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

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Russian forces bypass a key stronghold in a bid to cut off its supplies, a Ukrainian officer says, by Samya Kullab and Yehor Konovalov | AP  KYIV — Russian forces are bypassing the vital logistics hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, which they have fought for months to capture, and are focusing instead on cutting supply lines to it, a Ukrainian official said today. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine tried to attack TurkStream pipeline infrastructure in southern Russia, Moscow says. From Reuters. Russia said today it had actually downed 9 Ukrainian drones that attempted to assault part of the infrastructure of the TurkStream gas pipeline, through which Russian gas streams to Turkey and Europe. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AFP.

TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to four reports: from the Anadolu Agency, the Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israel approves plan to withdraw troops from Gaza: reports, by Burak Dag | Anadolu Agency  Israel approved plans for swift withdrawal of troops from the Gaza Strip, after advancements in prisoner exchange negotiations with Hamas, media reports said Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli attacks kill 28 more Gazans as death toll tops 46,500, by Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency   ANKARA — At least 28 more Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, pushing up the overall death toll since October 2023 to 46,565, the Health Ministry in the enclave said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 11  Israel’s Netanyahu sends Mossad director to Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar in sign of progress, by Natalie Melzer and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, his office said Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 11  Israeli military says 4 soldiers killed in north Gaza. From AFP. JERUSALEM/GAZA CITY — Four soldiers died in combat in the north of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said Saturday, more than 15 months into its war with Hamas militants. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Cradle, the Anadolu Agency, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM 

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HTS-led Syrian security forces step up sectarian killings: report. From the Cradle. Militants affiliated with the new Syrian government, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, are kidnapping and murdering members of Syria’s Alawite community based on their religious identity in various parts of Syria. READ MORE . . .

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Easing sanctions on Syria in EU’s agenda: Foreign policy chief, by Esra Tekin | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced today that easing sanctions on Syria is on their agenda. “We will be . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ahmed al-Mansour: The Egyptian fighter in Syria causing Sisi alarm, by Osama Gaweesh | Middle East Eye  Ahmed al-Mansour, an Egyptian national who first began fighting with Syrian rebels against Bashar al-Assad in 2013, has managed to develop . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to four reports: from Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, and Tass, and to commentary from Indian Punchline; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Zelenskiy calls on allies to honour promises on arms suppies to Ukraine. From Reuters. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on allies today to honor all promises to supply Ukraine with weapons, including those to counter Russian air attacks. Over the past week, he said, Russian forces . . . READ MORE . . .

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Switzerland ready to host Trump-Putin meeting, by Daria Shulzhenko and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Switzerland has expressed its readiness to host a high-level meeting in June between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Swiss Foreign Ministry official told Swiss newspaper Le Temps. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post, and HERE for beginning of Jan. 10 Le Temps report in French.

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Russian forces liberate two communities in DPR, Kharkov Region over past day — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the communities of Yantarnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kalinovo in the Kharkov Region 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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FROM JAN. 7  Ukraine war turns into absurdist fiction, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  One great transformation of the Ukraine war in the past year since the current Russian offensive began is . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, Wafa, the Cradle, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Trump’s Middle East envoy meets Netanyahu today amid ceasefire push. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday amid a push to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu’s office said. After the meeting, Netanyahu . . . READ MORE . . .

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17 more Palestinians killed in strikes across Gaza as Israeli genocide continues, by Hosni Nadim | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine At least 17 more Palestinians were killed Friday in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip as its genocidal war continues for more than 15 months. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Wafa. 

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FROM JAN. 10  Anadolu freelance cameraman Saed Abu Nabhan killed by Israeli army, by Esat Firat | Anadolu Agency  GAZA / ISTANBUL — Saed Abu Nabhan, a freelance Anadolu cameraman in Gaza, was killed on Friday by a long-range rifle attack by the Israeli army. Abu Nabhan, 25, had a wife and one child. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 10  Israeli war chief orders plan for ‘complete defeat’ of Hamas in Gaza before Trump’s inauguration. From the Cradle.  Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the military to prepare and submit a plan for a “decisive victory” in Gaza and the “complete defeat” of Hamas, Hebrew media outlets reported on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 10  U.S. ambassador to Israel makes his final push for release of U.S. hostages from Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jacob J. Lew, who is leaving his post after 15 months, describes some of the complexity and challenges of his job, which has included seeking the release of all seven American hostages held in Gaza in negotiations for a ceasefire and a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A bereaved mother cannot forget the nightmare of Israeli soldiers storming Kamal Adwan Hospital, by Motasem A Dalloul | Middle East Monitor  Ruba is a 29-year-old mother who has been suffering from severe injuries and unbearable trauma since Dec. 27, when the Israeli occupation forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza city of Jabalia. READ MORE . . .

For today, link to reports from the Cradle 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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FROM JAN. 10  Israel plans long-term occupation of ‘control zone’ deep inside Syria: report. From the Cradle. Israel plans to establish a “control zone” 15 kilometers deep inside Syria and an intelligence “sphere of influence” extending 60 kilometers, claiming the new government in Damascus includes “the most dangerous people in the world,” Ynet reported on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 10  Most Syrian refugees in Turkey are watching the new leadership before returning home. Reported by Fatma Tanis | NPR. Hundreds of Syrian refugees in Turkey are making a return to Syria every day, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry. But the majority are waiting to see how the new leadership takes shape. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.  

For today, links to nine reports: from Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, National Public Radio, and Tass; 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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Russia closes airports amid widespread drone attacks as Ukraine repels massive UAV assault, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  Several Russian regions came under a massive drone assault early this morning, with explosions and air defense activity reported. A fire also broke out in Novorossiysk, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 10  U.S., UK unveil sweeping sanctions against Russia’s oil sector. From the Moscow Times. Washington on Friday imposed some of its most sweeping sanctions on Russia’s oil industry since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, the UK government . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia. From AP. KYIV — Ukraine’s forces have captured two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in Russia’s Kursk border region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for report from AFP and the Kyiv Independent.

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Russia says Ukrainian drones injure three in Tambov region. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Ukraine launched drone attacks across several regions of Russia, striking two residential houses in the Tambov region and injuring at least three people, Russia said on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian diplomat makes last push for NATO membership even as Trump opposes it. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Ukraine’s outgoing representative makes a case for her country’s NATO membership even as the incoming Trump administration opposes it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. 

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FROM JAN. 10  Russian troops liberate three communities in Donbass region over week — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated three communities in the Donbass region over the week of Jan. 4-10 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Friday in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 10  One Ukrainian unit defends Kherson with Soviet-era weapons and the cover of darkness. Brian Mann of NPR spends time with a Ukrainian mobile artillery unit as they prep their Soviet-era mobile cannon for a nighttime attack. Their goal? Stop Russia from crossing the Dnipro River and taking Kherson. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Eye, and Substack, and to two articles of commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Body recovered in Gaza confirmed to be 23-year-old hostage Hamzah AlZayadni. From AP. Israel’s army confirmed Friday that one of the bodies recovered from Gaza earlier this week was that of 23-year-old hostage Hamzah AlZayadni. His body was retrieved with that of his father, Yosef AlZayadni, who were taken together when . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Study reveals Gaza death toll 40 percent higher than reported by health ministry. From Middle East Eye. A recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet exposes alarming discrepancies in the reported death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza, suggesting the true number of Palestinians killed by Israel may be 40 percent higher . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 9  U.S. lawmakers vote to sanction ICC officials for issuing Netanyahu warrant, by Yasmine El-Sabawi | Middle East Eye  The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed its first major foreign policy bill of the 119th Congressional session — in which both chambers are Republican-controlled — to sanction officials at the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Jan. 4 report from Reuters.

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FROM JAN. 9  Killing for killing’s sake in Gaza, by Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  Gaza has become a killing field — that is the view of a well-informed Israeli veteran who was an enthusiastic supporter of the initial Israeli response to the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023. READ MORE . . .

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Israel destroyed Gaza ‘for generations to come’ and the world stayed silent, by Ramzy Baroud | Middle East Monitor  The first official reference to Gaza becoming increasingly uninhabitable was made by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in 2012, when the population of the Gaza Strip was estimated at 1.8 million inhabitants. READ MORE . . .

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Why context is important in Palestine, by Chandra Muzaffar | Middle East Monitor  The genocide in Gaza is ongoing. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel from October 2023 to date, 17,000 of whom were children. This is the largest number of children killed in a genocide over a fourteen-month period. Indeed, most of the dead . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports: from the Cradle 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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FROM JAN. 9  SDF leader urges Trump to keep U.S. troops in Syria citing ‘resurging ISIS threat.’ From the Cradle. The commander-in-chief of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, General Mazloum Abdi, has called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to keep thousands of troops inside Syria during his government. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 9  Israel sets plans in motion to balkanize Syria under ‘self-defense’ claims: report.  From the Cradle. The Israeli government is considering the preparation of an international conference aimed at discussing the division of Syria into “cantons,” Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 6  In Syria, a once-privileged Muslim sect is now targeted and afraid. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  Alawites in Syria are facing a violent backlash, stoking fears of wider sectarian instability in a divided Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for Jan. 10 report from NPR.

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FROM JAN. 9  Biden to keep terrorist designation on ‘rebels’ controlling Syria. From the Cradle. Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden will not lift the terrorist designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham U.S. officials revealed on Tuesday, leaving the decision to the government of President-elect Donald Trump. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, and the Kyiv Independent; 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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Kremlin welcomes the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Putin. From AP. The Kremlin has welcomed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s readiness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior Moscow official said Friday. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Tass and AFP.

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SBU, Ukrainian navy strike Russian drone warehouse in Russia’s Rostov Region. From Kyiv Post. Sources in special services confirmed that in a joint operation, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Navy successfully targeted a storage facility for Russian reconnaissance drones in the Rostov region early this morning. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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FROM JAN. 9  Zelenskyy and Austin use their final meeting to press Trump to keep supporting Ukraine, by Tara Copp | AP  RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used their final meeting Thursday to press the incoming Trump administration not to give up on Kyiv’s fight, with Austin warning . . . READ MORE . . .