South Korea: Man gets 14-month jail term for praising North in poem (www.bbc.com)
US says Somali pirates likely behind attempted tanker seizure near Yemen (www.aljazeera.com)
Ukraine spy chief's wife Marianna Budanova ill in suspected poisoning (www.bbc.com)
The wife of Ukraine’s spy chief, Lt Gen Kyrylo Budanov, is being treated in hospital for suspected poisoning with heavy metals, a Ukrainian intelligence source has confirmed to the BBC....
Sunak cancels Greek PM meeting in Elgin Marbles row - BBC News (www.bbc.com)
Paris mayor quits X, calling social media site a ‘gigantic global sewer’ (www.theguardian.com)
Anne Hidalgo, whose opponents have used the platform to criticise her, citied disinformation and antisemitism as reasons for leaving...
North Korea cites rare dissent in elections even as 99% back candidates (www.reuters.com)
North Korea on Tuesday made a rare mention of dissenting votes in recent elections, although analysts dismissed it as an attempt to portray an image of a normal society rather than signalling any meaningful increase of rights in the authoritarian state....
Portugal just ran on 100 percent renewables for six days in a row (grist.org)
For nearly a week, the country of 10 million met customer needs with wind, hydro and solar — a test run for operating the grid without fossil fuels....
Gynaecologist charged in Poland with helping patients obtain abortions | Notes From Poland (notesfrompoland.com)
US aircraft carrier Eisenhower crosses Strait of Hormuz, enters Gulf waters (www.aa.com.tr)
Upskirting and cyber-flashing laws come into effect in Northern Ireland (www.bbc.com)
How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October (www.bbc.co.uk)
Northeast China unusually cold as temperatures dip to January levels (www.reuters.com)
Myanmar Junta Continues to Suffer Defeats a Month Into Operation 1027 (www.irrawaddy.com)
Revealed: Saudi Arabia’s grand plan to ‘hook’ poor countries on oil (www.theguardian.com)
Exodus: Tens of Thousands Flee as Myanmar Junta Troops Face Last Stand in Kokang (www.irrawaddy.com)
New video shows trapped laborers alive in Himalayan tunnel but rescue still no closer (edition.cnn.com)
The first images of dozens of men trapped inside a collapsed Himalayan tunnel have emerged, as a complex and frustrating operation to free them enters its tenth day....
Israelis Hijack Hamas.com, Turning It Into a Display of October 7 Atrocities (www.haaretz.com)
Haaretz.com
Russian court extends detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich until end of January (apnews.com)
A court in Moscow on Tuesday extended the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, until Jan. 30, Russian news agencies reported....
Qatar Says Israel and Hamas Agree to Extend Truce (www.nytimes.com)
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli government. Under the initial deal, mediated by Qatar, Israel said it would consider a longer truce if Hamas released more hostages.
Tobacco firm calls for tougher rules on vapes (www.bbc.com)
Intercepted calls from the front lines in Ukraine show a growing number of Russian soldiers want out (apnews.com)
In audio intercepts from the front lines in Ukraine, Russian soldiers speak in shorthand of 200s to mean dead, 300s to mean wounded. The urge to flee has become common enough that they also talk of 500s — people who refuse to fight....
Winter isn't coming: climate change hits Greek olive crop (phys.org)
Bild: US, Germany quietly seek to prod Ukraine to negotiate (kyivindependent.com)
KyivIndependent.com