For today, links to seven reports: from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entry for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Biden administration to send billions more in aid to Ukraine. Reported by Jackie Northam |  NPR  The White House says it will send nearly $6 billion in military and budget aid to Ukraine. It’s likely to be the last bit of support by the Biden administration as Trump’s team is about to take over. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukrainian military says it hit Russian oil depot in Smolensk region. From Reuters. The Ukrainian military said today its forces had hit a Russian oil depot in the Smolensk region. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says naval drone destroys Russian helicopter for first time. From Reuters. Ukrainian military intelligence said one of its naval drones had destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another one in the Black Sea in a battle today near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea’s west coast. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for video from AP .

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Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine hits multiple targets, including Kyiv, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia launched an aerial attack on Ukraine today, striking the capital and other regions with multiple missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air force said . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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3 significant events in Russia’s history that stand out under Putin’s rule. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Russia expert Keir Giles of Chatham House about three key moments in which Vladimir Putin has exerted power in his 25 years of leadership in Russia. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to just two reports: from Reuters and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE; there was no GAZA entry.) — MCM

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Syria eyes ‘strategic’ ties with Ukraine, Kyiv vows more food aid shipments. From Reuters. DAMASCUS — Syria hopes for “strategic partnerships” with Ukraine, its new foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart today, as Kyiv moves to build ties with the new Islamist rulers in Damascus amid waning Russian influence. READ MORE . . .

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Shockwaves reverberate after Syrian official says he wants cordial ties with Israel. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Leila Fadel | NPR  The governor of Damascus faces backlash after he tells NPR that he wants the U.S. to mediate cordial relations with Israel. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, a short entry: links to two reports from Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA entry for this date is HERE; was no GAZA entry.) — MCM   

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Biden announces $2.5 billion in fresh military aid to Ukraine, by Steve Holland | Reuters  WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden announced $2.5 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine today as he uses his final weeks in office to surge military aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes power. READ MORE . . .

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Syria eyes ‘strategic’ ties with Ukraine, Kyiv vows more food aid shipments. From Reuters. DAMASCUS — Syria hopes for “strategic partnerships” with Ukraine, its new foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart today, as Kyiv moves to build ties with the new Islamist rulers in Damascus amid waning Russian influence. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Cradle, and National Public Radio, and to a reflection from Forward Movement; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, UKRAINE and 9/11 TRUTH entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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A fourth infant dies of the winter cold in Gaza as families share blankets in seaside tents, by Majdi Mohammed and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A fourth infant has died of hypothermia in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by nearly 15 months of war are huddled in tents along the rainy, windswept coast as winter arrives. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli forces order new evacuation of besieged northern Gaza town. From Reuters. CAIRO — Israeli forces carrying out a weeks-long offensive in northern Gaza ordered any residents remaining in Beit Hanoun to leave the town today. READ MORE . . .

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Eyewitnesses describe Israeli raid of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital. From the Cradle. A new report by the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has revealed the shocking conduct of Israeli army forces, including executions and sexual assault, during their recent storming of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip’s Beit Lahia. READ MORE . . .

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A snapshot of a year spent reporting and living through war, from NPR’s producer in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Anas Baba | NPR  Anas Baba reflects on his year of reporting on the war and living through it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Two Israeli soldiers reflect on a year on the frontlines in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Two Israeli soldiers who served in the war in Gaza this year talk about how they are wrestling with what they witnessed. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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BBC staffers reveal editor’s ‘entire job’ to whitewash Israeli war crimes. From the Cradle. BBC editor Raffi Berg has almost complete control of the British broadcaster’s online coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza and is ensuring that all events are reported with a pro-Israel bias, according to a new report published on 28 December by Drop Site News. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 28  A voice was heard in Ramah, by Deon K. Johnson | Forward Movement  Jeremiah 31:15.  “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentations and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” DKJ: We know that voice from Ramah. We have heard the cry of Rachel . . . READ MORE . . .

In Spanish:

Jeremías: 31;15.  Voz fue oída en Ramá, por Deon K. Johnson | Forward Movement  “Voz fue oída en Ramá; lamento y llanto à Margo. Raquel lloraba por sus hijos, y no quería ser consolada por sus hijos, porque perecieron.”

Conocemos esa voz de Ramá. Hemos escuchado el clamor de Raquel. Hemos vista las imágenes de madres llorando por sus hijos muertos. Las guerras y la epidemia de violencia armada han resultado en familias destrozadas, vidas desgarradas y esperanzas frustradas.

Hoy la iglesia hace una pausa para recordar a los santos innocents que fueron asesinados cuando Herodes buscaba al Niño Jesús. Recordamos à quienes perdieron la vida sin culpa alguna. Acompañamos a quienes continúan el clamor de Raquel con heridas, pérdidas, penas y dolor. La iglesia está en su mejor cuando acompañamos a quienes están pasando por lo peor.

Hoy, la sangre de los Santos Inocentes clama desde la tierra. Y nuestro respuesta puede transformar al mundo, pues adoramos a un Dios que conoce la agonía de perder a un hijo. Hoy, nos lamentamos; mañana, creamos un mundo de seguridad y esperanza.

In French:

Jeremie 31:15.  On entend à Rama une voix, par Deon K. Johnson | Forward Movement  “On entend à Rama une voix qui gémit et des sanglots amers : Rachel pleure ses fils et elle ne veux pas se laisser consoler, car ses fils ne sont plus.”

Nous connaissons cette voix de Rama. Nous avons entendu le cri de Rachel. Nous avons vu les images de mères qui pleurent sur sus enfants parce qu’ils ne sont plus. De la brutalité des lieux déchirés par les guerres, à la épidémie de la violence des armes à feu à travers notre pays, nous ne connaissons que trop bien les larmes amères des familles détruites, les vies brisées en morceaux, les esperances anéanties.

Au jourd’hui l’Eglise fait une pause pour se souvenir des Saints Innocents qui étaient assassinés quand Herode cherchait l’Enfant Jésus. Nous nous souvenons de ceux qui perdirent leurs vies sans aucune culpabilité. Nous accompagnons ceux qui continuent le cri de Rachel dans les lieux de la douleur, la perte, le chegrin, la souffrance. L’Eglise est à son meilleur quand nous accompagnons ceux qui vont à travers le pire.

Au jourd’hui, le sang des Saints Innocents poussent des cris de la terre. Et notre réponse peut transformer le monde, car nous vénérons un Dieu qui connait la douleur d’avoir perdu un fils. Au jourd’hui, nous nous tenons en lamentation; demain, nous créons un monde de sécurité et d’espoir.

 

For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, the Cradle, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, UKRAINE and 9/11 TRUTH entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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An Israeli airstrike near the Syrian capital kills 11, war monitor says, by Kareem Chehayeb | AP  BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike in the outskirts of Damascus today killed 11 people, according to a war monitor, as Israel continues to target Syrian weapons and military infrastructure even after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for a second report from AP.

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FROM DEC. 28  Moscow warns that U.S. & UK are preparing ‘ISIS attacks’ on its airbases in Syria. From the Cradle. Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said on Saturday that the U.S. and UK are planning to use ISIS to attack Russian military bases in Syria to further destabilize the country after the fall of the Syrian government. READ MORE . . .

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Syria’s de facto leader says holding elections could take up to four years. From Reuters.  CAIRO — Drafting a new Constitution and holding elections in Syria could take up to four years, Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has said, according to excerpts from a broadcast interview. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

 

For today, links to reports from the Kyiv Independent, National Public Radio, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, SYRIA and 9/11 TRUTH entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine prioritizing security guarantees over immediate NATO membership, senior diplomat says. From the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine’s accession to NATO remains on the agenda but diplomatic efforts currently focus on obtaining strong security guarantees, Andrii Melnyk, Ukraine’s newly-appointed envoy to the U.N., said Friday. READ MORE . . .

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In one Ukrainian town, women take up coal mining jobs as men fight on the frontlines. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  As Russia’s army advances on coal mines powering Ukraine and its steel industry, women in a small coal town adjust to new roles as miners. They’ve replaced men who’re now fighting on the frontlines. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russian forces liberate DPR’s Novotroitskoye — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Novotroitskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

 

First, a link to an article from Substack; others by the author are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE. 9/11 TRUTH entries for Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 are HERE and HERE.)— MCM

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FROM DEC. 28  Powerful 2025 shaping up for 9/11 truth movement, by Richard Gage | Substack  You may not have heard about the point-blank promise by President-elect Trump to declassify 9/11. Other leaders in the 9/11 truth movement and I have been invited, via senior members of the new Trump cabinet, by former Congressman Curt Weldon to launch a Presidential Commission on 9/11. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to seven reports: from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and the Anadolu Agency, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 27  Israeli forces have raided one of the last working hospitals in northern Gaza. Reported by Emily Feng | NPR  After weeks of military activity, Israeli troops ordered people off the grounds of a hospital they say Hamas is using as cover. Officials say Israel is targeting civilians in an inhuman assault. Click HERE to listen and read. Click HERE for report from AP .

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Israel detains director of one of last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinians say, by Wafaa Shurafa and Sam Mednick | AP  DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s army detained the director of one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza as overnight strikes in the enclave killed nine people including children, Palestinian medical officials said, while sirens rang out across Israel. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for report from Middle East Eye and Anadolu Agency.

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Gaza children freezing to death amid Israeli blockade, warns UNRWA chief, by Rasa Evrensel | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — The commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that children in Gaza are freezing to death due to the cold weather and a severe lack of shelter. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Dec. 26 report from Middle East Eye.

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The 10 best Middle Eastern and North African films of 2024, by Joseph Fahim | Middle East Eye  Not since the Arab Spring has Middle Eastern cinema felt so pertinent, so immediate, so insubordinate – be it in their inventive, challenging forms or truculent politics. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radion; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entry for this date are HERE and HERE.)

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FROM DEC. 26  An uneasy calm settles over Syrian city of Homs after outbreak of sectarian violence, by Abby Sewell | AP  HOMS, Syria — Syria’s new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs on Thursday, a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country’s fragile peace could break down. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 27  Visiting the market in the old city of Damascus, once inaccessible to many Syrians. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  A visit to the souk in the old city in the Syrian capital of Damascus tell us a lot about the state of the country’s current economy. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to four reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent, and to a book review from Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entry for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM 

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Russia says it thwarted plot to kill officer and a blogger. From Reuters. Russia’s Federal Security Service said today it had foiled a plot by Ukraine to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger with a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker. READ MORE . . .

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Bloodied Ukrainian troops risk losing more hard-won land in Kursk to Russia, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied and demoralized by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk, a region some want to hold at all costs while others question the value of having gone in at all. READ MORE . . .

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Russia says battlegroups North, Dnepr cause Ukraine to lose up to 160 troops over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian army lost more than 160 servicemen, three radio-electronic warfare stations and a field ammunition depot as a result of operations by the battlegroups North and Dnepr, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a broader daily bulletin of the special military operation. READ MORE . . .

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2024: Ukraine in photos and words, by Viacheslav Ratynskyi, Irynka Hromotsks, and a number of photographers | The Kyiv Independent  [Life in Ukraine during this year of war is summarized in 42 photographs and 15 paragraphs.] Click HERE for article and photos.

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A new sketchy history of independent Ukraine, by Bohdan Nahaylo | Kyiv Post  When I heard that my former longtime friend Adrian Karatnycky was completing a history of contemporary Ukraine, I was thrilled and eagerly awaited getting my hands on the book. Like me . . . READ MORE . . .