This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Alex Ritson, and in the early hours of Thursday,

the 19th of January, these are our main stories.

Ukraine's President Zelensky appeals to world leaders gathered in Davos

to upgrade their military assistance.

Israel's High Court rules a key coalition partner

in Benjamin Netanyahu's government

with a criminal conviction cannot be a minister.

Also in this podcast, a damaging day for Snooker

as 10 Chinese players are charged with matchficting.

We have some great etiquettes in ethos,

some morals and principles in Snooker.

We trade on that all across the world,

and to find out these players were not only suspected of it,

have now been charged with it, is deeply troubling.

And Francis Lear Football Club is told to pay up by FIFA

after withholding wages from a pregnant star player.

Over the past two months, the front lines in eastern Ukraine

have hardened.

The Russians and the Ukrainians have suffered huge losses

with little gain on the battlefield.

Keves says it needs more Western weapons to break the stalemate,

...