For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Cradle, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others or headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 4-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and YEMEN entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Iran, U.S. task experts to design framework for a N-deal after Rome talks conclude. From Reuters. Iran and the United States agreed today to task experts to start drawing up a framework for a potential nuclear deal, Iran’s foreign minister said, after a second round of talks following President Donald Trump’s threat of military action. READ MORE . . .

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Israel still eyeing a limited attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, by Erin Banco | Reuters NEW YORK — Israel has not ruled out an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months despite President Donald Trump telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. was for now unwilling to support such a move, according to . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Iran and the U.S. hold a second round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program in Rome, by Matthew Lee and Jon Gamrell | AP  ROME — Iran and the United States held a second round of negotiations today, starting just before noon at the Omani embassy, over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program in Rome. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and NPR.

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For today, links to nine reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 4-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN and YEMEN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Russian President Vladimir Putin announces an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine. From AP. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, the Kremlin said today, saying it will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time today to midnight following Easter Sunday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Kyiv Post, and the Kyiv Independent.

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Ukrainian conflict resolution process is heading in right direction — Kellogg. From Tass. NEW YORK — U.S. presidential special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has expressed optimism about the progress of the Ukrainian conflict settlement process. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces close to fully liberating Kursk region, military says. From the Moscow Times. Russia’s Defense Ministry said today its forces recaptured the second-to-last village in the Kursk region still held by Ukrainian forces . . . READ MORE . . .

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Trump threatens to withdraw from Ukraine peace talks unless deal reached ‘very shortly.’ From the Moscow Times.  President Donald Trump warned Friday that the United States was ready to “take a pass” on negotiations to end the war in Ukraine unless Moscow and Kyiv showed a willingness to make progress toward peace in the coming days. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL  18  U.S. open to recognizing Crimea as Russian in Ukraine deal, Bloomberg News reports. From Reuters.  The United States is prepared to recognize Russian control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

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FROM APRIL 18  Trump says Ukraine-Russia talks ‘coming to a head’ and ‘no one is playing’ him in push to end war, by Angela Charlton and Hanna Arhirova | AP  PARIS — President Donald Trump on Friday said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding war — this shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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FROM APRIL 18  Deadly U.S. airstrike on Yemeni oil port escalates Trump’s campaign against the Houthis, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — A U.S. airstrike on an important oil port, Ras Isa, held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed more than 70 people and wounded many others, the Iranian-backed rebel group said Friday, marking a major escalation in the military campaign President Donald Trump launched . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 18  Yemeni army targets Tel Aviv, U.S. warships in retaliation to deadly Hodeidah attack. From the Cradle. The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced on 18 April that it targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a Zulfiqar ballistic missile, along with attacks on both the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Carl Vinson in the Red Sea, just hours after US airstrikes killed at least 74 Yemenis in Hodeidah Governorate. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to three reports: from the Cradle, Middle East Eye, and Reuters; others or headlines of other should be accessible within a few minutes by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, IRAN, YEMEN and UKRAINE entries, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA 4-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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U.S. reinforces Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria amid reports of troop withdrawal. From the Cradle. The U.S. military deployed heavy reinforcements to Kurdish-controlled areas of western Hasakah governorate today, after yesterday reportedly shuttering three of its eight “small operating bases” in Syria’s resource-rich northeast, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. READ MORE . . .

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Syria seeks Azerbaijan’s help to develop oil and gas fields, by Ragip Soylu | Middle East Eye  ANKARA — The presidents of Syria and Azerbaijan discussed how Baku could play a role in restoring Syria’s oil and gas sector in their first-ever meeting in Turkey last weekend, according to sources familiar with the issue. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev . . . READ MORE . . .

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IMF-World Bank meetings to discuss restoring support for Syria, UN official says, by Maya Gebeily and Timour Azhari | Reuters  DAMASCUS — Officials will discuss major steps to restore support for Syria from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund at spring meetings next week, though sanctions remain a major obstacle to rebuilding the country, a UN official said today. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to four reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, IRAN, YEMEN and UKRAINE entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. GAZA 4-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes kill at least 25 in Gaza and Huckabee makes first appearance as U.S. ambassador, by Wafaa Shurafa and Fatma Khaled | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 25 people today including children, hospital workers said, as the new U.S. ambassador to Israel made his first public appearance in Jerusalem. The dead in Khan Younis and Jabaliya . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for later report from Middle East Eye.

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Iran slams Israel over Gaza child deaths, calls for accountability. From Middle East Eye. “These are not only morally outrageous,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, “they are the most heinous acts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide under international law.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 17  Qatari Emir tells Putin Israel ‘failed to honor Gaza truce deal.’ From the Cradle. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hosted Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Moscow, where the two leaders held high-level talks on Gaza, Syria, and the broader West Asian geopolitical landscape. The meeting underscored . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports, from Reuters, the Associated Press, and the Cradle; others or only headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (SYRIA, GAZA, YEMEN and UKRAINE entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  IRAN 4-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Iran wants guarantees Trump will not quit a new nuclear pact, official says, by Parisa Hafezi | Reuters  DUBAI — Iran told the United States in talks last week it was ready to accept some limits on its uranium enrichment but needed watertight guarantees President Donald Trump would not again ditch a nuclear pact, a senior Iranian official said today. The two governments are set to hold a second round of talks on Saturday in Rome . . . READ MORE . . .

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Iran seeks Russia’s support for its nuclear talks with U.S. From AP. TEHRAN — Iran today sought support from Russia over a possible deal with Washington over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, ahead of a second round of talks this weekend in Rome. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli officials head to Paris to ‘influence U.S. position’ on Iran talks. From the Cradle. Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Mossad chief David Barnea traveled to Paris for a meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to focus on the current nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 17  Saudi defense chief meets Iran supreme leader in historic Tehran visit. From the Cradle. In a significant diplomatic development, Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Thursday, delivering an official message from King Salman and signaling a new phase of cooperation between the two regional powers. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 17  Iran urges UN nuclear watchdog to ‘act professionally, keep away from politics.’ From the Cradle. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency should “act professionally and fulfill its technical duties without being influenced by pressures from other parties” — this in meetings in Tehran with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi. READ MORE . . . 

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FROM APRIL 17  Trump ‘waved off’ Israeli proposal for joint attack on Iran: report. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump recently rejected an Israeli proposal for a joint attack on Iran, according to a report released by the New York Times on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, the Cradle, and Reuters; others or headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  YEMEN 4-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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U.S. strikes on a Yemeni oil port kill 74 people, Houthis say, in deadliest attack of Trump campaign, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — U.S. airstrikes targeting an oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 74 people and wounded 171 others, the group said today, marking the single-deadliest known attack under President Donald Trump’s new campaign targeting the rebels. The U.S. military’s Central Command so far has not released any information . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE and HERE for reports from the Cradle and Reuters.

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FROM APRIL 16  Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen border areas hours after intense U.S. airstrikes. From the Cradle. The Saudi military launched missile and artillery attacks on border areas in Yemen’s Saada governorate on Wednesday, according to a report by Al-Masirah TV — this a few hours after U.S. airplanes launched multiple airstrikes on two districts of Yemen. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 17  Yemen hit by 900 U.S. airstrikes after resuming pro-Palestine operations. From the Cradle. Ansarallah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday that U.S. forces have carried out 900 airstrikes against Yemen since resuming Washington’s illegal war in mid-March, while the Yemeni Armed Forces launched 78 missile and drone attacks against Israel and a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Red Sea during the same period. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to nine reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, the Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; others or headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, GAZA, IRAN and YEMEN entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 4-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Rubio says the U.S. will drop Ukraine-Russia peace efforts if no progress within days, by Angela Carlton and Hanna Arhirova | AP  PARIS — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that the U.S. may “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting — this after landmark talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, NPR, the Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent and Tass.

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Pause in air strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid has expired, Kremlin says. From the Moscow Times. A 30-day moratorium on Russian strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has expired, the Kremlin said today, ending a short-lived pause that was announced after a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. READ MORE .. . .

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FROM APRIL 17  Secretary of State Rubio meets Macron in Paris to discuss Ukraine peace settlement. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with President Macron in Paris to discuss a peace settlement for Ukraine. France hosted top diplomats from the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, Tass, and The Moscow Times; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE 4-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Russia strikes Dnipro as Ukrainian officials seek security pledges in Paris. From AP. KYIV — Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing three people including a child and wounding dozens, officials said today. It was the latest in a string of Russian attacks . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine retaliates against bloody Russian missile attack with rare follow-up drone strike, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Ukrainian strike planners today hit a Russian missile base with long-range drones that destroyed buildings and targeted service personnel for the second day in a row, in retaliation for a bloody Russian Sunday strike that killed dozens of civilians and injured more than a hundred. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s future is at the center of talks in Paris with Rubio, Witkoff and top European officials. From AP. PARIS — U.S. Secretary of State Marco and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff were having lunch discussions today with French President Emmanuel Macron and “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Russian contacts with Witkoff are very productive, Putin envoy says. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump‘s special envoy Steve Witkoff was extremely productive but various countries are trying to disrupt dialogue between Moscow and Washington, Putin’s investment, Kirill Dmitriev, envoy said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Preobrazhenka community in Donetsk region over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Preobrazhenka in the Donetsk region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 16  In occupied Ukraine, Russia’s security forces target schools for recruitment, by Angelina Trefilova | The Moscow Times  Since late February, Russian security forces have increasingly visited schools and colleges in the occupied territories of Ukraine in a professional training program run by the Russian National Guard, or Rosgvardia. READ MORE . . .

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For today, a map from the Associated Press and links to four reports: from Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and Harper’s Magazine; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. (WEST BANK 4-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Settlers storm Palestinian land and bulldoze olive trees in West Bank. From Middle East Monitor. Extremist Jewish settlers on Wednesday stormed the occupied West Bank and bulldozed private Palestinian land in Ramallah, while under the cover of Israeli occupation forces, the Palestinian Information Centre said. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli Knesset member joins thousands of illegal settlers in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. From Middle East Monitor. A hard-line member of the Israeli parliament joined thousands of illegal Jewish settlers in storming Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem today, marking the fifth day of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The Jerusalem governor’s office said they entered the mosque courtyard and the ancient Bab Al-Rahma cemetery, where . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 16  Israel allows 180 Jews to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque for first time, by Lubna Masarwa and Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  JERUSALEM / LONDON  Israel has allowed 180 Jewish worshippers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque, the largest number ever permitted by the authorities — a departure from Israel’s previous policy of allowing no more than 30 Jewish Israelis at a time into the site . . . READ MORE . . .

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After nonviolence: The end of peaceful resistance in Palestine, by Ben Ehrenreich | Harper’s Magazine  Six years had passed since I had last been to the West Bank, and ten years since I had lived there. A lot had changed . . . READ MORE . . .

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