First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by  clicking on its name below. (LEBANON 10-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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U.S. envoy renews threats against Lebanon as Israeli warplanes strike south. From the Cradle. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack today renewed threats against Lebanon in an opinion piece published on his social media account, warning that Beirut must “act” or face an “inevitable” Israeli assault. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, a link to commentary via Middle East Monitor; other atrifles are accessible by clicking on its name below. (MEDIA 10-19-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Why American public opinion on Israel is shifting, by Jamal Kanj / Middle East Monitor  For the first time in decades, the public in the United States and across the West has begun to see Israel’s wars and occupation for what they truly are. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a report from Reuters; headlines of others are accessible by  clicking on its name below. (UKRAINE 10-19-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, LEBANON and GAZA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM OCT. 19  Trump urged Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to make concessions to Russia in tense meeting, sources say, by Gram Slattery and Tom Balmforth | Reuters  WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to give up swaths of territory to Russia during a tense meeting on Friday that left the Ukrainian delegation disappointed, according to two people briefed on the discussion, and he also . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, a link to a report from the Cradle, and to commentary from Middle East Eye and the Flautist; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (WEST BANK 10-14-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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New wave of Israeli army, settler violence hits occupied West Bank. From the Cradle. Israeli occupation forces caused large-scale destruction in the occupied West Bank city of Tubas overnight, as part of military operations which coincided with an escalation of settler violence against Palestinians across the territory. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 18  Trump’s Knesset speech was a celebration of war crimes, not a vision for peace, by Michel Shehadeh | Middle East Eye  Framed as a celebration of “peace,” the self-congratulatory spectacle on Oct. 13 quickly became a brazen admission of U.S. complicity in Israel’s genocidal warand an attempt to reassert its dominance in the region. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 18  ‘Against chutzpah,’ by Patrick Lawrence | The Flautist  There is a public-display aspect to all of these cases of overreach and barbarism. The conduct of Zionists is meant to be seen—the more unacceptable it may be to civilized sensibilities the more this seems to be so. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, Middle East Eye and Anadolu Ajansi, and to articles of commentary from Middle East Eye and the Flautist; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 10-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel strikes Gaza after it says Hamas attacked across ceasefire line, by Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — Israel today struck targets in the southern Gaza Strip after it said its troops came under fire from Hamas militants, in the first major test of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire meant to halt more than two years of war. Members of the Palestinian group used a rocket-propelled grenade and . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from NPR, Reuters and Middle East Eye. 

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Israeli strikes on Gaza continue, as death toll today rises to at least 11. From Middle East Eye. Israel’s bombardment campaign across Gaza has continued since this morning, killing at least 11 Palestinians. A tent sheltering displaced people in al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, was among the latest targets.

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Hamas denies U.S. allegations of harming civilians, violating ceasefire agreement, by Betul Yilmaz | Anadolu Ajansi  ISTANBUL — Hamas today rejected a statement by the U.S. State Department accusing the group of harming Palestinians and violating a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. The State Department said earlier that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 18  NPR’s Jane Arraf reflects on decades of covering the Middle East. Reported by Linah Mohammad, Jane Arraf and Andrew Limbong | NPR  Speaking from Amman, Jordan’s capital, Arraf describes how the ceasefire is holding, the toll of years of war on ordinary people, and what feels different in the region today. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 18  Trump’s Knesset speech was a celebration of war crimes, not a vision for peace, by Michel Shehadeh | Middle East Eye  Framed as a celebration of “peace,” the self-congratulatory spectacle on Oct. 13 quickly became a brazen admission of U.S. complicity in Israel’s genocidal warand an attempt to reassert its dominance in the region. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 18  ‘Against chutzpah,’ by Patrick Lawrence | The Flautist  There is a public-display aspect to all of these cases of overreach and barbarism. The conduct of Zionists is meant to be seen—the more unacceptable it may be to civilized sensibilities the more this seems to be so. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to a report from National Public Radio and to commentary from Indian Punchline; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 10-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, GAZA and  MEDIA entry for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM OCT. 18  Trump and Zelensky met on Friday. What’s next in the Russia-Ukraine war? Reported by Scott Simon and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Ukraine’s president met yesterday with President Trump, trying to both bolster his country’s weaponry and pursue a ceasefire with Russia. But it’s unclear how interested Russia is in a deal. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 17  India’s Russian oil saga is indeed ending, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The alchemy of the ‘Uniparty’ phenomenon in the U.S. party system ensures foreign policy consensus. Administrations may come and go but the compass set by the permanent establishment and deep state remains immune to major deviations. Simply put, our tendency to demonise Trump . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to two remembrances from National Public Radio, to a report from the Associated Press, and to an editorial from Kyiv Post; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (MEDIA 10-10-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM OCT. 16  Remembering NPR ‘founding mother’ Susan Stamberg. Reported by David Folkenflik | NPR  Susan’s colleagues considered her a mentor, a founding mother, but always tough and always true to herself. She was hired by NPR before its start originally to cut tape, literal audio tape, with a single-sided razor blade. Click HERE to listen to and read whole segment, and HERE for report from AP.

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FROM OCT. 18  Susan Samberg gave NPR its voice, by Scott Simon | NPR  We are here — and I mean on the air with you today — because of Susan Stamberg. Others of course helped turn the idea of National Public Radio into a distinctive sound. But a little over 50 years ago, when Susan’s voice . . . Click HERE to listen to and read whole segment.

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FROM OCT. 18  Kyiv Post at 30: From local newspaper for expats to Ukraine’s global voice. An editorial from Kyiv Post.  When Kyiv Post was first published in 1995, Ukraine was just four years into independence. From that moment of transformation, Kyiv Post emerged as . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from Middle East Eye, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 10-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE entry for today is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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With ceasefire secured, what’s next for Hamas? by Rayhan Uddin | Middle East Eye  That Hamas forces were back patrolling the streets of Gaza almost immediately after the ceasefire with Israel came into effect was both a warning to Israeli-linked gangs and collaborators and was a statement about . . .  READ MORE . . .

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Hamas aims to keep grip on Gaza security and can’t commit to disarm, senior official says. From Reuters. DOHA — Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, a senior Hamas official told Reuters, adding he could not commit to the group disarming — positions that . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Gaza ceasefire one week later. Reported by Jane Arraf and Scott Simon | NPR  A week after the Gaza ceasefire, Israel’s new restrictions are keeping desperately needed aid out. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 17  Gulf states warn Gaza ceasefire will collapse unless Hamas disarms: report. From the Cradle. Diplomatic sources cited by Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom on Thursday said Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain are warning that the Gaza ceasefire is at risk . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 17  Israeli soldiers reveal thousands of tons of aid ‘buried, burned’ in Gaza as famine took over strip. From the Cradle. Israeli broadcaster Kan reported on Friday that over the past two months, the Israeli army has buried or burned more than a thousand truckloads worth of humanitarian aid in Gaza, including food, medical supplies, and bottled water, amid . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 10 reports: from Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, Tass, CNN, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Kyiv Independent; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names of initials below. (UKRAINE 10-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for today is HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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‘We need ceasefire first’ but ‘most difficult question will be territory,’ Zelensky says. From Kyiv Post. After a disappointing encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on Friday, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky reminded reporters . . . READ MORE . . .

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Trump tells Zelensky to ‘make a deal’ as Tomahawk plea misfires, by Danny Kemp | AFP  Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday to make a deal with Russia, pouring cold water on Kyiv’s push for Tomahawk missiles as the U.S. leader pursues a diplomatic solution to the war. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Tass and CNN.

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FROM OCT. 17  Trump tells Zelenskyy he’s reluctant to sell Ukraine Tomahawk missiles after warning Russia he might, by Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim and Michelle Price | AP WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signaled to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday that he’s leaning against selling him long-range Tomahawk missiles, while offering optimism that the war is moving toward an end that would mitigate a need for the powerful weapon. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE to read same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for report from Reuters.

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3 killed in blast at Russian chemical factory – official.  From AFP. Three people were killed in an explosion at a chemical plant in Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, the regional head said today without specifying what caused the blast. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 17   Trump hosts Zelenskyy as plans for a Putin meeting are underway. Reported by Deepa Shivaram | NPR  President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after announcing he is scheduling another face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russia keeps hitting Ukraine’s training centers — and Ukraine doesn’t have an answer, by Asami Terajima | The Kyiv Independent  A Russian missile strike this week on a Ukrainian training ground — the latest in a series of deadly strikes on training centers across the country — has heightened scrutiny and sparked criticism of the Ukrainian military command’s ability to protect recruits. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 17  Ukrainian drone kills Russian state media correspondent. From AFP. A Russian state media correspondent was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Moscow-occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, his outlet, the news agency RIA Novosti, said Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA 10-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Hamas reaffirms commitment to ceasefire as delays in returning hostages’ bodies fray nerves, by Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  — Hamas moved today to shore up its brittle ceasefire agreement with Israel by reaffirming its commitment to the terms of the deal, including a pledge to hand over the remains of all dead Israeli hostages. READ MORE . . . Click HERE to read same AP report in Spanish.

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The long road to Gaza’s recovery begins amid rubble, ruin and security risks. Reported by Greg Myre and Steve Inskeep | NPR  With 90% of building damaged or destroyed, no funds and unexploded bombs buried beneath debris, Gaza faces immense obstacles as it begins the first steps toward reconstruction. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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What will it take to rebuild Gaza? Reported by Leila Fadel | NPR  The U.N. Development Programme is helping clear debris and rebuild infrastructure in Gaza. Jaco Cilliers helps lead the project. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 16  As the dead are returned to Israel and Gaza, relatives try to give them dignified burials. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  As laid out in the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan, Israel and Hamas are now releasing bodies of Israelis and Palestinians killed during the war. In Israel, funerals are taking place daily as families get closure, but in Gaza such burials will be much more challenging. Click HERE to listen and, later, and read.

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