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

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Crocus City Hall terror attack traced to Ukrainian special services — Patrushev. From Tass. ASTANA, Kazakhstan — The terror attack at the Crocus City Hall music venue in the Moscow suburb can be traced to Ukrainian special services and it is well known that the Kiev regime is fully controlled by the United States, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said today. “They are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian military says recruited 100K contract soldiers since start of 2024. From the Moscow Times.  Russia’s Defense Ministry said today that more than 100,000 people have signed up to fight as contract soldiers in the war against Ukraine so far this year. “Over the past week and a half, recruitment . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin claims increase in Russians joining army to ‘take revenge’ for Crocus attack – Ukrainian intel rubbishes statement, by Kateryna Zakharchenko | Kyiv Post  The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed today that more Russians are signing military contracts to fight in Ukraine in order to avenge the March 22 Crocus City Hall terrorist attack — an attack carried out by the Islamic State, but which the Kremlin has attempted to pin on Ukraine — where . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO ministers mull 100 billion euro military fund for Ukraine, by Andrew Gray and John Irish | Reuters  BRUSSELS, April 3 (Reuters) – NATO foreign ministers met today to discuss how to put military support for Ukraine on a long-term footing, including a proposal for a 100 billion euro ($107 billion) five-year fund and a plan seen as a way to “Trump-proof” aid for Kyiv. READ MORE . . . 

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NEWER  Russia says NATO, at 75, has returned to Cold War mindset. From Reuters. Russia says NATO has returned to a Cold War mindset as the alliance marks its 75th anniversary this week. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that NATO has no place in the “multipolar world” that Moscow says it seeks. . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Pope deplores deaths in Gaza and Ukraine from ‘folly of war.’ From Reuters. VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis today issued a fresh appeal for peace in Gaza and Ukraine, deploring the killing of aid workers in an Israeli airstrike and paying tribute to a Ukrainian soldier who died in the war against Russia. READ MORE . . .

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WSJ: Macron privately pushed Biden, Scholz to adopt ‘strategic ambiguity’ toward Russia, by Martin Fornusek and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  French President Emmanuel Macron held confidential calls with U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February to convince them about the need for strategic ambiguity in their approach toward Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported today, citing . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 2  Life has returned to Ukraine’s Bucha. But 2 years after the killings, some families can’t move on, by Samya Kullab | AP  BUCHA, Ukraine — Russian troops quickly occupied Bucha after invading Ukraine and stayed for about a month. When Ukrainian troops retook the town, they found what became known as the epicenter of the war’s atrocities. Dozens of bodies of men, women and children lay on the streets, in . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and Al Jazeera, and to commentary from ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE entry for today and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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World Central Kitchen charity halts Gaza operations after apparent Israeli strike kills 7 workers, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An apparent Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen, leading the charity to suspend delivery today of vital food aid to Gaza, where . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Netanyahu calls killing of aid workers in airstrike unintended and tragic, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today an Israeli airstrike that killed seven people working for celebrity chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen charity in Gaza was unintended and “tragic”, and the military pledged an independent inquiry. The Israeli military . . . READ MORE . . .

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The U.S. and Israel disagree over what should come next in Gaza. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  Does the growing friction between the U.S. and Israel over the war in Gaza mark a fundamental change in the countries’ relationship? Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 1  Palistinians want April vote for full United Nations membership, by Michelle Nichols | Reuters  The Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations Security Council to vote this month to make it a full member of the world body, the Palestinian U.N. envoy said on Monday, a move that can be blocked by Israel’s ally the United States. Riyad Mansour, who has permanent observer status . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 1  In Israel, tens of thousands of protesters have called for Netanyahu to step down. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  Protesters in Israel have staged the largest demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the war began almost six months ago. They called for a ceasefire and for him to step down. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 1  U.S., Israeli officials to meet virtually on Rafah, White House says. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. and Israeli officials planned to hold a virtual meeting on Monday to discuss the Biden administration’s alternative proposals to an Israeli military invasion of Rafah, the White House said. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 26  UN special rapporteur accuses Israel of acts of ‘genocide.’ From Al Jazeera. Francesca Albanese says Israel has violated three of the five acts listed under the UN Genocide Convention. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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FROM APRIL 1  The challenges of investigating war crimes in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Reported by Ryan Lucas | NPR   Almost six months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Justice Department has been nearly silent on the topic of possible war crimes. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 31  A genocide foretold, by Chris Hedges | Original to ScheerPost  There are no surprises in Gaza. Every horrifying act of Israel’s genocide has been telegraphed in advance. It has been for decades. The dispossession of Palestinians of their land . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 29  Imperium: Decline on the way to fall, by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost  The United Nations Human Rights Council just received a 25–page report and a 12–minute video summary from its special rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, titled “Anatomy of a Genocide.” You can . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, and Kyiv Post, and to commentary from ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine aims drones at an oil refinery and a drone factory in its deepest strike yet inside Russia, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian drones attacked one of Russia’s biggest oil refineries and a drone factory in the Russian province of Tatarstan, officials said today, in what appeared to be Kyiv’s deepest strike inside Russian territory since the war began. The near the cities of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine invites citizens to register war-time damage. From Reuters. THE HAGUE — Ukrainians can begin filing claims for damages they have suffered in Russia’s invasion at a newly-established register based in The Hague, Ukrainian Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba announced today. Initially, the register . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says seized 400 sq km of Ukrainian land. From AFP. Russia said today its forces had captured 400 square kilometers (150 square miles) of Ukrainian territory this year. Moscow secured its first territorial gains in almost a year in recent months, as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Orthodox Church leaders called on to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Michel Martin of NPR talks with attorney Lena Zezulin about growing calls for Russian Orthodox Church outposts abroad to break from the Moscow-based church and its support of the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Seven Russian border area residents killed, over 40 injured in week’s shelling by Ukraine.  From Tass. MOSCOW — Seven residents of frontline population centers were killed and over 40 injured over the past week due to shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces, Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy for the crimes of the Kiev regime, said. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. needs Ukraine as anti-Russian territory — top security official. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s goal of demilitarizing Ukraine is still on the agenda as the United States and NATO involved in the conflict see the country as anti-Russian territory under their control, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said today. “The United States and NATO nurture . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian attack kills elderly man in Kherson Oblast, by Elsa Court and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  A Russian attack on the village of Tokarivka in Kherson Oblast killed a 79-year-old man in Kherson Oblast, the Kherson Regional Military Administration said today. Tokarivka is located . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia deploys S-300 and Pantsir-S1 missile systems to protect Kerch Bridge from Ukrainian attacks, partisans say, by Julia Struck and Kateryna Zakharchenko | Kyiv Post  The Atesh guerrilla movement, via Telegram, reported Russia’s deployment of S-300 air-defense missile systems and Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft artillery systems to safeguard the Kerch Bridge against potential Ukrainian attacks. “Our agents . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 29  Imperium: Decline on the way to fall, by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost  On the eastern flank of the Atlantic world the imperium’s managers have lost a war they were confident they would win when they started it with the coup they arranged in Kiev a decade ago. The West’s . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to a conversation on “9/11 Free Fall,” a weekly program of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth; other information is accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Engineering students aren’t buying the official lie. Andy Steele of AE911Truth talks with civil engineer John Schuler, a volunteer, about the gradual awakening of engineers to the impossibility of the government’s explanations about the physical collapse of the three skyscrapers at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Click HERE to watch and listen.

For today, links to commentary from Truthout and the Dissenter; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 29  UK court gives Biden a chance to dodge Assange appeal by ‘assuring’ his rights, by Marjorie Cohn | Truthout  WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange is closer than ever to being extradited to the United States for trial on 17 counts under the Espionage Act and one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion over WikiLeaks’s 2010-2011 revelation of evidence of U.S. war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay. He faces . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 28  UK High Court: Extradition removes CIA’s ‘rationale’ for assassinating Assange, by Kevin Gosztola | The Dissenter  While recognizing that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had valid grounds to appeal extradition to the United States, the British High Court of Justice last week refused to consider “fresh evidence” involving the CIA. On March 26, the High Court . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Tass, Reuters, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE and ASSANGE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Russian troops take control of several Ukrainian strategic strongholds near Chasov Yar. From Tass. DONETSK — Russian troops have taken control of several Ukrainian strategic strongholds near Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, adviser to the DPR head Igor Kimakovsky said today. “Our . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it downed two of three Russian drones overnight. From Reuters. Ukraine’s air force shot down two out of three Russia-launched Shahed drones overnight, the Ukrainian military said today. Separately, Ukraine’s energy ministry said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky holds meeting on drone production, electronic warfare, by Elsa Court and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a three-hour meeting today on drone production and electronic warfare systems with senior members of the military and government. Drones . . . READ MORE . . .

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France expects China to send ‘clear message’ to Russia over Ukraine war. From AFP. France’s top diplomat said today that Paris expects China to send “clear messages” to its close partner Russia over its war in Ukraine, after meetings with his counterpart in Beijing. “We . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 31  France will deliver hundreds of armored vehicles to Ukraine, defense minister says. From AP. PARIS  — French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said France is to deliver “hundreds” of armored vehicles by the beginninG of next year to Ukraine as part of a new package of military aid for the country that just entered its third year of war since the full-scale Russian invasion. In an interview . . . READ MORE . . .

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Relatives of Ukrainian POWs highlight their cases, including allegations of torture. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  UN human rights experts say there are credible allegations that Ukrainian POWs have been tortured by Russian forces. Family members of some spoke to NPR about these cases.  Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 29  How much of your tax dollars is going to Israel and Ukraine. Reported by Sarah Gonzalez, Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi, Jess Jiang and Sam Yellowhorse Kesler | NPR  There’s been a lot of disagreement in Congress and in the country about whether the U.S. should continue to financially support the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. In this episode of Planet Money . . . Click HERE to read brief intro and to listen.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Truthout and from the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Fighting rages across Gaza amid revival of truce talks, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO – Israeli strikes have killed 77 Palestinians in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the territory’s health authorities said to, as Egypt hosted an Israeli delegation for a new round of talks. The Israeli military said it killed a senior Islamic Jihad militant . . . READ MORE . . .

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An Israeli air strike in Gaza kills 2 Palestinians, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit a tent camp inside a hospital in central Gaza today, killing two Palestinians and wounding another 15. The strike hit one of several . . . READ MORE . . .

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More clarity needed on future defence spending, Israel’s central bank chief says, by Steven Scheer | Reuters  Israel’s central bank chief today called on the government to enact responsible fiscal policy by reining in non-defense spending to offset any further expansion in the military budget. Amir Yaron, governor of the Bank of Israel, said . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 30  Palestinian Authority announces formation of a new cabinet amid reform pressures. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  The Palestinian Authority president has announced a newly revamped cabinet, but there is widespread skepticism that it will bring about meaningful reform — or govern Gaza’s reconstruction. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 30 These Israeli military veterans are against Gaza occupation. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  A group of Israeli military veterans say they know the reality behind their country’s occupation of Palestinian territories, and want it to stop. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 30  The U.S. and Israel’s relationship is at a contentious balancing point. Scott Simon of NPR speaks with Princeton Professor Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, about how the relationship between the U.S. and Israel has changed with the war in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 26  Israel remains Intent on genocide despite World Court orders, by Marjorie Cohn | Truthout / ScheerPost  Israel is continuing its genocidal campaign against the Palestinians in Gaza and hindering humanitarian relief efforts despite specific orders from the International Court of Justice to refrain from these very actions. On Jan. 26 . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 30  History says the Palestinians will remain, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental Institute for Social Research / Consortium News  In February, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior advisor during his presidency, sat down for a conversation with Professor Tarek Masoud at Harvard. In it, Kushner talked about “Gaza’s waterfront property,” which, he said . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to two reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 30  NBC hires, then immediately fires, former Republican party chair as commentator. Scott Simon of NPR talks with Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the conservative website The Dispatch, about former Republican party chair Ronna McDaniel very brief stint at NBC. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 30  Remembering NPR host Bob Edwards. From NPR. On Saturday afternoon, a memorial service was held at NPR headquarters for longtime Morning Edition host Bob Edwards. Here’s a bit of what his colleagues said. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to a report from the Associated Press, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, and the Kyiv Post; to commentary from Indian Punchline, and to the same commentary as reprinted in the International Affairs, a Russian online periodical, with its own introduction; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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2 dead as Russia launches attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. From AP.  KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian cruise missile strike on infrastructure in Ukraine’s western Lviv region killed one man, while another man died in an attack in the northeast officials said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces repel nine Ukrainian counterattacks in Avdeyevka area — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian Armed Forces have improved their frontline positions and repelled nine counterattacks by Ukrainian troops in the Avdeyevka area, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It noted . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin signs decree to conscript 150,000 Russians for military service, by Nate Ostiller | The Kyiv Independent  Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed a decree to conscript 150,000 citizens as part of the regularly occurring spring conscription campaign, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. Russia conducts two conscription campaigns per year, in spring and fall. READ MORE . . .

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Pope calls for ‘general exchange’ of prisoners of Russo-Ukrainian war in Easter message. From Kyiv Post. In front of tens of thousands of Catholics on Easter Sunday at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis called for Russia and Ukraine to do a full prisoner swap. “In , , , READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 28  Ukraine’s survival hangs in the balance, by Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The American embassy in Moscow issued an advisory on March 7 to the effect that “extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts” and warning U.S. citizens to “avoid large gatherings.” The American claim that Washington shared the “information” with the Russians hinted . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 29  View from India: The U.S. is determined to destabilise Russia. From The International Affairs. The State Department scrambled within two hours of the horrific attack on the mall in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall on March 22 with a statement declaring that Ukraine was not responsible for the attack. The U.S.’s European allies also . . . READ MORE . . .