For today, links to eleven reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, the Cradle, Agencia EFE, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines may be accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-13-26 and UKRAINE, GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Iran strike on U.S. Qatar base shows ability ‘to respond to attack’: Khamenei adviser.  From AFP. A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned President Donald Trump today that an Iranian strike in June 2025 on an American base in Qatar had demonstrated its ability to respond to any attack. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for similar report from AFP (with sudouest.fr) in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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Some personnel at key U.S. base in Qatar advised to evacuate. Edited by Bridget Brown and Sara Aboubakr | AP  Some personnel at Qatar’s Al Udeid, a key U.S. military base, have been advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, a U.S. official said. The decision came as a senior official in Iran brought up an earlier Iranian attack there. READ MORE . . .

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Iran signals fast trials and executions for protesters as crackdown death toll exceeds 2,500, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — Iran’s judiciary head said today there would be fast trials and executions ahead for suspects detained in nationwide protests despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE for a Jan. 13 report from AP.

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Israeli, Arab officials urge Trump to ‘hold back’ on striking Iran: report. From the Cradle. Israeli and Arab officials are urging US President Donald Trump to “hold back” on attacking Iran until the Islamic Republic has been further weakened by unrest, sources told NBC News on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 13  Russia rejects possibility of a U.S. attack and increased tariffs on Iran’s partners. From EFE. Moscow — Russia on Tuesday rejected both the threat of a potential United States military attack on Iranian territory and the possibility of increased tariffs on the Islamic Republic’s trading partners. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same EFE report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM JAN. 13  Iranian intelligence says seizes U.S.-made weapons, explosives smuggled by western-backed rioters.  From the Cradle. Iranian intelligence has announced the seizure of guns, ammunition, and over 200 kilograms of explosives from foreign-backed cells that participated in the instigation of riots across the country. READ MORE . . .

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How the internet blackout in Iran opened the door to a deadly crackdown on protests. From Middle East Eye. It has been 18 days since the first demonstrations began in Tehran, sparked by economic woes that have gravely impacted Iranians’ ability to afford the very basic necessities. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 13  Trump calls on Iranians to keep protesting but the death toll is rising. Reported by Rob Schmitz and Jackie Northam | NPR  Help is on its way. That was President Trump’s message on social media today to anti-government protesters in Iran as he urged them to continue taking to the streets. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JAN. 13  How Trump may act on Iran — and why. Rob Schmitz of NPR speaks with former National Security Adviser John Bolton about the protests in Iran. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JAN. 13  Iran expert talks about the Trump administration’s strategy with Iran. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Inskeep asks if this feels like a moment when Iran’s longtime government could fall. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to two reports from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 1-13-26, and up or down for IRAN, GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Ukraine’s new defense minister reveals scale of desertions as millions avoid the draft, by Illia Novikovy | AP  KYIV — Wide-scale desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers are among a raft of challenges facing Ukraine’s military as Russia presses on with its invasion of its neighbor after almost four years of fighting, the new defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM JAN. 13  Russia attacks Ukraine’s power grid again in freezing temperatures, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia launched a second major drone and missile bombardment of Ukraine in four days, officials said Tuesday, aiming again at the power grid amid freezing temperatures — almost 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles at eight regions overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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For today, a link to a report from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-13-26, and up or down for IRAN, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Trump administration ‘to unveil’ U.S.-led Palestinian committee to run Gaza, by Elis Gjevori | Middle East Eye  The United States is preparing to unveil a committee of Palestinian technocrats to govern the Gaza Strip, according to Arab and American media reports today. According to Al Araby TV, a senior Hamas source said the group has no objection to the proposed names for membership of the committee. READ MORE . . .

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Two links: to a report from Middle East Eye, and to an article of commentary from Behind the Curtain via ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 1-11-26, and scroll up for IRAN, UKRAINE and GAZA.) — MCM

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How the internet blackout in Iran opened the door to a deadly crackdown on protests. From Middle East Eye. A media battle has also intensified alongside the unrest. Both the government and Persian-language media linked to monarchists, backed by Israel and the United States, are circulating fake and inaccurate news, as well as photos and videos created by AI. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 12  Swinging on a double action heinous hinge with Donald Trump, by Edward Curtin | Behind the Curtin / Original to ScheerPost   He is screen culture personified. And the digital internet media — it must be emphasized — are controlled by the telecommunications corporations working with the government to control the people’s minds and quash dissent. READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for YEMEN 1-9-26 and for GAZA, IRAN, VENEZUELA and PHOTO.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 12  Revenues of Israel’s Eilat Port ‘drop to zero’ due to Yemen’s pro-Palestine operations. From the Cradle. The port of Eilat, Israel’s strategic southern anchor, is “almost completely paralyzed,” Israeli media reported on 12 January, following more than two years of disruptions to Red Sea shipping lanes, attacks on vessels, and geopolitical uncertainty caused by the Yemeni Armed Forces. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-11-26 and up and down for YEMEN, IRAN, VENEZUELA and PHOTO so far.) — MCM

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Howling winds collapse walls on Gaza tent camps, killing 4. A 1-year-old boy dies of hypothermia, by Waffa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least four people died overnight in Gaza from walls collapsing onto their tents as strong winds lashed the Palestinian coastal territory, hospital authorities said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Gaza ‘dying slowly’ amid collapsing buildings and severe cold, by Mera Aladam | Middle East Eye  The Ministry of Health director general called the current situation the “engineering of slow death”: “When genocide is managed through starvation, genocide in Gaza is no longer carried out by bombs alone.” He said medicine, vitamins, healthy food and infant formula are mostly denied entry to the strip. READ MORE . . .

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Markets and restaurants return to Gaza, but few can afford the expensive price tag. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Anas Baba | NPR  New eateries are popping up in Gaza after months of famine, but it’s pricey and many people still rely on aid to survive. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JAN. 12 Israel demolishes 2,500 buildings in Gaza after October ceasefire. From the Cradle. Israel has demolished more than 2,500 buildings in Gaza since the start of the so-called ceasefire with Hamas two months ago, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 12  Leaked documents reveal UAE proposal to back Israel’s genocide in Gaza ‘by all means necessary.’ From the Cradle. A leaked document obtained by the EmirateLeaks outlet has revealed an Emirati government proposal to use UAE bases in the Red Sea to provide direct military, intelligence, and logistical support to Israel throughout its war on Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, the Cradle, and Middle East Eye; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-12-26, and up or down for YEMEN, GAZA, VENEZUELA and PHOTO.) — MCM

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Death toll from nationwide protests in Iran spikes to at least 2,000, activists say, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran spiked today to at least 2,000 people killed, activists said, even as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications during a crackdown. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE for a second Jan. 13 report from AP.

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At least 734 people killed In Iran protest crackdown: rights group. From AFP. At least 734 people are confirmed to have been killed in an Iranian security force crackdown on protests, though the actual death toll is likely in the thousands, a rights group said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for similar AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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FROM JAN. 12  Millions take to the streets of Iran in mass counterprotests against riots, foreign interference. From the Cradle. Millions of Iranian citizens have taken to the streets across Iran to reject the violent riots taking place across the country and take a stance against foreign interference, following continuous threats of war from the U.S. and Israel. READ MORE . . .

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Iranian protesters reject U.S. and Israeli interference, by correspondent in Iran and Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  TEHRAN / LONDON  Since June 2025, when Israel launched air strikes that killed around 1,000 people in the country, speculations over a military operation to oust the Iranian government have been growing — bolstered by the U.S. kidnapping of Iran ally Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. READ MORE . . .

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Trump announces 25 percent tariff on countries doing business with Iran. From Middle East Eye. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was imposing a tariff rate of 25 percent on any country that does business with Iran, as an anonymous Iranian official reportedly said 2,000 protesters have been killed in the crackdown. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 12  European Parliament bans Iranian diplomats from all premises. From the Cradle. The European Parliament has formally banned all Iranian diplomatic staff, government officials, and representatives from entering all of its buildings, Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to two reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 1-12-26, and up or down for YEMEN, GAZA, IRAN and PHOTO.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 13  Maduro’s gone, but Venezuela’s human rights crisis remains. Reported by Eyder Peralta | NPR  The fallout from the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the focus on oil interests have largely eclipsed urgent concerns about the country’s entrenched human rights abuses and democratic erosion. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JAN. 9  A look at how the cocaine trade works. Reported by Darian Woods and Stephan Bisaha | NPR  The business of cocaine trafficking has changed over the years, with different players and routes. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A link to a photo from Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on links to reports illustrated by AFP photos. (Scroll down for PHOTO 1-9-26, and scroll up for GAZA, IRAN and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 9  Colorful hat, by Haitham al-Shukairi | AFP  The hat is worn by the sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, seen attending a military parade in Muscat, Oman’s capital city — part of the sultanate’s official celebrations for the nation’s national day last Nov. 20. Click HERE for photo and accompanying Jan. 9 report from Middle East Eye.

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For now, links to two reports from Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 1-11-26 and SYRIA, WEST BANK, IRAN, GAZA and VENEZUELA so far.) — MCM

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Russian drones hit two foreign vessels near Ukrainian port. From Reuters. KYIV — Russian drones struck two foreign-flagged vessels today, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said, the second such attack in four days on Black Sea shipping. He said they were sailing under the flags of Panama and ⁠San Marino, ‌and that one person had been injured. READ MORE . . .

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Civilian casualties in Ukraine up sharply in 2025, UN monitor says. From Reuters. ZURICH — Last year was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, driven by intensified hostilities along the front line and the expanded use of long-range weapons, the UN ​Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said today. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED