For today, links to three reports: from the Associated Press, the Cradle, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-15-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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20 Palestinians killed at Gaza aid distribution site, says Israeli-backed aid group, by Melanie Lidman and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  TEL AVIV — Twenty Palestinians were killed today in the crush of a crowd at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip, the group said, the first time it has acknowledged deadly violence at its operations. The deaths came as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children, according to hospital officials. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas steadfast on ‘humanitarian standards’ for Gaza aid as GHF death toll nears 900. From the Cradle. Hamas negotiators say they “remain firm” on upholding humanitarian standards for aid deliveries to Gaza in indirect talks with Israeli officials in Doha, as Tel Aviv insists on maintaining aid distribution under the control of the U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 15  Israeli army stole donkeys from Gaza; transported them to France. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli army has reportedly stolen hundreds of donkeys from the besieged Gaza Strip, smuggled them to Israel, and transported them to France to prevent their use in reconstruction, Israeli Channel Kan reported. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, Tass, and to three analyses, from AP, Reuters, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 7-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russia launches new attacks on Ukraine with the countdown to a U.S. peace deadline underway, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russian weapons pounded four Ukrainian cities overnight from Tuesday to today, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure, officials said. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for AP analysis, which links to earlier reports.

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Russia launches hundreds of drones at Ukraine, defying Trump’s peace ultimatum. From AFP. Russia’s military launched a fresh wave of air attacks on Ukraine between late Tuesday and early today, Ukrainian officials said, defying U.S. President Trump’s calls for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire deal. The attacks killed one woman and wounded more than . . . READ MORE . . .

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Explosion kills Russian Skat 350M drone crew in occupied Tokmak – Ukrainian intel. From Kyiv Post. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence has detailed of the elimination of a Russian drone crew operating a “Skat 350M” unmanned aerial vehicle in the temporarily occupied city of Tokmak in central Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskiy aims to woo both public and Trump with fresh-faced Ukraine cabinet, by Dan Peleschuk | Reuters  KYIV — Ukraine will get its first new prime minister of the war on Thursday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tries to wrestle wartime defence spending into shape and win over both Donald Trump and a war-weary public with fresh-faced leadership. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s new ground drones are hitting the battlefield in ever-increasing numbers, by Tania Myronyshena | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine’s use of unmanned ground vehicles has accelerated in recent months, a development experts say could help ease pressure on infantry as Kyiv struggles with ongoing recruitment problems and losses. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Novokhatskoye community in Donetsk region over past day — ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Novokhatskoye in the Donetsk region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to three reports: from the Cradle, Reuters, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA 7-14-25 is HERE, or scroll down. LEBANON, SYRIA, WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli concentration camp in Rafah to confine Gaza’s ‘entire population’: report. From the Cradle. Israeli officials briefed journalists and foreign diplomats on a plan to force the entire population of Gaza, over 2 million people, into a concentration camp controlled by Israel’s military close to the Gaza–Egypt border, the New York Times reported today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Gaza infants’ lives at risk amid fuel shortages. From Middle East Eye. Palestinian infants reliant on incubators in Gaza are fighting for their lives amid a critical fuel shortage, exacerbated by Israel’s increasingly stringent blockade on aid and essential supplies. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Cradle, and Anadolu; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (LEBANON 7-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, SYRIA, WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israel strikes on east Lebanon kill 12: state media. From AFP. BEIRUT — Israeli strikes on the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people today, Lebanese state media reported, as the Israeli army said it hit Hezbollah targets in the area. READ MORE . . .

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Israel launches wave of attacks on eastern Lebanon. From the Cradle. Several people were injured in the eastern Lebanese Bekaa region today after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on the area, claiming to target Hezbollah facilities. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Anadolu.

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FROM JULY 9  Israeli army launches ‘special, targeted’ operations in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire, by Mohammad Sıo | Anadolu  The Israeli army said Wednesday its forces launched “special, targeted” operations into southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Cradle, Anadolu, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA 7-12-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, LEBANON, WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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NEWER  Ambiguity surrounds Suwayda ceasefire as Druze leader vows ‘resistance.’ From the Cradle. The spiritual leader of the Druze community in Syria, Hekmat al-Hijri, said today that a deal for the entry of security forces into Suwayda governorate “has been revoked,” just half an hour after calling for the Druze to surrender their weapons to the state. READ MORE . . .

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Syrian defense minister declares full ceasefire in Suwayda after agreement with community leaders, by Rania Abu Shamala | Anadolu   ISTANBUL — Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a full ceasefire in Suwayda in southern Syria today following negotiations with local community leaders, specifying that . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AP.

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12 Druze civilians shot dead by Syria government forces: monitor. From AFP. A monitoring group said Syrian government forces killed 12 Druze civilians when they stormed a family’s guest house in Sweida city today. READ MORE . . .

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Israel strikes military tanks in southern Syria, where government forces clash with Druze militias, by Omar Sanadiki, Ghaith Alsayed and Abby Sewell | AP  BUSRA AL-HARIR, Syria — Israel’s army said today it struck military tanks in southern Syria, where government forces and Bedouin tribes clashed with Druze militias in the latest escalation in the Middle East country struggling for stability after a 13-year civil war. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Anadolu and July 14 report from AP.

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For today, links to three reports: from Anadolu, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK 7-14-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA, LEBANON, SYRIA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for today are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israeli army detains 35 Palestinians, including children, in West Bank raids, by Qais Abu Samra and Betul Yilmaz | Anadolu  RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL — The Israeli army rounded up at least 35 Palestinians, including children, in military raids in the occupied West Bank, prisoners’ affairs groups said today. READ MORE . . .

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Largest displacement since 1967 taking place in occupied West Bank, says UN. From Middle East Eye. The UN has warned that mass displacement in the occupied West Bank had hit levels not seen since the start of Israel’s occupation of the territory nearly 60 years ago. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 14  A young Palestinian American man was beaten to death by Israeli settlers. Reported by Ruth Sherlock | NPR  A funeral has been held in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for a Palestinian American citizen from Florida and another Palestinian man, who Palestinian officials say were killed by Israeli settlers. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to seven reports: from Reuters, Kyiv Post, Tass, National Public Radio, the Moscow Times, and the Kyiv Independent, and to commentary from Tucker Carlson Network and a related report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE 7-14-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, LEBANON, SYRIA, WEST BANK and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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NEWER  Putin, unfazed by Trump, will fight on and could take more of Ukraine. From Reuters. MOSCOW – Russia’s President Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance, three sources close to the Kremlin have said. READ MORE . . .

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Drone strike hits Russian missile battery factory in Lipetsk, by Kateryna Zakharchenko | Kyiv Post  Explosions were reported overnight in Russia’s Lipetsk and Voronezh regions following Ukrainian drone attacks. One likely target was said to be once again the Energia plant, which produces . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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A look at President Trump’s change in approach toward Russia and Putin. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Marc Caputo, a senior politics reporter for Axios, about Trump’s recent change in approach toward Russia and Vladimir Putin. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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‘We don’t care.’ From the Moscow Times. Russian officials and state media appeared dismissive of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose major economic sanctions on Russia unless it ends its war in Ukraine within 50 days. President Vladimir Putin has yet to publicly respond. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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FROM JULY 14  Trump announces new weapon plan for Ukraine, threatens Russia with tariffs. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  President Trump has set a new deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine. Trump is also promising to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars in military equipment. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JULY 8  Trump pledges to send more weapons to Ukraine, by Tucker Carlson | TCN  No matter who sits in the Oval Office, it’s worth wondering what the end game in Ukraine is. The Biden administration’s strategy of pumping billions of dollars into the conflict without legitimately trying to end it did no good for anyone, including the Ukrainians. We hope the new administration doesn’t follow in its predecessor’s footsteps. This is behind a paywall, but HERE is a July 8 report from AP.

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Links to 2013 reports from the Times of India, the Associated Press, and the Christian Science Monitor; other, more recent reports are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, links to images of telegrams, followed by texts of two. (MEDIA 7-5-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, LEBANON, SYRIA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.)

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FROM JULY 14, 2013  A final farewell to the ‘telegram,’ by Anjana Vaswani | Mumbai Mirror / The Times of India  It’s a sodden, sticky day — the sort that washes away all hope from the hearts of rain-soaked pedestrians. But the mood inside the Central Telegraph Office at Flora Fountain . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 15, 2013  Stop … India sends its last telegram, by Nirmala George | AP  NEW DELHI — Hundreds of people thronged the 75 telegraph offices remaining in India on Sunday to send their last telegrams to friends or family as a keepsake. The day marked the end of service for the medium of communication after 160 or more years. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 15, 2013  India bids farewell to state-run telegram service after 163 years. Stop. by Ryan Lenora Brown | The Christian Science Monitor  It was a scene that India hadn’t witnessed for decades: lines stretching around the block, hundreds deep, of customers waiting to send a telegram. But as the state-run telecommunications . . . READ MORE . . .

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Old telegraphed messages are pictured HERE and HERE. Verbatim content of one:

THE SECRETARY OF WAR HAS ASKED ME TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SON S/SGT KENNETH DAVIS EARL HAS RETURNED TO MILITARY CONTROL IN JAPAN 16 SEPT 45 AND IS BEING EVACUATED TO THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE NEAR FUTURE PERIOD HE WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU UPON ARRIVAL IF HE HAS NOT ALREADY DONE SO PERIOD REPORT FURTHER STATES CONDITION GOOD PERIOD THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT FOR DELIVERY TO YOU QUOTE PRAISE GOD AM SAFE AND SOUND AND WILL BE HOME SOON UNQUOTE [ indeciferable ] ACTING THE ADJUTANT GENERAL

Imagined content of another:

ARRIVING THURS 0900 TO HELP WITH STUFFING AND SET TABLE STOP MARGE

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For today, links to two reports: from Anadolu and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (WEST BANK 7-13-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Illegal Israeli settlers destroy Palestinian water wells in occupied West Bank, by Qais Abu Samra and Betul Yilmaz | Anadolu RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL  Armed Israeli settlers destroyed water wells in a Palestinian town in the West Bank, in the assaults in the occupied territory, a local nongovernment organization said on Monday. The illegal settlers . . . READ MORE . . .

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Anger turns towards Washington in West Bank town mourning two men killed by settlers, by Charlotte Greenfield and Ali Sawafta | Reuters  AL-MAZRA’A ASH-SHARQIYA, West Bank — Frustration among Palestinians grew towards the United States on Sunday as mourners packed the roads to a cemetery in the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Al-Mazr’a Ash-Sharqiya for the burial of two men, one of them a Palestinian American, killed by settlers. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to seven reports: from Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, Anadolu, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-13-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Gaza talks at risk after Israel refuses to withdraw from Rafah, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  Hamas negotiators are increasingly sceptical that a Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel can be reached in the current round of talks in Doha. Sources close to Palestinian negotiators said talks remain deadlocked over at least two of four key issues. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for earlier report from NPR.

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Israel kills more than 130 Palestinians in 24 hours, by Mera Aladam | Middle East Eye  Israeli forces killed more than 130 Palestinians in Gaza in a single day, including several children who were attempting to collect water for their hungry families in the besieged enclave. Medical officials said . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Anadolu.

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Gaza services face shutdown as fuel runs out under Israeli siege, by Ahmed Dremly | Middle East Eye  GAZA CITY, occupied Palestine  The United Nations has warned that fuel shortages in Gaza under Israel‘s ongoing blockade are pushing the humanitarian response to the brink of collapse. READ MORE . . .

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Over 5,800 children diagnosed with malnutrition in Gaza in June: UNICEF. From Middle East Monitor. Over 5,800 Gazan children were diagnosed with malnutrition in June, the UN children’s agency said on Sunday, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli army evacuates agents from Rafah after injuries in bombing: Israeli channel. From Middle East Monitor. An Israeli Hebrew-language TV channel revealed that the Israeli army has recently evacuated a group of collaborators from Rafah after they were injured in a house explosion. READ MORE . . .

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