First, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Cradle, and Reuters; others or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 4-25-25 is HERE, or scroll down. There were no entries on April 26. IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and  HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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FROM ARPIL 26  Hamas open to long Gaza truce but not to disarming, official says. From Reuters. Hamas is open to a years-long truce with Israel in Gaza but is not willing to lay down its arms, an official said on Saturday, as leaders of the Palestinian militant group met mediators in Cairo for ceasefire talks. READ MORE . . .    Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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FROM ARPIL 26  Israeli airstrike kills 10 people, half of them children, as Arab mediators try to restart a ceasefire, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — It flattened a three-story home in Gaza City on Saturday, killing 10 people — half of them children. Health officials say Israeli strikes killed at least 49 people in the past 24 hours. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to 10 reports from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 4-25-25 is HERE, or scroll down. There was no UKRAINE entry on April 26.  IRAN and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Shocked by U.S. peace proposal, Ukrainians say they will not accept any formal surrender of Crimea, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — A peace proposal by the Trump administration that includes recognizing Russian authority over Crimea shocked Ukrainian officials, who say they will not accept any formal surrender of the peninsula, even though they expect to concede the territory to the Kremlin, at least temporarily. READ MORE . . .

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Russia launches nearly 150 drones against Ukraine as Trump doubts Putin’s desire for peace. From AP. KYIV — Russia launched a sweeping drone assault across Ukraine overnight into today, targeting multiple regions, officials said, after U.S. President Donald Trump cast doubt over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 26  Russia says is has fully reclaimed the Kursk region. Ukraine says it is still fighting there, by Samya Kullab and Katie Marie Davies | AP  KYIV — All Ukrainian troops have been forced from parts of Russia’s Kursk region, which Moscow lost control of last year to a surprise Ukrainian incursion, Russia’s top general said in a Kremlin meeting Saturday. Ukrainian officials denied it. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Ukrainian army’s rout in Kursk Region brings defeat of neo-Nazi regime closer — Putin. From Tass. MOSCOW — The liberation of the Kursk Region from Ukrainian troops creates conditions for Russian forces to develop success in other frontline areas and brings the defeat of the neo-Nazi regime closer, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 26  Trump and Zelenskiy meet one-on-one in Vatican basilica to seek peace, by Steve Holland and Angelo Amante | Reuters  VATICAN CITY — U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. They spoke for about 15 minutes . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report  from AFP.

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FROM APRIL 26  Trump says maybe Putin ‘doesn’t want to stop the war’ in Ukraine. From AFP. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine in recent days, and said “maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war.” In a post after his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky in Rome, he also said maybe Putin “has to be dealt with differently,” possibly through . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 25  A look at the Kremlin’s negotiating strategy. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  As the Trump administration continues to flood the news cycles with its efforts to end to the war in Ukraine, NPR looks at the Kremlin’s negotiating strategy. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM ARPIL 24  Trump has his old friend Steve Witkoff leading his toughest diplomatic talks. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is in Oman on Saturday for nuclear talks with Iran‘s foreign minister, a day after talks in Moscow to try to broker a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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There will be no entries today. — MCM

First, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 4-24-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and SYRIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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UN food agency says its foods stocks in Gaza have run out under Israel’s blockade. From AP. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The World Food Program says its food stocks in Gaza have run out under Israel’s nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE 4-24-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM) — MCM

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Trump says ‘Crimea will stay with Russia’ as he seeks end to war in Ukraine, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview published today that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” the latest example of the U.S. leader pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to end the war while it remains under siege. READ MORE . . .

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A Russian general killed by car bomb just outside Moscow. From AP. MOSCOW — Russia’s top criminal investigation agency said Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv recovering from deadly Russian attack as Trump administration presses peace deal. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and A Martínez | NPR  The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is recovering from Russian attacks on Thursday that killed at least 12 people. Hear the latest on efforts to reach a peace agreement. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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A look at Europe’s response to U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine and Russia. Michel Martin of NPR talks with Johns Hopkins University historian Sergey Radchenko about Europe’s response to U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine and Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM APRIL 24  Trump rebukes Putin after brutal night of bombing on Ukraine. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  President Zelensky cuts short a visit to South Africa after Russia launches an overnight attack on Kyiv. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For now, links to reports from the Cradle and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA 4–24-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Syria’s interim president ‘interested’ in joining Abraham Accords. From the Cradle. The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. Armed Services Committee, Congressman Cory Mills, said on Thursday that Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa informed him of Damascus’s openness to normalizing relations with Israel. READ MORE . . .

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Syria’s new foreign minister will appear at the UN in his first U.S. visit, by Abby Sewell | AP  BEIRUT — Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani raised his country’s new flag at U.N. headquarters in New York today where he was set to attend a U.N. Security Council briefing, the first public appearance by a high-ranking Syrian government official in the United States since the fall of former President Bashar Assad . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 23  Syria’s stolen daughters: The HTS campaign to enslave Alawite women. From the Cradle. Since December, when the former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad, Syria has witnessed a chilling wave of mysterious kidnappings of young women, predominantly from the Alawite community. Evidence continues to emerge  . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to four reports: from Reuters and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (SYRIA 4-21-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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IMF to help Syria rebuild institutions, re-enter world economy, Georgieva says, by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder | Reuters  WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund plans to work with Syria to help it reintegrate into the global economy, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said today, citing a meeting on the war-scarred nation held this week. READ MORE . . .

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UK lifts sanctions to help Syria rebuild financial, energy sectors. From Reuters. LONDON — Britain said today it would support efforts to rebuild Syria’s financial system by removing sanctions to encourage investments in financial services, energy production and other sectors. London also lifted asset freezes on Syria’s defence and interior ministries and a range of intelligence agencies, reversing . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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FROM APRIL 22  Syrian security forces detain Palestinian resistance leaders. From the Cradle. Two top officials from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Syria have been detained by Syrian security forces.  Khaled Khaled, head of PIJ operations in Syria, and Yasser al-Zafari, head of the organizational committee, were arrested five days ago. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from Middle East Eye, Reuters, and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN 4-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Tehran proposes atomic energy partnership with U.S.  Middle East Eye. After Iranian foreign minister announced that Iran is ready to trade with the U.S. and cooperate with American companies on developing atomic reactors, two former Iranian ambassadors emphasised Tehran’s willingness to create such partnerships. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 23  Iran can’t enrich uranium, could only import it for civilian program, Rubio says, by Parisa Hafezi, Humeyra Pamuk and John Irish | Reuters  Iran will have to stop enriching uranium under any deal with the United States and could only import what is needed for a civilian nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ahead of talks between Tehran and Washington on Saturday. However, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Senior Israeli officers leak classified data, including ‘preparations’ for Iran attack. From the Cradle. The Israeli army has opened an investigation into a recent leak of sensitive military documents by members of the air force’s Squadron 69, which included preparations for a potential attack on Iran. Haaretz reported that the data was uploaded onto . . . READ MORE . . . 

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For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and the Cradle, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 4-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 50, many of them women and children. From AP. Israeli strikes across the Gaza Striphave killed at least 28 people, mostly women and children, the territory’s Health Ministry said today. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war over a month ago. It has . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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UN warns of ‘dangerously low’ food supplies in Gaza due to Israeli siege. From the Cradle. The UN warned on Wednesday that food supplies in Gaza are “dangerously low,” as Israel continues to besiege the strip and prevent the entry of humanitarian aid. READ MORE . . .

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Palestinian voices are throttled by the promotion of foreign agendas, by Ramona Wadi | Middle East Monitor  Almost all political rhetoric about Israel’s genocide in Gaza completely misses the point. That includes the Palestinian Authority’s purported concern about Palestinians in Gaza, which does not extend to any concern about Israel’s ultimate colonial vision of creating “Greater Israel.” READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to ten reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and Consortium News; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 4-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA, IRAN and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russian strike on Kyiv kills 12 in biggest attack on Ukrainian capital since last summer, by Vasilisa Stepanenko and Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Russia attacked Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 70 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since last July and just as peace efforts are coming to a head. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and the Kyiv Independent.

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In rare criticism of Putin, Trump urges the Russian leader to ‘STOP!’ after a deadly attack on Kyiv, by Aamer Madhani | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump today offered rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian leader to “STOP!” after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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White House pushes Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to accept a U.S.-backed peace deal. Reported by Charles Maynes and Michel Martin | NPR  The White House is pushing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a U.S.-backed peace deal or risk, in President Trump’s words, “losing the whole country” to Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Kremlin says agrees with Trump that Ukraine ‘lost’ Crimea long ago. From AFP. The Kremlin said today it agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said on social media that Ukraine had “lost” the Crimean peninsula seized by Russia in 2014 “years ago.” The Trump administration has been trying to broker a deal between . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Tass.

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FROM APRIL 23  Officials met in London to discuss peace talks on Russia’s war on Ukraine. Reported by Willem Marx | NPR  President Trump lashed out on social media after Kyiv rejected U.S. terms to end the war with Russia. Peace talks scheduled in London were downgraded after Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 20*  On neo-Nazi influence in Ukraine, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  Subhead: “A short history of neo-Nazism in Ukraine in response to some who say, ‘There is no evidence that Nazism has substantial influence in Ukraine.’” Click HERE for report, which includes two video clips from BBC Newsnight and one from Fox News.

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* This report has been updated from its original publication on Dec. 29, 2022.

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