War latest news. Borrell, ok EU mission in the Red Sea. Italian ship hypothesis. Media: "Israel proposes two-month break for hostage release".

"Together for a sovereign Europe": Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote this on X, in German and French, posting a photo of a smiling handshake with President Emmanuel Macron who was in Berlin today for a memorial service for former minister Wolfgang Schaeuble who died last month at the age of 81. "Germany has lost a statesman. Europe has lost a pillar. France has lost a friend," Macron said in German in his eulogy in the Reichstag building in Berlin, the seat of the lower house of the German parliament, as reported by the Dpa news agency. With the signing of the Elysée Treaty on 22 January 1963, Germany and France were obliged to reconcile, Macron recalled: 'This task was entrusted to the hands of several generations. Among them were the founding fathers of Europe (...). Wolfgang Schaeuble belonged to this generation of builders'. Formerly Helmut Kohl's dauphin, the politician had been the interior minister who negotiated the conditions for German reunification in 1990 and, from 2009 to 2017, the finance minister who, among other things, drew up the unimplemented project of a two-speed Europe. After being the victim of an assassination attempt that left him paraplegic, Schaeuble had chaired the Cdu-Csu parliamentary group in the 1990s.

"The president's view is that a two-state solution is the best way forward for the people of Gaza, for the Palestinian people, as well as the Israeli people." This was made known by White House National Security Advisor John Kirby during a press point.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry denied that Israel Katz at the EU ministers' meeting in Brussels had "raised the idea of temporarily housing Gaza residents on an artificial island in the Mediterranean". "He never said such a thing," the ministry stressed to the Times of Israel, "and there is no such plan. The artificial island, he continued, would serve to control the entry of goods into the Strip and is an idea the minister has been advocating for years.

Israel "has the right to defend itself" but hospitals "must be protected as much as possible", said US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, renewing the US position that it does not want to see hospitals turned "into war zones".

The Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis (in the southern sector of the Gaza Strip) - which was surrounded by Israeli armoured vehicles today - was used by Hamas for military purposes, according to public television station Kan. The broadcaster cited intelligence information that dozens of hostages had been held there in the past. Recently, Kan added, fire was opened from the hospital building towards Israeli soldiers.

The Houthis claim to have attacked a US merchant ship (the Ocean Jazz) in the Gulf of Aden using missiles. "The Yemeni armed forces continue to respond to any American or British aggression against our country by targeting all sources of threat in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea," said the spokesman for the pro-Iranian movement, as reported by Haaretz. (

"We agreed in principle on the launch of the EU mission in the Red Sea, now we have to work for unanimity on when". This was said by EU High Representative Josep Borrell at the end of the EU Council.

- An Italian Navy ship could participate in the new EU mission in the Red Sea that is currently being planned. While the 'Martinengo', the frigate currently engaged in the area to protect national merchant ships from Houthi attacks, from 8 February will be the command ship of another European operation, Atalanta, against piracy, which operates in nearby waters. The details on the contribution of individual countries to the new mission - which will be grafted onto the Agenor operation in the Strait of Hormuz, which originated on a French initiative - have yet to be finalised. It will probably be discussed on 30 and 31 January in Brussels, where a meeting of EU defence ministers is scheduled.

"Ending the Ukrainian crisis and restoring peace is more urgent than ever and the parties must work harder for this goal." Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said this during the Security Council meeting on Ukraine. "Negotiations must resume as soon as possible. Peace cannot be achieved by sending weapons to the battlefield and continuing the fighting means more civilian casualties," he added, reiterating that "China continues to stand on the side of justice and peace."

- The military operation in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Strip, will last another few days with the aim of striking Hamas centres. This was announced by the army.

"I came here to tell my EU colleagues that the most important action to take is a ceasefire. We must collectively call for a ceasefire, we cannot accept anything less or have any hesitation. Every day that we show hesitation innocent people are killed - women, children, the elderly - and this is unacceptable'. This was said by NPC Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki in Brussels, adding that he expects a condemnation of Netanyahu's statements that "reject the two-state solution" and "sanctions" against Netanyahu himself and those who "are destroying the chances of peace in the Middle East".

Most experts believe that what is preventing the start of a path to peace is the "continued support from the West for the Kiev regime despite the fact that it is agonising and unable to achieve its goals". Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov said this at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. "Despite Ukraine's complete failure on the battlefield Westerners urge them to continue," he continued, reiterating that the military operation is not against the Ukrainian people.

According to a report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan published today, the Taliban are restricting Afghan women's access to work, travel and health care if they are not married or do not have a male guardian. In one case, officials of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue advised a woman to get married if she wanted to keep her job in a health facility, stating that it was inappropriate to work for an unmarried woman.

Last October, three female health workers were arrested for going to work without a mahram, i.e. a man who is related to them by blood or marriage. They were released after their families signed a written guarantee that they would not repeat the act, the report says.

Una scuola a Kandahar EPA/STRINGER

Eight people are confirmed dead in the landslide that struck the village of Liangshui in Tangfang city (Zhenxiong county), part of the southwestern Yunnan province, in China this morning. According to the latest bulletin provided by the state media, several dozen people remain missing. The state network Cctv estimated 47 people buried by the huge amount of debris, part of 18 households, while more than 200 people have been evacuated from the village. Local and national authorities launched an emergency response involving more than 200 rescuers and numerous equipment. The disaster occurred in a rural area surrounded by snowy peaks with temperatures below zero. No official explanation has yet been given for the landslide, which occurred in an area where mountain ranges collide with the Himalayan plateau, often causing earthquakes. Several thousand kilometres away, in Xinjiang, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 was recorded, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center: it hit Aksu, a prefecture of 2.7 million inhabitants, but no information has been provided at present on personal injury or property damage.

Soccorritori cercano sopravvissuti tra le macerie dopo la valanga che ha colpito Zhenxiong County, in Zhaotong, Yunnan province, Cina REUTERS

The Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, during his speech at the EU Council, revived the idea of building an artificial island in front of Gaza, where the harbour and other key facilities could be built - also showing videos to his colleagues. This was reported by several qualified sources in Brussels. Katz, European sources say, reportedly floated the idea that on this island the Palestinians of Gaza could even go and live. The idea dates back to 2017, when Katz was Minister of Transport. Frost from almost all European ministers, who ignored the Israeli proposal in the table round.

"The Suez crisis, we hope soon to be able to speak of a crisis averted, it is good news the possible agreement of the 27 European countries to set up a joint naval mission in the Red Sea with the aim of bringing the situation back to normal. This was stated by the President of Promos Italia, Giovanni Da Pozzo. In fact, with this crisis there is a risk of another inflationary phase and this should be avoided at all costs, because of the consequences for people and companies.

In a geopolitical context that is already tense and uncertain due to the Russian-Ukrainian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the latest threat to European stability and Italian exports comes from this strategic and fundamental route for international trade, considering that 12% of global trade passes through that stretch of sea on Egyptian territory. Through Suez, among other things, also transits a large part of the purchases of goods from China, our country's second largest market. And a third of Italian fashion imports also arrive in Italy via the Red Sea. The incidence is also high in relation to imports of crude oil and metal products, which account for around 30% of total purchases from abroad. Not to mention, in this historical phase, our dependence on oil supplies.

The leaders of the parties that make up the governing coalition led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have announced that they will not take part in the debate and will not vote on the no-confidence, proposed by the Labour party. We do not participate in 'political spectacles in wartime', the coalition announced. Ynet reports.

According to a study conducted for the executive arm of the EU bloc, China has overtaken the EU in clean energy technology research, creating a challenge for its green technology ambitions.

In 2021, China led the number of peer-reviewed publications in areas such as solar and wind energy, as well as lithium batteries, heat pumps and carbon capture technology. This is a reversal from 2010, when the EU led in publications in all these areas except wind energy, notes the article published last week.

"China is increasingly becoming a world leader in science and innovation, for several critical technologies," the paper states. "The EU's exposure to China is becoming increasingly technological."

UK fruit and flower growers have raised the alarm over the new post-Brexit customs controls coming in April as they risk severely damaging the sector and even affecting next year's harvests. According to the farmers' union, the National Farmers' Union (Nfu), the Conservative government's changes to import regulations, particularly affecting young plants destined for British producers, pose an 'existential threat'. Since these are perishable goods, they risk being damaged in the course of the controls, which are intended, among other things, to increase waiting times at borders. Already in the past there had been great controversy over the long queues of lorries and coaches that formed at the weekend at the ferry embarkation point in Dover, also caused by the customs controls that came into force after Brexit. 'Finding yourself with unusable plants is what terrifies growers, and any unnecessary delays could result in stock being destroyed, ultimately impacting businesses in the most profound way imaginable,' Martin Emmett, head of horticulture at Nfu, told the Guardian. British growers have to import plants in large quantities from the EU, mainly from nurseries in the Netherlands, which then arrive in the Kingdom for planting. The alarm was raised on the same day that farmers staged a protest in front of the Westminster Parliament against the 'unfair' treatment by the country's six largest supermarket chains.

Israel 'has a proposal on the hostages'. This was announced by Benyamin Netanyahu who, however, explained that he "cannot say any more". The PM - who met with representatives of the hostages' families in the Knesset - added that "contrary to what is claimed there is no sincere proposal from Hamas". "I want to say this," he added, "in the most explicit way, also because there is a lot of incorrect news that is sure to cause you pain.

The Israeli army has laid siege to the central building of the Red Crescent in Khan Yunis (south of Gaza) and has effectively paralysed all its activities, including those of the ambulance unit. This was reported by the Red Crescent according to which tanks surround the building and sharpshooters are stationed on the roofs of nearby buildings. Local sources add that in the immediate vicinity of the building (eight storeys high) there are thousands of displaced people, who can no longer move in any direction. Sources add that there are bodies of people in the nearby streets, but this information has not yet been confirmed.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed a decree on the territories historically inhabited by Ukrainians in the Russian Federation. "This is the return of truth about the historical past for the sake of Ukraine's future," said the Ukrainian president, on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of Ukraine's Unity Day. This was reported by Ukrainian media. With this decree, Zelensky instructed the Council of Ministers to develop, with the involvement of international experts, representatives of the World Congress of Ukrainians, and scholars, an action plan to preserve the national identity of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation, including in the lands historically inhabited by them (such as in the regions of Kuban, Starodub, Northern and Eastern Sloboda within the modern Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov).

The agency that regulates civil aviation in the US (Faa) has recommended that airlines inspect the doors of their Boeing 737-900ER aircraft after incidents observed on Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. Companies "are encouraged to conduct visual inspections" to ensure that the doors are not defective, the Faa said in a note. The Boeing 737-900ER is an older model in the MAX family, but according to the Faa has similarities in door design.

This announcement follows the accident that occurred on 5 January during an Alaska Airlines flight in which a door detached from the cabin of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 that was supposed to connect Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California.

Un Boeing 737-900ER della compagnia aerea Usa Delta Airlines.

More than 90 people have lost their lives in the United States as a result of the wave of frost and bad weather that has hit the country over the past week. The BBC reports this, noting that the deaths include at least 25 people in Tennessee and 16 in Oregon, where a state of emergency is still in effect due to the severe ice storms. Tens of thousands of people remain without electricity in large parts of the country even though ice conditions are expected to ease in the coming days.

Un homelerss dorme nella stazione del metrò della 181ma strada, a New York, per ripararsi dal freddo. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

The Kremlin has had no recent contact with US presidential candidate and former White House tenant Donald Trump. And therefore does not know how it intends to intervene to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, should he win the November elections. This was stated in a briefing by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Trump had announced that he could find ''an agreement in 24 hours'' on Ukraine.

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The Polish president, Andrzej Duda, urges American Republicans and Democrats to agree on new military and economic aid to Ukraine because 'only the United States' can prevent the outbreak of a new 'big war in Europe'. "If Russia were to win this war and attack another country, this would entail the risk of another big war in Europe. Only the United States can help avert the outbreak of another war by providing support to Ukraine,' he said. The attack on Ukraine represented the 'resurgence' of 'Russian imperialism', he added, during an interview with Fox News in which he warned that if it is not stopped, Russia will 'devour' other countries. US aid is blocked due to opposition from a group of Republicans in the Senate who are demanding in return investment to strengthen controls at the southern border with Mexico, where the situation - they claim - is an 'absolute catastrophe'.

Il presidente polacco Andrzej Duda. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

"We start the Foreign Affairs Council today with Dmytro Kuleba connected by video conference to discuss the situation on the ground and the EU's continued support for Ukraine. Kiev needs more and faster military support now, so the 2024 of

Il rappresentante della politica estera Ue Josep Borrell . (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Associated Press/LaPresse

will be the year in which Ukraine prevails'. This was written on X by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.

The number of Palestinians who have lost their votes in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli retaliation for the Hamas attack began on 7 October has risen to 25,295. This was announced by the Hamas-ruled Gaza Health Ministry, adding that 63,000 Palestinians have been injured over the same period. The latest death toll includes 190 people killed and 340 wounded in the last 24 hours.

Dozens of relatives of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip burst into a meeting of the Finance Committee of the Israeli Parliament, or Knesset, shouting: "You will not sit here while they are dying there!" The protesters disrupted the session demanding Prime Minister Netanyahu's resignation and calling for new elections.

The Kurdish Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights reported that a 20-year-old student Anahita Amiripour was shot dead by plainclothes officers in the town of Borujerd in western Iran. Iran International reports that the young woman was in a car with another student, who was seriously injured, when plainclothes officers tried to stop the car. The boy driving, not knowing who the men in civilian clothes were, tried to flee, at which point the officers opened fire. The relatives, the activists claim, were threatened so as not to make the murder public.

"From now on we have to talk about two-state solution and not peace process, words are important". This was said by EU High Representative Josep Borrell as he arrived at the foreign affairs council. "I know Israel does not agree but it is unacceptable, as the UN secretary general said. So we have to discuss. What is their solution? Drive people out of Gaza? Kill them all? Israel has been stirring up hatred for generations,' he pointed out. 'Hamas is one of the obstacles to the two-state solution, but not the only one. We need to work with the Arab world and discuss among ourselves approaches to achieve progress."

"We expect the EU to call for a ceasefire and work with us to reach a concrete plan for a two-state solution, the time is now". Ayman Hussein Abdullah Al Safadi, Jordanian Foreign Minister, said this. "Israel with its policy is condemning the region to years of conflict: the world is for the two-state solution and Israel is defying the international community, it is time to take measures, peace must be imposed," he added.

"The European Union is united in its determination to ensure security in the Red Sea and to repel indiscriminate attacks by the Houthis." This was said by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, arriving at the Foreign Council. "The Houthis in Yemen attack almost daily on ships that are completely unrelated to the Red Sea, thus affecting one of the central arteries of free navigation and thus also of world trade," she explained, stressing the importance for the EU to "jointly launch a Red Sea operation. By doing so,' he said, 'we show that the EU is capable of action and that it is a reliable partner under international law'.

'Disappointing'. This is how British Defence Minister Grant Shapps described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of an independent Palestinian state as a solution to the Middle East conflict. "There is no other option than this," said Shapps, who remarked in an interview with Sky News that "the whole world agrees that a two-state solution is the best way forward".

Joe Biden's campaign sides with Nikki Haley in attacking Donald Trump for his recent statements in which he confused the former ambassador to the UN with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "I don't agree with Nikki Haley on everything, but we agree on this: she's not Nancy Pelosi," the Biden campaign says on X. During a rally in recent days Trump repeatedly confused Haley with Pelosi. A gaffe that exposed him to criticism from the former South Carolina governor, who spoke of 'mental decline' due to age.

The Israeli Labour Party, 4 seats out of 120 in the Knesset, will today file a no-confidence motion - the first since the start of the war - against the government of Benyamin Netanyahu because of "its failure to bring home the hostages" held by Hamas in Gaza. The party made this known by stressing that 'the government is not taking the necessary decisions to rescue them and bring them back'. Labour - led by Merav Michaeli - said they expect the opposition parties to 'support the no-confidence motion', although the chances of it passing are slim.

In a document that the EU might propose to the Foreign Affairs Council today and that is circulating in European chancelleries in these hours, Brussels proposes to the 27 to 'set out the consequences they foresee in the event of commitment or non-commitment' by Israel with their proposed peace plan. The plan envisages the creation of a state for Palestine and mutual recognition of sovereignty - the so-called two-state solution. The Financial Times writes this in an article published yesterday afternoon in its online version. The proposal, the British paper explains, shows an increase in EU pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to accept a long-term peace plan.

A powerful explosion occurred in the industrial city of Garmsar, 95 kilometres southeast of Tehran in Iran's Semnan province. This was reported by the Iranian media. The cause of the explosion is not known at the moment. The fire brigade was sent to the scene.

The Kiev Air Force reported that it shot down eight Iranian-made Shahed drones launched overnight from Russia. In its bulletin, the Ukrainian Air Force points out that the launch of the so-called kamikaze drones was completely rejected.

The state leadership has already set priorities for Ukraine in the coming weeks and is preparing for the important negotiations with the European Union. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening address to the nation, Ukrinform reports. "One of the main points is the European Union, relations with our closest neighbours. We are preparing more interaction and new communications, new important negotiations,' he said. Zelensky noted that work priorities for the coming weeks have already been determined, in particular, there are clear tasks related to strengthening Ukraine's positions at the front, political interaction with partners and strengthening the country's financial stability. Zelensky stated that talks are ongoing with key international partners regarding new defence support packages for Ukraine to repel the aggressor.

At least 44 people were buried in a massive landslide that occurred today in China at 5:51 a.m. local time (10:51 p.m. Sunday in Italy) in the village of Liangshui, in Tangfang city (Zhenxiong county), part of the southwestern province of Yunnan. State media reported that '47 people belonging to 18 families were trapped according to a preliminary investigation by local authorities'. The Xinhua news agency added that search and rescue activities for the missing are still ongoing. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged 'every effort to carry out a comprehensive search and rescue of the missing people'.

Ron DeSantis is suspending his campaign for 2024. The Florida governor himself announced this in a video posted by his staff. Donald Trump - he says - is "superior to Joe Biden. That much is clear. I have signed a pledge to support whoever among the Republicans is nominated and I will honour my commitment. He has my support because we cannot go back to the old Republican guard'. The former US president thanks: 'I look forward to working with him to beat Joe Biden'. First, however, there is the last remaining Republican challenger in the race, namely Nikki Haley, who tells DeSantis' supporters: 'You want a generational change and you want to win, join us.

Benyamin Netanyahu slams the door in the face of Joe Biden and the EU again: as long as he is prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, let alone one with sovereignty over Gaza. "I made clear to the US president," the prime minister said after Friday's talks between the two, "Israel's determination to achieve all the objectives of the war and to ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel. The Strip is to be 'demilitarised' and 'remain under full Israeli security control. As long as I am prime minister, this will be my position'. Meanwhile, in the coming days the US envoy for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, will first be in Egypt and then in Qatar.