*) US possible tank deliveries to Ukraine disturbs Russia

The Biden administration could approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine to fortify Kiev's firepower against Russia, according to US officials.

Moscow called the possible approval of the tanks a "blatant provocation" against Russia.

"If the United States decides to supply tanks, then justifying such a step with arguments about 'defensive weapons' will definitely not work", Russia's ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.

*) New Zealand has new prime minister

Chris Hipkins has been sworn in as New Zealand's 41st prime minister, following the unexpected resignation of Jacinda Ardern last week.

Hipkins has promised a back-to-basics approach focusing on the economy and what he described as the "pandemic of inflation”.

He will have less than nine months before contesting a tough general election, with opinion polls indicating his Labour Party is trailing its conservative opposition.

*) Bulgaria announces snap general elections

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has said he would set April 2 as the date for the country's parliamentary election, a fifth within two years.

The president will dissolve the parliament after polls in last October failed to produce a working government.

Bulgaria has been governed by caretaker governments, appointed by Radev for much of the past two years in the absence of a stable elected coalition.

*) NASA, Pentagon to develop nuclear-powered rocket for Mars

NASA is partnering with the Pentagon's research agency, DARPA, to develop a nuclear-powered rocket engine in preparation for sending astronauts to Mars.

"With the help of this new technology, astronauts could journey to and from deep space faster than ever — a major capability to prepare for crewed missions to Mars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

NASA conducted its last nuclear thermal rocket engine tests more than 50 years ago, but the program was abandoned due to budget cuts and Cold War tensions.

And finally…

*) Türkiye suspends talks with Sweden, Finland over NATO accession

Türkiye has postponed a trilateral meeting with Sweden and Finland over their NATO bid scheduled for February, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

The decision was made after Sweden allowed Denmark’s far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party's anti-Muslim leader Rasmus Paludan to burn a copy of Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.

The sources did not specify when the meeting would take place.

*) Constant Russian shelling and attacks in Ukraine

Russian forces have been shelling and attacking Ukrainian positions on the front lines of the conflict around the clock according to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In his nightly video message, Zelenskyy said the battle for the Donbass region and for the south goes on.

He added that Ukraine is aware of how Russia is massing its forces and knows how to respond.

*) Seven dead in new California shooting

At least seven people have been killed in a mass shooting at two locations in the coastal northern California city of Half Moon Bay.

The suspect was arrested after he drove to a police parking lot apparently to hand himself in. He is cooperating with investigators, according to the county sheriff.

The shootings came after a gunman opened fire and killed 11 people at a dance club in Los Angeles over the weekend.

*) UN seeking to reverse ban on women workers in Afghanistan

The UN humanitarian chief has arrived in Afghanistan in a bid to reverse the Taliban administration’s ban on Afghan women and girls going to schools and working for humanitarian organisations.

Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths was joined by two major international aid organisations and the UN children’s agency, UNICEF.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said last month’s ban on Afghan women working for NGOs is sowing fears that the already dire humanitarian situation will get even worse.

*) Without respect for Islam, Sweden gets no NATO boost: Türkiye

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that Sweden should not expect any good news from Türkiye on its NATO bid “if it does not show respect to Islam.”

The remarks came after Rasmus Paludan, the leader of Denmark’s far-right Stram Kurs Party burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.

The anti-Muslim act was done under police protection and with permission from the Swedish government.

*) Dutch leader of far-right group desecrates copy of Quran

The Dutch leader of a far-right group known as Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West has desecrated the Quran in the Netherlands.

In a video posted on social media, anti-Muslim provocateur Edwin Wagensveld tore apart a copy of Islam's holy book, then set it on fire.

Wagensveld, who claimed he had permission from the city of The Hague for the destruction of the Quran, was arrested twice before for his anti-Muslim activities.

*) Suspect in California mass shooting found dead

The suspect of a mass shooting in California, which left 10 people dead during the Lunar New Year, has died apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Los Angeles Sherrif said the gunman, named as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, committed suicide when police approached a wanted van.

Investigations are ongoing as homicide detectives are working on determining the motive behind the attack.

*) Netanyahu removes top minister over Supreme Court ruling

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has removed a top minister from office following a Supreme Court ruling.

Aryeh Deri, leader of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish party Shas, was appointed health and interior minister last month.

But the Supreme Court ruled that Netanyahu must remove Deri from his position due to a tax evasion conviction last year.

*) Hundreds protest outside Swedish Consulate in Istanbul over Quran burning

The Quran-burning incident in Sweden has ignited a second day of protests in Türkiye, reflecting a growing global condemnation against anti-Muslim hatred.

Some 250 people gathered outside the Swedish Consulate in Istanbul, holding flags and banners that said: We condemn Sweden’s state-supported Islamophobia.

On Saturday, the Swedish government allowed Rasmus Paludan, a convicted racist, to burn a copy of Islam’s holy book outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.

*) Canada to pay more than $2B to Indigenous survivors of abuse

Canada will pay hundreds of Indigenous communities 2.1 billion dollars in compensation for nearly a century of abuse suffered by thousands of children in residential schools.

The compensation will be used to revitalise Indigenous education, culture, and language and support the survivors, many of whom were physically and sexually abused.

The settlement with the Canadian government was the result of a class-action lawsuit brought by 324 Indigenous communities.

*) Ronaldo scores for Al Nassr in the first game after Saudi Arabia move

Cristiano Ronaldo has made a winning start to life in the Saudi Pro League as he led Al Nassr to a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq in his first match after Saudi Arabia move.

The 37-year-old moved to the team for deals totalling more than 400 million dollars, becoming the best paid football player in history.

*) Zelenskyy expects powerful Western military support

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine is waiting for a "decision from one European capital that will activate the prepared chains of cooperation on tanks."

Zelenskyy thanked Estonia for the large package of military assistance and Sweden for its package which included howitzers and ammunition.

Zelenskyy also thanked Denmark for the NLAW, Archers and APCs.

*) Palestine tells Biden adviser to rein in Israel 'before it's too late'

Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas meets US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, appealing to the Biden administration to stop the Israeli government from pressing ahead with escalatory measures against the Palestinians.

Abbas urged the United States to intervene before it is too late to stop the unilateral measures by the new Israeli coalition's policies.

*) Türkiye expects US to extradite FETO terrorists: Cavusoglu

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says that he hopes Washington will extradite members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization based in the US.

Speaking with members of the Turkish-American community and Ahiska Turks in Houston, Texas, Cavusoglu stressed that FETO members are "intensely" present in the city.

Cavusoglu said that FETO's educational institutions were shut down in many countries and their members were handed over to Türkiye.

*) At least 145 people feared dead in DRC boat tragedy

At least 145 passengers are missing and feared dead after a motorised boat overloaded with goods and animals sank at night on a river in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.

About 55 people survived the disaster, officials said.

The boat was travelling to the neighbouring Republic of Congo when it capsized in the Lulonga River.

And finally…

*) Kashmir, Chad, Venezuela activists win Martin Ennals Award

Campaigners from disputed Kashmir region, Chad and Venezuela win the Martin Ennals Award, one of the world's most prestigious human rights prizes.

Khurram Parvez, a prominent rights activist in restive India-administered Kashmir, Delphine Djiraibe, one of Chad's first women lawyers and Feliciano Reyna, a rights activist in Venezuela bagged the award, the jury announced.

The award ceremony, managed by Martin Ennals Foundation, will take place in Geneva on February 16, the organisers said.

*) Türkiye tells US to delink F-16 jet sale from Nordic NATO bids

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that the United States must approve a 20 billion dollar sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye.

Cavusoglu said after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the important thing on the sale of F-16 jets is whether the Biden administration will be determined.

The Turkish minister said the Biden administration should not waste the deal because of objection by some senators and should also convey to Congress that NATO bids by Finland and Sweden are not linked with F-16 sale.

*) Huge US weapons package for Ukraine

The US is finalising a massive package of military aid for Ukraine that US officials say is likely to total as much as 2.6 billion dollars.

It's expected to include for the first time nearly 100 Stryker combat vehicles and at least 50 Bradley armoured vehicles to allow Ukrainian forces to move more quickly and securely on the front lines in the war with Russia.

The officials said the numbers could change as the Biden administration goes through final deliberations on the package.

*) New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern to quit as PM next month

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern plans to stand down no later than early February and will not seek reelection, Ardern has said in a televised statement.

Fighting back tears, she said the general election will take place on October 14 and her last day as prime minister will be on February 7.

Ardern faced a tough election campaign this year.

*) France braces for nationwide strike against Macron's pension reform

Trains will grind to a halt in France, classrooms will be shut, and businesses will be disrupted as workers walk off their jobs in an attempt to derail a planned pension reform.

The nationwide day of strikes and protests is a major test for President Emmanuel Macron, but also for the unions.

Opinion polls show French voters overwhelmingly reject a reform that the government says is vital to ensure the pension system does not go bust.

And finally…

*) Spanish great-grandmother tipped as 'world's oldest person' at 115

A Spanish great-grandmother who was born in the United States has likely become the world's oldest living person at 115, a Guinness World Records consultant said.

Maria Branyas Morera is believed to have assumed the title following the death of French nun Lucile Randon aged 118, senior consultant for gerontology Robert D. Young said.

Guinness World Records must still make the official decision after carrying out document checks and interviewing Branyas Morera's family.

*) Ukraine welcomes Dutch Patriot help as fighting rages in east

The training of Ukrainian officers to operate the Patriot advanced long-range air defence system will last 10 weeks, Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands have pledged to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine to repel a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks.

Reznikov said that the training is an obligation undertaken by the US.

*) Pentagon extols alliance with Türkiye ahead of possible F-16 deal

Ahead of a possible F-16 deal, the Pentagon said that Türkiye has an important partnership with the US on the global stage and Washington views Ankara as "an important ally".

Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder said "the United States and Türkiye share an alliance and they're an important partner, not only in the region but around the world."

*) England nurses launch fresh strikes over pay

Nurses in England have begun two days of strikes over pay, as officials warned of disruption for thousands of patients in the UK's state-run health service.

Strikes beginning from Wednesday come after nurses held an unprecedented strike last month, joining a wave of industrial action by public sector workers.

The main nursing union accuses the government of failing to negotiate seriously on improving their pay deal for the current year.

*) DRC's Tshisekedi accuses M23 rebels of faking agreed pullback

The M23 rebel group has not fully withdrawn from areas it seized in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, President Felix Tshisekedi said, accusing the militia of faking an agreed pullback of its forces.

He said that despite international pressure, they pretended to move but they have not, adding that they are redeploying elsewhere, and staying in the towns that they have captured.

*) Türkiye's Sengun breaks Shaq's NBA centre record

Türkiye's Alperen Sengun has made NBA history by becoming the youngest centre to record at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a game for the Houston Rockets against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tuesday's game ended 140-132 in favour of the Lakers, with the 20-year-old Sengun scoring a career-high 33 points on 14 of 17 shooting, adding 15 rebounds and six assists.

Sengun broke the three-decade record of Shaquille O’Neal, who scored 30 points at the age of 21 during the 1992-93 season.

*) UN: Russian attack in Dnipro possible war crime

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Saturday’s Russian missile strike in Ukraine’s Dnipro, which left at least 40 dead, as a possible war crime.

According to his spokesperson, Guterres said the strike was another example of a suspected violation of the laws of war.

The strike marked one of the deadliest attacks in Ukraine since the start of the Russian offensive last February.

*) German defence minister resigns

Germany’s Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has announced her resignation just days ahead of a crucial meeting of defence ministers from Ukraine's allies.

After taking office as defence chief in December 2021, Lambrecht came under months of heavy criticism over Berlin's stuttering response to the war in Ukraine.

Her resignation came as Berlin was once again under intense pressure to provide battle tanks to Kiev.

*) Somalia recaptures key port from Al Shabab

Somalia's armed forces have reportedly captured a strategic coastal town that the Al Shabab terror group had held for more than a decade.

The defence minister said that the capture of the port town of Harardhere as well as the nearby town of Galcad means Al Shabaab is overpowered and gone.

He added that the remaining towns were expected to be liberated from the terror group soon.

*) 1% rich swallows two-thirds of global wealth

The world’s richest one percent have reaped over two-thirds of the 42 trillion dollars in new wealth created since 2020, according to an Oxfam report.

The amount is nearly twice as much money as the bottom 99 percent of the world’s population, it said in its report titled ‘Survival of the Richest’.

It added that for the first time in 25 years, extreme wealth and extreme poverty have expanded together.

And finally…

*) Nadal wins first round at Australian Open

Tennis star Rafael Nadal has won the battle of the southpaws against Jack Draper in Round 1 of the Australian Open men's singles.

The reigning men's singles champion Nadal is a 22-time Grand Slam singles title winner.

The 36-year-old Spanish legend bagged the Australian Open twice, in 2009 and 2022.

*) Death toll rises in Russian missile strike

The death toll from Saturday’s Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to at least 35, the governor said.

Two children were among the dead, and the fate of another 35 residents of the building is unknown with rescue efforts continuing.

39 people have been rescued from the rubble, and 75 people, including 14 children, were injured in the attack.

*) Dozens dead after passenger plane crashes in Nepal

At least 68 people have been killed after a plane with 72 on board crashed into a gorge while landing at a newly-opened airport in Nepal.

The twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft was carrying 68 passengers, including 15 foreign nationals, and four crew members, according to Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority.

While reports of the death toll varied, the aviation authority said 68 people had died in the crash, marking Nepal’s deadliest airplane accident in thirty years.

*) There is "no room" in New York for migrants: mayor

In an unprecedented move, the mayor of New York has travelled to the Mexican border city of El Paso and declared that there is no room in the city for migrants.

The move by Eric Adams, a Democrat, came after he said the migrant influx into New York could cost America's most populous city as much as 2 billion dollars.

In recent months, busloads of migrants seeking sanctuary in the US have been sent to New York and other Democrat-run cities by Republican states like Florida and Texas.

*) Death toll from bomb blast in DR Congo rises

At least 17 people have been killed in a suspected terrorist bomb attack during Sunday services in a church in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

A government spokesperson said the attack was visibly perpetrated by terrorists from the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan group aligned with the Daesh terrorist group.

The statement said 17 people had died, while 20 sustained severe injuries and were admitted to health centers.

And finally…

*) Barca beat Madrid, win Spanish Super Cup

Barcelona have convincingly beaten Real Madrid 3-1 in Saudi Arabia to win the Spanish Super Cup.

Barcelona were dominant in every aspect of the game and took advantage of three mistakes by Real Madrid to score.

Barcelona star Gavi, who won the Golden Boy award in 2022, was the game's outstanding performer.

*) Ukraine says its forces hold out against Russia in Soledar

Ukrainian forces in the eastern city of Soledar are holding their positions and inflicting significant losses on Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

Two Ukrainian units in Soledar, which Zelenskyy said "are holding their positions and inflicting significant losses on the enemy.”

The mercenary group Wagner, run by an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, claims to have taken Soledar after intense fighting that it said had left the town strewn with Ukrainian dead.

*) Black man Keenan Anderson 'Tased to death' by US police

Keenan Anderson, cousin of a Black Lives Matter [BLM] co-founder has died in the hospital, hours after police in Los Angeles repeatedly restrained and tasered him with a stun gun.

Anderson went into cardiac arrest four hours later and died at a hospital in Santa Monica.

Los Angeles Police Department released body-cam footage of the incident on January 3rd, showing Anderson pleading for help while police officers are seen restraining him and tasering him multiple times.

According to Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore, Anderson attempted to flee after a car crash and police used force to restrain him.

*) Senior Türkiye official condemns Sweden over provocative PKK/YPG event

Türkiye urges Sweden to cut its support to terrorists and their sympathisers in the Nordic country immediately, after loyalists of the PKK/YPG terror group organised a provocative event in capital Stockholm.

Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun accused Stockholm of going back on its past promises to Ankara.

Altun said, “We are not interested in words but rather in action. We anticipate the commitments made in the Madrid trilateral memorandum to be fulfilled."

*) Israeli troops kill three Palestinians in occupied West Bank raids

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents in the occupied West Bank, Palestine's Health Ministry said, as Israeli troops reported opening fire on fleeing suspects and "being pelted with rocks" during raids.

The ministry said that Habib Kamil and Abdul-hadi Nazal were killed by Israeli live bullets in the town of Qabatiya near the West Bank city of Jenin.

The Israeli military said that during a raid to arrest a suspect in Qabatiya, "the wanted suspect and an additional suspect fled the scene."

And finally…

*) Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis, dies aged 54

Singer Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Elvis Presley, died at the age of 54, her mother said.

Lisa Marie Presley suffered cardiac arrest in her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, according to entertainment website TMZ.

She attended the Golden Globes awards show in Beverly Hills earlier this week, where actor Austin Butler won the best actor award for portraying her father in the film "Elvis."

*) Brazil swears in Sonia Guajajara as Indigenous Peoples Minister

Influential indigenous rights activist and lawmaker Sonia Guajajara, has been sworn in to lead Brazil's Ministry of Indigenous Peoples.

Guajajara was sworn in on Wednesday at the Planalto Palace in capital Brasilia in presence of President Lula da Silva, lawmakers and representatives from Brazil's Black and Indigenous movements.

She also called for "effective Indigenous citizenship" that she said cannot take place without the demarcation of territories, environmental and territorial protections, continued access to free quality public education and vast coverage to comprehensive health care.

*) Fate of Ukraine's Soledar uncertain as Wagner claims control

Russia names a new commander for its offensive on Ukraine while mercenary Wagner Group says its capture of salt mining town Soledar in eastern Ukraine was complete, as fighting enters its 322nd day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that fighting was still raging in a key eastern frontline city that the Russian mercenary group earlier said it controlled.

And in his daily address, Zelenskyy insisted the front was "holding".

*) Greece's case against migrant rescue volunteers 'farcical': rights groups

A group of 24 volunteers who participated in migrant rescue operations on an eastern Greek island have gone on trial in a smuggling-related case that has been widely criticised by human rights groups.

Greek police said that the volunteers had collected information about refugee flows and provided assistance to organised trafficking groups.

Human Rights Watch, however, said that the charges are based on a police report, which contains “blatant factual errors”.

The case was initially set to go ahead in 2021 but was postponed over procedural issues.

*) Palestinian dead from injuries by Israeli army fire in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian has died of injuries sustained after being wounded by Israeli army bullets in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

21-year-old Ahmad Abu Junaid was wounded during an operation by the Israeli army in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, where troops had surrounded a house, witnesses say.

In a related development, the NGO Palestinian Prisoners Society said "the Israeli army arrested 15 Palestinians from several provinces in the West Bank."

And finally…

*) Nearly 160 organisations urge Biden to shut infamous Guantanamo prison

More than 150 organisations have sent a letter to US President Joe Biden urging him to "prioritise closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."

The letter was signed by 159 organisations from the US and other countries who called themselves a "diverse group of non-governmental organisations" working on issues including international human rights, immigrants' rights, racial justice and combating anti-Muslim discrimination.

The detention camp has held roughly 780 detainees since it was opened, most of them without charge or trial, with many said to have gone through unspeakable horrors.