China to open border with Hong Kong after three years of tight control
Hong Kong CNN — The Chinese government announced on Thursday that it will reopen its border with Hong Kong on January 8, nearly three years after it was largely shut…
Myanmar junta to free more than 7,000 prisoners under amnesty
CNN — Myanmar’s military government will release 7,012 prisoners under an amnesty to mark the country’s independence day, state broadcaster MRTV reported on Wednesday, as the junta chief praised some…
Admiral Gorshkov: Putin deploys Russian warship with Zircon hypersonic missile, TASS says
CNN — Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched one of his country’s most modern warships armed with advanced hypersonic missiles on a long voyage through the Atlantic Ocean to the…
Taraneh Alidoosti: Iranian authorities release prominent actress on bail
CNN — One of Iran’s best-known actresses, who was arrested after she criticized the execution of a man involved in nationwide protests, was released on bail on Wednesday, state-aligned ISNA…
Makiivka strike: Russia says its own troops’ cell phone use caused Ukrainian strike
CNN — A rare public blame game has broken out between the Russian government and some pro-Kremlin leaders and military experts, after Moscow appeared to blame its own soldiers’ use…
Israel’s rightward shift leaves its new Arab allies in an awkward spot
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in today’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, CNN’s three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here. Abu Dhabi, UAE…
Poland says Germany refused talks on World War Two reparations
Reuters — Germany has rebuffed the latest push by Poland’s nationalist government for vast reparations over World War II, saying in response to a diplomatic note that the issue was…
CNS Fujian: China’s new supercarrier will soon undergo first sea trials, officer says
Seoul, South Korea CNN — The Chinese navy’s massive new aircraft carrier, the CNS Fujian, is expected to head to sea for the first time this year, the ship’s executive…
Extreme heat in Europe smashes all-time records
CNN — The year has only just started but already Europe has broken an alarming number of weather records as extreme heat spread across the continent. On New Year’s Day,…
Israel’s far-right Ben Gvir visits key Jerusalem holy site amid Palestinian condemnation
Jerusalem CNN — Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Tuesday visited the Jerusalem compound known as the Temple Mount by Jews and the Haram al-Sharif or Noble…