Report: Israel thinks Trump will back IDF strike on Iran nuke program or order US hit – The Times of Israel

  1. Report: Israel thinks Trump will back IDF strike on Iran nuke program or order US hit  The Times of Israel
  2. Iran 2025: Nuclear crisis awaits Trump  Axios
  3. Transition 2025: What Will Donald Trump Do About Iran?  Council on Foreign Relations
  4. Report to Congress on Iran  USNI News
  5. A Weakened Iran Prepares to Face Trump 2.0  The Wall Street Journal
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What a non-handshake tells us about Syria’s new ruler – POLITICO Europe

  1. What a non-handshake tells us about Syria’s new ruler  POLITICO Europe
  2. Middle East latest: Germany and France seek a ‘new beginning’ with Syria  The Associated Press
  3. European foreign ministers meet with Syria’s interim leader  The Washington Post
  4. French and German foreign ministers meet Syria’s new leaders in first high-level EU visit since Assad’s toppling  CNN
  5. Syria after Assad: Paris and Berlin have no ethical lessons to offer Damascus  Middle East Eye
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Reports of optimism about Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal

US secretary of state says he is confident agreement can be reached in renewed push before Donald Trump takes office

Israel and Hamas appear to be edging closer towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal that could bring the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip to an end amid reports of optimism among decision makers.

The latest round of negotiations intended to broker a lasting truce in the 15-month-old conflict resumed in Qatar on Sunday. Hamas said on Monday that it had given mediators a list of 34 Israeli captives seized during the group’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered the war, who could be freed as part of the “first phase of a prisoner exchange deal”.

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Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial over alleged Gaddafi election funding – BBC.com

  1. Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial over alleged Gaddafi election funding  BBC.com
  2. Trial Starts for Nicolas Sarkozy in Libya Election Case  The New York Times
  3. Nicolas Sarkozy: The legal cases faced by the former French president  Reuters
  4. 'Gaddafi couldn't have done this alone': Seized documents reveal extensive deals with US, UK, France  FRANCE 24 English
  5. Sarkozy stands trial over ‘suitcases stuffed with millions from Gaddafi’  The Telegraph
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Charlie Hebdo: Magazine releases special issue decade after attack – BBC.com

  1. Charlie Hebdo: Magazine releases special issue decade after attack  BBC.com
  2. France commemorates victims of Charlie Hebdo attacks 10 years on  Reuters.com
  3. French minister warns of ‘threat from within’ on Charlie Hebdo attack anniversary  The Guardian
  4. How the Left betrayed Charlie Hebdo They put piety over progress  UnHerd
  5. A decade after ‘Charlie Hebdo’ killings, we are still failing blasphemers  Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
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China’s yuan hits 16-month low amid fears over Trump tariffs

CSI 300 blue-chip stock index also trades weakly, hitting its lowest point since September

China’s currency hit a 16-month low on Monday, despite efforts by the central bank and stock exchanges to soothe investor worries about impending US tariffs under a Donald Trump presidency.

The tightly controlled yuan reached 7.3301 per US dollar, its weakest level since September 2023. It has routinely hit multi-month lows since Trump won the US election, promising massive tariffs on Chinese imports.

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