For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, the Anadolu Agency, and Middle East Monitor, and to an interview from the Chris Hedges Report, via ScheerPost and Popular Resistance; other news and commentary are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel keeps up strikes in Gaza as fears of wider war grow, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli forces pressed on with their operations near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis today amid an international push for a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and block a slide into a wider regional conflict with Iran and its proxies. READ MORE . . .

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Leaders of France, Germany and Britain endorse calls for cease-fire in Gaza. From AP. The leaders of France, Germany and Britain have endorsed calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, the return of scores of hostages held by Hamas and the “unfettered” delivery of humanitarian aid. In a joint statement released today . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel widens evacuation orders in southern Gaza. Hamas wants plans for a deal instead of more talks, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military ordered more evacuations in southern Gaza early Sunday, a day after a deadly airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in the north killed at least 80 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for transcript of report from NPR.

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Hamas calls for urgent meeting of Arab League, OIC to halt Gaza genocide, by Mohamed Majed | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine — The Palestinian resistance group Hamas called Sunday on the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to hold an urgent meeting on Israel’s ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

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Israel killed 1.8% of Gaza’s population, official figures show. From Middle East Monitor. Israel has killed around 1.8% of Gaza’s population since 7 October amid a devastating war on the enclave, according to figures released by the Palestinian Center Bureau of Statistics on Sunday, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 7  Israel’s mask is slipping. Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges Report talks with David Hearst, editor in chief of Middle East Eye, who gives his detailed perspective of the past and present and unknown future of the multi-front war between Israel and various Palestinian entities in a changing international environment. Click HERE for an introduction, the interview, and transcript.

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

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More Russians are urged to flee Ukraine’s cross-border attack as the Kremlin scrambles to respond, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — An official in the Kursk border region of Russia today urged more residents to evacuate due to the “very tense situation” in the area, where Russian forces are still scrambling to respond to a surprise Ukrainian attack after almost a week of fierce fighting. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, the Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass.

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Russian troops prepare for a counterattack after Ukraine’s surprise offensive. Reported by Greg Myre and A Martínez | NPR  After rapid advances in western Russia, a Ukrainian military offensive slowed over the weekend. Russia is sending reinforcements to the area for a likely counterattack, but hasn’t launched it yet. Click HERE for transcript.

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Ukraine, Russia trade barbs over fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. From AFP. Kyiv and Moscow exchanged blame late Sunday after a fire broke out at a cooling tower of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russian forces seized days after launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia, Ukraine and the International Atomic Energy Agency . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, and to commentary from ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel broadens its evacuation orders after deadly strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military ordered more evacuations in southern Gaza early today after a deadly airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in the north killed at least 80 Palestinians, according to . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM AUG. 10  Israel runs the U.S. No, the U.S. runs Israel. No, wait . . . by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost  That deranged speech Bibi Netanyahu delivered to a joint session of Congress last month: I cannot get it entirely out of my mind. It did not change anything — neither the . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Kyiv Independent, Tass, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from the Kyiv Post; 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 attacks against Ukraine kill 8, injure 30 over past day, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Russian attacks against Ukraine killed eight people and injured 30 over the past day, regional authorities said today. Russia targeted a total of 11 Ukrainian oblasts — Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Sumy, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. READ MORE . . .

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Battlegroup Center repels 3 attacks of Ukrainian army in a day — Russian Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Fighters of the Battlegroup Center of the Russian armed forces repelled three counterattacks of thE Ukrainian armed forces over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine aims to ‘destabilize Russia’ with Kursk incursion. From AFP. Thousands of Ukrainian troops are taking part in an incursion aiming to destabilize Russia by showing the country’s weaknesses, a top official from Ukraine has said as the assault entered its sixth day. “We are . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and AP, and HERE for related commentary from Kyiv Post.

Links to reports from Consortium News and the Albany Times-Union; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, UKRAINE and BANGLADESH entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM AUG. 9  CN condemns FBI raid on CN columnist’s home. From Consortium News.  Consortium Newscondemns in the strongest terms the F.B.I. raid on the home of CN columnist Scott Ritter. Federal agents removed Ritter’s electronic equipment and numerous boxes of paper files from his Albany, N.Y. area home Thursday . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for video from Consortium News and HERE for copy of search warrant, from Substack.

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FROM AUG. 7   Scott Ritter claims search of home is related to ‘foreign agent’ law, by Patrick Tine | Albany Times-Union  BETHLEHEM, New York — FBI agents and State Police on Wednesday descended on the home of Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector who in June had his passport seized by the U.S. Department of State as he attempted to fly to Russia for a conference. READ MORE . . .

Links to four reports: from the Associated Press and Reuters, and to commentary from Indian Punchline; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM AUG. 5  Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina resigns as widening unrest sees protesters storm her official residence, by Julia’s Alan and Krutika Pathi | AP  DHAKA — Bangladesh’s prime minister resigned and fled the country Monday after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs descended into violence and grew into a broader challenge to her 15-year rule. Thousands of demonstrators . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bangladesh PM Hasina did not resign before fleeing to Delhi, says son, by Krishna N. Das | Reuters  NEW DELHI — Long-time Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina had not resigned as prime minister before fleeing this week to India as anti-government protesters marched on her official residence, her son and adviser said early today. Hasina has been sheltering in New . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 6  Why did Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resign and where is she now? by Sudipto Ganguly | Reuters  Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh’s prime minister and fled the country on Monday following weeks of dedly protests that began as demonstrations by students against government job quotas but surged . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for a second Aug. 6 report from Reuters.

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FROM AUG. 9  Sheikh Hasina was a time-tested friend, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  There is a problem, fundamentally, in viewing the regime change in Bangladesh as a ‘stand-alone’ event. The caveat must be added right at the outset that when it comes to processing situations . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

 For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE, MEDIA, and BANGLADESH entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school kills at least 80 people, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City early today, killing at least 80 people, Palestinian health authorities said. The Israeli military said the strike . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor.

For today, links to 10 reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Anadolu Agency, National Public Radio, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, MEDIA and BANGLADESH entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Russia tightens security in region of Ukraine incursion, fighting persists, by Samya Kullab and Jim Heintz | AP  KYIV — Russia today announced what it called a counterterrorism operation to increase security in the border region where an incursion this week by Ukrainian forces caught Russian troops off-guard and exposed its military vulnerabilities in the 2 1/2-year-old war. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Anadolu Agency and NPR.

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Bodies of two young girls identified among 14 dead in Russian attack on Kostiantynivka. From Kyiv Post. The bodies of two girls, ages 11 and 9, have been identified, victims of Russia’s Friday attack on Kostiantynivka, in the Donetsk region, according to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office. The PGO said today the bodies of 14 others have been found, including that of another child . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Russia evacuated more than 76,000 from border area. From AFP. Russia has evacuated more than 76,000 people from border areas in its western Kursk region since Tuesday, when Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border offensive, Russian media reported today. READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Battlegroup North strikes ‘Foreign Legion’ in Kharkov Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s Battlegroup North has delivered a strike on mercenaries from the “Foreign Legion” in the Volchansk and Liptsy area, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. announces $125 mn in new military aid for Ukraine. From AFP. The United States on Friday announced $125 million in new military aid for Kyiv, as Ukrainian forces push ahead with a surprise offensive inside Russian territory. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Israeli troops launch a new assault into Gaza’s Khan Younis as mediators push for cease-fire talks, by Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops launched a new assault today into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, targeting Hamas fighters who the military claims still operate there despite repeated offensives, as American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators renewed . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for a second AP report and one from Reuters.

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EU announces support for latest trilateral call for cease-fire in Gaza, by Ahmet Gençtürk | Anadolu Agency  ATHENS — The EU today announced support for the latest call by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar in pressing for a cease-fire in Gaza, where Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7 and . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 8  Israel detains soldiers on allegations of sexual assault of a detainee from Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israel has detained a group of soldiers on allegations that they sexually assaulted a Gazan detainee. It’s one of the most prominent cases of abuse that authorities have investigated during the war. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM AUG. 8  ‘Raped by female soldiers’: Palestinian in leaked Sde Teiman photo speaks out, by Mohammed al-Hajjar and Nader Durgham | Middle East Eye  DEIR AL-BALAH, Occupied Palestine / BEIRUT  Ibrahim Salem, released last week after nearly eight months of detention, says a photo first published by CNN was just the tip of the iceberg of his horrific experience in detention, which included rape, electrocution and frequent beatings. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from CNN.

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Israel journalist urges rape to become state policy for Palestinian prisoners. From Middle East Monitor. An Israeli journalist on Thursday advocated rape as an official policy by the state for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Anadolu Agency reports. “The only thing that is a problem . . . READ MORE . . .

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New Gaza camp offers relief for Palestinians with disabilities amid war, by Hatem Khaled and Mohammed Salem | Reuters  GAZA — A newly opened camp for displaced Palestinians with disabilities is providing some much needed help for around 100 vulnerable people in the town of Deir al-Balah in the central area of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. The “Smile of Hope Camp” . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel has created its own Abu Ghraib – and the world is silent, by Lubna Masarwa and Peter Oborne | Middle East Eye  It’s been just over 20 years since CBS News published the sobering photographs that proved the US army was carrying out unspeakable crimes against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. READ MORE . . .

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

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Russia declares a federal emergency in a border region that is under attack from Ukrainian forces, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Russia’s Ministry for Emergencies today declared the situation in the Kursk region a “federal level” emergency, four days after hundreds of Ukrainian troops poured over the border. Meanwhile, a Russian . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, Tass, CNN and the Anadolu Agency. 

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Ukraine’s surprise cross-border incursion seen as a tactical reply to Russia’s grinding gains, by Barry Hatton and Andrew Meldrum | AP   KYIV, — The Ukraine army’s surprise charge into Russia this week was a stunning maneuver that caught the Kremlin’s forces unawares. The strategic goal . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fighter jets, helicopters and ammo depots hit in Ukraine attack on Russia’s military airfield, by Alisa Orlova | Kyiv Post  Sources in the  Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in coordination with SBU and the Special Operations Forces, launched a drone strike on the Russian military airfield Lipetsk-2 early this morning. READ MORE . . .