Links to THREE items: two reports from the Associated Press and BizTech Weekly and an article of commentary from Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 2-23-26 and CUBA, IRAN and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 24  Warner Bros gets a higher offer from Paramount in heated fight with Netflix, by Wyatte Grantham-Philips | AP  NEW YORK — Warner Bros. Discovery says Paramount has raised the price of its takeover offer to $31 per share. The offer by Skydance-owned Paramount had previously stood at $30 per share since December, when it launched its hostile bid to challenge a deal Warner had struck with Netflix for $27.75 per share. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for report from BizTech Weekly.

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FROM FEB. 24  To whom are our liars lying & what Is the point of their lies? by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  Last Oct. 25 I was reading the New York Post, as one must to keep one’s head clear in our complicated world — as well as Foreign Affairs, house organ of the Council on Foreign Relations.

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Links to TWO items: a report from the Associated Press and commentary from Jonathan-Cook-net; others are accessible by clicking on their highlighted addresses or initials below. (Scroll down for CUBA 2-23-26, and up or down for MEDIA, IRAN and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Rubio is set for talks in St. Kitts with Caribbean leaders unsettled by Trump policies, by Matthew Lee and Dánica Coto | AP  BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is attending a summit of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM — after President Donald Trump ordered a military operation in January to remove and arrest Venezuela’s then-leader, Nicolás Maduro, stepped up aggressive tactics to combat alleged drug smuggling and turned up pressure on Cuba. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM FEB. 21  Rubio declared a return to brutal western colonialism — and Europe applauded, by Jonathan Cook | Jonathan-Cook.net  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference this month was another troubling declaration of intent by the Trump administration. READ MORE . . .

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Links to THREE items: two reports from the Associated Press and commentary from Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-24-26, and up or down for MEDIA, CUBA and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Iran pushes back against Trump ahead of Geneva talks in face of major U.S. military deployment, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — Iran pushed back today against U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressure tactics ahead of critical talks in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear program, alternating between calling his remarks “big lies” to saying negotiations may yield an agreement through “honorable diplomacy.” The United States has assembled its biggest deployment of aircraft and warships to the Middle East in decades as Iran struggles at home with growing dissent. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM FEB. 24  Iranians worry over American military buildup as last-chance round of talks nears, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI— Iranians warily await the next round of talks with the U.S. in Geneva this week — negotiations that many see as a last chance for their ruling theocracy to strike a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  To whom are our liars lying & what Is the point of their lies? by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  To make the case that those who purport to lead the Western post-democracies lie routinely about what they are doing and why they are doing it will not help you win friends and influence people. READ MORE . . .

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Links to FIVE items: three articles of commentary and analysis from Consortium News; a report from Declassified UK; and an interview from National Public Radio; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 2-24-26.  Scroll up for MEDIA, CUBA and IRAN.) — MCM

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MARCH 22, 2022  Why the U.S. needed the Russian invasion, by  Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  The U.S. got its war in Ukraine. Without it, Washington could not attempt to destroy Russia’s economy, orchestrate worldwide condemnation and lead a proxy war to bleed Russia, all as part of an attempt to bring down its government. Joe Biden has now left no doubt that it’s true. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine reflects on 4th anniversary of war with Russia. Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Justine Kenin and Henry Larson | NPR  Kelly talks with Bridget Brink, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who’s now running for Congress, about the U.S.’s next moves in brokering peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 24  The timeline that tells the tale, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  The way to prevent the Ukraine war from being understood is to suppress its history. A cartoon version has the conflict beginning on Feb. 24, 2022. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 23  UK aid still helping Ukraine join NATO, by Mark Curtis | Declassified UK  As the Ukraine war enters its fifth year, a British aid project worth up to £38m is meant to help Ukraine “make progress on conditions for membership of the EU and NATO” while “attracting international investors” and creating “an improved business environment.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  To whom are our liars lying & what Is the point of their lies? by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  To make the case that those who purport to lead the Western post-democracies lie routinely about what they are doing and why they are doing it will not help you win friends and influence people. READ MORE . . .

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Links to two conversations from Judging Freedom Podcast, followed by links to EIGHT reports: from the Associated Press, Common Dreams, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-23-26 and UKRAINE.) — MCM  

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Mearsheimer: Trump has no off-ramp. From Judging Freedom Podcast. Judge Napolitano talks today with Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago on Trump administration Iran policy reflecting the heavy influence of the Israel lobby. He agrees with Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Dan Caine, who has advised against a war. Click HERE for video.

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FROM FEB. 23  McGovern, Napolitano discuss Russia-Ukraine war and whether war with Iran is to be avoided. From Judging Freedom Podcast / Consortium News. Judge Andrew Napolitano and retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern consider intelligence, narrative and history relating to the Ukraine-Russia war and prospects to avoid war with Iran. Click HERE for video.

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FROM FEB. 23  Students in Iran hold protests as U.S. forces gather in region for possible strikes, by Amir Hussein-Radjy and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  CAIRO — Students held anti-government protests at universities across Iran’s capital on Monday, according to witnesses and videos circulating online, in a new sign of unrest. READ MORE . . .

Iran’s deputy foreign minister on the country’s plan if the U.S. strikes. Reported by Steve Inskeep | NPR  Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi talks about the status of U.S.-Iran negotiations and what Iran is prepared to do in the event of a U.S. strike. Click HERE to listen and, later.

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FROM FEB. 23  Trump’s sanctions on Iran have dramatically effected its economy and led to protests. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent admitted that Washington helped spark recent protests in Iran by creating a U.S. dollar shortage, leading to runaway inflation. Click HERE to listen and, later.

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FROM FEB. 20  Former U.S. Navy commander talks about the U.S. military buildup near Iran. Michel Martin of NPR asks retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, a former Navy commander in the Middle East, about the U.S. military buildup near Iran. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 20  Second U.S. carrier nears Middle East, as Trump pressures Iran to make a deal. Reported by Greg Myre and Leila Fadel | NPR  A second American aircraft carrier moved closer to the Middle East Thursday, as President Trump remains noncommittal about whether he’ll use force against Iran. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 20  Iranian authorities crack down on mourners trying to honor people killed in protests. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR  Iranian authorities are cracking down on mourners as they try to memorialize their loved ones who were killed in last month’s protests. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Links to FIVE reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 2-23-26.  Scroll up for IRAN.) — MCM

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The war in Ukraine began 4 years ago today. A look at the trauma and grief of war. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Leila Fadel | NPR  Today marks four years since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. A look at the effects of the war and where the situation stands today. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Nobel laureate reflects on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Reported by Michel Martin | NPR  Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk reflects on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and whether the U.S. can do more to end the war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 23  Ukraine enters fifth year with no end in sight. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Charles Maynes | NPR  The war in Ukraine enters its fifth year this week, with millions of Ukrainians displaced, hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed, and little change on the battlefield. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 22  Ukrainian military chaplain shares wisdom from the frontlines. Reported by Daniel Ofman, Emily Kwong and Jordan-Marie Smith | NPR  Father Andriy Zelinskyy, a chaplain in wartime Ukraine, talks about what he sees in the trenches and what he’s learned about the fragility of humanity, years into the war with Russia. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 20  Iranian authorities crack down on mourners trying to honor people killed in protests. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR  Iranian authorities are cracking down on mourners as they try to memorialize their loved ones who were killed in last month’s protests. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Links to TWO reports: from Agence France-Presse and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 2-22-26 and GAZA, WEST BANK, SYRIA, CUBA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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U.S. official confirms Iran talks on Thursday. From AFP. The United States will resume nuclear talks with Iran on Thursday, a U.S. official confirmed today, as Washington continues its huge military build-up to put pressure on Tehran. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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Iran vows ‘ferocious’ retaliation as Trump considers ‘limited’ strike. From the Cradle. “I think there is no limited strike,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said today. “An act of aggression would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period. And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defense ferociously, so that’s what we would do.” READ MORE . . .

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Links to THREE reports: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-20-26, and up or down for IRAN, WEST BANK, SYRIA, CUBA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israeli troops executed Palestinian aid workers at ‘point blank range’: report. From the Cradle. Israeli soldiers today massacred 15 Palestinian aid workers, targeting them with nearly a thousand bullets, including at least eight at point-blank range, in Tal al-Sultan in southern Gaza, a joint investigation by the independent research groups Earshot and Forensic Architecture has shown. READ MORE . . .

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EU diplomats set to meet Board of Peace director over Gaza’s future, by Sam McNeil | AP  BRUSSELS — Nikolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and U.N. diplomat chosen by Trump to manage the Board of Peace, was scheduled to meet today with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from across the 27-nation bloc. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Ramadan in ruins, by Maha Hussaini and Mohammed al-Hajjar | Middle East Eye  GAZA CITY / NUSEIRA, Gaza Strip  As world leaders convened in Washington for the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial Board of Peace and pledged billions for Gaza reconstruction, residents of the devastated enclave say the atmosphere remains heavy with loss, displacement and intermittent bombardment — much like the two Ramadans observed during the war. READ MORE . . .

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Links to THREE reports: from the Associated Press and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 2-21-26, and up or down for IRAN, GAZA, SYRIA, CUBA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israeli settlers torch and deface a West Bank mosque during Ramadan, by Aref Tufaha and Melanie Lidman | AP  TELL, West Bank — Israeli settlers vandalized a mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bankearly today, spray-painting offensive phrases and setting a fire, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs. 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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Israeli settlers join ‘safari’ tour of Palestinian prisoners, by Mera Aladam | Middle East Eye  The head of the Israel Prison Service, Kobi Yaakobi, has invited a group of settlers on a so-called “safari tour” to view Palestinian detainees while they are lying on the floor and handcuffed. READ MORE . . .

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Links to THREE reports: from the Cradle and Agence France-Presse; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for SYRIA 1-28-26, and up or down for IRAN, GAZA, WEST BANK, CUBA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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U.S. troops expected to ‘fully withdraw’ from Syria within weeks. From the Cradle. U.S. forces occupying northeast Syria began leaving a major base and are expected to complete their withdrawal from the country within weeks, AFP reported today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AFP.

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FROM FEB. 22  Israel launches 41 incursions into Syria so far this month amid ‘suspicious silence’ from Damascus: report. From the Cradle. Israeli occupation forces have carried out 41 incursions into Syrian territory in February alone — “without any response, amid a suspicious silence from the Syrian government regarding these violations,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday. READ MORE . . .

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