For today, links to six reports: from Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Tass, and Agence France-Presse, and to an interview from National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 8-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, WEST BANK, SYRIA, and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and  HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Kherson under artillery, drone, missile attacks last 24 hours, 2 killed, 9 wounded. From Kyiv Post. Over the past day, the settlements of Kherson, Molodizhne, Sadove, and Antonivka in the Kherson region were targeted by Russian forces using artillery, drones, and warplanes, leaving at least two dead and 9 injured, authorities said. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Ukrainian drone attack sets Russian oil depot on fire as Zelenskyy announces prisoner exchange. From AP. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot near Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi sparked a major fire, Russian officials said today, as the two countries traded strikes and the Ukrainian president announced a prisoner exchange. READ MORE . . .

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Kiev forces lost about 1,250 servicemen in special military op zone in one day. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian armed forces lost about 1,250 servicemen in the special military operation zone over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 2  Ukrainian drone strikes kill 3 in Russia’s Penza, Samara, Rostov regions. From AFP. Two others were wounded in the overnight attacks in western Russia. READ MORE . . .  

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Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies uncover drone procurement graft scheme, by Elise Morton and Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said on Saturday they had uncovered a major graft scheme involving inflated military procurement contracts, just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore the agencies’ independence. READ MORE . . .

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How are drones changing what it means to wage war? Ayesha Rascoe of NPR talks with James Patton Rogers of the Brooks Tech Policy Institute about how drones are changing what it means to wage war and serve on the front lines. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, links to a report, mini reviews, and an interview, all from National Public Radio, and to commentary from Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (MEDIA 8-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, WEST BANK, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM AUG. 2  What’s it like to cover your own network when it is in the headlines? Reported by Scott Detrow and David Folkenflik | NPR  Folkenflik shares what it’s been like covering President Trump’s contentious relationship with the media, including public media and NPR itself. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM AUG. 2  What books to read this summer? NPR staff share their favorite recommendations. Barrie Hardymon, Sarah Handel, Andrew Limbong and Melissa Gray, all of NPR, take less than five minutes to recommend four novels — Animal Instinct, Audition, Darkenbloom and King of Ashes — from NPR’s  “Books We Love” list. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for a longer list of summer fiction, first aired on June 25.

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Memoir, biography or novel? Jason Mott leans into the confusion in his latest book, ‘People Like Us.’ Ayesha Rascoe of NPR talks with Jason Mott about his latest novel, “People Like Us,” which started out as a memoir. It turned into two parallel stories about two different writers in crisis. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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Press freedom in U.S. undermined by Trump administration, by Anders Aslund | Kyiv Post  In the 2025 Press Freedom Index of Reporters without Borders, the U.S. ranks 57! Below all EU countries apart from Trump’s favorite Hungary (#68). This situation has seriously deteriorated under Trump. For how long will the U.S. remain . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 12 reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, Anadolu Ajansi, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 8-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA entry for this date, so far, is HERE, or scroll down.  NOTE: GAZA and MEDIA entries are the only ones today.) — MCM

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Israeli fire kills at least 18 in Gaza, and U.S. envoy visits hostage family protest, by Wafaa Shurafa, Sam Metz and Julia Frankel and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — More than a dozen people, eight of them food-seekers, were killed by Israeli fire today, health officials in Gaza said, as Palestinians endured severe risks searching for food amid airdrops and restrictions on overland aid delivery. READ MORE . . .

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Here’s what’s happening on the ground in Gaza a week after more aid was allowed. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Scott Simon | NPR  Experts say famine’s unfolding in Gaza, prompting global outrage, calls for Israel to end the war and acknowledgement by Trump of starvation. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.  Click HERE for Aug. 1 report from Reuters.

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UAE, Jordan lead Gaza aid airdrop with France, Germany, Italy, Spain, by Seda Sevencan | Anadolu Ajansi  ISTANBUL — The United Arab Emirates and Jordan led a multinational airdrop Friday of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, joined by aircraft from France, Germany, Italy and Spain, according to the Foreign Ministry of the Gulf nation. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas says it won’t disarm unless independent Palestinian state established, by Hatem Maher, Jaidaa Taha and Ahmed Tolba | Reuters  Hamas said today it would not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established — a fresh rebuke to a key Israeli demand to end the war in Gaza. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel ended last week in deadlock. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Eye and Anadolu Ajansi.

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Gaza hospitals set to receive vital medical supplies via WHO convoy, by Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Ajansi  ANKARA — The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said today a convoy of trucks carrying critical medicines and medical consumables is scheduled to enter the Gaza Strip with coordination from the World Health Organization. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 1  A pediatrician working in Gaza on how she finds the will to keep going. Reported by Michelle Aslam, Mallory Yu and Tinbete Ermyas | NPR   Dr. Seema Jilani is a pediatrician who has been providing medical care to children in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM AUG. 1  Gaza mother worries time running out for evacuation of malnourished daughter. From Reuters. Jana Ayad, 8, weighs just 11 kilograms (24 pounds) and has trouble seeing, speaking or standing up. Her sister, Joury, died on July 20. The child had kidney problems exacerbated by malnutrition, her mother said. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 1  If France, the U.K. and Canada recognize a Palestinian state, what happens? Reported by Michelle Aslam and Juana Summers | NPR  Summers speaks with Michael Lynk, former U.N. Special Rapporteur for human rights in Palestinian territories, about recent international moves to recognize a Palestinian state. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for background report from Reuters.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

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.)

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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.

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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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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.

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‘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 . . .

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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.

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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. 

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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.

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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

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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 . . .

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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. 

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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

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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.

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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 . . .

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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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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.

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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.

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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