Links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA, SYRIA, YEMEN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Pope Francis dies at 88. From AP. Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor, has died, as announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo. He was 88. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for links to five reports from NPR.

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Cradle and Middle East Eye, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor via Informed Comment; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA 4-20-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  THE POPE, SYRIA, YEMEN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE,HERE, and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 20  Israel releases findings of its investigation into killing of 15 Palestinian medics. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Miles Parks | NPR  Israel’s military has released a long-awaited investigation into the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza by its troops. The Israeli military says “failures” occurred. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 20  Hamas turns ‘military disadvantage into opportunity’ in Gaza: report. From the Cradle. Hamas’s armed wing the Qassam Brigades has turned its “military disadvantage into an advantage” and is working to “throw the  [Israeli] army off balance,” Maariv newspaper’s Avi Ashkenazi reported on Sunday, a . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 18  All captives will be released from Gaza if Israel agrees to end war, Hamas says. From Middle East Eye. The head of the Hamas political bureau, Khalil al-Hayya, said on Thursday that all remaining captives will be released from Gaza if Israel ends its war on the enclave. Hamas, he said, is . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 17  Israeli genocide in Gaza: Dwarf babies, 300% spike in miscarriages, 4K malnourished expectant mothers, by Mustafa Aziz | Middle East Monitor / Informed Comment  — The ongoing Israeli genocidal war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, has killed over 50,000 people, including more than 16,000 children. This includes nearly 200 infants who were born and martyred during the war. A UN investigation concluded . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to a report from the Cradle and to commentary from Informed Comment via ScheerPost; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below . (SYRIA 4-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down. THE POPE, GAZA, YEMEN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 20  Iraqi lawmakers seek to block Syrian interim president’s visit to Baghdad. From the Cradle. Iraqi lawmakers are seeking to block Syria’s de facto President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, from visiting Baghdad next month for the Arab League Summit, citing his past role as a commander in Al-Qaeda, which carried out hundreds of terror attacks against Iraqi civilians following the 2003 U.S. invasion.  READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 18  Trump administration to draw down troop presence in new, fundamentalist Syria, by Juan Cole | Informed Comment / ScheerPost  ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Tara Copp at AP reports that the Trump administration will withdraw some of the 2,000 troops now based in southeastern Syria. Some 600 will come out, leaving about 1,400. The U.S. has eight small bases there and will close three of them. The UAE press, which draws on in part on the NYT, says . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to a report from the Associated Press and to commentary from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (YEMEN 4-19-25 is HERE, or scroll up or down.  THE POPE, GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 17  WFP halts food shipments to Houthi-held parts of Yemen after rebels seize warehouse, by Samy Magdy | AP  CAIRO — The World Food Program has halted food shipments to Houthi-held areas of Yemen and suspended food distribution there after the rebels looted one of its warehouses in the north, its deputy director said Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 15  Will Yemen turn its missiles on the UAE and Saudi Arabia? by Bandar Hetar | The Cradle. The U.S. war on Yemen, now in its second round, has passed the one-month mark with no clear gains and no timeline for success. What is emerging instead . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to an interview via Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name below. (UKRAINE 4-20-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  THE POPE, GAZA, SYRIA  and YEMEN entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 20  In Ukraine, ultra-nationalists are the ‘good guys.’ Natylie Baldwin of Natylie’s Place, a Consortium News contributor, and Marta Havryshko, currently a visiting professor at Clark University, had an email conversation on aspects of Ukraine and its war with Russia. Click HERE for a transcript.

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For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (LEBANON 4-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down. WEST BANK, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entres for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel ramps up attacks on south Lebanon, killing and wounding several. From the Cradle. At least two people were killed and several others injured as Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon today, carrying out a series of airstrikes and assassinations in the south. READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to a report from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK 4-17-25 is HERE, or scoll down. LEBANON, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entres for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israeli settlers kidnap two Palestinian children, tie them to a tree, by Fayha Shalash | Middle East Eye  RAMALLA, Palestine  Israelisettlers kidnapped two Palestinian children on Saturday and tied them to a tree near the city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank. This was in the afternoon, as a group of children were playing near their homes . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Cradle, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 4-19-25 is HERE, or scroll down. LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entres for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 19   U.S. and Iran say talks over Tehran’s nuclear program make progress and set plans for more, by Matthew Lee and Jon Gambrell | AP  ROME — Iran and the United States plan to meet over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program again next week, after both sides said they made progress in their talks Saturday in Rome. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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FROM APRIL 19  After a second round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, what’s next? Reported by Jackie Northam and Miles Parks | NPR  The U.S. and Iran have agreed to meet again for nuclear talks. President Trump has not ruled out military strikes if talks fail. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to reports from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, and the Cradle; others or headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (GAZA 4-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down. LEBANON, WEST BANK, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or up or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israel kills 44 Palestinians across Gaza in last 24 hours: health ministry. From Middle East Eye. The Palestinian health ministry said today that over the last 24 hours, Israel has killed 44 people and injured 145 Palestinians. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu says Israel has ‘no choice’ but to continue fighting in Gaza, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Josef Federman | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said again Saturday that Israel has “no choice” but to continue fighting in Gaza and will not end the war before destroying Hamas, freeing the hostages and ensuring that the territory won’t present a threat to Israel. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 19  Israel’s Netanyahu says military to increase pressure on Hamas. From Reuters. “I have ordered the IDF to respond firmly and further increase the pressure on Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night. “We are in the War of Rebirth, the War on Seven Fronts. This war . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 18  Palestinian women, children ‘charred beyond recognition’ as Israeli genocide campaign intensifies across Gaza. From the Cradle. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed across Gaza since early on April 18, including women and children, as Israel continues to ramp up its genocidal assault on the strip, according to medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, Reuters, and the Associated Press; others or headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 4-19-25 is HERE, or scroll down. LEBANON, WEST BANK, IRAN and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russian attacks ongoing despite Putin’s Easter truce, says Zelensky. From AFP. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said today that Russian forces continued their shelling and assaults along the front line despite Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a surprise brief Easter truce. The 30-hour truce would be . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Russian groups of forces in area of special military operation strictly observe ceasefire. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian army in accordance with President Vladimir Putin’s orders strictly observed ceasefire in the area of the special military operation from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday, the Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Russia says Ukraine broke ceasefire over a thousand times, reports civilian casualties, by Vladimir Soldatkin | Reuters  MOSCOW — Russia’s defence ministry said today that Ukraine had broken the Easter ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin more than a thousand times, inflicting damages to infrastructure and causing civilian deaths. READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy says Russia is trying to create an ‘impression of a ceasefire’ as attacks continue, by Hanna Arhirova and Elise Morton | AP  KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Sunday of creating a false appearance of honoring an Easter ceasefire, saying Moscow continued to launch attacks after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral temporary truce. READ MORE . . .

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