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US president says 10 percent tariffs to be imposed on eight countries over opposition to US control of semi-autonomous Danish territory.

President Donald Trump has said a number of European allies will be hit with a series of increasing tariffs for opposing United States control of Greenland, as he escalates his campaign to acquire the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.

In a ‍post on ⁠Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said 10 percent tariffs would come into effect on February 1 on ​Denmark, ‌Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

He added those tariffs ‌would rise to ‌25 percent on June ⁠1 and would continue until an agreement is reached ‌for the US to buy Greenland.

There was no immediate reaction by the European countries.

Trump’s announcement came as thousands of people rallied in cities across Denmark to reject the Republican’s repeated threats to take control of Greenland.

In the capital, Copenhagen, protesters waved the flags of Denmark and Copenhagen and chanted slogans such as “Kalaallit Nunaat” – the Arctic island’s name in Greenlandic.

The protests took place hours after a bipartisan US congressional delegation in Copenhagen sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of their support.

“I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people,” said Senator Chris Coons, adding that the US has respect for Denmark and NATO “for all we’ve done together.”

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has insisted for months that the US should control Greenland. Earlier this week, he said that anything less than the Arctic island being in US hands would be “unacceptable.”

According to the latest poll published in January of last year, 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose the territory joining the US, while only 6 percent were in favour.

While Greenland and Denmark have rejected the idea of the island being “owned” by the US, efforts to get the US administration to change its stance have so far appeared to fail.

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland left a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, this week, saying that they “didn’t manage to change the American position”.

“It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters.

Jan. 16 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s push to apply artificial intelligence to defense is moving from slogans to implementation with the launch of a new collaboration platform linking policy, technology, security and talent development, organizers said.

The Defense Innovation Technology Security Association, the Korea Artificial Intelligence Association and KT said they launched the Defense AI Leaders Forum on Thursday at the Defense Convention Center and signed a three-party memorandum of understanding.

More than 150 representatives from government, industry, academia, research institutes and the military attended the event, according to organizers.

Organizers described the forum as a standing platform meant to connect policy with field needs and technology with operational demand, rather than a one-time seminar.

The forum set out five goals: helping shape defense AI policy and strategy, proposing key AI technologies and application models to enhance combat capability, building training and education systems for AI personnel, establishing a trusted defense AI system emphasizing security and safety and fostering an innovation ecosystem across the military, industry, academia and research institutes.

Co-chair Yang Yong-mo, a former chief of naval operations, said the forum is intended to boost both defense AI innovation and the country’s broader AI competitiveness by linking government, the military, industry, universities and research organizations.

Kim Seung-joo, chairman of the Korea Defense Innovation Technology Security Association, said defense AI “cannot be achieved by technology alone,” adding the association would work to connect policy and field operations and security and industry.

Kim Hyun-chul, president of the Korea Artificial Intelligence Association, said the priority is linking member companies’ AI technologies to real-world defense use cases and developing viable business models where technology meets demand.

KT Vice President Ahn Chang-yong, who heads the company’s enterprise division, said applying AI in defense requires understanding the security environment and building an ecosystem in which industry, academia, research institutes and the military work as one team. He said KT would support defense development through its AI and communications capabilities and experience in public and defense projects.

Jeon Jun-beom, director of the Defense Artificial Intelligence Planning Bureau at the Ministry of National Defense, said AI is already reshaping defense by increasing combat efficiency and speeding decision-making. He said defense AI must be “safe, responsible and trustworthy,” not only fast and powerful.

At the forum, Shim Seung-bae, head of the defense and security subcommittee under the Presidential Committee on National AI Strategy, presented what he called a defense AI action plan focused on governance reform, AI infrastructure and expanding the defense AI ecosystem. Shim said the aim is to build a smarter military that collaborates through data and AI as South Korea adapts to changes such as troop reductions and evolving battlefield conditions.

Organizers said the forum’s next test will be whether it delivers sustained outcomes such as practical application models, policy recommendations and measurable results.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

United kick off interim manager ‍Michael Carrick’s ‍second stint in charge with an impressive 2-0 derby victory.

Michael Carrick got off to a flying start as Manchester United’s interim manager with a dominant 2-0 derby win over Manchester City in the Premier League.

Taking charge of his first game since his appointment this week, Carrick immediately lifted the gloom over Old Trafford with a victory on Saturday that will likely live long in the memory of United fans.

The former United midfielder has only signed a deal until the end of the season and has 17 games to convince the club’s hierarchy to give him the job on a permanent basis after Ruben Amorim was sacked last week.

And Carrick could not have made a better first impression with a superb performance against City manager Pep Guardiola in the 198th Manchester derby.

Second half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu sealed the win that had United fans singing in full voice and drowning out their fierce cross-city rivals.

And the victory could have been even more emphatic, with United twice hitting the woodwork, forcing a string of saves from City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and having three goals ruled out for offside.

Not only did the win give United local bragging rights and boost the team’s chances of Champions League qualification, but it also delivered another blow to City’s title challenge.

United dominated the chances before and after half-time.

Harry Maguire headed against the bar inside three minutes and United saw two goals chalked off by VAR for offside before the break.

In the second half Donnarumma denied Amad Diallo, Casemiro and Mbeumo before the deadlock was finally broken in the 65th minute.

It came from another swift United attack with Bruno Fernandes leading the breakaway after a City free kick came to nothing.

Racing into the City half Fernandes slipped a pass into the run of Mbeumo and the Cameroon forward unleashed a first-time left footed shot low into the far corner, sending the home fans into raptures.

It was the least Carrick’s team deserved after a performance full of attacking intent.

Dorgu doubled the lead in the 76th, converting from close range after beating Rico Lewis to substitute Matheus Cunha’s cross.

Diallo then hit the post as United looked to press the advantage and there was still time for another substitute, Mason Mount, to find the back of the net with his first touch in the 89th, only for it to be deemed offside.

By that point, it mattered little. The day belonged to United and Carrick, who had a beaming smile on his face as he congratulated his players after the final whistle.

Up in the stands, watching on was managerial great Alex Ferguson, whose smile was as broad as anyone’s inside Old Trafford.

United defender Lisandro Martinez told Sky Sports that his side had heeded Carrick’s call to use the energy of the fans.

“We showed who we are. Today was the best moment to do it. The team, bench and staff – everyone was together,” he said.

“One important thing that Michael Carrick said is to use the energy of the [fans], and today we did it.”

Carrick praised his players and said that it was a “special” day, but added that he was not getting carried away after one game.

“I couldn’t ask for any more. The boys took everything on tactically and dealt with it emotionally,” he said. “I said yesterday it was a magic place and it certainly was today.”

City’s captain Bernardo Silva lamented his side’s “bad performance” and said that it would be hard to catch Arsenal at the top of the table.

“They deserved to win today. They had more energy and intention. It always felt like they were close to score and we were never there,” he told Sky Sports.

He added: “It is a big gap [with Arsenal], we won’t lie and say it isn’t a big gap, it is. We will fight until the end.”

Who: Senegal vs Morocco
What: Africa Cup of Nations final
Where: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco
When: Sunday, January 18, at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT, in advance of our text commentary stream.

Morocco hosts Senegal in the final of the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, ending a four-week tournament that showcased the continent’s best football.

A win in the men’s showpiece on Sunday would end a 50-year wait for the kingdom’s second Africa Cup title and bring validation of sorts for the huge spending spree. But the pressure is immense.

Senegal, the 2021 winner, is also going for its second title, but the build-up has been overshadowed by complaints about their treatment going into the final.

It’s a duel of lions, between the Atlas Lions of Morocco and Teranga Lions of Senegal.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the final of the 35th edition:

What is Senegal’s complaint against Morocco before the AFCON final?

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the local organising committee to “immediately take every corrective measure to guarantee respect for the principles of fair play, equal treatment, and security indispensable for the success of this celebration of African football”.

Senegal’s players travelled by train from Tangier to Rabat on Friday, but found what the federation said was a “clear lack of adequate security measures” upon their arrival.

FSF issued a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning in which it criticised an alleged lack of security arrangements for the team’s arrival in Rabat, problems with the team’s accommodation, issues with the training facilities, and difficulties getting a fair ticket allocation for its supporters.

“This deficiency exposed the players and technical staff to overcrowding and risks incompatible with the standards of a competition of this magnitude and the prestige of a continental final,” the federation said.

How do Morocco and Senegal shape up for the AFCON final?

It has been a tournament of few surprises, and no one will be shocked to see the two top-ranked African teams contest the final – world No 11 Morocco vs No 19 Senegal. Both are likely to climb in the FIFA rankings when the next update is issued on Monday.

Both teams have played all their six games so far in the same stadium, with Morocco buoyed by vociferous home support in the 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is also hosting the final.

For Senegal, which played every game in Tangier, it will be its first match of the tournament in another stadium, potentially a further complaint of fairness for the Teranga Lions should the final not go in their favour.

Who have been Senegal’s key players at AFCON 2025?

Senegal’s Sadio Mane has created 18 chances, the most in the tournament. The two-time African Footballer of the Year (2019, 2022) scored against Egypt in the semifinal – his 11th Africa Cup goal.

Mane led Senegal to victory in 2021 and will want to sign off with another win in what is likely his last game in the competition.

Edouard Mendy has been a rock in goal, while midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye brings a wealth of experience to the centre of the park, but the rumour is that this could also be the last AFCON for both of those players.

The pressure on Mane in attack has been eased by Iliman Ndiaye’s growing importance, as well as Paris Saint-Germain teenager Ibrahim Mbaye, who has also been an emerging talent at this tournament.

Who have been Morocco’s key players at AFCON 2025?

Forget Achraf Hakimi, the 2025 African Footballer of the Year – the undisputed star of the tournament so far has been Morocco’s No 10, Brahim Diaz, who scored in each of the team’s first five games.

If Diaz scores again in the final, he would join Ahmed Faras as Morocco’s joint-top scorer at an Africa Cup. Faras, the 1975 African Footballer of the Year, is the country’s top scorer altogether, with 36 goals.

To be fair to Hakimi, he missed the team’s first two games as he recovered from an ankle injury, going on as a substitute in the third. He has since played every game in the knockout stage and created 10 chances, the most for a Moroccan player.

When did Senegal win AFCON?

Senegal’s only AFCON title came in 2022, and Mane was the main man for the Lions of Teranga as they beat Egypt on penalties in the Cup of Nations final in Yaounde.

Having missed a penalty during normal time that night, Mane stepped up to score the decisive kick in the shootout, and Senegal – World Cup quarterfinalists in 2002 – were African champions for the first time.

In that moment, a huge weight was lifted off the shoulders of the boy from a small town on the banks of the Casamance River in southern Senegal.

There have also been plenty of lows for the two-time African footballer of the year, including the defeat in the final against Algeria in Cairo at the 2019 edition and missing the 2022 World Cup with injury.

When did Morocco win AFCON?

Much has been written about Morocco’s wait for their second AFCON crown. This edition marks the 50th anniversary of the Atlas Lions’ solitary continental title.

It is undoubtedly a huge underachievement by the north African nation, but the pressure is now greater than ever.

Morocco became only the fourth African nation to reach a World Cup quarterfinal at Qatar 2022 and went on to become the first nation from the continent to reach the semifinals.

Success did not follow at the 2023 AFCON, so – in front of their own fans – the expectation is that the wait, since that solitary title in 1976 in Ethiopia, must now come to an end.

Stat attack – Senegal

Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has conceded only twice at this edition – against Congo and Sudan – and the Teranga Lions have not let in more than one goal in a game since a 2-2 draw with Algeria in 2017. In its last 22 Africa Cup games, Senegal has kept a clean sheet in 15 of those matches.

Stat attack – Morocco

Morocco has conceded only one goal in the tournament so far – a penalty scored by Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko in the group stage.

They are also unbeaten in two years, since going out of the last AFCON in Ivory Coast in the last 16 to South Africa.

Are Morocco and Senegal going to the FIFA World Cup 2026?

Both teams have qualified for the World Cup this year. However, Senegal supporters are unsure whether they can attend the team’s first two games in the United States because of a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.

The Teranga Lions play their first match against France in New Jersey on June 16, four days before facing Norway in the same stadium. Senegal will face a playoff winner between Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq in Toronto for its final group game on June 26.

Morocco is in Group C with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland. Moroccan fans will not be affected by the travel ban.

Will Morocco host the 2028 AFCON?

Morocco will hope that it provided the best playing facilities, stadiums and infrastructure in the history of the tournament on the continent as it continues its preparations to be a 2030 World Cup co-host.

It’s likely it will get another dry run before the global showpiece as host of the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, brought forward a year from 2029 to allow the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to switch the competition to a four-year cycle that brings it in line with FIFA’s calendar.

Few countries in Africa would be able to host the event at such short notice. Morocco, which has invested heavily in football and transport infrastructure, is also hosting three Women’s Africa Cup tournaments in succession, with the third beginning March 17.

The next AFCON is due to take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Head-to-head

The nations have played each other 31 times, with Morocco winning 18 of the encounters and Senegal winning six.

A number of their encounters, including the last, have come at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) – a tournament where only players that play their club football on the continent can compete.

This, incredibly, will be their first meeting at an AFCON.

Senegal team news

Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly is out because of an accumulation of yellow cards. It’s his second suspension of the tournament after a red card in the group stage, and it will be the second final he misses through suspension after the 2019 final, which Senegal lost to Algeria. Koulibaly’s semifinal was cut short by injury, so it’s uncertain if he could have played.

Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra is also suspended because of yellow cards. He was booked in the semifinal win over Egypt for arguing.

Senegal predicted starting lineup

Mendy; Diatta, Sarr, Niakhate, Diouf; Diarra, I. Gueye, P. Gueye; Ndiaye, Jackson, Mane

Morocco team news

Azzedine Ounahi has missed the entirety of the competition with a calf injury, and the midfielder is expected to be absent once again for the final.

Romain Saiss picked up a muscle injury in Morocco’s opening match against Comoros and remains absent.

Morocco’s predicted starting lineup

Bono; Hakimi, Aguerd, Masina, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui; Diaz, El Khannouss, Saibari, Ezzalzouli; El Kaabi

Novak Djokovic ready to turn back clock at Australian Open despite falling behind Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Novak Djokovic can still crack a joke when discussing the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry that for two years has prevented him from becoming the most decorated tennis player ever.

“I lost three out of four Slams against either Sinner or Alcaraz in 2025,” he said in reference to the rivalry dubbed “Sincaraz” as he spoke on Saturday, on the eve of the Australian Open.

“We don’t need to praise them too much,” he added, smiling. “They have been praised enough! We know how good they are, and they absolutely deserve to be where they are. They are the dominant forces of the men’s tennis at the moment.”

Djokovic is starting a third season in pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam singles title, and has refined his approach for the Australian Open.

He withdrew from his only scheduled tuneup tournament, knowing he is lacking “a little bit of juice in my legs” to compete with two young stars at the end of the majors and that he has to stay as pain-free as possible.

Djokovic worked out how to beat Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the established rivals, before he turned it into the Big Three and then surpassed them both.

A winner of 24 major championships – a record for the Open era and tied with Margaret Court for the most in the history of tennis – the 38-year-old Djokovic is doing everything to keep himself “in the mix”.

Djokovic last won a major title at the 2023 US Open. Sinner and Alcaraz have split the eight since then. Sinner has won the last two Australian titles, and Alcaraz is in Australia, determined to add the title at Melbourne Park to complete a career Grand Slam.

Despite being hampered by injuries, Djokovic reached the semifinals at all four majors last year. A torn hamstring forced him to quit his Australian Open semifinal after ousting Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

By reminding himself that “24 is also not a bad number,” Djokovic said he is taking the “now-or-never type of mentality” out of his every appearance at a major, because it is not allowing him to excel at his best.

“Sinner and Alcaraz are playing on a different level right now from everybody else. That’s a fact,” Djokovic said, “but that doesn’t mean that nobody else has a chance.

“So I like my chances always, in any tournament, particularly here.”

The 10-time Australian Open champion starts Monday in a night match on Rod Laver Arena against No 71-ranked Pedro Martinez of Spain. Seeded fourth, he is in the same half of the draw as top-ranked Alcaraz. That means they can only meet in the semifinals here.

Djokovic has not played an official tournament since November.

“Obviously took more time to rebuild my body, because I understand that in the last couple of years, that’s what changed the most for me – takes more time to rebuild, and it also takes more time to reset or recover,” he said. “I had a little setback that prevented me to compete at Adelaide tournament … but it’s been going on very well so far here.”

He said there’s “something here and there” every day in terms of aches and pains, “but generally I feel good and look forward to competing.”

Djokovic cut ties earlier this month with the Professional Tennis Players Association, a group he co-founded, saying “my values and approach are no longer aligned with the current direction of the organisation.”

Djokovic and Canadian player Vasek Pospisil launched the PTPA in 2020, aiming to offer representation for players who are independent contractors in a largely individual sport.

“It was a tough call for me to exit the PTPA, but I had to do that, because I felt like my name was … overused,” he said.

“I felt like people, whenever they think about PTPA, they think it’s my organisation, which is a wrong idea from the very beginning.”

He said he is still supporting the concept.

“I am still wishing them all the best, because I think that there is room and there is a need for a 100% players-only representation organisation existing in our ecosystem,” he added.

Opposition ‍leader claims escaping police and army raid as Museveni, 81, looks set to win the presidential election.

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he escaped a police and army raid on his house as veteran incumbent Yoweri Museveni looks set to secure an overwhelming victory in the presidential election.

“I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them,” Bobi Wine, a former pop star whose real name is ​Robert Kyagulanyi, wrote in a post on X on Saturday.

“Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest. I know that these criminals are looking for me everywhere, and I am trying my best to keep safe.”

Bobi Wine on Friday said security forces had placed him under house arrest. His party later wrote on X that he had been “forcibly taken” from his residence by an army helicopter. The military rejected the allegation.

Bobi Wine, the country’s top opposition figure, had challenged longtime President Museveni in an election campaign that the United Nations said was marred by “widespread repression and intimidation”.

Museveni, 81, looked set to be declared the winner and extend his 40-year rule, in an election marred by reports of at least 10 deaths and intimidation of the opposition and civil society.

What does it say about global diplomacy that, in the same month when the West patted itself on the back for a ceasefire in Gaza, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank endured the highest number of settler attacks ever recorded?

In keeping with the past two years, the international community is condemning violence in principle, while granting Israel total impunity in practice. A response that is timid, hollow and all too predictable.

In October 2025, the United Nations documented more than 260 settler attacks in the West Bank, resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage. Vehicles were torched, Palestinian agricultural workers assaulted, and olive trees burned, at the height of the harvest season. The violence is relentless, and the world’s timid response rings hollow.

But this is hardly unprecedented. Since October 2023, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed more than 1,040 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 229 children, according to the UN. Violence is unfolding alongside mass displacement. In early 2025, an estimated 40,000 people were forcibly displaced by the Israeli army’s “Iron Wall” Operation in the northern West Bank, the largest single displacement in the West Bank since 1967.

It was then that I managed to enter the occupied West Bank, along with fellow British MP Andrew George and a staff member of our host, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians. On one of our trips, we travelled from Jerusalem to the northern town of Tulkarem; it was a drive that should have taken roughly 50 minutes, but it stretched to more than three hours. Israeli checkpoints along the way made it impossible to guarantee passage, and we were forced to take an unconventional route.

When we arrived in Tulkarem, we met with youth leaders who described how Israeli bulldozers destroyed their roads and infrastructure. Everywhere we drove, we saw roads clearly damaged, some partially repaired, and others still piles of rubble. Since January 2025, as part of “Iron Wall”, the Israeli army has forcibly expelled the residents of two refugee camps in the area, Tulkarem and Nur Shams.

We visited a six-bedroom property housing about 50 refugees displaced from the refugee camps. The house had been repeatedly raided by Israeli authorities, and the bullet-riddled wall bore testimony to their visits. A 17-year-old refugee living in the house showed us wounds from a military dog, recounting how Israeli forces had thrown him into a ditch and set the dog on him. He complained he couldn’t even watch TV any more, pointing to the smashed television. The horrifying and the mundane all in one sentence.

Given the UN’s log of settler attacks in October, it is evident the situation has grown even more acute since my visit to the West Bank in April. Violence continues unchecked, and our government is taking no robust action to stop it.

Critics will argue that I’m conflating Israeli army violence with settler violence. The truth is that the two are inseparable. I saw this everywhere I went. From the rolling hills of Masafer Yatta to the bustling streets of Jerusalem, settlers swaggered around with their rifles, taunting and intimidating Palestinians, all under the watchful eye of Israeli soldiers.

In one particularly intense moment, Israeli soldiers stood literally shoulder-to-shoulder with settlers. Both armed, both wearing camouflaged armoured vests with the Israeli flag adorned on them. A visual manifestation of how blurred these lines are.

My mind returned to these countless anecdotes last month, when I read about the extent of Israel’s impunity, which was laid bare in Jenin, with the extrajudicial executions of two Palestinians, al-Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Youssef Asasa, 37. Despite the depravity of this act, not to mention the clear violations of international law, the UK government, once again, offered only hollow words of “concern”, sending the implicit message that Israel can continue to kill Palestinians without consequences.

Of course, these individual acts of violence do not occur in isolation; they are part of a larger plan. In August 2025, Israel approved the illegal E1 settlement expansion, authorising more than 3,000 new settlement units to be built. For decades, the international community has recognised the E1 as a red line, because construction there would divide the West Bank, obstructing the connection between Ramallah, occupied East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. But again, the UK government responded with nothing more than empty words.

Herein lies the paradox. We are told that the UK garners supposed “influence”, but only on the condition that we promise never to exercise it. What results is a dystopian pantomime, a circus of excuses. If we do not use our influence to stop the most despicable acts of violence against the Palestinian people, then what is it all for?

And let’s be absolutely clear: When it comes to Palestinians, there is a brazen disregard for the most fundamental human right, the right to life. We are witnessing livelihoods being destroyed. Forced displacement. Illegal settlement expansion. Extrajudicial killings. International law is clear: Collective punishment, settlement construction on occupied land, and extrajudicial killings are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. The entire occupation is illegal, as laid out by the International Court of Justice. So, where, exactly, is our government’s red line?

The UK government no doubt wants the world to move on. Mired by its complicity in the Gaza genocide, it surely views the “ceasefire” as an opportunity to deflect calls for action. Instead of weak statements of “concern”, the UK government should be pursuing a full suspension of arms sales to Israel, laying sanctions on Israeli ministers for their role in supporting an illegal occupation, supporting domestic and international accountability mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court, and pushing for prosecutions of British citizens serving in the Israeli army.

Whether they live in Gaza, the West Bank or Israel, Palestinian lives are not expendable. I have seen the suffering, injuries, and displacement with my own eyes in Tulkarem, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Masafer Yatta. I saw an apartheid system that punishes and terrorises Palestinians daily. Justice demands more than words. It demands action. And it demands it now!

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

The Syrian military says it is advancing to secure territories formerly controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo governorate.

On Saturday, government troops entered Deir Hafer, approximately 50km (30 miles) east of Aleppo city, following the SDF’s announcement of a planned withdrawal from their strongholds beginning early in the morning.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi (also known as Mazloum Kobani) announced via X on Friday that the group would pull back from contact lines east of Aleppo at 7am local time (04:00 GMT) on Saturday and relocate its forces to areas east of the Euphrates River, responding to requests from allied nations and mediators.

Syria’s Ministry of Defence expressed support for the SDF’s withdrawal decision, stating it would monitor the complete implementation, including the removal of fighters and equipment, before deploying Syrian military forces to assert state authority in the vacated regions.

Previously, Syrian military officials reported they had initiated shelling operations against bases belonging to a militia affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and against former regime elements allied with the SDF in Deir Hafer.

The United States, which aims to establish lasting peace in Syria to enhance broader Middle East stability and prevent ISIL (ISIS) resurgence, has encouraged both parties to avoid confrontation and resume negotiations, according to Syrian officials and diplomatic sources.

Both sides participated in extensive talks throughout last year, working towards integrating Kurdish-administered military and civilian institutions into Syrian state structures by the end of 2025, with both repeatedly emphasising their preference for diplomatic solutions.

Army says its forces are working to remove mines and other war remnants as they continue advancement.

Torrential rains have devastated communities from Mozambique to South Africa, displacing hundreds of thousands.

Torrential rains have killed more than 100 people across Southern Africa, forcing mass evacuations and rescue operations as authorities warn that more destructive weather may still be to come.

Weeks of heavy rainfall have battered South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, overwhelming rivers and infrastructure and leaving entire communities cut off. Weather services across the region have issued further alerts, raising fears of additional flooding.

In South Africa, officials said on Friday that flooding in the northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga had killed at least 30 people.

Army helicopters have been deployed to rescue residents trapped on rooftops and in trees as swollen rivers swept through towns and villages. Security personnel were also evacuated from a border checkpoint with Zimbabwe after floodwaters surrounded the area.

President Cyril Ramaphosa toured affected parts of Limpopo on Thursday, saying the province had received about 400mm (16 inches) of rain in less than a week. In one district, he said, “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 homes had been damaged across the province. “It’s so terrible,” she said.

Hundreds of thousands displaced

In neighbouring Zimbabwe, the government’s disaster management agency reported at least 70 deaths since the start of the year, with more than 1,000 homes destroyed, and schools, roads and bridges collapsing under the force of the floods.

Mozambique has been the hardest hit. Its disaster management authorities said 103 people had died during an unusually severe rainy season since late last year. The figure includes deaths caused by flooding, lightning strikes, infrastructure collapse and a cholera outbreak linked to contaminated water supplies.

More than 200,000 people have been affected nationwide, with thousands of homes damaged and tens of thousands facing evacuation, according to the World Food Programme. The agency warned that flooding has submerged more than 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of crops, deepening food shortages for small-scale farmers in a country already struggling with poverty and repeated cyclones.

The United States Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported or expected in at least seven Southern African countries, possibly linked to the La Nina phenomenon, which often brings heavier rainfall to the region.

South Africa’s Kruger National Park has also been hit, with about 600 tourists and staff evacuated from flood-affected camps. Park authorities said no deaths or injuries had been reported, but large areas remain inaccessible after rivers burst their banks.

Southern Africa has endured a series of extreme weather events in recent years, from deadly cyclones to severe droughts, exposing the region’s vulnerability to climate-driven disasters and fragile infrastructure.

Jan. 16 (UPI) — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a challenge to geofence warrants filed by a man who was convicted of robbing a bank in 2019.

Okello Chatrie was convicted of robbing $195,000 from a Virginia bank on May 20, 2019, after investigators used location-tracking data from Google to identify him.

Google provided a geofence that records and stores location data within a certain radius of the bank that Chatrie robbed at gunpoint.

A detective obtained three warrants for related geofence data, which Google provided after receiving the respective warrants.

The geofence data tracked the movements of the cellphone carried by Chatrie when he robbed the bank and afterward and recorded the respective longitudes and latitudes of the phone’s location at different times.

Chatrie challenged the use of the geofence data in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, saying it violated his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure and violated his reasonable expectation of privacy.

The location data was a key piece of evidence against him, but Chatrie said he did not voluntarily provide the information to investigators, and they had no probable cause to seek a warrant for the geofence data.

The Fourth Circuit in April ruled against Chatrie, saying he voluntarily provided the location data to Google, which in turn provided it to law enforcement when presented with warrants to do so.

An earlier ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a separate case reached an opposite conclusion, saying geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment, but the evidence presented is still valid because law enforcement in that case acted in good faith.

While both appellate court rulings ultimately reach the same conclusion that the evidence is valid in the respective cases, the matter of whether or not geofence warrants are constitutional remains to be decided.

The Supreme Court justices agreed to render a decision during the current session that ends in the fall.

Critics, including human rights workers and opposition groups, say the election is neither free nor fair.

Myanmar’s military-backed political party has extended its lead after the second round of voting, according to official figures from the country’s election body, and the country now heads into the final phase of its three-stage general election amid widespread conflict.

The latest data published on Friday indicates that the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is on track to win 182 seats from the combined first and second phases of voting, more than half of the seats in the country’s 330-member lower house.

According to figures reported by state broadcaster MRTV, citing the Union Election Commission, the USDP won a whopping 86 of 100 seats up for grabs in the second phase of voting held on Sunday. The third and final round of voting is scheduled for January 25.

Critics, including human rights and opposition groups, say the polls are neither free nor fair and are an effort by the military to legitimise its rule after seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

The military takeover triggered widespread opposition that has grown into a civil war.

The election is being held in three phases due to armed conflicts in the country.

The first and second rounds took place in 202 of the country’s total 330 townships on December 28 and January 11. The final round will take place in more townships, but 65 others are not participating because of fighting in those areas.

Final results for all seats in both national and regional legislatures are expected to be announced by late January.

Major-General Zaw Min Tun, the military’s spokesperson, said last weekend that the two houses of parliament will be convened in March, with a new government taking up its duties in April.

During the first two rounds of voting, armed groups opposing the army carried out attacks against polling stations and government buildings in many townships, the military government said.

The election also comes as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently holding hearings in a case brought by The Gambia, accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against its Rohingya community.

While more than 4,800 candidates from 57 political parties are competing for seats in national and regional legislatures, only six parties are contesting seats nationwide.

One of them, the People’s Pioneer Party, is facing a pending legal case that could result in its dissolution after its chairwoman, Thet Thet Khine, and another senior party member were scrutinised by authorities for holding a meeting with representatives of a foreign embassy in Yangon, the country’s largest city, without prior approval from the election commission.

A new Election Protection Law imposes harsh penalties for most public criticism of the polls, with the authorities charging more than 330 people recently for leafleting or online activity.

Jan. 16 (Asia Today) — A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday after finding him guilty of charges including obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant, in the first ruling among eight criminal cases he faces.

Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 35, presided over by Judge Baek Dae-hyun, handed down the first-instance sentence at a hearing that began at 2 p.m., according to the court.

In its ruling, the court said a declaration of martial law infringes on citizens’ fundamental rights and should be used only in exceptional circumstances. The court said Yoon violated the Constitution by notifying only selected State Council members tied to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, infringing on the deliberation rights of members who were not informed.

The court said Yoon, as president, had a duty to uphold the Constitution and legal order but disregarded procedures meant to prevent presidential autocracy. It also said he obstructed the lawful execution of warrants, effectively turning the Presidential Security Service into a private army for his personal safety and private interests.

The court called the obstruction a serious crime that undermines lawful public authority and the national legal order, saying a severe punishment was needed to restore the rule of law.

Yoon was indicted and detained last January on allegations he mobilized Presidential Security Service personnel to block execution of an arrest warrant issued by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. He also faces allegations tied to convening only some cabinet members when declaring martial law.

The court also addressed whether investigators could probe a sitting president. It said the Criminal Procedure Act’s provision on presidential immunity from criminal prosecution, except for insurrection or treason, does not restrict investigations. The court said the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials could investigate Yoon, who was president at the time, for abuse of authority and obstruction of rights.

The court further ruled the execution of the arrest warrant by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission was lawful, saying the arrest of a president under investigation as an alleged leader of an insurrection could proceed even without the consent of the head of the Presidential Security Service, despite the residence being a site requiring military secrecy.

Yoon’s defense team said it would appeal, arguing the verdict should be reviewed and warning that, if the ruling’s logic stands, future presidents could be unable to make decisions during crises.

The sentencing was broadcast live after the court approved broadcasters’ requests for live coverage. It was the third time a former president’s trial has been aired live, following the cases of former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 16 (Asia Today) — Firefighters contained a blaze in Guryong Village in Seoul’s Gangnam district on Friday and were extinguishing remaining hot spots as investigators began examining the cause, officials said.

No casualties were reported, authorities said.

Jeong Kwang-hoon, head of the fire administration division at Seoul’s Gangnam Fire Station, told reporters at the scene that the response level was lowered to Level 1 after the initial firefighting phase was completed.

The fire started around 5 a.m. Friday. Authorities issued a Level 1 response at about 5:10 a.m. and raised it to Level 2 at about 8:49 a.m., then contained the main flames at about 11:34 a.m. and downgraded the response to Level 1.

Officials said 1,258 personnel were mobilized, including 343 firefighters, 320 district office workers and 560 police officers. They deployed 106 pieces of equipment, including pump trucks, water tankers and rescue vehicles.

The fire spread from District 4 to District 6 of the settlement, authorities said. Firefighters set defensive lines in Districts 3 and 5 to prevent further spread.

Jeong said narrow access roads made it difficult for fire trucks to enter at once and that many homes used combustible materials such as cotton batting, vinyl and styrofoam, complicating suppression efforts.

Officials said 258 residents were evacuated. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and other agencies set up a temporary shelter at Guryong Middle School and arranged accommodations at nearby lodging facilities.

Fire authorities said they plan to identify the ignition point and determine the specific cause.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 16 (UPI) — Attorneys for alleged Charlie Kirk murderer Tyler Robinson on Friday argued that a prosecutor should be removed from the case due to a claimed conflict of interest.

Robinson, 22, and his legal team were in the Fourth Judicial District Court to seek the removal of an unnamed prosecutor because his daughter attended the Sept. 10 Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem when Kirk was shot and killed.

The daughter also is a potential witness against Robinson and was about 85 feet from Kirk when he was shot, and the Utah County Attorney’s Office sent law enforcement to protect her upon learning of the shooting, Robinson’s attorneys argued during an Oct. 24 hearing.

They moved to remove the prosecutor from the case and at the very least want him off the case until the motion is either approved or denied.

The prosecutor and his daughter are not “immune to [the] trauma” arising from the shooting, which could lead the prosecutor to make personal rather than professional decisions, Robinson said, as reported by KTVX.

The prosecutors dismissed Robinson’s claim, saying the prosecutor’s daughter is an adult and there is no conflict of interest in his remaining on the case.

The young woman reacted to the shooting in a “comparatively minor emotional” manner compared to those who were close to Kirk when the shooting occurred, the prosecutors argued.

She has no personal knowledge of the murder, they argued, and is just one of thousands of witnesses who attended the event and saw the shooting unfold.

They also said Robinson’s attorneys have not provided any evidence to support their claim of a conflict of interest.

Robinson’s defense attorneys moved to have the court send its motion to the Utah Attorney General’s Office instead of continuing with Friday’s motion hearing.

That request caused an about 45-minute delay in the motion hearing, and Judge Tony Graf asked the defense and prosecution if an evidentiary hearing with witnesses should be scheduled to further litigate the motion.

Graf said there is insufficient evidence to refer the case to the Utah attorney general, and Robinson’s attorneys asked that he allow more evidence to be entered until the motion is decided.

The motion hearing ended with no ruling given, but an evidentiary hearing could be scheduled and include witnesses before Graf rules on the motion to remove the prosecutor from the case.

Jan. 16 (Asia Today) — A pre-dawn fire tore through Guryong Village in Seoul’s Gangnam district on Friday, forcing residents of what is often called the city’s last shantytown to flee with little more than what they could carry.

The blaze broke out around 5 a.m., leaving residents scrambling down the hillside as flames spread through tightly packed homes, according to residents and reporters at the scene.

Kang, 66, said she escaped after a neighbor banged on her door shouting that there was a fire. She said she left behind a gold ring she had saved to give her son for his wedding.

“I left my son’s wedding ring behind,” she said, breaking down as she described saving for years for the gift. She said the wedding date was set for Dec. 22.

By morning, sections of the settlement showed collapsed roofs, charred walls and shattered windows, with household items scattered along the narrow lanes. Coal briquettes stacked for winter could be seen through broken windows.

As black ash hung in the air, residents were urged to evacuate quickly, witnesses said.

Park Cheon-su, 78, who lives in the village’s District 6, said he turned back during the evacuation to retrieve medication he was taking. Despite warnings from firefighters, he said he went back inside.

“Is dying from not taking my medicine any different than dying in a fire?” he shouted, according to witnesses.

Park later emerged holding his medication packets and wearing no shoes, witnesses said. Looking toward the smoke, he said, “The world is truly cruel.” He said he had lived there for 30 years.

After the fire was brought under control, displaced residents gathered at a nearby community center, where they were given food and water, residents said. Some refused to eat, saying they had no appetite.

Noh Jeong-ae, 80, said she grabbed what she could during the escape but ended up with only two scarves. She repeatedly asked what would happen to her home, residents said. Another longtime resident said he did not know where he could go at his age.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

The White House has confirmed to United States media that President Donald Trump plans to grant a pardon to a former governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vazquez Garced.

On Friday, CBS News broke the story that a pardon was imminent, and Trump administration officials have since tied the pardon to the president’s campaign against what he considers “lawfare”.

“This entire case is an example of political persecution,” a Trump official told the news agency Reuters, on condition of anonymity.

Trump has pardoned a string of right-wing officials and allies since returning to office for a second term, including former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez – who was convicted of federal drug charges – and supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, to protest his 2020 election defeat.

With more than 1,700 pardons and acts of clemency granted over the last year alone, Trump is on track to surpass his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, for the most pardons offered. Biden, over his four-year term, announced 4,245 acts of clemency, the most of any president in modern history.

But news of Vazquez’s pardon stirred dissent among Puerto Rico’s political opposition, including Pablo Jose Hernandez Rivera, who represents the island territory in the US House of Representatives.

“Impunity protects and promotes corruption,” Hernandez wrote on social media.

“The pardon granted to former governor Wanda Vazquez weakens public integrity, erodes trust in the justice system, and offends those of us who believe in honest government.”

Puerto Rico, as a territory, only has non-voting representation in the US Congress, and Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with the island.

In August, Trump removed the five Democratic members of Puerto Rico’s federal control board, which governs the island’s finances. And during his 2024 re-election campaign, Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York that featured a politician who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”.

But Trump has sought to protect political allies through his use of pardons, often accusing the US justice system of being unfairly biased against conservatives.

He has also denounced what he calls the “weaponisation” of the Justice Department under his Democratic predecessors. Trump himself faced four criminal indictments, two on the federal level, during the four years between his two terms.

Only one state-level indictment, in New York, resulted in a conviction and sentence.

Vazquez identifies as a Republican, and she is a member of the New Progressive Party, which advocates for US statehood for Puerto Rico.

She became governor of Puerto Rico after her predecessor, Ricardo Rosello, stepped down in 2019, and she served until January 2021.

Vazquez was arrested in 2022 after the US Justice Department accused her of participating in an act of corruption while in office, allegedly promising to fire a commissioner in exchange for a campaign contribution.

The bribery case focused on incidents that happened while she was in office between December 2019 and June 2020.

At the time, Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions had been investigating a bank owned by the Venezuelan financier Julio Martin Herrera Velutini for suspicious transactions.

According to prosecutors, Vazquez agreed to call for the commissioner’s resignation in exchange for a promise of financial support in the 2020 gubernatorial election. She ultimately hired an associate of Herrera Velutini to replace the commissioner.

Herrera Velutini and Mark Rossini, a consultant and former agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), allegedly paid $300,000 to political consultants to boost Vazquez’s 2020 campaign. She went on to lose the primary, though.

Vazquez at first denied any wrongdoing, but she agreed to a plea deal in August. She was the first former Puerto Rican governor to face federal charges.

Jan. 16 (UPI) — The U.S. Education Department has delayed plans to seize tax refunds and garnish wages over student loans that are in collection, it announced on Friday.

While the delay is in effect, the department will work to revise student loan repayment regulations in accordance with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“The Trump Administration is committed to helping student and parent borrowers resume regular, on-time repayment with more clear and affordable options, which will support a stronger financial future for borrowers and enhance the long-term health of the federal student loan portfolio,” said Nicholas Kent, under secretary of education.

“The department determined that involuntary collection efforts, such as administrative wage garnishment and the Treasury offset program, will function more efficiently and fairly after the Trump administration implements significant improvements to our broken student loan system.”

The halt in collections will help former students and their families, while affordability has become an issue for many across the country, the National Consumer Protection Law Center said.

“Today’s announcement throws a lifeline to working and middle-class families who are buckling under the weight of outdated student loan policies that don’t reflect today’s high cost of living and affordability crisis,” said Abby Shafroth, managing director of advocacy at the National Consumer Protection Law Center.

“The administration must now take the next step and reform harsh collection practices before turning them back on,” Shafroth said.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduced the number of available repayment plans for student loan borrowers and allows for the waiver of unpaid interest for those who make on-time payments.

Pausing the planned tax refund seizures and wage garnishments also gives student loan borrowers another chance to rehabilitate any defaulted loans and resume their normal payments as needed.

Jan. 16 (UPI) — Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Corina Machado is the only recognized recipient of the award despite the Venezuelan leader giving her medal to President Donald Trump this week, the Nobel Committee said Friday.

Nobel Prize-winning laureates receive a gold medal and a diploma affirming their status, and nothing changes it, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in a news release on Friday.

“Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize,” the committee said.

“Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”

The White House posted a photo on social media showing the president accepting the medal from Machado, which is framed and contains documentation marking the moment.

The committee said a laureate “cannot share the prize with others nor transfer it once it has been announced.”

The prize is irrevocable, and the “decision is final and applies for all time,” the committee added.

While the prize cannot be transferred, there are no rules on what recipients can do with the prize, certificate or prize money.

They can keep them, give them away, sell them or donate them to others if they wish to do so.

Machado on Friday told an interviewer for Fox and Friends that Trump “deserves it” and said it was a very emotional moment when she gave him the medal, NBC News reported.

“I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela,” Machado said.

Machado earlier praised Trump for ordering the U.S. military to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and bring them to the United States to face federal charges for alleged drug trafficking and related offenses.

Jan. 16 (UPI) — The Department of Justice has more than 500 people reviewing the Jeffrey Epstein files ahead of them being made publicly available in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The department on Thursday provided the U.S. District Court of Southern New York with an update on the its efforts to comply with the recently enacted law that required all files to be uploaded and made publicly available no later than Dec. 19.

“The department has made substantial progress and remains focused on releasing materials under the act promptly while protecting victim privacy, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney for Southern New York Jay Clayton jointly said in a letter to the federal court.

“Compliance with the act is a substantial undertaking, principally because, for a substantial number of documents, careful, manual review is necessary to ensure that victim-identifying information is redacted before materials are released,” they said.

The Justice Department officials called the effort “resource-intensive” and said they evaluate, supplement and modify the review process as needed to ensure the “appropriate rigor, care and integrity” are done.

The Justice Department was working with the victims and their attorneys to ensure “victim identifying information” is redacted and communicates internally every day to ensure the greatest efficiency and continued progress on making all files publicly available.

The department also is working to address technical issues and fix “inevitable glitches due to the sheer volume of materials,” Bondi, Blanche and Clayton said.

The Justice Department officials last updated the court on the process on Jan. 5 and said they were trying to “complete this review as expeditiously as possible.”

The department on Dec. 31 also reported it had assigned more than 400 attorneys to review about 5.2 million pages of files to ensure redactions are done to protect the identities of victims and witnesses and block any child sex abuse that the files might contain.

The review was anticipated to be completed by Tuesday after millions more pages were located and needed to undergo review and redactions.

Thursday’s Justice Department letter does not say whether all files are likely to be reviewed and uploaded by Tuesday or if more time will be needed.

Epstein was a convicted sex offender and financier who hanged himself while jailed in New York City in 2019 and awaiting federal trial on charges accusing him of child sex trafficking.

More than two years of Israeli bombardment have left Gaza buried under an estimated 61 million tonnes of rubble, much of it dangerous. UN teams warn clearing debris is essential for recovery but could take seven years without access, fuel, machinery and sustained support.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Jan. 16 (UPI) — Lebanon and Syria have been working to turn the page on decades of mistrust and tense ties since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024.

But the uneasy process has been complicated by reports that former regime officers hiding in Lebanon were involved in plots against Damascus’ new leadership.

The alleged use of Lebanese territory to destabilize Syria and undermine the rule of its new president, Ahmad Sharaa, has emerged as a highly sensitive security issue, raising concerns in the two neighboring countries.

The reports were based on leaked audio recordings obtained by Al Jazeera of former Assad loyalists, including high‑ranking military officers, discussing plans to regroup, secure funding and weapons, and explore possible coordination with Israel to undermine Syria’s stability after the collapse of the Assad regime.

They were specifically considering military action involving remnants of the former regime’s forces in Syria’s coastal regions to regain influence, particularly in Alawite-majority areas.

The most alarming part was the alleged establishment of an operations command cell in Lebanon by Suhail al‑Hassan, Syria’s former special forces commander, widely feared for violently suppressing protests and ordering air strikes against civilians during the civil war.

Al‑Hassan, who has been sanctioned by the United States, European Union and United Kingdom over his role in serious human rights abuses, was among the first senior regime officials evacuated to Moscow after the collapse of Assad’s rule.

Concerns about the alleged plot prompted the Lebanese Army, military Intelligence and other security services to conduct raids in northern Lebanon, including searches in areas with Alawite villages and camps hosting Syrian refugees, as well as in a camp recently established by Hezbollah in the town of Hermel that houses displaced Syrian Alawite families.

A Lebanese Army source said all camps near the border with Syria were searched to determine whether former Syrian officers were present.

Several arrests were made, though the source did not disclose the number. Published reports indicated that those detained faced charges ranging from illegal entry to possession of weapons or drugs.

“The [Syrian] officers were not [found] in these camps,” the Army source told UPI. “We found nothing [that supports] such a plot or planning. There is nothing of that sort in the camps.”

The source said officers usually do not stay in the camps and have the money to rent apartments, but “they are not active.”

While the case is being quietly investigated by Army Intelligence, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun downplayed the reported plot, saying raids carried out in several areas across northern and eastern Lebanon uncovered no evidence of officers linked to the Assad regime and stressing that Lebanon remains in coordination with Syria on the issue.

A Syrian national identified as Ahmad Dunya was reportedly arrested in Lebanon earlier this week on suspicion of transferring funds from Assad’s cousin, Rami Makhlouf, to finance fighters involved in the alleged plot.

The arrest followed a request by Syrian authorities for Lebanon to locate and hand over more than 200 former officers who fled their country after Assad’s ouster.

Hisham Jaber, a Lebanese military expert and former Army general, said the number of Syrian officers who crossed into Lebanon following the takeover by Sharaa’s forces in Syria was “unknown.”

“There are large groups [of Syrian officers in Lebanon], along with funds that could be used to attract Syrian refugees who supported the Assad regime and recruit them to carry out sabotage missions inside Syria,” Jaber told UPI, dismissing any possibility of action in Lebanon.

Those officers, however, are under close watch and surveillance by the Lebanese Army and intelligence, according to the Lebanese Army source, who said that such efforts would be “reassuring” to the Syrian authorities. “There is no such conspiracy,” he added.

What may have fueled Syria’s fears is Hezbollah’s role in providing protection to fleeing Syrian officers.

According to Jaber, Hezbollah, an ally of the Assad regime that fought in Syria to prevent its collapse, is undoubtedly “in solidarity” with them, but the question is whether the Iran‑backed party would be able to protect them.

“Hezbollah could do that in its own ghettos in the Bekaa (eastern Lebanon) and Beirut’s southern suburbs, securing their stay or providing logistics, but they can’t remain there and would have to leave if they decide to take political or military action,” he said.

Lebanon, keen to maintain the best possible relations with Damascus, would therefore need to convince Syria that it would foil any conspiracy to destabilize the country, but cannot extradite Syrian officers because of legal hurdles and a lack of evidence.

“In a way, if Lebanon hands over anyone to the new authorities in Syria without evidence, it could also be accused of committing a miscarriage of justice,” David Wood, a senior Lebanon analyst at the International Crisis Group, told UPI. “This is a very politically and legally sensitive issue.”

Wood suggested that Lebanon’s best interest is to keep these former officials under surveillance, arrest them if there is evidence that they are breaking the law, but not immediately comply with extradition requests coming from Damascus.

Lebanon, long a refuge for freedom seekers, has upheld a doctrine since its independence in 1943 of preventing the country from becoming a corridor or launchpad for conspiracies against its Arab neighbors, and of rejecting requests to hand such individuals over to their home countries.

However, the Syrian officers in question cannot be considered freedom seekers, especially if they choose to engage in military plots at a time when the Lebanese remain divided over the new leadership in Damascus, much as they did during the Assad regime.

Sharaa is seen as a strong Sunni leader by most of Lebanon’s Sunnis, while Christians appear cautious because of his jihadist past, and Hezbollah remains distrustful, according to Wood.

Sharaa’s positive rhetoric toward Lebanon since assuming power in Syria — calling for the two countries to move past their troubled history, pledging non-interference in Lebanese affairs and putting Hezbollah’s fighting alongside Assad’s forces during the civil war behind them — is encouraging, but both countries need to translate words into concrete actions.

While Lebanon and Syria have consolidated political, diplomatic and security coordination, as well as successfully curbing drug and arms trafficking, they have so far been unable to resolve urgent issues that could stabilize their relations.

These include the most volatile issue of Syrian prisoners held in Lebanon, the Syrian refugee crisis — with only half a million of 1.5 million refugees having returned home — and the demarcation of their shared border.

“Lots of things need to be worked on — all of them still at a very preliminary stage,” Wood said, noting “domestic uncertainties on both sides, with each facing challenges that are not necessarily linked to the relationship.”

However, the fate of Hezbollah and its patron, Iran, is a major factor in Lebanon’s future, and by extension in Lebanese-Syrian relations — “something fundamental that could reshape the country,” he added.