Latest from Iran - debating the MoU in the streets

• Iran’s head negotiator, Ghalibaf: The Zionists' aggression against the Dahiya once again demonstrated that America either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so. By giving the green light to the regime, you cannot gain concessions. The game of bad cop and good cop has grown old. f you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible.

• Israel carried out attacks on Beirut’s suburbs. The attack targeted a building al-Ghabayri. Israel is trying to get Iran to respond and sabotage talks.         

• Iranian member of the Parliament’s National Security Commission, Ahmad Bakhshayesh, gives more details on the Iran-US MoU: In the MoU, the Strait of Hormoz will be opened and no tariff will be charged for the passage of ships. However, Iran can collect fees for insurance, fuel, environmental services, and so on. Most likely, $12 billion of Iran’s frozen assets will be received in the form of basic & medical goods. But Iran had insisted on receiving this $12 billion in cash, while the US said it should be in the form of basic goods. There were disagreements over this issue (between Iran-US). The assets will be released in line with Iran fulfilling its commitments over a period of 30 or 60 days. After 60 days, Iran’s position is that talks should begin regarding nuclear issues. Iran has agreed to dilute the 60% enriched uranium inside the country under the supervision of the IAEA. Also, regarding the 400kg of HEU, the Americans said it should be transferred to a 3rd country, but Iran said from the beginning that it could dilute it inside the country. I think Iran’s oil sanctions will be lifted, but secondary sanctions and congressional sanctions may remain in place.
• Senior Al Jazeera Tehran correspondent: In this war, whoever fights merely to survive will not survive. And whoever wants an agreement merely for the sake of having an agreement will obtain nothing better than what Mahmoud Abbas obtained. This is a long war, regardless of the pauses that may appear from time to time. It is an existential war, and existential wars do not end with smiles on both sides.
• The Iranians are still out in the street. After +100 days of solid support for their leaders and for their soldiers, after every leader profusely and with tears thanked the Iranian civil community for their visible support, of course they will not be quiet in relation to this document called a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding and sometimes called the Islamabad MoU). The Iranian process in their civil society looks like the most massive ‘teach-in’ we have ever experienced in our world. Iranians from Khorramabad, in reaction to negotiations with the US: “The slogan of the whole country; only the Leader's pre-conditions.”   

• Sovereignista: Iran is talking with Russia and China on the actual and specific terms of the MoU. Leaders of the region, specifically Qatar and Saudi Arabia are in this picture. The rest of the gulfies seem to be stuck on stupid, and cannot decide to leave empire, or to hold onto empire who cannot protect them, or to sit on two chairs. It is unfortunately time to choose. If there are regional shifts, they are nuanced and of course Saudi Arabia and Qatar are all-out protecting their oil industry. Their oil industry is more important than Iran in reality and they will quietly flow to where the profits are. The US is a carnival house with cage matches for Governance.  Trump threatens again: Trump warns Iran of ‘ULTIMATE ALTERNATIVE’ if deal fails — ‘Hopefully never to be used again’. The US is unable to continue the war in any big way. They look at something like Vietnam and their bases in the region are in smithereens. Israel, as is customary, as soon as there is a threat to their human killing and bloodletting machine, enters a frenzy of spite and murder. They are bombing Lebanon, specifically Beirut, and killing Gaza and clearly saying they will not withdraw. And no, Bibi Netanyahu will not do what Trump tells him to do. Professor Marandi also reiterated: “The genocidal Zionists are blocking any agreement by bombing Beirut. They will destroy the global economy.”

• The death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2 has reached 3,756, with 11,632 injured, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. "The total number of victims of the aggression from March 2 to June 13 is 3,756 dead and 11,632 wounded," the ministry said in a statement. Taking into account the health ministry's statement published on Friday, the death toll has increased by 45 in the past 24 hours, and the number of wounded by 149. Israel continues to strike Lebanon despite the current ceasefire and ongoing US-brokered Lebanese-Israeli negotiations. Lebanese authorities regularly claim that Israeli attacks violate the country's sovereignty and hinder stabilization in the south.  

Why students from U.S. and around the world study medicine in Cuba

For decades, the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Cuba has trained tens of thousands of students from more than 100 countries, including hundreds from the United States and across the Global South.

Rooted in the idea that healthcare is a human right, Cuba’s medical education system seeks to train doctors who are both scientifically skilled and socially committed. Many ELAM students do not wait until graduation to put those values into practice.

In this video, we hear from two doctors from the United States who studied at ELAM and last year led a brigade of mostly African medical students to Guinea-Bissau to provide health education and medical consultations.

Their journey offers a glimpse into ELAM’s broader mission: preparing healthcare professionals to serve communities often left behind and to see medicine as a tool for social justice.

Editor: Jihan Hafiz  

Sunday song

Deal close? Not all in Iran are happy with it

• Iranian Shia cleric and politician who currently is a member of the Parliament of Iran representing Tehran, Mahmoud Nabavian: 'My core objection is that too many major benefits for Iran are pushed to the vague “final agreement,” whose date is unclear and extendable. The $300 billion mechanism, ending US sanctions, the nuclear issue, and US troop withdrawal all depend on that final agreement. But until then [in the meantime], Iran itself is proposing to freeze 3 things: • Our current nuclear status, meaning no enrichment; • The damaged nuclear facilities staying as they are instead of being rebuilt; • US sanctions remaining in place. Even worse, U.S. forces would also remain in the region until the final agreement.'

• Iranian Foreign Ministry and Negotiation Team Spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei: Qatar and Pakistan are active as mediators, and the diplomatic process is affected by US actions. The status of the negotiations was clear to us from the beginning, and most of the text was finalized, but the Americans kept changing their positions. Iran has proven that it does not compromise on what it has defined as a red line. 
• Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the former director of a Gaza hospital, appeared by video link at an Israeli Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday, marking his first public appearance since February 2025 Abu Safiya has been held in Israeli custody since his detention by Israeli forces in December 2024. 

• Reuters: The United Arab Emirates is set to unlock billions of dollars for Iran. At least $10 billion will be released, with the first $3 billion already delivered, and the total could reach $20 billion in exchange for a halt to attacks and renewed economic and intelligence cooperation. A UAE official said the country seeks de‑escalation and regional stability.

• When war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on 2 March, Darine Al Jouny Safadi and her family were forced to flee their home in the Christian quarter of Tyre.⁠ ⁠ Following a ceasefire announcement in April, the family went back home. However, strikes did not halt, which prompted them to return to the safety of the shelter just three weeks later.⁠ ⁠ On 9 June the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for Tyre, including its Christian quarter, ahead of possible strikes.⁠ ⁠ "Why? I mean, churches that are thousands of years old, how can they be gone? Where are we supposed to go back to? If they're gone, where are we supposed to go back to?" said Safadi, sitting in the room where she shelters with her family. 

• India’s foreign ministry has announced that three vessels belonging to the country were targeted by US Navy attacks. The Indian foreign ministry further stated: “We expect the US to take into account our protest regarding attacks targeting ships carrying Indian sailors.”
• Watching how the US is treating football players (such as Senegal) VS Mexico. Has the US ever done something positively for the whole world? The US should be banned from hosting anything internationally. 

• Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX raised $75 billion after pricing 555.6 million shares at $135 each in the largest initial public offering on record, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The deal cemented SpaceX’s place among the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies. The $135-per share price matched the level SpaceX had previously indicated and implied a market capitalization approaching $1.8 trillion at the time of the offering. At that valuation, Musk, already the world’s richest person, could become the first individual in history to amass a fortune exceeding $1 trillion. In its IPO filing, SpaceX cast itself as more than a launch and satellite communications company, outlining ambitions that include orbital data centers, lunar infrastructure, asteroid mining, and ultimately nuclear cities on Mars as potential drivers of future growth beyond its core businesses.   

• The US Intelligence Community has warned that Ukrainian bio-laboratory funded by the US government with high probability contained hazardous viruses, former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday. Gabbard also stated that she is releasing evidence of past US government funding for more than 120 biological laboratories in over 30 countries, including Ukraine (in Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Vinnitsa, and Chernigov). This evidence regarding the existence and funding of such laboratories had been knowingly withheld from the American people until now. 

• RT: Trump seeks $350 billion military spending boost. Trump said the money is needed to bring the US military budget to $1.5 trillion and “build the arsenal of freedom.” He said the package would fund the Golden Dome missile shield, the F-47 fighter, the B-21 bomber, drones, space-based military capabilities and new ammunition stockpiles. Trump argued that the spending bill would create hundreds of thousands of high-paying US jobs, rebuild American industry and secure “global dominance” without fueling inflation. The push comes after the US war on Iran and years of military support for Ukraine have strained American weapons supplies, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies stating it could take three or more years to replace some advanced missiles.
• Rambo is back, this time at the illegal US base in Guantanamo, Cuba spreading fear and propaganda amongst the troops. He also has an eye on scaring the Cuban population and also hoping that pro-US spies inside Cuba will start a civil war making it easier on the US to justify its own occupation. 

• Russian President Vladimir Putin gave advice to his country's adversaries: "Just one piece of advice we can give to our adversaries: do not fight Russia. Never attempt to do so. Let's live in peace and resolve all issues through negotiations. But these must be negotiations, not ultimatums directed at us," Putin said during a meeting with participants in the special military operation on Russia Day. "Russia is practically alone in opposing the entire so-called, if I may say, collective West in the form of the well-known organization of NATO," Putin noted.    

• Sudan’s poverty rate has risen to 73%, its human resources minister said on Tuesday. Speaking during a press conference in Cairo, Sudanese Human Resources Minister Moatassim Ahmed Saleh announced plans to launch 500,000 youth projects and expand support for female-led businesses as part of efforts to create jobs and restore livelihoods. In April, a UN Development Program assessment found that the conflict has set Sudan’s economy back more than three decades, with average incomes falling to levels last seen in 1992. The agency warned that extreme poverty could affect nearly 60% of the population by 2030 if the fighting continues.
• The congressional inquest into Jeffrey Epstein’s network of influential associates has heard testimony from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Epstein’s longtime executive assistant, Lesley Groff, as House investigators examine how the convicted sex offender maintained ties to prominent figures after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. In his closed-door testimony on Wednesday, Gates told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee he had not understood the full extent of Epstein’s crimes. Released correspondence suggests the two men met repeatedly over several years, while Gates’ ex-wife Melinda reportedly viewed Epstein as a serious concern and cited her former husband’s dealings with the financier among the factors behind their 2021 divorce.
• Germany must be ready for a possible military confrontation with Russia by 2029 or even earlier, said the commander of the German Army, Lieutenant General Christian Freuding. "We must be ready. We must be ready to fight," he said. The German general emphasized that the 2029 deadline is not only Berlin's assessment, but also NATO intelligence data. Germany is accelerating weapons purchases and expanding the capabilities of the defense industry. Freuding says that Berlin cannot rely solely on long-term rearmament programs, which will take years to develop and implement. 

• Why a notably warm start to the year foreshadows what’s ahead. 2027 has notably high odds of becoming the warmest year on record, with the latest projections showing nearly an 80 percent chance.
• Israeli settlers launched a coordinated arson attack against the ancient Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh overnight on 9 June, torching agricultural fields east of Ramallah. The assault is part of a systematic campaign targeting the 3,000-year-old village following the establishment of a nearby illegal settlement outpost. Despite global scrutiny, including previous settler arson attacks against Taybeh’s historic Church of Saint George, local residents face continuous encroachment by settlers aiming to usurp the area's rich pastoral lands. 

New AI Data Centers to be used to spy on U.S. citizens

In this 51-49 mini-documentary, James uncovers the real agenda behind the sudden nationwide explosion of AI data centers.

He investigates whether the trillion-dollar "arms race" against China is an actual national security priority or merely a high-stakes cover story for a massive domestic surveillance dragnet.  

the funnies

Latest Space Alert newsletter now online

'Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.' ~ Henry David Thoreau

Our latest Global Network Space Alert newsletter is now at the printer and is also available online. Click here This edition comes during a time of severe crisis as the US wages war on Iran, threatens Cuba and other Latin America nations, and is calling for massive cuts in social spending - including Medicare and Medicaid. This edition includes: Stop the Offshore Rocket Launch in Jeju! GN Coordinator’s Report: Tough times ahead Pulitzer Prize for Gaza photo China’s satellites help Iran When has it ever been otherwise? Environmental harms of U.S. Space Programs Space should be a safe space How did the closure of Hormuz disrupt Starlink satellite internet? Indonesia’s Airspace Sovereignty Crisis The myths of ‘Russian aggression’ It’s not hostile super robots you should worry about— it’s the heat they’ll generate Letter to Editor Odds & Ends Caught between Trump & Musk’s rockets, a Mexican village despairs Corporate Profiteering in the Militarization of Space NASA’s plan for nuclear-powered rockets Used SpaceX rocket is on collision course with the Moon the funnies If you don't usually get a paper copy of Space Alert in the postal mail and want one please let us know at globalnet@mindspring.com You can also order multiple copies for local distribution. We thank you for your support of the Global Network - still going after 34 years. If you would like to make a secure (tax deductible) donation online click here Check out our various social media outlets using LinkTree at  https://linktr.ee/space4peace

Kushner land grab in Albania - rich man's deals anger the public

 

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are building a 3,460 acre resort on an Albanian island.

Thousands in Albania are protesting, and at the same time this isn't unique.

This is how Jared and Ivanka use their proximity to power — building developments for the rich, at our expense.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Albania's capital Tirana to oppose a controversial $1.6 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner's investment firm. 

Environmental groups warn the development could damage protected wetlands, flamingo habitats, and pristine Adriatic coastline. 

The project has sparked clashes, political debate, and growing resistance from conservationists and local residents. 

Sudan update: Why is the war ignored?

Sudan is facing what the UN has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, yet the war devastating the country remains largely absent from mainstream news coverage.

In this episode of Real Talk, Sudanese political cartoonist Khalid Albaih joins Mohamed Hashem to explain why Sudan is so easily ignored, from the dangers of documenting the war, to disinformation, foreign interference, and the erasure of Sudanese history. 

Albaih reflects on the role of artists during war, media silence, and what it means to be “seen” in today’s news cycle. 

Trump threatens to grab all Iran's oil

• Iran’s IRGC says it struck 4 major targets at a US air base and command-and-control center in Muwaffaq al Salti Airbase, Jordan, using long-range solid-fuel missiles. Iran also launched missiles on on 21 US targets in the region (Kuwait & Bahrain). The IRGC also downed an MQ-9 drone, and warns that any further US action will receive a harsher response.
• Iran’s IRIB denies reports of hits on commercial port on Qeshm Island. The retaliation attacks came after the US struck a critical water distribution infrastructure in Sirik, southern Iran. According to the CEO of Hormozgan Province Water and Wastewater Company: The US hit a 500 cubic meter tank and a 2,000 cubic meter tank, which played a key role in supplying drinking water to Sirik. Operational and crisis management teams are working to implement alternative measures to ensure sustainable water supply. (Mind you, that’s a severe war crime as if they care).

• This criminal attack against people's lives has led to a complete disruption of the water supply in all villages of the Bamani district, the city of Kouhestak, and ten neighboring villages, amid temperatures ranging between 45°C to 50°C. As a result, thousands of residents have been placed in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis due to the lack of access to safe drinking water. 
• ABC news: Trump says the US will ‘get half’ of Iran's oil in Marshall Plan-style reconstruction. 
• Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Lebanon's President Aoun and the Lebanese people: 'We in Israel seek peace with Lebanon. The people of Israel support peace with Lebanon. Peace with Lebanon is feasible.' Israel has violated every ceasefire they have ever been a part of - then they blame the other side. The Zionists speak with a 'forked tongue'. 

• Israeli Defense Minister Katz: 'The Middle East is changing before our eyes. Right now, we proudly see our heroic fighters operating deep in Lebanon against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which acts on behalf of the Iranian regime, delivering heavy blows to it. We must not think the job is done — the campaign against Iran is far from over. If Iran attacks Israel, it will suffer a severe blow as we did a few days ago. The IDF is prepared to strike Iran with great force.'
• A drone strike on an electrical generator just outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates on May 17, suddenly brought the Persian Gulf to the brink of an environmental and nuclear catastrophe. Iranian military sources have confirmed what the evidence suggests: the attack was carried out by the Israeli military in a calculated provocation designed to push the UAE toward greater hostility against Iran. The UAE now finds itself at the epicenter of a dangerously escalating crisis following the attack on its only nuclear power facility, which, if breached, could irradiate the entire region. The flight path impossibilities, the operational sophistication required, and the consistent, decades-long pattern of US-Israeli false-flag operations across the region all converge on a single point. Iranian military sources have explicitly identified the Zionist regime as the perpetrator. The attack serves Israeli interests with surgical precision: driving a wedge between Iran and its Arab neighbors, sowing regional discord, and creating a pretext for further escalation, all while Tel Aviv celebrates the chaos and destabilization.

• Trump: “We are going to be attacking Iran and attacking them very hard. We will be resuming bombing. We have the right to do that. They shot down our helicopter.” Do any of these people around Trump have a conscience? 

• The EU demands that Georgia impose sanctions against Russia in exchange for visa-free travel. Tbilisi refuses says Shalva Papuashvili, speaker of the Georgian Parliament. In his opinion, such a decision would lead to the destruction of the country. "We cannot destroy our country just because Brussels wants to turn visa policy into a political tool today," he said.
• Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. 

• US inflation heats up to highest pace in about three years, fueled by war. The rate hit 4% for the first time in three years in May, driven by surging gas prices.
• US spending on nuclear weapons surged by nearly a quarter in 2025. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) reports the world’s nine nuclear-armed states spent nearly $119 billion on their arsenals last year. The US remained by far the biggest spender, pouring $69.2 billion into its nuclear arsenal – more than all other eight nations combined. Washington also recorded the largest annual increase of $12.4 billion.  
• Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at Guantanamo Bay: 'What happens with the future of Cuba is in the hands of the President of the US and the leadership of Cuba. No matter what, the Department of War is going to be prepared and postured for any possible contingency.' Do any of these people around Hegseth have a conscience? 

• In an Op-Ed for The Hill, Peter Garretson, senior fellow in defense studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, and Richard Harrison, vice president of operations, asks, "Is America ready for a nuclear explosion in space? By next week, the Department of Defense and intelligence community should have an actionable plan to deal with this gargantuan problem. Congress needs to stand ready to resource it. Moreover, as we have recommended, it should catalyze investments in space traffic management models, commercial 'what if' agreements, radiation remediation technology, radiation-hardened replenishment, and long-term investments in an in-space industrial base above the threat." 

US space nuke test in 1962

• Taiwan has launched approximately 36 US-supplied missiles into the water off the coast of mainland China, in a first time live-fire drill on the self-governing island’s west coast. The exercise comes amid mounting tensions between Taipei and Beijing, which considers Taiwan sovereign Chinese territory.
• A funny Iran football story: Iran’s national team captain tells the story of getting stopped and searched by masked men in Tulum, Mexico:  “He kept asking ‘country, country?’ We said Holland. My friend goes, ‘Say Iran — these guys are good with Iran!’ Then he searched my friend, who said ‘Iran’ — and the guy just laughed: ‘Iran! Go on, off you go!'”
• Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth: 'When we bomb Iran tonight, it’s not about restarting the war—it’s about getting them to accept our terms of the deal.'
• American Patriot (PAC-3) anti-missile systems were unable to resist Russian missiles, said the former commander of US forces in Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges. "Nine missiles were fired at Kyiv. Nine missiles reached their targets. None were intercepted. None were hit by Patriot batteries, which the US provided specifically to protect Kyiv from strikes of this kind." According to him, other Western systems that have become part of the Ukrainian air defense system did not work either. "It failed because Russia has created a missile capability that the current generation of air defense systems provided by NATO cannot handle. It is unpleasant to admit, but it is so," the general said.

• Following reports of the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish young man who had evaded military service, Haredi protesters blocked a road in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem and clashed with the police. 

• Musk’s Starlink system hooked rural customers. Then came the price hikes. The billionaire’s satellite internet service is a lifeline to many, but some users who face higher prices say Starlink has amassed too much power.
• Finian Cunningham writes: "The level of NATO participation in waging war on Russia with its Ukrainian proxy has become absurdly obvious. In recent weeks, hundreds of Ukrainian drones have crashed in Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Romania. The Kiev regime has repeatedly apologized to European capitals for the infringements that have resulted in injuries to civilians. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has even urged that NATO states should help Ukraine in targeting Russia to avoid 'mistakes'. The NATO states are [already] providing targeting data and permitting the use of their territory to maximize the attacks on Russia. Hundreds of Russian civilians have been killed in these NATO-assisted drone operations, the most dreadful being the murder of 21 students at a college dormitory in Starobelsk, Lugansk, on May 22. Last week, on the same day as the drone attack on St Petersburg, eight civilians were killed, and 10 were injured when their bus was blown up in an air strike while traveling through the Donetsk region towards Crimea.

• Children in Cuba are dying amid acute shortages of essential medical supplies caused by US-imposed economic sanctions, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk says. The island nation has endured daily blackouts and severe fuel deficits in recent months after Venezuela, once Havana’s main oil supplier, stopped crude shipments under pressure from the US in early 2026. This was preceded by the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by American commandos in January. US President Donald Trump has since repeatedly stated that he intends to “take” Cuba “one way or another.”

Water in Maine drying up as Poland Spring drains the state

Poland Spring is raking in millions by bottling and selling Maine's water — and throwing their weight around in state politics to keep profits flowing. 

During a drought this year, they publicly said they were cutting back. 

But we found evidence they're pumping even more. 

Remembering fallen journalist in Gaza at the hands of Israel