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At least 190 people killed and 340 wounded in Gaza over the last 24 hours. Dozens reported killed in the besieged southern city of Khan Younis as Israeli forces target hospitals, ambulances, and schools where thousands of civilians are sheltering. Dr Ahmed al-Moghrabi, head of plastic surgery and burns at Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital, says there is “bombing all around us”. At least 25,295 people have been killed and 63,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attack stands at 1,139. Photos: Palestinians displaced from Khan Younis arrive in Rafah Smoke rises during an Israeli ground operation in Khan Younis, January 22, 2024 [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis, due to the Israeli ground operation, arrive in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 22, 2024 [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis, due to the Israeli ground operation arrive in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 22, 2024 [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis, due to the Israeli ground operation [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] Click here to share on social media ‘When my father was alive’: Children of Gaza recount losing their fathers A group of children in Gaza narrated the tragic circumstances after they lost their fathers as a result of Israeli bombing of camps in the central Gaza Strip last month. “When my father was alive, I used to sleep in his arms. I was sad for all those who were killed,” Abdel Shafee Hussein, whose father was killed on December 15 while he had a meal with his family. Kenza Ihsan said she lost her father as he tried to find flour. “We are four people, my mother and three children. The conditions are difficult. There is no food or water. We demand an end to the war, and we do not want anything else,” the girl said. Another child, Karam Hussein, said: “My mother asked my father to bring food and a rug because of the cold. My father went and was bombed. My uncle and his son went to search for him, and they were bombed and killed. “On the second day, we brought my father’s body from the bombing site. We were unable to bury him in the cemetery, so we buried him in the school, like 13 others. There are others who decomposed in the streets.” Click here to share on social media ‘Books buried under rubble’: Bologna book fair faces call to suspend Israel Dozens of illustrators, authors and publishers have written an open letter to call on the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) to suspend Israel’s participation. The prominent book fair, which runs April 8-11, suspended Russia’s participation in favour of Ukraine in 2022. “Currently, there is a war on Palestine which is affecting children at such an unprecedented scale that it has been described by doctors, journalists and UN aid workers as a war on children,” reads the letter. “We, the undersigned, would like to urge BCBF to join us in taking a stand and showing the Palestinian child whose books have are buried under rubble, whose play and story times have been taken from them, whose songs are drowned out by bombs, that they are not forgotten.” Palestinians collect books from the rubble of a cultural centre following an Israeli strike in Rafah [File: Mohammed Abed/AFP] Click Reservist protest video circulating online: Israeli military The Israeli military issued a short statement saying it is investigating an incident captured on video that has been circulating in recent hours showing reservists protesting while on active duty. It says the actions seen in the video are not in line with military orders. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/22/israels-war-on-gaza-live-bombing-all-around-hospital-in-khan-younis

UNITED NATIONS/CAIRO, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in one city in Sudan’s West Darfur region last year in ethnic violence by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militia, according to a United Nations report seen by Reuters on Friday. In the report to the U.N. Security Council, independent U.N. sanctions monitors attributed the toll in El Geneina to intelligence sources and contrasted it with the U.N. estimate that about 12,000 people have been killed across Sudan since war erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and the RSF. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The monitors also described as “credible” accusations that the United Arab Emirates had provided military support to the RSF “several times per week” via Amdjarass in northern Chad. A top Sudanese general accused the UAE in November of backing the RSF war effort. In a letter to the monitors, the UAE said 122 flights had delivered humanitarian aid to Amdjarass to help Sudanese fleeing the war. The United Nations says about 500,000 people have fled Sudan into eastern Chad, several hundred kilometers south of Amdjarass. Source:https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ethnic-killings-one-sudan-city-left-up-15000-dead-un-report-2024-01-19/

Unidentified armed men shot dead a senior official of the anti-polio programme, Dr Abdul Rahman Jan, in the Bad-e-Siya area in Mamund tehsil, Bajaur tribal district, police officials said on Friday. The officials said that the official was traveling in his car when gunmen lying in wait opened fire on his vehicle. Dr Abdul Rahman, who was working as District Polio Coordinator in Bajaur, received multiple bullet injuries. Dr Rahman was airlifted in a helicopter to the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar but succumbed to his injuries. A cop Ilyas, who was deputed for his security, also sustained injuries in the attack. He was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar. The police registered the case against unidentified attackers and launched an investigation, said an official. The attacks on the cops on anti-polio duty have increased in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Bajaur, over the last few weeks. Five cops were martyred and 22 wounded in a roadside blast targeting a police van in Mamund tehsil of Bajaur recently. The van was carrying cops to provide security to the anti-polio teams in Bajaur. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1149615-anti-polio-programme-official-killed-in-bajaur

Footage and witness accounts shared with Al Jazeera reveal how Israeli forces carried out summary executions in Gaza last month. UN Women’s agency warns of “generational trauma” on Palestinians as figures show “two mothers killed every hour” in Israel’s war on Gaza. Israel raids have continued across occupied West Bank where 369 Palestinians have been killed since October 7. UN report says Israel approved only seven of 29 humanitarian aid missions to the northern Gaza Strip in the first half of January and denied 95 percent of fuel and medicine delivery attempts to the area. At least 24,762 people killed and 62,108 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attack stands at 1,139. At least 18 Palestinians killed in Israeli bombings since dawn Here are some of the latest developments taking place across Gaza: Two Palestinians killed and several wounded in an Israeli bombing of the al-Amal neighbourhood in Khan Younis. This brings the number of victims of shelling on several areas in the city since dawn on Friday to 18. The vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital was subjected to Israeli air and artillery bombardment. The area targeted includes residential complexes. A number of the injured have not yet been recovered from the scene. Israeli forces blew up a residential square in the al-Balad area in the centre of Khan Younis. Houses and facilities were also blown up in the Bani Suheila area in the east of the city. Footage shows thick plumes of smoke rising from those areas as a result of the bombings carried out by Israel. Smoke rises over the residential areas following the Israeli attacks on Khan Yunis, Gaza on Saturday [Abed Rahim Khatib.Anadolu Agency] Click Click here to share on social media Latest figures from the occupied West Bank As Israeli raids across the occupied West Bank continue, here are the latest figures from the territory since October 7: Killed: 369 people including 98 children, three women, and seven Palestinian prisoners who died in Israeli custody Wounded: More than 4,212 Detained: At least 6,108 Click Stop the execution of captives, Israeli families demand Laura Khan Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem There’s certainly a pressure cooker on Netanyahu at the moment. Dozens camped outside his home north of Tel Aviv last night. We reached out to the families of captives and those in solidarity there – they said they’re not moving and are waiting for Netanyahu to come out and speak to them. They say he’s dragging his feet on getting captives released. The father of one of the captives is on a hunger strike, and they released a very strong statement that says they demand that Israel stop the execution of hostages. There have been weeks of protests, particularly in Tel Aviv from tens of thousands of people. Many have switched from just calling for the release of captives to demanding a ceasefire in order to release them. Many inside the Netanyahu cabinet who were handpicked by him are also saying you cannot defeat Hamas militarily in a short amount of time, you need to focus on the captives. Click here to share on social media Story of four generations of Palestinian women for the Oscars Palestine’s entry for Oscars 2024 is a movie called Bye Bye Tiberias that tells the story of four generations of women in the family of Palestinian actor Hiam Abbas. Abbas is best known for her roles in HBO’s award-winning Succession and Hulu drama Ramy, and she is using this success to tell the story of her family who were expelled from their village during the 1948 Nakba. “It’s very important to remember that we all are human beings. We all have the right to live. We all have the right to not be demolished,” she says. Latest updates on the situation in Gaza This is what our correspondents on the ground in Gaza are reporting: Intense fighting is continuing in Khan Younis and near Nasser hospital One Palestinian has been killed by an Israeli drone strike in Khan Younis The Israeli army shelled the al-Katiba area and the al-Amal neighbourhood in Khan Younis Fighting has been reported between the Israeli army and Palestinian fighters east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip About 30 decomposed bodies of an entire family were recovered from under the rubble of their home in eastern Khan Younis. Their relatives lost contact with them more than a month ago Displaced Palestinians in four evacuation zones in Gaza City were ordered by the Israeli military to leave and head towards the central areas. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/20/israels-war-on-gaza-live-israel-denied-70-of-aid-to-north-gaza-says-un

In a tit for tat response to January 16 airstrikes by Iran in Balochistan, Pakistan effectively hit terrorists in Iran’s border village of Saravan in the early hours of Thursday, killing nine foreign nationals. Pakistan launched intelligence-based operation- codenamed “Marg Bar Sarmachar” (Death to Sarmachar) at 4:48am on Thursday in a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran. Sensing the high volatile situation in the region which could easily get out of hand, China became the only regional ally to step in offering mediation to cool down the situation. Ms Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Office, said Beijing’s stand is that relations between countries should be handled in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law and that the countries’ sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected and safeguarded. “Iran and Pakistan are close neighbors and countries who have influence and keep friendly relations with China. China sincerely hopes that the two sides will remain calm, exercise restraint and avoid escalation of tension,” she added. However, when the Foreign Office of Pakistan was approached with the Chinese offer, spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said she was not aware of any offer of mediation so far. “I am not aware of third-party mediation as you mentioned. Pakistan and Iran do have several channels of communication. And, at this point, I am not aware of any third parties stepping forward in this context,” she responded. There has been no contact between Islamabad and Tehran since Thursday morning. While the situation remains tense, the Foreign Office and the ISPR said going forward, dialogue and cooperation was deemed prudent in resolving issues between the two neighbouring brotherly countries. The spokeswoman remarked, “Pakistan considers Iran as a close friend. We have great respect and affection for the Iranian people. Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security. And it was not targeted against Iran; it was targeted against certain individuals, terrorist groups, who were having hideouts and sanctuaries inside Iran. So, we should not see it as something that is targeted against Iran. It is clearly focused and targeted against a terror outfits, which call themselves Sarmachars”. The announcement about Pakistan’s military strikes was first made by the Foreign Office five hours after the strikes. Later in the afternoon, the Inter Services Press Relations (ISPR) also released a detailed statement of Marg Bar Sarmachar including the footage of military strikes which were confirmed by Iran’s IRNA news agency. The agency confirmed that nine people were killed in the attack. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said all the dead “were foreign nationals”. In her statement, Baloch said for the last several years, Pakistan had consistently shared its serious concerns with Iran about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani origin terrorists calling themselves *Sarmachars* on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. “Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists. However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. “This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars”, she said. Defending Pakistan’s military strikes, she explained that this action manifested Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats. “The successful execution of this highly complex operation is also a testimony to the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces. Pakistan will continue to take all necessary steps to preserve the safety and security of its people which is sacrosanct, inviolable and sacred”. Pakistan once again reached out to Tehran and said it fully respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “The sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised. As a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan upholds the principles and purposes of the UN Charter including territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states. Guided by these principles, and in exercise of our legitimate rights within international law, Pakistan will never allow its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be challenged, under any pretext or circumstances,” she added. Iran, she pointed out, was a brotherly country and the people of Pakistan had great respect and affection for the Iranian people. “We have always emphasized dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges including the menace of terrorism and will continue to endevaour to find joint solutions,” she said. Meanwhile, the ISPR later gave the specifics of the military strikes. “Pakistan carried out effective strikes against hideouts inside Iran used by terrorists responsible for recent attacks in Pakistan. The precision strikes were carried out using killer drones, rockets, loitering munitions and stand-off weapons. Maximum care was taken to avoid collateral damage. Hideouts used by terrorist organisations namely Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front were successfully struck in an intelligence based operation, code name ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’. The targeted hideouts were being used by notorious terrorists including Dosta alias Chairman, Bajjar alias Soghat, Sahil alias Shafaq, Asghar alias Basham and Wazir alias Wazi, amongst others. Pakistan’s armed forces remain in a perpetual state of readiness to ensure safety of Pakistani citizens against the acts of terrorism”, said the statement. “Our resolve to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan is respected and safeguarded against any misadventure, remains unwavering. We reaffirm our determination to defeat all enemies of Pakistan with the support of the people of Pakistan. Going forward, dialogue and cooperation is deemed prudent in resolving bilateral issues between the two neighbouring brotherly countries,” it said. The first reaction from Tehran after Pakistan’s strikes came with Pakistan’s Chargé d’affaires to Tehran called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain about the incident.

  As President Joe Biden continues to urge top lawmakers to approve his $60 billion aid request for Ukraine, a grim realization has settled in for the administration that this is likely the last chance for any new US military funding to flow to the war-torn country before the 2024 presidential election. Lawmakers have conveyed as much directly to the White House, a US official told CNN. And underscoring the current gridlock, Pentagon officials have not held a single meeting since last month to decide on what to send Ukraine from the Defense Department’s weapons stockpiles — because there is no money left to fund the aid packages. Biden met with House and Senate lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday to outline what is at stake for Ukraine. At one point, the President turned to his national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to lay out specific capabilities that Ukraine would run out of in the coming months, according to a White House official familiar with the meeting, who declined to get into more detail. Another official told CNN that they specifically pointed to air defense systems and artillery ammunition as examples of key capabilities that could be depleted without US support. Biden also warned that US personnel were on the line, saying that if the Ukraine-Russia war spills over into NATO territory, the US would have to get directly involved in the conflict. But House Speaker Mike Johnson, who along with other House Republicans has tied additional Ukraine funding to a broader immigration deal, said afterward that continuing to fund Ukraine risked turning it into a quagmire for the US akin to its two-decade war in Afghanistan. “We cannot spend billions of dollars without a clear strategy articulated and I told the president in the meeting today again, as I’ve been saying repeatedly, ‘Sir, you have to articulate what the strategy is. What is the endgame?’” Johnson said Wednesday night in an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. At the White House on Thursday, Biden told reporters he thought the meeting went well and that he believed “the vast majority of members of Congress support aid” to Ukraine. “The question is whether or not a small minority are going to hold it up, which would be a disaster,” Biden said. House Speaker Mike Johnson makes a statement alongside Reps. Mike Turner, Mike Rogers and Mike McCaul on January 17, outside the White House. Samuel Corum/Getty Images Race to approve funding before election Meanwhile, inside the White House, NATO headquarters and in Kyiv, there is a keen awareness that if Donald Trump is reelected in November, he will likely slash support for Kyiv. “The number one reason Republicans will not come out in favor of a supplemental for Ukraine is they don’t want to offend candidate Trump and his supporters,” Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley said on CNN Max on Wednesday. “He’s already made it clear what he would do — the war would be over on his first day, which means Putin gets to keep the borders he has, if not more.” No matter what happens in American politics this year, US and Western intelligence officials believe that Russia’s war in Ukraine is likely to go on for much longer. Assessments vary, but virtually all of them assume that there will be at least two more years of fighting, according to multiple sources familiar with the intelligence — long enough to outlast Biden’s first term. Privately, some US and Western officials say there could be as many as five more years of fighting. Administration officials and lawmakers, including some hawkish Republicans, have for that reason been eager to approve and channel the funding to Ukraine before the clock potentially runs out at the end of 2024. “Aside from there being a desperate need, getting as much aid in before January 2025 is on the minds of a lot of folks I’ve spoken to,” said one US official. “Not only is it important that the monies get appropriated, but that they get disbursed before the election as any FY24 funds still waiting to be spent can get blocked by Trump.” A congressional aide familiar with the discussions said that the more hawkish lawmakers, like Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, were among those pushing last fall for Congress to approve enough funding to hold Ukrainian military forces over through the 2024 election. The administration ultimately requested $60 billion, but Congress could not reach a deal before the end of last year — doing anything more in a fraught election year may now be little more than a pipedream, the aide said. “We are out of money,” said a US military official stationed in Europe. “The administration was able to do some magic [but] we’re getting down to the last of it.” Said one source familiar with Western intelligence, “Basically everything depends on Biden getting reelected, doesn’t it?” A static situation on the battlefield Continued Western support for Ukraine is critical, US and Western officials argue, even as the battle lines have remained largely static over the last several months following a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake territory seized by Russia. Ukrainian soldiers huddle under cover during artillery fire as the soldiers of Ukrainian National Guard hold their positions in the snow-covered Serebryan Forest on January 12, 2024 in Kreminna, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images Still, in the short term, US intelligence officials don’t believe a drop-off in US funding will have a major battlefield impact for Ukraine. Russia is struggling to regroup, which buys Ukraine some time, people familiar with the assessments said. But in the longer term, a lack of US aid could allow Moscow to regain momentum by ramping up its weapons supply and taking advantage of support from Iran and North Korea, one of the people said. US officials have also considered the impact that a pullback of US support could have on other allies, particularly the message it sends about the US not having the political will to support allies and partners long term. Another concern is that Europe, which is already at the bottom of the barrel

UN human rights official says he met men who were detained, beaten and blindfolded by Israeli forces in Gaza. Near-total telecommunications blackout in the Gaza Strip enters its seventh day on Friday, making it difficult for information to get out of the enclave amid constant Israeli attacks. Conditions in Khan Younis’s Nasser hospital have become “unbearable” according to a doctor working there, as Israel attacks the vicinity of the facility, causing thousands to flee. US State Department says “support for Israel remains ironclad” despite Israeli PM rejecting US’s stance on establishment of Palestinian state. At least 24,620 people killed and 61,830 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attack stands at 1,139. Israel’s emergency government ‘close to collapse’ The emergency government in Israel that is managing affairs amid the ongoing war on Gaza may be “close to collapse”, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post. The Israeli outlet said “the question is no longer whether an election will take place in 2024, but rather when in 2024” as Netanyahu’s position falters amid Israel’s failures in achieving objectives in Gaza. However, it said an election is unlikely to take place imminently as most coalition members have received their budgets and are reluctant to shake things up despite demands by the population. The Jerusalem Post had also reported last week, quoting unnamed Likud members, that they believe Netanyahu’s time as the leader of the party are numbered as the party continues to perform poorly in opinion polls. Click here to share on social media 142 killed, 278 wounded in last 24 hours At least 142 people have been killed in Israel’s bombing of Gaza in the last 24 hours, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Another 278 have been wounded in the same period. The latest casualties bring the total number of people killed in Gaza since October 7 to 24,762, with 62,108 injured. Many victims are still trapped under the wreckage and cannot be reached by rescuers. Click UN Special Rapporteur: Israel has violated international law by bombing Gaza The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory says Israel has violated international law with its violent bombing of the Gaza Strip, which led to the razing of entire neighbourhoods and the killing of more than 23,000 Palestinians. “Israel has done a number of things that are largely illegal,” Francesca Albanese said at a press conference in Madrid. “International humanitarian law must be respected to protect people not participating in combat: Civilians, prisoners of war, the sick and the wounded. “This means distinguishing between combatants and civilians, and ensuring that military attacks are proportionate to avoid excessive harm to civilians. Instead, what happened was more than 100 days of heavy bombing. In the first two weeks, 6,000 bombs were used weekly, bombs each weighing 2,000 pounds [about a ton], in very crowded areas.” Click here to share on social media Gaza’s north receives almost no aid as famine looms The continuing difficulty in getting humanitarian relief into the Gaza Strip, particularly in the north, which continues to be under constant Israeli bombardment, is raising risks of malnutrition. “Less than a trickle amount [of aid] has been delivered to the northern part in which people are suffering [from] an actual famine,” says Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza. In December, the UN warned that Gaza’s entire population of 2.3 million people risks “imminent famine” as war rages on. (Al Jazeera) Click here to share on social media Palestinian woman recounts abuse, killings by Israeli soldiers Um Odai Salem, wife of a Palestinian man who was among at least 11 shot dead by Israeli forces on December 19, told Al Jazeera of abuse she says she and her daughters endured before her husband’s “execution”. “They [Israeli forces] beat me and my daughters,” she said. “They put us women in one place and threatened us with guns and knives. They made us strip. They searched us, insulting us with the most terrible words. They took our names and filmed us.” She said the Israeli soldiers did not listen to their pleas that they were all civilians, and proceeded to “execute” all the men they rounded up outside. After the men were killed, Israeli fire hit the apartment Um Odai and her daughters were sheltering in, one of her daughters told Al Jazeera, killing her three-year-old sister, Nada. Click Photos: The aftermath of Israeli raid in West Bank’s Tulkarem [Zain Jaafar/AFP] [Zain Jaafar/AFP] [Zain Jaafar/AFP] [Zain Jaafar/AFP] Click UNICEF: 20,000 babies born during war on Gaza, 135,000 minors at ‘severe risk’ of malnutrition According to UNICEF, nearly 20,000 babies have been born during the continuing war in Gaza, while 135,000 children in the Gaza Strip under the age of two are at “severe risk” of malnutrition. “The situation of pregnant women and newborns in the Gaza Strip is beyond belief, and it demands intensified and immediate actions,” Tess Ingram, a UNICEF spokesperson, said. “The already precarious situation of infant and maternal mortality has worsened as the healthcare system collapses.” Ingram stressed that mothers face unimaginable challenges in accessing adequate medical care, nutrition and protection before, during and after birth. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and their babies are living in “inhumane conditions, makeshift shelters (with) poor nutrition and unsafe water”. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/19/israels-war-on-gaza-live-us-support-for-israel-ironclad-despite-rebuff

Riot police fired tear gas, flash grenades and used batons to disperse demonstrators in Russia’s Bashkortostan region after a local activist was sentenced on Wednesday to four years in prison. Videos showed supporters of Fail Alsynov clashing with police near the court where he had been convicted of inciting ethnic hatred, according to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti. Bashkortostan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs called the demonstrations an “unauthorized rally” and said police have begun investigating “mass unrest,” in a post on Telegram. Some 20 people have been detained by police, according to OVD-Info, an independent Russian protest monitoring group. CNN cannot independently verify this number, but Russia has routinely carried out mass arrests at protests. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside a public building in the remote town of Baymak, with some waving the blue, white and green flag of Bashkortostan region, which neighbors Kazakhstan. Protesters were heard to cry “shame” at police officers as they tried to disperse the crowds with tear gas. RusNews/Reuters Protesters could be heard chanting “Freedom,” in a video posted on public Telegram channels and shared by OVD-Info. In another, protesters were seen throwing snowballs at police holding riot shields. Chants of “shame” could be heard after police fired tear gas. Some social media accounts are reporting that internet connection was restricted in the area of the gathering. Alsynov spoke at a rally in spring 2023 against the mining of a mountain considered to be sacred to the Bashkir people, a Turkic ethnic group concentrated in Bashkortostan and closely related to the Tatars. The protests in Bashkortostan have become some of the most significant in Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago. Source:https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/17/europe/russia-riot-police-protest-bashkortostan-intl/index.html

Pakistan’s air force has launched retaliatory air strikes on Iran, allegedly targeting fighters’ positions. Iranian state media says the attack killed at least nine people. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry described their attack as “a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes”. The strikes in Sistan-Baluchestan province follow Iran’s attack on Tuesday on Pakistani soil that killed two children in the southwestern Balochistan province. Pakistan stock market takes a hit Abid Hussain Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE) fell by 1,000 points this morning following news of strikes on Iran. However, the PSE rebounded later in the day, gaining back nearly 650 points at close. Pakistan was on the brink of default last year before it managed to secure an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for $3 billion. In the past six months, it has shown gradual improvement in its economic indicators, including inflation – which fell from a high of 38 percent to 29 percent. Click Pakistan will ‘not compromise’ on security: President Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi says his country fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states while expecting the same treatment from other nations. “Pakistan would not compromise on its national security and territorial integrity and would take all necessary measures to defend its soil,” Alvi said in a statement published by his office on X. Alvi added that Pakistan and Iran were “brotherly countries”, and should resolve their issues through “dialogue and mutual consultation”. Click here to share on social media Taliban calls for ‘regional stability’ The Taliban government has called the attacks in Pakistan and Iran “alarming”, calling for both sides to exercise restraint. “In light of the region’s newfound peace and stability after protracted imposed wars and instability, both sides should direct efforts towards further strengthening regional stability and resolving disputes through diplomatic channels and dialogue,” the Taliban government’s foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on X. Why did Pakistan and Iran allow space for these ‘militant groups’? Pakistan’s former human rights minister has described the country’s response as “swift and proportionate” but questioned the presence of “militant groups” on either side of the border. “Response swift & proportionate. Full spectrum deterrence reasserted militarily – meeting the threat at a level of our choosing & prevailing,” Mazari posted on X. “But one of the many disturbing questions arising is why both supposedly friendly ‘brotherly’ Muslim countries, with deep historical & social ties, allowed space creation for these militant groups in each other’s territories?” Turkey calls for calm Iran and Pakistan do not want to escalate tensions in the region, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan has said after holding calls with officials from both sides. Speaking at a news conference in Jordan, Fidan said Turkey recommended that the sides do not escalate further and that calm should be restored as soon as possible. Click here to share on social media Former Pakistan foreign minister says Iran attacks ‘irrational’ Hina Rabbani Khar has described Iran’s attack on Pakistan as “shocking”, adding that the region could not afford another escalation. “They were irrational, illegal and escalatory. It seems whoever authorised it had not thought through,” she said on X. “Pakistan has repeatedly conveyed its concerns about terrorist hideouts in Iran. However, Pakistan preferred to rely on diplomatic solutions and create mechanisms where both countries could address each others concerns within the framework of international law and UN charter.” Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Tehran after denouncing the attack and barred Iran’s envoy to Islamabad from returning. Click Pakistan-based BLF says no fighters killed in attack The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), an armed group operating in Pakistan, says it “has no hideouts in Iran” and none of “our Saramchar [fighters] was martyred in the recent attacks by Pakistan”. As we reported earlier, the Pakistan army said “hideouts used by terrorist organisations namely Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front were successfully struck” on Thursday morning. The BLF has conducted frequent attacks on Pakistani forces as well as on projects operating under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/18/pakistan-iran-attacks-live-at-least-7-killed-near-irans-southeast-border

An air strike in Rafah – an Israeli-designated “safe zone” – kills 16 people, including children, who were sheltering in a home. A shipment of medical supplies for Israeli captives and Palestinians in need is being distributed as part of a deal brokered by Qatar and France. US missiles rain down on sites used by Yemen’s Houthis after the armed group targeted an American Navy vessel and “scored a direct hit”. At least 24,448 people killed and 61,504 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attack stands at 1,139. UN chief meets released Israeli captives in Davos The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has met released Israeli captives for the first time at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to Israeli media. The i24 News report said Guterres met with Nili Margalit and Moran Stella Yanai as well as Noam Perry, the daughter of Haim Perry, who is still held in Gaza. He also met with representatives from the Hostage and Missing People’s Families’ headquarters. Guterres said that he called for the immediate release of all the captives, the report said. ‘All patients have a right to treatment’: Red Crescent Mahmoud Alsaadi – who leads ambulance operations for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank – says Israeli raids and movement restrictions make it impossible to provide timely care for injured and sick Palestinians. This not only impacts Palestinians wounded in Israeli attacks, he said, but others facing unrelated medical emergencies. “We do not only transport the injured and those wounded by bullets,” said Alsaadi. “There are many humanitarian cases and we receive calls from citizens with medical conditions — kidney patients, heart patients, or cancer patients. All of these cases require transportation to hospitals.” Because of lengthy Israeli inspections of Red Crescent ambulances and “harassment of medical staff”, patients in need of urgent hospital treatment may be held up for more than an hour, putting their lives in jeopardy, he said. More than 300 Palestinian sports clubs call for Israel Olympic Games ban More than 300 Palestinian sports clubs and dozens of major Palestinian civil society organisations are calling for a ban on Israel from the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The International Olympic Committee should “apply its principles and fulfil its obligations by banning Israel from the next Olympic Games to be held in Paris in July 2024, until it ends its grave violations of international law, particularly its system of apartheid and its ongoing genocide in Gaza”, they said. The Palestinian clubs include men’s and women’s football, basketball and volleyball teams, and those whose players have been killed by Israeli fire. Last month, Israeli forces killed the Palestinian Olympic football team coach, Captain Hani al-Masdar. Israel’s bombings also destroyed the office of the Palestinian Olympic Committee in Gaza. Click here to share on social media ‘Endless chaos and growing despair’: UNRWA chief After making his fourth trip to Gaza since the war broke out, the head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees says the enclave has sunk even “further into despair” and renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire. “Everyone I met had a personal story of fear, death, loss, trauma to share,” said UNRWA Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini. “The people of Gaza have moved from the sheer shock of losing everything – in some cases every member of their family – to a debilitating struggle to stay alive and protect their loved ones. “This has gone on for far too long. There are no winners in these wars. There is endless chaos and growing despair. I call once again for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to bring some respite.” The genocide must stop, Turkey’s FM says Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a call to “stop the genocide” in the Gaza Strip. “It is absolutely unacceptable for Israel to justify its attacks [on Gaza] for security reasons,” he said. Speaking at a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Amman, Hakan also said the Palestinians have the right to establish an independent state. In November, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv, citing Israel’s refusal to accept a ceasefire, “continuing attacks against civilians”, and denying free entry to humanitarian aid. It was the culmination of a sharp dive in ties since October 7. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, Turkey [File: Cagla Gurdogan/Reuters] Click Israel should allow displaced Gaza residents to return home: Jordan Israel should allow displaced Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes, says Jordan’s foreign minister. Ayman Safadi was speaking at a news conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. “With regard to the current priorities, they are clear: ending the aggression in Gaza, letting in sufficient permanent humanitarian aid to all parts of the Strip, south and north, stopping the destruction, and working immediately for the return of displaced Gazans to their areas and homes,” Safadi said. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/18/israels-war-on-gaza-live-medicine-arrives-for-captives-palestinians