Ukraine informs US about forthcoming dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi – Washington Post (www.pravda.com.ua)
The Ukrainian government had informed the White House about Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to dismiss Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Washington Post reported on 2 February with reference to two sources....
European Union agrees on a new 50 billion-euro aid package for Ukraine despite Hungary's veto threat (apnews.com)
The leaders of the 27 European Union countries sealed a deal Thursday to provide Ukraine with a new 50-billion-euro ($54 billion) support package despite Hungary’s weeks of threats to veto the move....
Israeli undercover forces dressed as women and medics storm West Bank hospital, killing 3 militants (apnews.com)
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At least half of Gaza's buildings damaged or destroyed, new analysis shows (www.bbc.com)
Across Gaza, residential areas have been left ruined, previously busy shopping streets reduced to rubble, universities destroyed and farmlands churned up, with tent cities springing up on the southern border to house many thousands of people left homeless....
How fast does TikTok send users down the antisemitic rabbit hole? (forward.com)
Video-based content is already difficult to effectively moderate, because problematic content might be showcased visually, without keywords an automated AI might be able to check. And TikTok users are known for inventing shorthand and coded language specifically to evade censorship. There’s corn — or even just a corn emoji...
Russian election officials register Putin to run in March election he's all but certain to win (apnews.com)
Russia’s election commission on Monday formally registered President Vladimir Putin as a candidate for the March presidential election, a vote in which he’s all but certain to win another six-year term in office....
German politician (Green) gives Hitler salute after being stopped by police while under the influence (taketonews.com)
A German politician from the centre-left Green party gave the Hitler salute when she was pulled over by the police for an alcohol test. […] Jutta Boden was found to be driving under the influence and had 1.34 permille of alcohol in her blood. The woman has since resigned....
UNRWA Hamas attack claims: UK becomes latest country to pause funding for agency (www.bbc.com)
“The UK is appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned,” the UK Foreign Office said in a statement....
Australia urged to reconsider support for Israel after ICJ ruling (www.theguardian.com)
Only five bodies delivered to Belgorod morgue after mysterious Russian plane crash, Ukrainian intelligence suggests (www.cnn.com)
Ukraine says it has intelligence suggesting only five bodies were delivered from the crash site of a Russian military transport plane to a nearby morgue, a Ukraine military intelligence official told CNN, casting doubt on Moscow’s claim that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in the explosion....
Cheap but lethally accurate: how drones froze Ukraine’s frontlines (www.theguardian.com)
For four months, Russian troops have been trying to seize the eastern Ukrainian village of Synkivka. On a map, this looks easy. Their forward position is on the edge of a forest. It is a mere 500 metres away from the Ukrainian frontline and a shattered collection of cottages....
Henry Okello Oryem: Uganda minister says people dying of hunger are 'idiots' (www.bbc.com)
A Ugandan government minister is facing criticism after calling those who have died of hunger in his country “idiots”....
ICJ to deliver interim ruling on genocide case against Israel on Friday (www.theguardian.com)
South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, is flying to The Hague to be present on Friday when the international court of justice (ICJ) delivers its highly anticipated verdict on South Africa’s request for an interim ruling in its genocide case against Israel....
“It Will Be A Shock”: Ukraine Lost 500,000 Soldiers In War So Far, Nearly 30,000 Per Month: Lutsenko Claims (www.eurasiantimes.com)
Germany, Once a Powerhouse, Is at an Economic ‘Standstill’ (www.nytimes.com)
The economy shrank last year and is not predicted to grow much in 2024. Farmers are angry, industrial output is falling and the government is bickering....
Ketamine stash worth €55m seized in Netherlands (www.bbc.com)
Alarm as Israeli forces move closer to crowded areas in southern Gaza (www.theguardian.com)
As Israeli forces have moved further into southern Gaza, airstrikes and close-combat fighting are approaching areas crowded with more than a million people seeking refuge from the destruction across the rest of the territory....
American Fighter Downs Houthi Missile Heading Toward USS Laboon (news.yahoo.com)
Scientists in China report cloned rhesus monkey has survived for two years (www.independent.co.uk)
A “healthy” rhesus monkey cloned in China has survived for more than two years and is providing “valuable insights” into the scientific process, according to researchers....
Iran strikes ‘militant bases’ in Pakistan in latest Middle East flashpoint (www.theguardian.com)
Iran has launched airstrikes on Pakistan territory, apparently aimed at a Sunni militant group, in the latest sign of a wave of violence rolling across the Middle East and beyond....
Houthi rebels fire cruise missile at American destroyer in Red Sea (www.euronews.com)
Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea on Sunday, but a US fighter jet shot it down in the latest attack roiling global shipping amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said....
Pullout of UN peacekeepers has started, DR Congo says. – HICGI News Agency (hicginewsagency.com)
US urges China to not interfere in Taiwan elections (www.reuters.com)
The United States, in a clear signal to China, opposes any outside interference or influence in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, a senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday....
Zelenskyy, Blinken, Israeli president and more will come to Davos to talk about global challenges (apnews.com)
More than 60 heads of state and government and hundreds of business leaders are coming to Switzerland to discuss the biggest global challenges during the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering next week, ranging from Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy....