Morning Briefing: Jan. 16, 2026

ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including Russia saying it will bolster its defense capabilities in the Arctic over Greenland tensions; the White House saying Iranian authorities "halted" 800 scheduled executions amid weeks of protests; and the US finalizing the first sale of Venezuelan oil, amounting to $500 million.

TOP STORIES

• Russia says it will bolster its defense capabilities in Arctic over Greenland tensions

Russia said it will continue strengthening its defense capabilities in the Arctic in response to threats linked to the situation around Greenland.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow stands with China and considers it “unacceptable” to use references to “certain activities” of Beijing in the Arctic as a pretext for escalating tensions in the region.

“Our country will continue to firmly defend its positions in the region,” she said. “We will continue our policy of strengthening national sovereignty in the Arctic zone. First of all, our own defense capabilities and infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route.”

• White House says Iran ‘halted’ 800 planned executions amid protests

The White House said that Irani "halted" 800 scheduled executions amid weeks of protests, and that Washington is “closely monitoring” the situation.

“The president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted,” spokesman Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt said the Trump administration continued to assess developments and signaled that further steps are possible.

• US officially begins selling Venezuelan oil: Report

The US finalized its first sale of Venezuelan oil, amounting to $500 million, an administration official told CNN.

The official added that more oil sales are anticipated in the upcoming days and weeks.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he intended to access Venezuela's oil reserves, the largest in the world, following a US military intervention and capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• A Kremlin spokesman said Russia expects American envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Moscow again soon.
• The UN chief "strongly" condemned Israel's actions in occupied East Jerusalem after an "unlawful entry" into a UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) facility and a move to shut down a key health center.
• Poland will not send soldiers to Greenland, said the country's prime minister.
• The White House said President Donald Trump was joking when he suggested that the US should not hold midterm elections in November, dismissing concerns about recent remarks.
• Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong removed Pritam Singh from his post as Leader of the Opposition following his criminal convictions for lying under oath.
• Spain believes differences related to Arctic security can be resolved through dialogue, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, stressing Madrid’s full support for Denmark’s territorial integrity.
• A top UN official welcomed the US' announcement of a transition to phase two of the Gaza ceasefire plan, urging "unimpeded" flow of humanitarian aid.
• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ended his boycott of US social media company X, saying the company is “acting to ensure full compliance with UK law.”
• US President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, which allows federal deployment of troops and National Guard forces, if Minnesota authorities do not allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate without interference.
• American forces boarded a sixth oil tanker in waters around Central and South America and the Caribbean, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
• The YPG/SDF terror organization is preventing tens of thousands of people from leaving Dayr Hafir, east of Syria's Aleppo, in an attempt to use civilians as human shields, civilians who managed to flee told Anadolu.
• President Emmanuel Macron said France has begun deploying military personnel to Greenland and will reinforce them in the coming days with land, air and naval assets.
• The Russian Foreign Ministry announced it is expelling a British Embassy employee due to his affiliation with intelligence services.
• The Israeli army killed at least seven Palestinians, including a child, and wounded others in airstrikes and gunfire that targeted the Gaza Strip, in the latest violation of last year’s ceasefire agreement, medical sources said.
• Iraq said it rejects the use of its territory, airspace, or territorial waters to launch military actions against any country, amid rising regional tensions.

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

• US initial jobless claims down 9,000 last week

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell by 9,000 last week to 198,000, according to the US Labor Department data.

Markets expected a rise to 215,000 from the previous week's downwardly revised 207,000.

The four-week moving average was 205,000 – a decline of 6,500 from the previous week's 211,500.

• Eurozone sees $11.5B trade surplus in November, down from October

The eurozone posted a €9.9 billion ($11.5 billion) foreign trade surplus in November, the region’s statistical bureau Eurostat said.

The figure was down €5.5 billion compared to the previous month, data showed. The markets expected the surplus to come in at €14.8 billion.

Exports to the rest of the world fell 3.4% year-on-year to €240.2 billion, while imports dropped 1.3% to €230.3 billion.