🇸🇾⚡- Syrian government troops are also attempting to infiltrate south of the Khalid bin al-Walid road, near al-Shaqif micro district (36.2548741, 37.1594286). The area is located just north of the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo.

🇸🇴🇪🇹🇦🇪⚡- UAE's Foreign Minister Shakhboot bin Nahyan, while in Addis Ababa, reaffirms his support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Somalia.

🇺🇸✡️⚡️- The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will subpoena Les Wexner, the longtime friend and client of Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein’s lawyer, Darren Indyke, and his accountant, Richard Kahn.

🇺🇸⚡️- Vice President JD Vance weighs in on the ICE shooting in Minneapolis:

“I want every ICE officer to know that their president, vice president, and the entire administration stands behind them.

To the radicals assaulting them, doxxing them, and threatening them: congratulations, we're going to work even harder to enforce the law.”

🇺🇸🇨🇴⚡️- “Among the things we discussed, President Trump and I, was the disagreement we had regarding his vision of the relationship between the United States and Latin America.

I said in my letter written to Trump at the beginning of his administration, and to Biden personally, that an American alliance could be established if the great annual potential for clean energy in South America were harnessed: 1400 GW, while the U.S. demand for energy that solves the issue of oil and coal is 840 GW annually; that is, Latin America can achieve 100% of the U.S. energy matrix, and that would be the biggest step in the fight to stop the climate crisis in favor of Life.

That means global peace and democracy.

Using Latin America solely for oil would lead to the destruction of international law and therefore to barbarism and a third world war.

The peace of the world would be put in true risk, and we would move to irreversible climate collapse with the extinction of life.

The clean energy potential of Latin America becomes a reality with an investment of 500 billion dollars, which the United States has at this moment.

That is my proposal. Based on Peace, Life, and Global Democracy.” - President of Colombia Gustavo Petro.

🇺🇸⚡️- Minneapolis Public Schools have closed for the rest of the week amid public safety concerns after the ICE shooting.

🇺🇸⚡️- A shooting has occurred at a Mormon Latter-day Saints church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Police say a fight started in the parking lot during a funeral before the shooting proceeded; at least eight people were shot, two people are confirmed dead, and three are in critical condition.

Police have started a manhunt for the suspects.

🇮🇷⚡️- Iranian 'protests' have increased over the past two days, with the highest total recorded on January 7 at 7,893 participants.

Despite this increase, the number of 'protesters' remains nowhere near 1% of the population.

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled prince of Iran, has called for mass protests on January 8 and 9 and has encouraged security forces to defect.

This data is recorded by visual evidence on a day to day basis, by an Iranian intel expert who's been covering Iranian protests for years.

🇱🇧🇮🇱⚡️- BREAKING: The Lebanese Army has declared south of the Litani river disarmed, stating Hezbollah is disarmed in the south.

The IDF has responded stating Hezbollah is still fully armed with weapons, operatives, and infrastructure in the south, saying the Lebanese army statements do not correspond to reality. - Israeli Channel 12 Military correspondent Nitzan Shapira.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡️- President Trump said on Wednesday evening that he expected the United States would be running Venezuela and extracting oil from its huge reserves for years, and insisted that the interim government of the country — all former loyalists to the now-imprisoned Nicolás Maduro — is “giving us everything that we feel is necessary.” - NYT.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡️- “During the wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, Mr. Trump did not give a precise time range for how long the United States would remain Venezuela’s political overlord. Would it be three months? Six months? A year? Longer?
“I would say much longer,” the president replied.”

🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇦⚡️- Vice President JD Vance will meet with his British counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, today in an effort to establish security guarantees for Ukraine.

🇺🇸🇬🇧⚡️- Yesterday evening, President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had a phone call where they discussed Operation Absolute Resolve, Ukraine, U.S. seizure of the Russian shadow tanker, and Greenland.

Starmer was said to have “challenged” Trump on the Greenland issue and affirmed his support for Denmark and Greenland. - POLITICO.

🇾🇪⚡- The first convoy of Saudi-backed Homeland Shield Forces have entered the city of Aden. The convoy consists of approximately 1,200 soldiers.

🇸🇾⚡- The Syrian government has announced a 'military operation' scheduled to start in one hour against SDF-controlled northern Aleppo city.

🇸🇾⚡️- The Syrian National Army (SNA) has zip tied two Kurdish girls who were attempting to flee the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. It is unclear why they were taken.

🇾🇪 - Current situation in Yemen:

- Purple: Saudi-backed Homeland Shield Forces have begun entering the Aden and Lahij regions. HSF forces have entered the Green City district of Aden, and the city of Lahij. Both are currently controlled by the right-wing Giants Brigades (part of the pro-Hadi coalition).

- Yellow: Pro-Saudi Yemeni National Resistance (pro-Hadi forces). Most of the areas in the southwest are controlled by the pro-Hadi forces, who have mostly defected to join the pro-Saudi side. Their control also includes the Socotra Island. The pro-Hadi forces are expected to continue to hand over all of their territory to the Saud-backed HSF.

- Green: Remnants of the Southern Transitional Council in the northern Ad Dali region. They are mostly the elite Security Belt Forces and the Storm Brigades.

- Red: Ansarullah.

— 🇵🇰🇸🇦 Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to sign $2-4 Billion deal regarding JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.

🇨🇿 | @duckdiaries

🇸🇾⚡- The Syrian government has issued 5 evacuation orders for the SDF-controlled northern Aleppo city (shown in red on the map).

The orders are given for:
- Youth Housing Development,
- Martyrs Housing and April Park, just south of al-Shaqif micro district,
- Two apartment blocks south of the Jewish Cemetery,
- Several complexes west of al-Snoubari Park,
- Saad bin Waqqas Mosque and Montana Mall.

🇸🇾⚡- BREAKING: The Syrian army has launched its military operation in northern Aleppo city. Violent clashes are taking place with the SDF.

🇸🇾⚡- Clashes are taking place at al-Shihan roundabout (36.2288, 37.1273), where the Syrian government forces have made minor advances.

Syrian government troops attempted to storm the Syriac Quarters and the Suleimaniyeh Center, south of the al-Ashrafiyeh district, but failed, leaving behind high casualties.

Contrary to reports, Syrian government troops are not inside al-Ashrafiyeh.