16 June 2023; MEMO: Iran test-fired a suicide drone targeting its practice ship in the Gulf, and fired a missile or another drone without warning ships in the area, Reuters reported, citing a US official in the region.

The official added that the drone was launched on Wednesday from the Iranian Jask region 8-9 miles in to the sea within Iranian territorial waters and targeted the training barge.

16 June 2023; MEMO: Survivors have said the Greek Coast Guard was "directly involved and might have caused" the deadly shipwreck off the southern coast of Greece, according to an EU lawmaker, Anadolu Agency reports.

"Greek authorities knew that a ship carrying asylum seekers is in danger in their waters, but didn't start the rescue for hours," Erik Marquardt, a German Member of the European Parliament from the Green Group, told Anadolu.

16 June 2023; MEMO: The widow of murdered Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, says in a lawsuit that surveillance software built by the Israeli surveillance company, NSO Group, was used to spy on her messages in the months leading up to her husband's death, Reuters reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, June 17. /TASS/: The objective of Ukraine’s demilitarization has actually been mostly achieved, as Kiev is using fewer and fewer of its own weapons, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with RT Arabic.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley’s husband deployed Saturday for a yearlong stint in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, a mission that will encompass most of the remainder of her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

15 June 2023; MEMO: The US yesterday announced that it is requesting Israel provide it with further information after the military said no criminal charges will be filed against soldiers who killed an 80-year-old Palestinian-American last year during a raid in the occupied West Bank.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s bid to appease Republican hard-liners and get the House moving again after a recent party rebellion on the floor has some Democrats warning of a difficult road ahead when it comes to passing legislation that will keep the government running.

Republicans teed up votes this past week on guns and on censuring one of former President Donald Trump’s most prominent critics, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Those votes helped get the House moving again, though the latter effort failed, with Schiff helped by some 20 Republicans.

NEW YORK, Jun 16 (NNN-XINHUA) – Crude oil futures prices posted solid growth yesterday, thanks to hopes for strong oil demand and the plunge of the U.S. dollar.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for July delivery, gained 2.35 U.S. dollars, or 3.44 percent, to settle at 70.62 U.S. dollars a barrel, on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for Aug delivery added 2.47 U.S. dollars, or 3.37 percent, to settle at 75.67 U.S. dollars a barrel, on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lawmakers in state capitols this year have been flexing their superpowers.

In North Carolina, a new supermajority of Republicans enacted abortion restrictions. In Vermont, a new supermajority of Democrats imposed a climate-sensitive home heating law. And in Montana, a GOP supermajority booted a transgender lawmaker from the House floor.

In each case, the views of their political opponents ultimately were irrelevant.

16 June 2023; MEMO: "Urgent and further decisive" action is needed to prevent deaths at sea, the UN agencies for migration and refugees said, Friday, after a migrant boat disaster off Greece, Anadolu Agency reports.

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Kathleen Evenhouse took a break from her work in the corner of a small-town Iowa coffee shop to slam the federal criminal indictment of Donald Trump as patently political, the work of a U.S. Justice Department she says is awash in hypocrisy.

(AP) --- Communities from Houston to New Orleans opened cooling centers to bring relief as steamy hot temperatures settled across a broad swath of the U.S. South on Saturday, and beachgoers fled a water spout that swept ashore on a Florida beach.