Morning Brief: CIA Carried Out Drone Strike in Venezuela, UAE Withdraws Remaining Troops From Yemen, Thailand Releases Cambodian POWs

  Justice Department Says Epstein File Review Will Delay Full Public Release The US Justice Department (DOJ) disclosed Tuesday that it must review 5.2 million pages of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, requiring 400 lawyers through late January and likely delaying a congressionally mandated public release. The review, ordered by the Trump administration under a new transparency law, involves attorneys from four DOJ components and will run from January 5 to January 23. Congress had set a December 19 deadline for releasing all Epstein-related records, with limited redactions to protect victims, but the department said the volume of material makes that timeline unworkable. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI have informed the Department of Justice that they have uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The DOJ has received these documents from SDNY and the FBI to review… — U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) December 24, 2025 The prolonged process has drawn criticism from lawmakers frustrated by heavily redacted disclosures and concerns over political fallout. Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019, remains at the center of a case that continues to strain the Justice Department and the White House.   Mali and Burkina Faso Ban Americans After US Imposes Travel Restrictions Mali and Burkina Faso announced late Tuesday that they will bar US citizens from entering their countries, citing reciprocity after US President Donald Trump banned Malian and Burkinabe nationals from traveling to the United States. The bans follow Trump’s December 16 expansion of US travel restrictions to 20 additional countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all led by military juntas. The foreign ministries of both West African nations said the measures took effect immediately and mirror the conditions imposed by Washington. The move reflects deteriorating relations between the United States and West Africa’s military-led governments, which have broken with the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc. Mali and Burkina Faso said they banned U.S. citizens in retaliation for Donald Trump’s decision to bar Malian and Burkinabe nationals from entering the U.S. pic.twitter.com/KUOKMp9cPt — Clash Report (@clashreport) December 31, 2025 The White House has cited ongoing security threats and attacks by armed groups in the region as a key reason for the US travel restrictions.   US-Led Operations Kill or Capture 25 Islamic State Operatives in Syria The US military said Tuesday it killed or captured nearly 25 Islamic State (IS) operatives in Syria this month during a series of missions launched after a deadly ambush that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operations followed December 19 strikes on 70 IS targets across central Syria and included 11 missions carried out over the past 10 days. The actions involved US forces working with regional partners, including Syria’s new government, to target senior and lower-level IS members and destroy weapons caches. The campaign followed a December 13 attack near Palmyra during a meeting between US and Syrian security officials, marking a major test of growing US-Syria cooperation after the ouster of Bashar Assad. Tonight, U.S. and Jordanian forces struck 70+ ISIS targets in Syria with 100+ precision munitions. Peace through strength. pic.twitter.com/XWWvfqBBFT — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 20, 2025 US officials said the goal is to weaken IS and eventually transfer full security responsibility to Syrian forces.   UAE Withdraws Remaining Troops From Yemen as Rift With Saudi Arabia Deepens The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Tuesday it will withdraw its remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a demand for Emirati troops to leave within 24 hours, escalating a dispute between the two Gulf allies. The move followed a Saudi-led airstrike on the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla, which Riyadh said targeted a UAE-linked weapons shipment bound for separatist Southern Transitional Council forces. The UAE denied the shipment contained weapons and said it decided to end its counterterrorism mission after reassessing the situation to prevent further escalation. 🚨 BREAKING: 🇦🇪 UAE MoD announces ending its remaining operations/presence in Yemen — hours after 🇾🇪 President Al-Alimi scrapped the defense pact & ordered UAE forces to leave within 24 hours. A 🇸🇦 Saudi statement then called out Abu Dhabi’s activities & expected cooperation. https://t.co/DfvGvfNDks pic.twitter.com/i0cJuOPavh — Ibrahim Jalal | إبراهيم جلال (@IbrahimJalalYE) December 30, 2025 The clash highlights widening divisions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over influence in Yemen, where both once fought together against the Iran-aligned Houthis but now back competing local partners. Regional and US officials urged dialogue as the fallout raised concerns over stability in Yemen and unity among key Gulf powers.   Ukrainian Drone Strike Hits Russian Black Sea Oil Refinery A Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Wednesday, injuring two people and briefly igniting a fire, according to regional authorities. The strike damaged refinery equipment, a port berth, and several nearby homes, breaking windows in apartment buildings and a private house. Officials said the fire burned about 300 square meters before being extinguished, though they did not say whether refinery operations were disrupted. Tuapse, a key Black Sea hub for Russian oil exports operated by Rosneft, lies about 350 kilometers (218 miles) from Ukrainian territory and has been repeatedly targeted during the nearly four-year war. Additional documentation of the fires currently burning at the Tuapse Oil Refinery in Southwestern Russia, as a result of tonight’s drone attack by Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/W9Fv21PMSO — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 30, 2025 Ukraine did not immediately comment, and the full extent of the damage could not be independently verified.   Thailand Releases 18 Cambodian POWs Under Border Ceasefire Deal Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war (POWs) held for five months, fulfilling a key condition of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending renewed border fighting between the two countries. The handover took place at a border checkpoint between Thailand’s Chanthaburi province and Cambodia’s Pailin province, where defense ministers signed the ceasefire over the weekend. Thai officials said the release followed 72 hours of sustained calm, as required by the agreement, and was intended as a goodwill gesture in line with international humanitarian law. Thailand has released 18 ‍Cambodian soldiers ‍it had detained since July, three days after the two countries agreed to a renewed ceasefire to end weeks of deadly border clashes. pic.twitter.com/BPd6hOdES8 — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 31, 2025 Cambodia said the move clears a major obstacle to restoring normal relations after clashes over disputed territory that killed dozens since early December.   Sources: News Agencies