President Barzani’s Congratulatory Message on the Occasion of Qoltas Eid
ARK News.. President Masoud Barzani extended his congratulations on Saturday, January 3, 2026, to the Kaka’i community in Kurdistan, Iraq, and around the world on the occasion of Qoltas Eid.
Full text of the message:
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate,
On the occasion of Qoltas Eid, I extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to our Kaka’i sisters and brothers in Kurdistan, Iraq, and across the world.
Kurdistan is a homeland of harmony, brotherhood, and coexistence. I hope that our Kaka’i sisters and brothers, along with all other Kurdish religious and national components, will always celebrate their occasions, holidays, and joys in an atmosphere of peace and stability.
Wishing you continued happiness and well-being.
Masoud Barzani
January 3, 2026
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Donald Trump Announces Arrest and Removal of Venezuelan President Maduro
ARK News.. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that a major military operation was successfully carried out against Venezuela, resulting in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were reportedly flown out of the country.
Trump stated, "The United States has successfully executed a large-scale operation against Venezuela and its president Nicolás Maduro, who has been arrested along with his wife and transferred outside the country."
He added that the operation was conducted "in cooperation with U.S. law enforcement agencies" and that further details would be released later.
President Trump also announced that he would hold a press conference today at 11:00 AM ET at Mar-a-Lago to provide additional information.
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Around 400 People Killed in Daraa During 2025
ARK News.. A local source reported that approximately 400 people were killed in Syria’s Daraa governorate during 2025, including children and women.
According to the Ahrar Houran Gathering, 399 deaths were documented in Daraa from the beginning of 2025 until the end of December, including 32 children and 17 women. The fatalities included victims of assassinations, criminal acts, clashes, shelling, kidnappings, and remnants of the war.
The report noted that November and December 2025 witnessed a noticeable decrease in the number of deaths compared to previous months, attributing this to intensified security measures, increased patrols, faster responses to criminal incidents, and the pursuit of wanted individuals.
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Syrian Civil Defense Responded to More Than 135,000 Incidents in 2025, Minister Says
ARK News.. Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed Al-Saleh, revealed that the Syrian Civil Defense carried out more than 135,000 emergency responses during 2025, covering fires, medical emergencies, search and rescue operations, in addition to service activities and the removal of war remnants.
According to the state news agency SANA, Al-Saleh stated that Civil Defense teams responded to over 11,000 fires, including 3,000 residential fires and 2,500 forest and agricultural fires.
He added that Civil Defense teams rescued 350 people and responded to more than 270 search and rescue alerts, in addition to handling over 100,000 medical emergency cases. Teams also removed more than 270 items of unexploded ordnance, conducted 1,100 awareness sessions, and reached around 25,000 beneficiaries.
Al-Saleh further noted that the Civil Defense provided more than 18,000 direct service interventions, cleared over 540,000 cubic meters of rubble, and reopened hundreds of kilometers of blocked roads.
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Arida Border Bridge Between Syria and Lebanon Collapses
Welat TV – Erbil
The Arida border bridge linking Syria and Lebanon has collapsed after a significant rise in the river’s water level, caused by heavy rainfall that swept the area over the past several hours, leading to a complete halt of cross-border traffic at the crossing.
Video footage circulating from the site on Friday, January 2, 2026, shows the bridge collapsing across the entire width of the roadway, making the passage of any vehicles impossible at present.
On Thursday, Lebanon’s General Security Directorate announced in a statement that the Arida border crossing had been temporarily closed due to the rising river level and extensive damage to the bridge, particularly on the Syrian side.
The statement confirmed that entry into and exit from Lebanon remain normal through the Masnaa and Qaa border crossings, which continue to operate without interruption.
Travelers were urged to use these crossings until damage assessments are completed and the necessary measures are taken to reopen the Arida crossing.
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Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mitri Warns of Concerning Reports on Movements by Supporters of the Former Syrian Regime
ARK News.. Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mitri said that reports circulating in the media about alleged movements by supporters of the former Syrian regime inside Lebanon are a cause for concern.
In a post published on the X platform on Friday, January 2, Mitri called on Lebanese security agencies to verify the accuracy of reports regarding “the movements of supporters of the former Syrian regime in Lebanon” and to take the necessary measures accordingly.
Mitri stressed the need to “prevent any risks of actions that could harm Syria or undermine its security, whether from within Lebanon or launched from Lebanese territory.”
He added that such developments require strengthening cooperation with the Syrian authorities, based on mutual trust and respect for the sovereignty of both countries, in a manner that serves shared interests and preserves security and stability on both sides.
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Germany: Calls Grow to Tighten Migration Policy and Rapidly Repatriate Most Syrian Refugees
ARK News.. German political debate over migration intensified on Friday as the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary bloc called for a tougher migration policy and the swift return of most Syrian refugees to their home country.
According to the German Press Agency (DPA), a policy paper prepared by the CSU parliamentary group during a meeting at Seeon Abbey in Bavaria argues that “most Syrians who currently enjoy temporary protection status will lose the grounds for protection once the civil war has ended.”
The document urges authorities to “initiate deportation procedures as quickly as possible for those refugees who do not leave voluntarily.” It further states that 2026 should witness a large-scale deportation campaign “using regular flights to Syria and Afghanistan.”
To facilitate this, the CSU is calling for the establishment of nationwide departure centers, as well as a dedicated deportation terminal at Munich Airport.
The party is also advocating a harder line stance toward Ukrainian refugees. The document states: “We will also push to ensure that Ukrainian men fit for military service fulfill their duty to defend their country,” though it does not provide details on how such a policy would be implemented.
In addition, the CSU plans to tighten measures against individuals it labels “foreign enemies of democracy.” The paper calls for the criminalization of public calls to establish an Islamic state or caliphate.
It further stipulates that “demands to abolish the free democratic order or the commission of anti-Semitic crimes must result in mandatory deportation, the denial of residence permits, and, in cases of dual nationality, the revocation of German citizenship.”
The bloc also stressed the need to curb what it described as abuse of Germany’s social welfare system. It criticized current EU freedom-of-movement rules, which grant EU citizens the right to reside in Germany after working as little as 5.5 hours per week. “We want to restrict the definition of the term ‘worker’ under the EU Freedom of Movement Directive,” the document said.
Alexander Hoffmann, head of the CSU parliamentary group, told Merkur newspaper: “Labor migration to Germany must not turn into poverty migration.”
According to figures cited by Deutsche Welle (DW), around 948,000 Syrian nationals currently live in Germany. Of these, approximately 667,000 hold temporary protection status, based on the latest data from 2025.
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Israel Deploys “Hashmonaim” Brigade Forces in Southern Syria
ARK News.. The Israeli military has announced the deployment of forces from the Hashmonaim Brigade—which includes soldiers from the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community—to the security zone in southern Syria, marking the brigade’s first-ever deployment in the area.
In a statement issued on Thursday, January 1, 2026, the Israeli army said that infantry units from the brigade have begun carrying out field operations following a series of military training exercises. These activities included what the army described as “targeted search operations,” during which intelligence was gathered, allegedly aimed at eliminating security threats and ensuring the safety of Israeli civilians, particularly residents of the Golan Heights.
The statement added that the Hashmonaim Brigade will continue operating in “various arenas,” while emphasizing that arrangements are in place to allow Haredi soldiers to maintain their religious way of life during military service.
The deployment comes days after the Israeli army announced the conclusion of the mission of Reserve Brigade 55 in Syria, following more than 100 days of continuous field operations, marking the end of its activities in the area.
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One Suspect Arrested Over Terrorist Attacks on Syria’s Coastal Region
ARK News.. Syrian Internal Security forces in Tartous have announced the arrest of an individual implicated in terrorist acts targeting positions of the Ministry of Defense and the Internal Security forces along Syria’s coast.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Internal Security Directorate in the Baniyas area of Tartous countryside apprehended a member of the remnants of the former regime who was involved in carrying out terrorist operations against military and security sites during the events of March 6, 2025.
The source said investigations revealed that the suspect took part in assassination and arson attacks targeting members of an Internal Security patrol, following a deadly ambush on the Deir al-Bashl Bridge, which was carried out by a group affiliated with remnants of the former regime.
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Kurdistan Democratic Party to Discuss the Iraqi Presidency
ARK News.. A senior source within the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said on Thursday, January 1, 2026, that the party’s Political Bureau will hold a meeting to discuss the issue of the Presidency of the Republic of Iraq, along with several other key matters.
According to the high-level source, the meeting will be chaired by President Masoud Barzani, with the participation of his deputies, Nechirvan Barzani and Masrour Barzani. It is scheduled to take place in Pirmam on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
The source noted that the meeting’s agenda will include the following topics:
1. The position of the President of the Republic of Iraq.
2. The recent election of the Iraqi Parliament’s Presidium.
3. The formation of the new Kurdistan Regional Government.
4. The formation of the new federal government.
5. Relations between Erbil and Baghdad.
6. The overall political and security situation in Iraq and the region.
The source added that it has not yet been decided whether the KDP will nominate a candidate for the post of President of the Republic of Iraq, stressing that this issue, along with other related matters, will be discussed during the meeting.
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