For today, a link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (MEDIA 8-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for this date is HERE, or scroll up. NOTE: GAZA and MEDIA entries are the only ones today.)

–    –   –

FROM AUG. 1  In wake of defunding, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it’s shutting down. Reported by Frank Langfitt and Juana Summers | NPR  The Corporation for Public Broadcasting said on Friday it will start winding down its operations after it lost federal funding. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to nine reports: from Agence France-Presse, Anadolu Ajansi, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-31-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA, IRAN, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

France carries out first aid airdrop in Gaza. From AFP. President Emmanuel Macron said today France had carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, after UN-backed experts warned the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory was slipping into famine. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Aid convoys in Gaza face delays despite ‘secure’ routes: UN, by Diyar Guldogan | Anadolu Ajansi  WASHINGTON — Aid convoys continue to face hurdles in delivering assistance to people in need in the Gaza Strip despite Israeli assurances declaring designated routes “secure,” the UN said today. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

U.S. envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens, by Wafaa Shurafa, Sam Metz and Julia Frankel | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee today toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. READ MORE . . . Click HERE to listen to earlier report from NPR, and HERE for July 31 report from Middle East Eye.

–   –   –

‘Ludicrous spectacle’: Israeli army stages ‘propaganda display’ during US envoy’s visit to GHF site. From the Cradle. A Gaza journalist and others revealed today that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site in Rafah was a “farcical spectacle” aimed . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 31  Humanitarian groups say aid finally getting into Gaza is a fraction of what’s needed. Reported by Emily Feng | NPR  Facing global condemnation, Israel has allowed more aid to enter Gaza. But the aid is a fraction of what is needed and collecting it is still deadly for Palestinians. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from AP.

–   –   –

FROM JULY 31  Israeli soldier reveals ‘strange order’ to cancel Gaza border patrols on Oct. 7, 2023: media. From the Cradle. An Israeli soldier has stated that he and his fellow soldiers stationed at a military outpost near Gaza received orders not to carry out their usual early morning patrol on the border fence on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli media reported on July 17. Click HERE for report including video of testimony. 

–   –   –

FROM JULY 31  U.S. lawmakers demand probe into Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s ‘aid traps.’ From the Cradle. A group of 92 Democratic U.S. House members has called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to launch a formal investigation into the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, citing serious concerns about its funding, operational conduct, and role in civilian massacres at aid distribution sites in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  How Washington serves Tel Aviv: A reassessment of a risky intervention, by Timothy Hopper | Middle East Monitor  Since June 2025, the Middle East has appeared more unstable than ever. READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to six reports: from the Cradle, Anadolu Ajansi, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA 7-19-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, IRAN, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israeli army closes in on Damascus as Baku talks aim to ‘reshape’ southern Syria. From the Cradle. As diplomatic negotiations seek to determine the future of southern Syria, Israeli military operations are intensifying around Suwayda and the outskirts of Damascus. A new round of talks, reportedly set to take place in Azerbaijan’s capital . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Syria sets up new committee to probe Suwayda killings after whitewashing Alawite massacres. From the Cradle. Syria’s Ministry of Justice today announced the formation of a special investigative committee to examine the recent deadly violence in the Suwayda Governorate, following a week of armed clashes between local Druze factions and government-aligned Bedouin tribes. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israel’s intervention in Syria ‘complicates matters’: U.S. envoy, by Efe Ozkan and Hakan Copur | Anadolu Ajansi   WASHINGTON / ISTANBUL — Israel’s intervention in Syria does not help the country’s stability, Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy for Syria and ambassador to Ankara, said today.  READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 31  Syrian forces tortured eight detainees to death in July: SOHR. From the Cradle. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday a sharp rise in the number of detainees tortured to death in prisons and detention centers controlled by the Syrian interim government in July, reflecting a disturbing pattern of systematic abuse and impunity by security forces. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  Syrian ceasefire tests the loyalties of Druze communities in Golan Heights. Reported by Emily Feng | NPR  A fragile ceasefire between Druze fighters and armed Bedouin clans in Syria has brought an uneasy pause in the violence there but a strain on Syria’s interim government, and tested the loyalties of the Druze communities across the border in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

FROM JULY 24  An ammunition depot explosion in Syria kills at least 7 people and injures scores. From AP. DAMASCUS — An explosion at an ammunition depot in northern Syria’s Idlib province on July 24 killed at least seven people and wounded scores, rescuers and monitors said. Officials did not say what caused it. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  How Washington serves Tel Aviv: A reassessment of a risky intervention, by Timothy Hopper | Middle East Monitor  Since June 2025, the Middle East has appeared more unstable than ever. READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to a report from the Cradle and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN 7-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, UKRAINE, SYRIA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM JULY 31  ‘Compensation for war and security guarantees’: Iran sets conditions for U.S. nuclear talks. From the Cradle. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview published in the Financial Times on Thursday that Tehran is seeking financial compensation for Israel’s war, an explanation of why Iran was attacked during negotiations, and security guarantees for any . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  How Washington serves Tel Aviv: A reassessment of a risky intervention, by Timothy Hopper | Middle East Monitor  Since June 2025, the Middle East has appeared more unstable than ever. READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to four reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, the Cradle, and the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 7-31-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, SYRIA, IRAN and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

–   –   –

Kyiv mourns after deadliest attack in a year kills 31 people in Ukraine, including 5 children, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — The Ukrainian capital Kyiv observed an official day of mourning today, a day after a Russian drone and missile attack on the city killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150, officials said. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukraine approves law restoring independence of anti-graft watchdogs following backlash, by Joanna Kakissis and Polina Lytvynova | NPR  KYIV — After a public outcry and pressure from the European Union, a new law is now in force in Ukraine restoring the independence of state agencies investigating corruption. Click HERE to read. 

–   –   –

Russia records 300,000 Ukrainian losses since start of 2025. From the Cradle. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in 2025, Russian media reported today, citing weekly Defense Ministry reports. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Putin praises troop advances, says Russia ramping up missile output despite Trump’s peace demand. From the Moscow Times. President Vladimir Putin today claimed that Russian forces were making significant advances along the front line in Ukraine and announced increased missile production, days after U.S. President Donald Trump called on him . . . READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to two reports, an appreciation, and words from an interview, all from the Moscow Times; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name below. (MEDIA 7-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, SYRIA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM JULY 31  Derk Sauer, Moscow Times founder and Dutch media entrepreneur, dies at 72. From the Moscow Times. Derk Sauer, the Dutch media entrepreneur who founded The Moscow Times, died on Thursday at age 72, his family said in a statement. He died from injuries sustained in a sailing accident . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for a second report and HERE for an appreciation, both from the Moscow Times.

–    –   –

FROM OCT. 19, 2017  Derk Sauer on journalism, Russia and being a black sheep. Michele A. Berdy of the Moscow Times sat down with her former boss and passed along some of what he said, beginning with: “I come from a standard middle-class family: my father was the director of a pension fund; my mother was a stay-at-home mom while we were young, but she . . . READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to six reports: from Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Middle East Monitor, and to commentary via the New York Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-30-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

Sweden and the Netherlands call for EU to suspend Israel trade deal. From Middle East Eye. Sweden and the Netherlands have called on the European Union to suspend a trade deal with Israel over its assault on the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Canada joins France and UK with plan to recognise Palestinian state. From Middle East Eye. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that his country intends to formally recognise a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly in September, following similar announcements by France and the United Kingdom. He said late on Wednesday that . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East makes his first trip to Israel since May. Reported by Emily Feng, Hannah Bloch and A Martínez | NPR  Steve Witkoff, United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, is making his first trip to Israel since May, at a moment when the U.N. warns Gaza is on the verge of all out famine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  Dozens killed while seeking food in Gaza as U.S. envoy heads to Israel, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Sally Abou | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 48 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded Wednesday while waiting for food at a crossing in the Gaza Strip, according to a hospital that received the casualties. Meanwhile, the U.S. Mideast envoy . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for later report from Middle East Eye.

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  Arab states urge Hamas to step aside for peace plan long rejected by Israel. From Middle East Monitor. In a bid to salvage the two-state solution, Arab states have urged Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza. Seventeen countries have . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 28  What we talk about when we talk about the right of return, by Sari Bashi in the New York Times  The Israeli government is now advancing plans to forcibly displace more Palestinians, mostly in Gaza but also in the West Bank. In early July, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he ordered . . . . READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and Middle East Monitor, and to commentary via the New York Times; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK 7-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  Palestinians in West Bank village face new crisis as Israeli settlers cut off water, electricity. From Reuters. SUSIYA, West Bank — Palestinians in this village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank thought life could not get worse as Jewish settlers were attacking them repeatedly and ripping apart their precious olive groves. Then settlers armed with knives . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 29  A settler allegedly killed a Palestinian, and there’s video. Israel released him to house arrest, by Julia Frankel | AP  TEL AVIV — A radical Israeli settler accused of shooting and killing a Palestinian activist during a confrontation with unarmed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and who was filmed firing a pistol during the incident, was released under house arrest on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Monitor.

–   –   –

FROM JULY 28  What we talk about when we talk about the right of return, by Sari Bashi in the New York Times  The Israeli government is now advancing plans to forcibly displace more Palestinians, mostly in Gaza but also in the West Bank. In early July, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he ordered . . . . READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (LEBANON 7-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

–   –   –

Lebanese president steps up calls for Hezbollah to disarm. From Reuters. BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stepped up his calls for Hezbollah to disarm today, suggesting failure to do so would give Israel an excuse to continue attacks and saying the issue would be on the agenda of a cabinet meeting next week. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM JULY 30  U.S declares ‘no Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon’ until Hezbollah disarms: report. From the Cradle. The U.S. is “ramping up pressure” on Lebanon to issue a cabinet decision committing to disarming Hezbollah before any talks can take place on Israel ending its attacks and withdrawing its forces occupying southern Lebanon, sources told Reuters on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 7-30-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON, GAZA and WEST BANK entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

–   –   –

Ukrainian Parliament approves law ensuring independence of anti-graft watchdogs, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Ukraine’s Parliament today overwhelmingly approved a bill presented by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that restores the independence of two of the country’s key anti-corruption watchdogs, reversing his . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian missile and drone attack hits Ukrainian capital Kyiv, killing 8 people and wounding 82, by Samya Kullab and AP  KYIV — Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with missiles and drones overnight, killing at least eight people, including a 6-year-old boy, and wounding 82 others including 10 children, Ukrainian authorities said today.  READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

.