For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio and Common Dreams, and to commentary from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on the sources’ names and initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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UN chief says parties to Gaza war ‘trampling’ on international law. From Reuters. DAVOS, Switzerland — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today that parties to the conflict in Gaza were “trampling” on international law and urged them to implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. “The world is standing by as civilians, mostly women and children . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hostages and residents in Gaza are set to receive medicines as Israel-Hamas war rages on, by Jajib Jobain, Samy Magdy and Melanie Lidman | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — A shipment of medicine for dozens of hostages held by Hamas was en route to Gaza today after France and Qatar mediated the first agreement between Israel and the . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  France says accusing Israel of genocide ‘crosses moral threshold.’ From AFP. France does not back a case against Israel at the UN’s top court accusing the country of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said today. “The notion of genocide cannot be exploited for . . . READ MORE . . .

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The tiny Persian Gulf nation of Qatar occupies a big role on the world stage. Leila Fadel of NPR talks with Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, about how Qatar has become a bridge between the West and its adversaries. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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The U.S has repeatedly fired missiles into Yemen. What does it hope to accomplish? Reported by Michel Martin and Greg Myre | NPR  The U.S. is responding to Houthi rebels who’ve attacked ships in the Red Sea. The exchange is seen as a widening of the Mideast conflict because Houthis say they’re responding to the Israel-Hamas war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Australian journalist fired after Israel lobby push, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams / Consortium News  Leaked text messages obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday show that the government-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation fired radio host Antoinette Lattouf last month following a pressure campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists. Lattouf, a Lebanese-Australian journalist who was working in a short-term contract position . . . READ MORE . . .

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Senate kills Sanders resolution requiring Biden to report on Israeli human rights conduct in Gaza, by Brett Wilkins   | Common Dreams  The United States Senate on Tuesday evening voted overwhelmingly to table a resolution by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have required the Biden administration to promptly report on Israel’s human rights practices during its war on Gaza, which is currently the subject of an International Criminal Court genocide case. Sanders (I-Vt.) had attempted to force a . . . READ MORE . . .

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Technicality could sink genocide case v. Israel, by Joe Lauria | Consortium News   In order for a claim to reach the International Court of Justice, there must be an established dispute between two states. Israel’s argument is that such a dispute was never established and thus the ICJ lacks jurisdiction to hear South Africa’s claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and must be stopped. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, Tass, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Reuters; others articles are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE). — MCM

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Top NATO military officer urges allies and leaders to plan for the unexpected in Ukraine, by Lorne Cook | AP  BRUSSELS — Ukraine is locked in an existential battle for its survival almost two years into its war with Russia and Western armies and political leaders must drastically change the way they help it fend off invading forces, a top NATO military officer said today. At . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian missiles hit Ukrainian apartment buildings and injure 17 in latest strikes on civilian areas, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia fired two missiles at Kharkiv during the night, hitting apartment buildings and a medical center and injuring 17 people in the city in northeastern Ukraine, officials said today, in Moscow’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says downed 19 Russian drones overnight. From the Moscow Times. Kyiv said today that Russia had launched 20 Iranian-designed attack drones at targets in southern Ukraine overnight and that its air defense systems destroyed all but one. “The enemy . . . READ MORE . . .

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West scales up training of Ukrainian troops — White House. From Tass.  GENEVA — The U.S.-led Western coalition is scaling up its effort to train members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. “The United States and our partners will continue to stand with them. We’re . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian combat units suffer brutal losses in Dnipro bridgehead battles, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Now, after more than three months, if you look at a battle map, Ukraine’s assault crossing of the Dnipro River seems to have stagnated — but on the ground there are daily, pitiless battles.According to accounts from both sides, Ukrainian Marines are deeply dug in and, backed by masses of strike drones, are firmly . . . READ MORE . . .

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F-16s for Ukraine: When will they arrive and what can they do? by Dinara Khalilova | The Kyiv Independent  The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American air superiority fighter that Kyiv has begged for since the start of the full-scale invasion and is expected to finally start receiving this year. It’s a . . . READ MORE . . .

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How one officer class offers a glimpse into Russia’s military amid Ukraine war, by Maria Tsvetkova, Polina Nikolskaya and Anton Zverev | Reuters  The Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School has existed for over a century. Around 170 of its graduates have been awarded the “Hero of the Soviet Union” or “Hero of Russia” medals, the highest military honour. Most of the class of 2016 . . . READ MORE . . .

First, a link to an article from Consortium News written in the spring of 2023 by the Australian journalist and filmmaker John Pilger, who died at the end of December at age 84. Then, via CN, a link to an article from Declassified UK. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM 

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The coming war — It’s time to speak up, by John Pilger | Consortium News  I am writing this on April 30, 2023,  the anniversary of the last day of the longest war of the 20th century, in Vietnam, which I reported. I was very young when I arrived in Saigon and I learned a great deal. I learned to recognise the distinctive drone of . . . READ MORE . . .

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UK secretly plotted to discredit John Pilger, by John McEvoy
| Declassified UK / Consortium News  Recently declassified files show how the U.K. government covertly monitored Australian journalist John Pilger, and sought to discredit him by encouraging media contacts to attack him in the press. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, the U.K. government monitored his activities and plotted to launch counter-measures against him. The . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a PILGER entry are HERE and HERE.)  — MCM

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UN agency chiefs say Gaza needs more aid to arrive faster, warning of famine and disease, by Najib Jobain, Samy Magdy and Tia Goldenberg | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Gaza urgently needs more aid or its desperate population will suffer widespread famine and disease, the heads of three major U.N. agencies warned Monday, as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas appears to show dead bodies of two hostages after warning Israel, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Fadi Shana and Ari Rabinovitch | Reuters  DOHA / GAZA / JERUSALEM — Hamas appeared to show the dead bodies of two Israeli hostages on Monday after warning Israel they might be killed if it did not stop its bombardment of Gaza. A new video released by the Palestinian militant group purportedly showed the bodies of Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Itai Svirsky, 38, who . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas fights with a patchwork of weapons built by Iran, China, Russia and North Korea, by Michael Biesecker | AP  An Associated Press analysis of more than 150 videos and photos taken in the three months of combat since . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Kyiv Independent, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, and Reuters; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a PILGER entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Kharkiv Oblast expands mandatory evacuation order, by Elsa Court and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  A mandatory evacuation order for families with children has been expanded to 26 more villages near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced today. The villages . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. envoy says frozen Russian assets could be ‘easy’ Ukraine funding. From AFP.  The U.S. special envoy for Ukraine’s economic recovery said Monday that tapping frozen Russian assets would be an “easy” source of money for Kyiv, but G7 countries must first agree . . . READ MORE . . .

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Blinken promises Zelensky U.S. will sustain support for Ukraine. From AFP. Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised sustained U.S. support for Ukraine in a meeting today with President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite a row in the U.S. Congress on approving new funding. “We . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy takes center stage in Davos as he tries to rally support for Ukraine’s fight, by Jamey Keaten | AP  DAVOS, Switzerland — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is headlining a frenzied first full day of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘It’s their turn now’: Ukrainians call on government to demobilize exhausted soldiers fighting for nearly two years, by Alexander Query| The Kyiv Independent  Over a hundred women braved a snowstorm in early December to gather in central Kyiv’s Independence Square and call on the government to demobilize their relatives who have . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine drone attack injures two children in Russia’s Voronezh. From Reuters. VORONEZH, Russia — A state of emergency was declared in the southern Russian city of Voronezh today after a Ukrainian drone attack wounded a 6-year-old boy and a young girl, officials . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, National Public Radio and the Associated Press, followed by commentary via Consortium News and Popular Resistance; 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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Israel pounds targets across Gaza, awaits Hamas word on three hostages, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi,Fadi Shana and Dan Williams | Reuters  DOHA / GAZA / JERUSALEM — Israeli forces bombarded targets in the south, north and centre of Gaza today ahead of an expected announcement by Hamas on the fate of three Israelis held hostage by the Palestinian militant group shown in a video clip at the weekend. Twelve . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 14. After 100 days of war, Israel is determined to fight on in Gaza. Reported by Carrie Kahn and Becky Sullivan | NPR  TEL AVIV, Israel — Since Oct. 7, the day that fighters from the militant group Hamas burst across Israel’s southern border, Israeli officials have vowed not to stop fighting until Hamas has been destroyed. The attackers . . . READ MORE . . .

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White House says ‘it’s the right time’ for Israel to scale back Gaza war as fighting hits 100 days, by Josef Federman, Samy Magdy and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  JERUSALEM — The White House said Sunday “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group. The comments exposed the growing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel, Gaza and the world marked 100 days of fighting since Oct. 7 attack. Reported by A Martínez and Lauren Frayer | NPR  It was a somber moment remembering the 23,000 people killed in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel which killed 1,200 people last October. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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The fate of many hostages taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7 remains unclear. A Martínez of NPR talks with Moshe Lavi, whose brother-in-law has been held captive by Hamas for 100 days. Lavi met last week in Washington with congressional leadership to advocate for hostages’ release. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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Your man in The Hague — Day 2, by Craig Murray | craigmurray.com.uk / Consortium News  As with the South African case, according to court procedure the Israeli case was introduced on Friday by their “agent”, permanently accredited to the court, Tal Becker of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He opened with . . . READ MORE . . .

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The IDF’s war crimes are a perfect reflection of Israeli society. Chris Hitchens of The Real News Network interviews author and former Israeli Special Forces member Miko Peled on Israel as “a settler colonial state whose existence depends on the elimination of Palestinians . . . whose citizens are raised in an environment of historical revisionism and indoctrination that whitewashes Israel’s crimes while cultivating . . .” Click HERE for video and transcript..

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, Agence France-Presse, the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Post, and Tass; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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United Nations seeks $4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine and refugees this year. From AP. BERLIN — The United Nations appealed today for $4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine and displaced outside the country this year, saying that people on the front lines have “exhausted their meager resources” and many refugees also are vulnerable. About three-quarters of the total, $3.1 billion, is meant . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Don’t forget Ukraine,’ UN urges in aid funding appeal, by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | Reuters  GENEVA — The United Nations appealed for $4.2 billion from donors today to support war-ravaged communities in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in 2024, as war rages nearly two years on from Russia’s invasion. “Please . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky arrives in Switzerland for World Economic Forum, talks with Swiss leaders, by Dinara Khalilova | The Kyiv Independent  President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 15 he had arrived in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and meet with top Swiss officials. Zelensky’s visit comes a day after national security advisors from 80 countries gathered in Davos for the. . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine air force says downed two Russian command aircraft. From AFP. Ukraine said today it had downed two Russian military command aircraft over the Azov Sea, saying it had carried out a “successful” mission against Moscow’s forces. The Azov Sea lies between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow controls its entire coast after seizing . . . READ MORE . . .

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’No information’ about command aircraft reportedly destroyed over Azov Sea – Kremlin. From the Moscow Times. The Kremlin said today it has “no information” about Russian military aircraft that Ukraine claims to have shot down over the Azov Sea. Ukraine’s top general Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced earlier today that a Russian A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and an Il-22 aerial command center had been . . . READ MORE . . .

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A quick guide to Russia’s downed A-50 and Ilyushin Il-22M command planes, by Christopher Stewart | Kyiv Post  Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate has confirmed two high-value Russian airborne command aircraft were shot down on Sunday evening, cutting into the Kremlin’s ability to see the situation in the air. Such aircraft are considered . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kiev’s forces boost number of targeted attacks on DPR’s civilian infrastructure — official. From Tass. DONETSK — The Ukrainian military has increased the number of targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure facilities in the Donetsk People’s Republic, as well as attacks on Emergencies Ministry staff, regional public services and ambulance workers arriving to aid those affected, according to DPR Head Denis Pushilin. “Unfortunately . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and National Public Radio; 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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NEWER  Missile from Lebanon kills 2 Israeli civilians as Israel-Hamas war rages for 100th day, by Melanie Lidman, Samy Magdy and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  JERUSALEM — An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon hit a home in northern Israel today, killing two civilians and renewing concerns about the risk of a second front erupting in the Israel-Hamas war. The deadly strike near the border came . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Fierce fighting in Gaza as war hits 100 days, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Fadi Shana | Reuters  DOHA / GAZA — Israeli tanks and aircraft hit targets in southern and central Gaza today and there were fierce gun battles in some areas as the war reached 100 days since the Oct. 7 attack led by gunmen from the Islamist Hamas movement. Communications and internet services were down for the third day . . . READ MORE . . .

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100 days of war: 23,000 killed in Gaza, with over 60% of homes destroyed. Reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Aya Batrawy | NPR  Since Israel’s war with Hamas began in Gaza almost 100 days ago, more than 1 percent of the population has been killed. Most of the dead are women and children, according to Gaza health officials. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JAN. 13  Israeli lawmaker on the U.N. genocide case against Israel. Andrew Limbong of NPR speaks with Ofer Cassif, a member of Israel’s parliament, about his support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel’s government at the International Court of Justice. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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NEWER  83 countries hold Ukraine peace talks. From AFP. More than 80 countries were holding talks today seeking common ground on Ukraine’s peace formula, as the Swiss co-hosts admitted that being ready to include Russia remains some way off. National security advisors from . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s ally China needed to end Ukraine war — Swiss diplomat, by Victoria Waldersee and Dmitry Zhdannikov | Reuters  DAVOS, Switzerland — China needs to be involved in efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, Switzerland’s co-chair of a meeting of top diplomats to prepare the ground for a peace plan said today. China was not represented at the gathering of national security advisers . . . READ MORE . . .

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Estonian PM: ‘Our taxpayers shouldn’t pay for damages caused by Russia,’ by Toma Istomina | The Kyiv Independent  Estonia has been one of Ukraine’s most reliable allies since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The small Baltic country of 1.3 million people bordering Russia has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian ammo depot near Kharkov Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian servicemen have destroyed a Ukrainian ammunition depot near Volchansk in the Kharkov Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “In addition . . . READ MORE . . .