North Korea’s Kim vows to launch 3 more spy satellites and produce more nuclear materials in 2024 (apnews.com)
No Sign Houthis Will Halt Red Sea Attacks, Says US (www.voanews.com)
Expert says number of police shootings in Canada 'spectacularly unrelenting' (www.cbc.ca)
A tally compiled by The Canadian Press found police shot at 85 people in Canada between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15 of this year — 41 fatally. Those numbers are based on available information from police, independent investigative units and reporting from The Canadian Press....
Red alert in Antarctica: the year rapid, dramatic change hit climate scientists like a ‘punch in the guts’ (www.theguardian.com)
Israel says it's ready to let ships bring aid to Gaza (www.reuters.com)
Israel is prepared to let ships deliver aid to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip “immediately” as part of a proposed sea corridor from Cyprus, the Israeli foreign minister said on Sunday, naming four European countries as potential participants....
Denmark's queen Margrethe II unexpectedly announces abdication in New Year's Eve speech (news.sky.com)
British warship arrives in Guyana as Venezuela holds military exercises in response (www.pbs.org)
A British warship arrived in Guyana on Friday afternoon amid rising tensions from a border dispute between the former British colony and Venezuela....
Bulgaria, Romania get official green light for partial entry into Schengen area (www.politico.eu)
EU member countries reached agreement Saturday on removing air and maritime internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania, but the two countries’ full entry into the bloc’s passport-free Schengen zone remains subject to further discussions....
US Navy helicopters destroy Houthi boats in Red Sea after attempted hijack (www.bbc.com)
Explosions and fires reported in centre of Belgorod due to mistake of Russian air defence (www.pravda.com.ua)
Explosions were heard in Belgorod, Russia, on 30 December, and wreckage fell in the city centre after the work of Russian air defence....
Separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik vows to tear his country apart despite US warnings (apnews.com)
The Bosnian Serbs’ separatist leader vowed to carry on weakening his war-scarred country to the point where it will tear apart, despite a pledge by the United States to prevent such an outcome....
Israel's FM calls on countries to email if they want Gaza refugees (www.haaretz.com)
Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called on Wednesday on countries who are interested in taking in refugees from the Gaza Strip to send his office an email, adding that they should not forget "to write the address of the country" in their email
Strike on Belgorod that killed more than a dozen 'will not go unpunished', Russia says (www.france24.com)
civilians in the city of Belgorod with missiles and rockets, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens more....
Missile hits Red Sea container ship, US destroyers shoot down two more (www.theguardian.com)
Warships responded to call from Maersk Hangzhou when they came under fire from Houthi rebel-held part of Yemen, says US Central Command...
Biden admin again bypasses Congress to sell military equipment to Israel (edition.cnn.com)
The Biden administration for the second time this month has bypassed Congress to approve the transfer of nearly $150 million in military equipment to Israel...
Russia's egg crisis is spiraling out of control (www.newsweek.com)
Poland says Russian rocket entered its airspace, summons diplomat (www.nbcnews.com)
Poland summoned the Russian charge d’affaires and demanded an explanation for the violation of Poland’s airspace by a missile and an immediate halt to such activities, Poland’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday evening....
Full Monty actor Tom Wilkinson dies aged 75 (www.theguardian.com)
He played Gerald Arthur Cooper in the 1997 comedy about a group of redundant steelworkers from Sheffield who set up an all-male striptease act, receiving a Bafta for best supporting actor for his performance....
Russia has deployed battalion of Ukrainian prisoners of war to frontline - ISW (www.ukrinform.net)
Russia has officially deployed a battalion formed of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) to the frontline in Ukraine, further confirming a myriad of apparent Russian violations of the Geneva Convention on POWs....
Pakistan election body rejects ex-PM Imran Khan's nomination for 2024 elections (www.reuters.com)
KARACHI, Pakistan, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Pakistan’s election body has rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nomination to contest the 2024 national elections in two constituencies, officials and his party’s media team said on Saturday....
Anger in Poland after state TV execs’ salaries under previous government made public (notesfrompoland.com)
Controversy has emerged in Poland after the salaries paid to key figures at state broadcaster TVP under the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, which left office earlier this month, were revealed by an MP from the new ruling coalition....
Don't let Ukraine be destroyed: Biden hurries Congress on aid after furious Russian attack (www.pravda.com.ua)
Speaking about Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine on 29 December, US President Joe Biden has emphasised that Congress must act quickly to approve more aid for Kyiv....
‘What kind of life is this?’ Dire conditions in increasingly cramped southern Gaza (edition.cnn.com)
Putin's major aerial attack on Ukraine cost Russia $1.2 billion: Report (www.newsweek.com)
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military on Friday launched what’s been called the largest aerial attack of the Ukraine war, and one economic-focused Ukrainian outlet estimated the cost of the assault for Russia to be at least $1.273 billion....
Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Papua, Indonesia (www.reuters.com)
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia on Sunday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said....
