Links to two reports: from the Cradle and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-5-26 and IRAN and WEST BANK so far.) — MCM

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Washington imposes ‘terrorist-grade sanctions’ on Francesca Albanese, ICC judges: report. From the Cradle. White House officials have used “terrorist-grade sanctions” to target officials from the International Criminal Court and UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, freezing assets and disrupting war crimes investigations, Reuters reported today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Links to NINE reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-5-26, and up or down for GAZA and WEST BANK.) — MCM

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NEWER  America’s military leader in the Mideast joins U.S.-Iran talks in Oman, by Jon Gambrell | AP  MUSCAT — Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman today, negotiations that appeared to return to the starting point on how to approach discussions over Tehran’s nuclear program. But for the first time, America brought its top military commander in the Middle East to the table. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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U.S.-Iran nuclear talks begin under shadow of military escalation.  From Middle East Eye. The United States and Iran began talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme today in the Omani capital Muscat, with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meeting a delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. READ MORE . . .

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Trump has no ‘clear guidance’ for Iran as nuclear talks resume: report. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration have no “clear guidance” on what Washington hopes to accomplish in any potential attack against Iran, sources told NBC News today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from NBC News.

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U.S. Treasury head admits creating ‘dollar shortage’ in Iran to spark Decembers protests. From the Cradle. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Thursday that Washington helped spark recent protests and riots in Iran by creating a U.S. dollar shortage, leading to the collapse of a major and runaway inflation. READ MORE . . .

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Epstein trained as an Israeli spy, FBI document says, by Peter McNamara | Middle East Eye  A 2020 FBI document included in the Epstein files alleges that billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was “trained as a spy” under former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. READ MORE . . .

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Iran and U.S. to hold talks in Oman about Iran’s nuclear program. Reported by Greg Myre and Leila Fadel | NPR  The stakes are high as the U.S. and Iran begin negotiations Friday on Iran’s nuclear program. If they can’t reach a deal, President Trump could order a military strike. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Former National Security adviser on the nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran ahead of Friday’s talks in Oman. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Iranians face intense crackdown by security forces ahead of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks. Reported by Arezou Rezvani | NPR  As the U.S. and Iran prepare to hold nuclear talks in Oman today, people in Iran are facing an intense crackdown as security forces track down anyone who was involved in the anti-government protests. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to three reports: from Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 2-3-26. Scroll up for GAZA and IRAN.) — MCM

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Epstein trained as an Israeli spy, FBI document says, by Peter McNamara | Middle East Eye  A 2020 FBI document included in the Epstein files alleges that billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was “trained as a spy” under former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 4  Israeli army damages Palestinian school in West Bank raid. From Middle East Monitor.  Israeli army forces raided a school on Wednesday in the northern West Bank, damaging its facilities, seizing equipment and blocking access, the Palestinian Education Ministry said, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 5  What is the Ibrahimi Mosque and why does it matter? by Daniel Tester | Middle East Eye  The ancient Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, occupied West Bank, is among the holiest sites in Islam, Judaism and Christianity. It has been administered by Palestinians and used as a mosque for more than 1,400 years. READ MORE . . .

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A link to an article of commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below.(Scroll down for IRAN 2-3-26, and for GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 4  Trump’s plan to force Iran to surrender is a fatal error, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  U.S.President Donald Trump has assembled an armada of ships and bombers poised to strike Iran for the second time in a year. He thinks he can do to the Islamic Republic what he did to Venezuela. In this, Trump is fundamentally mistaken. READ MORE . . .

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Links to two reports: from Reuters and the Associated Press, and to an article of commentary from Middle East Eye; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-4-26, and up or down for IRAN and MEDIA.) — MCM

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UAE plans compound for Palestinians in Israeli-held south Gaza, map shows. From Reuters. The United Arab Emirates has drafted plans to build a compound to house thousands of displaced Palestinians in a part of south Gaza under Israeli military control, according to a map seen by Reuters and people briefed on the plans. READ MORE . . .

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The Gaza ceasefire began months ago. Here’s why the fighting persists, by Sam Metz | AP  At least 556 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since a U.S.-brokered truce came into effect in October, including 24 on Wednesday and 30 on Saturday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza in the same period. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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The criminal elite exposed in the Epstein files are burying the truth, by Jonathan Cook | Middle East Eye  The mystery of how Jeffrey Epstein, a glorified accountant, financed his fantastically lavish lifestyle grows a little less mysterious with every fresh disclosure. The fingerprints of intelligence services — particularly Israel’s — are to be found in the latest dump of files. READ MORE . . .

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Links to a conversation from ScheerPost, and to FIVE reports: from Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 2-4-26.  Scroll up for IRAN and GAZA.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 4  Caligula in the 21st century: What the Epstein files reveal about U.S. power. Robert Scheer of ScheerPost talks with Nolan Higdon* of the University of California at Santa Cruz and the Gaslight Gazette** about (from intro) “the contradictions at the heart of America’s elite class — the philanthropists, technocrats and political leaders who publicly preach democracy, equality, and women’s rights while privately orbiting Jeffrey Epstein long after his crimes were known.” In this conversation “Higdon walks through the documents, the lies, the intelligence connections and the cultural implications” of the Epstein matter. “What emerges is a portrait of a society where wealth shields wrongdoing, institutions collapse under their own corruption, and the public is left to pick up the pieces.” Click HERE to watch and listen, and for a transcript.

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Washington Post layoffs deepen western media retreat from global reporting. From Middle East Eye. The Washington Post’s announcement on Wednesday to lay off more than 300 journalists is being viewed by many as part of a broader contraction in western media, one that is hollowing out international reporting at a moment of unprecedented global crises. READ MORE . . .

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After mass layoffs, what lies ahead for the Washington Post. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Marty Baron, a former executive editor of the Washington Post, about what the future holds for the newspaper after executives announced mass layoffs this week. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 4  Washington Post cuts a third of its staff in a blow to a legendary news brand, by David Bauder | AP  The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff Wednesday, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE for Feb. 4 report from NPR.

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FROM FEB. 4  ‘Hated By All The Right People’ explores Tucker Carlson’s rise and influence. Reported by Steve Inskeep | NPR  Journalist Jason Zengerle talks about his new book, Hated By All the Right People, which explains how Tucker Carlson became one of the most influential people on the far right. Click HERE to listen and read.

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* Higdon is an author and university lecturer of history, education, and media studies at U.C. Santa Cruz.

** The Gaslight Gazette is a Substack account which Higdon calls “your antidote to media spin.”

Links to three reports: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, and Middle East Eye, and to an article of commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-3-26 and UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israel kills over 20 Palestinians in Gaza, blocks evacuation of emergency patients. From the Cradle.  At least 21 Palestinians, among them several children, were killed in Gaza today in a series of brutal Israeli strikes launched in response to the wounding of a reservist officer. Thirty-eight others were injured in the attacks, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel strikes Gaza, killing 21 including women and children, after saying Hamas violated deal, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Julia Frankel | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes pounded Gaza today, killing at least 21 Palestinians, including two infants, and further rocking a fragile ceasefire deal, hospital officials said. Israel said it was responding to a militant attack on Israeli soldiers that seriously wounded one. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM FEB. 3  The Epstein files: Blackmail, power, and geopolitical shadows, by Jasim Al-Azzawi | Middle East Monitor  If Israel benefited from Jeffrey Epstein’s kompromat, it would represent one of the most audacious intelligence operations of modern times. READ MORE . . .

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Links to four reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 2-3-26, and up or down for GAZA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Russia and Ukraine envoys meet in Abu Dhabi for U.S.-brokered  talks, by Kamila Hrabchuk | AP  KYIV — Envoys from Moscow and Kyiv met in Abu Dhabi today for another round of U.S.-brokered talks on ending the almost four-year war as Russian cluster munitions killed seven people at a market in Ukraine. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for earlier report from NPR.

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Ukrainian airstrikes knock out power in Belgorod region for second time in a month. From the Moscow Times. Thousands of people in the southwestern Belgorod region are without power, heating and water for the second time in a month after Ukrainian airstrikes Tuesday night damaged energy infrastructure, with emergency crews scrambling . . . READ MORE . . .

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Steve Witkoff is brokering an end to the war in Ukraine. How his efforts are going. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Dan Baer of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff’s approach to foreign conflicts. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to a report from National Public Radio, to a recording from Rimas Entertainment via YouTube, and to a song’s lyrics from Musixmatch; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 2-2-26.  Scroll up for GAZA and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Bad Bunny made history taking home the Grammy for album of the year. Reported by Anamaria Artemisa Sayre | NPR  Bad Bunny made history Sunday night at the Grammys, taking home the most coveted prize: album of the year. Click HERE to listen and read report. Click HERE to listen to 2005 Bad Bunny song “Debí  Tirar Más Fotos,” and HERE for its lyrics in Spanish and in English translation. 

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Links to three reports: from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and West Bank Alerts; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 1-28-26 and LEBANON, GAZA, IRAN and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Israel’s Shin Bet ‘downgrades settler assault from terror attacks to serious incidents,’ by Nadav Rapaport | Middle East Eye  TEL AVIV — Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, has downgraded its classification of settler assaults against Palestinians from “terror attacks” to “serious incidents,” Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11 reported on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 29  Israeli army raids uproot 25,000 Palestinians from West Bank’s Tulkarem Camp over past year. From the Cradle. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from the West Bank city of Tulkarem alone over the past year, authorities in the occupied territory said, as army and settler violence continue unabated. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 2  The meaning of hope, by Cara Marianna | West Bank Alerts  Throughout the West Bank the story everywhere is the same. Israel continues to tighten the noose around villages to force Palestinians to flee or relocate into urban enclaves which are encircled by settlements and controlled by roadblocks. The apartheid state controls every inch of Palestinian movement. READ MORE . . .

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