For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and National Public Radio; to an article of commentary from the Chris Hedges Report via ScheerPost; to an interview from Global Economy Report via ScheerPost and allied commentary, and an interview from National Public Radio; and to two other articles of commentary: from Indian Punchline and, via Consortium News, Z Network; others are accessible by clicking on all of their names below. (IRAN 6-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, SYRIA, WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Iran’s judiciary says at least 71 killed in Israel’s attack on Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, by David Rising and Farnoush Amiri | AP  DUBAI — At least 71 people were killed in Israel’s attack on Tehran’s Evin prison, a notorious facility where many political prisoners and dissidents have been held, Iran’s judiciary said today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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IAEA chief says Iran could be enriching uranium within months. From Reuters. Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi was quoted as saying today, raising doubts about how effective U.S. strikes to destroy Tehran’s nuclear programme have been. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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Iranians fleeing to Turkey fear for the future. Reported by Durrie Bouscaren | NPR  Activists in Iran say the government there is cracking down in an effort to undo infiltration by Israeli intelligence. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 26 and 29  War deja vu, written by Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges Report and read by Eunice Wong | ScheerPost  There are few differences between the lies told to ignite the war with Iraq and the lies told to ignite a war with Iran. The assessments of our intelligence agencies and international bodies are, as they were during the calls to invade Iraq, airily dismissed for hallucinations. Click HERE to read and listen.

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FROM JUNE 27  War on Iran part of U.S. plan for global domination: Michael Hudson. Ben Norton of Global Economy Report talks with Hudson, professor of Economics at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, about what he sees as a U.S. attempt to “re-impose its unipolar dominance on the global political and financial system,” in part by joining Israel in a war against Iran. Click HERE for video and transcript, and HERE for related article by Michael Hudson.

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FROM JUNE 28  Fears of regional war in the Middle East persist even after the Israel-Iran ceasefire.  Scott Simon of NPR speaks with Michael Wahid Hanna of the International Crisis Group about the ceasefire between Israel and Iran and other diplomatic efforts to stabilize the wider region. Click HERE to read.

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FROM JUNE 26  Trump won’t brook opposition to peace talks with Iran, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  As the 12-day war ends in the Middle East, it is abundantly clear that the conflict erupted almost entirely due to Israel’s plan to undermine the U.S.-Iran talks. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 25  The strategic fallout of the Israel-Iran war, by Ramzy Baroud | Z Network / Consortium News  Perhaps the most significant development is one that cannot be measured in missiles or casualties: the surge in national unity within Iran and the widespread support it received across the Arab and Muslim world. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to an appreciation via National Public Radio, and to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; other published material or at least headlines are are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (MEDIA 6-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  SYRIA, WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 28  Remembering Bill Moyers, by Scott Simon | NPR  All of us in public broadcasting owe a thanks to Bill Moyers, who died this week at the age of 91. He was one of the signature figures, along with Big Bird and Susan Stamberg, who helped build public broadcasting in the United States. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JUNE 26  Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91, by Frazier Moore | AP  NEW YORK — Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television’s most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a reports from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA 6-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 28  Golan Heights to become ‘garden of peace’ under Israel-Syria normalization deal: report. From the Cradle. Israel and Syria will sign a peace agreement before the end of 2025, Israeli media reported on Satuday, citing Syrian sources. “Under the terms of the agreement . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to two reports from Anadolu Agency; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK 6-26-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, SYRIA, GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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6 Israeli settlers detained after attacking soldiers in West Bank, by Efe Ozkan and Faruk Hanedar | Anadolu Agency   JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL — Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians in the village of Kafr Malik in the occupied West Bank, turned on Israeli soldiers Saturday in an escalation of violence, according to media reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 28  Israeli army arrests 27 Palestinians in West Bank raids, including journalist, by Aysar Alais and Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Israeli forces arrested 27 Palestinians including a journalist during wide-ranging raids across cities and villages in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, according to the Hamas-affiliated Prisoners Media Office. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, Anadolu Agency, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down. IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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At least 49 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as ceasefire prospects inch closer, by Wafaa Shurafa and Sam Mednick | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 49 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health staff say, as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ceasefire prospects inch closer. The strikes began . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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Netanyahu slams Israeli media report that IDF soldiers were ordered to shoot at aid sites. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Scott Simon | NPR  Israeli media reports that Israeli soldiers were ordered to shoot at Palestinian civilians trying to get aid in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the report, calling it “blood libel.” Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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66 children die from malnutrition in Gaza under Israeli blockade since October 2023, by Nour Abuaisha and Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine / ANKARA — At least 66 Palestinian children have died from acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip under Israel’s blockade since October 2023, local authorities said today, as severe shortages of food, medical supplies and baby formula . . . READ MORE . . .

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New study finds Gaza’s real death toll nears 100,000. From the Cradle. The pre-print of a new study led by Prof. Michael Spagat of Royal Holloway, University of London, and Palestinian political scientist Khalil Shikaki has revealed that Gaza’s death toll from the ongoing conflict could be nearly 100,000, a figure significantly higher than official reports, Haaretz reported on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, Anadolu Agency, and the Cradle, and to an article of commentary from Middle East Monitor; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN 6-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Iran holds funeral for top military commanders and scientists killed by Israel. From Reuters. Mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran’s capital Tehran today as a funeral was held for senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month’s war with Israel. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AP.

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Kyiv Post, and the Kyiv Independent; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russian drones kill 2 and injure 17 in Odesa as Ukraine destroys helicopters in Crimea. From AP. KYIV —Russian drones struck the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, killing two people and injuring at least 17, Ukrainian authorities said today. Meanwhile, three attack helicopters and an anti-aircraft missile system were destroyed in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from AFP,  Reuters, Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

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FROM JUNE 27  Putin says Russia and Ukraine nowhere close on peace terms. From AFP. President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russian and Ukrainian demands for peace remain “absolutely contradictory,” as recent talks failed to bring the two sides closer to a ceasefire. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to a report from the Cradle and an article from the Indian Express; links to others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN 6-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Iranian oil exports to China hit record high despite ‘maximum pressure’ U.S. sanctions. From the Cradle. Chinese imports of Iranian oil have witnessed a significant jump in the month of June due to a surge in shipments prior to the recent war and a rise in demand from independent refineries. READ MORE . . .

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How the U.S. helped oust Iran’s government in 1953 and reinstate the Shah, by Aishwarya Khosla | The Indian Express  NEW DELHI —  When US missiles struck Iran’s key nuclear facilities on June 22, history seemed to repeat itself. Seventy-two years ago, a covert CIA operation toppled Iran’s democratically elected government. Now, as American rhetoric drifts once more toward regime change, the ghosts of 1953 are stirring again. Click HERE to read first seven or eight paragraphs of article.

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For today, links to eleven reports: from Reuters, the Cradle, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their inItials below. (GAZA 6-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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UN chief says US-backed Gaza aid operation unsafe, ‘is killing people,’ by Michelle Nichols | Reuters  UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today that a U.S.-backed aid operation in Gaza is “inherently unsafe” . . . READ MORE . . .

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Doctors warn flour sacks entering Gaza laced with Oxycodone: report. From the Cradle. Information is emerging about the smuggling of the highly addictive opioid pain medication Oxycodone into the Gaza Strip in bags of flour being distributed as humanitarian aid — some of the medication also crushed into powder and mixed into the flour itself. READ MORE . . .

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‘Killing fields’: Israeli soldiers ordered to shoot unarmed Palestinians at GHF sites. From the Cradle. Israeli soldiers say they are receiving direct orders to shoot unarmed Palestinians seeking food aid at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution points, even when no threat is present, according to several testimonies published by Haaretz on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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U.S., Israel outline ‘two-state vision’ to stop Gaza genocide, expand Abraham Accords: report. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reached a preliminary agreement on a new strategic vision for West Asia, according to a report by Israel Hayom published today. The proposal includes . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Killing fields’: Israeli soldiers ordered to shoot unarmed Palestinians at GHF sites. From the Cradle. Israeli soldiers say they are receiving direct orders to shoot unarmed Palestinians seeking food aid at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution points, even when no threat is present, according to several testimonies published by Haaretz on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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Gaza rescuers say 62 killed by Israeli forces. From AFP. Gaza’s civil defence agency said that Israeli forces killed at least 62 people today, including 10 who were waiting for aid in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. READ MORE . . .

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An Israeli strike kills 18 Palestinians in central Gaza as turmoil mounts over food distribution, by Wafaa Shurafa, Kareem Chehayeb and Sam Metz | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike hit a street in central Gaza on Thursday where witnesses said a crowd of people was getting bags of flour from a Palestinian police unit that had confiscated the goods from gangs looting aid convoys. The strike was the latest . . ..  READ MORE . . .

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U.S. to fund Gaza food plan mired in chaos and killings. Reported by Aya Batrawy and A Martínez | NPR  A new Israeli-backed plan to control the limited food supplies in Gaza has been deadly, and mired in chaos. Despite this, the Trump administration says it’s allocating $30 million for the plan. . . . Click HERE to listen and, later, read. Links to previous reports HERE.

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FROM JUNE 26  Israel stops aid to northern Gaza, officials say, as clans deny Hamas is stealing it. From Reuters. Israel has stopped aid from entering northern Gaza but is still allowing it to enter from the south, two officials said on Thursday, after images circulated of masked men on aid trucks – who clan leaders said were protecting aid, not in fact members of Hamas stealing it. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for June 27 report from Middle East Monitor, and HERE for June 26 report from the Cradle.

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Battling to survive, Hamas faces defiant clans and doubts over Iran, by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Jonathan Saul and Alexander Cornwell | Reuters  CAIRO / LONDON — Short of commanders, deprived of much of its tunnel network and unsure of support from its ally Iran, Hamas is battling to survive in Gaza in the face of rebellious local clans and relentless Israeli military pressure. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and the Moscow Times; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-25-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russia and Ukraine trade more long-range drone attacks that are a hallmark of their war, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said today, claiming that air defenses stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian missile strike kills 5 in southeast Ukraine. From Reuters. At least five people were killed and more than 20 injured after a Russian missile strike hit the southeastern Ukrainian city of Samar today, Ukrainian officials said. It was the second such attack on the city in three days.  READ MORE . . .

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Umerov: Ukraine to push for Zelensky-Putin summit, by Kateryna Zakharchenko | Kyiv Post  After talks with Russia on humanitarian issues conclude, Kyiv plans to move on to the topic of arranging a meeting between the two leaders, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Thursday. Ukraine supported a U.S. proposal for . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Losing $300bln in frozen assets is a price worth paying to break Western grip on global finance, Putin says. From the Moscow Times. President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is “ready” to part with its $300 billion in frozen assets in the West if doing so would help accelerate the shift away from Western-dominated financial systems. After Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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