Israel Expands Operations in Southern Gaza Amid Worsening Humanitarian Crisis (www.wsj.com)
Israeli forces expanded their military operations in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, intensifying efforts to kill Hamas’s top leadership, as aid agencies said the areas to which Israel has directed Palestinians to evacuate were increasingly overcrowded, short on resources and hit by Israeli strikes....
Israeli officials: Qatar says Hamas "agreed in principle" to resume hostage deal talks (www.axios.com)
Qatari mediators told Israel that Hamas has “agreed in principle” to resume talks on a new deal to secure the release of around three dozen hostages held in Gaza in return for up to several weeks of a halt in fighting, three Israeli officials said.
Screams Without Words’: How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7 (www.nytimes.com)
Indonesia: Crowd Storms Rohingya Shelter Demanding Refugees Be Deported (www.eurasiareview.com)
The campaign against the Rohingya was fueled by misinformation and propaganda on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, where fake accounts and anti-refugee posts have gone viral....
Russia fires 122 missiles and 36 drones in what Ukraine calls the biggest aerial barrage of the war (apnews.com)
Russia launched 122 missiles and 36 drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 18 civilians across the country in what an air force official said was the biggest aerial barrage of the 22-month war....
US, Israel discuss 'different phase' of war (www.news24.com)
A rebel group in the Indian state of Assam signs a peace accord with the government (www.ctvnews.ca)
NEW DELHI - A rebel group that fought for decades to free India’s northeastern state of Assam from New Delhi’s rule on Friday signed a peace accord with the government pledging to end the insurgency in the region....
Hamas Goes to Cairo to Consider Egyptian Peace Proposal (www.voanews.com)
A delegation of high-level Hamas officials is expected in Cairo on Friday, where they will consider an Egyptian peace proposal designed to bring an end to the war between Hamas and Israel....
US military launches secretive X-37B robot spaceplane on mysterious high-orbit mission (m.timesofindia.com)
Ukraine war: Wave of Russian air strikes reported across Ukraine (www.bbc.co.uk)
Ukraine F-16 Speculation Mounts as Russia Loses 8 Fighter Jets in 3 Weeks (www.newsweek.com)
Israel receives 230 planes, 20 ships loaded with US arms amid Gaza war (www.aa.com.tr)
Media Repression: UN slams media 'repression' in Guinea (m.timesofindia.com)
Storm Gerrit: Storm Gerrit disrupts trains and leaves thousands without power as it batters northern UK (m.timesofindia.com)
Low-quality shells supplied to Russia by North Korea are injuring its own troops and damaging artillery, Ukraine says (www.businessinsider.com)
Vijayakanth laid to rest with full state honours in Chennai (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
China deletes leaked stats showing plunging birth rate for 2023 (www.rfa.org)
While official figures won’t be confirmed until Jan. 17, the Mother and Infant Daily news service said 7.88 million babies were born across China 2023, 1.68 million fewer than in 2022.