ADVISORY  The World This Week: ‘How close are we to nuclear war?’ at 8 p.m. EDT. Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, hosts weapons expert Peter Kuznick, economist and filmmaker Richard Wolff, and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. From CN intro: “Some NATO and Russian advisers think nuclear war is viable. Would a desperate Israel really nuke Iran?” Click HERE around 8 tonight EDT to livestream, and later for video of discussion.

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For now, links to two reports and a commentary: from the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, and Indian Punchline via Consortium News; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for today’s LEBANON, UKRAINE, GAZA and MEDIA, and for IRAN 7-31-26.) — MCM

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First, links to two reports from Agence France-Presse; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s IRAN, UKRAINE, GAZA and MEDIA, and down for LEBANON 7-31-26.) — MCM

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Israel says it killed several Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon. From AFP. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said today that it killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon and that an Israeli soldier was injured there despite a ceasefire. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for others.

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Israeli soldier injured in ‘close-quarters encounter’ with Hezbollah in Lebanon: Israeli army. From AFP. The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was moderately injured during a “close-quarters encounter” with Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon overnight on Saturday, despite a ceasefire. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for others.

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ADVISORY  The World This Week: ‘How close are we to nuclear war?’ at 8 p.m. EDT. Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, hosts weapons expert Peter Kuznick, economist and filmmaker Richard Wolff, and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. From CN intro: “Some NATO and Russian advisers think nuclear war is viable. Would a desperate Israel really nuke Iran?” Click HERE around 8 tonight EDT to livestream, and later for video of discussion.

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For now, links to three reports and a commentary: from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Indian Punchline via Consortium News; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s IRAN, LEBANON, GAZA and MEDIA, and down for UKRAINE 7-31-26.) — MCM

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Russia pounds Kyiv, kills 10 as Ukraine appeals for Patriot interceptors. From Reuters. Russia pounded Kyiv and the region in a heavy ballistic missile attack early today, killing 10 people, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukraine had run out of interceptor missiles for its U.S. Patriot air defense systems. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine sinks Russian-owned container ship in Black Sea: Rosatom. From AFP.  Ukrainian drones sank a Russian-owned container ship in the Black Sea early today, forcing its 17-member crew to abandon the vessel, the ship’s owner said. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for similar AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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FROM JULY 29  U.S. conjoins wars in Eurasia, western Asia, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline / Consortium News  On Friday, July 24, even as U.S. President Donald Trump was announcing the end of the latest round of the conflict with Iran, the Pentagon unobtrusively extended the war theatre to the Caspian Sea in a hugely consequential geopolitical thrust — which hardly figured in the Western news cycle. READ MORE . . .

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Links to two reports: from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s IRAN, LEBANON, UKRAINE and MEDIA, and down for GAZA 7-31-26.) — MCM

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Hamas’s agreement to disarm raises hope in Gaza, by Toqa Ezzidin | AP  CAIRO — For Palestinians in Gaza, President Donald Trump’s announcement that Hamas had agreed to disarm was a small sign of hope that Israel’s attacks might end, allowing them to rebuild their lives and what remains of their homes. But it also clashed with the reality on . . . Click HERE for report including video and photos.

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FROM JULY 31  Trump’s plan for Gaza faces huge hurdles ahead. Reported by Frank Langfitt and Juana Summers | NPR  President Trump announced a “historic breakthrough” in his plan to bring peace to Gaza, but huge hurdles remain.. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Links to three reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up for today’s IRAN, LEBANON, UKRAINE and GAZA, and down for MEDIA 7-29-26.) — MCM

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Truth Social launches paid early access to Trump posts. Reported by Bobby Allyn | NPR  The latest offering from President Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, stands out. Trump Media & Technology Group is now shopping to traders and investors . . . Click HERE to listen and read more. 

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FROM JULY 29 ‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson says Nolan shouldn’t have written the movie himself. Reported by Dave Davies | NPR  Christopher Nolan‘s new film, “ The Odyssey,” is a box-office hit. But University of Pennsylvania classics scholar Emily Wilson, who published her own translation of Homer’s epic in 2017, says Nolan’s script . . . Click HERE to read more and listen.

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FROM JULY 31  Small bookstores are popping up across the country. What’s behind the boom. Reported by Reagan Jones | NPR  Small bookstores are opening up around the country and finding new ways to bring people in. Click HERE to listen and read.

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First, a link to a report from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for today’s WEST BANK, GAZA and 9/11 TRUTH so far, and for LEBANON 7-30-26.) — MCM

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Lebanese army chief says Israel seeks to fuel internal strife. From Middle East Monitor. Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal said Israel was seeking to stir internal divisions in Lebanon, urging national unity to counter such efforts. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to a report from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll up or down for today’s LEBANON, GAZA and 9/11 TRUTH, and down for WEST BANK 7-30-26.) — MCM

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Israeli occupiers raid areas near Nablus, army arrests 14 Palestinians in raids across West Bank. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli occupiers, under army protection, raided areas west of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus and the nearby town of Tell this morning, while the army arrested 14 Palestinians and injured 11 others during multiple raids in multiple cities. READ MORE . . .

Links to seven reports: from Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, the Cradle, Reuters, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s LEBANON, WEST BANK and 9/11 TRUTH, and down for GAZA 7-29-26.) — MCM

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NEWER  Israel rejects mediators’ Gaza proposal, insists on Hamas disarmament: Yedioth Ahronoth. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli government has rejected a proposal reached by mediators in Cairo with Palestinian factions and is insisting on the complete disarmament of Hamas as a key condition for any progress on US President Donald Trump’s plan, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. READ MORE . . .

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Three links in chronological order: from a book’s first chapter, from the Stockton Record; and from the Justice Integrity Project.  (Scroll up for today’s LEBANON, WEST BANK and GAZA, and down for 9/11 TRUTH 7-30-26.) — MCM

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FROM EARLY 2012  The Big Bamboozle: 9/11 and the War on Terror. A novel by Philip Marshall.   The phone would not stop ringing. I tried to sleep through rings but finally surrendered and made my way to the phone in my office. There were already fifteen messages. Click HERE to read more of first chapter.

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FROM FEB. 3, 2013  Three dead in Murphys double murder- suicide, by Dana M. Nichols and Zachary K. Johnson | The Stockton Record  MURPHYS, Calif. — Calaveras County residents responded with shock and grief Sunday as they . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM LATE FEBRUARY 2013  Questions raised on author’s suicide-murder finding, by Andrew Kreig | Justice Integrity Project  The shooting death of a California author and his two children a month ago prompted a prompt ruling of suicide — and later questions about whether the initial finding was correct. Authorities said Philip Marshall . . . READ MORE . . . 

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TO BE CONTINUED

Links to three reports and an interview: from Reuters, the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for today’s ALL OF IT, WEST BANK, UKRAINE and 9/11 TRUTH, and for IRAN 7-29-26.) — MC

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NEWER  Drone strike near Suez Canal in Egypt raises new security threat in widening war, by Nafisa Eltahir, Elwely Elwelly and Tala Ramadan | Reuters  DUBAI — A drone strike on gas vessels in Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta signaled a potential new front in the U.S.-Iran war, raising the prospect of threats to navigation through the Suez Canal, one of the last remaining export routes for Saudi ‌oil. READ MORE . . .

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