LGBTQ+ Palestinians can request asylum in Israel, court rules (www.jpost.com)
About 200,000 people protest across Germany against far-right AfD party (www.theguardian.com)
About 200,000 people have taken to the streets of Germany in further protests against the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD)....
Israeli army occupies Gaza homes – then burns them down (www.haaretz.com)
Israeli soldiers have begun in recent weeks to set fire to homes in the Gaza Strip, following direct orders from their commanders, without the necessary legal permission to do so, according to information obtained by Haaretz....
Evergrande's liquidation could derail the Chinese economy and have global effects (www.abc.net.au)
A Hong Kong court has ordered one of China’s biggest property developers, Evergrande Group, to liquidate after it was unable to reach a restructuring deal with creditors over hundreds of billions of dollars it owes....
Document spells out allegations against 12 UN employees Israel says participated in Hamas attack (apnews.com)
The allegations against staffers with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees prompted Western countries to freeze funds vital for the body, which is a lifeline for desperate Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. fired nine of the 12 accused workers and condemned “the abhorrent alleged acts” of staff members....
Gazans call for Hamas overthrow, flee through IDF humanitarian corridor (www.jpost.com)
Germany unearths pro-Russia disinformation campaign on X (www.theguardian.com)
Saudi Arabia opens its first-ever alcohol store — but it's only accessible to a select group (www.cnbc.com)
Saudi Arabia has opened its first alcohol store in the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh, two sources told CNBC....
North Korean defectors to South tripled in 2023, Seoul says (www.theguardian.com)
Germany says will intervene at The Hague on Israel’s behalf, blasts genocide charge (www.timesofisrael.com)
Hamas Fighting With Top-Grade Chinese Weapons in Gaza, Says Israel (www.businessinsider.com)
Ukraine Awaits Delivery Of First F-16 Jets In Coming Days As Kyiv Seeks To Counter Russian Air Superiority (www.rferl.org)
KYIV – Ukraine will likely receive it first shipment of advanced F-16s in the next few days, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a phone call as Kyiv seeks to disrupt Russia’s air superiority over Ukrainian skies amid continued battles on December 23 in the east and south of the country....
EU countries destroy €4B worth of COVID vaccines (www.politico.eu)
Sudan Is Unraveling as the World Looks Away (time.com)
A brutal war since April has left at least 10,000 dead and displaced 6 million but remains a mere footnote on the international agenda.
British warship shoots down suspected attack drone over Red Sea (www.independent.co.uk)
The HMS Diamond shot down the drone - the first time in decades that the Royal Navy has taken out an aerial target in anger...
Nearly half of the Israeli munitions dropped on Gaza are imprecise ‘dumb bombs,’ US intelligence assessment finds (www.cnn.com)
Nearly half of the air-to-ground munitions that Israel has used in Gaza in its war with Hamas since October 7 have been unguided, otherwise known as “dumb bombs,” according to a new US intelligence assessment.
Russia 'paying off' soldiers' wives to silence anti-war dissent before election (inews.co.uk)
Hamas Claims youngest Israeli hostage Kfir Bibas has died alongside his mother and brother (news.sky.com)
Hamas has claimed its youngest hostage - a 10-month-old boy - has been killed along with his four-year-old brother and their mother....
Angry elephant herd crushes car of Malaysian family after it hits calf crossing road (www.independent.co.uk)
Hundreds of exhausted nurses quit Swiss hospital jobs each month (www.swissinfo.ch)
Hamas tunnel found at Gaza's Al Shifa hospital, says Israel; UN aid halted (www.reuters.com)
Ex-USAID director in Gaza says it was well known Hamas used Shifa Hospital, traveled in ambulances (www.timesofisrael.com)
Ukrainian military officer coordinated Nord Stream pipeline attack (www.washingtonpost.com)
Roman Chervinsky, a colonel in Ukraine’s special operations forces, was integral to the brazen sabotage operation of the Russia-Germany pipeline, say people familiar with the planning.
In very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative US bishop Strickland (www.reuters.com)
Young, female voters were the key to defeating populists in Poland's election – providing a blueprint to reverse democracy's decline (theconversation.com)
Highlights: The results of Poland’s parliamentary elections held on Oct. 15, 2023, have been lauded as a blow against populism – and they may also hold important lessons for reversing democracy’s decline....
