For today, links to six reports: from the Anadolu Agency, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and MAPS entry from Oct. 18 are HERE and HERE.)  — MCM

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Israel’s practices in northern Gaza could amount to ‘atrocity crimes, crimes against humanity’: UN rights chief, by Beyza Binnur Donmez| Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency  GENEVA — The UN human rights chief said today that Israel’s practices in northern Gaza could amount to “atrocity crimes and crimes against humanity,” describing what is happening in the north of the strip . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli strikes kill 38 people in Gaza’s Khan Younis and 3 journalists in southern Lebanon, by Bassem Mroue and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  BEIRUT — Israeli strikes killed 38 people in Gaza and three journalists in Lebanon today as growing worries about supply shortages in Gaza and international pressure for a cease-fire mounted. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Israeli strike kills journalists in Lebanon, Blinken sees urgent need for resolution, by Maya Gebeily, Amina Ismail, James Mackenzie and Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters  BEIRUT / LONDON — An Israeli strike killed at least three journalists and wounded several others as they slept in guesthouses in southern Lebanon today, Lebanon’s health ministry said, in what Beirut declared a war crime. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken . . . READ MORE . . .

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Medical evacuations ‘lethally slow’ for 2,500 Gazan children that need urgent referral: UNICEF, by Beyza Binnur Donmez | Anadolu Agency  GENEVA — The UNICEF today warned that medical evacuations are “lethally slow” for 2,500 Gazan children that need urgent referral as “fewer than one child” evacuated per day. READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s war in northern Gaza aimed at uprooting people from their land: Palestinian National Council. From Anadolu Agency. RAMALLAH, Palestine  The Palestinian National Council said today that the ongoing Israeli offensive in northern Gaza is “a war aimed at uprooting the people from their land.” READ MORE . . .

For today, links to eight reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, the Anadolu Agency, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Zelenskiy says Russia to deploy N. Korean troops in combat zones Oct. 27-28. From Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today that Russia plans to deploy North Korean troops to the battlefield starting Oct. 27-28, citing intelligence reports. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and the Kyiv Independent.

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Putin on North Korean troops in Russia: ‘If they’re here, it’s our business.’ From Kyiv Post. At a press conference following the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time commented on the possible involvement of North Korean troops in his war against Ukraine, responding to questions . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy admits ‘tense’ situation for Ukraine’s armed forces in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, by Elena Teslova | Anadolu Agency  MOSCOW — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted today that the situation on the battlefield is “tense” for his nation’s armed forces, especially in the eastern Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s army loses stable command and control of troops encircled in Kursk area — Putin.  From Tass.  MOSCOW — The Ukrainian military is attempting to unblock its troops encircled in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region but has lost stable command and control of these units, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a program broadcast today. READ MORE . . .

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Putin comments on situation in Ukraine, treaty with North Korea in TV interview. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukraine has approached Russia twice with initiatives mediated by Turkey but has promptly retracted them, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a program broadcast today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

For today, links to eight reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initals below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and MAPS entry from last week are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Half of Jabalia ethnically cleansed by Israeli army as schools burned and men kidnapped, by Lubna Masarwa and Maha Hussaini | Middle East Eye   JERUSALEM / OCCUPIED PALESTINE — Israeli troops are going school to school in Jabalia and nearby areas to forcibly remove unarmed, starved and besieged Palestinian civilians from their homes as the military campaign to ethnically cleanse north Gaza nears its third week, eyewitnesses say. READ MORE . . .

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Blinken announces another $135 million in U.S. aid to Gaza but says it has to get into the territory, by Wafaa Shurafa and Fatma Khaled | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Qatar, today announced another $135 million in aid to the Palestinians, saying it is critical that aid enters Gaza. Also today, medical officials said an Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli strikes kill 42 in Gaza as tanks tighten siege of north, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 42 people on Wednesday as Israeli forces intensified a siege of northern parts of the Palestinian enclave, surrounding hospitals and refugee shelters, and ordering residents to head south, medics and residents said. Health officials said . . . READ MORE . . .

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France and other nations pledge massive aid package to support Lebanon at international conference, by Sylvie Corbet | AP  PARIS — France pledged to provide a 100-million euro ($108 million) package to support Lebanon at an international conference today, as President Emmanuel Macron said “massive aid” is needed to support the country where . . . READ MORE . . .

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EU’s Borrell calls for reinforcement of UNIFIL, Lebanese army amid escalating tensions, by Beyza Binnur Donmez | Anadolu Agency  GENEVA — EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell today called for an immediate reinforcement of Lebanon’s army and the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (UNIFIL) amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. READ MORE . . .

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Hezbollah claims heavy Israeli losses: 70 soldiers, 28 tanks, drones downed. From Middle East Monitor. The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s operations room, issued a report on Wednesday highlighting significant losses inflicted on Israeli occupation forces by Hezbollah’s missile and air defence units in the south of the country. READ MORE . . .

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Putin warns of Middle East conflagration and debates Ukraine at BRICS, by Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  KAZAN, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin told BRICS leaders today that the Middle East was on the brink of a full-scale war after a sharp rise in tension between Israel and Iran, though the Kremlin chief also faced calls to end the war in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 23  Calls grow inside Israel’s right wing government for permanent occupation of Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israel’s prime minister says forming Jewish settlements in Gaza is not a realistic goal, but his allies are making the case for it. His opponents say the military’s latest moves may make it possible. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Gaza extermination: Netanyahu is ‘finishing the job’ while the world watches, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  There are up to 400,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza, dozens of whom are dying every night in artillery fire, drone strikes, or close up in summary executions. This has been going on for three weeks and there is no . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 10 reports: from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Moscow Times, and Reuters; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian lawmakers ratify pact with North Korea as U.S. confirms that Pyongyang sent troops to Russia. From AP. MOSCOW — Russian lawmakers today ratified a pact with North Korea envisioning mutual military assistance, a move that comes as the U.S. confirmed the deployment of 3,000 North Korean troops to Russia. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from the Moscow Times and AFP.

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Ukraine accuses Russian troops of executing 4 POWs. From AFP. Kyiv claimed today that Russian forces had executed four captured Ukrainian servicemen in the eastern Donetsk region, the latest war crime allegation against Moscow. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 23  Finishing off the defenseless: How the Russians execute Ukrainian soldiers, by Kamila Hrabchuk | The Kyiv Independent  Recording and investigating the executions of soldiers is extremely difficult. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, the United Nations has documented the execution of 42 Ukrainian service members. Ukraine has documented 102 such executions as of October 2022. The actual figure . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian attack on Kupiansk kills elderly woman, injures at least 11, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  One person has died, and at least 11 others have been injured after Russian forces carried out an air strike on the town of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast today, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. READ MORE . . .

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Russia hammers Ukrainian military airfield infrastructure over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces delivered strikes at Ukrainian military airfields and inflicted damage on enemy manpower and military hardware in 139 areas 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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Chechen factions loot Mariupol’s steel plants: WSJ report. From Kyiv Post. What remained of the steel plants in Ukraine’s Mariupol are now war trophies for Chechen figures affiliated with the enclave’s strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, the Wall Street Journal reported. READ MORE . . .

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Putin warns of Middle East conflagration and debates Ukraine at BRICS, by Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  KAZAN, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin told BRICS leaders today that the Middle East was on the brink of a full-scale war after a sharp rise in tension between Israel and Iran, though the Kremlin chief also faced calls to end the war in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 23  U.S. government wants half of its $20 billion loan to Ukraine to be military aid. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is trying to provide Ukraine with $10 billion in military aid as part of its $20 billion commitment to the country under a $50 billion loan coordinated with the G7 and European Union, the White House National Security Council said on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 13 reports: from Reuters, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, the Jerusalem Post, the Times of Israel, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, and the Telegraph, and to commentary from the Ron Paul Institute via Antiwar.com; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Twenty reported killed in Gaza as Israel intensifies siege of north, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 20 people today as Israeli forces intensified a siege of northern parts of the Palestinian enclave, surrounding hospitals and refugee shelters, and ordering residents to head south, medics and residents said. READ MORE . . .

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Thirty people dead inside besieged Kamal Adwan Hospital. From Middle East Eye. A Medecins Sans Frontieres orthopaedic surgeon currently sheltering in the besieged Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza says the situation in the medical facility is “disastrous”. “There is death in all types and forms in Kamal Adwan hospital and north Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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Israel is ethnically cleansing north Gaza, says B’Tselem. From Middle East Eye. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has accused Israel of taking advantage of the world’s diverted attention to commit ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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No Hezbollah assets found in Lebanon hospital facing Israeli bombing, by Hanna Davis | Middle East Eye  BEIRUT —  A swarm of journalists and cameramen opened drawers filled with scrubs and bed linens, rummaged through boxes of surgical tools, and meandered through the basement of Sahel Hospital, in southern Beirut, entering even . . . READ MORE . . .

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Int’l journalists dispel Israeli claims of Hezbollah funds in Lebanese hospitals. From Middle East Monitor. BBC and Sky News reporters were among international news crews that debunked Israel’s claims that Hezbollah is hiding funds in a Lebanese hospital in Beirut. Click HERE for brief introduction and video.

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Blinken urges halt to Middle East conflict as Israel bombs historic Lebanese port city, by Amina Ismail and Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters  TYRE / RIYADH — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed today for a halt to fighting between Israel and militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, but heavy Israeli air strikes on a large historic Lebanese port city demonstrated that there was no respite. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for AP report by Farnoush Amiri and Samy Magdy.

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Hostages’ families call on Blinken to leverage Sinwar elimination for a deal, by Uri Sela | The Jerusalem Post  Families of American citizens held hostage in Gaza met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday and asked him to apply pressure on mediators in Qatar, aiming to leverage the opportunity created by Sinwar’s elimination to restart negotiations for returning all hostages. The families, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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IDF claims uncovered documents prove 6 Al Jazeera journalists are Hamas, PIJ operatives, by Emanuel Fabian | The Times of Israel  The IDF says it has uncovered documents in the Gaza Strip it claims reveal that six Al Jazeera journalists are operatives in the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 22  As Gaza burns, Israeli settlers make ‘real estate’ plans, by Peter Oborne and Lubna Masarwa | Middle East Eye  A ceasefire in Gaza was the last thing on the mind of the Knesset members, government ministers and hundreds of Israeli settlers who convened Monday to plan the future of the enclave as Israel’s settlement. READ MORE . . .

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As the Israel-Hamas war escalates, Israel refuses to acknowledge its nuclear program. Michel Martin of NPR speaks with Victor Gilinsky, a former commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, about Israel’s nuclear capabilities. It’s believed Israel has around 90 warheads. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 22  A nightclub in Lebanon is now a shelter for people fleeing Israeli strikes. Reported by Arezou Rezvani | NPR  Skybar, one of Beirut’s most popular nightclubs, has turned into a shelter for hundreds of displaced people who’ve fled Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon in recent weeks. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for report in the Telegraph.

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FROM OCT. 21  Why should we fight wars for Ukraine and Israel? by Ron Paul | Ron Paul Institute / Antiwar.com  When you take on the role of the world’s policeman, don’t be surprised when countries who cannot fight their own wars call “911.” That is happening to the United States on two fronts and it is bankrupting our country, depleting the military that should serve our own national interest, and . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 14 reports: from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Bloomberg, Tass, and Middle East Eye and to commentary from the Ron Paul Institute via Antiwar.com; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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U.S. Defense Secretary Austin confirms North Korea has sent troops to Russia, by Hyung-Jin Kim | AP  SEOUL — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said there is evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia on Monday, and South Korea’s spy chief told lawmakers that 3,000 North Korean troops are in the country receiving training on drones and other equipment before being deployed to battlefields in Ukraine. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

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North Korea sent 1,500 more troops to Russia, South Korea’s spy agency tells lawmakers. From AFP. North Korea sent an additional 1,500 troops to Russia, South Korea’s intelligence agency told lawmakers today, with around 10,000 soldiers total expected to be deployed by December. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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FROM OCT. 22  South Korea warns it can send arms to Ukraine after reports of North’s troops in Russia, by Hyung-Jin Kim | AP  SEOUL — South Korea warned Tuesday it could consider supplying weapons to Ukraine in response to North Korea allegedly dispatching troops to Russia, as both North Korea and Russia denied the movements. NATO’s secretary general said that would mark a “significant escalation.” READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Serebryanka, Nikolayevka communities in Donetsk area over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces liberated the settlements of Serebryanka and Nikolayevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic 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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BRICS leaders must tell Putin to end Ukraine war: EU. From AFP.  The European Union today urged leaders attending the BRICS summit in Russia to tell President Vladimir Putin to “immediately end the war” in Ukraine. Putin is hosting around 20 world leaders, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 22  Russia summons German ambassador over NATO Baltic Sea command center. From AFP.  Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said it summoned Germany’s ambassador to protest a new NATO naval command center along the Baltic Sea coast, inaugurated by Germany on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 22  Ukraine’s population has fallen by 10 million since Russia’s invasion, UN says, by Thomas Escritt | Reuters  Ukraine’s population has declined by 10 million, or around a quarter, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion as a result of refugees leaving, collapsing fertility and war deaths, the United Nations said on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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What lies behind Turkey’s ties with Russia and bid to join BRICS? by Huseyin Hayatsever and Jonathan Spicer | Reuters  ANKARA — Here are some of the issues underpinning ties between Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, who were set to meet today in Russia on the sidelines of the summit of the BRICS grouping which NATO-member Turkey has voiced interest in joining. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE and HERE for two paragraphs of Oct. 21 report from Bloomberg, an Oct. 23 report from Tass, and a June 8 report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM OCT. 21  Why should we fight wars for Ukraine and Israel? by Ron Paul | Ron Paul Institute / Antiwar.com  When you take on the role of the world’s policeman, don’t be surprised when countries who cannot fight their own wars call “911.” That is happening to the United States on two fronts and it is bankrupting our country, depleting the military that should serve our own national interest, and . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to eight reports: from Antiwar.com, Anadolu Agency, Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from To The Point Analyses and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initals below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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FROM OCT. 21  Dozens of Palestinians killed as Israel intensifies attacks on northern Gaza, by Dave DeCamp | Antiwar.com / ScheerPost  Dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in northern Gaza on Monday as Israel is intensifying its attacks on the area in an effort to forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of civilians as part of an ethnic cleansing plan. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Anadolu Agency report.

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War has knocked Gaza back to the 1950s, UNDP says, by Thomas Escritt | Reuters  BERLIN — The war between Israel and Hamas has devastated the Palestinian economy and left nearly all of Gaza’s population in poverty, with quality of life indicators such as health and education knocked back 70 years, the United Nations’ development agency said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 21  Israel says more strikes are coming against a Hezbollah-run financial institution, by Sarah el Deeb and Samy Magdy | AP  BEIRUT— Israel said late Monday it planned to carry out more strikes in Lebanon against a Hezbollah-run financial institution that it targeted the night before and which it says uses customers’ deposits to finance attacks against Israel. At least 15 branches . . . READ MORE . . .

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What is the Hezbollah-linked financial institution Israel is targeting in Lebanon? by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — The Israeli military has carried out a wave of airstrikes targeting branches of a financial institution affiliated with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, saying the quasi-banking system is being used to fund the militant group’s military wing. They destroyed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Blinken in Israel in last big ceasefire push before U.S. election, by Humeyra Pamuk, Maayan Lubell and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  TEL AVIV / JERUSALEM / CAIRO — Secretary of State Antony Blinken was meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today in the first big U.S. push for a Middle East ceasefire since Israel killed the leader of Hamas last week — and the last attempt before a presidential election that could upend U.S. policy. He faces . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP.

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FROM OCT. 21  Blinken heads off on another visit to Middle East as conflict spreads. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Israeli forces killed the Hamas leader in Gaza last week and they’ve been pressing their offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon too. Israel is also poised to strike Iran. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 8  One dimensional reporting, by Lawrence Davidson | To The Point Analyses / Consortium News  The mainline media is managed by people acculturated to their society’s dominant storyline — and all the myriad prioritized sub-storylines that are supposed to explain events both domestic and foreign. What are the consequences? READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 21  Netanyahu arrest warrant and the ICC: Is the delay a denial of justice? by Sondos Asem | Middle East Eye  It has been five months since the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, requested an arrest warrant for Israeli and Hamas leaders over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s war on Gaza and the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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EU Parliament approves nearly $38B loan to Ukraine, backed by Russian assets, by Necva Tastan Sevinc | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — The European Parliament today approved a loan of up to €35 billion (approximately $37.8 billion) for Ukraine, which would be financed through revenues generated by frozen Russian assets in the European Union. The new . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian drone attacks kill 3, including child, in Ukraine’s Sumy region. From AFP. Russian overnight attacks left three people dead in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy, where Moscow has stepped up its bombardments in recent months, local officials said today. Sumy lies across the border from the Kursk region in . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine reportedly strikes 4 alcohol distilleries in Russia in drone attacks. From Kyiv Post. Ukrainian drones struck two alcohol distilleries in the Tula region, one in the Tambov region, and an industrial facility in the Voronezh region in an overnight attack Oct. 21-22, Russian officials and media reported. Kyiv had . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Kostin resigns, by Kateryna Hodunova | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin submitted his resignation today amid reports of prosecutors illegally obtaining disability status. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Novosadovoye community in Donbass region over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s Battlegroup West liberated the settlement of Novosadovoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and inflicted more than 470 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 21  U.S. consults allies about North Korea troops in Ukraine, by Michelle Nichols | Reuters  NEW YORK – It would be a “dangerous and highly concerning development” if North Korea was sending troops to help Russia in Ukraine, the United States said on Monday as South Korea and Britain warned of the high price Moscow would likely have to pay Pyongyang. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Pyongyang . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initals below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli forces storm shelters, detain men, as north Gaza raid deepens, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli forces blew up homes and besieged schools and shelters for displaced people today as they deepened their operations in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, residents and medics said. They also . . . READ MORE . . .

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UN agency says Israel still preventing aid from reaching northern Gaza. From Reuters.  GAZA — Israeli authorities are still preventing humanitarian missions from reaching areas of northern Gaza with critical supplies including medicine and food for people under siege, the head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said today. READ MORE . . .

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Lebanon assesses damage after Israel strikes Hezbollah-run financial institution, by Sara el Deeb and Samy Magdy | AP  BEIRUT — Lebanese were surveying the damage today after overnight Israeli strikes hit nearly a dozen branches of a Hezbollah-run financial institution that Israel says is used to fund attacks but where many ordinary people keep their savings. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE to listen to NPR report.

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FROM OCT. 20  Leaked documents describe possible Israeli strike on Iran. Reported by Rob Schmitz and Tom Bowman | NPR  A former U.S. intelligence official has confirmed with NPR that highly classified U.S. intelligence documents that appeared on a pro-Iranian site are authentic. The documents describe preparations by Israel in advance of a possible strike on Iran. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE to listen to Oct. 21 NPR report, and later read.

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FROM OCT. 14  ‘It’s like we’re watching Auschwitz on TikTok.’ Gabor Maté of Middle East Eye, a Canadian physician, speaks with French activist and film producer Frank Barat about witnessing atrocities in Gaza and Palestine, and about future implications of the normalisation of violence. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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The IDF and ISIS are two sides of the same coin as agents of chaos, by Adam Warden | Middle East Monitor  The parallels between Zionist militant groups and notorious organisations like ISIS share a disturbing commonality rooted in religious extremism and a quest for ethno-religious supremacy. READ MORE . . .

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The West’s support for Israel’s genocide is destroying the world as we know it, by Jonathan Cook | Middle East Eye  The year-long genocide in Gaza is entirely a Western co-production. The U.S. and Europe send the weapons, provide the diplomatic cover, orchestrate support from their pliant state- and billionaire-owned media, and . . . READ MORE . . .