Japan: Man sentenced to death for Kyoto anime fire which killed 36 (www.bbc.com)
A Japanese man has been sentenced to death for an arson attack at a Kyoto animation studio in 2019 which killed 36 people and injured dozens more....
Ukraine to start building 4 new nuclear reactors this year - minister (news.yahoo.com)
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine expects to start construction work on four new nuclear power reactors this summer or autumn, Energy Minister German Galushchenko told Reuters on Thursday, as the country seeks to compensate for lost energy capacity due to the war with Russia....
UK must comply with human rights court, president says (uk.news.yahoo.com)
LONDON (Reuters) -The president of Europe’s human rights court said on Thursday Britain had a legal obligation to comply with its injunctions after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would ignore such orders over his plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda....
From Opposite Sides of War, a Hunt for Elusive Facts (www.nytimes.com)
Since the initial [Oct. 7] attack, disinformation watchdogs in the region have been overwhelmed by unfounded narratives, manipulated media and conspiracy theories. The content has spread in enormous volumes at great speed: video game clips and old news reports masquerading as current footage, attempts to disavow authentic photos...
Germany considers entry ban on Austrian behind mass deportation plan (www.theguardian.com)
India: 'Police Didn't Stop the Mob': Shopkeepers, Injured Recount Hindutva Violence at Mumbai's Mira Road (m.thewire.in)
Mumbai: On Tuesday, January 23, when a mob of over 200-300 men descended on Sector 5 of Shanti Nagar in Mira Road, Mumbai, they already knew their target quite well. Shops sporting saffron flags with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ printed on them had to be spared, the rest were all to be attacked. Saba Boutique was one such establishment...
Several killed in Israeli attack on UN shelter housing 800 in southern Gaza (www.aljazeera.com)
Groundwater depletion accelerating in many parts of the world, study finds (english.elpais.com)
Israel Rebuts Genocide Charge by Declassifying Cabinet Decisions (www.nytimes.com)
Israel has declassified more than 30 secret orders made by government and military leaders, which it says rebut the charge that it committed genocide in Gaza, and instead show Israeli efforts to diminish deaths among Palestinian civilians....
Chiapas violence: Hundreds flee cartel battles in southern Mexico (www.bbc.com)
2 South Koreans caught for suspected smuggling of U.S. chips to China (en.yna.co.kr)
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) – South Korea’s customs agency said Thursday it has caught two South Koreans for allegedly smuggling semiconductor chips produced by an American manufacturer to China worth more than 10 billion won (US$7.49 million)....
British Government Seeks German Cooperation in Cruise Missile Transfer to Ukraine (mil.in.ua)
Singaporean teen who identified as white supremacist placed under ISA restrictions for far-right extremism (www.channelnewsasia.com)
How a Hindu temple built on the remains of an ancient mosque at Ayodhya could help Narendra Modi win this year's election (www.abc.net.au)
Decades after a sacred mosque was violently demolished by Hindu nationalists, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled a brand new temple on the site, which has been at the centre of a centuries-long religious rift.
Russia's parliament approves property confiscation for spreading 'fakes' about army (news.yahoo.com)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s State Duma on Wednesday passed the first stage of a bill allowing the confiscation of property from those convicted of a number of crimes including spreading “deliberately false information” about the Russian army....
Relations between Māori and NZ government deteriorate as details of controversial bill leak (www.abc.net.au)
As a minor party in New Zealand's governing coalition pushes ahead with a plan to draft a controversial bill on the country's founding documents, Māori leaders have issued a warning.
NATO's largest exercise since Cold War kicks off (news.yahoo.com)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy dock landing ship Gunston Hall left port on Wednesday to mark the first movement for the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War, officials said....
Thousands trapped in Gaza hospitals as Israeli troops encircle Khan Younis (www.theguardian.com)
Thousands of people sheltering in hospitals in Khan Younis are now trapped by Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city, even as a delegation from Hamas travelled to Egypt for the latest round of talks aimed at another ceasefire and hostage-release deal....
Ukraine says it was not informed about need to ensure safety of airspace before plane crash in Belgorod Oblast (kyivindependent.com)
Ukraine’s military intelligence, or HUR as it is known in Ukraine, said the Russian side did not inform it about the need to ensure the safety of the airspace before a plane crashed over Belgorod that the Russian Defense Ministry claims had Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) on board....
Nine killed in direct hit on UNRWA shelter in Gaza (news.un.org)
Some 30,000 people are sheltering at the site and the death toll could be higher, said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General, who also took to the platform to lament “another horrific day in Gaza.”...
Alarming 45-fold rise in measles in Europe - WHO (www.bbc.com)
There was an “alarming” nearly 45-fold increase in measles cases in Europe last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) says....
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....
Argentina's Milei faces general strike at outset of his presidency, testing his resolve (apnews.com)
Just over a month after taking office in Argentina, right-wing President Javier Milei on Wednesday faced a general strike in rejection of his decree targeting unions as well as his economic and labor reform proposals....
Global warming was primary cause of unprecedented Amazon drought, study finds (apnews.com)
Human-induced global warming, and not El Niño, was the primary driver of last year’s severe drought in the Amazon that sent rivers to record lows, required deliveries of food and drinking water to hundreds of river communities and killed dozens of endangered dolphins, researchers said Wednesday....