For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE, WEST BANK, LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA, and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll down. IRAN 3-13-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Iran denies aiding Yemen’s Houthi rebels after U.S. strikes and a threat from Trump, by Samy Magdy | AP  CAIRO — Iran today again denied aiding Yemen’s Houthi rebels after the United States launched a wave of airstrikes against them and President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would be held “fully accountable” for their actions. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 15  Trump wants to restart nuclear negotiations with Iran. How likely is he to succeed? Reported by Scott Simon | NPR  Scott Simon of asks Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group how Iran may interpret President Trump’s letter delivered to Iranian officials this week. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to six reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, NBC News, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, WEST BANK, LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  UKRAINE 3-15-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Ukraine confirms withdrawal from Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. From the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine’s General Staff today confirmed Ukrainian troops’ withdrawal from the logistics hub of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, days after Moscow claimed its capture. READ MORE . . .

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Trump reappoints Kellogg as Ukraine envoy, dropping his Russia role. From Kyiv Post. U.S. President Donald Trump has reappointed retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as special envoy to Ukraine. Kellogg previously served as a special envoy for both Ukraine and Russia but was excluded from recent Saudi-led peace talks. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for March 13 report from NBC News.

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FROM MARCH 15  Rubio, Lavrov discuss next steps on Ukraine. From AFP. The top U.S. and Russian diplomats discussed Saturday the “next steps” to end the war in Ukraine, hours after Kyiv’s allies agreed to exert pressure on Moscow. READ MORE , , ,

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Russian air defenses down four JDAM bombs, 141 Ukrainian drones in past day — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — “Air defenses shot down four U.S.-made JDAM guided air bombs and 141 fixed-wing drones” of the Ukrainian army over the last 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 14  Understanding President Trump’s tough approach on Ukraine. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, and President Trump says it’s now up to Russia. This comes after a weeks-long pressure campaign from the White House. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to a report from Reuters and to commentary from Middle East Eye; articles and at least headlines for others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN, UKRAINE, LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  WEST BANK 3-13-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 14  Israeli settlers attack West Bank village, residents say. From Reuters. Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Khirbet al-Marjam in the West Bank on Thursday night, burning three houses and a number of cars in the latest in a series of raids that have surged during the war in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 12  ‘No Other Land’ shows Israeli occupation cannot be whitewashed, by Ahmad Tibi | Middle East Eye  The uproar surrounding the documentary ‘No Other Land’ is unsurprising. Films that document the occupation and expose its unbearable human consequences always provoke harsh reactions from the Israeli establishment. This one focuses on the daily realities of Palestinians in the Masafer Yatta area — one that includes home demolitions, family expulsions, dispossession and . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to a report from the Cradle ; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (IRAN, UKRAINE, WEST BANK, SYRIA, GAZA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  LEBANON 3-9-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 14  The eyes and ears that decapitated Hezbollah, by Anis Raiss | The Cradle  They were not killed on the battlefield. One by one, inside operation rooms, secured buildings, and what were supposed to be safe houses in Dahiye — Beirut’s southern suburb — Hezbollah’s commanders, members, and operatives were assassinated. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from the Cradle and National Public Radio; othes are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, UKRAINE, WEST BANK, LEBANON, GAZA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 3-15-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 14  Controversy after Syrian Druze clerics visit Israel. From the Cradle. Dozens of Syrian Druze clerics visited Israel for a pilgrimage to a holy site on Friday, sparking controversy and criticism from residents of southern Syria – who rejected the trip as an Israeli attempt to “sow division” and “exploit” the religious minority. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 11  Hundreds of Syrian children dumped in orphanages during Assad regime can’t be traced. Reported by Diaa Hadid | NPR  An NPR investigation finds that more than 350 Syrian children were secretly placed in orphanages across the capital, Damascus, when the Assad regime was in power. Now, some of them cannot be found. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to five reports: from Reuters, the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and the Associated Press; others or headlines to others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, UKRAINE, WEST BANK, LEBANON, SYRIA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-15-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes kill 14 people in Gaza over past day, Palestinian medics say. From Reuters. CAIRO — Israeli military strikes have killed at least 14 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the enclave’s Health Ministry said today, as Arab and U.S. mediators work to shore up a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 15  U.S. bombs Sanaa as Trump threatens to ‘rain hell’ on Yemen over Gaza support. From the Cradle. U.S. and British warplanes launched a new round of airstrikes on a residential neighborhood in the Shuaab district of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, late Saturday, killing at least nine civilians and injuring several more. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. airstrikes on Yemen condemned as Sanaa vows stronger support for Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. The political leadership in Sanaa has strongly condemned the latest U.S. airstrikes on Yemen, denouncing them as “war crimes” after a series of deadly raids targeted residential areas in the capital and other provinces. Yemeni officials described the strikes as . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM MARCH 15  U.S. and Israel look to Africa for moving Palestinians uprooted from Gaza, by Josef Federman, Matthew Lee and Samy Magdy | AP  JERUSALEM— The U.S. and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments — those of Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland — to discuss . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and Voice of America, and to an article of commentary from Middle East Eye; others or headlines for others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, UKRAINE, WEST BANK, LEBANON, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  MEDIA 3-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 15  Trump signs order to gut staff at Voice of America and other U.S.-funded media organizations, by Nicholas Riccardi and David Bauder | AP  President Donald Trump’s administration on Saturday began making deep cuts to Voice of America and other government-run, pro-democracy programming, with the organization’s director saying all VOA employees have been . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and NPR.

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Website of Voice of America English as of this afternoon.   Click HERE for selection of articles.

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Trump is getting pushback from an unlikely place — the conservative media. Reported by David Folkenflik and Ayesha Rascoe | NPR  With consumer confidence plunging and investors dumping stocks, the tone of the conservative media towards President Donald Trump and his economic policies has shifted. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 12  ‘No Other Land’ shows Israeli occupation cannot be whitewashed, by Ahmad Tibi | Middle East Eye  The uproar surrounding the documentary ‘No Other Land’ is unsurprising. Films that document the occupation and expose its unbearable human consequences always provoke harsh reactions from the Israeli establishment. This one focuses on the daily realities of Palestinians in the Masafer Yatta area — one that includes home demolitions, family expulsions, dispossession and . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to six reports from the Cradle, Reuters, the Associated Press and Middle East Monitor; other reports or headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, MEDIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. SYRIA 3-13-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 14  Syrian FM urges Iraq to reopen border in first visit since armed coup. From the Cradle. Syria’s de facto Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shibani, arrived in Baghdad on 14 March for his first official visit to Iraq since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Syria’s government announces a new Constitution even as it struggles to unite the country. Reported by Jane Arraf and Scott Simon | NPR  Just over three months since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s leaders are struggling to build a new, unified country. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 14  Dozens of Syrian Druze make a rare visit to Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, by Alon Bernstein | AP  MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights — Dozens of clerics and others from Syria’s minority Druze community crossed into the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights Friday for the first time in decades. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MARCH 14  The goals of Israel’s ongoing aggression against Syria, by Aziz Mustafa | Middle East Monitor  Israel’s aggressive operations against Syria continue by air and on the ground suggest that its approach to Syria goes beyond mere military strikes but rather aims . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eightreports: from Reuters, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, and the Cradle; others or at least headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below, (SYRIA, MEDIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-13-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli airstrike kills nine people in north Gaza town, medics say, amid ceasefire disputes, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — At least nine Palestinians were killed, including two local journalists, and others wounded today in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s northern Beit Lahiya town, Gaza’s health ministry said, as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas says it will only release American-Israeli captive if Israel ends blockade From Middle East Eye. A senior Hamas official has said the group will only release American-Israeli captive Edan Alexander and the bodies of four other captives if Israel agrees to the existing ceasefire agreement. READ MORE . . .

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Tensions rise between Washington, Tel Aviv over U.S.-Hamas talks. From Middle East Monitor. U.S. and Israeli officials are attempting to contain the escalating tensions behind the scenes following the unprecedented direct talks held by the U.S. Trump administration with the Palestinian movement Hamas . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for related report from Middle East Monitor.

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FROM MARCH 14  Hamas says it will release a U.S.-Israeli hostage and 4 bodies, but Israel expresses immediate doubt, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — Palestinian militant group Hamas said Friday it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual nationals who had died in captivity. The Israeli prime minister’s office . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle. 

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FROM MARCH 13  Hamas welcomes UN report on Israel’s genocidal acts as Tel Aviv decries ‘blood libel.’ From the Cradle. Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says a damming report by the UN Commission of Inquiry into Israel’s abuses inside Gaza “confirms the atrocity” committed by the occupation army with support from the west. READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  MEDIA 3-12-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 14  Dorothy Thompson: The journalist who warned us about Hitler, by Mycah Hazel | NPR  Thompson first encountered the Nazi movement in the early 1920s as a Berlin-based correspondent for Philadelphia’s Public Ledger. Hitler made headlines in 1923 for his failed coup attempt in Munich. Thompson immediately sought to interview him. Click HERE to listen and read. 

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