For now, links to reports from Reuters, the Kyiv Post, the Associated Press and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia’s Putin says Ukraine shot down plane, deliberately or in error. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that a Russian military plane that crashed near the border with Ukraine was shot down by Ukrainian air defences, whether on purpose or by mistake. Moscow accuses Kyiv of downing the Ilyushin Il-76 plane in Russia’s Belgorod region on Wednesday and killing 74 people on board, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Why hide the bodies?’ – Ukraine demands proof from Russia as POW mystery deepens. From Kyiv Post.  Kyiv has questioned why Russia has so far failed to provide proof of its claim that 65 Ukrainian POWs were on board a military plane shot down near Belgorod on Wednesday. “There are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says corrupt officials stole $40 million meant to buy arms for the war with Russia. From AP.  KYIV — Employees from a Ukrainian arms firm conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine’s security service reported. The SBU said late Saturday that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia open to substantive proposals for diplomatic settlement in Ukraine — MFA. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia remains open to truly substantive proposals for a diplomatic settlement of the situation around Ukraine, said Alexey Polishchuk, the head of the Second Department of the CIS countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry. He said there’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to commentary from Scheer Post, to an advisory from Consortium News, and to reports from Reuters, Common Dreams, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; other information is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.)— MCM

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It may be genocide, but it won’t be stopped, by Chris Hedges | Scheer Post / Consortium News  The International Court of Justice refused to implement the most crucial demand made by South African jurists: “the State of Israel shall immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza.” But it delivered . . . READ MORE . . .

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Advisory: CN Live! to have discussion about ICJ preliminary ruling on Israel. Consortium News. At 3 p.m. EST today, Craig Murrray, Alexander Mercouris, Ray McGovern and Francis Boyle will discuss the meaning of the World Court’s Jan. 26 ruling on Israel. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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South Gaza battles rage as heavy rain hits displaced further north, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Fadi Shana | Reuters  DOHA / GAZA — Israel pressed ahead on today with its campaign against Hamas in Gaza’s Khan Younis area, while bad weather hit displaced Palestinians seeking refuge further north in the battered enclave. Residents . . . READ MORE . . .

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Federal court hears case alleging Biden complicit in genocide, by Julia Conley | Common Dreams / CN  Calling for an emergency injunction to stop the Biden administration from aiding Israel in its bombardment of Gaza, human rights organizations and Palestinians in the United States on Friday took federal leaders to court to stop U.S. “complicity in the Israeli government’s unfolding genocide.” The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. pauses funding to UN agency for Palestinians after claims staffers were involved in Hamas attack, by Wafaa Shurafa and Jack Jeffery | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees fired a number of its staffers in Gaza suspected of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants on southern Israel, its director said Friday, prompting the United States — the agency’s biggest donor — to temporarily halt its funding. The agency, known by its acronym, NRWA, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Airstrike kills 3 Palestinians in southern Gaza as Israel presses on with its war against Hamas, by Najib Jobain and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Two women and a man were killed early today in what witnesses said was an Israeli airstrike on a home in the southernmost part of Gaza, as Israel pursued its military offensive against the Palestinian enclave. The strike came . . . READ MORE . . .

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ICJ finds genocide case against Israel ‘plausible,’ orders it to stop violations. Reported by Scott Simon and Eyder Peralta | NPR The International Court of Justice stopped short of ordering a cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza war as part of the genocide case South Africa has brought against Israel. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to reports from Tass, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Putin to ask Investigative Committee to publicize details of Il-76 crash. From Tass.  ST. PETERSBURG — Russian President Vladimir Putin will instruct the Investigative Committee to make details of the crash of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Ilyushin-76 (IL-76) military transport plane as much public as possible, he said, “so that people in Ukraine can also find out what really happened.” Investigative bodies are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it has no evidence for Russia’s claim that dozens of POWs died in a shot down plane. From AP. KYIV — Officials in Ukraine said Russia has provided no credible evidence to back its claims that their own forces shot down a military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be swapped for Russian POWs. The Ukrainian agency that deals with prisoner exchanges said late Friday that. . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia and Ukraine exchange blame for a plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners being shot. By Charles Maynes | NPR  Ukraine and Russia are blaming each other for the downing of a Russian military transport plane this week, which Russia says had 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war aboard. All aboard were killed. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukrainian officials meet relatives of POWs who Russia claims were in crashed Il-76, say no evidence to confirm that, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Friday that during the planned exchange of POWs two days earlier Moscow was to return to Ukraine 65 people from one of the lists Russian propagandists shared after the crash of Il-76 transport plane . . . READ MORE . . .

For now, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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World Court stops short of Gaza ceasefire order, says Israel must prevent genocide, by Stephanie van den Berg, Bassam Masoud and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  THE HAGUE / GAZA — The World Court today ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by South Africa. While . . . READ MORE . . .

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Top UN court orders Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza but stops short of ordering cease-fire, by Mike Corder and Raf Casert | AP  THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United Nations’ top court today ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in its military offensive in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a cease-fire. South Africa . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Reactions to World Court ruling on Israel’s war in Gaza. From Reuters. The World Court today ordered Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide as it wages war against Hamas militants in Gaza, and do more to help civilians, but it stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire as requested by South Africa. Following are . . . READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to reports from Reuters and the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine invites China’s Xi to ‘peace summit’ — Zelenskiy’s top adviser, by Olena Harmash | Reuters  KYIV — Ukraine has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to participate in a planned “peace summit” of world leaders in Switzerland, a top diplomatic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Russia’s invasion approaches its second anniversary. China has . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Russia, Ukraine exchange fallen soldiers’ remains. From the Moscow Times. Russia and Ukraine said today they have exchanged the bodies of 132 fallen soldiers, just two days after Moscow accused Kyiv of killing dozens of its own servicemen by shooting down a Russian warplane. Reportedly, Moscow received the remains of 55 soldiers, and Ukraine repatriated 77 bodies. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to commentary from the Washington Post and from an Australian observer; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli shelling strikes a crowd waiting for aid in Gaza City, killing at least 20. From AP. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli shelling hit a crowd of people waiting for humanitarian aid at a roundabout in Gaza City today, killing at least 20 and wounding 150. The Israeli military says it is looking into the reports. Meanwhile, the death toll from . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 24  In Israel, anger at Netanyahu is getting louder. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he’ll face questions about responsibility for Palestinian deaths when the war is over, but there are signs that that reckoning is already approaching. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Israeli mother keeps hope alive that her son, held hostage by Hamas, will be freed. Reported by Geoff Brumfiel | NPR  Alon Ohel was taken hostage on Oct. 7 in a village near Gaza, his family recently held a concert in the hopes that he might hear it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Watch: UN Security Council on Gaza massacres. From Consortium News  On Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 70 speakers debated the ongoing attacks on Gaza by Israel, whose “clear and repeated rejection” of the two-State solution “is unacceptable,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who opened the two-day debate. He said “this . . . Click HERE for introduction and video.

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FROM JAN. 24  Israel and Hamas probe for a pause, by David Ignatius | The Washington Post  Israel and Hamas are groping toward a resumption of negotiations to trade Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, accompanied by an extended pause in fighting, as well as a sharp increase in aid for desperate civilians in Gaza. These deadlocked issues are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gaza is exposing Western liberals for the frauds they are, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohstone.com.au  The entire western liberal worldview is currently balanced on the ability to psychologically compartmentalize away from the mass atrocities in Gaza and what Western governments are doing to perpetuate them. Everything that mainstream liberals claim to oppose . . . READ MORE . . .

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First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass and, via Consortium News, Declassified UK; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine claims overnight attack on Russia oil refinery. From AFP. Ukrainian security services orchestrated an overnight drone attack on an oil refinery in the southern Russian town of Tuapse, a Ukrainian security source said today. Kyiv has ramped up strikes on Russian oil and gas . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says Ukraine had 15-minute warning on PoW flight; Kyiv demands international probe. From Reuters. MOSCOW / KYIV — A senior Russian lawmaker said Ukrainian military intelligence had been given a 15-minute warning before a Russian military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war entered an area where it was shot down on Wednesday. Russia accuses Ukraine of downing the plane, killing all . . . READ MORE . . .

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Flight recorders reportedly found from the plane that Russia says crashed with Ukrainian POWs aboard. From AP. Investigators have found the flight recorders of a Russian military transport plane that crashed in a border region near Ukraine, Russian media reported today, a day after Moscow accused Kyiv of shooting down the aircraft, which it said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Il-76 . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 24  Russia says its forces destroyed Ukraine’s French-made SAMP-T air defense system. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces have destroyed a French-made SAMP-T air defense system in service with the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The strikes also hit . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 23  The UK’s new security pact with Ukraine, by Mark Curtis | Declassified UK / Consortium News   A new agreement signed by U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky on 12 January provides U.K. “security commitments” to Ukraine in the event of “new aggression” by Moscow. It states: . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press and to commentary from Scheer Post; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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‘Mass casualties’ at UN complex as Israeli forces advance through Khan Younis, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Fadi Shana and Dan Williams | Reuters  GAZA / JERUSALEM — A U.N. training centre sheltering tens of thousands of displaced people was hit today, causing “mass casualties” as buildings blazed, a senior U.N. relief official said as Israeli forces advanced through southern Gaza’s main city. They also cut off southern Gaza’s main hospitals in their . . . READ MORE . . .

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Heavy fighting in Gaza’s second-largest city leaves hundreds of patients stranded in main hospital, by Najib Jobain and Melanie Lidman | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants today near the main hospital in Gaza’s second largest city where medics said hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people were trapped by the fighting. Israel has ordered . . . READ MORE . . .

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The four horsemen of Gaza’s apocalypse, by Chris Hedges | Scheer Post / Consortium News / Popular Resistance  Joe Biden’s inner circle of strategists for the Middle East — Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk — have little understanding of the Muslim world and a deep animus towards Islamic resistance movements. They see Europe, the United States and Israel as involved in a clash of civilizations between the enlightened West and a barbaric Middle East. They believe that violence can bend Palestinians and other Arabs to their will. They champion . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass, followed by commentary from Scheer Post; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. (GAZA entry to this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia accuses Ukraine of shooting down a military transport plane, killing 65 Ukrainian POWs aboard. From AP. Russia’s Defense Ministry today accused Ukrainian forces of shooting down a military transport plane, killing all 74 people aboard, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war being swapped. Throughout the 700-day war . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia accuses Ukraine of killing 65 of its own POWs by shooting down plane. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia accused Ukraine today of deliberately shooting down a Russian military transport plane carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers to a prisoner exchange in what it called . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia is acting to thwart Ukrainian attacks on civilians, infrastructure  — Kremlin. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia is taking all “necessary measures” to defend its citizens and key infrastructure from Ukrainian attacks, the Kremlin said on Monday, a day after Moscow accused Kyiv’s forces of killing 27 people in shelling of a Russian-held city in eastern Ukraine. Also . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 18  Key points of Sergey Lavrov’s press conference. From Tass. MOSCOW — In 2024, Russia set a goal to remove any dependence from the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a press conference on Russian diplomatic work in 2023. The foreign minister . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s turn from the West, by Patrick Lawrence | Scheer Post  / Consortium News / Popular Resistance  Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s steady, able, intellectually quick foreign minister, last week held one of those wide-ranging press conferences he and his boss favor. Lavrov’s remarks are subtly delivered but of a significance we must not miss. Here are a few . . . READ MORE . . .

Below are links to a documentary film and a video, both connected to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The introduction to the film is from its director, a retired United Airlines pilot. The video features the Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth CEO speaking to a group in Idaho in February 2023, challenging the official government position on the collapse of Building 7 at the World Trade Center. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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‘9/11 – The Advent of the Ninth Crusade.’ A film. From intro: “9/11 Pilot Whistleblowers has released this documentary, directed by me [Dan Hanley] and produced through the collaboration of many 9/11 truthers from around the world. If you do not want to watch it, at least repost so that others may do so.” Click HERE for film.

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Structural engineer Roland Angle, P.E., delivers WTC facts: Building 7. A video. AE911Truth’s Roland Angle, P. E., spoke at two separate meetings of Stand Up for Idaho — a political organization of Idaho citizens. This first presentation focused on World Trade Center 7 (the second, made a week later and not seen here, concerned the Twin Towers’ destruction). Click HERE for video.