Asia

Quiet, too quiet…. Andrew Sheves Good morning. No headlines today. I do have something exciting to announce tomorrow when I’ll be sharing full details on how to access the complete news feed as an API. That way, you’ll be able to have the stories, updates, and stability ratings piped directly into your app, website, and even spreadsheets. More tomorrow. Daily News for Curious Minds Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440! Dive into 1440, where 4 million Americans find their daily, fact-based news fix. We navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet – politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter. It’s completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight. Subscribe to 1440 today. ...

M23 reinforce hold in the DRC and al-Sharaa named interim President in Syria. Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇨🇩 Fighting between the M23 rebels and the Congolese military has intensified in the Goma region of Eastern Congo. Frustration and anger have also boiled over in the capital, Kinshasa, where embassies have been attacked by locals, blaming Europe and the US for supporting Rwanda, which is believed to be sponsoring the rebels. Regional peace talks are scheduled by DCR PresidentPresident Félix Tshisekedi is refusing to take part. [More - BBC] ...

Turkey / PKK Ceasefire Rumors and Houthis Suspend Read Sea Attacks Andrew Sheves Good morning. A brief reprieve from the Trump whirlwind… 🇹🇷 The Middle East Institute’s Gönül Tol is reporting that **a deal between the Turkish government and the PKK is planned **that would see the Kurdish group cease military operations on February 15th. In return, there would be an amnesty in Turkey and a redrafting of the constitution to provide greater recognition of the Kurds. The full post follows. ...

Gaza peace deal Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🕊️ Israel and Hamas have finally agreed to ceasefire terms to end the 15-month-long conflict. The deal, due to start Sunday, reportedly takes place in three stages. **Stage One - **Six weeks. Full ceasefire. Hostage exchange: 33 hostages (women, children, elderly, and the sick but no men) held by Hamas will be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli troops to withdraw from all populated areas in Gaza. ...

Attack in N’Djamena, US Sanctions RSF and fire spreads in Los Angeles. Plus AI workshop today Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇹🇩 Armed fighters, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, stormed Chad’s Presidential palace shortly after a visit by the Chinese Foreign Minister. Government forces thwarted the attack, leaving 18 of the 24 attackers dead, along with one member of the security forces. [More - Al Jazeera] 🇸🇩 On Monday, the US sanctioned the leaders of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, accusing the group of conducting a genocide. Both the RSF and Sudanese militaries have caused indiscriminate harm to civilians during the conflict but until now, the US has refrained from leveling sanctions on the RSF due to the group’s close support to the UAE. [More - Washington Post] ...

New Year attacks in the US and Russian gas stops flowing to Europe Andrew Sheves Good morning. It’s an abbreviated SITREP today, but there are two stories worth tracking. There were two apparent terrorist attacks in the US. In New Orleans, a driver deliberately drove into a crowd celebrating New Year, killing 15. While in Las Vegas the driver of a vehicle detonated his Cybertruck outside the Trump Tower killing himself but no others. [More - Bloomberg] ...

Pro-Assad Resistance in Syria and Russia Targeting Transnistria (Again) Andrew Sheves Good morning. It’s an abbreviated SITREP today, but there are two stories worth tracking. Despite the calm in the majority of Syria following the HTS takeover, several majority Alawite towns in Syria remain pro-Assad strongholds. An ambush on Tuesday left 14 HTS-affiliated police dead and 10 wounded as the police tried to arrest a former regime figure. Currently, this doesn’t seem to indicate the beginnings of a counter-HTS insurgency, but it is a reminder that Syria remains somewhat fractured and that many of the former-regime figures are implicated in Assad’s crimes and will do whatever they can to avoid capture. [SOURCE - BBC] ...

Shutdown looms in DC and what this means for 2025. Andrew Sheves Good morning. One big headline worth considering today. US Republicans in the House pulled a bipartisan spending bill that would have funded the government until Spring following Tweets condemning the bill from Elon Musk and opposition from President-elect Donald Trump. Current funding runs out at midnight on Friday, and the house is due to recess this weekend. [SOURCE - BBC] ...

Bulgaria and Romania Join Schengen and Turkish Diplomacy in East Africa Andrew Sheves Good morning. Two quick headlines on positive diplomatic developments. Bulgaria and Romania were accepted into the EU’s Schengen visa scheme, which allows visa-free travel around the European Union for residents or visa holders of countries that are members of the scheme. [SOURCE - BBC] Turkey brokered a deal between Somalia and Ethiopia, defusing tensions over Ethiopia’s plan to open a port in the independent Somaliland region. The deal commits both parties to talks to establish improved diplomatic and commercial ties, easing decades-long tensions between the two East African neighbors. [SOURCE - Al Jazeera] ...

French government collapse, crackdowns in Georgia and bitcoin goes to the moon Andrew Sheves Good morning. The French government collapsed after far-right and far-left parties united in a vote of no confidence, forcing out Prime Minister Michel Barnier. What happens next is unclear. Elections cannot be called until July leaving President Macron to try to establish some form of functional government within the existing Assembly, where the three main groups are riven by differences. [SOURCE and long read - Bloomberg] ...