For today, links to seven reports from Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and  HERE.) — MCM 

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FROM JAN. 1  Zelenskiy says U.S. will be alongside Ukraine’s efforts to stop Russia. From Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Tuesday that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, but he believed the United States would stand alongside Kyiv as it fights to stop Russia’s 34-month invasion. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 1  Ukraine’s capital opens 2025 under a new wave of Russian drone attacks. Reported by Brian Mann and Leila Fadel | NPR  The attack began hours after Ukraine’s president addressed his nation. He acknowledged the agony of 2024 with heavy battlefield casualties and Russia’s army advancing along much of the 600-mile front. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE and HERE for report from Reuters and AP.

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FROM DEC. 31  Europe’s Russian gas era comes to an end as Ukraine transit stops. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia’s once-dominant gas supply to Europe via Ukraine, which flowed for decades, is set to end on New Year’s Day with the collapse of a contract between . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Jan. 1 report from AP.

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FROM DEC. 30  Hundreds of soldiers freed in the latest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. From AP. KYIV — Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war in the latest such swap that saw the release of hundreds of captives and was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates, officials said Monday. READ MORE . . .

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TO. BE CONTINUED ON JAN. 3