Links to two reports: from Reuters and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for SYRIA 1-12-25 and for GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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NEWER  Syrian government, SDF agree on immediate ceasefire on all fronts, state media says, by James Genn | Reuters  The Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have agreed on an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, Syrian state media reported today, after days of fighting as the army advanced into Kurdish-held territories in the northeast of the country. READ MORE . . .

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Syrian army moves into Raqqa city after seizing key oil fields from US-backed SDF. From the Cradle. The Syrian military swept across the country’s north and east today, capturing several key oil fields from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) while advancing into the city of Raqqa. READ MORE . . .

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Links to four reports and to an article of commentary: from the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, Anadolu Ajansi, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-16-26. Scroll up or down for SYRIA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israeli troops kill Palestinians for crossing a vague ceasefire line that’s sometimes unmarked, by Toqa Ezzinin and Julia Frankel | AP  CAIRO — Of the 447 Palestinians killed between the ceasefire taking effect last October and last Tuesday, at least 77 were killed by Israeli gunfire near the at times invisible “yellow line,” including 62 who crossed it, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Trump wants nations to pay $1 billion each to stay on his peace board. From Bloomberg. The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least $1 billion. READ MORE . . .

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Ali Shaath begins duties as head of Gaza administration committee, signs mission statement, by Rania Abushamala | Anadolu  ISTANBUL — Ali Shaath officially began his duties as head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, saying his first act was adopting and signing the committee’s mission statement. READ MORE . . .

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Israel says U.S. announces Gaza administration committee without coordination. From Anadolu. Israel said Saturday it was not consulted on the announcement of a committee to administer the Gaza Strip, arguing the move runs counter to Israel’s positions and policies regarding the future of the enclave. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 1, 2024  What Frantz Fanon can tell us about the West’s colonial war in Gaza, by Joe Gill | Middle East Eye  From Gaza to the Red Sea, on all fronts the West is now unmasked as a lawless killing machine in terror of losing control. Genocide, starvation and war, defended with Olympic-level diplomatic double-speak, are its only answers to the fact that the Global South, and the nations of the Middle East (if not their leaders) no longer wish to live under U.S. hegemony. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same article from Middle East Eye in French, and HERE for others.

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Links to a panel discussion from WNBQ-TV via realtime1960s.com and to a book review from Lizzy’s Newsletter; other published material is accessible by clicking on two names below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 1-15-26. Scroll up for SYRIA and GAZA.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 17, 1963  Malcolm X is interviewed on TV in Chicago. From WNBQ-TV / realtime1960s.com.  He talks on the WNBQ public affairs program “City Desk” with moderator Jim Hurlbut and reporters Floyd Kalber, Charles McCuen and Len O’Connor. Click HERE for the broadcast, and HERE for Elizabeth Woodworth’s book review on Lizzy’s Newsletter, which mentions it.

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Links to three reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-16-26 and UKRAINE and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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Iran’s leader calls Trump a ‘criminal’ for backing protests and blames demonstrators for deaths, by Elena Becatoros | AP  DUBAI — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today branded U.S. President Donald Trump a “criminal” for supporting protesters in Iran, and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths. He said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

A protester from Iran shares her experience. Scott Simon of NPR speaks with A., an Iranian who recently left the country after participating in several days of protests. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel fears it can’t defend against Iran, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  Israel is fearful that its air defense systems, depleted by the Iranians in last June’s 12-day war, have not been sufficiently restored to withstand Tehran’s powerful response if Donald Trump’s public ravings leads him to bomb Iran. Thus Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump on Wednesday to ask him . . . READ MORE . . .

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Links to two reports: from the Associated Press National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 1-14-26, and up or down for IRAN and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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Ukrainian delegation arrives in U.S. for peace talks as Russia hammers energy sites, by Samya Kullab and Elise Morton | AP  KYIV — A Ukrainian delegation arrived in the United States for talks today on a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the nearly 4-year-old war as Russian attacks again took aim at Ukraine’s power grid, cutting electricity and heating in freezing temperatures. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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The latest of what’s happening in Ukraine. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Scott Simon | NPR  Many residents in Kyiv are suffering through freezing temperatures with no heat or electricity after Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to two reports and to an article of commentary: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and the Floutist; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 1-13-26, and scroll up for IRAN and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Documents show Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez has been on DEA’s radar for years, by Jim Mustian, Joshua Goodman and Eric Tucker | AP  WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump announced the audacious capture of Nicolás Maduro to face drug trafficking charges in the U.S., he portrayed the strongman’s vice president and longtime aide as America’s preferred partner to stabilize Venezuela amid a scourge of drugs, corruption and economic mayhem. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM JAN. 15  The USS Ford crew is struggling with sewage problems on board the Navy’s new carrier. Reported by Steve Walsh | NPR  Problems with the plumbing system on board America’s newest aircraft carrier are getting worse. Issues with the toilets on the USS Ford continue even as it continues its deployment to the Caribbean. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM DEC. 9, 2025  Oil & ideology, by Patrick Lawrence | The Floutist  Roughly a quarter of the U.S. Navy’s fleet now floats in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela — in America’s largest deployment in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. What is the plan? READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report from MintPress News; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-15-and GAZA.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 15  The CIA-backed think tanks fueling the Iran protests, by Alan MacLeod | MintPress News  The National Endowment for Democracy was created during the Reagan administration as a way to outsource many of the CIA’s most controversial activities, especially overseas regime change operations. READ MORE . . .

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Links to two reports and an article of commentary: from Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-15-26. Scroll up for IRAN.) — MCM

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Israel continues bombing Gaza despite launch of second ceasefire phase. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli forces continued bombing and demolishing buildings in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, despite the announcement of the second phase of the ceasefire process, as casualties from ongoing attacks continued to rise. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 15  Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan faces great uncertainty as it moves into a new phase, by Josef Federman | AP  JERUSALEM — The White House says it is moving into the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan — breathing new life into a proposal that aims to rebuild the war-ravaged area and reshape the wider Middle East. READ MORE . . .

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Why Arab states now oppose a U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, by Mohamad Elmasry | Middle East Eye  Israel has significantly expanded its illegal occupation of Arab lands. It has carried out genocide in Gaza and indicated its plans to take the territory over, and has deepened its hold in the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to six reports: from Asharq Al-Awsat, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-14-26 and IRAN and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Ali Shaath appointed head of Gaza administration committee. From Asharq Al-Awsat. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye announced on Wednesday the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the Gaza Strip, headed by Ali Shaath. This follows changes to the committee’s membership and broader political maneuvering that point to an imminent transfer of governance from Hamas. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for this and other Asharq Al-wsat reports in Arabic.

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Ali Shaath says rebuilding Gaza is a humanitarian priority, will take 7 years. From Middle East Monitor. Ali Shaath, head of the Gaza Strip Management Committee (the technocrats committee), said his main task is to secure decent living conditions that protect human dignity in Gaza. Based on his professional experience, he said the Strip needs seven years of serious work to return in a better state than it was before. READ MORE . . .

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Palestinian factions discuss ‘phase two’ of Gaza truce as Israel continues indiscriminate attacks. From the Cradle. A senior Hamas delegation and representatives of other Palestinian factions met in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Thursday to discuss the newly announced second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which comes despite Tel Aviv’s continued violations and failure to adhere to the terms of phase one. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu says the announced start of Gaza ceasefire’s next phase is a ‘declarative move,’ by Wafaa Shurafa and Sam Metz | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cast the U.S. announcement that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza would advance to its second phase as largely symbolic, raising questions about how its more challenging elements will be carried out. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

Death and displacement in Gaza months into ceasefire, by Maha Hussaini | Middle East Eye  GAZA CITY, occupied Palestine  With continued Israeli restrictions on border crossings, aid, and goods, residents feel the situation has merely shifted from an intense genocide to a slower-paced one. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. says second phase of Gaza ceasefire has begun, but major challenges remain. Reported by Aya Batrawy and A Martínez | NPR  The White House says the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is moving into its second phase, which includes the demilitarization of Gaza, a key point in President Trump’s peace plan. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, links to two reports, from Middle East Monitor and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-14-26 and up or down for GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israel sees U.S. attack on Iran as possible within days. From Middle East Monitor. Israel believes the United States could launch an attack on Iran within the coming days, according to the Hebrew Broadcasting Authority. The report said Israeli estimates suggest Washington would give Tel Aviv a warning several hours before any action. READ MORE . . .

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How the Trump administration’s threats to Iran are stoking tensions in the region. Michel Martin of NPR talks with Vali Nasr, a professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University, about how President Trump’s threats against Iran are escalating regional tensions. READ MORE . . .

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