03 World

Trump Reveals Why He Isn’t Worried About Releasing Frozen Iranian Funds– townhall.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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President Trump revealed on Monday that some of the money Iran will have unfrozen will make its way back to the United States, as the Trump administration’s negotiating team secured an agreement over the weekend for Iran to purchase American agricultural products, including wheat, soybeans, and corn.

The move is intended to ensure the Iranian regime spends a portion of its unfrozen funds on commerce and feeding a starving populace, rather than rebuilding its military capabilities or advancing its nuclear program.

“If the sanctions go out, money is going to be put into this country,” the president said during a press conference. “All that money is coming back in the form of purchases of food, which they desperately need. They have 91 million people. They can’t feed them. So the money that we lift is going to go to our farmers, largely to our farmers.”

U.S.-Iran working to finalize deal as Iranian president arrives in Pakistan – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Iran’s president arrived in Pakistan for talks Tuesday with officials mediating negotiations between Tehran and Washington on a permanent end to the war in the Middle East, even as discrepancies emerged on what had been agreed so far and violence broke out again in Lebanon.

President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Islamabad comes as technical teams were working on details of the deal following high-level negotiations in Switzerland Monday led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

In Tehran, Iran’s capital, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters that no visits were scheduled for the U.N. watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — to examine Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the United States last year. Vance previously said the negotiations in Switzerland won an agreement for the inspectors to visit the sites.

Oil prices fall as investors mull Middle East developments– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Commercial vessels and oil tankers preparing to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most critical strategic waterways for global trade flows, maintain their wait in the Gulf of Oman, on June 17, 2026.

Oil fell Tuesday, reversing slight gains at the start of the session, as investors showed cautious optimism about an end to the conflict in the Middle East.

International benchmark Brent crude futures for August fell 1.57% to $76.68 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for August declined 1.53% to $72.73 per barrel.

EU bets on digital euro to cut US tech addiction– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) believes a digital euro is the answer to cutting its addiction to United States payment systems like Visa and Mastercard, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay, as the bloc seeks to favour European firms over others.

Brussels hopes it could provide an alternative local option for any payments in shops or online since people could easily pay, just like other systems, using a card, an app or via their banking app.

The EU will move one step closer on Tuesday (Jun 23) to creating a digital euro when EU lawmakers hold a long-awaited vote on the virtual currency.

California drivers sue gas stations for allegedly using AI to inflate prices | California– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Gas ⁠station ​operators including BP, Circle K, Marathon, 7-Eleven, Walmart and Albertsons were sued on Monday by California drivers ⁠who accused them of using artificial intelligence to boost prices at the pump.

According to a proposed class action, the defendants ⁠violated California’s main antitrust law, the Cartwright Act, by using an AI-based tool that ​uses data from competing gas ‌stations to “coordinate high prices ‌and wring more money from the pockets of consumers”.

The lawsuit in the ‌Sacramento federal court said the scheme violated assembly bill 325, a California law that took effect on 1 January and was intended to crack down on algorithmic price fixing.

Vance says Iran to let international nuclear inspections resume after “good day” of talks– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Israel loves President Trump, but “the security of Israeli citizens comes first,” the country’s far-right national security minister said Monday.

“We love President Trump but first and foremost – Israeli soldiers, our fighters, our residents, the security of Israeli citizens comes first,” Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a statement.

“No more daredevil ceasefire,” he added.

Ben-Gvir, who has been sanctioned by the U.K., Canada, Australia and several other countries for inciting violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, said the deaths of Israeli soldiers taking part in operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon last week showed “the containment policy failed.”

He criticized “years of measured responses” and “attempts to buy temporary peace” with Iran and its proxy forces – Hezbollah being the most serious threat to Israel among them – and said those initiatives had been interpreted by Israel’s enemies as “weakness.”

“The State of Israel must be safe, if not – Beirut will look like Beit Hanun,” he said, referring to a city in Gaza that was once home to more than 50,000 Palestinians. The city was “level[ed] to the ground” during Israel’s war with another Iranian proxy, Hamas, according to Israel’s defense chief.

America’s naval power transformation to be in spotlight at major Threat Status event– www.washingtontimes.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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U.S. naval power is undergoing its greatest transformation in a generation, and the nation’s status as the top global military superpower may hinge on the outcome.

That transformation and all the challenges that come with it — including advanced technology integration, shipbuilding labor shortages and budgetary tensions — will be at the center of a special event to be hosted Wednesday by The Washington Times’ Threat Status national security team at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington.

It’s unclear who will pay for Iran’s $300B reconstruction fund. Here’s why– www.politifact.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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As President Donald Trump and the Iranian government reached a written agreement to end the war, Democrats honed in on a section that appeared to promise hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars to Iran.

“With $300 billion, we could end homelessness, fund cancer research for 40 years, and give every child free pre-K for over 7 years,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in an X post. “Instead, Trump is sending it to Iran.”

Trump dismissed such concerns.

“There is no 300 Billion Dollar payment to Iran by the U.S.,” he said in a June 18 Truth Social post. “That’s Fake News! All there is for the U.S. is Success, Lower Oil Prices, and Victory.”

Turnover at 10 Downing Street raises questions about ‘whether Britain is indeed governable’– www.france24.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Why More Data Centers Might Mean Cheaper Electricity | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Economics is full of counterintuitive insights. Rent control can make housing less affordable. Business failures can strengthen an economy. And, yes, higher demand can sometimes lower prices. That’s a possibility worth remembering in the ongoing debates over data centers and electricity bills.

It sure seems like we’re going to build a whole lot more data centers in this country—at least, that’s what Wall Street is expecting. JPMorgan just raised its forecast for data-center capacity growth to 138 gigawatts through 2030, up from 122 gigawatts in its forecast last November. The bank also said it expects $5.5 trillion in AI-related capex through 2030, up from its previous forecast of $5.1 trillion.

Girl, 15, ‘stabbed parents to death & knifed pet dog before sending pals grisly photos of the bloodbath’– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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A 15-YEAR-OLD girl has been accused of stabbing her parents to death and knifing her pet golden retriever before sending grisly pictures to her pals.

The teen from Groningen in the Netherlands would regularly identify as a dog and used to “crawl around on all fours and bark while running through the school corridors”, concerned friends said.

Confirmed Ebola cases in Congo top 1,000. More than a quarter have died, officials say.– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Bunia, Congo — Confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo have reached 1,003, including 254 deaths, officials said, as tracing those who had been in contact with patients remains a major challenge.

A total of 100 people have recovered in the outbreak concentrated in the Ituri province since it was declared on May 15, Congo’s Ministry of Health said Sunday. At least 365 patients are in hospitals or in isolation, it said.

The Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no vaccines or treatment, was the worst ever in its first month.

Officials admit there could be far more cases they still don’t know about and that the peak of the outbreak is still ahead.

Incel, Anti-Capitalist, Antisemitic Rage – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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On Monday, a shooter went on a rampage in the Canadian city of Montreal. The shooting spree left three victims dead, one of whom was a police officer. The shooter has been identified as one Seth Hatfield, who reportedly drove from his native Alberta to Quebec before the shooting. The shooting started in a Montreal grocery store; the gunman was later killed by police. And, yes, the shooting happened in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Montreal.

 

36-Year-Old Man Charged In Scotland With Anti-Muslim Attacks In Court– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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A 36-year-old Scottish man appeared in court Tuesday charged with five counts of attempted murder with a racist and terror motive after an attack left five people injured last Friday.

Lewis Hawkes, who was further charged with assault and robbery, breach of the peace and culpable and reckless conduct, did not enter a plea at Edinburgh Sheriff Court but was remanded in custody and is due back in court next week.

He is suspected of carrying out attacks motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment.

Furious Iran leader slams negotiations with Trump in ‘secret letters’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has penned a secret letter to his negotiators as they attempt to broker a long-term peace treaty with the United States, telling the Iran delegation that “talks must be stopped”.

Khamenei, who has been Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic since March after the death of his father at the commencement of the Iran-US war, lashed out at Iranian officials for ‘overstepping’ their authority by coming to an agreement with Washington against his instructions, as per an unnamed Iran politician.

Iranian MP Mahmoud Nabavian, the deputy chair of Iran’s national security council, broke ranks at the weekend by revealing tensions between the US and Iran about Tehran’s negotiating stance. The radical move by the hardline MP has triggered a political firestorm back in Iran, with fuel only added to the fire after he took to a TV news broadcast to read -what he claimed – was classified correspondence Iran’s new Supreme Leader himself.

Nabavian took to Sima, the usually highly-censored Iranian state broadcaster and propaganda machine – to claim the letters lashed out at Iran’s negotiating team had overstepped Khamenei’s orders.

To proceed with negotiations, the ayatollah reportedly made 11 no

Political crisis deepens as Romanian lawmakers reject new government– abcnews.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian lawmakers late on Monday rejected a new government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Adrian Vestea, who had hoped to bring an end to the country’s protracted political crisis.

The vote in Parliament failed — with 189 votes for and 23 against — and more than half of lawmakers abstained. It needed at least 233 to pass. The outcome caps a monthslong political crisis that started when a no-confidence vote toppled the previous government in May.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan said he designated Vestea, a longtime member of the National Liberal Party, or PNL, to try to form a government based on his past administrative experience. Vestea was Dan’s second prime ministerial nomination after his previous pick, Eugen Tomac, failed to present a cabinet within 10 days.

Lebanon building damage in latest Israel war estimated at US$1.38 bn: survey– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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BEIRUT: Direct damage to buildings in south Lebanon in the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah is estimated at around US$1.38 billion, a UN agency and a Lebanese research centre said Monday (Jun 22).

“In total, 11,095 buildings were completely destroyed, impacting 17,891 housing units, while 2,242 buildings sustained partial damage … and 9,311 buildings incurred minor damage,” the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Lebanon’s government-linked National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) said.

It cited a “rapid building-level damage assessment” in the country’s south which compared satellite imagery from late April, nearly two months into the latest war, with those from October 2025, meaning it does not cover the latest weeks of the conflict.

Far-Left Gunman Opens Fire In Jewish Neighborhood, Kills Police Officer, Guns Down Jewish Residents– gellerreport.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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It’s open season on Jews.

A Montreal Police officer (SPVM) and a Jewish man were killed in a shooting attack in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Montreal, Canada, on Monday. A second officer was seriously wounded.

Local Chabad emissary tells ynet about 100 people sheltered inside the Chabad House after shots fired nearby, as authorities search for a second suspect after shooter caught.

Police officer killed in Montreal shooting near Chabad House

A police officer was killed, a Jewish man was seriously wounded and the gunman shot dead in a shooting near a Chabad House in Montreal’s Jewish
Côte-des-Neiges district; Michael Moshe Mizrahi, initially reported dead, was later confirmed critically injured and hospitalized

Palantir Goes on a Democratic Lobbyist Hiring Spree– readsludge.com

pgnewser June 23, 2026 0

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Palantir, the data analytics company whose software powers the Trump administration’s deportation operations, has hired a former Democratic senator and a team of Democratic lobbyists with close ties to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, adding to a growing roster of Democrat-connected operatives the company has brought on in recent months.

The company registered Avoq LLC as a lobbying firm effective May 1, according to a disclosure signed on June 15. The four-person team representing Palantir is led by firm partner Steve Elmendorf, one of the top fundraisers for congressional Democrats, who has raised hundreds of thousands of bundled campaign dollars for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, including hosting DCCC fundraisers featuring Jeffries as a speaker. Elmendorf co-founded Avoq and previously served as chief of staff to former Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt.

Joining Elmendorf is Cedric Grant, who served as Jeffries’ first chief of staff in the House, before joining Avoq, where he specializes in outreach to House Democratic Leadership and the Congressional Black Caucus, according to his firm bio. Like Elmendorf, Grant is also a campaign contribution bundler and fundraiser host for the DCCC. Also working for Palantir on the Avoq team are Keith Castaldo, a former general counsel to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Joseph Orlando, a former staffer for Democratic Reps. Frank Pallone and Jan Schakowsky, and another bundler for the House Democrats’ campaign group.

Zelensky Wants to Meet Putin in America – thebethlehem.com

pgnewser June 18, 2026 0

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to meet him America to come to a final peace agreement. Zelensky said, “Yesterday (Sunday), we discussed with President Trump that such a meeting could be organised in the US, in a format where Putin would find it much harder to refuse. We will see what comes of it. If Russia refuses this chance as well, additional pressure will be needed.”

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Trump Signs Iran Deal – bellwetherintel.com

pgnewser June 18, 2026 0

President Donald Trump has officially signed a deal with Iran that is effectively a 60-day ceasefire intended to lead to a final peace deal. Details of the plan have not been clearly given, but already Trump faces skepticism from both progressives and conservatives at home.

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Toronto police say gun-for-hire networks linked to US Consulate shooting– abcnews.com

pgnewser June 18, 2026 0

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Toronto police have linked multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. Consulate in March, to complex gun-for-hire networks

TORONTO — Police in Canada said Tuesday they have linked multiple shootings, including at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto in March, to “multilayered” gun-for-hire networks that have also targeted synagogues in the city.

Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw told a news conference that young adults are being recruited through encrypted messages and paid by the networks to carry out the shootings and have to film them to get paid. Some of the firearms used in the attacks have since been seized by investigators.