For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, LEBANON, UKRAINE, COVID ETC. and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Families welcome news of 3 more male hostages to be released. From AP. The organization representing families of hostages held in the Gaza strip was celebrating the news that Yarden Bibas, 35, Keith Siegel, 65, and Ofer Kalderon, 54, would be released Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Trump insists Egypt, Jordan will take in Palestinians from Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down Thursday on his controversial proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, insisting that the two countries will comply, despite their repeated rejections. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 30  What Israel’s ban on UN’s Palestinian aid agency looks like, by Isabel Debre | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel on Thursday formally banned UNRWA, the main United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees, from operating on its territory despite heavy diplomatic backlash, a move that humanitarian officials warn . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Jan. 30 report from Middle East Monitor.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON, COVID ETC., UKRAINE, and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 30  What Israel’s ban on UN’s Palestinian aid agency looks like, by Isabel Debre | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel on Thursday formally banned UNRWA, the main United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees, from operating on its territory despite heavy diplomatic backlash, a move that humanitarian officials warn . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Jan. 30 report from Middle East Monitor.

For today, links to three reports: from the Cradle and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, WEST BANK, UKRAINE, COVID ETC. and MEDIA entries are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli fighter jets strike eastern, northern Lebanon. From the Cradle. Israeli airstrikes targeted eastern and northern Lebanon early today in continued violation of the ceasefire agreement that was recently extended and has seen Tel Aviv’s forces prolong their presence in the country. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. seeks to block Hezbollah or its allies from naming Lebanon finance minister, sources say. From Reuters. BEIRUT — Washington is pressuring top Lebanese officials not to allow Hezbollah or its allies to nominate the country’s next finance minister, five people with knowledge of the matter said. The  unusually direct U.S. intervention . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and New York Magazine; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA, WEST BANK, LEBANON, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, and COVID ETC. 1-29-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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When RFK Jr. was presented with the science on vaccines he said he needed to see, he dismissed it, by Lauran Neergaard and Mike Strobe | AP  WASHINGTON — The man who hopes to be President Donald Trump’s health secretary repeatedly asked to see “data” or “science” showing vaccines are safe – but when an influential Republican senator did so, he dismissed it. READ MORE. . .

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FROM JAN.  29  Dems grill RFK Jr. on vaccines, abortion in testy hearing. From Intelligencer at New York Magazine.  On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee held the first of two confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the secretary of Health and Human Services. Below, how the hearing played out in real time: . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON, WEST BANK, COVID ETC. and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Russia closes in on key Ukrainian city, seeking gateway for future advances, by Max Hunder | Reuters  KYIV — Russian forces are slowly tightening the noose around the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub whose main supply lines are under threat. Its encirclement or fall could . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian missile forces hit key Russian command center in Kursk. From Kyiv Post. Ukraine’s missile and artillery forces struck a command post of the Russian Armed Forces’ Kursk group in the city of Rylsk, in Russia’s Kursk region, according to a report from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. READ MORE . . .

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Russia claims Ukrainian soldiers killed nearly 2 dozen civilians in Kursk Region. From AFP. Law enforcement authorities in Russia today accused Ukrainian troops of killing 22 civilians in an occupied village of Russia’s Kursk region, including eight women who were allegedly raped before being executed. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces liberate five communities in Kharkov Region, Donbass area over week. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces liberated five communities in the Kharkov Region and the Donbass area over the week of January 25-31 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Special Forces say, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  North Korean troops have not been seen for roughly three weeks in the areas of Kursk Oblast where Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces are fighting, the unit’s spokesperson, Col. Oleksandr Kindratenko, said today. READ MORE . . . 

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FROM JAN. 30  In ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka,’ Oscar winner takes viewers back to Ukraine’s front lines, by Lindsey Bahr | AP  PARK CITY, Utah — The day Mstyslav Chernov won the BAFTA for his documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” was the day he learned two soldiers he knew had been killed in combat. They were primary subjects of his new film “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” a harrowing portrait of modern warfare that . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio, to commentary from Middle East Eye and Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, and to an essay from the Conversation; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON, UKRAINE and COVID ETC. entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 30  In ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka,’ Oscar winner takes viewers back to Ukraine’s front lines, by Lindsey Bahr | AP  PARK CITY, Utah — The day Mstyslav Chernov won the BAFTA for his documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” was the day he learned two soldiers he knew had been killed in combat. They were primary subjects of his new film “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” a harrowing portrait of modern warfare that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 30  Trump’s FCC chief opens investigation into NPR and PBS. Reported by David Folkenflik | NPR  President Trump’s new head of the Federal Communications Commission, Chairman Brendan Carr, has ordered an investigation of NPR and PBS, with an eye toward unraveling federal funding for all public broadcasting.”I am concerned,” he wrote on Wednesday, “that . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JAN. 30  Vance suggests some reporters covering the Trump White House are biased. From AP. WASHINGTON — Vice President J.D. Vance is suggesting that some reporters covering the Trump White House are biased — perhaps even Democratic “propagandists” — and the new administration will keep a close eye on those asking questions at press briefings. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 30  Advertising to kids, not adults, drives sugary cereal sales. Reported by Maria Godoy | NPR  High sugar cereal brands target TV ads directly to kids under age 12. And this targeted advertising leads to greater household purchases of unhealthy kid cereals, a new study finds. . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JAN. 27  ‘The First State of Being’ and ‘Chooch Helped’ win top children’s book awards. Reported by Andrew Limbong | NPR  The books The First State of Being and Chooch Helped have won the Newbery and the Caldecott awards, respectively — the biggest honors in children’s literature. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JAN. 29  On Holocaust day, Palestinians have overcome Israel’s genocidal war and returned home, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  As world statesmen gathered at Auschwitz, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had endured 15 months of genocidal bombing, starvation and disease at the hands of a state born in the aftermath of the Holocaust marched for hours back into northern Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 24  For elite media, ‘oligarch’ is just a partisan claim, by Janine Jackson | FAIR  Sometimes the headline says it all, as with the New York Times on January 17: “If Democrats Attack Trump’s Rich Pals as ‘Oligarchs,’ Will It Stick?” READ MORE . . . Click HERE for a Jan. 16 perspective from the Conversation.

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

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Hamas frees 8 more hostages as Gaza truce holds. Israel is set to release 110 prisoners, by Wafaa Shurafa, Mohammad Jahjouh and Joseph Krauss | AP  KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Hamas-led militants freed eight hostages on Thursday in the latest release since a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold earlier this month. Israel was expected to release another 110 Palestinian prisoners. Click HERE for report including photos and video, and HERE for report from Reuters.

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Diplomat trying to end Gaza war warns an attack on U.S. forces could widen it. Reported by A Martínez and Eyder Peralta | NPR  The prime minister of Qatar is in Washington for talks with U.S. officials trying to iron out the framework of a deal to pause or end the war in Gaza, and get Israeli hostages released. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Gaza checkpoint to be staffed by scores of armed American contractors. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — UG Solutions, a small U.S. security firm, is hiring nearly 100 U.S. special forces veterans to help run a checkpoint in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas truce, according to a company spokesperson and a recruitment e-mail, introducing armed American contractors into the heart of one of the world’s most . . . Click HERE for report including photos and video.

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FROM JAN. 29  On Holocaust day, Palestinians have overcome Israel’s genocidal war and returned home, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  As world statesmen gathered at Auschwitz, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who had endured 15 months of genocidal bombing, starvation and disease at the hands of a state born in the aftermath of the Holocaust marched for hours back into northern Gaza. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports: from Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, and HERE.) — MCM

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10 Palestinians killed in Israel airstrike in West Bank.From Middle East Monitor. At least ten Palestinians were killed and four others were seriously injured last night when an Israeli drone targeted them in Tamun town, southeast of Tubas in the occupied West Bank, according to medical sources according to the Palestinian Information Centre. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye and HERE for Jan. 28 report from the Cradle.

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FROM JAN. 29  Israel’s military operation in West Bank ‘may continue for several days,’ army says. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli occupation forces’ ongoing military operation in the northern West Bank “may continue for several days and possibly longer . . . as long as necessary to achieve its security goals,” a military spokesperson told Anadolu on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN.  29  Israeli troops to remain in Janin refugee camp, defence minister says, by Raneen Sawafta, James Mackenzie and Ali Sawafta | Reuters  JENIN, West Bank / JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH — Israeli troops will remain in the Palestinians’ Jenin refugee camp once the large-scale raid they launched last week is complete, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday as a crackdown in the occupied West Bank extended into a second week. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Ahmad al-Sharaa named ‘transitional president’ of Syria, constitution dissolved. From the Cradle. The Military Operations Department of the de facto government in Syria announced on Wednesday that Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, will assume the presidency of the country during a “transitionaL phase.” READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE and HERE for report from Middle East Monitor and Jan. 29 reports from Middle East Eye and Reuters.

For today, links to eight reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Independent, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, WEST BANK and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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A Russian drone strikes an apartment building in Ukraine, killing at least 4. From AP.  KYIV — A Russian drone blasted a hole in an apartment building in northeastern Ukraine during a nighttime attack, killing at least four people and injuring nine others, officials said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AFP and Kyiv Post.

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FROM JAN. 29  Chasiv Yar Falls to Russian Forces After Nearly a Year of Intense Fighting. From the Moscow Times. The key eastern Ukrainian stronghold of Chasiv Yar has fallen to advancing Russian forces, five Ukrainian and European military and government sources have independently confirmed to The Moscow Times. Neither the Ukrainian nor Russian militaries . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 29  Putin says Ukraine peace talks possible, but not with Zelensky. From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin said late Tuesday that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, but still ruled out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he described as an “illegitimate” leader. READ MORE . . .

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Lithuania open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, chief commander says, by Tim Zadorozhnyy | The Kyiv Independent  Lithuania will likely consider deploying military personnel to Ukraine for a c potential peacekeeping mission, Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Raimundas Vaiksnoras said today, according to the LRT broadcaster. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces pound Ukrainian military-industrial sites, UAV assembly workshops over day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces struck Ukrainian military-industrial facilities and unmanned aerial vehicle assembly workshops over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian woman looks back on the Russian missile attack that changed her life. Reported by Elissa Nadworny | NPR  London art student Svitlana Dolbysheva was back in Ukraine for the holidays working for a foreign TV crew in Kharkiv when a Russian missile hit the hotel where she was staying. She was badly injured. Click HERE to listen and read.