Links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Cradle, and CNN News; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, WEST BANK, CUBA and MEDIA, and for IRAN 5-21-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

–   –   –

Qatari negotiating team in Tehran to try to help secure U.S.-Iran deal to end war. From Reuters. A Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran today in coordination with United States to try to help secure a deal to end the war with Iran and resolve outstanding issues, according to a source ‌with knowledge of the matter. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Washington hits pause on $14bn Taiwan arms deal to divert weapons to West Asia. From the Cradle. Washington will halt a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan to redirect the munitions toward its war effort against Iran, Taiwanese acting navy secretary Hung Cao told lawmakers during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee session on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM MAY 21  Iran rebuilding military industrial base faster than expected, already producing drones, according to U.S. intel, by Zachary Cohen and Natasha Bertrand | CNN  Iran has already restarted some of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, one sign it is rapidly rebuilding certain military capabilities degraded by U.S.-Israeli strikes, according to two sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments. READ MORE . . .

.

Links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to commentaries from Counter-Currents and MintPress News, both via ScheerPost. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, WEST BANK, IRAN and MEDIA, and down for CUBA 3-26-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

Trump’s interest in Cuba is political — and personal.Reported by Franco Ordoñez and Leila Fadel | NPR  The U.S. government’s indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro came as President Trump also hinted at military action. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

FROM MAY 21  Cuba is not a failed state — it is a besieged state, by Roger D. Harris and Sara Flounders | Counter-Currents / ScheerPost  The symbolism of International Workers’ Day was not lost on the White House. President Trump chose that day, May 1, to impose yet more sanctions on top of the already draconian illegal measures immiserating Cuba. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM MAY 15  USAID, NED & Open Society quietly bankroll Cuba’s ‘independent’ media in push for regime change, by Alan MacLeod | MintPress News / ScheerPost  The U.S. government has been covertly funding a huge network of Cuban media outlets that claim to be independent in a push for regime change against the independent socialist government. READ MORE . . .

.

Links to reports from National Public Radio and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for LEBANON, WEST BANK, IRAN and CUBA.  Scroll down for MEDIA 5-20-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

CBS Radio signs off after decades on the air, ending historic chapter in broadcasting. Reported by Scott Horsley | NPR  Tonight’s newscast will be the the network’s last after almost a century of helping define how news is delivered on the radio. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

.

Links to two reports from Reuters; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for today’s UKRAINE so far, and for IRAN 5-20-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

Supreme leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Iranian sources say, by Parisa Hafezi and Rami Ayyub | Reuters  DUBAI – Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran’s stance on one of the main U.S. demands at peace talks. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Inside the unraveling of U.S. diplomacy under Trump, by Andrew R.C. Marshall, Humeyra Pamuk, John Shiffman, Gram Slattery, John Irish, Tim Kelly and Andrea Shalal | Reuters  When Donald Trump warned Iran on April 7 that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” a European diplomat in Washington said his government wanted an urgent answer to a chilling question. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for today’s IRAN so far, and down for UKRAINE 5-20-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

First, links to commentary from Middle East Eye and to a report from the Cradle; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for today’s LEBANON, MEDIA, UKRAINE and IRAN so far, and for GAZA 5-19-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

How Israel’s war has made Hajj an unreachable dream, by Sara Awad | Middle East Eye  While thousands of Muslims prepare to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, Palestinians in Gaza have been deprived yet again of the opportunity to fulfill one of the five pillars of Islam, as Israel retains control over the Rafah border. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM MAY 19  Israel expands occupation by over 1,000 square km since Oct. 7: report. From the Cradle. The Israeli military has “seized” 1,000 square kilometers of territory across the region since Oct. 7, 2023; the Financial Times wrote in an article released on Tuesday, pointing to Tel Aviv’s “new, more aggressive military doctrine” since the fateful Hamas attack. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to THREE reports: from the Cradle and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for today’s MEDIA, UKRAINE and IRAN so far, and for LEBANON 5-19-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

Hezbollah warns direct talks with Israel ‘threaten Lebanese coexistence.’ From the Cradle. Hezbollah MP and spokesperson Ibrahim al-Moussawi warned today that direct Lebanese–Israeli negotiations are a threat to Lebanon’s “internal unity,” urging the government to withdraw from them immediately. He said its unilateral decision to enter such talks without a full consensus from all Lebanese components “constitutes . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

–   –   –

FROM MAY 19  Israel expands occupation by over 1,000 square km since Oct. 7: report. From the Cradle. The Israeli military has “seized” 1,000 square kilometers of territory across the region since Oct. 7, 2023; the Financial Times wrote in an article released on Tuesday, pointing to Tel Aviv’s “new, more aggressive military doctrine” since the fateful Hamas attack. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s LEBANON, MEDIA and IRAN so far, and for UKRAINE 5-19-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

UK eases sanctions on Russian oil as fuel prices surge over Iran conflict. From AP. LONDON — The U.K. government has delayed some new sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to shelter Britons from the cost-of-living squeeze triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Iran war. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

–   –   –

FROM MAY 19  Drones attack industrial areas in Russia’s Stavropol region, governor says, by Jekaterīna Golubkova | Reuters  Industrial areas around Nevinnomyssk in Russia’s southern Stavropol region are under drone attack, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said. In Ukraine, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to THREE reports: from National Public Radio, the Cradle, and Reuters; others or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for today’s LEBANON, MEDIA and UKRAINE so far, and down for IRAN 5-19-26.) — MCM

–   –   –

Trump has threatened to restart strikes against Iran. What it could mean for the U.S. A Martínez of NPR asks Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins University what a potential restart of military strikes against Iran would mean for the U.S. and its regional partners. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for link to the other report today directly related to the Iran war on NPR‘s “Morning Edition.”

–   –   –

FROM MAY 19  U.S. Treasury chief demands allies intensify sanctions against Iran. From the Cradle. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Washington’s allies to intensify efforts to dismantle Iran’s banking and oil-exporting networks during the so-called “No Money for Terror” conference in Paris, held after a meeting Tuesday of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM MAY 19  Trump says U.S. may strike Iran again but Tehran wants deal. From Reuters. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States may need to strike Iran again and that he had been an hour away from ordering an attack before postponing it. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

TO BE CONTINUED