For today, links to eight reports: from Reuters, the Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, the Associated Press, and Tass; others or at least headlines are  accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 10-20-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON, YEMEN, WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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NEWER  Russian bombardment plunges hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians into blackout, by Max Hunder and Anastasiia Malenko | Reuters  KYIV — A Russian bombardment of energy infrastructure left hundreds of thousands of people in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region without power and some without water today, with repairs slowed down by the lingering threat of drone strikes, officials said. READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Rostov region targeted in Ukrainian drone attack, officials say. From the Moscow Times. Russia’s southern Rostov region was struck by a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack overnight, local Governor Yury Slyusar said. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian troops crush massive Russian assault in Zaporizhzhia, obliterate dozens of tanks and armored vehicles: officials, by Alisa Orlova | Kyiv Post  Ukrainian forces repelled a large-scale Russian assault on the village of Mala Tokmachka, east of Orikhiv, military officials said Monday. A video showed . . . Click HERE to read and see video.

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Ukraine and EU leaders accuse Putin of stalling and reject land concessions for peace. From AP. Ukraine’s president and European leaders today accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of stalling for time in diplomatic efforts to bring his invasion of Ukraine to an end and opposed any move to make Kyiv surrender land captured by Russian forces in return for peace, as U.S. President Donald Trump has . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE to same AP report in Spanish, and HERE and HERE for related Oct. 19 AP report in English and Spanish.

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Kiev loses 1,460 troops along engagement line in past day — Russia’s top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,460 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours, according to data on the special military operation in Ukraine released today by Russia’s Defense Ministry. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 20  Ukrainian drone attack on gas plant halts Kazakh output, sources say. From Reuters. MOSCOW — A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Orenburg gas plant has forced neighbouring Kazakhstan to reduce production at its Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field by 25% to 30%, two industry sources said on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians brace for another winter of power cuts as Russia shifts tactics, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  SHOSTKA, Ukraine — Russia has renewed its campaign of attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish.

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For today, links to a podcast via Middle East Monitor recorded over the weekend, to 13 reports: from Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, the Cradle, and Middle East Eye, and to articles of commentary from Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 10-19-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Jasim Al-Azzawi and Dr. Mustafa Barghouti discuss Gaza war. Via Middle East Monitor. Al-Azzawi worked for several media organisations and covered significant conflicts, interviewed world leaders, and taught media courses. Barghouti, a Palestinian physician, activist and politician, is general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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Israel to reopen Gaza crossings under U.S. pressure amid strikes: media. From Middle East Monitor. Israel has agreed to reopen crossings into the besieged Gaza Strip on Monday morning following pressure from the United States, after a decision to suspend the entry of humanitarian aid drew widespread criticism, according to Hebrew media reports. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza ceasefire after a major flare up, by Sam Mednick, Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  TEL AVIV — Special envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Israel today to shore up the tenuous ceasefire that’s holding in Gaza. Israel is threatening to halt aid transfers after it said Hamas militants had killed two soldiers. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Israel strikes Hamas targets as both sides accuse the other of violating ceasefire. Reported by Leila Fadel and Rob Schmitz | NPR  Israel says it struck dozens of Hamas targets across Gaza Sunday in response to attacks on its troops, threatening to unravel a fragile ceasefire that has been in place for less than a week. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle.  

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Trump claims Gaza ceasefire in full effect, says violations will be ‘handled toughly.’ From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed late on Sunday that the Gaza ceasefire is still in full effect despite deadly Israeli airstrikes across the strip hours earlier. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. says Hamas is violating ceasefire with its attempts to retain control in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Still under a ceasefire with Israel, Hamas has waged a new war against its rivals in Gaza. Hamas says the crackdown is meant to restore stability, but the U.S. says it violates the ceasefire deal. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Gaza power vacuum adds new hurdles to Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Reported by Leila Fadel of NPR speaks with Stephen Farrell, co-author of Hamas: The Quest for Power. How does the power vacuum in Gaza complicate the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 19  Renewed fighting tests Gaza ceasefire and Israel briefly halts aid, by Josef Federman and Samy Magdy | AP  JERUSALEM — Gaza’s fragile ceasefire faced its first major test Sunday as Israeli forces launched a wave of deadly strikes, saying Hamas militants had killed two soldiers, and an Israeli security official said the transfer of aid into the territory was halted. The military later said . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Middle East Eye.

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FROM OCT. 19  Fighting resumes in Gaza, threatening a fragile nine-day ceasefire. Reported by Greg Myre and Andrew Limbong | NPR  Israel and Hamas exchange fire in southern Gaza, leaving several Palestinians dead and raising new doubts about the fragile ceasefire. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel’s latest strikes on Gaza expose the fragile illusion of peace, by Ronny P Sasmita | Middle East Monitor  Barely days after the so-called Gaza Plan was endorsed in Cairo as a new framework for postwar reconstruction and governance, the region is back to the grimly familiar cycle of escalation. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 18  The world must ensure Israel does not resume a slow genocide, by Majed Abusalama | Middle East Eye  The “Trump deal” on Gaza, like many similar agreements, does not acknowledge the roots of the Palestinian struggle for liberation. This is not peace — far from it. It is Oslo 2.0. READ MORE . . .

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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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