BIG Wrap

(CNN) Syrian forces are hunting ISIS fugitives after dozens escaped from a prison in northeastern Syria, the interior ministry said, as the government moves to take territory from Kurdish fighters. Of the 120 who escaped, 81 have been captured, the ministry said Tuesday, adding that “intensive security efforts continue to track down the rest.” Meanwhile, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a former U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS, accused the U.S.-led coalition of failing to come to...

(New York Times) In a single post on Saturday night, United States President Trump upended months of progress on trade negotiations with an ultimatum that puts Europe on a crash course with the United States — long its close ally and suddenly one of its biggest threats. In the Truth Social post, Trump demanded a deal to buy Greenland, saying that otherwise he would slap tariffs on a group of European nations, first 10 percent...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) The Syrian government has announced a ceasefire has been agreed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that will involve the withdrawal of the latter’s forces from areas west of the Euphrates River, according to Syrian state media. Sunday’s deal will also see SDF forces integrate into the Syrian military. The agreement comes after days of fighting between the Syrian government and the SDF in northeastern Syria. The army and the SDF had been...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) The United States has urged Syrian troops to halt their advance through Kurdish-held territory in Syria’s north, amid clashes with Kurdish-led forces over strategic posts and oilfields along the Euphrates River. The rapid advance of Syrian troops on Saturday came after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to retreat east of the river, following recent fighting in Aleppo and areas east of the city over stalled plans to merge the SDF into...

(CNN) Ukraine estimates that 200,000 of its soldiers are absent without official leave (AWOL), meaning they have left their positions without permission to do so, the country’s new Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov revealed on Wednesday. Speaking in the Ukrainian Parliament ahead of the vote that confirmed him as the new defense chief, Fedorov also said some 2 million Ukrainians are “wanted” for avoiding military service. The Ukrainian military has been under strain for years as it...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) The United Nations Security Council has held an emergency meeting to discuss deadly protests in Iran amid threats by United States President Donald Trump to intervene militarily in the country. Members of the influential 15-member UN body heard from Iran’s deputy UN representative, who warned at the meeting on Thursday that Iranians did not seek a confrontation but would respond to US aggression, and accused Washington of “direct involvement in steering unrest in Iran.” US...

(CNN) Last month, Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson penned a first-person piece about her long year as “the federal government whisperer,” receiving tips from hundreds of federal workers affected by President Donald Trump’s transformation of the government. Early Wednesday morning, FBI agents arrived at Natanson’s home and executed a search warrant. One phone and two computers were seized, the Post reported. “This extraordinary, aggressive action is deeply concerning and raises profound questions and concern around the...

(New York Times) Bill and Hillary Clinton refused on Tuesday to testify in the House’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation, escalating a monthslong battle with its Republican leader, Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, who quickly said he would take steps to hold them in contempt of Congress. “Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,”...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Ugandan authorities have imposed a nationwide internet blackout days before presidential elections in which President Yoweri Museveni is expected to prolong his 40-year rule. A government regulatory body instructed mobile network operators to block public internet access starting at 6 pm (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday. Internet monitor NetBlocks later confirmed a “nation-scale disruption to internet connectivity”. The network outage has heightened concerns about repression in the run-up to the January 15 vote, in which...

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned the United States that his country is ready for war if Washington wants to “test” it, after US President Donald Trump threatened to take military action in response to Iran’s crackdown on antigovernment protests. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Monday, Araghchi said channels of communication with the US were open amid the ongoing unrest but stressed that his country was “prepared for...