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Poroshenko, Ex-President, Returns to Ukraine, Roiling Politics

Petro O. Poroshenko, a former president, returned to Kyiv on Monday facing possible arrest, adding internal political turmoil to a threat of Russian invasion. Ukraine’s former president and a leading opposition figure, Petro O. Poroshenko, returned Monday to Kyiv, where he faced possible arrest on charges of treason, adding internal …

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Turkey kicks off serial production for armed trainer Hurjet

The Turkish government has given the go-ahead for the mass production of the country’s indigenous basic trainer and light-assault aircraft. The decision for serial production of the Hurjet was taken at a Jan. 12 meeting of Turkey’s ultimate decision-maker on defense procurement, the Defence Industry Executive Committee. The meeting was …

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Russia Thins Out Its Embassy in Ukraine, a Possible Clue to Putin’s Next Move

The slow evacuation may be part propaganda, part preparation for a conflict or part feint, Ukrainian and U.S. officials say. It could be all three. The week before intensive diplomatic meetings began over the buildup of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, American and Ukrainian officials watched from afar as …

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In dark foreign influence ops, time to take down chess masters as well as pawns

The DOJ just charged a man in New York with spying on critics of Egyptian President al-Sisi. But what about the guys pulling the strings? On Thursday the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest and indictment of a Manhattan man, Pierre Girgis, for allegedly spying on critics of Egyptian …

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Did this week’s US-NATO-Russia meetings push us closer to war?

Washington’s insistence on digging in over NATO expansion and pushing sanctions is setting up a major disaster for both sides. On January 12, 2022 — a date that will live in hypocrisy — NATO member states declared their heroic determination to fight to the last Ukrainian. They did this by …

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Did Biden help the Saudis turn the tide in their favor in Yemen?

If he thinks supporting the Kingdom’s efforts to take territory will help achieve a ceasefire, he’s likely in for a surprise. Recent weeks have witnessed a string of victories for forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, or IRG, and its Saudi and Emirati backers. Last week, the UAE-funded al-Amaliqa …

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Syrian Regime Forces Launch Anti-ISIS campaign in Deir Ezzor Desert

The Syrian army backed by pro-government factions, including the National Defense Forces (NDF), kicked off a new combing operation in the southern countryside of Deir Ezzor. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the operation is meant to secure the area of al-Duwair, which is located between the …

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Fatah builds bridges with Syria after rupture with Hamas

A senior Fatah delegation visited Syria, carrying a message from President Mahmoud Abbas to his Syrian counterpart about the need to bring the Palestinian cause back on the table in the run-up to the Arab summit scheduled to take place in Algeria in March. The Syrian government headed by President …

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Turkish-backed factions wary of jihadi group in north Syria

Tensions between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, and Turkish-backed Syrian factions are escalating once again. The Azm Operations Room, which brings together a number of Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army factions, accuses HTS of planning to enter FSA-held areas in north Syria. Most recently, Sheikh Ahmed …

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Fighting in Yemen’s Marib intensifies amid government advances

Fighting is intensifying around the Yemeni city of Marib since government forces captured neighboring Shabwa province last week. Reuters reported today that a pro-Yemeni government militia backed by the United Arab Emirates known as the Giants Brigade has joined the fight at Marib to push back Houthi rebel forces attempting …

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