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

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Ex-president barred from leaving Ukraine amid alleged plan to meet with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. From AP. KYIV — Former President Petro Poroshenko was denied permission to leave Ukraine for a planned meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Ukraine’s security service said Saturday. Under martial law, Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 years of age are not allowed to leave the country without special approval. The 58-year-old said he had planned to meet with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Polish parliament during his . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says two killed, seven injured as Russia shells Kherson, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters  KYIV — Fresh Russian shelling killed at least three people including an elderly man in a village garage and a woman beside a city bus stop, Ukrainian officials said, as President Volodymr Zelenskiy reported “intense battles” at dozens of frontline locations. “Russian occupiers once again . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse, followed by commentary from Popular Resistance initially published on Dec. 1; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel intensifies its offensive on Gaza with no signs of another truce. Reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  With the temporary ceasefire now over in the war between Hamas and Israel, deadly strikes in Gaza have resumed, and there are reports of more violence in the West Bank. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel widens evacuation orders as it shifts its offensive to southern Gaza amid heavy bombardments, by Najib Jobain, Samy Magdy and Elena Becatoros | AP  KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel’s military today ordered more areas in and around Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Younis to evacuate, as it shifted its offensive to the southern half of the territory where it says many Hamas leaders are hiding. Heavy bombardments . . . READ MORE . . .

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Harris focuses on shaping a post-conflict Gaza during a diplomatic blitz in Dubai with Arab leaders, by Will Weisssert | AP  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Vice President Kamala Harris engaged in a speed round of diplomatic talks with Arab leaders on Saturday where she focused on shaping the outlook for a post-conflict Gaza while calling on Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians from the “devastating” bombardment. She made . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gaza residents seek shelter as Israeli bombing intensifies, by Arafat Barbakh and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  GAZA / CAIRO —Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip sought shelter in an ever-shrinking area of the south on Dec 3 as Israel stepped up its bombing from air, sea and land across the enclave. Bombardments were concentrated on Khan Younis and Rafah in the south, residents said. Hospitals were . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel faces growing U.S. calls for restraint amid renewed Gaza fighting, by Suhaib Salem and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  GAZA / CAIRO — Israel faced growing U.S. calls to avoid further harm to Palestinian civilians in its fight against Hamas militants in Gaza, as the warring sides on Sunday showed no sign of moving toward reviving their collapsed truce. As Israeli forces pounded the enclave following the breakdown of a temporary ceasefire, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, a link to commentary from this weekend’s Berkshire Eagle, followed by links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass; 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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NEWER  Ukrainian marines cross the Dnipro in an echo of the epic WWII battle, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  For generations of Soviets, “crossing the Dnieper” evoked the epic 1943 battle that pitted 3 million Soviet soldiers against 1 million Nazi defenders. By the end of a four-month-long amphibious assault, more than 1 million Soviet soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. But by surmounting Ukraine’s water wall, they broke the back of Nazi power in Eastern Europe. Eighty years later this month, Ukrainian soldiers . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv says Russian forces shot surrendering Ukrainian soldiers. If confirmed, it would be a war crime, by Felipe Dana and Joanna Kozlowska | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian officials today accused Russian forces of killing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers, a war crime if confirmed, after grainy footage on social media appeared to show two uniformed men being shot at close range after emerging from a dugout. The video shows the servicemen . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russians ease attacks in eastern Ukraine, shattered town may still be held by Kyiv. From Reuters. Russian forces eased attacks on the beleaguered eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka on Saturday and unofficial reports from the region suggested they had failed to capture the devastated town of Maryinka to the southwest. Russia’s military has focused . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says it hit air defence HQ in Ukraine’s Dnipro. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian forces hit a fortified commander post of Ukraine’s “East” air defence and alerting centre in the central city of Dnipro, the Russian defence ministry said today. It said that it inflicted combined strikes by operational-tactical and army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery. Reuters was not immediately able . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces repel Ukraine’s attack in Zaporohye area — defense ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces repelled Ukraine’s attack near the settlement of Verbovoye and hit Ukrainian manpower near Rabotino, eliminating up 20 soldiers, the Russian defense ministry said today. “In the Zaporozhye area, Russian aircraft, artillery and mortar systems . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Tass, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, and the New York Times, followed by links to commentary from Consortium News and Indian Punchline: other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Death toll in Gaza exceeds 15,000 – Health Ministry. From Tass. RABAT — The death toll in the Gaza Strip since the escalation of the conflict with Israel began on Oct. 7 has reached 15,207, and the number of wounded 40,652, the Palestinian enclave’s Health Ministry told the Al Jazeera TV channel. “Seventy percent of the victims of the Israeli aggression are children and women,” the ministry said. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. Vice President Harris urges restraint as Israel bombards southern Gaza, by Suhaib Salem and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  GAZA — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said too many innocent Palestinians had been killed in Gaza as Israeli war planes and artillery bombarded the enclave today following the collapse of a truce with Hamas militants. Residents feared the barrages were a prelude to an Israeli ground operation in the south of the Palestinian territory that would. . . READ MORE . . .

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France’s Macron says he is going to Qatar to work on newa Gaza truce. From Reuters. DUBAI — French President Emmanuel Macron said today that France was “very concerned” by the resumption of violence in Gaza and that he was heading to Qatar to help in efforts to kickstart a new truce ahead of a ceasefire. He also told a press conference at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai that the situation required the doubling down on efforts to obtain a lasting ceasefire and the freeing of all hostages. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli offensive shifts to crowded southern Gaza, driving up death toll despite evacuation orders, by Najib Jobain, Samy Magdy and David Rising | AP  KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel pounded targets in the crowded southern half of the Gaza Strip today and ordered more neighborhoods designated foR attack to evacuate, driving up the death toll even as the United States and others urged it to do more to protect Gaza civilians a day after a truce collapsed. At least 200 . . . READ MORE . . .

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As Israel’s air strikes resume, the U.S. and Qatar try to negotiate another ceasefire. Reported by Asma Khalid and Brian Mann | NPR  Israel says it has hit more than 400 targets since the resumption of fighting in Gaza, as Qatar and the US try to negotiate another ceasefire. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Israel says pulls negotiators back from Qatar after ‘impasse.’ From AFP. Israel said today it was pulling its Mossad negotiators out of Qatar, which is mediating efforts to secure a renewed pause in the Israel-Hamas war, after a deadlock in the talks. “Following the impasse in the negotiations and at the direction of . . . READ MORE . . .

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New York Times report says Israel knew about Hamas attack over a year in advance, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel’s military was aware of Hamas ‘ plaN to launch an attack on Israeli soil over a year before the devastating Oct. 7 operation that killed hundreds of people, The New York Times reported Friday. The Times said Israeli officials were in possession of a 40-page battle plan, code-named “Jericho Wall,” that detailed a hypothetical Hamas attack on . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel knew Hamas’s attack plan, point by point, more than a year ago, by Rosen Bergman and Adam Goldman | The New York Times  Israeli officials obtained Hamas’ battle plan for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack more than a year before it happened, documents, emails and interviews show. But Israeli military and intelligence officials dismissed the plan as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Renewed Gaza fighting stretches into second day after Israel-Hamas truce collapses, by Suhaib Salem and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  GAZA — Renewed fighting in Gaza stretched into a second day on Saturday after talks to extend a week-old truce with Hamas collapsed and mediators said Israeli bombardments were complicating attempts to again pause hostilities. Eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza . . . READ MORE . . .

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Thousands of Palestinians are held without charge under Israeli detention policy. Reported by Michael Levitt,Tinbete Ermyas, Avery Keatley, Vincent Acovino and Juana Summers | NPR  Philip Luther of Amnesty International is interviewed by Juana Summers about Israel’s administrative detention policy, under which thousands of Palestinians are held without charge. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Peddling propaganda about al-Shifa, by Gareth Porter | Consortium News  The argument over the Israeli accusation that Hamas used Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital as a shield for its military effort against the Israel Defense Forces continues. On Nov. 23, author and online journalist Fred Kaplan weighed in forcefully in favor of the Israeli charge. Kaplan, who writes a weekly column on defense and foreign affairs for Slate magazine, posted . . . READ MORE . . .

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Tread softly on Hamas — for good reason, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Call them pests or pushers — or simply as Rottweilers — the Israeli diplomats have gained notoriety over time as a unique breed in the international circuit who have no time or patience for niceties or propriety when Tel Aviv instructs them to go for the jugular veins of the host country where they are assigned. The threshold was set by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when in 2015 he extracted from the lawmakers on the Hill in Washington . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, a link to reporting and commentary from a Substack writer, followed by links to reports from  the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ website address, name or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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General to general, by Seymour M. Hersh | seymourhersh.substack.com  President Joe Biden and his foreign policy aides have been left on the outside as serious peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have rapidly gained momentum. The driving force of those talks has not been Washington or Moscow, or Biden or Russian President Vladimir Putin, but instead the two high-ranking generals who run the war . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian spy agency stages train explosions on a Russian railroad in Siberia, Ukrainian media say, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Ukraine’s spy agency staged two successive explosions on a railroad line in Siberia that serves as a key conduit for trade between Russia and China, Ukrainian media reported Friday. The attacks underscored Moscow’s vulnerability amid the war in Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda and other . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant suffered power outage, energy ministry says. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost its power supply after the last remaining line to it from Ukrainian-controlled territory was disrupted, but it has since been repaired, the energy ministry said today. The plant was occupied by Russia in March 2022 and is no longer generating power, but needs a supply of electricity to cool . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine loses roughly 315 troops in Zaporozhye area in past week — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces have maintained active defense in the Zaporozhye area in the past week as they repelled 14 Ukrainian attacks near Rabotino and Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye Region, with the enemy losing roughly 315 troops, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a weekly report. In the south Donetsk area . . . READ MORE . . .

 

First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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War resumes in Gaza after truce collapses, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Suhaib Salem | Reuters  GAZA — Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza, sending scores of wounded and dead pouring into hospitals, and rocket sirens blared in southern Israel today as war resumed after a week-old truce ran out with no deal to extend it. As the deadline lapsed, Reuters journalists in Khan Younis in southern Gaza saw eastern areas come under intensive bombardment, sending . . . READ MORE . . .

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Warplanes hit targets in Gaza as Israel resumes its offensive and warns of attacks to come in south, by Wafaa Shurafa, Bassem Mroue and Julia Frankel | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli fighter jets hit targets in the Gaza Strip minutes after a weeklong truce expired today, as the war with Hamas resumed in full force. Black smoke billowed from the besieged territory, and Israel dropped leaflets over parts of southern Gaza urging people to leave their homes. In Israel, sirens . . . READ MORE . . .

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After cease-fire with Hamas collapses, Israel resumes hitting targets in Gaza. Reported by Leila Fadel and Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israel’s warplanes began pounding targets in Gaza, shortly after it announced the collapse of a twice-renewed truce that had allowed the release of more than 100 hostages seized by Hamas militants. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Negotiation over U.S. border policy holds up aid to Ukraine and Israel. Reported by Leila Fadel and Franco Ordoñez | NPR  Discussions about U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel are being delayed by House Republicans who are negotiating a U.S. border policy that is further to the right than most Democrats are willing to vote. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Tass, and Agence France-Presse, then a link to commentary from Orinoco Tribune; 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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Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s war with Russia is in a new phase as winter looms, by James Jordan, Samya Kullab and Illia Novikov | AP  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the war with Russia is in a new stage, with winter expected to complicate fighting after a summer counteroffensive that failed to produce desired results due to enduring shortages of weapons and ground forces. Despite setbacks, however . . . READ MORE . . .

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Families of Russian troops fighting in Ukraine put out a manifesto to bring them home. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  Almost two years since Russia launched its full-scale of Ukraine, signs of war fatigue among the Russian population are growing, despite harsh legal penalties for questioning the war. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Kiev, West still not ready for diplomatic settlement of Ukraine conflict — Lavrov. From Tass. SKOPJE — Moscow sees no sign that Kiev and Western counties are ready to settle the Ukraine conflict diplomatically, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe foreign ministers’ meeting. “So far, we haven’t seen any sign from Kiev or its sponsors . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia advancing ‘in all directions’ in Ukraine: defence minister. From AFP. Russia said today its troops were progressing in all areas of the Ukrainian front, despite observers seeing little movement more a year and a half after Moscow launched a full-scale assault on Ukraine. “Our servicemen are acting competently and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Negotiation over U.S. border policy holds up aid to Ukraine and Israel. Reported by Leila Fadel and Franco Ordoñez | NPR  Discussions about U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel are being delayed by House Republicans who are negotiating a U.S. border policy that is further to the right than most Democrats are willing to vote. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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West admits Ukraine is losing proxy war, by Brian Berletic | Orinoco Tribune  After nearly two years of portraying the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as unfolding in Kiev and the collective West’s favor, a sudden deluge of admissions have begun saturating Western headlines noting that Ukraine is not only losing, but that there is little or nothing its Western backers can do to change this fact. What had been a narrative of Ukraine’s steady . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First,  a link to a letter to petition Congress. Next, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE. A late Nov. 29 MEDIA entry is HERE.) — MCM

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An open letter to members of the United States Congress, by Bruce Fein and Ralph Nader | Nader.org  We are writing to exercise our First Amendment to petition Congress for redress of grievances.  We are urging Congress to end the United States’ unconditional, close, and continual military and intelligence support of Israel in its ongoing physical destruction of 2.3 million Palestinians residing in Gaza. The United States is responsible for genocide under any plain reading of the Genocide Convention. Congress commands plenary power over the foreign policy of the United States. On August 16, 1973, it employed the power of the purse to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Truce in Gaza extended another day but talks over remaining hostages held by Hamas could get tougher, by Najib Jobain, Melanie Lidman and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas agreed at the last minute today to extend their cease-fire in Gaza by another day. But further renewal of the deal could prove more challenging. As word of the extension came, gunmen opened fire on people waiting for buses along a main highway entering Jerusalem, killing at least three and wounding several others, police said. The two attackers . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel, Hamas extend Gaza truce by one day in last-minute deal, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Mohammad Salem andHumeyra Pamuk | Reuters  GAZA / TEL AVIV — Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement today to extend their ceasefire for a seventh day, while mediators pressed on with talks to extend the truce further to free more hostages and let aid reach Gaza. The truce has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli soldier describes his time in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  An Israeli reservist, on a brief home leave during the temporary ceasefire, tells personal stories from his two weeks stationed inside Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A Gaza woman describes trying to keep her family safe — and alive. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  A Gaza woman describes the fear of living under airstrikes, and her attempts to keep her children safe. Click HERE to listen and read.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE. A late Nov. 29 MEDIA entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Russian missile strikes in eastern Ukraine tear through buildings and bury families in rubble, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Russian missiles tore through apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, local officials said today, killing at least one person and burying families under rubble as the Kremlin’s forces continued to pound the fiercely contested area with long-range weapons. Ukrainian officials said Russian military units simultaneously launched a total of eight S-300 missiles, which hit the Donetsk cities of Pokrovsk, Novohrodivka and Myrnohrad, all within 25 miles of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s president visits troops on northeastern frontline. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has visited troops near the Kupiansk sector of the frontline in the country’s northeast, he announced on social media today. Zelenskiy posted a video of him in a command post in the area with one of Ukraine’s top generals. The president thanked the troops for their sacrifices. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command posts in Donetsk area over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces destroyed command posts of two Ukrainian army brigades near the settlements of Krasnoarmeisk and Novogrodovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. Also, in Kupyansk area . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Below is a link to an article from Scheer Post. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE. A 9/11 TRUTH entry for late Nov. 28 is HERE.)

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Reflections on the deep state’s media watchdog tool, by John Kiriakou | Scheer Post  In early November, the leadership and board of Consortium News, the independent news site, filed a major lawsuit against the federal government and NewsGuard Technologies, Inc.  NewsGuard at first glance looks like a media watchdog organization, a group that seeks to keep misinformation and disinformation out of the mainstream. That notion . . . READ MORE . . .