China sparks invasion fears as it launches military drill on Taiwan's doorstep

"Tensions in the Indo-Pacific have reached fever pitch after China launched an extensive
military drill in waters close to Taiwan.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) confirmed the drills,which took place in the Philippines, on Tuesday.
It described them as "combat readiness patrols" and "joint strike exercises." MS

Ukrainian Forces Burn Soldiers' Bodies to Avoid Paying Families

"The Kiev regime is burning the bodies of Ukrainian

Armed Forces soldiers to avoid paying their families, and the number of dead is so high that even in Kharkov the local crematorium does not have enough capacity, so mobile cremation units have been brought into the city, a captured Ukrainian border guard told Russian forces." Sputnik

Air defenses shoot down ballistic missiles and drones in Russia’s attack on Ukraine

"Russian forces launched an overnight and early-morning attack on Ukraine on Jan. 18, using

four Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 39 Shahed combat drones, along with various decoy UAVs.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles over Kyiv Oblast. Additionally, 24 drones were destroyed over Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts.
Fourteen Russian decoy drones were lost from radar detection without causing damage." NV

Iran-backed rebels fire bomb at Israeli defense ministry hours before ceasefire

"Yemen-based Houthi rebels said they fired a ballistic missile targeting Israel's defense

ministry.
The missile triggered sirens in central Israel early Saturday. Israel's military said there was minor damage from falling shrapnel." MS

Ukraine's Special Operations Forces hit oil depot in Russia's Kaluga Oblast

"The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have destroyed a Russian oil depot in Russia’s Kaluga Oblast." TP

Venezuela grapples with economic collapse

"The ongoing financial crisis — arguably the population’s greatest source of discontent — persists despite a modest reactivation of consumption. Crisis and political conflict remain

intertwined, and after a decade of catastrophic governance and escalating tensions between the ruling party and the opposition, the Maduro government now faces an especially turbulent period.
The evidence of electoral fraud, which Maduro has been unable to convincingly refute, have heightened international pressure.....the damage to Venezuela’s productive and social fabric had already been done. The socioeconomic collapse experienced between 2014 and 2020, during Maduro’s presidency, delivered a devastating blow to the nation’s economic framework. This trauma has left many Venezuelans struggling to fully recover from its far-reaching effects. Venezuela’s economy contracted by more than 80%. The local industrial sector was decimated, and now operates at just 30% of its capacity." MS

Swedish Troops Arrive in Latvia in Largest Deployment for NATO

"Hundreds of Swedish troops arrived in Latvia to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade along NATO’s eastern flank, a mission Sweden is calling its most significant operation so far as a member of the Western defense alliance." Breitbart

141 combat clashes at front in past day, Pokrovsk and Kursk sectors remain hottest

"141 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops were recorded at the frontline, with the enemy attacking most actively in the Pokrovsk sector and Russia’s Kursk region.

In the Kharkiv sector, the enemy did not conduct any active operations yesterday.
The number of combat engagements in the Kupiansk sector reached eight over the past day. The Ukrainian forces repelled enemy attacks in the areas of Petropavlivka, Holubivka, Zahryzove and Pishchane.
In the Lyman sector, the Ukrainian forces thwarted 13 Russian attacks. The invaders concentrated their main efforts in the areas of Kopanky, Novoserhiivka, Hrekivka, Zelenyi Hai, Makiivka, Zelena Dolyna, Torske, Novoplatonivka, Terny and Zarichne.
In the Siversk sector, the enemy attacked five times in the areas of Bilohorivka, Verkhniokamianske and Ivan-Daryivka.
The Ukrainian forces stopped seven attempts of the invaders to advance toward Pryvillia, Bila Hora, Hryhorivka and Chasiv Yar in the Kramatorsk sector.
In the Toretsk sector, the enemy attempted to advance 14 times in the areas of Krymske, Leonidivka, Toretsk and Shcherbynivka.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 53 attacks in the Pokrovsk sector over the past day. Russian troops were most active near Zelene Pole, Yelyzavetivka, Myroliubivka, Vodiane Druhe, Promin, Lysivka, Novyi Trud, Pokrovsk, Shevchenko, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Uspenivka, Slovianka, Petropavlivka, Andriivka, Ulakly, Kurakhove, Dachne and Yantarne.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the defense forces continue to hold back the enemy. In the areas of Kostiantynopil, Velyka Novosilka and Vremivka, Russians tried to break through Ukrainian defensive lines 11 times.
In the Huliaipole sector, the enemy did not conduct any active operations yesterday.
In the Orikhiv sector, Russian troops attempted to attack Novodanylivka but had no success.
In the Prydniprovskyi sector, the enemy made four unsuccessful attempts to capture the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
On the border with the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, the enemy maintains a military presence, conducts reconnaissance activities and artillery shelling." Ukrin