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

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NEWER  Trump to revive TikTok, but wants 50% U.S. ownership, by David Shepardson | Reuters  WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said he would revive TikTok access in the U.S. by executive order after he is sworn in on Monday, but said he wants the popular social media app to be at least half owned by U.S. investors. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP. 

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TikTok is offline in the U.S. after Supreme Court upholds ban. Reported by Bobby Allyn | NPR  The ban could be short lived, however. President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he will “most likely” give the app a 90-day reprieve once he assumes office on Monday. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Tass, and to two articles of commentary from the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research and MintPress News, both via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 17  Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine quickly but Moscow and Kyiv are digging in before any talks. From AP.  President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, but as he prepares to take office, peace seems as elusive as ever. READ MORE . . .

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Russian army liberated Vozdvizhenka in Donetsk People’s Republic. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian army has liberated the settlement of Vozdvizhenka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 17  Ending the War in Ukraine, by Vijay Prashad Tricontinental Institute for Social Research / Consortium News  Mark Rutte, the secretary general of the NATO, gave a speech last Dec. 12 in Brussels as a poem rather than the typical bureaucratic prose. There are four stanzas that I wish to share: READ MORE . . . A longer version of the author’s commentary is HERE.

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FROM JAN. 17  L.A. fire cuts . . . billions for Israel & Ukraine, by Robert Inlakesh | MintPress News / Consortium News  Months before the wildfires ravaged Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass approved the budget for the next fiscal year which included a $17.5 million reduction to the fire department’s funding. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley cautioned that . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Israeli cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire accord, due to take effect Sunday. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said today, a day ahead of the agreement’s scheduled start. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for report from AP and to listen to report from NPR.  

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What the ceasefire deal could mean for Netanyahu and Israeli politics. Scott Simon of NPR speaks with Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program, about the Israeli political response to a negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, a link to just one report: from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE,HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Macron calls for full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, ‘state monopoly’ on arms during Beirut visit. From the Cradle. In his first trip to Lebanon in more than four years, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the country’s capital, Beirut, on Friday and held talks with officials on the ceasefire agreement that ended over a year of fighting between . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, just one link: to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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In Syria, some celebrations are tempered by rising prices and scarcity. Reported by Carrie Kahn of NPR Syrians are still celebrating the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime, but that enthusiasm is tempered these days. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, just one link: to a report from Agence France-Presse, others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Russian attack kills three in Kyiv. From AFP.  A Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian capital killed three people today, Ukrainian leaders said, in branding it a “heinous” attack, while Moscow called it “retaliation” for bombardments on its territory. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, the Cradle, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (LEBANON, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE. A POETRY entry is HERE). — MCM

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Israel’s security Cabinet recommends approval of ceasefire in Gaza; deal now goes to full Cabinet, by Sam Mednick and Samy Magdy | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel’s security Cabinet recommended approval today of a ceasefire deal after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants there. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE listen to report from NPR and read one from the Cradle.

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Hamas refutes Netanyahu’s claim it is blocking ceasefire deal. From Middle East Monitor. Hamas is committed to the ceasefire deal in Gaza,  member of the movement’s Political Bureau, Ezzat Al-Rishq, said on Thursday, refuting claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it had backtracked on parts of the deal. Earlier in the day . . . READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu’s pledge to resume Gaza war breaches ceasefire deal: officials. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to his coalition partners to resume the war in Gaza after implementing the first stage of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, would breach the terms of the deal, informed officials have said. READ MORE . . .

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Gaza’s devastated health system needs $10bn, at least five years to rebuild: WHO. From the Cradle. “The needs are massive,” said Rick Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s representative in the Palestinian territories, following an initial assessment completed by the UN agency. READ MORE . . .

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Biden adviser Amos Hochstein discusses how the Gaza ceasefire deal came together. Michel Martin of NPR talks with Amos Hochstein, senior adviser to President Biden, about the latest ceasefire deal in Gaza and his earlier negotiations for a ceasefire in Lebanon. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JAN. 16  Satellite photos show the Gaza Strip before and after the devastation of the Israel-Hamas war, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — The Israel-Hamas war, now nearing a potential ceasefire, has devastated the Gaza Strip. Satellite photos offer some sense . . . Click HERE for article and photos. 

For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE. A POETRY entry is HERE.) —MCM

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FROM JAN. 15  Saudi Arabia, Kuwait offer ‘conditional funding’ for Lebanon’s reconstruction. From the Cradle. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have signaled readiness to financially support the reconstruction of Lebanon after the brutal Israeli war on the country, but under certain conditions – according to a report Wednesday from Al-Akhbar newspaper. READ MORE . . .

For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE. A POETRY entry is HERE.) — MCM

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PKK to leave Syria on condition Kurds ‘maintain leadership role.’ From the Cradle. An official from Turkiye’s main foe, the Kurdistan Workers Party, said that the militant group would be willing to end its presence in Syria if U.S.-backed Kurds in the country maintain a leadership role there. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports: from the Moscow Times, Reuters, Kyiv Post, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, LEBANON and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE. A POETRY entry is HERE.) — MCM   

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Russian army claims liberation of over 60% of occupied Kursk territory. From the Moscow Times. Following a surprise incursion last August, Ukrainian troops seized control of 1,268 square kilometers (490 square miles) in Russia’s southwestern Kursk region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Since then, it said today . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Four killed in Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city of Kryvyi. From Reuters. KYIV — A Russian missile attack killed at least four people and partially destroyed an educational facility in the city of Kryvyi Rih in southern-central Ukraine today, officials said. The  governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region said . . .  READ MORE . . .

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Over 2,000 air force troops to be transferred to infantry, commission formed to prevent loss of specialists. From Kyiv Post. More than 2,000 specialists from the Ukrainian Air Force could be reassigned to infantry and attack units, Ruslan Horbenko, a People’s Deputy from the “Servant of the People” party, said Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate eight communities in Kharkov area, Donbass region over week. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated eight communities in the Kharkov area and the Donbass region over the week in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .