.S. intervention has reached 240

Israeli forces launched a large-scale military operation early Monday in Kafr 'Aqab and near the Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem. According to the Jerusalem Governorate, troops stormed residential buildings, forcibly evicted families, and demolished structures under the pretext of lacking permits. The operation included removing sections of the separation wall near the old "Airport Road" to facilitate the entry of dozens of military vehicles. The raid occurred durin

Baghdad has issued a formal diplomatic refusal to Moscow regarding any attempts to recruit Iraqi nationals into the Russian Armed Forces or any other foreign military groups. During a meeting between Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Saeed Muhammad Hussain Bahr al-Uloom, and Russian Ambassador Elbrus Kutrashev on Sunday, Iraq emphasized that safeguarding its youth from being dragged into international conflicts is a top national priority. Legally, the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Cou

Israeli carriers, including El Al, Israir, and Arkia, have announced that passengers may cancel flights due to the "ongoing uncertainty" as regional tensions reach a boiling point. This decision follows moves by international giants like Lufthansa to suspend flights to Tehran and limit Tel Aviv and Amman operations to daytime hours only. The disruption comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier arrives in the Middle East, signaling a significant U.S. military buildup.

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia  This photo taken with a mobile phone shows civilians leaving areas in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo city, northern Syria, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Str/Xinhua) RAQQA, Syria, Jan. (Xinhua) -- Eight years after being freed from the grip of the Islamic State (IS) group, the Syrian city of Raqqa is once again standing at a crossroads, with residents hoping that a fragile ceasefire will spare their war-weary city from another cycle

Moscow has stepped up its criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev accusing him of obstructing the peace process by delaying territorial settlements. Dmitriev labeled Zelenskyy’s recent Davos speech as a failure, claiming that Kyiv's refusal to make territorial concessions is the primary reason for the prolonged conflict. While Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the recent direct talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia, Ukra

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has confirmed a strategic agreement to reopen the Rafah Crossing, marking a significant shift in Gaza’s border dynamics. Under the new cabinet-approved plan, a European Union mission, working alongside Palestinian Authority teams, will manage day-to-day operations. Direct Israeli physical inspections will be replaced by remote monitoring and pre-approvals from Israel’s security agency, Shin Bet. The protocol establishes a two-stage p

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has issued a stark warning regarding the imminent risk of "mass violence" and ethnic conflict in Jonglei State. The commission expressed grave concern over inflammatory rhetoric from high-ranking military officials and reports of troop mobilizations, stating that these developments directly undermine the fragile peace agreement and threaten civilian lives. The UN body emphasized that President Salva Kiir and top military leader

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has released a harrowing update, confirming that at least 5,520 protesters—including 77 minors—have been killed in Iran since anti-government demonstrations erupted in late December. According to the report, authorities have detained over 41,283 individuals, while another 17,000 cases are still under investigation. This crackdown marks one of the most violent responses to internal dissent in the Islamic Republic's history. The su

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) secured significant field gains in the country's southeastern and southern regions, taking full control of the "Al-Sillak" area in the Blue Nile region and "Habila" in South Kordofan. These advances followed the repelling of a coordinated assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the SPLM-North (Al-Hilu faction) targeting strategic positions near the border with South Sudan. Military sources confirmed that the attacking forces retreated to

The United Kingdom has officially declined to sign the charter for President Donald Trump’s "Peace Council." Speaking from Davos, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that Britain would not participate in a legal treaty that includes Vladimir Putin, citing "grave concerns" about inviting the Russian leader into a peace-oriented initiative. The move marks a significant fracture between Washington and London regarding Trump’s attempt to create a rival to the UN. In a bold cou

A revealing report by Reuters has shed light on a clandestine tripartite meeting in Paris involving Syrian and Israeli officials, brokered by the U.S. According to the report, Damascus urged Israel to stop encouraging Kurdish forces to delay their integration into the Syrian state. Sources claim that Syrian officials even proposed limited military operations to reclaim SDF-held territories, allegedly meeting no Israeli objection at the time. However, Israeli Ambassador to the

President Donald Trump has reportedly upped the ante in his quest for Greenland, considering a proposal to grant $1 million to every resident of the island—a total payout of roughly $57 billion—in exchange for joining the United States. This "cash-for-sovereignty" strategy aims to bypass diplomatic hurdles by appealing directly to the island's 57,000 citizens through a potential referendum. In a significant de-escalation, Trump announced the suspension of his threatened tarif

According to a detailed Reuters report, a pivotal meeting on January 17, 2026, marked the formal end of the U.S.-SDF alliance. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack reportedly met with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, delivering a blunt message: "America’s interests now lie with Al-Sharaa, not the SDF." This shift positions President Ahmed Al-Sharaa as the preferred partner for the Trump administration. The decision follows the expiration of a one-year deadline fo

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff delivered a wave of optimism at the World Economic Forum in Davos today, declaring that the Russia-Ukraine peace process is entering its final stretch. Speaking before his departure to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin, Witkoff stated, "I think we’ve got it down to one issue. If both sides want to solve this, we’re going to get it solved." The proposed framework reportedly includes a transformative plan to establish Ukraine as a tariff-f

Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra issued a stern warning to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday, stating that the wave of arbitrary arrests against civilians in Al-Hasakah puts the newly brokered ceasefire at risk of total collapse. Abu Qasra urged the SDF to immediately halt these operations and release detainees, emphasizing that such actions undermine the 4-day deadline granted for integrating Kurdish-controlled areas into the state. Simultaneously, the

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, that the movement is ready to cooperate with mediators to locate the remains of the final Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili (24). Qassem claimed that Hamas has provided all available data but accused Israel of obstructing search efforts in areas behind the "Yellow Line," allegedly using the missing body as a pretext to delay the obligations of the October 2025 Peace Agreement. Under the U.S.-brokered deal, Hamas