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

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Russia throwing large numbers of troops at Ukraine’s Avdiivka, mayor says. From AFP. Large numbers of Russian troops are pushing to capture the frontline town of Avdiivka, its Ukrainian mayor said today, escalating a months-long effort to capture the industrial hub. Late last year, Moscow launched a costly bid to seize the town, which . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine needs more troops fighting Russia. Hardened professionals from Colombia are helping, by Illia Novikov and Manuel Rueda | AP  KYIV — Melodic Colombian Spanish fills a hospital treating soldiers wounded fighting Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s ranks are depleted by two years of war. As it battles the Russian war machine, Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian army loses up to 310 troops in Donetsk area over 24 hours. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 310 troops in the Donetsk area over 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Here are the details of this and other combat actions that happened over the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry report. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine wants to make reconstruction transparent. Will it work? by Dominic Culverwell | The Kyiv Independent  IRPIN, Ukraine — Inside a bare apartment littered with concrete blocks and slabs of plywood, construction site manager Serhiy Yerokhin points to a large balcony overlooking the treetops of this suburb outside of Kyiv occupied and heavily damaged during the first month of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Almost two years ago, a missile tore through the roof of . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters 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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Hamas proposes 135-day Gaza truce with complete Israeli withdrawal, by Samia Nakhoul and Andrew Mills | Reuters  DOHA / TEL AVIV / GAZA — Hamas has proposed a ceasefire plan that would quiet the guns in Gaza for four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war. The militant group’s proposal came  . . . READ MORE . . .

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As the Israel-Hamas war enters its 5th month, there’s renewed hope for a cease-fire. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Michele Kelemen | NPR  Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel trying to push for a new hostage deal that he hopes could lead to an end to the war in Gaza. Hamas has responded to the latest proposal on the table. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, and to commentary from Substack, the Kyiv Independent and, via Consortium News, Common Dreams; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia attacks targets across Ukraine with missiles and drones as EU’s top diplomat visits Kyiv, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles and Shahed-type drones at six regions across Ukraine this morning, authorities reported, killing at least five civilians and injuring almost 40 others, including a pregnant woman. The attacks hit major cities including Kyiv, where the European Union’s top diplomat . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Massive’ Russian air attack kills at least 5 in Ukraine. From AFP. Russia fired dozens of missiles and drones at Ukraine today in a “massive” early morning attack that killed at least five people and injured more than 30, officials in Kyiv said. A strike on the capital Kyiv killed four people when . . . READ MORE . . .

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Swedish prosecutor closes Nord Stream probe, says no jurisdiction. From AFP. The Swedish prosecutor probing the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines linking Russia and Germany said today he was closing the investigation, citing a lack of jurisdiction. Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said he had had “in-depth cooperation” with German . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Nord Stream pipelines and the perils of containment, by Seymour M. Hersh | seymourhersh.substack.com The idea of blowing up Russia’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea had come from the American intelligence community. The Biden administration had asked it in late 2021 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine is about to get new U.S. long-range bombs. How will it use them? by Dinara Khalilova | The Kyiv Independent  Striking Russian pressure points deep behind enemy lines has become a near-daily task for Ukraine — and the country’s long-range arsenal continues to grow to serve the purpose. Ukraine’s latest acquisition, the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb, the brainchild of Boeing and Saab . . . READ MORE . . .

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The U.S. toppling of Imran Khan, by Jeffrey D. Sachs | Common Dreams / Consortium News  From the start, Pakistan’s president advocated that the conflict in Ukraine should be settled at the negotiating table rather than on the battlefield. The U.S. and EU arm-twisted foreign leaders including Khan . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the New York Post, the New York Times, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) – MCM

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Ground Zero hero dies, by Snejana Farberov | New York Post  Bob Beckwith, the retired firefighter who appeared in an iconic photo with President George W. Bush atop a fire engine at Ground Zero just three days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has died from Ground Zero-related cancer, his family said Monday. Beckwith, 91, a  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bob Beckwith, firefighter who stood with Bush after 9/11, dies at 91, by Sam Roberts | The New York Times  After the attacks, Mr. Beckwith had put on his old leather helmet and uniform and joined a brigade to clear debris at ground zero. He became something of a celebrity and a spokesman for numerous charities, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bob Beckwith, retired firefighter in famous image with Bush after 9/11, dies at 91, by Philip Marcelo | AP  NEW YORK  — Bob Beckwith, a retired firefighter whose chance encounter with the president amid the rubble of ground zero became part of an iconic image of American unity after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, died Sunday night. He was 91. The Long Island resident stood . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio and, via Consortium News, Common Dreams, and to commentary from Popular Resistance; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israel presses onslaught in Gaza’s Khan Younis as U.S. pursues ceasefire quest, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Humeyra Pamuk and Bassam Masoud | Reuters DOHA / CAIRO / GAZA — Israeli forces killed at least 14 Palestinians in airstrikes as they pressed their onslaught in Gaza’s main southern city Khan Younis on Tuesday, while the top U.S. diplomat pursued a quest to broker a ceasefire in the four-month-old. . . READ MORE . . .

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Blinken pushes for progress on Gaza cease-fire-for-hostages deal in meetings with Egyptian mediators, by Mattew Lee, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  CAIRO — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed ahead with a diplomatic tour of the Middle East today, meeting Egyptian leaders as part of his efforts to secure a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in exchange for the release of hostages. His visit . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 5  Blinken is back in the Middle East as U.S. responds to attack. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Secretary of State Antony Blinken is back in the Middle East, reassuring the region that the U.S. is seeking to de-escalate tensions and pushing for more aid to get into Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 5  In Israel, France’s new foreign minister presses for a cease-fire to end ‘the tragedy in Gaza,’ by Sylvie Corbet | AP  PARIS — France’s new foreign minister on Monday used his first visit to Israel to urge the government to allow an “ immediate cease-fire ” and a “massive influx” of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem during . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 2  Western officials warn of war-crimes complicity, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams / Consortium News  Government officials in the United States and Europe, said to number more than 800, released a letter Friday criticizing their countries’ leaders for providing unconditional military and diplomatic support to Israel as it inflicts disaster on Gaza’s population.  The authors of the letter, who remain anonymous, wrote that they were “obliged to do everything in our power . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 4  For God’s sake, Joe, what the hell are you doing? by Col. Ann Wright (Ret.) | Popular Resistance  It’s 3 a.m. and I can’t sleep again. All of us concerned about Gaza and the West Bank are spending sleepless nights and busy days trying desperately to pressure the Biden administration to stop its complicity in the relentless Israeli genocide in Gaza, to stop providing weapons and money to Israel and to . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Post, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine’s Donetsk region pounded by up to 2,500 Russian strikes daily — governor, by Max Hunder | Reuters  DONETSK REGION, Ukraine — Russia is firing between 1,500 and 2,500 shells and rockets at Ukraine’s war-ravaged Donetsk region every day and is targeting critical infrastructure to make it harder for people to remain there in winter, its governor told Reuters. The eastern province, 57% of which . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv says ‘neutralized’ Russian spy network. From AFP. Ukraine said today it had arrested five former and current intelligence officers it said were secretly working for Russia as part of an influential spy ring. Kyiv said the men were caught . . . READ MORE . . .

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A third of Russia’s Black Sea fleet out of action, Ukraine claims. From Kyiv Post. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces have reportedly rendered about one-third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleetinoperable, according to the Strategic Communications Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the data . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian forces lose up to 290 servicemen, equipment in Donetsk area. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian armed forces wiped out up to 290 Ukrainian servicemen, a tank and two infantry fighting vehicles in the Donetsk area over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said in a general briefing. Also . . . READ MORE . . .

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EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell arrives in Kyiv, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  He was accompanied, on his fourth visit since the outbreak of the full-scale war, by his advisor, Zaki Laidi, who . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Blinken lands in Saudi on latest Mideast crisis trip. From AFP. RIYADH — Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Saudi Arabia today to kick off his latest regional crisis trip aimed at securing a new truce in the Israel-Hamas war. The top U.S. diplomat’s plane touched down . . . READ MORE . . .

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UN agency says Israeli naval fire hit food convoy in Gaza. From AFP. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said today that a Gaza food convoy was struck by the Israeli navy, which controls the waters off the territory. “A food convoy waiting to move into northern Gaza . . .  READ MORE . . .

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Palestinians hope Blinken visit can deliver Gaza truce before Rafah assault, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  Palestinians huddling under bombardment in Gaza said today they hoped a visit to the region by the U.S. secretary of state would finally deliver a truce, in time to head off a threatened new Israeli assault on the last refuge at the enclave’s edge. Antony Blinken was headed. . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli settler violence ‘must stop’: French FM. From AFP. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said today that Israeli “settler violence must stop” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Under no . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel shouldn’t keep a military presence in Gaza after the war, analyst says. Leila Fadel of NPR speaks with Palestinian writer and analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib about the future of security and governance in Gaza. Click HERE to read and, later, listen.

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Will U.S. strikes in Iraq, Syria and Yemen lead to more fighting in the region? Reported by Leila Fadel and Greg Myre | NPR  First, Hamas attacked Israel, igniting a local war. Then the Houthis fired on ships, drawing in the U.S. Navy. Now the U.S .is bombing Iraq, Syria and Yemn as part of a tense standoff with Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Spycraft and statecraft, by CIA Director William J. Burns | Foreign Affairs  The crisis precipitated by Hamas’s butchery in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is a painful reminder of the complexity of the choices that the Middle East continues to pose for the United States. I have rarely seen the Middle East more tangled or explosive. Winding down . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Tass, the Moscow Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, and the Kyiv Independent, and to commentary from the Kyiv Post and Foreign Affairs; 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 shelling of Kherson kills four, official says. From AFP. Russian shelling of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson killed four people and injured one other person today, a local official said. Among the dead were two men aged 45 and 50 who were in a car, a woman on the street and a 60-year old man in the city centre, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s military loses up to 290 troops, four tanks in Donetsk area over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Donetsk area, killing and wounding up to 290 enemy troops over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said today in a general briefing. READ MORE . . .

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Georgia says intercepted Ukrainian explosives sent to Russia. From the Moscow Times. Georgian security officials said today that they intercepted several explosives claimed to be from Ukraine and intended to be transported to the southwestern Russian city of Voronezh. Georgia’s State Security Service said the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskyy signals a shakeup of Ukraine’s military leadership is imminent at a critical point in war, by Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is thinking about dismissing the country’s top military officer as part of a broader leadership shakeup, a possibility that has shocked the nation fighting a war to end Russia’s invasion and also worried Ukraine’s Western . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian troops near Bakhmut expect to fight until war ends, by Inna Varenytsia | Reuters  NEAR BAKHMUT, Ukraine — Some soldiers in the east of Ukraine say they will have little choice but to fight until the war is over, despite attempts by the government in Kyiv to mobilise more troops to replace those serving long stints at the front. Draft legislation aimed at replenishing Ukraine’s depleted and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Reshuffling Ukrainian army leadership is up to Zelensky, Sullivan says, by Alexander Khrebet and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Responding to conflicting reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky is planning to dismiss his army chief, the United States government has told Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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President Zelensky – time for clarity. From Kyiv Post. During almost two years of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has earned the reputation of being a great communicator. But in recent days . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s adaptation advantage, by Mick Ryan | Foreign Affairs   Throughout the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and Moscow have waged an adaptation battle, trying to learn and improve their military effectiveness. In the early stages of the invasion, Ukraine had the advantage. Empowered by . . . READ MORE . . .

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Spycraft and statecraft, by CIA Director William J. Burns | Foreign Affairs  This year is likely to be a tough one on the battlefield in Ukraine, a test of staying power whose consequences will go well beyond the country’s heroic struggle to sustain its freedom and independence. As Russian President Vladimir Putin . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, and a KUCINICH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says death toll at 27,365. From AFP. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said today at least 27,365 people have been killed in the territory during the war between Palestinian militants and Israel, including 127 deaths over the past 24 hours, while a total of 66,630 people have been wounded in Gaza since the war broke out on Oct. 7.

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Gaza doctor describes ordeal of detention, by Bassam Masoud and Ibraheemabu Mustafa | Reuters RAFAH, Gaza Strip — A Palestinian doctor says Israeli forces in Gaza detained him when they overran a hospital and subjected him to abuse during 45 days of captivity including sleep deprivation and constant shackling and blindfolding before releasing him last week. Dr. Said Abdulrahman Maarouf was working at al-Ahli al-Arab hospital in Gaza City when. . . READ MORE . . .

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A requiem for Gaza’s iconic sites, destroyed in the war. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Abu Bakr Bashir | NPR  So many of Gaza City’s gems are no more. They withstood decades of upheaval, preserving the memory of Gaza’s ancient glory as a crossroads of civilizations. Now . . . Click HERE to read and, later, listen.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, and a KUCINICH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 2  Ukraine suspends senior defence offical amid corruption prove. From Reuters. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has suspended a senior official while authorities investigate suspected corruption in the procurement of weapons, his ministry said on Friday. Toomas Nakhkur, who led the defence ministry’s department for technical policy and weapons development, was . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 1  Latest defense corruption case goes after officials allegedly tied to deadly ammunition shortage, by Vladyslav Kudryk | The Kyiv Independent  Police are investigating five people of possible involvement, including the former and current heads of a Defense Ministry department that buys weapons. The five in the alleged $39.6 million scheme . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 3  The EU is providing Ukraine with $54 billion. How will the money be spent? From AP. European Union leaders on Thursday sealed a deal to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54 million) to shore up its war-ravaged economy after Hungary dropped weeks of threats to veto the measure. The aid package aims to stabilize Ukraine’s economy, pay for rebuilding, and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s Defense Ministry revises mobilization bill, by Maryna Shashkova | Kyiv Post  Among other details of the new proposal, the Ministry of Defense believes it is necessary to lower the age of mobilization from 27 to 25, and it proposes introducing basic military training for citizens aged 18 to 24. It will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women. READ MORE . . .

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Death toll hits 28 in occupied east Ukraine strike: Russian rescuers. From AFP. The death toll from a strike on a bakery in the occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk has climbed to 28 people, including a child, Russian rescuers said today. Moscow’s occupation forces on Saturday said Kyiv had targeted a bakery that is popular on weekends. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces improve positions on frontline in Krasny Liman area over week. From Tass. MOSCOW — Units from Russia’s Battlegroup Center have improved their positions on the frontline in the Krasny Liman area and repelled three attacks by assault units of Ukraine’s armed forces and the Azov battalion (outlawed in Russia), the Russian Defense Ministry said. The total losses of the Ukrainian armed forces have amounted . . . READ MORE . . .

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A Ukrainian kindergarten teacher returns to the classroom. Reported by Elissa Nadworny | NPR  Iryna Sahan, a kindergarten teacher in Kharkiv, heads back to the classroom for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED