For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others 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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Zelenskyy heads to Baltic countries in pursuit of more support against Russia. From AP. KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived today in Lithuania ahead of visits to Estonia and Latvia, as Ukraine seeks more help to bolster its air defenses amid Russia’s intensified missile and drone onslaughts. The focus of his trip, he said, will be security concerns, Ukraine’s hopes to join the European Union and NATO, and building partnerships in drone production and . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Western hesitation on aid to Ukraine helps Putin – Zelensky. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today warned that any delays in Western aid to Kyiv emboldened the Kremlin, almost two years into Russia’s invasion. Zelensky was in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius as part of a surprise visit. “He [Russian President . . . READ MORE . . .

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Number of heavily wounded Ukrainian soldiers up by 30% — ABC. From Tass. NEW YORK — The number of heavily wounded Ukrainian soldiers grew by 30% over the past few weeks, the ABC television reported citing a Ukrainian doctor. Sergey Ryzhenko, a chief doctor of a hospital in the city of Dnepr (formerly Dnepropetrovsk), said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian official says children evacuated from Belgorod following attacks, by Nate Ostiller | The Kyiv Independent. Russian authorities evacuated 93 children from the western city of Belgorod after an alleged Ukrainian attack on the city, Belgorod Oblast governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said today. Late Monday he claimed Russian air defenses downed 10 aerial targets over Belgorod, resulting in . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, followed by commentary via Consortium News from Truthout and MintPress News, and via Popular Resistance from CN; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a PILGER entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Blinken seeks Palestinian governance reform for postwar Gaza as deadly Israeli strikes continue, by Matthew Lee, Najib Jobain and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to President Mahmoud Abbas today about reforming the Palestinian self-rule government, as part of U.S. efforts to rally the region behind postwar plans for Gaza that . . . READ MORE. . .

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Despair in Gaza as fighting intensifies despite promise to scale down war, by Mohammed Salem, Simon Lewis and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  GAZA / RAMALLAH / DOHA — Israeli strikes in southern and central Gaza intensified on Wednesday despite a pledge by Israel that it would pull out some troops and shift to a more targeted campaign, and pleading from its ally Washington to kill fewer civilians. Israel has said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel worried ahead of World Court genocide hearings, by Marjorie Cohn | Truthout  / Consortium News  For nearly three months, Israel has enjoyed virtual impunity for its atrocious crimes against the Palestinian people. That changed on Dec. 29 when South Africa, a state party to the Genocide Convention, filed an 84-page application in the International Court of Justice (ICJ, or World Court) alleging . . . READ MORE . . .

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Spark that lit the fire: Untold story of Oct 7 attacks, by Ramzy Baroud | MintPress News / Consortium News  The events in Palestine starting on Oct. 7 have taken many people by surprise. However, attentive observers were not among them. Few expected that Palestinian fighters would be parachuting into southern Israel on Oct. 7; that instead of capturing a single Israeli soldier — as done in 2006 — hundreds of Israelis, including many soldiers and civilians, would . . . READ MORE . . . 

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The spectacular failure of the Zionist project, by Stefan Moore | Consortium News / PopularResistance  I grew up viewing the State of Israel as an unfortunate fait accompli and accepting that the two-state solution was probably the best that could be hoped for. Since then, I have concluded that the creation of a Jewish state was a catastrophic mistake and that Zionist Israel has relinquished . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to an article based on an address delivered at the Trondheim World Festival, Norway. Dated Sept. 7, 2022, and republished two days ago by Consortium News. It is by the Australian journalist, writer, scholar and documentary filmmaker John Pilger, who died Dec. 30 at age 84. — MCM

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Silencing the lambs: How propaganda works

By John Pilger

In the 1970s, I met one of Hitler’s leading propagandists, Leni Riefenstahl, whose epic films glorified the Nazis. We happened to be staying at the same lodge in Kenya, where she was on a photography assignment, having escaped the fate of other friends of the Führer.

She told me that the “patriotic messages” of her films were dependent not on “orders from above” but on what she called the “submissive void” of the German public.

Did that include the liberal, educated bourgeoisie? I asked.  “Yes, especially them,” she said. 

I think of this as I look around at the propaganda now consuming Western societies. 

Of course, we are very different from Germany in the 1930s. We live in information societies. We are globalists. We have never been more aware, more in touch, better connected. 

Or do we in the West live in a Media Society where brainwashing is insidious and relentless, and perception is filtered according to the needs and lies of state and corporate power? 

The United States dominates the Western world’s media. All but one of the top 10 media companies are based in North America. The internet and social media – Google, Twitter, Facebook – are mostly American owned and controlled.

In my lifetime, the United States . . . 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 is HERE.)  — MCM

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In Israel, Blinken looks to planning for post-war Gaza as bombardment, fighting continue to rage, by Matthew Lee, Najib Jobain and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced tough talks with Israeli leaders on Gaza’s post-war future today, while Israel’s military pushed ahead with its offensive in the beleaguered territory. Heavy bombardment and fighting shook refugee camps, sending Palestinians scrambling to find safety and hampering . . . READ MORE. . .

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Blinken carries Arab message to Israel: keep hope of Palestinian state alive, by Arafat Barbakh, Simon Lewis and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  TEL AVIV — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his latest mission to rein in the Gaza war, told Israeli leaders today there was still a chance of winning acceptance from their Arab neighbours, if they create a path to a viable Palestinian state. On his fourth trip to the region since October in a . . . READ MORE . . .

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Secretary of State Blinken makes his 4th trip to Israel since war with Hamas began. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Jackie Northam | NPR  Antony Blinken is meeting with Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv as part of his Mideast visit aimed at containing the war in Gaza, and preventing a wider conflict. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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How does the public view the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine? Michel Martin of NPR speaks with Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland about his polling on the Trump indictment, Zionism and antisemitism, and the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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

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Intensified Russian airstrikes are stretching Ukraine’s air defense resources, officials say, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia’s recent escalation of missile and drone attacks is stretching Ukraine’s air defense resources, a Ukrainian air force official said today, leaving the country vulnerable in the 22-month war unless it can secure further weapons supplies. “Intense Russian air attacks force us . . . READ MORE . . .

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More than 1,000 Ukrainian towns lose power due to extreme winter weather, by Olena Harmash | Reuters  KYIV — Ukraine’s power grid operator said today severe winter weather left more than 1,000 towns and villages without electricity in nine regions and urged residents to conserve power as the energy system has been weakened by Russian strikes. Electricity consumption . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia launches another mass attack against Ukraine, kills 4, injures 45, by Daria Shulzhenko and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Russian troops launched another mass missile and drone attack against Ukraine on Monday, killing at least four people and injuring 45. Casualties and damages to civilian infrastructure were reported in Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv oblasts. READ MORE . . .

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Woman killed in Ukrainian shelling of Russian village. From the Moscow Times. A woman was killed by Ukrainian shelling in western Russia’s Kursk region, authorities said today. She was at least the 10th civilian in the Kursk region to have been killed since Moscow invaded Ukraine invaded . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia to focus on provisioning of troops. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia maintains strategic initiative in Ukraine and will focus on all-round provisioning of its forces, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a conference call with top military brass. He said. . . READ MORE . . .

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How does the public view the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine? Michel Martin of NPR speaks with Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland about his polling on the Trump indictment, Zionism and antisemitism, and the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio, followed by a link via ScheerPost to commentary from Common Dreams; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli airstrike kills a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, an official says, by Karem Chehayeb | AP  BEIRUT — A Lebanese security official said today that an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed a senior commander of the militant group Hezbollah. The assassination comes as clashes between Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and the Israeli military along the Lebanon-Israel border . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli strike on Lebanon kills senior commander in elite Hezbollah unit. From Reuters.  BEIRUT, Jan 8 (Reuters) – An Israeli strike on south Lebanon on Monday killed a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, three security sources told Reuters. The security sources identified him as Wissam al-Tawil, the deputy head of a unit within . . . READ MORE , , , 

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Besides Israel’s war in Gaza, there’s a possible wider front with Lebanon. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Lauren Frayer | NPR  People in northern Israel are living through a low-level war. Israeli troops are trading fire with Hezbollah in nearby Lebanon. What’s adding to the risk of a wider conflict? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Blinken brings U.S. push on post-war Gaza planning and stopping conflict to UAE and Saudi Arabia, by Matthew Lee | AP  ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has opened his third day of meetings on an urgent Mideast diplomatic mission to prevent Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza from exploding into a broader regional conflict. He met today with United Arab Emirates leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed before traveling . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. foreign policy is a scam built on corruption, by Jeffrey D. Sachs | Common Dreams / ScheerPost  On the surface, U.S. foreign policy seems to be utterly irrational. The U.S. gets into one disastrous war after another — Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and Gaza. In recent days, the U.S. stands globally isolated in . . .  READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, Tass, and National Public Radio, followed by a link via ScheerPost to commentary from Common Dreams; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Four killed in combined Russian air strike on Ukraine, by Dan Peleschuk and Pavel Polityuk | Reuters  KYIV — Russia sent dozens of missiles across Ukraine early today, killing at least four civilians and hitting residential areas and commercial sites in its latest combined air attack, Ukrainian authorities said. Local officials said two . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Battlegroup West thwarts four Ukrainian army attacks — Russia . From Tass. MOSCOW. Motor rifle units of the Russian Battlegroup West thwarted four attacks of Ukrainian army assault teams in the Kupyansk direction, battlegroup spokesman Sergey Zybinsky told Tass. The Ukrainian army . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hundreds of Nepalese men moved to Russia to join in its fight against Ukraine. Reported by Shalu Yadav | NPR  Participating in a far-flung war comes at a heavy cost. Ten Nepalese men have died, and more than a hundred are missing. Families blame local recruiters for Russia’s army. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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U.S. foreign policy is a scam built on corruption, by Jeffrey D. Sachs| Common Dreams/ ScheerPost  On the surface, U.S. foreign policy seems to be utterly irrational. The U.S. gets into one disastrous war after another — Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and Gaza. In recent days, the U.S. stands globally isolated in . . .  READ MORE . . .

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, followed by a link to a conversation from ScheerPost; other news and commentary are accessible by clicking on the sources’ names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM 

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NEWER  Son of veteran correspondent is the fifth member of his family killed by Israeli strikes on Gaza, by Najib Jobain and Samy Magdy | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — An apparent Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinian journalists in southern Gaza today, including the son of veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Wael Dahdouh, who lost his wife, two other children and a grandson — and was nearly killed himself — earlier in the war. Hamza Dahdouh, who was also working for Al Jazeera, and Mustafa Tharaya, a freelance journalist, were killed when . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Israeli strike kills two Palestinian journalists in Gaza, officials say. From Reuters. CAIRO — An Israeli air strike on a car near Rafah in southern Gaza today killed two Palestinian journalists who were out reporting, according to health officials in Gaza and the journalists’ union there. Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya were both freelancers. Al-Dahdouh had done freelance work for Al Jazeera and was the son of the Qatar-based TV station’s chief correspondent in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh. A third . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel signals it has wrapped up major combat in northern Gaza as the war enters its fourth month, by Julia Frankel, Samy Magdy and Najib Jobain | AP  JERUSALEM — The Israeli military signaled that it has wrapped up major combat in northern Gaza, saying it has completed dismantling Hamas’ military infrastructure there, as the war against the militant group entered its fourth month today. The military did not address troop . . . READ MORE . . .

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All eyes are on the Israel-Lebanon border after the killing of a Hamas leader in Beirut. Reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Lauren Frayer | NPR  The latest from the Israel-Lebanon border, where tensions have been rising after a Hamas leader was killed in Beirut last week and Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets into Israel on Saturday. Click HERE to listen and, later, read

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A series of attacks in the Middle East this past week are raising alarms. Ayesha Rascoe of NPR speaks to Firas Maksad, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute about the increasing volatility in the Middle East after high-profile attacks in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read

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The imprisonment of the Palestinian people was not an act of God. Robert Scheer of ScheerPost talks with retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern two or three days ago about the context for and developments in the war in Palestine — and to a less extent the same for the war in Ukraine. Click HERE for an intro, the video, and a transcript.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and the Associated Press, and to reporting and commentary from the Berkshire Eagle; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.)— MCM

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Russia launches 28 drones, three missiles at Ukraine, Ukraine’s air force says. From Reuters. Russia launched 28 attack drones and three cruise missiles at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force said today, adding that its air defence systems destroyed 21 of the drones. It said Russia targeted mainly the south and east of . . . READ MORE . . .  

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Russian air defense intercepts 14 MLRS rockets, 6 Neptune missiles in 24 hours. From Tass.  MOSCOW — In the past 24 hours, Russian air defense systems intercepted 14 HIMARS and Uragan multiple launch rocket munitions, 6 Neptune anti-ship missiles and 38 Ukrainian drones, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The drones were destroyed near the settlements . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 6  Russia’s Belgorod cancels Orthodox Christmas masses amid rocket attacks. From AFP. Russian authorities said Saturday they would cancel Orthodox Christmas midnight masses in the city of Belgorod, a day after some residents were offered to relocate to safety following an unprecedented wave of rocket attacks. Western Russia’s Belgorod and its capital city have been hit with near-daily Ukrainian attacks over the past . . . READ MORE . . .

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Polish farmers suspend their blockade at the Ukrainian border after a deal with the government. From AP. WARSAW — Polish farmers who had blockaded a border crossing to Ukraine ended their protest after reaching an agreement with the government that met their demands, Poland’s state news agency PAP said Saturday. Since November, both farmers and truckers have been blockading border crossings, threatening the flow of some aid going . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fin de regime gala? An elite party spurs a spat in Moscow, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  In Moscow, a ticket to the “Almost Naked” party cost $11,000 — the same amount as a signing bonus to join the army. President Vladimir Putin’s problem is that he designed his war have a minimal impact on Moscow and St. Petersburg. To fight it, draft boards have press-ganged peripheral people — ethnic minorities, Buddhists, Muslims, migrant . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED