Photos of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict as attacks continue – AP News

  1. Photos of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict as attacks continue  AP News
  2. Live updates: Israel and Iran trade strikes as Trump weighs US involvement  CNN
  3. LIVE: Mass anti-Israel protests in Iran’s Tehran as attacks continue  Al Jazeera
  4. Israeli military issues evacuation warning – as it happened  The Guardian
  5. Hear from people in Iran and Israel as the countries continue to exchange airstrikes  NPR
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Spain rejects Nato plan for member states to spend 5% of GDP on defence

PM Pedro Sánchez says he wants a ‘more flexible formula’ that would make target optional or allow Madrid to opt out

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has rejected Nato’s proposal for member states to increase their defence spending to 5% of their GDP, saying the idea would “not only be unreasonable but also counterproductive”.

Sánchez said that he was not seeking to complicate next week’s Nato summit in The Hague, but he wanted there to be a “more flexible formula” that would either make the target optional or allow Spain to opt out.

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Denmark deploys ‘saildrones’ in Baltic to protect undersea cables from Russia

US-made unmanned vessels will monitor maritime activity as part of trial, amid criticism over closer ties with America

Denmark is deploying floating drones on the Baltic Sea to protect undersea infrastructure and bolster maritime surveillance amid the growing threat of hybrid attacks from Russia.

The arrival of Saildrone, a California-based company, has prompted criticism in Denmark over forging tighter bonds with the US in such a sensitive area as digital security.

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Ordinary Zambians lose out twice: to global looting and local corruption | Letters

Emmanuel Mwamba and Fiona Mulaisho respond to an editorial on US aid cuts to Zambia and huge sums taken out of the country by multinationals

Your editorial (The Guardian view on Zambia’s Trumpian predicament: US aid cuts are dwarfed by a far bigger heist, 10 January) highlights research by Prof Andrew Fischer, and the exploitation of Zambia’s commodity resources via illicit financial schemes. Many Zambians have raised the issue of this looting for years, but have met coordinated resistance. Consequently, Zambia’s treasury loses billions of dollars in revenue. These losses are driven by well-known multinationals working in concert with certain insiders close to the Zambian state.

Your editorial also says: “The US decision to cut $50m a year in aid to Zambia … is dreadful, and the reason given, corruption, rings hollow.” Alas, I disagree and wish to place this in context.

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American, United Pause Middle East Flights on Rising Tension – Bloomberg.com

  1. American, United Pause Middle East Flights on Rising Tension  Bloomberg.com
  2. How airlines are scrambling as escalating conflicts punch holes in the air map of the world  CNN
  3. United Airlines, American Airlines halt flights to Dubai, Doha amid tensions  The Times of Israel
  4. Airports close across the Mideast as the Israel-Iran conflict shutters the region’s airspace  AP News
  5. American Airline Cancels Philadelphia to Doha Flights with 787  Aviation A2Z
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Israel-Iran war undermines Beijing’s Mideast diplomatic push – France 24

  1. Israel-Iran war undermines Beijing’s Mideast diplomatic push  France 24
  2. A U.S. Attack on Iran Would Show the Limits of China’s Power  The New York Times
  3. ‘If Middle East Is Unstable, World Will Not Be at Peace’: How China Views the Israel-Iran War  Time Magazine
  4. Xi Shows No Sign of Rescuing Iran as Trump Ramps Up Pressure  Bloomberg.com
  5. China Reacts to Trump Khamenei Threat  Newsweek
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Iran may shut down vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, lawmakers say – The Times of Israel

  1. Iran may shut down vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, lawmakers say  The Times of Israel
  2. In Crisis With Iran, U.S. Military Officials Focus on Strait of Hormuz  The New York Times
  3. Wall Street isn’t freaking out about Israel and Iran yet. This could change their minds  CNN
  4. Oil Could Spike to $90 If Strait of Hormuz Shut, Citigroup Says  Bloomberg.com
  5. Shell boss warns of ‘huge impact on trade’ if Israel-Iran conflict escalates  The Guardian
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At least 12 Palestinians killed waiting for aid in Gaza, say medics – BBC

  1. At least 12 Palestinians killed waiting for aid in Gaza, say medics  BBC
  2. As death toll rises, Gazans make life-risking journeys to seek food  Reuters
  3. Israeli attacks kill at least 81 people including aid seekers in Gaza  Al Jazeera
  4. Israel Kills Over 70, Wounds Hundreds as Tanks Open Fire on Aid Seekers in Gaza  Truthout
  5. Dozens killed by Israeli fire as they sought desperately needed aid in Gaza, Palestinian health ministry says  CNN
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