🇸🇾⚡- BREAKING: The Syrian government has declared the entire Dayr Hafr direction, SDF-controlled Syria, a 'closed military zone'. Damascus has issued the SDF an evacuation order, to withdraw east of the Euphrates river.

The Syrian government claims the SDF have used the area as a launch pad for Iranian drones, attacking the Aleppo region.

🇦🇺⚡️- Australia's Labor Party will introduce the "Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill" by the end of the month in the Australian Parliament.

The law aims to severely punish hate speech following the Bondi terror attack. Numerous opposition MPs and public figures have called it a "threat to legitimate dissent" (MS Now article on Jan 11th).

Per The Guardian, it will be illegal to publicly promote or incite hatred, or disseminate ideas of superiority or hatred towards another person or group of people based on their race, color, or national or ethnic origin.
The Bill also includes visa cancellations alongside serious offences for hate preachers, increased penalties for hate crimes, a new "racial vilification offence", introduction of a new listing for prohibited hate groups, at a lower threshold than the terror group listing, as well as introduced provisions to establish the biggest gun buyback program since the Port Arthur massacre.

The "Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill" is largely expected to pass.

🇷🇺🇰🇿⚡- BREAKING: Two Russian tankers were struck by drones at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, CPC, terminal's single point moorings, SPM.

The first Russian tanker, DELTA HARMONY, was preparing to load Tengizchevroil's crude, while the second, MATILDA, was expected to load Karachaganak's oil.

This marks the first time Russian tankers have been targeted in the Caspian Sea, and Kazakhstan's water-spaces.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡️- "The security forces were dispatched to the Ad-Dhahiriya area following a report regarding armed suspects impersonating IDF soldiers and robbing shops in the area.

The forces are currently conducting a pursuit of the suspects.

The IDF emphasizes that these were not IDF soldiers." - Israel Defence Force Spokesperson

🇮🇷⚡- "Iranian official says that about 2,000 people killed in the protests, including security personnel, blames "terrorists" for the deaths," - Reuters.

🇮🇳🇵🇰⚡- India's Chief of Staff says he has told his Pakistani counterpart to "control the drone intrusions" that have been occurring over the last few days from Pakistan into India along the Line of Control, Kashmir region.

🇸🇾⚡- The SDF has begun destroying all bridges leading to the Dayr Hafr and Maskanah direction, northern Syria.

Both sides have begun exchanging artillery fire in the area as well.

🇸🇾 - SDF destroyed a bridge along a canal south of Dayr Hafr, northern Syria, earlier this morning. The media has been geolocated by Rerum Novarum to 35.83829, 37.84196.

The same canal has another bridge, 35.8298093, 37.7762945, the status of which is unknown.

🇺🇸🇻🇪🇷🇺⚡️- The powerful “mystery weapon” that made Venezuelan soldiers “bleed through their nose” and “vomit blood” used in Operation Absolute Resolve has been linked to a weapon purchased by HSI in 2024 for eight figures.

The device produces pulsed radio waves as well as containing Russian components. The physical impact is also linked to the conundrum known as Havana Syndrome, which garners its name from an incident in 2016 where U.S. diplomats began “reporting symptoms consistent with heao trauma, including vertigo and extreme headaches.”

It is not clear whether investigations into the 2016 incident led HSI and the Pentagon to discover the device or where they purchased it.

🇧🇫🇦🇪⚡- With UAE's reach expanding in the African continent, replacing the dwindling Russian presence, Abu Dhabi has been reached out to by yet another key Russian ally, Burkina Faso, French Think Tank Africa Intelligence reports.

Burkina Faso becomes the first of the three Western Sahel juntas to openly begin negotiations with the UAE on acquiring military equipment, including helicopters and drones.

Burkina Faso joins the Central African Republic, which late last year replaced Moscow with the Emirati State as its security guarantor, and the Libyan National Army.

🇺🇸⚡- BREAKING: The US has classified Muslim Brotherhood branches in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt as terrorist organizations.

🇰🇷⚡- "South Korea's special prosecutor on Tuesday requested the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeo on charges of masterminding an insurrection over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024," - Reuters.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- BREAKING: "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!

Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS.

HELP IS ON ITS WAY.

MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN," - President Trump.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- President Trump has cancelled all talks with Tehran, after Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi reached out. The US President announces to the Iranian protestors "help is on its way."

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "The attack is not expected to happen for several days, and Iran may respond with force. Trump will receive a briefing on the options today.

Some in the Trump administration believe that Iran is trying to delay the attack rather than pursuing diplomacy," - A US official tells the New York Times.

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡- The Israeli security cabinet to meet in less than two hours, at 7pm local time.

The topic: Iran.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "The Pentagon is offering Trump a wider range of options for striking Iran than previously reported," - A US official tells the New York Times.

🇮🇷⚡- The New York Times, citing a senior Iranian Health Ministry official, says "about 3,000 people have been killed across the country" in the ongoing protests.

🇪🇺🇬🇧🇮🇷⚡- Germany, the UK, France, Spain and Italy have summoned the Iranian ambassadors to their countries over the "violent crackdown" of the ongoing protests in Iran.

🇦🇺⚡️- In response to this law all major far right political groups including White Australia, European Australian Movement, and the White Australia Party, as well as Joel Davis's group, have disbanded in order to avoid legal action against their members.

Joel Davis remains locked in prison on shaky charges with his rights to legal council and religious observance denied to him.

🇺🇸⚡️- YouGov poll shows near majority support for abolishing ICE after the Minneapolis shooting.

In 2020 directly after George Floyd's death a near majority of Americans also supported defunding the police before public opinion zoomed back.