Sudan PM Urges Diplomats to Return to Khartoum as Hotels Reopen

17 January 2026

Sudan's PM Kamil Idris toured several hotels in Khartoum on Jan 17, 2026

January 17, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamel Idris on Saturday called on all diplomatic missions, United Nations agencies, and international organisations to return to the capital within one week, as the government moves to reopen key hospitality infrastructure.

The prime minister issued the appeal during an inspection tour of several major hotels, including the Al Salam Rotana, Kanon Hotel, and the historic Grand Hotel, to assess their readiness to host international delegations. He was accompanied by Khartoum Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Al-Tayeb Saad Eddin.

Idris said the restoration of these facilities is a critical step in rehabilitating Khartoum’s service infrastructure and reflects the state’s commitment to restoring the capital as an administrative and economic hub. He specifically directed the management of the Grand Hotel to accelerate maintenance work, citing its historical symbolism and its popularity among international visitors.

Khartoum Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza affirmed that the state is proceeding with a program to restore tourism and service facilities, which he described as essential pillars for economic activity. He noted that current efforts are focused on upgrading infrastructure and ensuring safety and quality standards are met to accommodate future requirements.

Hamza expressed readiness to cooperate with hotel owners and private companies by streamlining administrative procedures and providing technical support for the removal of debris. He added that coordination with federal institutions is underway to provide basic services, including electricity and water, and to ensure hotels return to operation according to set timelines.

The governor stated that these efforts are part of a comprehensive vision to reconstruct Khartoum and restore its role as a national capital capable of hosting official events, international conferences, and investment activities while creating employment opportunities for citizens.

East Darfur a Vast Displacement Camp After 1,000 Days of War

14/01/2026 20:18

Women's awareness session at a shelter in Ed Daein (Photo: Ed Daein Emergency Rooms)

By Abdelmoneim Madibu for Radio Dabanga and Sudan Media Forum Joint Newsroom

After more than 40 years spent in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, Awad Adam Khair Adam never imagined that his relationship with the city where he built his life would end so brutally. The sudden outbreak of war forced him to flee his home, carrying his family on a long journey of displacement from one place to another in search of safety. From Khartoum to West Kordofan, and then to East Darfur, each stop marked a fresh loss and deeper uncertainty.

Today, Awad lives in Ed Daein alongside thousands of displaced people whom the war has driven back to square one, where nothing is certain except waiting. His story mirrors the suffering of an entire generation uprooted after decades of stability.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Awad said that after leaving his home in Khartoum, he and his family first travelled to West Kordofan, where they settled for a period on the outskirts of Babanusa, before being forced to flee once again as security conditions deteriorated.

“We finally arrived in East Darfur after hearing it was relatively safer,” he said. “But we were shocked to receive no humanitarian assistance or support from organisations, despite moving repeatedly from one area to another.”

He added that what eased their suffering was the solidarity shown by the local community in East Darfur, where displaced families were warmly received and residents shared shelter, water, and whatever limited resources they had available.

Awad noted that Ed Daein has become home to large concentrations of displaced people from various states and regions, including Sennar and Wad El Neel. He stressed that this community solidarity has been the main reason for their survival so far, in the absence of organised humanitarian intervention.

‘We lost everything‘

Mujahid Mohamed Zeidan Dalil Saleh, who worked in Khartoum for many years, also recounted the details of his forced displacement. He said the war shattered once-secure families and compelled thousands of citizens to leave their homes against their will. About a year ago, he fled from Khartoum to East Darfur under what he described as extremely harsh conditions.

Mujahid told Radio Dabanga that his family, like many others, lost everything they owned in Khartoum — homes, possessions, and sources of livelihood — without receiving any attention from official bodies or humanitarian agencies to assess their needs as displaced people.

He said daily challenges include unaffordable rents and the collapse of education and health services, stressing that this suffering extends far beyond his own family to large numbers of displaced people across East Darfur.

Emergency response efforts

In the near absence of humanitarian intervention, the Ed Daein Emergency Response Room has emerged as a vital local initiative. Yahya Abu Assal, the organisation’s programme and projects coordinator, said displaced people in East Darfur are among the most neglected, having received nowhere near the level of humanitarian support required.

He explained that, in response to the humanitarian crisis, volunteers established the Emergency Response Room in the second week after the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces — a conflict that has now entered its thousandth day, leaving unprecedented levels of displacement, refuge and suffering across Sudan.

Abu Assal told Radio Dabanga that East Darfur’s nine localities have received large numbers of displaced people, leading to the emergence of new displacement camps in addition to the state’s older camps. He said around 45,000 displaced people are currently spread across the Lagawa, Gereida, Sabreen and El Manara camps in Ed Daein alone. All of these camps were established after the war of 15 April and are experiencing extremely harsh humanitarian conditions.

“Conditions inside these camps are dire,” he said. “Communal kitchens have stopped operating, families have no sources of income, and access to food and water is severely limited amid acute water shortages and an almost complete absence of basic services.”

He added that current humanitarian interventions are minimal and entirely disproportionate to the scale of need.

Despite severe shortages, the Emergency Response Room has continued to provide assistance to the most vulnerable groups, including running communal kitchens, offering free medical treatment, and distributing food baskets and basic supplies. However, many communal kitchens have recently ceased operating due to a lack of funding. Abu Assal confirmed that the organisation continues to provide free treatment for displaced people and other vulnerable groups in hospitals.

Displacement figures

Jamal El Zein Mahmoud, Director of the Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations in East Darfur, said estimates indicate that nearly three million displaced people are currently living within the state. He added that there are eight displacement camps spread across the localities of Abu Jabra, Bahr El Arab, Buka Rinka and Assalaya, in addition to camps inside Ed Daein, the state capital.

He told Radio Dabanga that Ed Daein alone hosts eight major displacement camps, including El Neem camp, which houses around 180,000 displaced people plus 18,000 newly arrived families; El Manara camp, hosting about 3,000 families; Lagawa camp with 7,800 families; Sabreen camp with approximately 56,000 families; and Gereida camp, which hosts around 3,800 families.

Displacement camps are not limited to Ed Daein, he said, but are spread across all localities of the state, including Buka Rinka, Adila, Bahr El Arab, Assalaya, Yassin and Shai ’ria. The largest concentrations of displaced people are found in the Khazan Jadeed administrative unit of Sharia locality, where more than 900,000 displaced people are estimated to be living across El Wahda, El Nakheel and Khazan Jadeed camps, in addition to a large camp in Yassin locality and thousands sheltering in government buildings and schools.

El Zein noted that East Darfur’s population before the war was officially estimated at around 400,000. However, the latest joint assessment conducted by the Sudanese Agency for Relief in cooperation with national and international organisations and UN agencies now estimates the total population currently present in the state at around 3.6 million people.

He warned that this massive influx has placed enormous pressure on basic services, particularly health, food, and water, further worsening the humanitarian situation for displaced people living under extremely difficult conditions amid limited assistance. Only three international organisations are currently operating in the state — CARE, World Vision, and Alight — highlighting the scale of the humanitarian gap.

He also pointed to the continued flow of displaced people into East Darfur from Sennar, El Gezira and Blue Nile states via the El Raqibat crossing near South Sudan, warning that this could further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the coming period.

An urgent appeal

Abu Assal warned of the dire conditions faced by newly displaced people in shelters and camps, stressing their urgent need for food, communal kitchens, water sources, and education services. He called on humanitarian organisations and charitable actors to join forces to support these centres and camps with food supplies and funding for communal kitchens in order to meet immediate needs.

He said the Emergency Response Room currently oversees around 150 communal kitchens covering part of the humanitarian needs, but all are suffering from acute financial shortages.

Jamil Allah El Sadiq El Haj, a volunteer with the Ed Daein Emergency Response Room, said the organisation has issued an urgent appeal to support displacement camps and shelters in East Darfur amid extremely harsh conditions and life-saving needs that cannot be delayed. He said displaced people are facing severe shortages of basic necessities, as well as critical education needs, describing the situation as a matter of life or death for thousands of war-affected families.

He urged humanitarian organisations that previously supported the camps to continue and expand their assistance, particularly in communal kitchens, shelters, water provision, and essential supplies, before conditions deteriorate further. Any support provided at this stage, he said, represents a real glimmer of hope for people like Awad Khair and Mujahid Zeidan, and for thousands of displaced families struggling under extreme need.

This appeal comes amid a sharp reduction in international humanitarian funding, which has also prompted the World Food Programme to announce a cut of approximately 70 per cent in its assistance to Sudan.

The Sudan Media Forum and its member organisations publish this report, prepared by Radio Dabanga, to highlight the impact of one thousand days of war on East Darfur state. The conflict has transformed the state’s towns and villages into a vast theatre of displacement, leaving more than three million displaced people spread across eight camps, including camps within Ed Daein itself.

SJS: 14 Sudanese Journalists Murdered, 67 Press Freedom Violations in 2025

16/01/2026 21:53

The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) documented 67 violations against Sudanese media in 2025, including the killing of at least 14 journalists and media workers. This brings the total number of violations recorded since the outbreak of war to 590.

Attacks on Sudanese journalists have developed into a “systematic and organised pattern” that threatens the public’s right to information and undermines prospects for peace, the SJS says in its latest report published on Wednesday.

The syndicate names 14 journalists who were killed last year. Twelve were killed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while one journalist died after his health deteriorated as a result of torture while detained by Sudan’s Military Intelligence. Other documented violations include enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, gender-based targeting, and attacks on Sudanese journalists in exile, particularly in Egypt and Libya. 

El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, was the most dangerous area for journalists in 2025, the report says. At least four journalists were killed, and several others went missing, after the RSF captured the city in October. Among them was Taj El Seir Ahmed Suleiman, director of Sudan News Agency in El Fasher, who was murdered in his home late November. 

SJS lamented the “use of the judiciary as a tool” to silence independent media through politically motivated charges. Journalists were also targeted through hate speech, including defamation threats directed at media workers, along with institutional harassment patterns including licence withdrawals, procedural restrictions, and interference with union activities.

SJS says it has now recorded a total 595 violations against the press since the war’s outbreak. Meanwhile, Sudan continues to languish at the bottom of the annual Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, dropping from 149th in 2024 to 156th out of 180 countries in 2025.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Secures 7th Term as Opposition Rejects Results

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

4:52 PM EST, January 17, 2026

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won his seventh term with 71.65% of the vote, according to official results Saturday, in an election marred by a days-long internet shutdown and rigging claims by his youthful challenger, who rejected the outcome and called for peaceful protests.

The musician-turned-politician best known as Bobi Wine took 24.72% of the vote, the final results showed.

Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has condemned what he described as an unfair electoral process and alleged abductions of his polling agents before voting had even started in parts of the East African country. He said he rejected the “fake” results and urged Ugandans to peacefully protest until the “rightful results are announced.”

Wine said he had to escape to avoid arrest by security forces who stormed his house Friday night. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said Wine was “not under arrest” and was free to leave his house, but there was “controlled access” for others trying to go into the property to prevent people from using the premises to incite violence.

Electoral officials face questions about the failure of biometric voter identification machines on Thursday that caused delays in the start of voting in urban areas — including the capital, Kampala — that are opposition strongholds.

After the machines failed, in a blow to pro-democracy activists who have long demanded their use to curb rigging, polling officials used hard-copy registers of voters.

The failure of the machines is likely to be the basis for any legal challenges to the official result.

Wine has not said whether he would launch a legal challenge with the courts, which previously have refused opposition efforts to nullify Museveni’s victories while recommending electoral reforms.

Museveni said he agreed with the electoral commission’s plan to revert to paper records of voters after the biometric machines failed, but Wine alleged fraud, claiming that there was “massive ballot stuffing” and that his party’s polling agents were abducted to give an unfair advantage to the ruling party.

The head of the observer mission for the African Union, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, told journalists Saturday that the mission did not find “any evidence of ballot stuffing” in the polling stations the team observed. He urged electoral authorities to test biometric machines in advance to prevent the failures and delays witnessed on election day.

But some local observers were more critical, calling the failure of biometric machines a red flag. In addition, the election climate was characterised by “fear and tension among the electorate, and some people just chose not to participate in the process,” said Livingstone Sewanyana, head of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, a civic group in Kampala.

Voter turnout stood at 52%, the lowest since the country’s return in 2006 to multi-party politics.

Museveni, 81, has stayed in power over the years by rewriting the rules. The last legal obstacles to his rule – term limits and age restrictions – have been removed from the constitution, and some of Museveni’s possible rivals have been jailed or sidelined. He has not said when he will retire and has no rivals in the upper ranks of his party.

Veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, remains in prison after he faced treason charges he says are politically motivated.

Yusuf Serunkuma, an academic and columnist for the local Observer newspaper, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Wine “didn’t stand a chance” against the authoritarian Museveni, who appoints the electoral commission.

“He has quite successfully emasculated the opposition,” Serunkuma said of Museveni.

Even with Wine’s challenge, Museveni faced “one of the weakest oppositions” in recent times, in part because opposition figures are not united while the president is the undisputed leader of his party and enjoys authority over the armed forces, Serunkuma said.

To implement the internet shutdown, which remained in force from Tuesday to late Saturday, the Uganda Communications Commission directed internet service providers to suspend access over an unspecified threat to national security.

The service providers obliged, even though the directive lacked legal weight without a declaration of a state of emergency. The shutdown devastated a range of businesses, from sports betting shops to Uber drivers.

The security forces were a constant presence throughout the election campaign, and Wine said authorities followed him and harassed his supporters, using tear gas against them. He campaigned in a flak jacket and helmet due to his security fears.

Uganda has not witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence from British colonial rule six decades ago.

Guinea’s Doumbouya is Sworn in as President, Cementing Transition from Junta Chief to Elected Leader

2:18 PM EST, January 17, 2026

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya was sworn in Saturday as president of Guinea after he overwhelmingly won last year’s presidential election despite an earlier promise not to present himself as a candidate.

Doumbouya took power in a 2021 military coup and has run the country with an iron fist. In December, he won the presidential election, which was held under a new constitution that revoked a ban on military leaders running for office and extended the presidential mandate from five years to seven years. Doumbouya was accused by critics of clamping down on opposition and dissent.

On Saturday, Doumbouya took the oath of office in a brand-new 55,000-seat stadium located in the suburbs of Conakry, the capital, before an audience of African leaders and representatives of the African Union Commission and the ECOWAS Commission.

“I fully appreciate the immense responsibility that the people of Guinea have entrusted to me following the presidential election,” he said. “This mandate that has just been given to me is not a personal honor; it is a commitment to the Guinean people. A commitment to address the various governance challenges facing our country.”

Although rich in mineral resources, half of Guinea’s 15 million population is mired in poverty and experiences record levels of food insecurity, according to the World Food Program.

The Simandou iron ore project, a 75% Chinese-owned mega mining project at the world’s largest iron deposit, has been the focal point of infrastructural and economic revitalization for the junta. Production at the site began late last year after decades of delay. The authorities are banking on the project to create thousands of jobs and open investments in other sectors, including education and health.

Many supporters of the president-elect attended the ceremony. Swept up in the lively atmosphere, 28-year-old law student Rokiatou Kaba, from the Kankan Prefecture —Doumbouya’s hometown — was overjoyed.

“Guinea is fully back on the international stage. Economic takeoff is imminent, prosperity is guaranteed,” he told The Associated Press.

But not everyone was convinced. In the corner of the stadium, Hassmiou Baldé, a 26-year-old economics student, seemed lost in thought, oblivious to the atmosphere around him.

“This is all just theater,” he said. “After driving out all the real opposition, he surrounded himself with minor, unknown rivals.”

He added: “It’s a charade. A power grab.”

Guinea is one of the several West African countries that have seen a coup or coup attempt since 2020. Military officers have taken advantage of popular discontent with deteriorating security, underwhelming economies, or disputed elections to seize power.

Ayatollah Khamenei: US President Main ‘Culprit’ in Killings, Destruction During Recent Riots in Iran

Saturday, 17 January 2026 1:15 PM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran considers US President Donald Trump the main culprit for the killings and destruction in recent riots. 

Ayatollah Khamenei addressed thousands of people from different walks of life in a speech delivered on Monday morning, marking the auspicious anniversary of Eid al-Mab’ath, the day Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received the first revelation and was chosen as the Final Messenger of God.

“The US president is responsible for casualties, damages, and false accusations directed against the Iranian nation,” he stated, describing him as a criminal in this regard.

Ayatollah Khamenei also elaborated on the nature of the recent unrest, the tools used in it, and Iran’s responsibilities in confronting such plots.

What began as peaceful protests late last month gradually turned violent, as rioters rampaged through cities across the country, killing security forces and civilians and attacking public infrastructure.

Iranian officials have linked the riots and terrorist acts to the US and the Israeli regime.

The US and Israel’s Mossad have admitted their involvement on the ground, with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeting, “Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also, to every Mossad agent walking beside them.”

In a Farsi-language social media post, Mossad encouraged rioters to “Go out together into the streets. The time has come,” adding that Mossad agents are with the rioters “not only from a distance and verbally. We are with [them] in the field.”

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that in the past, when seditions of this kind occurred in the country, it was usually American media and second-tier politicians in the United States and Europe who interfered.

However, the leader said, “in the recent sedition, the distinctive feature was that the President of the United States himself intervened, made statements, encouraged the rioters, and even spoke of providing military support.”

“This clearly showed that the recent unrest was an American-instigated sedition. The Americans planned it, and based on 50 years of experience, I state decisively and explicitly that America’s goal is to devour Iran,” he reiterated.

The leader emphasized that since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, “American domination has been dismantled under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, but from the very first day, the United States has sought to restore its political and economic hegemony over Iran.”

He added that these actions are not limited to the current US administration; they reflect longstanding American policy.

“The United States cannot tolerate a country with Iran’s characteristics, capabilities, vastness, and scientific and technological progress,” the Leader noted.

“During the recent sedition, the United States portrayed those who took to the streets to set fires, burn property, cause damage, incite unrest, and carry out acts of destruction as the people of Iran,” he said, adding that this was “a grave slander against the Iranian nation, and such actions constitute a crime.”

According to the Leader, the reasons he outlined are well-documented. Therefore, both the US and the Israeli regime are guilty.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that some of the agents behind the sedition consisted of individuals who were identified, trained, and largely recruited by American and Israeli agencies.

“They had been instructed on how to spread fear, carry out destruction, and sabotage public order, and they were also given substantial financial support. These individuals had presented themselves as leaders.”

He added that Iran’s law enforcement forces played their role effectively, and a large number of these elements were detained.

“We will not lead the country toward war, but we will also not leave domestic and international criminals unpunished,” he underlined.

Iran Dismantles Terrorist Cell Behind Armed Attack in Tehran

Saturday, 17 January 2026 7:22 AM

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has successfully dismantled a terrorist team that had infiltrated the country through the western borders to cause casualties during recent riots and had carried out a criminal armed attack in Tehran.

According to the Ministry, members of this terrorist team, on the evening of January 8, conducted an armed attack against a Police Station in Tehran, using military weapons and firing more than 850 rounds with the intention of seizing the station and acquiring its armaments.

The attack resulted in the martyrdom of several members of the police force, Basij, and civilians.

During the arrest operation, the terrorists opened fire on operational forces. In the ensuing exchange, one armed terrorist was neutralized, and four others were apprehended.

In a separate announcement, the Ministry of Intelligence confirmed that one of the main organized cells responsible for widespread unrest and the loss of innocent lives in Tehran has also been dismantled.

Several members of this organized network and those involved in violence against civilians have been detained.

The terrorist gang moved through the capital’s streets and opened fire on people, leaving hundreds of people killed and injured.

On Friday, Iranian security forces said they seized 60,000 weapons bound for Tehran and dismantled a Mossad-trained terror cell that exploited recent unrest to carry out deadly attacks.

Iran’s Law Enforcement Command (FARAJA) announced that “Sixty thousand weapons were discovered with rioters in Bushehr,” adding that two terrorists were also arrested in the operation.

What began as peaceful protests late last month gradually turned violent, as rioters rampaged through cities across the country, killing security forces and civilians and attacking public infrastructure.

Iranian officials have linked the riots and terrorist acts to the US and the Israeli regime.

The US and Israel’s Mossad have admitted their involvement on the ground, with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeting, “Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also, to every Mossad agent walking beside them.”

In a Farsi-language social media post, Mossad encouraged rioters to “Go out together into the streets. The time has come,” adding that Mossad agents are with the rioters “not only from a distance and verbally. We are with [them] in the field.”

Top General Warns Enemies Waging Media War Against Iran After Riots

Saturday, 17 January 2026 2:16 PM

The photo shows people gathering next to a burning motorcycle during violent riots in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on October 8, 2022. (Photo by AFP)

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, says the Islamic Republic's adversaries try to distort realities through their media empire and cognitive warfare.

General Mousavi made the remarks on Saturday, following the foreign-backed riots that spread across Iranian cities last month.

“The enemy's media empire and cognitive warfare have influenced segments of Iranian society, particularly in the field of soft war. God willing, we will be able to move the country towards the ideals of the Islamic Revolution,” he said.

General Mousavi further underscored the importance of remaining vigilant against the deceptive tactics employed by the enemy, stressing the necessity of “clear and accurate” communication to counteract the misinformation campaign.

The top general also emphasized Iran's substantial capabilities to combat such conspiracies, particularly those orchestrated by the “criminal” United States government.

During the recent riots, Western media failed report on attacks on public and private properties, the involvement of armed groups, and foreign encouragement or support for unrest. 

The terrorist gang moved through the capital’s streets and opened fire on people, leaving hundreds of people killed and injured.

They tend to prioritize one-sided narratives that amplify pressure in Washington for military action against Iran, while downplaying widespread violence and relying heavily on figures supplied by US government-funded organizations. 

An investigation by The Grayzone editor-in-chief, Max Blumenthal and editor Wyatt Reed, revealed that major Western outlets have overlooked mounting video evidence showing severe violence carried out by groups described as “largely peaceful” protesters by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. 

The footage released by Iranian state media and other sources depicts public lynchings, attacks on mosques, arson at municipal buildings, markets, and fire stations, as well as armed men firing weapons in crowded city centers. 

Despite the evidence, the report argues that coverage in the US and Europe has predominantly focused on alleged abuses by Iranian security forces, relying on casualty figures produced by Iranian diaspora NGOs funded by the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which has long been associated with US regime-change efforts.

The unrest in Iran, which initially stemmed from currency volatility and rising inflation linked to unlawful US and European sanctions, escalated on January 8 when coordinated attacks targeted public, state, and religious sites.

Armed groups attacked shops, banks, bus stations, and mosques, killing a number of security personnel and civilians.

Authorities say evidence shows foreign-backed terrorist groups distributed weapons, deliberately targeted civilians and security forces, and acted with the direct involvement of the United States and Israel.

Trump Admits General Soleimani’s Strength Tied US Hands in Iran and Region

Saturday, 17 January 2026 10:25 AM

US President Donald Trump has admitted that the military strength of Iran’s martyred Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani had constrained Washington’s options, underscoring that the United States resorted to assassinating the anti-terror commander to pursue its objectives in the region.

“Frankly, he was a strong general. Maybe we wouldn’t have been so successful in Iran if he had been around,” Trump said during a speech at a Southern Boulevard dedication ceremony on Friday.

General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions were assassinated in a US drone strike authorized by Trump near the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s International Airport on January 3, 2020.

According to Trump, the absence of General Soleimani influenced developments across West Asia, from Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and Gaza.

The assassination of the top anti-terror commander in January 2020 marked a decisive turning point.

Following his martyrdom, in the ensuing years, groups operating under the banners of Daesh and al-Qaeda were bolstered to serve the interests of Western powers and the Israeli regime.

By the end of 2024, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — long designated as a terrorist organization — managed to seize power and overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, aided by certain regional and international actors who had long plotted Assad's fall.

General Soleimani consistently emphasized that Syria represented the “front line of resistance” against forces capable of undermining regional peace and stability.

In his view, the fall of Syria would not only devastate the Arab country itself but also open the door to far-reaching chaos across West Asia.

During recent years, the US has deepened its military, intelligence, and technological support for the Israeli regime, particularly in its ongoing genocide against Gaza and southern Lebanon.

This assistance has included advanced surveillance capabilities, weapons systems, and diplomatic backing that have shielded Israel from accountability.

In Gaza, US backing has strengthened Israel’s ability to target Hamas’s infrastructure and military capabilities. In Lebanon, a US-led diplomatic pressure has intensified on Beirut to discuss a roadmap for disarming Hezbollah, the only group that has for years resisted the Israeli occupation.

From this perspective, Trump’s remark that Soleimani was a “strong general” carries an admission: had Soleimani still been alive, the US would not have been able to wreak havoc across the region.

Iraqi Army Assumes Full Control of Ain al-Asad Airbase After Complete US Withdrawal

Saturday, 17 January 2026 9:22 PM

File photo of a member of Iraqi security forces at the Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar Province in western Iraq (Photo by Reuters)

US forces have fully withdrawn from the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, with the Iraqi army now assuming full control of the strategic facility, Iraqi officials said on Saturday.

The withdrawal came as part of an agreement reached between Washington and Baghdad in 2024 to wind down the US-led military coalition in Iraq by September 2025. Under the agreement, US forces were to depart bases where they had been stationed as part of operations claimed by Washington to be aimed at the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had previously said that the original agreement called for a full US pullout from Ain al-Asad by September 2025. The United States, however, delayed the full withdrawal, citing, what it called, developments in neighboring Syria.

Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah visited the base on Saturday to oversee the reassignment of duties and responsibilities to Iraqi military units following the withdrawal.

In a statement, the Iraqi military said Yarallah had instructed commanders to intensify coordination among units stationed at the base and to fully utilize its capabilities and strategic location.

A senior official at Iraq’s ministry of defense, speaking on condition of anonymity, was cited by The Washington Post as confirming that US forces had completely vacated the base and removed all American equipment.

There was no immediate statement from the US military regarding the withdrawal.

The handover followed earlier announcements by Iraqi military officials that the mission of the US-led coalition at Ain al-Asad had ended.

In late December, Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawi said coalition forces would withdraw from the base and transfer control to Iraqi security forces, adding that the process had been coordinated through the Joint Operations Command.

The coalition headed by the US rolled into Iraq in 2014 at the head of scores of Washington’s allies under the pretext of battling Daesh.

US-led military campaigns that followed would feature carpet bombing strikes against various Iraqi cities that attracted widespread criticism for their sheer scale and indiscriminate nature resulting in wholesale destruction of large areas.

The campaigns were also brought into question for their inefficiency that saw Daesh continuing to wreak havoc and stage bloodshed across Iraq.

The group had reared its head amid significant and drawn-out chaos throughout Iraq resulting from the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion of the Arab country that was followed by momentous rise in anti-American sentiment.

Following 2014, various US military interests, including its troops at Ain al-Assad, turned into a sustained target of repeated rocket attacks.

In early 2020, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched a retaliatory ballistic missile strike against the base following the US’s assassination of the Islamic Republic’s top anti-terror commander, General Qassem Soleimani.

The commander had played an indispensable role in helping Iraq and Syria defeat Daesh three years earlier.

US Criticizes South Africa Over Iran’s Participation in Naval Drills

By Al Mayadeen English

16 Jan 2026 15:23

The US criticized South Africa for including Iran in naval exercises off Cape Town, warning that the move undermines maritime security and strains US–South Africa relations.

The United States has sharply criticized South Africa for allowing Iran to take part in joint naval drills off the coast of Cape Town, citing concerns that Tehran’s involvement could undermine regional stability and maritime security.

The criticism comes amid conflicting reports over the Islamic Republic’s actual participation, with visual evidence suggesting Iranian officials were present despite claims of a withdrawal.

In a statement posted on X Thursday night, the US Embassy in South Africa said: "Iran’s inclusion in joint exercises, in any capacity, undermines maritime security and regional stability. South Africa can’t lecture the world on justice while cozying up to Iran."

BRICS warships gather near Cape Town

The naval drills, which ended on Friday, involved warships from BRICS nations, including Iran, Russia, and China. Vessels docked at the Simon’s Town Naval Base near Cape Town as part of the multi-day exercise.

While some media outlets, including News24, reported that South Africa had persuaded Iran to withdraw, photos posted by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) showed Iranian officials present alongside captains of participating vessels.

The developments come amid renewed tensions between South Africa and its second-largest trading partner, the United States, particularly since the return of President Donald Trump to office last year.

Trump has taken a hardline stance on Iran, vowing to impose a 25% tariff on goods from countries that "do business" with the Islamic Republic. He has also threatened military action in response to Tehran’s domestic crackdown on protests.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Presidency issued a statement Thursday expressing concern over the situation in Iran, "We call on authorities in Tehran to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace."

The US Embassy also cited confusion within the South African government, stating: "The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defense and SANDF defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises."

As of Friday, South African government officials had not responded to requests for comment. The apparent disconnect between military and civilian leadership raises questions about Pretoria’s foreign policy coherence and its ability to navigate competing geopolitical pressures.

KSA to Form Military Pact with Somalia, Egypt to Counter UAE Influence

By Al Mayadeen English

16 Jan 2026 13:46

Saudi Arabia is close to sealing a military pact with Somalia and Egypt, aiming to curb the UAE’s growing influence in the Red Sea region amid rising tensions over Somaliland, port deals, and regional security.

Saudi Arabia is finalizing a new military and security agreement with Somalia and Egypt, in a strategic move seen as an effort to limit the United Arab Emirates’ growing influence in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon to finalize the pact, which focuses on enhanced military cooperation and Red Sea security coordination. The agreement would mark Riyadh’s most direct military engagement with Somalia to date.

The development follows Somalia’s abrupt cancellation this week of its security and port agreements with the UAE, accusing Abu Dhabi of violating Somali sovereignty by using its territory to extract a Yemeni separatist leader.

The Somali news agency said the move followed strong reports and evidence of “malicious actions” that undermine Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity, and political independence.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both key members of OPEC+, have been simmering in recent months. Riyadh has reportedly urged Mogadishu to scale back its relations with Abu Dhabi, especially after it ordered Emirati forces to withdraw from Yemen as part of a broader recalibration of regional power balances.

Saudi Arabia steps up in the Horn of Africa

Though Saudi Arabia has long expressed support for Somalia’s territorial integrity and its struggle against the militant group Al-Shabaab, it has provided relatively limited material support. The emerging pact would be the first instance of Riyadh formally committing to strengthening Somalia’s military capacity.

A spokesperson for the Somali government confirmed that a deal is in progress, though details remain undisclosed. Officials from Saudi Arabia’s government and defense ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The Egyptian government also declined to issue a statement.

Meanwhile, the UAE has increased its presence across North and East Africa, backing armed factions in conflicts in Libya and Sudan, and investing heavily in strategic port infrastructure. This includes facilities in Berbera, located in the self-declared breakaway region of Somaliland, and Bosaso in Puntland.

Despite its public commitment to Somalia’s sovereignty, Abu Dhabi’s economic and security ties with Somaliland have raised tensions with Mogadishu and its allies.

Somaliland-'Israel' deal sparks regional backlash

Somalia’s break with the UAE came shortly after "Israel" officially recognized Somaliland, triggering swift condemnation from regional powers including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey.

Riyadh rallied the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), headquartered in Jeddah, to denounce the recognition as an “illegal measure.”

In its statement, the OIC warned that the move posed a "direct threat to the peace and security of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region."

In the same context, Cairo has been steadily increasing its engagement with Somalia. In 2023, Egypt signed a bilateral agreement with Mogadishu aimed at strengthening military cooperation and institutional capacity, a sign of its growing interest in maintaining stability and influence in East Africa.

The new trilateral alignment between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Somalia, if finalized, could reshape the regional balance of power and serve as a counterweight to UAE-backed ventures across the Red Sea corridor.

More Than 100 Dead in Torrential Rains and Floods Across Southern Africa

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME, MICHELLE GUMEDE and GERALD IMRAY

4:40 PM EST, January 16, 2026

NKOMAZI, South Africa (AP) — Army helicopters rescued people stranded on rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s biggest game reserves, as torrential rains and flooding in three countries in southern Africa killed more than 100 people, authorities said Friday.

The death toll across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation after weeks of heavy rains. Weather services issued warnings that more rain was on the way, possibly bringing more destructive flooding.

More than 200,000 people affected in Mozambique

Mozambique was the hardest hit, with flooding across swathes of the country’s central and southern provinces. Its Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 people had died in an unusually severe rainy season since late last year, though that count included deaths from various causes including electrocution from lightning strikes, drowning in floods, infrastructure collapse caused by the severe weather and cholera, the institute said.

More than 200,000 people have been affected in Mozambique, thousands of homes have been damaged and tens of thousands face evacuation, the World Food Program said of another crisis in a poor country with limited resources that has faced several damaging cyclones in the last few years.

In neighboring South Africa, officials said Friday the death toll from floods in two northern provinces had risen to at least 30, with rescue efforts ongoing.

Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said that 70 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in heavy rains since the beginning of the year, while infrastructure including schools, roads and bridges collapsed. Flooding has also hit the island nation of Madagascar as well as Malawi and Zambia.

The United States’ Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported or expected in at least seven southern African nations, possibly due to the presence of the La Nina weather phenomenon that can bring heavy rains to parts of southeastern Africa.

The army is deployed in South Africa

The South African army was using helicopters to pluck people to safety as they took refuge on rooftops or in trees in the northern Limpopo province. The army also had to rescue police officers and border control officers from a checkpoint on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border, it said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-stricken areas in Limpopo on Thursday and said that region had received around 400 millimeters (more than 15 inches) of rain in less than a week. He said that in one district he visited “there are 36 houses that have just been wiped away from the face of the Earth.”

Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba said more than 1,000 houses were damaged across the province, with many of them washed away entirely. “It’s so terrible,” she said.

There was also extensive damage in Mpumalanga province, where roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed. In the Nkomazi Municipality near the border with Mozambique, residents were trying to repair the damage in their flooded homes and yards — and bracing for more extreme weather after the South African Weather Service issued a red-level 10 alert for more destructive rains and floods for that part of the country, the highest warning level.

“I am still terrified that the rains will return as these were the worst rains I have seen in this area,” said Nkomazi resident Josephina Mashaba.

Tourists and staff evacuated at Kruger park

South Africa’s renowned Kruger National Park, which covers some 22,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) across Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, has been affected by severe flooding. Around 600 tourists and staff members have been evacuated from camps to high-lying areas in the park, park spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said.

He couldn’t immediately say how many people there were in the park, which has been closed to new visitors after several rivers burst their banks and flooded camps, restaurants and other areas. The national parks agency said precautions were being taken and no deaths or injuries had been reported at Kruger, but parts of the park were completely cut off by the floods.

Southern Africa has experienced a series of extreme weather events in recent years, including devastating cyclones that killed thousands across several countries and a scorching drought that caused a food crisis in parts of a region that often suffers food shortages.

The World Food Program said more than 70,000 hectares (about 173,000 acres) of crops in Mozambique, including staples such as rice and corn, have been waterlogged in the current flooding, worsening food insecurity for thousands of small-scale farmers who rely on their harvests for food.

___

Gumede reported from Johannesburg and Imray from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press writers Charles Mangwiro in Maputo, Mozambique, and Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe, contributed to this report.

Uganda’s President Leads in Tense Election Marred by Internet Shutdown and Voting Interference

2:17 PM EST, January 16, 2026

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for 40 years, had an early lead Friday in a tense presidential election marred by an internet shutdown, voting delays and opposition allegations of ballot stuffing and detentions by security forces.

Provisional results from half of the polling stations tallied so far showed Museveni with more than 70% of the vote while his main challenger Robert Kyagulanyi, the musician-turned-opposition leader best known as Bobi Wine, had 19%, according to the national electoral commission. Wine asked his supporters to “ignore fake results being announced.”

Activists protesting against the election results so far lit bonfires in the capital, Kampala, on Friday afternoon as the provisional results were being announced. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert urging its citizens to be cautious as security officers were “firing into the air to disperse gatherings”.

The 81-year-old Museveni has served the third-longest tenure of any African leader and is seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade. The aging president’s authority has become increasingly dependent on the military, which is led by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba

Wine, who is calling for political change, said he was unable to leave his house and that his polling agents in rural areas were abducted before the voting started, undermining his efforts to prevent alleged electoral offenses such as ballot stuffing.

Wine was hoping to end Museveni’s four-decade rule in an election during which the military was deployed and heavy security was posted outside Wine’s house near Kampala, the Ugandan capital, after the vote.

“He is a person of interest. He is a contestant,” police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told local broadcaster NBS, suggesting heavy security deployment around Wine’s home was for his own security.

Several people were killed and others were injured in a violent incident in central Uganda that involved supporters of two parliamentary candidates, Rusoke said. He said that more than 20 opposition supporters were arrested.

Rusoke also said police had dispersed a group of “rowdy and riotous youth” in Kawempe, an area of Kampala. Witnesses in Kawempe said they heard gunfire as police in the streets dispersed protesters disputing the victory of a rival parliamentary candidate.

The security forces were a constant presence throughout the election campaign, and Wine said authorities followed him and harassed his supporters, using tear gas against them. He campaigned in a flak jacket and helmet due to his security fears.

Wine wrote Thursday on X that a senior official in his party in charge of Uganda’s western region had been arrested. He charged that there was “massive ballot stuffing everywhere.”

Rural Uganda, especially the western part of the country, is a ruling-party stronghold, and the opposition would be disadvantaged by not having polling agents present during vote counting.

To try to improve his chances of winning, Wine had urged his supporters to “protect the vote” by having witnesses document alleged offenses at polling stations, in addition to deploying official polling agents.

Wine faced similar setbacks when he first ran for president five years ago. Museveni took 58% of the vote, while Wine got 35%, according to official results then. Wine said at the time that the election had been rigged in favor of Museveni, who has spoken disparagingly of his rival.

Threats to 'Abduct' Putin,' Greenland: Statements by Russian Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova said all issues around Greenland should be resolved within the framework of international law

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

© Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. If someone is so bold as to try to detain and imprison Russian President Vladimir Putin, they will wish they hadn’t, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news conference.

She also said all issues around Greenland should be resolved within the framework of international law.

TASS has compiled the key statements by the official representative of the Foreign Ministry.

On Lavrov's press conference

About 400 journalists have applied for a major press conference on the results of 2025 to be held by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on January 20.

Threats against Putin and Russia

Any attempts to detain and imprison Russian President Vladimir Putin "will have disastrous consequences for their initiators."

The appeals and fruitless attempts of the Council of Europe to "punish" Russia mean nothing, and are "doomed to fail."

On the situation around Greenland

The growing tension in the Arctic region is a direct consequence of the actions of NATO "as a bloc as a whole and individual member states."

All issues surrounding Greenland must be resolved within the framework of international law, "taking into account the interests of the people of this country."

Moscow agrees with Beijing's position on the "unacceptability of references to certain activities" in Greenland against China and Russia.

Attempts to ignore Russian interests in the Arctic region and the Arctic Circle "will not go unanswered and will have far-reaching consequences."

On relations with the UK

Moscow will consider the implementation of London's threat to intercept Russian vessels "as a direct violation of the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the British themselves so faithfully advocate for."

Russia calls on the UK to abandon its policy of creating international tension and return to a respectful dialogue, "realizing its responsibility for preserving the foundations of the post-war world order."

On Western policies in Ukraine

Western sponsors don't care about the fate of Ukrainian children, they only care about denigrating Russia: "The main thing is to denigrate Russia and not tarnish the so-called bright image of a fighter against evil, as [Vladimir] Zelensky and his company present themselves, actually being this evil in the flesh."

The media should ask the German government for data on the use of drones by Ukraine made from spare parts from German company Rheinmetall during the strike in the village of Khorly in the Kherson Region on New Year's Eve: "Go ask these questions of the German Foreign Ministry, their public organizations, and perhaps, by the way, the Union of Journalists of Germany. How do they feel about this information and what can they say about it?"

The steady build-up of weapons and ammunition by Western countries in Ukraine speaks to their true intentions "more eloquently than any hypocritical words about the desire for peace."

Russia will consider any foreign military contingents in Ukraine "legitimate targets," and any "multinational forces" are no exception.

On the situation in the world

Russia is concerned about the growing escalation around Cuba: "the language of blackmail and threats is simply unacceptable" in relation to this country.

Russia considers it necessary to "ensure the non-interference of external players" in the upcoming general elections in Somalia to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of the republic.

Russia does not recognize "unilateral illegitimate sanctions against sovereign states," they grossly violate international law.

On Finland's withdrawal from the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines

Russia may take retaliatory actions, including of a "military-technical nature," to Finland's withdrawal from Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines.

World Heading Toward Chaos Due to West's Actions — MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed to "the West’s destructive activities, both in its own countries and abroad, aimed at dismantling the basic principles of morality"

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

© Sofya Sandurskaya/TASS

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. The world is rapidly moving toward total chaos due to the West’s destructive efforts to eradicate fundamental values, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

"Unfortunately, the world has found itself in a situation where, under various pretexts and supposedly in the name of creating a new ethic by abandoning outdated principles and norms, it has gradually and then rapidly begun to descend into complete chaos, losing an understanding of what is good and what is bad," she said.

In this context, Zakharova noted that as a result of "the West’s destructive activities, both in its own countries and abroad, aimed at dismantling the basic principles of morality," not only children but also adults are now asking what good actually means.

The diplomat recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier signed a decree defining "the basic concept of what is truly good and what is bad." According to her, this was done largely to help adults understand how to speak with the younger generation about values in an accessible way in the areas of education, upbringing, and the formation of the information and political environment.

"This serves as a foundation for us, for adults, to work with the younger generation in clear and simple language, while relying on the existing legislative framework," Zakharova said, adding that adults themselves "should not lose sight of this reference point."

Russian Troops Liberate Five Communities in Ukraine Operation Over Week — Top Brass

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,345 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the Defense Ministry reported

© Alexey Konovalov/TASS

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated five communities in the Sumy and Zaporozhye Regions and the Donetsk People’s Republic over the week of January 10-16, including Zakotnoye and Zhovtnevoye over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"During the week, Battlegroup North units gained control of the settlement of Komarovka in the Sumy Region through well-coordinated operations. <…> Battlegroup South units liberated the settlement of Zakotnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic through decisive operations. <…> Battlegroup East units continued advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlement of Zhovtnevoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said in a statement.

During the week, "Battlegroup Dnepr units liberated the settlements of Belogorye and Novoboikovskoye in the Zaporozhye Region through decisive operations," the ministry reported.

Russia delivers one massive, six combined strikes on Ukrainian military sites over week

Russian forces delivered one massive and six combined strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises and energy facilities over the week, the ministry reported.

"On January 10-16, in response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Russian Armed Forces delivered one massive and six combined strikes, hitting enterprises of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector, energy, transport and port infrastructure used to support the Ukrainian army’s operations, fuel depots, military airfields, workshops for the production and sites for the storage and launch of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries," the ministry said.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 1,345 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,345 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week in the Sumy Region, Battlegroup North units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an air assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and a border guard detachment of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service, the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,345 personnel, four armored combat vehicles, 92 motor vehicles and 10 field artillery guns in those frontline areas over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed seven electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 23 ammunition, fuel and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 1,340 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,340 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and 16 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an air assault brigade, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, two territorial defense brigades and two National Guard brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,340 personnel, a tank, 16 armored combat vehicles, 132 motor vehicles and six field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed six electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 26 ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts over 1,140 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 1,140 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and 42 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup South units "inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault brigade, a mountain assault brigade, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade, two territorial defense brigades and two National Guard brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,140 personnel, two tanks, 42 armored combat vehicles, 105 motor vehicles and 22 artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed eight electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 18 ammunition, fuel and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 2,835 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 2,835 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks and 30 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units continue active offensive operations on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Dnepropetrovsk Region. They inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of five mechanized brigades, two jaeger brigades, an infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, an airborne brigade, two air assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade, a territorial defense brigade and five National Guard brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 2,835 personnel, three tanks, 30 armored combat vehicles, 60 motor vehicles, eight field artillery guns and two electronic warfare stations in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Center over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 1,665 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 1,665 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 30 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the past week, Battlegroup East units "inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, an air assault brigade, three assault brigades, four assault regiments of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,665 personnel, 30 armored combat vehicles, 74 motor vehicles and eight field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed four ammunition and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts 370 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 370 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and five armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup Dnepr units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of a mountain assault brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and a National Guard brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 370 personnel, a tank, five armored combat vehicles, 74 motor vehicles, seven field artillery guns, eight electronic warfare and counterbattery radar stations and 12 ammunition and materiel depots in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russian troops destroy five rocket launchers, including HIMARS system over week

Russian troops destroyed five multiple rocket launchers, including a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system over the week, the ministry reported.

"Attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed five multiple rocket launchers, including a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and a Czech-made Vampire multiple rocket launcher," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses intercept 1,138 Ukrainian UAVs, 31 smart bombs over week

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 1,138 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 31 smart bombs over the week, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down 31 guided aerial bombs, 21 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, three Neptune long-range missiles and 1,138 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 670 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 283 helicopters, 109,344 unmanned aerial vehicles, 645 surface-to-air missile systems, 27,154 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,642 multiple rocket launchers, 32,613 field artillery guns and mortars and 51,993 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Russia Capable of Persuading NATO Countries to Abandon Provocations in Baltic Region

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin emphasized that "Russia will not allow navigation in the Baltic Sea to be regulated according to NATO and the European Union's model"

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Russia has a sufficient arsenal of means to convincingly persuade NATO countries to abandon provocations in the Baltic Sea region, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said in an interview with TASS.

"Russia has a wide range of measures to effectively persuade NATO countries to refrain from provocative actions in the Baltic [Sea region]," he said. "Our arsenal includes more than just diplomatic protests. The Russian side has already been forced to demonstrate other ways to respond to attempts to stop and seize ships," the diplomat added.

"The desire of NATO countries to restrict the freedom of navigation for ships carrying Russian cargo or [cargo] registered in Russia under various pretexts is and will be met with the most decisive opposition," he stressed.

"Russia will not allow navigation in the Baltic Sea to be regulated according to NATO and the European Union's model," Barbin emphasized, adding that "they will have to comply with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea."

Russian Troops Liberating Zhovtnevoye Straighten Frontline at Orekhovo — DPR Official

Igor Kimakovsky called Orekhovo one of the largest enemy hubs in this section of the front

DONETSK, January 16. /TASS/. Russian troops, having liberated the Zhovtnevoye settlement in the Zaporozhye Region, have straightened the frontline in the direction of Orekhovo, Igor Kimakovsky, an adviser to the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), told TASS.

"Zhovtnevoye has come under our control, allowing us to straighten the frontline in the direction of Orekhovo, a settlement that is currently one of the largest enemy hubs in this section of the front," Kimakovsky said.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the liberation of Zhovtnevoye in the Zaporozhye Region. The ministry specified that during combat operations, servicemen of the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of Battlegroup East crossed the Gaichur River and liberated the Zhovtnevoye settlement in the Zaporozhye Region, breaking down the resistance of the enemy on a fortified line of defense.

"The liberation of Zhovtnevoye allowed us to strengthen the position on the western bank of the Gaichur River, enlarge a bridgehead, and create conditions for further advancement in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry reported.

Stoltenberg Does Not Rule Out Possibility of US Leaving NATO

The former secretary general believes that NATO must take measures to preserve the transatlantic alliance "regardless of whether the United States remains an active ally in NATO or not"

BERLIN, January 17. /TASS/. Former NATO Secretary General (in office from 2014 to 2024) Jens Stoltenberg did not rule out that the United States could leave NATO.

"Nothing is immutable, everything can change," he said in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine. "I cannot promise that the United States will remain in NATO," Stoltenberg said. The former secretary general believes that NATO must take measures to preserve the transatlantic alliance "regardless of whether the United States remains an active ally in NATO or not."

Regarding the situation around Greenland, Stoltenberg warned against underestimating Washington’s plans. "If the United States says it wants to take control of Greenland we must take that seriously," he said.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated the need for Greenland to join the United States. Even during his first term, he proposed purchasing Greenland, and in March 2025, he expressed confidence that it could be annexed. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejects those claims, emphasizing that the island is part of the kingdom.

Greenland is part of Denmark as an autonomous territory. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Treaty in addition to their NATO alliance obligations. Under this agreement, the US committed to defending the island from possible aggression.

MLK Day 2026: Lessons from the Past for the Struggles of Today

There must be systematic change to eradicate racism, mass poverty and imperialist war

By Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Wednesday January 14, 2026

Historical Review

January 15 represents the 97th ancestral birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was martyred on April 4, 1968, while working in solidarity with the African American sanitation workers strike in Memphis, Tennessee.

In the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. King on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel after 6:00pm on that fateful day, mass demonstrations and urban rebellions erupted in more than 125 municipalities across the United States. 

Many people within the African American community and beyond began to seriously question whether non-violent civil disobedience would remain an effective methodology to affect social change. The latest strategy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which Dr. King served as president, was to mobilize thousands of impoverished people from various nationalities to occupy Washington, D.C. to demand immediate legislative action by the U.S. Congress on jobs and income. 

The Poor People’s Campaign did occur several weeks after the murder of the SCLC leader, yet it was unable to evoke any substantial legislation aimed at eradicating poverty within the Democratic-dominated Congress under then President Lyndon B. Johnson. Just five days prior to the assassination of MLK, Johnson announced during a long and meandering address on March 31, 1968, that he would not pursue or accept the nomination for the Democratic Party that year.

It was Johnson’s failure to end the growing discontent among African Americans and other social forces over national oppression, the ongoing genocidal war against the Vietnamese people and a growing wealth gap between the wealthy and impoverished that doomed his presidency. Although the Johnson administration had shepherded the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Bills through the Congress in 1964 and 1965 respectively, the level of rising expectations among the African Americans fueled militancy and a burgeoning revolutionary fervor.

A combination of ongoing repression, the racist character of the selective service system which disproportionately drafted African Americans into the military and the discrimination prevalent within the labor market, prompted major shifts within sections of the Civil Rights Movement towards an emphasis on Black Power and the right to self-determination.

The Brutal Murders of Sammy Younge, Jr. and Vernon Dahmer, Sr.

During early January of 1966, there were two murders of civil rights activists, one in Alabama and another in Mississippi. Even though the passage of what was perceived at the time as the most monumental Civil Rights legislation since the 1870s, serious impediments to the implementation of these bills remained.

Sammy Younge, Jr. was an activist in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the state of Alabama. He lived in Tuskegee, the location of one of the most well-known Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

While organizing African Americans to register to vote, Younge had been subjected to threats and violence from the white authorities. On the same day he was murdered, Younge and his comrade, Jimmy Rogers, were threatened with serious bodily harm and death.

Later in the evening on January 3, Younge was told by a white man working at the Greyhound bus station in Tuskegee that he could not use a white only toilet. When Younge defied the white man, he was chased on to a bus seeking refuge. The bus driver told him that he must leave the vehicle. When he did, he was shot to death. Just three days after this racist murder, SNCC issued its first public statement opposing the U.S. occupation and war against the people of Vietnam. 

According to the SNCC Digital Archives:

“Younge’s murder pushed SNCC to make a public stance on the war, regardless of the political consequences. Three days after Younge’s murder, SNCC’s Executive Committee released a statement on Vietnam according to their ‘right and responsibility to dissent with United States foreign policy on any issue.’ Younge had been murdered, they wrote, ‘because United States law is not being enforced.’ Likewise in the war, the statement read, ‘Vietnamese are murdered because the United States is pursuing an aggressive policy in violation of international law.’ SNCC pointed to the hypocrisy of United States foreign policy on the basis of ‘democracy,’ while cries of protection for those working for democracy in the Black community went ignored. Younge’s murder made the connection between Vietnam and the American South clear.” (https://snccdigital.org/events/murder-of-sammy-younge-snccs-statement-on-vietnam/)

Just one week after the murder of Sammy Younge, Jr. (1944-1966), Vernon Dahmer, Sr. (1908-1966), leader of the Forrest County, Mississippi chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was murdered by the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan headed by Grand Wizard Sam Bowers. Dahmer had been active in the Civil Rights Movement for many years.

In 1962, he had invited members of SNCC to assist in his voter registration efforts in Forrest County. Dahmer was hated by the local white authorities who viewed him as a militant. 

Leading up to his murder, Dahmer and his family had received numerous death threats. They were forced to sleep in shifts for fear of a KKK attack which did occur in the early morning hours of January 10, 1966.

In another entry published by the SNCC Digital Gateway, it noted that:

“On January 9, 1966, he (Dahmer) announced on the radio that he was willing to collect poll taxes at his store in the Kelly Settlement in order to encourage voter registration. He said he was willing to pay people’s poll taxes if they could not afford the fee. The next day, Dahmer’s farm was firebombed by local Ku Klux Klan members. His wife Ellie recalls, ‘when I woke up, I heard shooting and blazes; it looked like the house was on fire… you could hear gun shots coming into the house.’ Dahmer’s home and store burned to the ground, nothing was left but ashes. Dahmer later died of smoke inhalation and severe burns. Even on his deathbed, Dahmer still encouraged his community to register to vote. Dahmer’s murder made clear the commitment and risks ordinary Black people were willing to make and take in order to improve their overall quality of life.” (https://snccdigital.org/events/vernon-dahmer-murdered/)

These two murders illustrated that despite Civil Rights legislation, the struggle for African American freedom would require far more serious efforts. Consequently, many members of SNCC, SCLC along with other organizations, began to move in a programmatic manner which challenged the underlying causes of national oppression and economic exploitation.

By June 1966, SNCC would emerge with a new leadership under Chairman Stokely Carmichael (later known as Kwame Ture), who along with Field Secretary Willie Ricks (later known as Mukasa Dada), advanced the slogan for Black Power. The cry for Black Power coincided with the proliferation of urban rebellions and resistance against the Vietnam War. 

Lessons for Contemporary Struggles

Today, after one year of the second non-consecutive term of President Donald Trump, the move toward complete fascist control of the U.S. is well underway. The current administration has openly attacked the remaining vestiges of the gains made during the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. 

Federalized National Guard units have been deployed in several major cities along with an increased presence of the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Thousands of migrants and U.S. citizens have been detained. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota have been targeted by the Trump administration under the guise of curbing “illegal immigration” and fraud within the childcare sector. Thousands of ICE agents have been sent to the twin cities resulting in arrests and injury of many people.

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, was shot to death by an ICE agent in the early morning hours of January 7. Her death was not the first carried out by ICE. Reports from activists indicate that as many as 32 people have been killed by this Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency. 

The Somalian American community in Minneapolis and St. Paul are the focus of ICE agents reinforcing the administration’s anti-immigration policy. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has been singled out for derision by the White House. Nonetheless, she continues to uphold the rights of the people of Minnesota in their struggle against the administration.

The deportations of people by the Trump administration are ostensibly designed to “Make America Great Again” (MAGA). Nonetheless, the economic situation in the U.S. is deteriorating due to the continuing mass transferal of wealth from the working class to the bourgeoisie. 

Although Trump told voters that he would end the ongoing imperialist wars in West Asia and Eastern Europe, the situation over the last year has only worsened in Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan and other geo-political regions. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela remains under siege with the bombing of the country and the kidnapping of President Nicholas Maduro and First Lady Cicilia Flores now being held at a federal detention facility in New York City.

With the deliberate reversals of the gains made from the 1950s-1970s and the escalation in imperialist aggression, it is essential that a broad-based united front against racism, fascism and imperialist war be built to ensure the survival and advancement of the masses of people in the U.S. and internationally. This year’s MLK Day must serve as a rallying point to organize, mobilize and defeat the Trump program.