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

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NEWER  Biden speaks with Netanyahu as Israelis appear closer to Rafah offensive, by Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani | AP  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke this morning, a White House official and a National Security Council spokesperson said, as Israel appeared closer to launching an offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah — a move staunchly opposed by the U.S. on humanitarian grounds. The call came hours before Biden was to host King Abdullah II of Jordan for . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza’s Rafah ahead of an expected assault, by Sam Mednick, Josef Federman and Bassem Mroue | AP  JERUSALEM — The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians today to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel strikes Gaza city of Rafah after evacuation order, say residents, by Mohammed Salem and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  RAFAH, Gaza Strip —Israel’s military carried out airstrikes in Rafah today, residents said, hours after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate parts of the southern Gaza city where more than a million people uprooted by the war have been sheltering. Fears are growing of a full-blown . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hundreds of Palestinians evacuate from eastern Rafah amid Israeli evacuation orders. From Middle East Monitor. Hundreds of Palestinians began evacuating from areas east of Rafah amid Israeli plans to invade the city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to witnesses, Anadolu news agency reported. The Israeli army today issued immediate evacuation orders . . . READ MORE . . .

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UK’s Sunak ‘concerned deeply’ about possible military incursion into Rafah. From AFP. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said today the UK was “concerned deeply” about a possible offensive in Rafah after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city. He cited . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 5  The Israel-Palestinian media disconnect. From NPR. There is a split-screen of media coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli channels focus on the Oct. 7 attack, the soldiers and the hostages, while Palestinian media highlights daily suffering. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Woman denies being an ‘outside agitator’ in Columbia University protests. Michel Martin of NPR talks with Associated Press reporter Jake Offenhartz about New York Mayor Eric Adams’ claims of “outside agitators” being present at Columbia University protests. Click HERE to listen and read. Click HERE for related May 1 AP report by Offenhartz.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, 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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Russia warns Britain it could strike back after Cameron remark on Ukraine, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  MOSCOW — Russia warned Britain today that if British weapons were used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory then Moscow could hit back at British military installations and equipment both inside Ukraine and elsewhere. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for related report from AP.

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Russian drone attack disrupts power supply to parts of Ukraine’s Sumy region. From Reuters. A Ukrainian drone attack hit vehicles carrying workers in Russia‘s frontier Belgorod region, killing six people and injuring 35, the governor said today. Belgorod has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian drones kill six, injure 35 in Russia’s Belgorod region, governor says. From Reuters. Ukrainian drone attacks on two buses taking people to work killed six people and injured another 35 in the Belgorod region of Russia, the governor said today. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the attack took place near the village of Berezovka. He . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says captured 2 frontline villages in Ukraine. From AFP. Moscow said today its forces had captured two more frontline villages in eastern Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its soldiers “liberated the village of Kotlyarivka in the Kharkiv region” and “the village of Soloviove in the Donetsk People’s Republic,” referring to . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for related report from Tass.

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Medvedev gives warning amid talk of deploying Western troops to Ukraine. From Tass. MOSCOW — The deployment of Western troops to Ukraine would be akin to these countries declaring war on Russia, and lead to a catastrophe on a global scale, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said. “Sending their troops to the territory of former Ukraine,” he wrote on his Telegram channel, “will mean . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, the New York Times, National Public Radio, and the Grayzone, and to commentary by an Australian observer; some others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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NEWER  Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in ‘very near future,’ by Josef Federman and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  JERUSALEM — The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions,” the Hamas militant group said today, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. Israel didn’t send a delegation to the talks . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Israel closes Gaza crossing after Hamas attack and vows military operation ‘in the very near future,’ by Josef Federman and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza today after Hamas militants attacked it, while the defense minister claimed Hamas wasn’t serious about a cease-fire deal and warned of “a . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Police raid Al Jazeera after shutdown order. From Reuters. JERUSALEM / DOHA — Israeli police raided a Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its de facto office today following a government decision to shut down the Qatari-owned TV station’s local operations, an Israeli official and an Al Jazeera source told Reuters. READ MORE . . .

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Hopes for Gaza ceasefire appear slim as Cairo talks continue, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO  — Prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appeared slim today as Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruled that out. READ MORE . . .

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Israel says Hamas attacks a crossing point into Gaza, wounding 10 Israelis and forcing its closure, by Josef Federman and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  JERUSALEM — Hamas militants today attacked Israel’s main crossing point for delivering humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, reportedly wounding several Israelis and prompting Israel to close the terminal. The attack disrupted critical shipments of food and. . . READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu’s Cabinet votes to close Al Jazeera offices in Israel following rising tensions, by Tia Goldenberg and Jon Gambrell | AP  TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that his government has voted unanimously to shut down the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera, escalating Israel’s long-running feud with. . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 4  Israel has briefed U.S. on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operation, by Aamer Madhani | AP  WASHINGTON — Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 4  Israeli officials weigh sharing power with Arab states in post-war Gaza, by Patrick Kingsley | The New York Times  JERUSALEM — Behind the scenes, senior Israeli officials have been weighing an expansive plan for postwar Gaza in which Israel would offer to share oversight of the territory with an alliance of Arab countries, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 4  Pressure mounts for Netanyahu. Reported by Peter Kenyon | NPR  Nearly seven months after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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NEWER  Some campuses are going virtual and canceling commencement as protests continue. Reported by Debbie Elliott | NPR  Campus protests have mushroomed across the U.S. in recent days but the protest movement actually started in October, not long after Israel began its war against Hamas in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 4  Senate races are roiled by campus protests over the war in Gaza as campaign rhetoric sharpens, by Marc Levy | AP  HARRISBURG, Pa. — The student protest movement disrupting university campuses, classes and graduation ceremonies over the war in Gaza is also roiling Senate contests across the nation as Democrats tread . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 4  Students at some campus anti-war protests are reaching agreements with universities. Reported by Adrian Florido | NPR  Thousands of protestors were arrested this week as some schools called in police to clear pro-Palestinian encampments. Others have been able to reach agreements with students to clear out voluntarily. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 3  The Israeli connection to the raid on Columbia University, by Wyatt Reed and Max Blumenthal | The Grayzone / Consortium News  The violent crackdown carried out on Columbia University students protesting Israel’s genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip was led by a member of the school’s own faculty, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has declared. Just hours after the New York Police Department [Counterterrorism unit] . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY 3  CNN compares campus protesters to Nazis, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com.au / Consortium News  “They’re calling for a ceasefire,” says CNN’s Dana Bash. “Well, there was a ceasefire on Oct. 6, the day before Hamas terrorists brutally murdered more than a 1,000 people inside Israel and took hundreds more as hostages.” This is a brazen . . . READ MORE . . .

 

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

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Russia says forces seized village in eastern Ukraine. From AFP. Russia said today its armed forces had seized the village of Ocheretyne in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the latest in a string of small territorial gains for Moscow. After capturing the nearby industrial hub of. . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia hits Ukraine regions, Zelenskiy says Su-25 bomber downed, by Bogdan Kochubey | Reuters  KYIV — Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Dnipro regions and the Black Sea port city of Odesa killed at least two civilians, set a food factory ablaze and damaged other infrastructure, homes and commercial buildings on Saturday, regional officials said. READ MORE . . .

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Russian glide bomb attack injures 10 in downtown Kharkiv, by Alexander Khrebet | The Kyiv Independent  Russian forces struck a residential area in downtown Kharkiv today, injuring at least 10 people on Orthodox Easter Sunday, according to local authorities. Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov initially said. . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Ocheretino community in DPR — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops fully liberated the community of Ocheretino in the Avdeyevka area in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and repulsed eight Ukrainian army counterattacks over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine plans counteroffensive in 2025 with $61 Billion U.S. military aid, Sullivan says. From Kyiv Post. Ukraine is preparing for a significant counteroffensive in 2025, a move made possible by a substantial $61 billion military aid package from the United States. This aid will enable Kyiv to hold its ground throughout 2024, effectively preventing further Russian successes on the battlefield. Jake Sullivan, a key figure in the U.S. president’s administration . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 4  Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list. From AP. Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database. As of Saturday afternoon . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio and, via Popular Resistance, Consortium News, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor and CN; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM  

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Hamas negotiators arrive in Cairo for Gaza truce talks, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan | Reuters  CAIRO – Hamas negotiators arrived in Cairo today for new talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, where the war between the Iran-backed militant group and Israel is nearing the seven-month mark. Reports in Saudi Arabian media and on Israel’s Channel 12 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Qatar considers future of Hamas office in Doha, and whether to keep mediating, by Andrew Mills | Reuters  DOHA — Qatar could close the political office of Hamas as part of a broader review of its role as a mediator in the war between Israel and the militant Palestinian Islamist group, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Egypt media cite progress in truce talks as Israel downplays chances of end to war with Hamas, by Sam Mednick and Jack Jeffrey | AP  TEL AVIV — A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on todayas Egyptian state media reported “noticeable progress” in ongoing cease-fire talks with Israel while an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 3  UN official warns that famine in northern Gaza is already ‘full-blown,’ by Ellen Knickmeyer and Russ Bynum | AP  WASHINGTON — A top U.N. official said Friday that hard-hit northern Gaza was now in “full-blown famine” after more than six months of war between Israel and Hamas and severe Israeli restrictions on food deliveries to the Palestinian territory. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 3   Striking deals to end campus protests, some colleges invite discussion of their investments, by Kathleen Foody, Karen Matthews, Mike Catalini and Michael Hill | AP  NEW YORK — Anti-war demonstrations ceased this week at a small number of U.S. universities after school leaders struck deals with pro-Palestinian protesters, fending off possible disruptions of final exams and graduation ceremonies. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 3  Student describes divestment negotiations with Brown University. Reported by Lauren Hodges, Michael Levitt, Tinbete Ermyas and Juana Summers | NPR  While some colleges resort to arrests and suspensions to clear protests, Brown University has struck a deal with its students. NPR’s Juana Summers talks with a student who was in the negotiating room. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 3  Palestinians in the West Bank say U.S. college protests give them hope. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Palestinians in the West Bank are following the protests on US campuses and say this movement is giving them hope. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 3  Meanwhile in Australia, campus protests undisturbed. Reported by Cathy Vogan| Consortium News and CN Live!  At  Sydney University the anti-genocide encampment is continuing without a thought of police intervention. In Australia authorities are allowing this and others to continue undisturbed, especially after the Jewish Council of Australia said it . . . Click HERE for article and video.

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Enforcing silence on genocide, by Elizabeth Vos | Consortium News  Developments on university campuses and in Congress this week showed that the U.S. government’s top priority is not protecting students or civilian lives in Gaza, but to protect Israel’s ability to continue its unimpeded slaughter. Anti-genocide student . . . READ MORE . . .

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Has the two-state solution been jeopardised? by Ihsan Faruk Kılavuz  | Middle East Monitor  While Israel’s onslaught on Gaza continues in all its horror, attention has once again turned to what settlements could end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite various . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, 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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Russia says downed four U.S. long-range missiles. From AFP. Russia said today it had downed four U.S.-made ATACMS long-range missiles recently supplied by Washington to Kviv over the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula. The Defense Ministry said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian drones injure 6 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Dnipro regions. From Reuters. KYIV — Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, injuring at least six people and hitting critical infrastructure, commercial and residential buildings, regional officials said today. The Ukrainian Air Force said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv may use British weapons to strike targets inside Russia, Cameron says. From the Kyiv Independent. Britain pledged three billion pounds ($3.74 billion) in annual military assistance to Ukraine, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced Friday, adding that it would continue “as long as it takes.” He said London had no qualms . . . READ MORE . . .

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British intelligence predicts more Russian losses. From Kyiv Post. Russia has adapted its army to a grueling war and bets on the number of troops, not their quality, a report by the UK Ministry of Defense said today. The report predicts likely heavy combat losses for the Russians as they. . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces carry out 25 group strikes at energy, military industrial facilities. From Tass. MOSCOW — In the past 7 days, the Russian Armed Forces carried out 25 group strikes via precision weapons and drones, hitting Ukrainian energy and transportation infrastructure facilities and Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. “In response to the Kiev regime’s attempts to . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 3  Russia says it has driven Ukrainian army from 211 square miles of territory this year. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said his troops had taken control of 547 square kilometres (211 square miles) of territory this year in what he called Russia’s “new regions,” a reference to four Ukrainian regions that Moscow Usays it has annexed. In remarks Friday to . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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FROM MAY 2  Hamas is sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks in the latest sign of progress, by Bassem Mroule, Lee Keath and Sam Mednick | AP  BEIRUT — Hamas said Thursday it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks, in a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza. The stakes in the cease-fire negotiations . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fresh chaos, arrests on U.S. college campuses as police flatten camp at UCLA, by Lisa Rby Lisa Richwine and Arlene Washington | Reuters  LOS ANGELES — Police forcibly removed scores of defiant pro-Palestinian protesters at several colleges on Thursday, including taking down an encampment at UCLA in a jarring scene that underscored the heightened chaos that has erupted at universities this week. READ MORE . . .

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French police evacuate pro-Palestinian students from Sciences Po after overnight sit-in, by Clotaire Achi, Benoit Tessier and Tassilo Hummel | Reuters  Police in Paris entered France’s prestigious Sciences Po university today and removed student activists who had occupied its buildings overnight in protest against Israel’s conduct in its war against Hamas in Gaza. Unlike on some college campuses across the United States, the French . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. university protests over the war in Gaza galvanize other demonstrations. Reported by Willem Marx, Eleanor Beardsley and Eyder Peralta | NPR  Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been taking place on university campuses around the world since last October. Morning Edition focuses on three countries: the United Kingdom, France and Mexico. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 34,622. From AFP. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said today that at least 34,622 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory during almost seven months of war between Israel and Hamas. The tally includes at 26 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Biden calls for peace after tense pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. Reported by Michel Martin and Tamara Keith | NPR  President Biden finally broke his silence on student protests over the Israel-Hamas war and conditions in Gaza, an issue that has caught him in a political bind. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 2  Biden denounced ‘chaos’ when speaking on student protests. Reported by Deepa Shivaram | NPR  President Biden broke his silence on student protests that have roiled college campuses, denouncing “chaos” and antisemitism and saying the protests were not affecting his policy on the Middle East. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Britain sanctions Israeli groups, individuals for violence in West Bank. From Middle East Monitor. Britain today imposed sanctions on two “extremist” groups and four individuals in Israel whom it blamed for violence in the West Bank, its latest package of measures against Israeli settlers, Reuters reports. Britain’s Foreign Office named . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 2  Colombia’s president says country will break diplomatic relations with Israel over war in Gaza. From AP. BOGOTA — Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday announced his government will break diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursday in the latest escalation of tensions between the countries over the Israel-Hamas war. READ MORE . . .

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Israel FM criticises Colombia’s president. Middle East Monitor. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has criticised Colombian President Petro Gustavo after he announced that he would cut diplomatic relations with Israel due to the genocide it is carrying out in Gaza. “History will remember that Gustavo Petro @petrogustavo decided . . . READ MORE . . .

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La estrecha relación en defensa de Colombia e Israel, en juego por ruptura de relación, por Astrid Suárez | AP  BOGOTÁ — La decisión de Colombia de romper relaciones con Israel y calificar a su gobierno de “genocida” por sus acciones bélicas en la Franja de Gaza agravó la tensión bilateral que ya arrastraba episodios de fricción en los últimos meses por los pronunciamientos del presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro sobre . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia says it downs six Ukraine-launched drones. From Reuters. The Russian defence ministry said today its air defence forces destroyed six drones that Ukraine launched overnight. The ministry said five were downed over the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine and one . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Moscow Times.

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Kremlin slams ‘dangerous’ remarks by Macron about troop deployment in Ukraine. From AFP.  The Kremlin today slammed comments by French President Emmanuel Macron in which he repeated that the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out. Macron said in an interview published Thursday that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine and UK to sign 100-Year partnership agreement. From Kyiv Post. During the last visit to Kyiv by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Ukraine and the United Kingdom started work on an agreement on a 100-year strategic partnership, the UK Embassy says on its Facebook page. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 2  The long road ahead for Ukraine after secured military assistance from the U.S. Reported by Tom Bowman and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  It’s taken months of debate on the Hill, but Ukraine finally has the military assistance it’s been seeking. After two years of fighting, military experts say the nation still faces a long road ahead. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and the Berkshire Eagle, and to commentary via ScheerPost and Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Hamas chief says group studying truce proposal ‘in positive spirit.’ From AFP. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said today the Palestinian militant group was studying a proposal for a truce in the nearly seven-month war raging in Gaza with a “positive spirit”. Mediators have proposed a truce deal that would halt fighting for 40 days and exchange. . . READ MORE . . .

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As Hamas considers cease-fire, question hangs: Will Israel end war without the group’s destruction? by Bassem Mroue and Lee Keath | AP  BEIRUT — Hamas today was considering the latest proposal for a cease-fire with Israel that the United States and other mediators hope will avert an Israeli attack on the Gaza town of Rafah. But chances for the deal are entangled with the question . . . READ MORE . . .

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Jordan demands that Israel provide better security for aid convoys. Reported by Michel Martin and Jane Arraf | NPR  Secretary of State Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday. Blinken pushed for swift and sustained aid to Gazans. A truck was attacked by Israeli settlers after it left Jordan. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash in tense scene at UCLA encampment, by Ryan Pearson, Ethan Swope, Jake Offenhartz and Joseph B. Frederick | AP  LOS ANGELES — Police removed barricades and began dismantling pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ fortified encampment early today at the University of California, Los Angeles, after hundreds of protesters defied . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Williams College, MCLA students protest colleges’ ties to companies supplying weapons used in Israel’s war in Gaza, by Sten Spinella | The Berkshire Eagle  WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The nation’s wave of student protests over the Israel-Hamas war arrived at Williams College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Wednesday. Demonstrators at the two colleges sought only to make noise with chants and the like in between classes.  At Williams, divestment by the college’s endowment from weapons manufacturers supplying Israel is an aim. Click HERE to read more with paid subscription..

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FROM MAY 1  The latest on student protests in New York City and around the country. Reported by Adrian Florido and Steve Futterman | NPR  Hundreds of students have been arrested as university leaders moved to break up encampments and take back buildings occupied by campus protesters angry over Israel’s war in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 1  Israeli settlers try to block aid to Gaza as Blinken touts progress on trip to Israel. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Israeli settlers tried to block a new aid route into Gaza. The incident was a setback for Blinken, who was trying to highlight progress in getting Palestinians food and supplies to stave off famine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 1  Israel-U.S. Gaza plan stares us in the face, by Jonathan Cook | Jonathan-Cook.net / Consortium News  One does not need to be a fortune-teller to understand that the Israel-U.S. game plan for Gaza runs something like this: 1. In public, Biden . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 28  Sermon for Gaza, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost / Consortium News  PRINCETON, N.J. — Ruling institutions — the state, the press, the church, the courts, universities  — mouth the language of morality . . . READ MORE . . .

 

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

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Ukraine war not likely to end soon, says top U.S. spy, by Jonathan Landay and Idrees Ali | Reuters  WASHINGTON — Russia is likely to press its aggressive tactics in its war in Ukraine but the conflict is unlikely to end soon, the top U.S. intelligence official said today. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian soldiers say rear defensive lines barely exist amid Russian advance, by Samya Kullab | AP  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Devastating Russian aerial glide bombs that can drop up to 1.5 tons of explosives out of range of most of Ukraine’s air defenses are gnawing away at soldiers’ positions in a new tactic. Yet, to retreat carries no promise of safety — the rear defensive lines meant to give them cover . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Berdychi community in DPR over past day — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Berdychi in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. “Battlegroup Center units . . . READ MORE . . .

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Macron doesn’t rule out troops for Ukraine if Russia breaks front lines. From AFP. French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request, in an interview published today. “I’m . . . READ MORE . . .

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Missile strikes postal depot in Ukraine’s Odesa, 14 injured, regional governor says. From Reuters. A Russian ballistic missile struck a postal depot in the Ukrainian port of Odesa late on Wednesday, injuring 14 people and triggering a large fire, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said. It was the third missile attack on the city in as many days. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine. From AFP. The U.S. State Department accused Russia Wednesday of having used chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, while also announcing fresh sanctions against Moscow. In addition to the chemical agent chloropicrin, Russia . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 1  Russians throng to display of Western ‘trophy’ tanks captured in Ukraine, by Andrew Osborn | Reuters  Western tanks and military hardware captured by Russian forces in Ukraine went on display in Moscow on Wednesday at an exhibition the Russian military said showed Western help would not stop it winning the war. Long queues of people formed . . . READ MORE . . .