A link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for LEBANON 1-27-26, and up or down for UKRAINE, IRAN, GAZA, VENEZUELA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 1  With Iran in turmoil, the U.S. pressures Lebanon’s Hezbollah to disarm. Reported by Jane Arraf | NPR  Hezbollah is being squeezed in Lebanon as Iran’s economic crisis limits support, and the U.S. presses Beirut to force the group to disarm while Israel keeps bombarding Lebanon. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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A link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 1-30-26, and up or down for UKRAINE, IRAN, GAZA, LEBANON and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM FEB.1  What does normal look like in Caracas one month after the Maduro operation? Reported by Menuel Rueda and Sarah McCammon | NPR  Nearly a month after U.S. forces seized Nicolás Maduro, Caracas is settling into an uneasy normal, with major changes and lingering questions about what lasts and what comes next. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to a song by Bill Withers from Eric Records and Tommy Boy Records via YouTube; info about them may be accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 1-30-26. Scroll up for UKRAINE, IRAN, GAZA, LEBANON and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 1972  ‘Lean on Me,’ by Bill Withers, with Benorce Blackmon, Raymond Jackson, Melvin Dunlap and James Gadson | Eric Records  Single version of Withers’s 1972 hit. Click HERE for it, and HERE for a 1987 version by Club Nouveau from Tommy Boy Records via YouTube.

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Links to five reports: from Middle East Eye, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press; and to an advertisement from Uniq Rugs; other published material or at least headlines accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-31-26 and GAZA and 9/11 TRUTH.) — MCM

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Khamenei warns of ‘regional war’ if U.S. attacks Iran. From Middle East Eye. Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned today of a “regional war” if the United States attacked after Washington’s recent military build-up in the Gulf. READ MORE . . .

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Khamenei says recent ant-government protests akin to ‘coup.’ From AFP. The rioters “attacked the police, government centres, IRGC centres, banks, and mosques, and burned the Koran,” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said today. “The coup was suppressed.” READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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Trump has sent an armada of ships to Iran. What are the implications of a regional war? Ayesha Rascoe of NPR speaks with Mehrzad Boroujerdi of the Missouri University of Science and Technology about the path ahead for Iran as President Trump threatens new strikes there. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JAN. 30  Iran is ready for talks with the U.S., but there are no plans yet, foreign minister says, by Mehmet Guzel | AP  ISTANBUL — Iran is ready for dialogue to resolve tensions with the United States but that there are no concrete plans for talks with Washington, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday, even as Tehran faces . . . Click HERE for report including a map . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM JAN. 30. How U.S. sanctions and external threats destroyed Iran’s economy, by Yasmine El-Sabawi | Middle East Eye  U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made the Trump administration’s sanctions policy clear in March 2025, when he spoke to the New York Economic Club and said the goal is “making Iran broke again.” READ MORE . . .

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Exclusive rugs (adv.). From Uniq. Do you really want to trade in your perfectly reliable SUV for an expensive new one? How about a luxurious, extravagant Persian carpet instead? These from Uniq are among the most valuable worldwide — many of them knotted by well-known craftspersons. Click HERE to take a look.

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For now, links to three reports and an article of commentary, all from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-31-26, and up or down for IRAN and 9/11 TRUTH.) — MCM

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They survived the bombs but not this, by Nada Nabil | Middle East Eye  GAZA CITY, occupied Palestine  — A mutated virus has been spreading rapidly across Gaza, striking communities already weakened by two years of genocide and a collapsing health system. Health authorities have yet to identify it with certainty. READ MORE . . .

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Israel bans MSF from Gaza after charity refuses to hand over staff list. From Middle East Eye. Israel has banned the international medical charity Doctors Without Borders from operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank after the organisation refused to hand over a list of its Palestinian and international staff. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 31  FBI memo says Israel ‘compromised’ Trump, Epstein had Mossad ties, by Elis Gjevori | Middle East Eye  A declassified 2020 FBI memo from the Epstein files, released on Friday, includes incendiary allegations about U.S. President Donald Trump. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 23  How Jared Kushner’s Gaza plan would erase Palestinian culture, by Rayhan Uddin | Middle East Eye  Kushner, who serves as a U.S. special envoy, announced plans for a “New Gaza” — complete with shiny skyscrapers, coastal tourist attractions and entire districts dedicated to business and commerce. Speaking in Davos . . . READ MORE . . .

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Yesterday I jotted down more verbs to further describe ways to keep people in the dark about the events of Sept. 11, 2001 — or anything else. (Scroll down for 9/11 TRUTH 1-29-26. Scroll up for IRAN and GAZA.) — MCM

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Words, words, words — 2. Continued by Mark Channing Miller | x-ma911truthwalk.com  In more or less the order of being written down: Trick, lie, pressure, fake (out), distract, misrepresent, misinform, disinform, fuck up, edit out, threaten, terrify, ban, shadow ban, obscure, bullshit, horrify, reject, gatekeep, hang out (in a limited way), marginalize, weasle out, avoid, fire, reassign, frame, leave out, discourage, censor, forbid, deny, slander, kill, defund, isolate, gaslight, gag, entertain, mystify, hypnotize, mesmerize.

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For now, links to five reports: from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Middle East Eye and the Associated Press; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-30-26 and today’s GAZA so far.) — MCM

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One killed, 14 hurt in blast at Iranian port of Bandar Abbas: local media. From Reuters.  TEHRAN – At least one person was killed and 14 injured in an explosion in the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Jan 31, a local official told Iranian news agencies, but the cause of the blast was not known. READ MORE . . .

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Iran army chief warns U.S., Israel against attack, says forces on high alert. From AFP. TEHRAN — Iranian army chief Amir Hatami warns the United States and Israel against an attack, saying his country’s forces were on high alert after Washington’s heavy military deployments in the Gulf. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report (with La Nouvelle Republique) in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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Iranians seal windows and store food and water as they prepared for attack. From Middle East Eye. The movement of a large U.S. military fleet to the Middle East has not only triggered a new multibillion-dollar arms deal with Saudi Arabia and Israel; for Iranians, it has brought confusion, psychological pressure, and fear of a disastrous future. READ MORE . . .

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Satellite photos show activity at Iran nuclear sites, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — As tensions soar over Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests, satellite images show activity at two Iranian nuclear sites bombed last year by Israel and the United States that may be a sign of Tehran trying to obscure efforts to salvage any materials remaining there. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM JAN. 30  What military assets does the U.S have in the Middle East? by Rayhan Uddin | Middle East Eye  Washington is ramping up rhetoric threatening strikes against Iran, with Donald Trump saying this week that a “massive armada” was heading towards the Islamic republic. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Belatedly, a link to a report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-30-26.  Scroll up for today’s IRAN so far.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 30 Palestinians, including children, as Gaza ceasefire inches forward, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Sam Metz | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hospitals in Gaza said Israeli strikes today killed at least 30 Palestinians including several children, one of the highest tolls since the October ceasefire, a day after Israel accused Hamas of new truce violations. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

Links to six reports: from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Anadolu Ajansi, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 1-28-26, and UKRAINE, GAZA, VENEZUELA, and MEDIA.) — MCM

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U.S. warship docks in Gulf of Aqaba as fears of Iran strike grow. From Middle East Eye. A United States military vessel began to dock in the Gulf of Aqaba today as tension with Iran escalates, Israel‘s public broadcaster Kan reported. READ MORE . . .

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Turkiye hosts Iranian FM for ‘de-escalation talks’ as Trump renews war threats. From the Cradle. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Turkiye’s capital, Ankara, today for talks to de-escalate the volatile situation in West Asia, caused by Washington’s threats to attack the Islamic Republic and Tehran’s vow to defend itself. READ MORE . . .

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Türkiye opposes military action against Iran: foreign minister, by Gizem Nisa Demir | Anadolu  ISTANBUL — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said today that Ankara opposes any military intervention against Iran and supports a peaceful, internal resolution of the country’s issues by its own people. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same Anadolu report in French, and HERE for others.

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FROM JAN. 29  Iran unveils underwater missile tunnels, says Strait of Hormuz ‘will not be safe’ if U.S. attacks. From the Cradle. Tehran has unveiled a network of “underwater missile tunnels” and has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will “not be safe” if the Islamic Republic is attacked by the U.S., Iranian state television reported. Click HERE for report including video.

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FROM JAN. 29  A timeline of how the protests in Iran unfolded and the crackdown that followed, by David Rising and Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — Demonstrations broke out in Iran on Dec. 28 and have spread nationwide. Here is how they developed. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 29  What comes next for Iran? Reported by Courtney Dorning, Mary Louise Kelly and Erika Ryan | NPR  Kelly speaks with former Israeli intelligence official Sima Shine about tensions in Iran and what they could mean for the future of the regime. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to four reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, and the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 1-29-26, and for IRAN, GAZA, VENEZUELA, and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Ukraine orders children, guardians evacuate from seven villages in East. From AFP. Ukraine today ordered the evacuation of families with children from seven villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region, as the invading Russian army advanced close to the area. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for others.

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Trump claims Putin agreed to temporary halt in energy attacks on Ukraine, but terms are unclear, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — The terms of a Russian commitment to U.S. President Donald Trump to temporarily halt its bombardment of Ukraine during one of the country’s bleakest winters in years remained unclear today, as Ukrainians braced for even worse conditions to come next week. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Kremlin agrees to pause air strikes on Kyiv until Sunday. From the Moscow Times. U.S. President Donald Trump asked Russia to pause strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv until Feb. 1, the Kremlin said today, coming as officials from the two warring countries prepare for a second round of trilateral talks with American delegates in Abu Dhabi scheduled for this weekend. READ MORE . . .

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Trump says he asked Putin not to target Kyiv for 1 week during brutal cold spell, by Madhani and Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that President Vladimir Putin has agreed not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week as the region experiences frigid temperatures. There was no immediate confirmation from the Kremlin. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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