For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK 6-29-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israeli settlers rampage at a military base in the West Bank, by Melanie Lidman | AP  TEL AVIV — Dozens of Israeli settlers rampaged Sunday night around a military base in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, setting fires, vandalizing military vehicles, spraying graffiti and attacking soldiers, the military said — this after several attacks there by Jewish settlers and . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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For today, links to nine reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, and Tass; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russia launches the biggest aerial attack since the start of the war, Ukraine says, by Volodymyr Yurchuk | AP  KYIV — Russia launched its biggest aerial attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Sunday, part of an escalating bombing campaign. Ukraine’s air forces said Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, of which 249 were shot down and . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from NPR.

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Russian forces advance and take first village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, state media say, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  MOSCOW — Russian forces have taken control of the first village in the east-central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, Russian state media and war bloggers said today, after Russia took 950 square kms of territory in two months. READ MORE . . .

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Russian advances toward Sumy continue – WSJ. From the Moscow Times. Russia’s military has advanced to within 12 miles of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, intensifying operations around the regional capital, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. READ MORE . .

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Russia’s FSB recruits Ukrainian teenagers for espionage and sabotage – FT. From the Moscow Times. Russian intelligence agencies are recruiting Ukrainian teenagers to carry out espionage and sabotage operations inside the country, the Financial Times reported toay, citing senior officials in Kyiv. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 29  Ukraine F-16 pilot killed in large-scale Russian attack, Zelenskiy calls for U.S. help, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters  KYIV / LVIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot died in a crash while repelling a Russian air attack that involved hundreds of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, authorities said on Sunday, as Moscow intensifies night-time air barrages in the fourth year of war. READ MORE . . .

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After months of stalling, Russia blames Ukraine, U.S. for slow pace of peace talks, by Anna Fratsyvir | The Kyiv Independent  The Kremlin on Sunday blamed Kyiv and Washington for the lack of progress in peace talks, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the pace of negotiations hinges on Ukraine’s position, the effectiveness of U.S. mediation, and battlefield developments. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. Army responds to losses of M1 Abrams tanks in Ukraine. From Kyiv Post.  The U.S. sent 31 refurbished M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine for its war against Russia in September 2023. Although claimed to be one of the best tanks in the world, their performance in the field has not lived up to that billing. Not only had . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kiev loses over 1,350 troops in all frontline areas in past 24 hours — Russia’s top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,350 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry today. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to an interview from the Chris Hedges Report via Consortium News; to seven reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Cradle, Middle East Eye, and, via ScheerPost, Common Dreams; and to commentary from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, SYRIA, WEST BANK and IRAN entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 27  Francesca Albanese on an economy of genocide. Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges Report talks with the United Nations special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, whose forthcoming report will detail Israel’s genocide and enabling roles of external actors including governments and corporations. Click HERE for video, intro and transcript.

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Israel orders evacuations in northern Gaza as Trump calls for war to end, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — The Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate areas in northern Gaza today before intensified fighting against Hamas, as U.S. President Donald Trump called for an end to the war amid renewed efforts to broker a ceasefire. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from AP, the Cradle and Middle East Eye.

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Israel claims Hamas military leader assassinated in Gaza air strike. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli army claimed Saturday it assassinated Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa, a founder of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, in an airstrike in Gaza City, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu ‘does not want a deal,’ says Hamas official. From Middle East Eye. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said today that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is putting forward “impossible conditions” for reaching a ceasefire deal in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 27  ‘Just killed, for nothing,’ by Brett Wilkins | Common Dreams / ScheerPost  Israel Defense Forces commanders ordered troops to shoot and shell aid-seeking Palestinian civilians in Gaza, even when they posed no threat, according to IDF officers and soldiers interviewed by Israel’s oldest daily newspaper. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE and scroll down for related report from the Cradle.

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FROM JUNE 26  Three blows against Zionism in a single day, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  The impunity with which Zionism invades and bombs its neighbors and shuts up its critics in Western nations was thrown into question perhaps as never before on June 24 as Zionism suffered a legal, a political and a military defeat all in one day. That morning, Washington time, . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and National Public Radio; to an article of commentary from the Chris Hedges Report via ScheerPost; to an interview from Global Economy Report via ScheerPost and allied commentary, and an interview from National Public Radio; and to two other articles of commentary: from Indian Punchline and, via Consortium News, Z Network; others are accessible by clicking on all of their names below. (IRAN 6-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, SYRIA, WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Iran’s judiciary says at least 71 killed in Israel’s attack on Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, by David Rising and Farnoush Amiri | AP  DUBAI — At least 71 people were killed in Israel’s attack on Tehran’s Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political prisoners and dissidents have been held, Iran’s judiciary said today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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IAEA chief says Iran could be enriching uranium within months. From Reuters. Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi was quoted as saying today, raising doubts about how effective U.S. strikes to destroy Tehran’s nuclear programme have been. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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Iranians fleeing to Turkey fear for the future. Reported by Durrie Bouscaren | NPR  Activists in Iran say the government there is cracking down in an effort to undo infiltration by Israeli intelligence. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 26 and 29  War deja vu, written by Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges Report and read by Eunice Wong | ScheerPost  There are few differences between the lies told to ignite the war with Iraq and the lies told to ignite a war with Iran. The assessments of our intelligence agencies and international bodies are, as they were during the calls to invade Iraq, airily dismissed for hallucinations. Click HERE to read and listen.

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FROM JUNE 27  War on Iran part of U.S. plan for global domination: Michael Hudson. Ben Norton of Global Economy Report talks with Hudson, professor of Economics at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, about what he sees as a U.S. attempt to “re-impose its unipolar dominance on the global political and financial system,” in part by joining Israel in a war against Iran. Click HERE for video and transcript, and HERE for related article by Michael Hudson.

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FROM JUNE 28  Fears of regional war in the Middle East persist even after the Israel-Iran ceasefire.  Scott Simon of NPR speaks with Michael Wahid Hanna of the International Crisis Group about the ceasefire between Israel and Iran and other diplomatic efforts to stabilize the wider region. Click HERE to read.

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FROM JUNE 26  Trump won’t brook opposition to peace talks with Iran, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  As the 12-day war ends in the Middle East, it is abundantly clear that the conflict erupted almost entirely due to Israel’s plan to undermine the U.S.-Iran talks. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 25  The strategic fallout of the Israel-Iran war, by Ramzy Baroud | Z Network / Consortium News  Perhaps the most significant development is one that cannot be measured in missiles or casualties: the surge in national unity within Iran and the widespread support it received across the Arab and Muslim world. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to an appreciation via National Public Radio, and to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; other published material or at least headlines are are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (MEDIA 6-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA, WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 28  Remembering Bill Moyers, by Scott Simon | NPR  All of us in public broadcasting owe a thanks to Bill Moyers, who died this week at the age of 91. He was one of the signature figures, along with Big Bird and Susan Stamberg, who helped build public broadcasting in the United States. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JUNE 26  Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91, by Frazier Moore | AP  NEW YORK — Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television’s most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a reports from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA 6-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 28  Golan Heights to become ‘garden of peace’ under Israel-Syria normalization deal: report. From the Cradle. Israel and Syria will sign a peace agreement before the end of 2025, Israeli media reported on Satuday, citing Syrian sources. “Under the terms of the agreement . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to two reports from Anadolu Agency; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK 6-26-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, SYRIA, GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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6 Israeli settlers detained after attacking soldiers in West Bank, by Efe Ozkan and Faruk Hanedar | Anadolu Agency   JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL — Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians in the village of Kafr Malik in the occupied West Bank, turned on Israeli soldiers Saturday in an escalation of violence, according to media reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 28  Israeli army arrests 27 Palestinians in West Bank raids, including journalist, by Aysar Alais and Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Israeli forces arrested 27 Palestinians including a journalist during wide-ranging raids across cities and villages in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, according to the Hamas-affiliated Prisoners Media Office. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, Anadolu Agency, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down. IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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At least 49 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer, by Wafaa Shurafa and Sam Mednick | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 49 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health staff say, as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ceasefire prospects inch closer. The strikes began . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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Netanyahu slams Israeli media report that IDF soldiers were ordered to shoot at aid sites. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Scott Simon | NPR  Israeli media reports that Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at Palestinian civilians trying to get aid in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the report, calling it “blood libel.” Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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66 children die from malnutrition in Gaza under Israeli blockade since October 2023, by Nour Abuaisha and Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine / ANKARA — At least 66 Palestinian children have died from acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip under Israel’s blockade since October 2023, local authorities said today, as severe shortages of food, medical supplies and baby formula . . . READ MORE . . .

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New study finds Gaza’s real death toll nears 100,000. From the Cradle. The pre-print of a new study led by Prof. Michael Spagat of Royal Holloway, University of London, and Palestinian political scientist Khalil Shikaki has revealed that Gaza’s death toll from the ongoing conflict could be nearly 100,000, a figure significantly higher than official reports, Haaretz reported on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, Anadolu Agency, and the Cradle, and to an article of commentary from Middle East Monitor; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN 6-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Iran holds funeral for top military commanders and scientists killed by Israel. From Reuters. Mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran’s capital Tehran today as a funeral was held for senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month’s war with Israel. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AP.

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Kyiv Post, and the Kyiv Independent; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russian drones kill 2 and injure 17 in Odesa as Ukraine destroys helicopters in Crimea. From AP. KYIV —Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, killing two people and injuring at least 17, Ukrainian authorities said today. Meanwhile, three attack helicopters and an anti-aircraft missile system were destroyed in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from AFP,  Reuters, Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

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FROM JUNE 27  Putin says Russia and Ukraine nowhere close on peace terms. From AFP. President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russian and Ukrainian demands for peace remain “absolutely contradictory,” as recent talks failed to bring the two sides closer to a ceasefire. READ MORE . . .

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