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Sudan’s young women return to international soccer as war and taboos linger
Sudan's under-17 women's national soccer team has made its first international appearance since civil war erupted in the country
Onlookers befuddled by Lindsey Graham's head-spinning praise of Trump's Iran deal
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) put a baffling spin on Trump's Iran War deal, but he didn't get off scot-free.Although details of Trump's Iran War deal remain murky, it's already being criticized for reportedly giving up a $300 billion reconstruction fund. Graham told reporters on Tuesday, however, what he believed the deal achieved."If this thing goes through, we've opened up the straits," the GOP senator said. "The war will be in a permanent ceasefire, and we'll try to get a nuclear deal with Iran."On X, commentators dogged Graham as they pointed out that these achievements were what was already in place before Trump started the war."We've achieved opening the Strait that was open before the war that Trump lost," wrote Ben Rhodes, a former Obama foreign policy advisor and political writer."The big achievement of the war, according to Lindsey Graham, is that things will hopefully go back to the way they were before the war," MeidasTouch, a political news network, piled on."Trump started the fighting and is responsible for the closing of the Strait," agreed Norman Ornstein, a political scientist and contributing editor for The Atlantic. "So he is giving Iran tons of money, draining $50 billion or more from taxpayers, depleting our vital stocks, bloodshed from our military, oil, helium, and fertilizer prices up, to return to status quo ante.""Not only were the straits open before Trump initiated combat operations, but the U.S. could have very likely prevented Iran from closing them & clearly was not able to/did not prioritize that part of mission," senior national security reporter Zachary Cohen wrote. "Now, Iran has demonstrated it can successfully close them."
Trump appears disoriented and wandering among world leaders at G7 summit
The internet mocked President Donald Trump after photos and video footage showed him wandering off the stage among world leaders at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday.Trump was in Évian-les-Bains discussing the Iran agreement and during a family photo, he appeared to be somewhat disoriented, moving away from the group of dignitaries who tried to direct him back to the group. Another photo also revealed Trump needed a helping hand from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to climb a single step for the photo opportunity.Media and political commentators caught the moment and reacted to what they saw."Every picture tells a story," anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project wrote on X. "Trump seems dazed and confused at G7.""A confused Trump wanders off in the wrong direction and has to be guided back in front of G7 world leaders," the Democratic Party posted on X."WATCH: Here’s a very confusing Donald Trump wandering off in the wrong direction and had to be guided back in front of G7 world leaders. Does he actually know where he’s going?" Progressive social media commentator Lucas Sanders wrote on X."Trump starts wandering off in the wrong direction after a G7 photo and world leaders have to step in and redirect him," media organization MeidasTouch wrote on X."They almost had to issue a Silver Alert," investor and strategist Daniel Micovic wrote on X.Trump starts wandering off in the wrong direction after a G7 photo and world leaders have to step in and redirect him pic.twitter.com/ahFNRXIsYi— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) June 16, 2026
Trump's Iran deal already in jeopardy as key provision may be illegal: analysis
President Donald Trump's controversial Iran deal may already be about to hit a brick wall — and it's all thanks to rules Trump and his own congressional allies put in place.According to Punchbowl News, Trump's State Department "triggered a provision in the 2024 Ukraine-Israel supplemental funding bill that prevents the president from removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)."This could be a huge problem for the specific aspect of the memorandum of understanding with Iran that requires the U.S. to give sanctions relief, Andrew Desiderio noted on X.In 2024, he said, senators "slipped a provision into the 2024 Ukraine supplemental that requires State to tell Congress every 180 days" if the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps perpetrated drone attacks against Americans, and if so, "the IRGC can’t be removed from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list for four years." The IRGC being delisted "would almost certainly be required to implement the broad sanctions relief the admin has outlined," he continued.The problem is, "Last April, the State Dept formally told Congress that the IRGC had indeed attacked Americans w/ drones, adding that this is 'sufficient to meet the statutory criteria' to bar removal of IRGC from FTO list for 4 years," said Desiderio.Trump theoretically has the power to waive this rule if it's deemed "vital" to national security, Desiderio added — but that would be a "tough sell" for Republicans, who near-universally backed Trump's original decision to declare the IRGC a foreign terrorist organization in the first place.
Jair Bolsonaro’s son sentenced to four years in jail for seeking US interference in father’s Brazil coup trial
Brazil supreme court finds that Eduardo Bolsonaro – who resides in the US - tried to get sanctions put on judges trying ex-president over coup plotBrazil’s supreme court has sentenced Eduardo Bolsonaro to four years and two months in prison after finding him guilty of courting US interference in his father’s coup plot trial last year.The office of Brazil’s prosecutor general had charged Eduardo Bolsonaro – who lives in the US - courting interference from the Trump administration to help Jair Bolsonaro’s case, by imposing sanctions on the court’s justices and tariffs on Brazilian goods. Continue reading...
'Pure cinema': Internet reacts as wobbly Trump leans on foreign leader at G7
President Donald Trump needed a helping hand from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to climb a single step at the G7 family photo.The moment unfolded Tuesday at the 52nd G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France — and the White House's own Rapid Response account posted the clip, describing Trump gathering "with world leaders prior to the start of a cultural showcase and concert."The Daily Beast reported Monday that the 80-year-old president had gingerly descended Air Force One steps upon arriving in France.Trump told military generals in September he walks stairs "very slowly" — "just try not to fall because it doesn't work out well."At a Navy anniversary address in October, he went further: "I have to be careful because one day I'm gonna probably fall.""[Trump] clutches Modi for support as he tries to climb a single small step," political video journalist Aaron Rupar posted on X, alongside a wire photo by Getty photographer Evelyn Hockstein.The Indian press corps took note. WION diplomatic editor Sidhant Sibal noted that Modi "gives a helping hand to US President Trump."NDTV Senior Executive Editor Aditya Raj Kaul called it a "great metaphor of the times we live in.""Pure cinema," Firstpost journalist Shubhangi Sharma wrote.The two men then stepped off the platform together, holding hands, Hindustan Times America correspondent Shashank Mattoo noted.
Republicans fear Trump's deal is 'too little, too late' to save them at the polls: report
Despite President Trump's Iran war peace deal, suspiciously announced on the weekend of his birthday, Republican campaign consultants and candidates are still bracing for a GOP midterm disaster, convinced that voter economic anxiety has hardened beyond repair before voters head to the polls.GOP insiders close to the White House openly acknowledge that even if gas prices drop, the damage is already done. Voter perceptions of economic hardship are "baked in and irreversible," according to Republicans interviewed for Politico reporting.According to the report, the political math is shaping up to be devastating for Republicans. Trump and the GOP were already grappling with affordability concerns before the Iran war began at the end of February. Merely returning to pre-war economic conditions won't be enough to shift voter sentiment, GOP strategists argue—particularly given that economic anxiety is the primary driver of midterm voting behavior."Economically, I don't think there's time. I think it's too late, essentially, to really change a voter's mood," confided one Republican to Politico. "But I mean, hey, I'll take it. We'll take whatever we get, right?"The White House strategy is now damage control: laser-focused messaging that Trump improved the economy in his first term and can do it again—and that now the war is over, economic recovery can resume."The argument is: Trump improved the economy in the first term, he can do it again, he knows how to do it, and now the war is over, we're going to get back to it," said a White House insider. "The economic trend pre-war was actually pretty decent. Could we get back to it fast enough? I don't think so, but let's try."However, as Politico is reporting, the Iran deal's durability is uncertain. While the U.S. and Iran have digitally signed a framework agreement to end the war, neither side has published the text, leaving critical questions unanswered about tolls for strait transiting and Iran's nuclear commitments. Israel's stated plan to remain "indefinitely" in Lebanon further threatens the agreement's viability.A senior U.S. official acknowledged that Hormuz would be "open toll-free for 60 days," with permanent reopening remaining one of many ongoing negotiation points. Oil tanker owners remain hesitant to transit the strait due to mines and attack risks, the official conceded."I think we'll get a very long way there over the next couple of weeks, but it's going to take a little time because you have some crews that are extremely risk averse," the official told Politico. Gas price relief faces a ceiling regardless. Global oil inventories have been thoroughly drained to multi-decade lows—the market is missing more than a billion gallons of crude oil supply. If the deal holds, prices could dip below $4 a gallon, according to Bob McNally, head of energy consulting firm Rapidan Energy and a former George W. Bush administration energy adviser. But low inventories will eventually reverse that trend.If negotiations fracture, prices could spike above $5 a gallon. Either way, volatility will likely persist beyond summer as new oil supply reaches markets.For Republicans facing midterm voters already convinced the economy is broken, even temporary gas price relief may come "too little, too late," Politico's Megan Messerly and Scott Waldman wrote.
Frustrated GOP lawmakers are trapped in an 'information vacuum' by Trump: report
Key Republican lawmakers are expressing alarm and frustration over President Donald Trump's refusal to share details of his Iran peace agreement, particularly after Vice President JD Vance revealed the entire deal consists of just one and a half pages.According to Politico reporter Jordain Carney and Connor O'Brien, GOP lawmakers—especially Iran hawks—are demanding a say in what the president is agreeing to, particularly after Trump dispatched Vance to sign the accord without Senate input.GOP senators are operating in an "information vacuum," forced to raise concerns and issue uncharacteristic criticism of the White House for keeping them in the dark about a potentially historic agreement.The frustration is bipartisan in its origins. Even most Republicans agree: Congress needs the details immediately, and any agreement affecting Iran's nuclear program must eventually face a congressional vote."If you want a deal to last, it can't be an executive agreement," said Sen. James Lankford (R-OK). "We've got to have a vote of Congress to be able to solidify it long term."Trump withdrew from the original Iran nuclear agreement in his first term. Now he's back with a deal that—pending text release and final negotiations—could mirror Obama's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That prospect has infuriated both defense hawks who despised the original agreement and Democrats who believe Trump should never have abandoned it, Politico is reporting.Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a prominent defense hawk, told reporters he was "pulling for a deal" while simultaneously raising red flags about serious discrepancies in the terms being described."The MOU being described by us sounds really very good; the MOU being described by Iran sounds awful," Graham said, highlighting the fundamental problem: no one knows what's actually in the agreement.Graham pressed the core issue: "If they can enrich uranium anywhere at all, then it's the same as JCPOA. If they can't enrich, then that makes it a good deal. I'm skeptical that Iran will ever go there to cease enrichment."Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) acknowledged the lack of transparency, admitting Monday there is "probably some expectation" his chamber would eventually vote on the agreement."I just don't know enough about it yet, and I don't think even the people who follow this stuff closely up here know that much about it," Thune said, indicating the administration would brief members at some point.According to the report, Capitol Hill frustration is mounting. Senators expressed exasperation that the text of the signed agreement hasn't been released."If it's a secret deal, then how can I take it seriously?" Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) asked bluntly.
MS NOW cuts feed on Trump after his 'embarrassing' praise of Iran's leadership
MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” cut off live coverage of Donald Trump speaking in France after he heaped praise on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard leadership for agreeing to a temporary peace deal that remains a mystery to US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. According to co-host Joe Scarborough, Trump was humiliating himself and the US.While sitting with the emir of Qatar, Trump described the old leadership of the war-torn country as “irrational” before adding, “I think Iran has rational leadership. But you wouldn't have if it weren't for the United States of America, with me, because Obama was the opposite.”That forced Scarborough to jump in as the feed was cut.“This is this is one of the things, Mika [Brzezinski] that is so concerning to so many, even Republicans on Capitol Hill and anybody that has followed Iran,” he remarked. “Everybody since 1979 and the revolution — you know, we don't know what's in this document, which in and of itself is a very strange thing. If you have a peace deal that's so great … that's going to bring peace to the world, that's going to bring peace to Iran, then show it, show it to the world."”Again, we still are hearing very little about it,” he re-emphasized. “Even [GOP Sen.] Lindsey Graham said it's hard to support a deal when the only thing you hear about the deal comes from Iran. That's the first thing. Second thing is we don't know what's going to happen. You never know how history unfolds. We don't know if this war ultimately will bring positive change to Iran in 5, 10, 20 years from now. Who knows?”“But this is the most concerning part,” he continued. “Donald Trump just called the most extreme members of the Revolutionary Guard 'rational.' This is exactly what Israel was concerned about. This is exactly what his critics in America were concerned about. This is exactly what Republicans were concerned about, is exactly what Iran hawks were concerned about, that he would be so desperate that he would bend over backwards to sell a really bad deal. So he's saying that Iran is rational. JD Vance yesterday went on TV and said, gee whiz, the great thing here is basically these Iranians, they've decided it's cool. They're going to change their ways.”“It's really embarrassing for them — I'm embarrassed for them,” he added. “It's humiliating for the United States throughout the entire region. What does Israel, what does the UAE, what do countries all across that region think when they hear Donald Trump say, ‘Oh, the most radical members of the Revolutionary Guard are rational people’?” - YouTube youtu.be
Bank of Japan raises interest rates to 31-year high … of 1%
Country acts amid Iran war inflation pressures, but US Fed and Bank of England expected to hold ratesBusiness live – latest updatesThe Bank of Japan (BoJ) has raised interest rates to a 31-year high as it tries to dampen inflationary pressures created by the Iran war.Policymakers in Tokyo raised the BoJ’s short-term policy rate by a quarter of one percentage point, to 1% from 0.75%, and warned that companies were passing on rising oil costs to each other at a “relatively fast pace”. Continue reading...
Maddow flags conflict of interest behind bizarre Trump scandal: 'Doesn't make sense!'
Rachel Maddow kicked off her MS NOW segment on Monday with a deep dive into one of the most bizarre and sketchy side sagas of the Trump administration's second term: his refusal to allow the Gordie Howe Bridge between Canada and the United States to open."The big, beautiful new bridge that Trump is not allowing us to use is that bridge that crosses the Detroit River ... to Windsor, Ontario, Canada," said Maddow, showing pictures of the completed but empty bridge and noting it is "fully financed and paid for" and will be "the biggest U.S. border crossing [with] Canada" and "one of the most important routes for trade in the entire world."Unfortunately, she said, "This is why we can't have nice things." Trump has refused to let the bridge open, and is arguing Canada must allow the U.S. to claim joint ownership of the structure.For their part, Maddow continued, "the White House insists that categorically, just because [Trump is] president, he can't have a conflict of interest. It's like dividing by zero. Doesn't make sense!"Nonetheless, she added, there is something in all of this that does look like a glaring conflict of interest."There is a competing bridge a little way down the river. A privately owned, very old, very congested toll bridge that will likely lose some of its traffic because of competition," said Maddow, referring to the Ambassador Bridge owned by the ultra-wealthy Maroun family and their trucking empire. And that family "earlier this year made a $1 million donation to Donald Trump's super PAC," said Maddow, after which they got a meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.Despite the White House and the super PAC both claiming this chain of events was a coincidence, Maddow said, "that night, Trump suddenly discovers new, supposedly trade-related reasons why he is now against this bridge, even though previously he had been for it.""That all happened in February. Now it's June," said Maddow — and the bridge is still closed. - YouTube youtu.be
Middle East leaders used flattery as Trump's 'north star' to end Iran war: analyst
President Donald Trump was flattered by Middle East leaders into agreeing to a framework to end the war with Iran in a simple and very egotistical way, MS NOW's Chris Hayes agreed in a conversation with Iranian political analyst Trita Parsi.Specifically, Trump was persuaded into believing that he had persuaded Iran to take a deal better than the former Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the multilateral nuclear deal brokered by former President Barack Obama — even though many aspects of the deal are considerably more conciliatory to Iran."I think the one thing that does seem the north star for him ... when the Omani foreign minister flew to the U.S. to appear on the Sunday shows in a last-ditch effort to stop this war from happening right when there were negotiations going on," said Hayes. "He understood it, too, because it's not a very complicated psychology. He's basically on TV the weekend before the war starts being like, it's better than Obama, it's better than Obama."The bottom line, said Hayes, is that "that benchmark [to end the war] can be whatever it means for the old man's ego," even if it's not a meaningful policy accomplishment.Parsi agreed, saying that Trump "will create his own reality here."Additionally, he said, it's not all a bad thing, as there are genuinely some parts of what Trump is pursuing that are stronger than JCPOA was."For instance, in the Obama deal, the Iranians would only have a stockpile of 300 kilos of low-enriched uranium on their soil. At any point," said Parsi. "You need 1,200 for a bomb. Whenever they reach the 300 level, it would be shipped out. That was a very good deal." By contrast, he said, in the February agreement Trump wants to base the current framework on, "they would have zero stockpile. Whatever they produce, they would immediately turn into fuel [rods]. They would never keep a stockpile at all."That said, he added, "Was it worth all of this? Absolutely not. In fact, that was already achieved before the war." - YouTube youtu.be
