For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 4-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  YEMEN, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

Palestinian envoy tells UN court Israel is killing Gaza civilians. Israel says it’s being persecuted, by Molly Quell and Mike Corder | AP  THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Palestinian diplomat told the United Nations’ top court today that Israel is killing and displacing civilians and targeting aid workers in Gaza, in a case that Israel criticized as part of its “systematic persecution and delegitimization.” Israel denies . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from AFP and Reuters, and HERE for live coverage of proceedings from Middle East Eye.

–   –   –

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 27 Palestinians, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday killed at least 27 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

The U.N. World Food Programme says it has run out of food in Gaza. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Anas Baba | NPR  Hundreds of thousands of people depend on the U.N. agency for food. It’s been eight weeks since Israel blocked aid. The U.N. has run out of supplies for charity kitchens as aid sits across the border. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

Israel will maintain military control over Gaza, Netanyahu says. From Middle East Eye. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will maintain military control over Gaza and would bar the Palestinian Authority from governing the territory. “Hamas will not be there,” he said. “We’re not . . . READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to 10 reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Indian Punchline; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 4-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  YEMEN, IRAN and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Russia declares a ceasefire in Ukraine on May 8-10 for WWII Victory Day, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — The Kremlin today declared a full ceasefire in Ukraine on May 8-10 as Russia celebrates the Victory Day over Nazi Germany. The truce will start at 0000 on May 8 (2100 GMT May 7) and last through May 10. The Kremlin said . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine says wants immediate truce, asks, ‘Why wait?’ From AFP. Ukraine said today it wanted an immediate truce with Russia for “at least 30 days”, asking why Moscow would delay a three-day pause in hostilities to May. “If Russia truly wants peace,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Trump wants permanent, not temporary, ceasefire in Ukraine: spokeswoman. From AFP. U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking a permanent ceasefire in Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said today, indicating that he did not see Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s three-day pause as satisfactory. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russia demands Ukraine recognize territorial claims in peace talks. From the Moscow Times. Russian authorities said today that Moscow is ready to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine but insisted that recognition of its claims over five Ukrainian regions, including the Crimean peninsula, was “imperative” to ending the war. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

–   –   –

Russia says signal for start of direct peace talks should come from Ukraine. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia said today it was waiting for a signal from Ukraine to say it was willing to hold direct negotiations to end their war, but had not seen any signs of movement. The Kremlin said on Friday that . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NATO chief calls for more defense spending from Europe and Canada. Reported by Carla Esteves and Michel Martin | NPR  In Washington Friday for meetings with President Trump and other top officials in advance of a NATO summit in The Hague, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said . . . Click HERE to read and listen.

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 27  Trump’s diplomacy gains traction, silences sceptics, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The U.S. President Donald Trump is a lone ranger in international arena and a self-confessed practitioner of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absolute maxim that ours is not an era of wars no matter the ‘casus belli’. He sets a high . . . READ MORE . . .

.

For today, links to six reports from the Associated Press, the Cradle, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 4-24-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

A massive explosion at an Iranian port possibly linked to missile fuel kills 25, injures some 800, by Jon Gambrell | AP   MUSCAT, Oman — A massive explosion and fire rocked a port Saturday in southern Iran purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, killing 25 people and injuring around 800 others. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 26  Third round of Iran-U.S. talks ends with both sides declaring ‘progress made.’ From the Cradle. The third round of indirect nuclear talks between Iranian and U.S. officials concluded on Saturday after several hours of meetings in the Omani capital, Muscat. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and Reuters.

–   –   –

FROM ARPIL 24  Trump has his old friend Steve Witkoff leading his toughest diplomatic talks. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is in Oman on Saturday for nuclear talks with Iran‘s foreign minister, a day after talks in Moscow to try to broker a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

FROM ARPIL 25  Trump says U.S. will ‘lead the pack’ in potential war against Iran. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump repeated once again the threat of a bombing campaign against Iran during an interview with Time magazine published on Friday, during which he discussed a range of issues, including potential Saudi normalization with Israel and the Russia–Ukraine war. READ MORE . . .

.

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Cradle, and Reuters; others or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 4-25-25 is HERE, or scroll down. There were no entries on April 26. IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and  HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM ARPIL 26  Hamas open to long Gaza truce but not to disarming, official says. From Reuters. Hamas is open to a years-long truce with Israel in Gaza but is not willing to lay down its arms, an official said on Saturday, as leaders of the Palestinian militant group met mediators in Cairo for ceasefire talks. READ MORE . . .    Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

–   –   –

FROM ARPIL 26  Israeli airstrike kills 10 people, half of them children, as Arab mediators try to restart a ceasefire, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — It flattened a three-story home in Gaza City on Saturday, killing 10 people — half of them children. Health officials say Israeli strikes killed at least 49 people in the past 24 hours. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to 10 reports from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 4-25-25 is HERE, or scroll down. There was no UKRAINE entry on April 26.  IRAN and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

–   –   –

Shocked by U.S. peace proposal, Ukrainians say they will not accept any formal surrender of Crimea, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — A peace proposal by the Trump administration that includes recognizing Russian authority over Crimea shocked Ukrainian officials, who say they will not accept any formal surrender of the peninsula, even though they expect to concede the territory to the Kremlin, at least temporarily. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russia launches nearly 150 drones against Ukraine as Trump doubts Putin’s desire for peace. From AP. KYIV — Russia launched a sweeping drone assault across Ukraine overnight into today, targeting multiple regions, officials said, after U.S. President Donald Trump cast doubt over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 26  Russia says is has fully reclaimed the Kursk region. Ukraine says it is still fighting there, by Samya Kullab and Katie Marie Davies | AP  KYIV — All Ukrainian troops have been forced from parts of Russia’s Kursk region, which Moscow lost control of last year to a surprise Ukrainian incursion, Russia’s top general said in a Kremlin meeting Saturday. Ukrainian officials denied it. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

–   –   –

Ukrainian army’s rout in Kursk Region brings defeat of neo-Nazi regime closer — Putin. From Tass. MOSCOW — The liberation of the Kursk Region from Ukrainian troops creates conditions for Russian forces to develop success in other frontline areas and brings the defeat of the neo-Nazi regime closer, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 26  Trump and Zelenskiy meet one-on-one in Vatican basilica to seek peace, by Steve Holland and Angelo Amante | Reuters  VATICAN CITY — U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. They spoke for about 15 minutes . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report  from AFP.

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 26  Trump says maybe Putin ‘doesn’t want to stop the war’ in Ukraine. From AFP. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine in recent days, and said “maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war.” In a post after his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky in Rome, he also said maybe Putin “has to be dealt with differently,” possibly through . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 25  A look at the Kremlin’s negotiating strategy. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  As the Trump administration continues to flood the news cycles with its efforts to end to the war in Ukraine, NPR looks at the Kremlin’s negotiating strategy. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

FROM ARPIL 24  Trump has his old friend Steve Witkoff leading his toughest diplomatic talks. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is in Oman on Saturday for nuclear talks with Iran‘s foreign minister, a day after talks in Moscow to try to broker a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

.

There will be no entries today. — MCM

First, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 4-24-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and SYRIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

UN food agency says its foods stocks in Gaza have run out under Israel’s blockade. From AP. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The World Food Program says its food stocks in Gaza have run out under Israel’s nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE 4-24-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM) — MCM

–   –   –

Trump says ‘Crimea will stay with Russia’ as he seeks end to war in Ukraine, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview published today that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” the latest example of the U.S. leader pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to end the war while it remains under siege. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

A Russian general killed by car bomb just outside Moscow. From AP. MOSCOW — Russia’s top criminal investigation agency said Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Kyiv recovering from deadly Russian attack as Trump administration presses peace deal. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and A Martínez | NPR  The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is recovering from Russian attacks on Thursday that killed at least 12 people. Hear the latest on efforts to reach a peace agreement. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

A look at Europe’s response to U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine and Russia. Michel Martin of NPR talks with Johns Hopkins University historian Sergey Radchenko about Europe’s response to U.S. peace proposals for Ukraine and Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 24  Trump rebukes Putin after brutal night of bombing on Ukraine. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  President Zelensky cuts short a visit to South Africa after Russia launches an overnight attack on Kyiv. Click HERE to listen and read.

.

For now, links to reports from the Cradle and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA 4–24-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

–   –   –

Syria’s interim president ‘interested’ in joining Abraham Accords. From the Cradle. The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. Armed Services Committee, Congressman Cory Mills, said on Thursday that Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa informed him of Damascus’s openness to normalizing relations with Israel. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Syria’s new foreign minister will appear at the UN in his first U.S. visit, by Abby Sewell | AP  BEIRUT — Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani raised his country’s new flag at U.N. headquarters in New York today where he was set to attend a U.N. Security Council briefing, the first public appearance by a high-ranking Syrian government official in the United States since the fall of former President Bashar Assad . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 23  Syria’s stolen daughters: The HTS campaign to enslave Alawite women. From the Cradle. Since December, when the former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad, Syria has witnessed a chilling wave of mysterious kidnappings of young women, predominantly from the Alawite community. Evidence continues to emerge  . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to four reports: from Reuters and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (SYRIA 4-21-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

–   –   –

IMF to help Syria rebuild institutions, re-enter world economy, Georgieva says, by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder | Reuters  WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund plans to work with Syria to help it reintegrate into the global economy, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said today, citing a meeting on the war-scarred nation held this week. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

UK lifts sanctions to help Syria rebuild financial, energy sectors. From Reuters. LONDON — Britain said today it would support efforts to rebuild Syria’s financial system by removing sanctions to encourage investments in financial services, energy production and other sectors. London also lifted asset freezes on Syria’s defence and interior ministries and a range of intelligence agencies, reversing . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

–   –   –

FROM APRIL 22  Syrian security forces detain Palestinian resistance leaders. From the Cradle. Two top officials from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Syria have been detained by Syrian security forces.  Khaled Khaled, head of PIJ operations in Syria, and Yasser al-Zafari, head of the organizational committee, were arrested five days ago. READ MORE . . .

.