The briefing for Monday, January 19.

The Syrian government announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Sunday, ending nearly two weeks of fighting under a comprehensive 14-point agreement. The deal will see the SDF integrated into Syria's military and state institutions while Damascus reasserts control over three eastern and northern governorates: al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa. President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the agreement allows Syrian state institutions to take control of areas that had been under Kurdish autonomous administration for nearly a decade.

Under the agreement signed by al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings, and the oil and gas fields that underpinned Kurdish self-rule. SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria's defense and interior ministries following vetting, while Damascus assumes responsibility for prisons and detention camps holding tens of thousands of foreign ISIS fighters and their families. The deal also includes formal recognition of Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, making Kurdish an official language and recognizing the Kurdish new year as a national holiday for the first time since Syria's independence from France in 1946.

The announcement followed meetings with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Damascus, who praised the agreement as a step toward a 'unified Syria.' The deal comes after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and nearby oil facilities following an SDF withdrawal earlier Sunday. Kurdish-led forces had established their autonomous administration during Syria's civil war with strong U.S. backing, serving as Washington's main local partner in the fight against ISIS. Al-Sharaa said last week it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and hold its main oil and commodities resources.

Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland issued a joint statement Sunday warning that President Trump's threatened 10% tariffs over Greenland 'undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.' The unusually strong rebuke represents the most forceful pushback from European allies since Trump returned to the White House almost a year ago. Trump announced Saturday he would impose the tariffs beginning February 1 on the eight countries for opposing American control of Greenland, though it remains unclear how the tariffs would impact the European Union as a single economic bloc.

The joint statement said troops sent to Greenland for operation 'Arctic Endurance' pose 'no threat to anyone' and were deployed in response to Trump's own calls for strengthened Arctic security. 'We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland,' the statement read. 'Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.' French President Emmanuel Macron said he would request the EU activate its 'anti-coercion instrument' if Trump proceeds with the tariffs, which could allow Europe to hit back with counter-tariffs and restrict U.S. access to the Single Market.

Trump indicated the tariffs were retaliation for the deployment of symbolic levels of troops from European countries to Greenland, though Europeans said the troops were sent in response to his call for strengthened Arctic security. There are immediate questions about implementation, as the European Union operates as a single economic zone for trade purposes. EU ambassadors held emergency talks in Brussels on Sunday, with leaders expected to convene a full summit later this week. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Europe 'will not be blackmailed,' while some Republican lawmakers in Washington have begun introducing legislation to prevent military action against Denmark.

At least four more countries confirmed Sunday they received invitations to join President Trump's 'Board of Peace' for Gaza, bringing the total number of invited nations to at least 12. Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan said they received invitations, joining Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina, Albania, Hungary and Vietnam. A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the Trump-led board instead of a three-year appointment with no contribution requirement, according to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said money raised would go to rebuilding Gaza.

The board will oversee next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire moves into its challenging second phase, including deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction of the war-battered territory. Trump's invitation letters noted the board would 'embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict,' potentially becoming a rival to the U.N. Security Council. The U.S. is expected to announce its official member list during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week.

Israel pushed back Saturday on the composition of the board's Gaza Executive Board, with Prime Minister Netanyahu's office saying it 'was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy.' The executive committee includes U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and representatives from ceasefire monitors Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. The only Israeli member is businessman Yakir Gabay, while there are no Palestinians on either senior board. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Gaza 'does not need any administrative committee to oversee its rehabilitation—it needs to be cleansed of Hamas terrorists.'

The Pentagon ordered approximately 1,500 active duty soldiers to be ready for possible deployment to Minnesota, where federal authorities have been conducting a massive immigration enforcement operation, two defense officials said Sunday. The soldiers from two infantry battalions of the Army's 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska and specialized in arctic operations, have been given prepare-to-deploy orders. One defense official said the troops are standing by should President Trump invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used 19th century law allowing active duty troops to be employed as law enforcement.

The move comes days after Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell protests against his administration's immigration crackdown. On Thursday, Trump said in a social media post he would invoke the 1807 law 'if the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E.' He appeared to walk back the threat Friday, telling reporters there wasn't a reason to use it 'right now,' though he added 'if I needed it, I'd use it.'

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the potential deployment 'ridiculous' and 'completely unconstitutional,' telling CNN that thousands of Minneapolis citizens are peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights. Daily protests have been ongoing throughout January since the Department of Homeland Security ramped up immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities by bringing in more than 2,000 federal officers. Meanwhile, a federal judge issued an order Friday limiting crowd control tactics that can be used by ICE agents, ruling they cannot arrest or pepper spray peaceful demonstrations. The law was most recently invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 to end unrest in Los Angeles after the acquittal of four white police officers in the beating of Rodney King.

China's population fell for the fourth straight year in 2025, declining 3.39 million to reach 1.4 billion by year's end, government data showed Monday. The country's birth rate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people—a record low since the Communist Party took power in 1949—while its death rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people, the highest since 1968. The number of new babies born was just 7.92 million in 2025, a decline of 1.62 million or 17% from the previous year, marking the continued failure of government incentives to boost fertility.

Faced with an aging population and sluggish economy, Beijing has been trying to encourage more young people to marry and have children. In 2016, authorities scrapped the longstanding one-child policy for a two-child limit, then announced in 2021 they would allow up to three children per couple. More recently, China offered parents 3,600 yuan ($500) per child under age three, with some provinces adding their own baby bonuses and extended maternity leave. Some measures have stirred controversy, including a new 13% tax on contraceptives that has sparked concern about unwanted pregnancies.

China has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world at around one birth per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1. Experts at the United Nations believe China's population will continue its downward trajectory, estimating the nation will lose more than half its current population by 2100. A shrinking population has economic and social implications: exacerbating an already declining workforce, weak consumer sentiment, and a growing number of seniors relying on government payments. According to the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the pension fund is running dry and the country is running out of time to build enough funds to care for its growing elderly population.