Morning Brief: ICE Shootings Spark Protests, Russia Says It Fired New Oreshnik Missile, Gaza’s Ceasefire ‘Yellow Line’ Becomes Flashpoint

  US Pledges $45 Million to Support Cambodia-Thailand Peace Effort The United States will provide $45 million in assistance to Cambodia and Thailand to support implementation of a recent ceasefire and reinforce US President Donald Trump’s peace-brokering efforts between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, a senior US diplomat said on Friday. US Assistant Secretary of State Michael DeSombre announced the funding during visits to Bangkok and Phnom Penh, where he is meeting government officials to discuss the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords and regional security cooperation. The aid includes $15 million for border stabilization and displaced communities, $10 million for demining and clearing unexploded ordnance, and $20 million to combat scam operations and drug trafficking. A senior US envoy urges Cambodia and Thailand to preserve a fragile ceasefire along their disputed border, pledging funding to support the truce https://t.co/vg4OFfRUDv — Bloomberg (@business) January 9, 2026 The assistance follows renewed border clashes that killed more than 100 people and displaced over 500,000 before a ceasefire late last year. US officials said the support aims to restore stability, protect civilians, and advance American strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific.   Denmark and Greenland Lobby Washington to Halt Trump’s Push to Take Arctic Island Denmark and Greenland have launched an intensive diplomatic effort in Washington to counter US President Donald Trump’s renewed call for US control of Greenland, meeting this week with lawmakers and White House national security officials. Danish Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen and Greenland’s envoy Jacob Isbosethsen pressed US officials to step back from rhetoric that includes the possibility of using force, citing Greenland’s sovereignty and existing defense arrangements. Great meeting w. @USRepKeating . Together w. Head of @GreenlandRepDC Jacob Isbosethsen, we highlighted 🇩🇰🇬🇱 role as close 🇺🇸 allies, our @NATO membership, 🇩🇰 3.3% GDP defense spending & our ramped-up military presence in the Arctic pic.twitter.com/1B9ybPDcff — Jesper Møller Sørensen 🇩🇰 (@DKambUSA) January 7, 2026 Trump said he seeks full ownership of the island for security reasons, while Vice President JD Vance argued Denmark has failed to adequately secure it. The pushback comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to meet Danish officials, some US lawmakers voice concern, and European leaders warn the dispute risks undermining alliances and international norms, even as Greenland’s leaders reaffirm their right to self-determination within existing security cooperation.   Russia Says It Fired New Oreshnik Missile in Major Strike on Ukraine Russia said Friday it used its new Oreshnik ballistic missile in a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine, killing at least four people and wounding more than 22, according to Ukrainian officials. The strike, which targeted Kyiv and other regions, involved 242 drones and 36 missiles and reportedly hit critical infrastructure, including a suspected underground gas storage facility near the western city of Lviv. Moscow said the attack was retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence, a claim denied by Ukraine and the United States. ⚡️ Russia launched ORESHNIK strikes against targets in Ukraine overnight — Russian MOD confirms The targets included drone production facilities and energy infrastructure The strike was in response to Kiev’s failed UAV attack on Putin’s residence https://t.co/840HMFgoyF pic.twitter.com/dSJcTCzYfq — RT (@RT_com) January 9, 2026 Ukrainian leaders condemned the use of the advanced missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting and consultations with NATO, warning the strike near the alliance’s border threatens European security.   France, Russia Swap Prisoners as Jailed Scholar Laurent Vinatier Freed France and Russia completed a prisoner exchange on Thursday that freed French political scholar Laurent Vinatier, who had been jailed in Russia and faced espionage charges, in return for the release of Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin. Vinatier, arrested in Moscow in June 2024, had been serving a three-year sentence for failing to register as a foreign agent and later faced additional espionage charges that carried the risk of a much longer term. French President Emmanuel Macron announced Vinatier’s return to France, while Russia’s security service said President Vladimir Putin pardoned him as part of the swap. Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, detained in France, was exchanged for French citizen Laurent Vinatier Paris accused Kasatkin of involvement in a hacking group and threatened to extradite him to the United States, where he could have faced up to 25 years in prison for… pic.twitter.com/QjP8XoM5PA — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 8, 2026 Kasatkin, detained in France at the request of US authorities over alleged computer fraud, was returned to Russia after being held in extradition custody.   Gaza’s Ceasefire Line Becomes Flashpoint as Israeli Fire Kills Hundreds Near Boundary Israeli forces have carried out near-daily attacks along Gaza’s so-called “Yellow Line” since a US-backed ceasefire began three months ago, killing at least 250 people and displacing thousands of Palestinians living near the boundary, according to local health officials and the United Nations. The line, meant as a temporary demarcation during Israel’s partial withdrawal, now functions as a de facto border enforced by Israeli troops, tanks, and drones. Israeli forces remain deployed in more than half of the #Gaza Strip, behind and beyond the so-called “Yellow Line”. In these areas, access to humanitarian facilities and assets, including UNRWA’s, as well as to public infrastructure and agricultural land remains severely… pic.twitter.com/VKD5WYq3OQ — UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 9, 2026 Israel says the strikes target Hamas operatives violating the ceasefire, while residents, aid groups, and analysts say civilians bear the brunt as Israeli forces expand positions and conduct demolitions in eastern Gaza.   Sources: News Agencies