For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and the Berkshire Eagle, and to commentary via ScheerPost and Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Hamas chief says group studying truce proposal ‘in positive spirit.’ From AFP. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said today the Palestinian militant group was studying a proposal for a truce in the nearly seven-month war raging in Gaza with a “positive spirit”. Mediators have proposed a truce deal that would halt fighting for 40 days and exchange. . . READ MORE . . .

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As Hamas considers cease-fire, question hangs: Will Israel end war without the group’s destruction? by Bassem Mroue and Lee Keath | AP  BEIRUT — Hamas today was considering the latest proposal for a cease-fire with Israel that the United States and other mediators hope will avert an Israeli attack on the Gaza town of Rafah. But chances for the deal are entangled with the question . . . READ MORE . . .

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Jordan demands that Israel provide better security for aid convoys. Reported by Michel Martin and Jane Arraf | NPR  Secretary of State Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday. Blinken pushed for swift and sustained aid to Gazans. A truck was attacked by Israeli settlers after it left Jordan. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash in tense scene at UCLA encampment, by Ryan Pearson, Ethan Swope, Jake Offenhartz and Joseph B. Frederick | AP  LOS ANGELES — Police removed barricades and began dismantling pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ fortified encampment early today at the University of California, Los Angeles, after hundreds of protesters defied . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Williams College, MCLA students protest colleges’ ties to companies supplying weapons used in Israel’s war in Gaza, by Sten Spinella | The Berkshire Eagle  WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The nation’s wave of student protests over the Israel-Hamas war arrived at Williams College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Wednesday. Demonstrators at the two colleges sought only to make noise with chants and the like in between classes.  At Williams, divestment by the college’s endowment from weapons manufacturers supplying Israel is an aim. Click HERE to read more with paid subscription..

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FROM MAY 1  The latest on student protests in New York City and around the country. Reported by Adrian Florido and Steve Futterman | NPR  Hundreds of students have been arrested as university leaders moved to break up encampments and take back buildings occupied by campus protesters angry over Israel’s war in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 1  Israeli settlers try to block aid to Gaza as Blinken touts progress on trip to Israel. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Israeli settlers tried to block a new aid route into Gaza. The incident was a setback for Blinken, who was trying to highlight progress in getting Palestinians food and supplies to stave off famine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 1  Israel-U.S. Gaza plan stares us in the face, by Jonathan Cook | Jonathan-Cook.net / Consortium News  One does not need to be a fortune-teller to understand that the Israel-U.S. game plan for Gaza runs something like this: 1. In public, Biden . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 28  Sermon for Gaza, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost / Consortium News  PRINCETON, N.J. — Ruling institutions — the state, the press, the church, the courts, universities  — mouth the language of morality . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine war not likely to end soon, says top U.S. spy, by Jonathan Landay and Idrees Ali | Reuters  WASHINGTON — Russia is likely to press its aggressive tactics in its war in Ukraine but the conflict is unlikely to end soon, the top U.S. intelligence official said today. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian soldiers say rear defensive lines barely exist amid Russian advance, by Samya Kullab | AP  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Devastating Russian aerial glide bombs that can drop up to 1.5 tons of explosives out of range of most of Ukraine’s air defenses are gnawing away at soldiers’ positions in a new tactic. Yet, to retreat carries no promise of safety — the rear defensive lines meant to give them cover . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Berdychi community in DPR over past day — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Berdychi in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. “Battlegroup Center units . . . READ MORE . . .

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Macron doesn’t rule out troops for Ukraine if Russia breaks front lines. From AFP. French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request, in an interview published today. “I’m . . . READ MORE . . .

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Missile strikes postal depot in Ukraine’s Odesa, 14 injured, regional governor says. From Reuters. A Russian ballistic missile struck a postal depot in the Ukrainian port of Odesa late on Wednesday, injuring 14 people and triggering a large fire, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said. It was the third missile attack on the city in as many days. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine. From AFP. The U.S. State Department accused Russia Wednesday of having used chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, while also announcing fresh sanctions against Moscow. In addition to the chemical agent chloropicrin, Russia . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 1  Russians throng to display of Western ‘trophy’ tanks captured in Ukraine, by Andrew Osborn | Reuters  Western tanks and military hardware captured by Russian forces in Ukraine went on display in Moscow on Wednesday at an exhibition the Russian military said showed Western help would not stop it winning the war. Long queues of people formed . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, and the Public’s Radio, and to commentary from a Substack writer; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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UCLA campus protests over Gaza war erupt into violent clashes between rival groups, by David Swanson | Reuters  LOS ANGELES — Police deployed in force on the University of California in Los Angeles campus this morning after Israel supporters attacked a camp set up by pro-Palestinian protesters. Witness footage from the scene showed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Dueling protesters clash at UCLA hours after police clear pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia, by Jake Offenhartz, Joseph B. Frederick, Ethan Swope and Stefanie Danio | AP  LOS ANGELES — Dueling groups of protesters clashed today at the University of California, Los Angeles, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. Hours earlier, police burst into a building at Columbia University that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Blinken urges Israel and Hamas to move ahead with a cease-fire deal and says ‘the time is now,’ by Matthew Lee and Sam Mednick | AP  JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders today in his push for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, saying “the time is now” for an agreement that would free hostages and bring a pause in the nearly seven months of war in Gaza. He said Hamas would . . . READ MORE . . .

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In Israel, Blinken set to push Netanyahu for sustained aid into Gaza, by Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters  TEL AVIV – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today kicked off a series of meetings with Israeli leaders aimed at discussing how to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza while, at the same time, repeatedly urging Palestinian militant group Hamas . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas official says Blinken ceasefire comments are attempt to pressure the group. From Reuters. CAIRO — Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said today that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is blaming the delay of a Gaza ceasefire agreement on the Palestinian group unfairly. Blinken, meeting Israeli leaders . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s prime minister worries the ICC will soon issue arrest warrants for Israelis. A Martínez of NPR speaks with Oona Hathaway, professor of international law at Yale University, about how International Criminal Court arrest warrants might affect the war in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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At Brown University, protesters and administrators reach deal to end encampment. Reported by Olivia Ebertz | the Public’s Radio / NPR  Brown University leaders have agreed to hold a vote on divesting from companies that support Israel, and pro-Palestinian student demonstrators agreed to clear their encampment. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM APRIL 30  ‘Yes, it is genocide’ in Gaza says Israeli professor of Holocaust studies. From Middle East Monitor.  In a blistering essay on the mass killing and devastation in Gaza, Amos Goldberg, professor of Holocaust History at the department of Jewish history and contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has argued that Israel is committing the crime genocide. “It is so difficult and painful to admit it . . . READ MORE . . .

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Where are the National Intelligence Estimates? By Seymour M. Hersh | SeymourHersh.substack  NIEs are produced on request from the president and his senior policymakers by a team of National Intelligence Officers at work at America’s senior intelligence office, the National Intelligence Council —  scholars in their fields, committed to supplying non-political assessments, housed at CIA headquarters but known to be fiercely independent. READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to reports from the Moscow Times, Tass, the Kyiv Post, Reuters, the Associated Press, and the Kyiv Independent, and to commentary from a Substack writer; others are accessible by clicking on his address below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.)– MCM

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Russia says carried out strike on Ukraine’s southern command center. From the Moscow Times.  Russia’s Defense Ministry said today its forces carried out a strike on the Ukrainian military’s southern operational command center. The center is based in the southwestern port city of Odesa, where authorities reported a deadly Russian missile attack early today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces strike Ukraine’s Operational Command South headquarters. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces have delivered a strike on Ukraine’s Operational Command South headquarters, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It added that. . . READ MORE . …

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Kharkiv region under attack: Russian strike with guided bombs leaves two dead and six injured. From Kyiv Post. As officials reported, an explosion rang out in Kharkiv, and later it became known about the Russian hit today. Russian troops also attacked the village of Zolochiv, resulting in casualties and injuries. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov warned of a threat of repeated arrivals. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian drone strikes target Russian oil refineries – reports. From the Moscow Times. Ukrainian drones have targeted several regions in central and southwestern Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry said today, as Ukrainian media reported that Kyiv was behind alleged attacks against at least two Russian oil . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia ramps up arms production as US boosts support for Ukraine. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia’s defence minister today ordered a hike in weapons production and said deliveries needed to be faster for the war in Ukraine, a week after U.S. President Joe Biden signed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin parades Western equipment captured from Ukrainian army at Moscow exhibition. From AP. MOSCOW — An exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Kyiv forces during the fighting in Ukraine opened today in the Russian capital. Organized by the Russian Defense Ministry the exhibit . . . READ MORE . . .

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Skynex: The German drone destroyer reinforcing Ukraine’s air defense, by Chris York | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine has just received the second Skynex air defense system from Germany as part of the latest package of military aid, the German government announced on Monday. It’s the latest addition to Ukraine’s struggling air defenses, running . . . READ MORE . . .

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Where are the National Intelligence Estimates? By Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  NIEs are produced on request from the president and his senior policymakers by a team of National Intelligence Officers at work at America’s senior intelligence office, the National Intelligence Council —  scholars in their fields, committed to supplying non-political assessments, housed at CIA headquarters but known to be fiercely independent. READ MORE . . .

 

 

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and New England Public Media; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah ‘with or without a deal’ as cease-fire talks with Hamas continue, by Tia Goldenberg | AP  TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged today to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering, as cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas appear . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Gaza ministry says 34,535 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes since Oct. 7. From Reuters. More than 34,535 Palestinians have been killed and 77,704 wounded in the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 last year, the Gaza health ministry said today. Israeli military strikes across Gaza in the past 24 hours killed 47 people and wounded 61, it said. READ MORE . . .

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Nearly 7 months into the Israel-Hamas war, how do things look for a cease-fire? Leila Fadel of NPR talks with Brian Katulis of the Middle East Institute about the latest round of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release negotiations. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 29  U.S. military’s pier in Gaza to cost $320m, by Phil Stewart and Daphne Psaledakis | Reuters  WASHINGTON — The U.S. military’s cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid has risen to $320 million, a U.S. defense official and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AP.

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Palestinians in Rafah say they’re in limbo as Israel threatens an assault. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  People in southern Gaza say they’re tired of being displaced and moved around, only to be bombed or told to move again. In Rafah, where Israel plans an assault, families weigh the risks of what to do. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Protesters at Columbia University are now occupying a campus building. Reported by A Martínez and Brian Mann | NPR  Demonstrators opposed to the Israel-Hamas war continue to turn out at schools across the country despite the risk of arrest, academic suspension and police force. Click HERE to listen and read.

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As pro-Palestinian protests spread, more university leaders weigh police involvement. Reported by Meg Anderson | NPR Universities in the United States experiencing student protests over Israel’s war against Hamas are taking vastly different approaches on when to involve police – and when not to, underscoring the delicate balance between a desire to protect free speech and keep a college safe and functioning. Click HERE to read and listen.

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UMass Amherst students, protesting the war in Gaza, set up tent encampment, by Jill Kaufman | NEPM  About 100 UMass Amherst students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza established a tent encampment near the school’s student union on Monday. Ruya Hazeyen, a UMass Amherst senior and the organizer of the demonstration, said they have multiple demands of the school. “We’re . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 29  The latest on the high-stakes negotiations happening in the Middle East. Reported by Becky Sullivan | NPR  The latest developments on the protracted truce talks between Israel and Hamas, with all eyes in Israel on the status of hostages held in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 29  State Department diplomat resigns in protest of U.S. policy in Gaza. Reported by Megan Lim, Justine Kenin and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  After 18 years of service in the State Department, Hala Rharrit discusses her resignation with Mary Louise Kelly. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 29  What it means if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Reported by Rachel Faulkner White, Mallory Yu and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR Mary Louise Kelly talks with David Scheffer, former ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, about the possibility of the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials due to acts in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian missile hits educational institution, kills five in Ukraine’s Odesa, by Iryna Nazarchuk | Reuters  ODESA, Ukraine  A Russian missile attack on an educational institution in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa on Monday killed four people and injured 28, local officials said. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine presses military-age Ukrainian men living abroad to register for service. Reported by A Martínez and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  As Ukraine awaits for badly needed military aid approved by Congress earlier this month, it’s not just weapons and ammunition in short supply. Ukraine also desperately needs more soldiers. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM APRIL 29  This congresswoman was born and raised in Ukraine. She just voted against aid for her homeland, by Isabella Volmert | AP  SHERIDAN, Ind. — U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, the first and only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, emerged early on as a natural advocate for supporting her native country in its war with Russia. But when $61 billion in additional support for the war effort came up for a vote in the House recently, she voted against it. Instead, she. . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Battlegroup East improves positions in DPR, hits roughly 100 Ukrainian troops. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian armed forces sustained roughly 100 casualties as Russia’s Battlegroup East took up more advantageous positions near Staromayorskoye and Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Also . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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U.S., Britain urge Hamas to accept Israeli truce proposal, by Humeyra Pamuk, Alexander Cornwell and Pesha Magid | Reuters  RIYADH — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today urged Hamas to swiftly accept an Israeli proposal for a truce in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. Hamas negotiators were expected to meet today with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli airstrikes on Rafah kill at least 22 people, Palestinian health officials say. From AP. Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah have killed at least 22 people, including six women and five children, Palestinian health officials said. One of the children killed in the strikes overnight into Monday was just 5 days old. Israel has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gaza truce or Rafah assault? Netanyahu faces political dilemma, by Maayan Lubell | Reuters  JERUSALEM — Far-right allies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are raising pressure on the embattled leader to reject a new Gaza ceasefire, jeopardizing his government’s stability if he backs away from an assault on Hamas in Rafah. Hamas representatives were due in Cairo today as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli officials concerned about possible ICC arrest warrants as pressure mounts over war in Gaza, by Josef Federman and Samy Magdy | AP  JERUSALEM — Israeli officials appeared increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against the country’s leaders, as international pressure mounts over the war in Gaza. Airstrikes overnight into today killed 25 people in a southern city, according to hospital records. The deaths in Rafah . . . READ MORE . . .

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Blinken says Israel must still do more to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza, by Matthew Lee | AP  RIYADH — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that Israel must still do more to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip and that he would use his current Middle East trip — his seventh to the region since the Israel-Hamas war started in October — to press that case with Israeli leaders. READ MORE . . .

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As conditions worsen in Gaza, humanitarian workers’ jobs become more difficult. Leila Fadel of NPR talks with Bob Kitchen of the International Rescue Committee, about a letter aid groups wrote to President Biden demanding concrete action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 28  Biden and Netanyahu speak as pressure’s on Israel over planned Rafah invasion and cease-fire talks, by Tia Goldenberg, Jon Gambrell and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — The White House on Sunday said U.S. President Joe Biden had again spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as pressure builds on Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a cease-fire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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Saudi foreign minister describes situation in Gaza as a ‘catastrophe.’ Middle East Monitor. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a “catastrophe” at the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh. Faisal Bin Farhan added that talking about half-measures in the Gaza Strip is “ridiculous,” and that the focus should be on the two-state solution. He stressed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli peace activists push the 2-state sollution in the Middle East. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Secretary of State Antony Blinken is trying to convince Israelis to consider a future Palestinian state, but many in Israel are more opposed to it than ever. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 28  Israel will scale up amount of aid going into Gaza, military says. From Reuters. JERUSALEM  — The amount of humanitarian aid going into the Gaza Strip will be ramped up in coming days, Israel’s military said on Sunday, citing new corridors that use an Israeli seaport and border crossings into . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 26  U.S. postpones decision on aid to Israeli army battalion accused of abuses against Palestinians, by Ellen Knickmeyer, Farnoush Amiri and Matthew Lee | AP  WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken has determined that an Israeli army battalion committed grave human-rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank before the war in Gaza. But he said in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson that he is postponing a decision on blocking aid to the unit to give Israel more time to right the wrongdoing. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Tass, Reuters, and the Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg arrives in Kyiv in surprise visit, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Kyiv today for a previously unannounced visit. His third visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion took place amid . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO’s chief says alliance countries have moved too slowly to send Ukraine new arms against Russia, by Jill Lawless | AP NATO countries haven’t delivered what they promised to UKkraine in time, the alliance’s chief said today, allowing Russia to press its advantage while Kyiv’s depleted forces . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says resisting heavy attacks along eastern front amid Russian advance. From AFP. Ukraine said today it had thwarted over 50 Russian attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, a day after it admitted to a worsening situation on the front line. Moscow over the weekend announced . . . READ MORE. . .

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Russian forces advance in Ukraine’s east. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian forces advanced at points along the front line in Ukraine today, taking a village in the Donetsk region, gaining better positions in the Kharkiv region and repelling a number of Ukrainian attacks, Russia’s defence ministry said. READ MORE . . .

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Russian drone operators destroy Ukrainian positions near Semyonovka, Spornoye. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian FPV drone operators have wiped out Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Semyonovka and Spornoye, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 28  Ukraine pulls back from three villages in east, Zelenskiy pleads for weapons, by Dan Peleschuk and Tom Balmforth | Reuters  KYIV — Ukraine’s top commander said on Sunday Kyiv’s outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front where Russia has concentrated significant forces in several locations. This reflected . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 28  Ukraine’s army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front-line pressure, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Ukraine’s troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country’s army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones. READ MORE . . .

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China firms go ‘underground’ on Russia payments as banks pull back, by Kateryna Denisova | Reuters  The U.S. has imposed an array of sanctions on Russia and Russian entities since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. Now the threat of extending these to banks in China is chilling the finance that lubricates even non-military trade flowing from China to Russia. This poses . . . READ MORE . . .

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New military airfield under construction in Russia’s Belgorod, investigation reveals. From Kyiv Post.  According to the report of OSINT (Open-source Intelligence) researcher RedIntelPanda on the social network X, Russia has initiated the construction of a new airfield near the village of Alexeyevka in the Belgorod region. The OSINT researcher . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, and to commentary from ScheerPost, Consortium News, and a British observer; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal, by Tia Goldenberg, Jon Gambrell and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show “more commitment and more seriousness” in cease-fire negotiations, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a cease-fire in the war in Gaza. Qatar, which . . . READ MORE . . .

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Abbas says only U.S. can halt Israel’s attack on Rafah, expected in days. From Reuters. RIYADH — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said today only the United States could stop Israel attacking the border city of Rafah in Gaza, adding that the assault, which he expects within days, could force much of the Palestinian population to flee the enclave. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 27  Top diplomat Blinken will visit the Mideast again this coming week. What can he achieve this time? From AP. WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is returning to the Middle East on his seventh diplomatic mission to the region since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began more than six months ago, the State Department said Saturday. He will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday and, according to an Israeli foreign ministry official, visit Israel on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 27  Some U.S. officials say in internal memo Israel may be violating international law in Gaza, by Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters  WASHINGTON — Some senior U.S. officials have advised Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they do not find “credible or reliable” Israel’s assurances that it is using U.S. supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law, according to an internal State Department memo. Other officials . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 27  British troops may be tasked with delivering Gaza aid, BBC report says, by Danica Kirka | AP  LONDON — British troops may be tasked with delivering aid to Gaza from an offshore pier now under construction by the U.S. military, the BBC reported Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 25  Revolt in the universities, by Chris Hedges | Original to ScheerPost  Not one university president has denounced Israel’s destruction of every university in Gaza. Not one university president has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Not . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 27  DC police refuse GWU request to arrest students, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  This is a critical moment in the way the U.S. and European establishments deal with the exploding resistance to their unconscionable support for genocide. Either they face the stark reality that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 26  Worse than you can imagine, by Craig Murray | craigmurray.org.uk / Consortium News  I have no doubt at all that the Western political elite, paid tools of the zionist machine, are complicit in the genocide of Palestinians and ethnic cleansing of Gaza at a much deeper level than the people have yet understood. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Orinoco Tribune, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian drones set a hotel ablaze in a Ukrainian Black Sea city, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russian drones early today struck the Black Sea city of Mykolaiv, setting a hotel ablaze and damaging energy infrastructure, the local Ukrainian governor reported, while ammunition shortages continued to hobble Kyiv’s troops. He said Russian drones “seriously damaged” . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Reuters report.

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Moscow claims troops took control of village in eastern Ukraine. From AFP. Russia’s defence ministry today claimed its forces had taken control of another village in eastern Ukraine, as Moscow’s troops press their advantage in manpower and ammunition on the battlefield. It said “the ‘Centre’ troop unit liberated the village of Novobakhmutivka in the Donetsk People’s Republic.” READ MORE . . .

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Russia says downed 17 Ukrainian drones. From AFP. Russia shot down 17 Ukrainian drones overnight in several western regions, the defense ministry said today. Most were shot down in regions that border Ukraine, with nine downed in Bryansk, three . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia threatens West with severe response if its assets are touched. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian officials today threatened the West with a “severe” response in the event that frozen Russian assets are confiscated, promising “endless” legal challenges and tit-for-tat measures. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 25  Russia freezes assets of largest U.S. bank. From Orinoco Tribune / Popular Resistance.  A St. Petersburg court ordered the freezing of funds owned by U.S. banking giant JPMorgan Chase in Russia on April 24. The ruling was made in favor of the country’s second-largest lender VTB, which had filed a lawsuit seeking to recover $439.5 million that is blocked abroad under U.S.-led sanctions. READ MORE . . .

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Moscow’s spring thaw reveals downed unexploded Ukrainian drones. From Kyiv Post. The Main Directorate of Regional Security of the Moscow Region has issued warnings after more than a dozen Ukrainian drones—originally brought down by electronic warfare jamming during the winter months—have surfaced in forested areas as the snows have retreated. READ MORE . . .

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Russian attacks in Kharkiv Oblast injure 2 civilians, by Kateryna Hodunova | The Kyiv Independent  Russian troops struck the cities of Kupiansk and Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast today, injuring two people, local authorities reported. READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Battlegroup East improves frontline positions — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Units of Russia’s Battlegroup East have improved their frontline positions, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The military agency specified . . . READ MORE . . .