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Donald Trump praised incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham for plans to fast track North Sea oil drilling, claiming Aberdeen residents were celebrating the move, though Burnham is expected to limit the plan to existing licences rather than issue new ones.

Donald Trump has publicly praised incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham for plans to speed up oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, weighing in just hours before Burnham officially takes office. In his first social media post addressing the new Labour leader, Trump claimed Burnham would be opening up the North Sea oil reserve completely. The comment came ahead of Burnham’s swearing in as prime minister on Monday.

According to The Telegraph, Burnham is expected to stick with Labour’s 2024 manifesto commitment not to issue brand new drilling licences in the North Sea. Still, reports suggest he plans to accelerate drilling under licences that already exist.

What Trump Wrote on Truth Social

Trump’s post was enthusiastic in tone. He wrote that the people of Aberdeen, Scotland were celebrating in the streets because Burnham had promised to fully open up what Trump described as one of the greatest sources of quality oil on Earth. He claimed the North Sea holds hundreds of years of untapped capacity and argued it could transform the United Kingdom from what he called a poverty stricken disaster into one of the richest countries in the world.
He also took aim at Britain’s current reliance on Norwegian oil imports, calling it ridiculous that the UK pays Norway billions of dollars annually for oil that he said comes from a less valuable section of the North Sea.

pic.twitter.com/X8EzCXzlmT

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 19, 2026

Trump went further, suggesting that the UK planned to remove wind turbines he described as old and unattractive, which he said tower over and damage the appearance of Aberdeen. He called their removal something that would be widely appreciated across the country. He closed the post by declaring his affection for Scotland and insisting that unlocking the UK’s potential starts with fully opening North Sea oil.

Vasyl Krupych knows what it is to fight for Ukraine.

He describes terrifying scenes from battles in the eastern Donbas region where, sometimes praying, sometimes crying, the machine gunner somehow survived the onslaught by Russian troops.

But last December, by then serving in the rear, Krupych was attacked by his own countrymen whilst out searching for draft dodgers.

He says two men ignored demands to show their documents and fled. When his patrol gave chase, Krupych was badly beaten with a crowbar. He spent six weeks in hospital.

“He broke my rib, I was lying there and couldn’t breathe,” the veteran recalled in a recent interview.

“What did we fight for, if soldiers can now get beaten?”

Surge in violence

Ukraine’s military ombudswoman says such attacks are now “regular” and “a major problem” as the country struggles to mobilise men to fight in the fifth, draining year of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

It’s not a topic people here care to discuss much, wary of feeding Russian propaganda.

But the latest National Police Service report recorded more than 600 assaults on recruitment officers to date and warned that the aggression has become “increasingly threatening”.

The first big alert came in April when several recruiters were stabbed, one fatally. Then this month in Lviv, some 200 protesters surrounded officers attempting to detain a suspected draft dodger and smashed and overturned their car.

The riot made headlines as President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned violence against serving soldiers.

His controversial decision since then to sack Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov – over a clash of character and vision with Ukraine’s commander-in-chief – means attempts to address the conscription crisis will stall.

But the anger that just exploded in Lviv suggests that the need is urgent.

‘Busification’

The reasons appear to range from plain fear of the front line – now everyone knows someone who’s been injured or killed – to a reluctance to sign up for a war that has no end in sight.

The only surge of enthusiasm since the initial rush to the front was in late 2023, when Ukraine launched a counter-offensive to seize back territory in the south-east.

It didn’t last.

That’s when the “brutal mobilisation” phase began, according to opposition MP Oleksandr Honcharenko.

He blames that for the backlash.

“These officers are hunting for people on the streets and sometimes using quite violent methods,” the MP says.

“Violence leads to violence. It’s a huge problem and it’s going to get worse.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday warned the US of “unforgettable lessons” and said that the ceasefire violation proves the ‘worthlessness’ of President Donald Trump’s signature.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has sharply criticised the United States, saying a recent violation of an agreement underscores the “worthlessness” of the American president’s signature. In his recent message, Khamenei accused Washington of repeatedly failing to honour its commitments and warned of ‘unforgettable lessons’ if the US continues its attacks.

Khamenei said the alleged breach demonstrates a pattern of unreliability and reinforces Iran’s long-held distrust of US intentions. “The violation of the agreement once again proved the worthlessness and invalidity of the U.S. President’s signature. It proved that brutality, lying, and totalitarianism are the path of the Great Satan,” Mojtaba Khamenei said in his statement.

The statement attributed to Khamenei, still unseen since the war began, was read out on state television.

The remarks come amid escalating tensions and stalled diplomatic engagement between Tehran and Washington.

Earlier today, Iran announced that it is suspendingall ceasefire-related commitments under its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran has “suspended” commitments to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the US last month. “The US has violated and suspended all its commitments within the framework of the Islamabad MOU. We have also suspended our commitments; we are not implementing them, and we are busy defending the country,” he said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.

The US and Iran exchanged strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets on Saturday. The widening strikes threatened civilians and services to them, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again was on alert.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/middle-east/irans-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khamenei-says-us-deal-breach-proves-worthlessness-of-president-trumps-signature-article-155130510

The attack came after Ukraine’s intensified drone strikes on Russian logistics and energy sites resulted in the deaths of nine people and injured over 80

Russia launched one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv since the start of the war overnight, firing dozens of missiles at the Ukrainian capital as Ukraine intensified its long-range drone campaign against targets deep inside Russian territory. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russian forces launched repeated ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv during the night. Monitoring channels reported that about 35 to 40 missiles were fired towards the capital and surrounding region, including Iskander-M, S-400 and Zircon missiles.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a multi-storey residential building was hit in the Solomianskyi district.

In the Shevchenkivskyi district, falling missile debris sparked a fire in another apartment building, while fires also broke out at a shopping and entertainment centre and several vehicles in the Dniprovskyi district.

A private home caught fire in the Sviatoshynskyi district, Klitschko said. Emergency services were sent to all affected locations.

The latest barrage came as Ukraine stepped up drone attacks on Russian territory, targeting logistics centres and energy infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s military supply chain.

Russian officials said Ukrainian drone strikes killed nine people and injured more than 80 others across the country. One of the deadliest attacks struck warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, in the Tambov and Moscow regions.

Tambov regional Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said seven night-shift workers were killed and 25 others injured after drones hit a Wildberries warehouse in the town of Kotovsk, about 360km (220 miles) from the Ukrainian border. “Seven people working the night shift died at the scene,” Pervyshov wrote on Telegram.

He added that Russian air defences had intercepted 28 drones approaching the region and claimed the number of casualties could have been much higher.

A second Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal, about 50 km east of Moscow, was also hit, according to Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-war-latest-updates-biggest-missile-barrages-kyiv-amazon-wildberries-attack-article-155131356

The $65-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor links Gwadar Port in Balochistan to China’s Xinjiang through highways, railways and pipelines.

Balochistan has declared independence from Pakistan. Although it remains unrecognised internationally, it has raised fresh questions over the future of China’s China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the flagship projects under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a project worth around $65 billion and stretches nearly 3,000 kilometres. It connects the deep-sea Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province to China’s Xinjiang region through highways, railways and pipelines.

At the centre of the debate is Gwadar Port, the most strategic asset in the corridor, and whether an independent Balochistan would continue to honour agreements signed between Pakistan and China.

Who would control Gwadar Port?
International law draws a distinction between ownership and operation. Gwadar Port is physically located in Balochistan. If the region were to become an internationally recognised sovereign state, the port would become part of its territory under the principle of territorial sovereignty.

However, this would not automatically cancel agreements signed by Pakistan.

China currently operates Gwadar through the China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC) under a long-term concession agreement with the Government of Pakistan. The concession grants China operational rights but does not transfer sovereignty over the port.

Can the agreements be changed?
An independent Balochistan would not be legally required to accept every commercial agreement signed by Pakistan. A recognised successor government could choose to honour existing contracts, renegotiate them or cancel them, subject to domestic law and international arbitration obligations.

Foreign investors may also seek compensation through arbitration if contracts are cancelled without legal grounds.

Similarly, an independent Balochistan could legally renegotiate port concessions, mining contracts, energy projects and infrastructure agreements inherited from Pakistan. Such reviews have taken place in several newly independent countries, particularly in relation to strategic assets and natural resources.

What happens to CPEC?
Gwadar serves as the southern gateway of CPEC, linking western China to the Arabian Sea through roads, railways, pipelines and industrial projects.

If Pakistan no longer controlled Gwadar, the existing CPEC framework would effectively cease to operate in its current form. China would likely need to negotiate a fresh agreement with an independent Balochistan to keep the corridor functioning.

Without such an arrangement, projects connecting Gwadar to Pakistan’s interior could face political and commercial uncertainty.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/balochistan-declares-independence-from-pakistan-what-it-means-for-chinas-60-billion-cpec-project-10220186.html

Pakistan has been negotiating an expanded defence pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, according ​to five sources with knowledge of the talks.

The talks remain at an early stage, all the sources said, and could still be complicated by ‌heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, said one source.

Reuters reported on Thursday that there were mounting concerns in Islamabad that its mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia, signed last year, could draw Pakistan into the US-Iran war., opens new tab After the Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched an attack on Saudi Arabia on Monday, nuclear-armed Pakistan told Iran it would treat attacks on the kingdom as attacks on itself.

Any defence deal ​with Kuwait, which has come under heavy attacks from Iran this year, would also raise questions about Pakistan’s role in future mediation between the U.S. and ​Iran.

Kuwait has had a more limited defence deal with Pakistan for training and joint exercises since 2023. It is now seeking ⁠a show of force by Islamabad that would be similar to Pakistan’s pact with Saudi Arabia, including “thousands of Pakistani troops on the ground, fighter jets, drones, an air defence ​system, and other defence-related facilities,” said a Pakistani government official.

It is unclear whether Pakistan is willing to go this far, given that its agreement with Saudi Arabia was the ​result of a decades-old close alliance with Riyadh.

“Kuwait’s wish list includes everything,” said a Pakistani security official with knowledge of the talks. “But let me be clear about one thing: We are not and we cannot consider a deployment of combat troops at this stage.”

A Middle Eastern source confirmed that Kuwait has been in conversations with Pakistan, including about defence procurement, but said it was “not clear this ​will amount to a defence pact per se.”

Reuters spoke to four Pakistani sources and one Middle Eastern source, none of whom was authorised to speak on the record.

Pakistan’s ​military media wing and Kuwait’s information ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-kuwait-discuss-expanded-defence-pact-sources-say-2026-07-17

The US will impose a 25% tariff on most imports from Brazil starting later this month. It’s the first action in the Trump administration’s new tariff strategy, after the Supreme Court struck down its prior impositions.

The US Trade Representative’s office (USTR) has said it will impose a 25% tariff on most imports from Brazil. The charges are set to come into effect in a week, on July 22.

The trade barriers are the first of their kind since the Supreme Court annulled the cornerstone of US President Donald Trump’s prior sweeping tariff regime, famously announced on what Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” in 2025.

It also comes amid friction between the Trump administration and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva, not least because of Trump’s ties to Brazil’s former right-wing populist president Jair Bolsonaro and his family. Brazil votes in general elections this October.

What US measures are planned against Brazil?

Following an investigation, the USTR argued that Brazil’s trade practices on a range of issues from digital trade to illegal deforestation were unfair. It also singled out Brazil’s instant payment system, Pix, arguing that this disadvantages US credit card companies.

“Extensive negotiations with Brazil over the past year have not resolved these issues, but we remain open to continuing negotiations with Brazil to bring about long-needed changes to the problems identified in this investigation,” the USTR’s Jamieson Greer said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Greer called safeguarding American economic interests against unfair practices the “bedrock of President Trump’s America First policies.”

The tariffs will apply to most Brazilian imports, including sugar, agricultural machinery, clothing, electrical machinery, paper and steel.

But various products that are in considerable demand among US consumers or businesses are exempt, including beef, coffee, rare earths, energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, organic honey and pig iron.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the blame lay with Lula and his administration, asserting that they had not negotiated with the US in good faith.

“[Lula’s] economic policies are bad for Americans and bad for Brazilians,” Rubio wrote. “For the past year, Lula has put his own ego ahead of making a deal for the welfare of the Brazilian people, and these tariffs are the price for that.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/us-slaps-25-tariffs-on-brazil-with-election-looming/a-77978372

A fire at an orphanage in the province of Algiers has killed 11 people and injured 19 more, authorities said. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences amid his trip to Berlin.

Locals and emergency crews rushed to an orphanage in the Mohammadia district of the province of Algiers on Thursday, responding to a fire at the building.

Blackened masonry was visible above two window openings behind the exterior gates and emergency services gathered outside.

What do we know about the fire?

Authorities in Algeria said that 11 people were killed and 19 more injured amid the fire.

Ten of the wounded suffered burns of various severity, and emergency crews helped five people with disabilities to leave the orphanage to safety, the civil protection agency said.

It gave no information at first about the victims or their ages or the possible cause of the fire.

The fire appears to have broken out overnight, with locals saying they first heard fire engines at around 3 a.m. local time.

National television showed Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visiting the wounded at two medical facilities in Algiers.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was visiting Berlin for talks with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, expressed his condolences in a social media post.

Tebboune said he had received news “of the deaths of children and the injuries of others following a fire that broke out at a children’s care facility.”

Hundreds of fires amid severe heat wave

Algeria has faced several days of extreme summer heat, with the civil defense reporting 932 fires between July 8 and 15.

Most had been extinguished but a small number were still burning, it said.

The civil defense said it had mobilized more than 19,000 personnel and 700 trucks to battle forest fires, as well as six helicopters and 12 water-bombing aircraft.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/algeria-fire-at-orphanage-kills-11-including-children/a-77991351

SpaceX’s mega Starship rocket came within a second or so from blasting off on a test flight Thursday, but some of the engines failed to ignite, triggering a launch abort amid billowing clouds of smoke and vapor.

Elon Musk, the company’s founder and CEO, said two engines will be replaced “to be confident of a good flight” before sending Starship from Texas on a space-skimming journey halfway around the world. It will be the 13th flight for Starship, which at 407 feet (124 meters) tall with 33 main engines is the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket.

SpaceX’s launch webcast showed the start of engine ignition three seconds before the planned liftoff, viewed from a drone high above the pad. Although the company did not elaborate, onscreen data showed four engines not firing, with the remaining 29 engines immediately shutting down and keeping the rocket anchored to the pad. It was the first time a full-scale Starship experienced a last-second abort like this.

The launch team immediately began draining the fuel from the rocket.

“Most probable launch timing is early next week,” Musk said via X.

Everything was going SpaceX’s way, even the weather, until the partial engine ignition. In the end, the rocket’s automatic launch system worked as planned by halting everything. Too few operating engines could have doomed the launch. Some earlier Starship flights ended in explosive fireballs.

Elon Musk’s company had newest, most advanced Starlinks aboard

Twenty of SpaceX’s newest and most advanced Starlinks were on board Starship for release during the planned hourlong flight from Starbase, the company’s hub near the Texas-Mexico border. The internet satellites were going to try communicating with Starlinks already in orbit while taking photos of Starship’s heat shield.

Neither the first-stage booster nor spacecraft were meant to be recovered, with both ending up in the sea.

The rocket’s automatic launch system worked as planned by halting everything. Too few operating engines could have resulted in a failed launch. Some earlier Starship flights, for example, ended in explosive fireballs.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/starship-spacex-rocket-musk-nasa-455927b93b0fdc5512a4567a53eb3228

US strikes overnight hit an airport and two bridges in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said Friday.

The United States launched fresh strikes Thursday on Iran with bridges and transport infrastructure among the apparent targets, as Tehran responded with attacks on US allies in the Gulf.

The rekindled fighting over the vital Strait of Hormuz came a month after the signing of a preliminary deal that aimed to end the conflict, which broke out in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it was conducting a new wave of strikes on Thursday evening to “further degrade Iranian military capabilities” — the sixth straight night of attacks by American forces.

Iranian state media reported strikes on two bridges, a railway station and an airport in the southern part of the Islamic republic, near the strategic strait, which is crucial to global oil and gas flows.

Three people were killed in the attack on the bridges in Hormozgan province, state TV said on Telegram.

State TV in Tehran earlier reported two explosions in the western city of Bushehr — home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear plant — in a “continuation of the American enemy aggression”.

Tehran had earlier warned it would target infrastructure across the region if US President Donald Trump followed through on a threat to attack power plants and bridges in Iran — though the White House said he remained “open to diplomacy”.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Thursday that they struck a US airbase in Jordan with ballistic missiles in response to what they described as an American attack near a children’s cancer hospital, near Ahvaz in the southwest.
‘Never back down’

Iranian state media said the hospital was evacuated following US airstrikes on the area that foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei slammed as “barbaric”.

Hani, a 34-year-old teacher from Ahvaz, said the strikes were “very intense”, adding: “My hands are shaking. There were at least 11, 12 explosions. My ears are exploding.”

US allies in the Gulf, meanwhile, responded to attacks, with Kuwait saying early Friday its air defences were again combatting missile and drone attacks, and Bahrain sounding air raid sirens.

A senior Iranian military spokesman called for the US to withdraw from the region, saying “we will never back down over the Strait of Hormuz”, state TV reported.

The Strait of Hormuz was briefly reopened after the US-Iran deal in June, but Tehran said last week it would be closed again “until the US ends its aggression”.

The United States has also reimposed its blockade of Iran’s ports.

On Thursday, the American military said forces had boarded a ship in the Gulf of Oman to “ensure full compliance”, adding that three vessels had been redirected since the blockade resumed.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-strikes-hit-bridges-airport-in-iran-report-11782076?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

U.S. President Donald Trump declassified intelligence on Thursday that he maintained showed Chinese interference in U.S. elections, reviving his long-running attacks on election security despite a U.S. intelligence assessment that found no evidence Beijing affected the 2020 vote that he lost.

The ​25-minute prime-time address underscored Trump’s effort to make election security a central political issue ahead of November’s midterm elections, when his fellow Republicans will be defending their slender congressional majorities.

Trump used his remarks to ‌again press Republicans in Congress to pass legislation imposing new voter identification and citizenship requirements, despite longstanding findings that voter fraud in U.S. elections is rare. The bill has stalled in the Senate amid fierce Democratic opposition.

Trump said the declassified documents would reveal “shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure.” But many appeared to show the opposite, or were not related to U.S. election infrastructure at all.

The speech came at a challenging political moment for Trump and Republicans, with his approval rating weighed down by the unpopular Iran war and high energy prices. Trump only briefly mentioned the war ​at the outset, saying the U.S. was “winning big,” while listing a series of domestic accomplishments, including tax cuts and his immigration crackdown, before turning to election security.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/with-midterms-deck-trump-deliver-primetime-speech-election-security-2026-07-16

Iran said it no longer considers itself bound by June 17 memorandum aimed at halting hostilities, as US strikes on Iranian military facilities near the Strait of Hormuz continued.

Iran on Wednesday dismissed United States President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Tehran was seeking talks with Washington. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said it has “currently has no plans for negotiations” and remains focused on its defence.

He added that Tehran no longer considers itself bound by the June 17 memorandum aimed at halting hostilities, as US strikes on Iranian military facilities near the Strait of Hormuz continued.

‘No Plans For Negotiations’
Baghaei rejected Trump’s latest assertion that Iran had reached out to the United States to strike a deal, saying no such contact had taken place.

“We currently have no plans for negotiations and are focused on defence,” Baghaei said, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV.

His remarks came after Trump claimed that American negotiators had contacted Iranian representatives and urged them to make a deal. The US president also said Iran wanted to “settle so badly”, reiterating his assertion that Tehran was interested in reviving negotiations, Reuters reported.

Baghaei, however, denied that Iran had approached Washington and accused the United States of violating the first provision of a 14-point memorandum agreed on June 17, under which both sides had declared an immediate end to military operations and committed not to use force against each other.

According to the Iranian spokesperson, Tehran no longer considers itself bound by the memorandum after the US allegedly failed to honour its commitments.

He said Iran would withhold its own obligations under the memorandum of understanding as long as the other side did the same, warning that any breach would prompt reciprocal action.

“The other side has violated its commitments and broken its promises from the outset of the memorandum of understanding, and the Islamic Republic will respond proportionately both in the field and in implementing its commitments,” Baghaei said.

He further said Iran’s armed forces had repeatedly demonstrated that any action they deemed an act of aggression would be met with a reciprocal response.

Meanwhile, Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, signalled that Tehran no longer considers the agreement enforceable, saying “a memorandum of understanding only has meaning when its clauses are valid and being implemented.”

“If Iran is not to derive any benefit from the memorandum of understanding, we have no reason to adhere,” he added.

In the last few days, Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran has reached out for talks, but Tehran has rejected each of those assertions, insisting that it is not pursuing negotiations with Washington at this stage.

The comments come as American strikes against Iranian military facilities near the Strait of Hormuz continue, further escalating tensions between the two countries.

US Launches New Wave Of Strikes On Iran
The United States launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, targeting what it said were military assets used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump also warned that Washington could expand its military campaign unless Tehran returned to negotiations.

According to US Central Command, the strikes were aimed at degrading Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels navigating the strategically important waterway.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/no-plans-for-negotiations-iran-rejects-trumps-claim-it-wants-talks-with-us-says-mou-no-longer-binding-ws-l-10214572.html

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has described Bill Gates’ relationship with late sex offender Jeffery Epstein as “distasteful”, but said he himself had made mistakes in life by being friends with people “who weren’t great”.

On Tuesday, Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway stopped giving donations to the Microsoft co-founder’s charity for the first time in 20 years and instead handed his remaining stock to foundations linked to his family.

Buffett told CNBC he and Gates have had a “wonderful friendship” but confirmed his pivot over donations followed Gates’ testimony to US Congress about Epstein.

Gates called Buffett “a dear friend”, adding: “My gratitude to Warren is immeasurable.”

Gates appeared before the US House Oversight Committee in June to answer questions about his relationship with Epstein, who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

In a transcript of his testimony, Gates said that he had been introduced to Epstein in 2011 as someone who could help raise billions of dollars for global health, which is a key focus of the Gates Foundation.

He said: “I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed.”

In 2008, Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution and procuring a person under age 18 for prostitution.

Gates told the committee: “I should never have met with Epstein in the first place. Based on what I know now, I understand that even if he had delivered the donors he promised, it would not have justified associating with him.”

Buffett said on Wednesday he had read Gates’ testimony.

He said: “While it’s distasteful, while he made mistakes, I’ve made mistakes in hiring all kinds of people, choosing friends and finding out later that one way or another they weren’t what I thought they were.

“So, I found nothing in there that was beyond what I could picture myself doing.”

Buffett said the decision to stop donations to the foundation did not come as a surprise to Gates. The two met around three weeks ago for three hours.

The 95-year-old said: “At some point I had read what Congress had come up with, I’d read everything and all I can say is I don’t know whether I’ve done dumber things but I’ve done many dumb things in life.”

Buffett added that he and Gates have had an “enormous number of good times together” since they met in 1991. “It has been a wonderful friendship,” he said.

Gates said: “I cherish the time we spend together. I hope we have much more of it ahead.”

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz97wx2zj78o

President Trump on Tuesday warned the US will pummel Iran until “I say it’s enough” and that “energy targets” are next in his ramped-up war effort.

“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst in an interview on the stepped-up military operation.

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants,” Trump said.

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants,” Trump said.

“Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

The escalation in rhetoric is reminiscent of Trump’s ominous Easter warning, in which he threatened to bomb Iranian infrastructure on “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day” if the “crazy b—–ds” running the country didn’t “Open the F—in’ Strait.”

The president had given the regime an April 7 deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz, further warning that “a whole civilization will die” if Tehran refused.

The tough talk produced a short-lived, two-week cease-fire that Tehran agreed to on the deadline Trump set.

The president’s latest threat to expand the list of US military targets in Iran came as the US forces battered coastal parts of the country for a fourth consecutive day.

The airstrikes, along with the reimposition of a US Naval blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, are part of the president’s effort to apply pressure on the regime to agree to a peace deal and abide by its terms.

“The only way you can negotiate with these people is through strength, and the only strength is military strength, and that’s what we’ve done,” Trump told Yingst.

The president later likened Iran to a “great boxer” who needs to be “beat up” some more before submitting.

“It’s like a great boxer. You think you have them beat, and then all of a sudden he comes back and he gives you a shot,” Trump said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/07/14/us-news/trump-says-us-will-knock-out-irans-power-plants-and-bridges-next-week-unless-regime-makes-a-deal/

“The days are over when someone strikes us and we don’t hit back with a decisive blow,” said Israeli Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday (Jul 14) to strike powerfully against Iran if it staged a new attack on his country.

“I will say it to the leaders of Iran: Do not count on things remaining quiet if you attack us,” Netanyahu said at a conference in Dimona.

The southern town hosts a facility officially dedicated to nuclear research but is widely believed to house Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal.

“The days are over when someone strikes us and we don’t hit back with a decisive blow,” Netanyahu added.

He said the strikes would be more powerful than the ones carried out jointly with key ally the United States earlier this year.

“Do not count on a rerun,” Netanyahu said, referring to the previous attacks on Iran, according to a video released by his office.

“Because it will not be a rerun, and that was already powerful enough. This will be a different event, much more powerful.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/netanyahu-israel-iran-strikes-threat-6254131

The updated version also allows an exception for countries that import less than 15 per cent of Russia’s natural gas exports and are taking significant steps to reduce those imports, which could exempt Japan, France, Hungary, and Belgium.

US lawmakers have unveiled a revised version of the Russia sanctions bill, the bipartisan bill first introduced by late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, easing the original 500 per cent tariff proposal for nations importing Russian energy, including India and China. The measure, if implemented, would now grant US President Donald Trump authority to hit the countries with tariff rates up to 100 per cent.

The bill seeks to impose sanctions on Russian officials and to use tariffs to pressure China and India to reduce their dependence on Russia as an energy supplier. US lawmakers believe that sanctions would ramp up economic pressure on Moscow to end its four-year-long invasion of Ukraine, which has killed roughly 2 million military troops and devastated Kyiv with nearly $200 billion in damage.

China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan are the top five purchasers of Russian crude, while China, France, Japan, Hungary, and Belgium are the top importers of Russian natural gas. If Trump imposed the levies, that also would threaten to shake the already volatile US trade relationships with China and India.

The New Version

The new version of the bill reduces tariffs that could be imposed on third-party buyers of Russian oil and natural gas to a maximum of 100 per cent for the top five purchasers, down from the previous proposal’s blanket 500 per cent.

The updated version also allows an exception for countries that import less than 15 per cent of Russia’s natural gas exports and are taking significant steps to reduce those imports, which could exempt Japan, France, Hungary, and Belgium.

The measure also imposes sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers that do not depend on Western maritime services, on Russian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and on Russia’s largest state-owned energy projects, including Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 1, 2 and 3.

In addition, the new version includes a provision that allows Trump to waive the sanctions if he deems it in the U.S. national interest to do so

Lindsey Graham’s Tariff Push

Senator Graham, who died last week, had announced during his trip to Ukraine just a day earlier that he had reached an agreement with Republican President Donald Trump to move forward with the Russia sanctions bill, more than a year after it was introduced.

Senate aides said there were 26 co-sponsors for the bill, and they expected more within several hours, expressing optimism about its chances of passage. “We’re pretty confident on its path,” one aide said.

The bill is changed from the original version introduced by Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, and Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, in April 2025.

Why US Softened The Bill

A Senate aide told news agency Reuters that some of the provisions from the original bill were softened after months of negotiations that had gone into getting a deal with Trump.

“This is the only product that currently has buy-in from everybody and is likely the only product that is going to move forward and put pressure on Russia the way we would all like to get,” the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

The Bill May Become Law

Trump, meanwhile, told reporters at the White House that sanctions on Iran and Hezbollah might be added to the bill, saying it would be a “very big thing” if those measures were added.

The president also expressed optimism that the bill would pass and become law.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/relief-to-india-china-as-us-eases-500-russian-oil-tariff-threat-11772684?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Yemen’s Houthi movement fired missiles at Saudi ​Arabia after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control on Monday, breaking a four-year truce in the conflict between ‌the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group.
Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles “launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the southern region,” the spokesperson for a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said on X.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said they had targeted the international airport in Saudi Arabia’s Abha, the capital of a mountainous southern region bordering Yemen where many Saudis escape the summer heat.
The strikes ​are the first claimed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia since an informal truce went into effect in March 2022 following Houthi attacks on ​Saudi energy infrastructure.
Monday’s violence threatened renewed conflict on Saudi Arabia’s southern border after Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting its ⁠eastern regions and Riyadh subsided following an April truce in the Iran conflict.

The country’s size relative to other much smaller Gulf states meant it fared better during ​the war, continuing to export oil via a pipeline from the east to its west coast on the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
A wider conflict ​with the Houthis, who have in the past targeted Red Sea shipping, could challenge that.
The Saudi government’s communication office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

IRANIAN PLANE

Earlier Monday, the Houthi movement, which controls northern Yemen, accused Saudi Arabia of launching airstrikes against the international airport in Sanaa and had vowed to retaliate. The Houthis called Monday’s attacks “blatant aggression” and ​said they had ended a period of de-escalation.
They also warned airlines against flying in Saudi airspace until the “siege” on Sanaa airport was lifted.

The strikes on Sanaa ​airport were claimed by Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is heavily backed by Riyadh, where many of its members reside.
The Yemeni government’s defence ministry said the runway at Sanaa International Airport ‌had been ⁠targeted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in violation of Yemeni sovereignty.
It said government forces would respond to any hostile aircraft violating Yemen’s airspace “by all available means”, and held Iran responsible.
An armed forces spokesman later said the aircraft had landed at Houthi-controlled Hodeidah airport.
It was unclear whether any attempt had been made to stop it from landing in Hodeidah, about 150 km (93 miles) southwest of Sanaa, on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

YEARS-LONG WAR FLARES UP

Another minister said the Houthis were detaining ​another plane, belonging to the International Committee ​of the Red Cross, at Sanaa ⁠airport. Hachem Osseiran, ICRC spokesperson for the Middle East, told Reuters all ICRC staff and the crew of the plane were safe and accounted for, declining to comment further.
In recent days an ICRC-mediated prisoner exchange deal between the Houthis and ​Yemen’s internationally recognised government fell through, with both sides exchanging blame in a sign of growing tension.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemeni-military-targets-sanaa-airport-runway-stop-iranian-plane-landing-defence-2026-07-13/

Ukraine and nine other countries announced Monday they were forming a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles, utilizing Kyiv’s experience in fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion for over four years.

“Our goal is to build a shared ballistic missile defense capability for Europe,” the 10 nations said in a statement in Paris at talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He was asking two dozen leaders for help in developing measures against Russia’s missile attacks that have pummeled his country and made the rest of Europe wary of Moscow’s wider ambitions on the continent.

Zelenskyy and the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom said they recognized “the growing threat posed by ballistic missiles,” which are harder to stop than cruise missiles or drones.

“We believe that protecting Europe requires a comprehensive solution, in the form of an integrated missile defense architecture, to deter and neutralize future missile threats,” the statement said. “We recognize Ukraine’s unique experience, gained through its defense against the war of aggression waged by Russia.”

The statement gave no time frame for setting up the defense system and said the plan remained open to other countries.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine and its partners could, within the next 12 months, jointly develop a mass-produced, low-cost system with missiles that would let Europe supply itself with new antiballistic capability and provide it to others around the world who need protection.

Putin shows no sign Russia is backing down

Russian President Vladimir Putin was unyielding, vowing Monday emphatic retaliation to Kyiv’s recent long-range attacks on refineries, tankers and terminals that have caused widespread fuel shortages.

“Wherever they attempt to strike Russian territory, we will respond in kind, but our strikes will be several times more powerful,” Putin told a meeting with pro-Kremlin activists.

European foreign ministers were meeting separately in Brussels where they discussed Ukraine’s needs and Russia’s threats to the continent.

Zelenskyy is keen to accelerate efforts with European countries to develop its air defenses ahead of winter, when Russia usually intensifies its attacks to deny Ukrainians electricity, heat and water.

Ukrainian officials were in Paris to present a proposed Anti-Ballistic Program and meet with government leaders, national security advisers and defense companies who might take part, Zelenskyy said.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge last week to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense systems to counter the ballistic missiles could mark a major breakthrough for Kyiv. However, experts and Ukrainian officials warn that turning the idea into reality would probably take years. It was unclear how quickly a European system could be built.

Ukraine wants to push Putin into negotiations

Kyiv and its European backers want to press home Ukraine’s recent successes and compel Putin to negotiate an end to the fighting, although Moscow has shown no willingness to compromise despite peace efforts by the Trump administration.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow will closely follow the Paris meeting but dismissed its aspirations.

“This is a coalition of warmongers,” Peskov said. “They are driven by the profound delusion that it’s possible to inflict a strategic defeat on our country, so this is a coalition of the deluded, a coalition of those who incite the war.”

Ukraine’s advances in drone technology have given it an edge recently, analysts and Western officials say. Its strikes on supply routes behind the front have robbed the Russian army of momentum and made its progress slow and costly, they say.

Ukraine says it hit 105 Russian vessels in 8 days

Ukrainian forces struck 105 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov next to the Crimean Peninsula between July 6-13, said Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.

The vessels included tankers, dry cargo ships, a ferry and tugboats, Brovdi said on the Telegram messaging app.

The campaign is part of a broader Ukrainian effort to isolate the Crimean Peninsula, which is enduring its worst fuel crisis since it was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, and disrupt Russian logistics. Crimea is a key rear base for Russian forces occupying parts of southern Ukraine.

It was not possible to independently verify the claims, and Russian officials made no immediate comment.

European leaders demonstrate their commitment to Kyiv

The Paris meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, which brings together more than 30 countries and about 25 heads of state and government, appeared to be a demonstration of a long-term commitment to Ukraine and a warning to Russia, as Moscow tests Europe’s resilience.

Zelenskyy’s trip to the French capital followed the death of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters in Washington. Lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko called Graham “the closest link between Ukraine, our president and Trump.”

The trip also comes amid a major reshuffle of Zelenskyy’s government that saw Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko step down Sunday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said he would summon the Russian ambassador to France and impose sanctions against Russian hackers. He told BFMTV-RMC that the issue is about “a vast cyber campaign aimed at sabotage and espionage, carried out by Russia in about 10 European countries.”

Ukraine’s neighbors have also felt the war’s impact.

In the latest incident, a drone launched during Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine’s Odesa region crashed and exploded on Moldova’s territory, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday. It said the incident was “serious and unacceptable.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-europe-coalition-putin-d813eb18fba24a57f7cb2000b302ef4d

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since February 28, when he was injured in the same US and Israeli strikes that also killed his father.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has lost military capabilities and its top commanders in the US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic. He also claimed that Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who had been noticeably missing from his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s, funeral last week, was also “90 per cent gone.”

“They have no navy, they have no air force, it’s all gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone, their leaders have all been killed, their best leaders have been killed,” Trump said, speaking in an interview with Fox News.

Trump further claimed that Iran’s best leaders have been killed in the war. “They’re gone. Khomeini is gone,” the president said, using the name of the late Iranian revolutionary leader who died in 1989, while apparently referring to Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war on February 28.

“His son is 90 per cent gone,” he added.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since February 28, when he was injured in the same US and Israeli strikes that also killed his father. His ongoing absence has sparked significant public speculation about his health and whereabouts.

The War

Trump’s remarks came as the US and Iran exchanged renewed strikes over the weekend, marking the end of a months-long ceasefire. The US president has also formally notified Congress that military action against Iran resumed last week as he ordered multiple rounds of strikes on Iranian targets.

He also separately suggested the United States will charge other ships for safe passage, upending hundreds of years of American policy supporting freedom of navigation across the globe.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/mojtaba-khamenei-is-90-gone-trumps-big-claim-as-us-strikes-iran-again-11767635?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to strike mainland China this year, brought heavy rain to the eastern coast on Sunday ​and lashed densely populated cities with violent winds, testing the country’s ability to cope with extreme weather.
Bavi had weakened by Sunday morning to a tropical storm as it ‌pushed inland, but forecasters warned that the France-sized storm system could unleash prolonged and widespread rain across eastern and northern China in the coming days.

Over 2.8 million people have been evacuated, according to a Reuters tally of figures reported by state media.
Of those, more than 2.2 million were in Zhejiang, an economic and technological powerhouse in the world’s second-largest economy. There has been no official reports of deaths or injuries.
Bavi struck Zhejiang’s coastal city of Yuhuan at around ​11:20 p.m. (1520 GMT) on Saturday before making a second landfall in Yueqing, part of the city of Wenzhou, at around midnight.
“The winds were very strong,” Yueqing resident Li Liangxing told ​Reuters. “We could hear roof tiles and tree branches falling. Of course we were scared, but we live by the sea, so we’re used to it.”

Gesturing ⁠toward a flooded canal beside his residential compound, Li said he had never seen the water so high.
“There used to be a walkway there, but now it’s underwater.”
More than 1,300 trees fell across ​Yueqing, with more than 700 of them uprooted entirely, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The deepest flooding reached roughly half the height of a vehicle tire.
Emergency crews on Sunday deployed excavators and chainsaws to clear ​waterlogged streets littered with fallen trees.
In the city’s mountainous north, footage aired by CCTV showed a landslide that sent large boulders tumbling onto a mountain road, while swollen river waters submerged nearby trees.
In Kanmen, a coastal fishing town in Yuhuan, 72-year-old parcel shop owner Lin Yongjin was counting the cost of Bavi.
His shop, which faces the sea, bore the brunt of the storm. Metal frames supporting the entrance canopy had collapsed, and a window in a neighbouring ​building had been blown out. Lin estimated the typhoon had caused more than 6,000 yuan ($885) in damage.

“After it came ashore, there was nothing we could do. Rainwater poured into the house. We spent ​the whole night dealing with it and didn’t get to sleep until after 5 a.m.,” he said.

Having lived through many typhoons, Lin said this one stood out. “It was a very powerful typhoon. It made landfall right here ‌in Kanmen. ⁠We were right in its path.”

FLIGHTS, TRAINS DISRUPTED

Bavi passed northern Taiwan on Saturday, bringing strong winds and driving rain across much of the island. The storm dumped nearly 80 cm (31 inches) of rain in one area in the northern county of Miaoli.
Taiwan’s fire department said on Sunday that 134 people had been injured, mainly due to falling off motorbikes, slipping or being struck by objects. It reported no deaths. The transport ministry said 137 international flights had been cancelled on Sunday, along with 62 domestic trips.
The disruption also extended to China’s transport networks. In Zhejiang’s provincial capital, Hangzhou, two major train stations ​suspended all services and 327 flights were cancelled ​at Xiaoshan International Airport.
In neighbouring Shanghai, a total ⁠of 1,620 train trips and 684 flights were cancelled, state-backed The Paper reported.

By Sunday afternoon, Bavi had moved into eastern Anhui province and was forecast to turn northeast before entering the northern Yellow Sea on Tuesday, China’s National Meteorological Center said.
The storm is expected to dump heavy to torrential rain ​across the provinces of Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui from Monday, exacerbating flood risks in areas that have already been soaked by ​earlier downpours.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/typhoon-bavi-batters-east-china-taiwan-reports-134-injured-2026-07-12/

VLADIMIR Putin’s warmongering has soared to new heights – threatening to deploy nukes in space and spark all-out war.

From satellite stalking to “shrapnel cloud” missiles, experts say an orbital conflict is a real threat – because Vlad has so little to lose.

Victoria Sampson, chief director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, told The Sun: “It’s very possible that Russia could start a war in space.

“There are intelligence reports that Russia is thought to be working on a nuclear warhead that if it were to be put into space on a satellite would be a very crude but extremely effective anti-satellite weapon.”

If the Russians detonated a nuke in low orbit, it would likely destroy more than 80 per cent of the satellites in space.

It could also wipe out internet, mobile phone signal and GPS for much of the world.

Head of US Space Command General Stephen Whiting told The Times he is “very concerned” about the Kremlin’s nuclear plan.

In recent years, the Kremlin has demonstrated its ability to use dangerous high velocity co-orbital space capabilities.

Moscow could use its own satellite as a weapon by deploying one up close to another country’s satellite.

When in range, Putin’s crack space hit squad could then release objects at a high velocity to target the rival satellite.

“It’s basically like spraying it with bullets or a gun,” Victoria said. “The idea is you can send a message to another country saying ‘hey, if you’re going to be interfering with us, we can shoot down one of your satellites’.”

But Victoria believes war-hungry Putin would only start a war in space as “an end of days ‘Putin in the bunker’ type of scenario”.

Despite this, Victoria warns that there are already key signs Putin may be willing to take war to space.

“Russia has demonstrated the ability to blow up its own satellites in orbit from another satellite that’s in orbit,” she explained.

“They’ve also been able to launch an interceptor from the ground to directly hit a satellite to show off destructive counter space capabilities.

“They definitely are already doing jamming and sweeping.

“The jamming is interfering with any kind of electronic broadcasting and sweeping is basically swapping out information that’s being broadcast.

“And Russia’s very good about interfering with GPS. We’re seeing a lot of situations where civil aviation is having a trouble using GPS because it’s interfered with in the Baltics.”

Victoria admits she is fearful of Russia’s space plans due to how little they have to lose should they strike first.

Moscow has just 370 satellites up in space compared to the US who have about 11,000 and China who have around 1,000.

Russia is currently involved with the national space station, meaning they have researchers on the International Space Station (ISS).

But the ISS is expected to go out of service within the next five or six years – and it leaves Russia with no space base to test or station scientists.

Victoria said: “Russia used to be a global space power but its currently a failing state.

“Their civil space systems are going through corruption and quality control issues. They don’t have a commercial space sector to speak of.

“But I think it could be more of an incentive for Russia to interfere with space because they have less to lose in terms of numbers.

“They have a lot less physical infrastructure in space that could be interfered with, lowering the impact of a conflict.”

The discrepancy between Russia’s space capabilities and their superpower rivals has a second advantage.

Victoria said: “Space is really important for a lot of countries as a national security enabler but the more countries depend upon space, the more of an incentive it is for their adversaries to deny, degrade, disrupt, destroy, or somehow intervene with our ability to use space.”

Last year, British Space Command boss Major General Paul Tedman warned that Russia had been trying to jam the UK’s military satellites on a weekly basis.

Putin has also been eavesdropping on satellites used by European armies, Germany’s defence minister said.

Back in May, Putin was even accused of knocking out the GPS signal of an RAF jet carrying the then-UK Defence Secretary John Healey.

Victoria continued: “The West is definitely taking these sort of threats of space capabilities seriously.

“That’s why you’re seeing such an increase in terms of countries creating their own military space organisations.”

The Kremlin has refused to respond to any of the allegations.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16679326/putin-plotting-space-war-nuclear-weapons-orbit/

Iran has initiated repairs on various nuclear and missile facilities that were damaged by recent US and Israeli strikes, as revealed by a CNN investigation utilizing satellite imagery.

Iran has begun repairing several nuclear and missile facilities damaged in recent US and Israeli strikes, according to a CNN visual investigation that cites satellite imagery showing reconstruction work at multiple strategic sites. The findings suggest that some of the repair efforts took place while a US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) was still in effect, potentially undermining a key provision requiring Tehran to freeze its nuclear programme.

The investigation analysed commercial satellite images and identified construction activity at several major nuclear and military installations, including the Parchin military complex, the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility, and the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites.

According to CNN, satellite images show ongoing reconstruction at the Parchin complex, while activity has also resumed at the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility, which has long been associated with Iran’s sensitive nuclear infrastructure.

Large coverings have allegedly been installed over buildings that were damaged in Natanz and Isfahan. Experts contacted by CNN mentioned that these coverings might serve to hide the attempts to retrieve nuclear materials from being observed by satellites and to prevent inspection teams from observing the activities. The report also specified that the experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency were not able to access the damaged facilities after the conflict.

The investigation also found evidence of extensive work at Iran’s underground missile bases. Satellite imagery showed excavators, dump trucks and other heavy machinery clearing debris from tunnel entrances that had been blocked during the strikes.

CNN reported that at least 50 of the 69 tunnel access points examined had already been reopened, potentially restoring Iranian access to missiles that had been trapped underground after the attacks.

The findings come as tensions remain high despite recent diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. The US-Iran memorandum, negotiated to reduce hostilities and stabilise the Strait of Hormuz, included commitments by Iran to suspend activities related to its nuclear programme. The reported reconstruction work during the agreement’s implementation period could raise fresh questions about Tehran’s compliance.

Iran has not publicly commented on CNN’s findings or addressed the satellite imagery cited in the investigation.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/middle-east/caught-on-satellite-iran-rebuilt-key-nuclear-sites-while-mou-with-us-was-in-force-new-report-reveals-article-155077921

The U.S. military launched strikes on Iran after it struck a ​container ship on Sunday, while Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and some Gulf states came under attack.
A series of attacks between the U.S. and Iran ‌over the past several days led President Donald Trump to declare the end of a ceasefire meant to halt the fighting that the U.S. and Israel began on February 28, though Trump has left the door open to continued negotiations.

Iran said it closed the strait after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel traveling on an unapproved route. It warned that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response.”

STRAIT OF HORMUZ AGAIN IN FOCUS, GULF STATES HIT

U.S. Central Command identified the vessel as ​the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, saying it suffered significant engine-room damage and that a civilian crew member was missing.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the crew of a ​container ship damaged east of Oman had abandoned the vessel and were in a lifeboat.
Iranian state media reported explosions in a number of port cities.

Soon after, Iran’s Revolutionary ⁠Guards said they had destroyed a command and control centre and drone hangars at a base in U.S. ally Jordon. The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems were engaging missiles and drones from Iran, ​Qatar said it had intercepted a missile attack while warning sirens sounded in Bahrain and explosions were heard in Doha.
The war has destabilized the Gulf, while Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has caused energy ​prices to surge, fuelling global inflation and raising fears of an economic slowdown.
Higher prices, especially for gasoline, are a politically sensitive issue for Trump ahead of November congressional elections.
Iran said several ships attempted to move through the waterway on an “unauthorized route” and disregarded warnings to correct their course.

The strait — which was a conduit before the war for one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supplies — will remain closed until “the end of U.S. interference in this region,” the Revolutionary Guards said.
Central Command said it began its ​strikes at 7:15 p.m. ET (2315 GMT) on Saturday, roughly an hour after the Iranians released their statement, which included a warning that “new enemy bases” in the Middle East would be targeted if the United States retaliated for ​the container ship incident.
Trump ordered the strikes, Central Command said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Washington demands that Tehran publicly state it will stop attacks on ships in the strait, and that all lanes ‌will be open ⁠without tolls, senior U.S. officials have said.

IRAN VOWS TO ‘AVENGE THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRED LEADER’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire agreement. “There can only be mutual compliance,” he wrote on X on Friday.

The U.S. revoked the license authorizing the sale of Iranian crude on Tuesday after three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire earlier in the week, prompting the U.S. to hit Iranian sites. Iran then struck U.S. military sites in Gulf states.
While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the ship attacks, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to gain leverage in negotiations.
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Iran, the U.S., Qatar and Pakistan had ​agreed to negotiate in a call that mediators were ​trying to arrange for Saturday while Araqchi was ⁠in Oman, a Gulf state trying to mediate an end to the war.
It was not immediately clear whether those efforts succeeded.
Araqchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi met in Oman to exchange “views on appropriate mechanisms for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to a statement from the Iranian foreign minister. Oman’s ​state news agency said Omani and Iranian negotiators would continue talks “at the technical and political levels.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/iran-declares-strait-hormuz-closed-unauthorised-vessel-hit-2026-07-11/

President Zelenskyy acknowledged the interception of many drones and missiles but highlighted Ukraine’s urgent need for enhanced air defense systems, particularly against ballistic missiles.

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed six people, including a child, and wounded 29 others overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, as Kyiv also claimed to have damaged more than two dozen Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov. Ukraine’s General Staff said overnight strikes damaged 21 tankers used to transport oil and petroleum products, as well as four tugboats, two cargo ships and a dredging vessel.

Russia disputed the scale of the attack, saying only four ships had come under attack and that one person had been killed in the Ukrainian drone strikes.

In Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region, four people, including a child, were killed and 17 others injured after two aerial glide bombs struck a crowded civilian area, according to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov.

In Kyiv, 11 people, including one child, were injured in overnight missile and drone attacks, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. Explosions and fires were reported in the capital’s Solomianskyi, Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts.

In the southern Odesa region, two people were killed after a Russian missile hit a building, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. Another man was wounded by shrapnel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 12 missiles, including six ballistic missiles, and 121 drones overnight.

He said most of the drones and some of the missiles had been intercepted, but the ballistic missiles reached their targets, again highlighting what he described as Ukraine’s critical shortage of air defence systems.

Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down or electronically suppressed two missiles and 111 drones, adding that direct hits were recorded at 11 locations.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted drone production facilities in Kyiv, as well as the ports of Izmail and Chornomorsk in Ukraine’s Odesa region.

The ministry also said Russian air defences destroyed 178 Ukrainian drones overnight over eight Russian regions, as well as over the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula and the Black and Azov seas.

Ukraine, which is critically low on munitions for its Patriot air defence systems, has been largely unable to down ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound, over the past month.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-war-latest-update-kyiv-attack-videos-sea-of-azov-vessels-strike-article-155077321

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon upgraded their nations’ ​diplomatic ties on Saturday, as Modi seeks to ‌bolster New Delhi’s ties in the Asia-Pacific region.
The leaders elevated bilateral relations to a “strategic partnership” during talks in Auckland, reflecting their ​nations’ “shared democratic values, deep people-to-people links, and shared ​interests in the Indo-Pacific”, they said in a ⁠statement.

Modi, who arrived on Friday night after signing ​deals with Indonesia and Australia, is to address an Indian diaspora ​event at an Auckland arena later on Saturday, public broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported.
The first visit by an Indian prime minister to ​New Zealand in 40 years comes amid rising ​anti-Indian sentiment in New Zealand and tensions in its ruling coalition ‌caused ⁠by a free-trade agreement between the two nations.
The two countries have also moved closer on security, signing a defence cooperation arrangement and pledging greater collaboration on maritime ​safety, reflecting shared ​concerns about ⁠stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-india-upgrade-ties-pm-modi-visits-auckland-2026-07-11/

When asked about the new plot by Iran to assassinate him that Israel warned about, US President Donald Trump said that there were no new plans. However, he claimed that Iran has wanted him dead for years.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he has directed officials to “bomb” Iran on a massive scale if the Islamic Republic succeeds in killing him.

Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said that he has been on Iran’s “list” for a long time.

“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions, if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before,” he said.

When asked about the new plot by Iran to assassinate him that Israel warned about, he said that there were no new plans. However, he claimed that Iran has wanted him dead for years.

“No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no,” he said. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.”

“I hope you’ll miss me,” he added.

After the NATO Summit in Ankara, Trump swapped his plans while travelling back to the United States. The White House later acknowledged it to be a security tactic for the president’s safety.

Since Trump directed the attack that killed Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani, he has been a target for the Islamic Republic.

This is not the first time Trump has claimed that he is the ‘number one’ target of Iran’s so-called ‘kill list’.

“Their leaders are gone. Then they had another set of leaders. They’re gone. Now they have another set of leaders. They may be gone, who knows,” he said while speaking at a conference at the NATO summit in Turkey.

“And you know what? I may be gone too,” Trump added.

“Because I’m their number one target. It’s out all over the place. I’m their number one target,” Trump added.

The Republican leader has also claimed, although he has been “lucky” all this while, that might not continue to be the case.

“I saw a thing this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky. But that maybe doesn’t last very long,” he said on Wednesday.

Trump Declares US-Iran Ceasefire “Over”

Trump’s comments come after he declared the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran “over”. He called the negotiators of Iran “scum” and said that he does not like them at all.

“I don’t like them at all. And frankly, I think we wasted a lot of time with them, I think we should just do our business,” Trump said in his first remarks after the US attacked 80 sites in Iran.

“They’re vicious, violent people… so far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Trump added.

Trump added that US representatives can continue negotiations, but he cast doubt on the outcome. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bomb-them-donald-trump-says-hes-left-instructions-if-iran-assassinates-him-11755910?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Tehran, for years, has openly threatened to retaliate against Trump for America’s alleged role in the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, who was a top general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the president’s first term.

In the weeks leading up to the United States’ renewed strike on Iran amid former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s week-long funeral procession, Israel shared new intelligence with the Pentagon, indicating that Tehran was again plotting to kill US President Donald Trump, according to US media reports.

The information about a supposed ‘kill plot’ added another layer of tension between Washington and Tehran as a ceasefire deal between the countries comes under strain, marking the escalation.

Quoting a source, CNN reported that the warning about Iran’s alleged assassination plan came this week. However, another source told the publication that a steady hum of the plan was picked up by US intelligence in recent weeks, but the warning from Israel was new and concerned a specific plot.

However, some American officials are worried the Israeli intelligence could merely be an effort to sway Trump’s decision-making as he contemplated whether to intensify American military action against Iran or continue with the ceasefire plan.

Any details about the Israeli warning are not clear so far, but CNN reported that the United States has not vetted it itself, nor was it tracking it before the Israeli warning.

Iran’s Threat To Trump

Tehran, for years, has openly threatened to retaliate against Trump for America’s alleged role in the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, who was a top general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the president’s first term. Even during the funeral procession of Ali Khamenei and his other family members killed in the February 28 US-Israeli strikes, Iranian mourners chanted for Trump’s death, with mourners unveiling a banner that read “We Will Kill Trump.”

The American commander-in-chief himself alluded this week that there was an Iranian threat to his life. “They want to take out the US leader—me,” Trump told reporters in Ankara during the NATO summit.

“I’m on every list. I saw this morning I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn’t last very long,” he said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/how-israel-used-kill-plot-intel-to-convince-trump-to-attack-iran-again-11751766?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The European Parliament resolution expressed concern over what lawmakers described as a deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan

The European Parliament has issued one of its strongest warnings yet to Pakistan, linking the country’s human rights record to the future of its preferential trade access to the European Union under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) programme.

In a resolution adopted this week, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said Pakistan must fulfil its international human rights obligations or risk jeopardising the trade benefits it currently enjoys under the GSP+ framework. The scheme grants developing countries preferential access to the EU market in return for implementing 27 international conventions covering human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and good governance.

The resolution expressed concern over what lawmakers described as a deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan. It called on Islamabad to immediately end enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and the misuse of laws relating to blasphemy, anti-terrorism and cybercrime against political opponents, journalists, minorities and civil society activists.

MEPs specifically highlighted the cases of Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch and human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari, urging Pakistani authorities to end what they described as the crackdown on peaceful activists. The resolution also referred to cases involving Ali Wazir, Hanif Pashteen and Dad Shah, calling for justice and due process.

“The European Parliament calls on Pakistan to uphold its international commitments on human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the resolution states, while stressing that continued implementation of the GSP+ scheme depends on compliance with the conventions underpinning the trade arrangement.

The lawmakers further urged Pakistan to guarantee independent courts and fair trials, expressing concern over what they described as the weaponisation of state institutions and laws against dissenting voices. They also called for an immediate halt to enforced disappearances in Balochistan and the release of individuals detained arbitrarily.

The resolution asks the European Commission and the European External Action Service to place these concerns at the centre of the upcoming EU-Pakistan GSP+ monitoring dialogue. It also urges the Commission to closely assess Pakistan’s implementation of its treaty obligations while reviewing the country’s continued eligibility for preferential market access.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/european-union-warns-pakistan-human-rights-failures-could-cost-it-valuable-trade-benefits-ws-l-10202578.html

Australia’s concerns have been addressed after the big change came in December 2025, when India passed the SHANTI Act.

For years, India and Australia had a civil nuclear agreement on paper. But one crucial piece was missing – uranium. Despite signing a framework over a decade ago, Australia never operationalised uranium exports to India because of concerns over India’s civil nuclear laws and safeguards. That hesitation has finally ended during PM Narendra Modi’s current visit to Melbourne.

Australia’s concerns have been addressed after the big change came in December 2025, when India passed the SHANTI Act, a sweeping overhaul of its civil nuclear framework. The law opened the sector to private and foreign participation under a regulated licensing system and updated rules that had remained largely unchanged for decades.

The timing is significant. India wants to dramatically expand its nuclear power programme – from the current 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047. That ambition will require technology, investment and, most importantly, a steady supply of uranium.

This is where Australia comes in. Home to nearly 28 per cent of the world’s known uranium reserves, it is one of the few countries that can become a long-term and reliable supplier. The new legal framework appears to have addressed Canberra’s concerns, allowing the two sides to finally activate an agreement that had remained dormant for years.

The story, however, is bigger than energy.

It reflects how much the relationship between India and Australia has evolved. In 2010, Canberra refused to sell uranium to India because New Delhi was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). That decision defined Australia’s approach for years.

Today, the same country is ready to supply uranium.

What changed wasn’t India’s NPT status – it remains outside the treaty. What changed was the level of strategic trust. India’s strong non-proliferation record, closer ties with Australia through forums such as the Quad, and the reforms brought in through the SHANTI Act have together altered the equation.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/from-no-to-nuclear-why-australia-is-finally-selling-uranium-to-india-ws-l-10202518.html

Russian forces are trying to counter Ukrainian “mid-strike” drone attacks by camouflaging cargoes and installing powerful jamming systems to disrupt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system, Ukrainian drone commanders and pilots told ​Reuters.
Kyiv’s development of “mid-strike” drones that can hit targets dozens of kilometres behind front lines accurately and cheaply, and are often flown via Starlink, has transformed the war ‌in Ukraine.

In a concerted mid-strike campaign this year, Ukraine has attacked supply lines, fuel storage facilities, air-defence installations and command centres, disrupting Russian forces’ logistics and causing fuel shortages in Russian-occupied Crimea.
But Russia is now developing many ways to try to counter the mid-range strikes, four drone commanders and pilots told a Reuters crew that visited Ukraine’s 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment at work in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

JAMMING DEVICES

Russia’s methods to protect fuel and other military ​supplies range from hiding shipments in civilian vehicles to using sophisticated electronic jamming devices to block connections used to pilot the drones, they said.

Jamming devices have been installed by ​Russia near towns and military facilities, including some that can disrupt the Starlink systems operated by Musk’s SpaceX, they said.
Most of Ukraine’s mid-strike missions ⁠are flown using Starlink, which allows a pilot to remotely communicate with a drone and had been considered largely immune to jamming.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukraine’s defence ministry, said Russia ​was deploying a jamming system called the Volna Kupol Garant that emits a signal strong enough to destabilise the Starlink connection in an area of about 20 square km (7.7 square miles). He added ​that about 10 had been detected so far.
However, the system is itself a prominent target for Ukrainian drone crews keen to knock out any impediment to their flights.
The 422nd regiment has taken part in operations to hit two of these systems, including one that was struck several hours after being detected in a joint mission with the SBU security service, Kolesnyk said.

A video of one attack showed a large explosion as a drone struck ​a site containing six large boxes resembling trailers.
“As soon as we struck that installation, our Starlink-equipped (drones) flew without problems,” said a crew commander who uses the callsign ‘Dyryhent’.
Musk has meanwhile cut ​Russian forces off from using Starlink to stop Moscow using it in its own drone strikes.
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment for this story, nor did Russia’s defence ministry. Reuters was not able ‌to independently ⁠verify the tactics being used by Russia to avoid strikes.

MILITARY SUPPLIES IN CIVILIAN VEHICLES

During Reuters’ visit to the 422nd regiment, Ukrainian soldiers operating in a field in the dim red glow of headtorches loaded a warhead packed with high explosive into a winged drone. Its propeller engine spluttered and then roared into life.

Launched by a catapult, the “Zozulya” (“Cuckoo”) drone flew southeast towards Crimea under cover of darkness, targeting a base used by Russian drone pilots.
Kolesnyk and other drone commanders outlined some of the tactics Moscow is using to protect fuel and other supplies.
“We hit water tankers and the ​tankers were burning because there was gasoline inside,” ​Kolesnyk said. “We’ve hit painted-up milk trucks that ⁠had diesel fuel in them.”
Russian forces now run small convoys of fuel tankers protected by pickup trucks with mounted machine guns, take smaller roads to avoid surveillance and use civilian vehicles to carry supplies, the Ukrainian commanders said.
Ukraine’s military intelligence told Reuters Russian forces were using small civilian ​cars, quadbikes and motorcycles to transport fuel, ammunition and provisions to the front.
They also use camouflaged dugouts, abandoned buildings and agricultural structures to ​conceal supplies and civilian petrol ⁠stations to store fuel for the military, it said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russia-tries-jam-musks-starlink-systems-counter-ukrainian-drones-2026-07-08/

The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of ‌Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
The latest round of attacks, which the U.S. said was carried out in response to Tuesday’s assault on three cargo ships transiting the strait, came hours after President Donald Trump said he believed an interim ceasefire with Iran to be “over.”

“U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM, the U.S. military’s Middle East ​command, wrote on X.
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
The U.S. strikes rattled several cities along Iran’s southern coast ​and left some areas without power. Iran responded with a second day of attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, both home to U.S. military bases.

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said it ⁠was intercepting missiles and drones, while Qatar briefly issued an “elevated security threat” alert before later giving the all-clear.
The U.S. strikes against Iran on Wednesday will be greater in number than the ones carried out on Tuesday, a U.S. official ​told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Control of the strait, through which a ​fifth of global oil supplies passed before the war, has given Tehran immense leverage, effectively allowing it to force a stalemate with the world’s most powerful military. While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the ship attacks, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to gain leverage in negotiations.

“The U.S. has yet to learn that bullying and breaking its commitments no longer come without a cost. Let me be clear: If you strike, you will be struck back,” Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, wrote on X.
“The Strait of ​Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through U.S. threats.”
The latest exchange of strikes appeared to dim hopes of turning a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 into a permanent deal to end the war, which began with ​U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.

Asked before a NATO summit in Turkey on Wednesday whether the memorandum of understanding was over, Trump said: “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them.”
“If we ‌make a ⁠deal with Iran I’m not sure that will stick,” Trump later said. “I found them to be very dishonourable people.”
But Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to escalate military action before backing off, said he did not expect a return to full-fledged war, and that it was not clear whether the negotiations on reaching a permanent deal would continue.
Also on Wednesday, Trump said he did not think the war would restart: “Anything that happens is going to be over very quickly … and will only make it safer, including for oil.”
Wednesday’s attacks pushed oil prices higher, with Brent crude futures rising about 1% to $78.80 a barrel by 0054 GMT. Even so, prices remained well below the late-April peak of more than $120 a barrel.

MAJOR IRAN PORT CITY ​HIT BY STRIKES

Iranian media reported strikes primarily along Iran’s ​southern coast, from the Strait of Hormuz to the ⁠Gulf of Oman.
Among the locations hit were Bandar Abbas, home to Iran’s largest port and key navy and Revolutionary Guards facilities on the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Konarak and Chabahar, neighbouring coastal cities near Iran’s border with Pakistan.
Electricity had been restored to most areas of Chabahar after strikes knocked out power for some in the ​city, Mehr news agency reported, citing the local utility. Media also reported that a maritime traffic control tower in Chabahar was hit.
A firefighter was killed in a ​strike on the airport in the ⁠southeastern city of Iranshahr, state media reported. In northern Iran, a U.S. attack hit a railway bridge near the town of Aqqala, according to Press TV.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-targets-sites-bahrain-kuwait-after-wave-us-strikes-2026-07-08/

During a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, when a reporter asked Trump to clarify his social media post regarding the ‘restraining order’ post on Meloni, the US President said, “We had a bad relationship. It became a little bad because she refused to help us.”

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he ‘likes’ Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, but the relationship between the two leaders “soured” after she refused to be involved in the Iran war.

During a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, when a reporter asked Trump to clarify his social media post regarding the ‘restraining order’ post on Meloni, the US President said, “We had a bad relationship. It became a little bad because she refused to help us.”

He added, “She refused to get involved with the Hormuz Strait. Or you could also say just Iran. She refused to get involved.”

🇺🇸🇮🇹 BREAKING: Trump on Italian PM Giorgia Meloni:

“I think she is a nice person, actually.”

“Our relationship became a little strained because she refused to help us with Iran.

It soured things a bit, but I still like her.” pic.twitter.com/49L6IlXxTT

— NATO NEWS (@NATO307287741) July 7, 2026

Trump said that Meloni made a “mistake” by not getting involved in any military operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

“You know, they get a lot of their oil from them. We don’t get any of it. We have a lot of oil,” Trump stated.

But later on in the interview, he said that he likes her and that she is a “nice person, actually”.

The pair fell out late last month after Trump claimed in remarks to an Italian TV channel that Meloni had “begged” him for a photo together at the G7 summit, and he only agreed because he “felt sorry for her”.

Meloni angrily denied the claim, calling it “made up”, prompting Trump to double down, with his remarks opening an unusually personal rift with one of Europe’s most prominent right-wing leaders.

The spat prompted an undiplomatic back-and-forth which dragged on until Sunday when he published a doctored image on his Truth Social platform showing Meloni looking at him as if adoringly in a post accompanied by the words “Restraining Order Needed”.

Trump has been highly critical of European NATO countries ahead of the Ankara meeting, with allies seeking to showcase growing defence spending in the hope of placating him.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trumps-i-like-her-remark-on-giorgia-meloni-amid-spat-then-a-no-help-complaint-11740285

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said that people have been likening the leader’s assassination to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei will be regarded as the second Imam Hussain in a hundred years from now, Tehran said on Tuesday, as lakhs of people gathered across the country to pay respects to him at a grand funeral and chant revenge slogans against the US and Israel.

Briefing a group of foreign journalists amid the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Khamenei, his family, and other officials who were killed in the February 28 strike on Iran by the US and Israel, an Iranian top official said that people have been likening the leader’s assassination to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

“Ayatollah Khamenei will be regarded as the second Imam Hussain in 100 years from now,” the official said, adding that his killing is a “turning point in Islam, Shi’ism and Iran”.

Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. The battle is seen as a fight for resistance and Imam Hussain holds special significance among Shia Muslims.

Responding to a question asked by NDTV, the official said that the demand for revenge against the US and Israel for their crimes is a demand for justice, and there is no wrong in demanding that. “What’s wrong in demanding justice,” the official asked, as chants against the US and Israel grows louder.

Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered in Iran as the last rites of Khamenei are being performed amid an overwhelming sense of grief and loss, with many demanding revenge against the US and Israel for the deadly strikes on February 28. The attack had killed Khamenei and four of his family members, including his 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra.

The tiny coffin of the child has become the defining image of the dayslong funeral procession amid a call for revenge by Iranians.

Mourners who have gathered for the funeral procession are carrying red flags symbolising “blood debt”, and printed with slogans saying “Ya Latharat al-Khamenei” (“Oh Avengers of Khamenei”).

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-funeral-khamenei-will-be-regarded-as-second-imam-hussain-in-100-years-iran-11740377

Russia hammered Kyiv and the surrounding region with missiles and drones early on Monday, killing at least ‌28 people and exposing Ukraine’s critical shortage of U.S.-made air-defence interceptors, officials said.
Rescuers were digging bodies from the rubble of a Kyiv high-rise ripped open in the overnight bombardment. The latest attack came on the eve of a NATO summit where U.S. President Donald Trump is due to hold talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a renewed push for peace.

Ukraine’s military was unable to down any of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia, ​according to air force data, reflecting its increasing vulnerability to Moscow’s strikes as stocks of its prized Patriot missiles run out.
Zelenskiy has pleaded for interceptors — the only weapon in ​Ukraine’s arsenal that can shoot down ballistic projectiles, whose high velocity and steep flight path make them difficult to stop.
Speaking in his nightly video ⁠address, Zelenskiy said it was “simply absurd that, in the modern world, production has still not been scaled up to the level actually required to protect people from ballistic terror.”

He said that ​Ukraine had the know-how to produce the weapons and if it received U.S. licences to manufacture U.S. Patriot systems “our production would be sufficient not only to defend Ukraine but also to assist partners ​who need them”.
Earlier, the president called for “strong decisions” at the NATO summit in Turkey, which begins on Tuesday, to ensure Ukraine can defend itself. Ukrainian air force data shows air defences shot down just four of 49 ballistic missiles in July.
“As long as Patriot missiles sit in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep destroying residential buildings,” Zelenskiy said on X. “The U.S. and Europe have the power to stop this terror.”
Ukraine intercepted ​37 other missiles and more than 90% of the 351 drones used during Monday’s attack, the air force said.

SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS

At least 18 people were killed in Kyiv, the Emergency Services said ​on Telegram as search and rescue operations recovered more bodies as crews worked through the night. Prosecutors said 10 were killed in the wider Kyiv region. Emergency Services reported repeated explosions and many damaged residential buildings in ‌Vyshneve, outside ⁠the capital.
The governor of southeastern Zaporizhzhia region said a drone strike on a filling station killed two people later on Monday.
And in Sumy region on the Russian border, where Moscow wants to broaden a buffer zone, the regional governor said two residents died in separate Russian drone strikes.

In Kyiv, nearly 30 buildings were significantly damaged, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
A search operation dragged into Monday afternoon as crews combed mountains of rubble and twisted metal in the multi-storey building whose top floors had been torn open.
Alyona, 22, was waiting to hear news about her 19-year-old friend Vika, who was ​missing after the attack.
“We’re sitting here and waiting ​until they retrieve them … She’s so kind, ⁠only 19 years old. She’s such a kind girl,” Alyona told Reuters as she watched from a nearby playground.
Reuters television footage showed what appeared to be human remains trapped beneath concrete debris on an upper floor of a building.
The bodies of an entire family — two parents and a child — were ​pulled from rubble there, said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Monday’s attack came days after this year’s deadliest strike on Kyiv, which killed 31 people ​last Thursday.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-capital-kyiv-under-missile-attack-officials-say-2026-07-05/

The funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was more than a national farewell. The sea of mourners in Tehran sent a message to the United States and Israel that their attempt ​to break the Islamic Republic had failed.
Rather than looking weakened by the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran presented itself as defiant, unified and determined ‌to shape what comes next.

That defiance and ability to survive now underpins Iran’s negotiating strategy, regional officials, diplomats and analysts say, depicting the funeral as the moment Tehran sought to transform endurance into leverage.

NOT ‘A DIAMOND FOR A LOLLIPOP’

The war, they say, has underlined Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz and enabled it to demand that any deal on its nuclear programme begins with recognition that its control over the vital oil chokepoint is a reality that must be accepted.
A 60-day ceasefire was intended by Washington to revive ​diplomacy on stopping Iran developing a nuclear arsenal, but has instead opened a different contest.

In this contest, Iran’s location rather than its uranium is its most powerful asset, with Tehran seeking to convert ​wartime gains into permanent strategic advantage by securing acceptance of its dominant position around the strait
The 60-day clock towards a final deal following the ceasefire agreement and ⁠the accompanying memorandum of understanding is yet to start. In that vacuum, Iran is setting the pace.
Although huge revenues might be earned from charging fees for vessels using the strait, Tehran sees Hormuz less as an economic ​asset than as a source of political legitimacy, said Alex Vatanka of the U.S.-based Middle East Institute.
“The symbolic part is more important for the Iranians than revenues,” Vatanka said. “They want some kind of symbolic acceptance that the ​Strait is Iran’s. It’s about accepting Iran as the sovereign power over the Strait.”

Citing a Persian saying, Vatanka added: “Why give away a diamond for a lollipop?”
According to Tehran’s calculation, Hormuz is the diamond. Sanctions relief and frozen assets are the lollipop.

‘DIVINE BLESSING’

Iran’s leadership has echoed this position.
“The Strait of Hormuz is our greatest power tool; we must properly protect this divine blessing,” said Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, adding that Iran would “under no circumstances relinquish its rights” there.
Iran is deliberately slowing negotiations to lock in ​what it sees as the war’s dividends before returning to the nuclear question, regional sources and diplomats say.

For Tehran – which denies seeking a nuclear bomb – uranium can wait, but consolidating its position on Hormuz cannot, said ​Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat with expertise on Iran.
“Iran is perfectly happy to play for time and just drag negotiations out,” Eyre said. “It wants control of Hormuz and is holding talks to institutionalise that control.”
That could mean embedding its influence ‌through transit ⁠arrangements, coordination mechanisms or charges for services along the corridor that carries a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, while Gulf states wait to see whether Washington can or is able to reverse the new reality.
Tehran believes U.S. President Donald Trump – constrained by domestic politics and wary of another confrontation before midterm elections to Congress in November – is under more pressure to secure a deal than Iran is to make concessions.
“The Iranians know that President Trump wants to get out; he wants to move on,” Eyre said. “They know they can squeeze him because time is on their side.”
Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. Middle East negotiator, said Washington’s military campaign had failed ​to break Iran’s leverage, leaving U.S. diplomacy with a ​flawed ceasefire whose implementation has become a battleground ⁠in its own right.
Tehran, he said, has little reason to engage seriously on its nuclear programme until it is confident the new reality around Hormuz has been accepted and meaningful progress made on unlocking billions of dollars in frozen assets held abroad.
“The 60-day clock was always a fantasy,” Miller said. “The Iranians are not going to move ​to the nuclear file until they’re relatively confident they’ve achieved this new status quo. They want to make sure that Trump understands, and that the world ​understands, that there’s no going back ⁠to February 27.”

IRAN WON’T GIVE UP HORMUZ

Iran is exploiting what Miller calls the key reality of the post-war order – neither U.S. military power nor the threat of a U.S. naval blockade fundamentally altered its position on the Strait of Hormuz.
“They’re not going to give it up,” he said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/khamenei-funeral-signals-irans-defiance-new-regional-order-2026-07-06/

Ukraine’s president plans to use the Nato meeting in Turkey to urge Kyiv’s allies to deliver the air defence systems it urgently needs to protect it from escalating Russian attacks.

Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for help rings with extra intensity after Russian missiles rained down on the Ukrainian capital twice in less than a week, crashing into blocks of flats and killing more than 50 civilians.

The summit in Ankara will also be a chance for Zelensky to hold a crucial meeting with Donald Trump and press home his case that Russia’s “brutal” attacks are a show of weakness, not strength, and that Vladimir Putin should be pressured into talks towards a “dignified” peace.

The latest strikes on Ukraine come as it has been stepping up its own long-range drone attacks against Russia, hitting oil refineries and military targets there and causing significant fuel shortages and power cuts.

Underscoring that threat, Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said anti-air defences intercepted “most” of the 430 unmanned aerial drones fired by Ukraine towards the capital overnight. The severity of the damage was not immediately clear.

Russian social media accounts are full of videos of people queuing for hours to buy petrol and fighting over what little they’re allowed.

On the eve of the Nato gathering, which will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Zelensky voiced hope that the meeting in Turkey would not be “empty”.

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged member states to “pull their weight” and ensure Ukraine gets what it needs “to defend its sovereignty”.

He underlined that Kyiv was “changing the dynamic on the battlefield”, referring to efforts to stall Russian ground troops in the east.

That’s also about the recent drone strikes, apparently giving Ukraine an edge. ​

The phrase of the month here is “window of opportunity”.

But as the war in the skies has intensified, Russia’s ballistic missiles are causing Kyiv real problems.

Ukraine’s air force issues a daily tally of the weapons Moscow launches alongside the number intercepted.

On Monday, almost all drones were blocked successfully but the failure rate for missiles was glaringly obvious.

Ukraine did not stop a single ballistic missile in that attack.

It isn’t easy: they fly at several thousand kilometres an hour and there just aren’t enough US-made Patriot air defence missiles in Ukraine to counter them.

“It is simply absurd that, in today’s world, production has still not been scaled up to the level actually required to protect people from ballistic terror,” Zelensky said, venting his frustration in a video address on Monday.

He has been calling on European allies to hand over their own stockpiles of Patriot missiles, arguing that they’re no good to anyone in storage when civilians are being killed now in Ukraine.

“Russia is placing its bets on ballistic weapons, and those who want peace must place their bets on protection against ballistic attacks,” Zelensky argues, setting out his case for meetings in Ankara.

But Patriot systems are in short supply worldwide and it’s not clear how many would ever be enough if Russia were to escalate its ballistic attacks further.

That’s why Zelensky also talks about Ukraine producing its own equivalent, with Nato help.

The Russian attacks, though, do suggest that Ukraine’s deep strikes are getting under the Kremlin’s skin.

After years of Russia targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including power stations in mid-winter, Moscow now accuses Kyiv of “terrorism” for hitting its oil refineries with drones.

Zelensky calls it an “influence campaign” and he will be keen to share details with Nato allies.

The aim is to pressure Putin into peace talks on terms that Kyiv could stomach – that doesn’t include surrendering the entire eastern Donbas region, as Moscow still demands.

The campaign targets have been high profile.

An oil terminal in St Petersburg was hit with drones ahead of Putin’s showpiece economic forum in the city in June. Then there were strikes on a refinery in Moscow itself, creating explosion videos that went viral.

Now there’s a confirmed hit on an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, 2,500 km from Ukraine’s border. The drone must have flown undetected for many hours, which shows how stretched Russia’s own air defences actually are.

Ukraine’s “influence” efforts also include Crimea, the peninsula which Putin seized in 2014 and which is deeply important to him personally.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d227e5zj6o

Three sons of slain Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prayed beside ​his coffin and those of four other family members on Sunday, but Mojtaba, the son who succeeded him as Iran’s supreme leader, did not make an appearance.
State TV showed Mostafa, Meysam and ‌Masoud Khamenei praying behind the coffins laid out in the vast courtyard of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, a sprawling religious complex.

Their father, alongside several other members of the family, was killed in an airstrike when the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28.
The conflict, which raged for several weeks before the sides reached a shaky ceasefire, has caused death and destruction across the region and left Iran’s theocratic government, backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in ​power.
In a show of public devotion to the state and revolutionary zeal, the Islamic Republic is staging a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei, including taking his remains to Shi’ite religious sites ​in neighbouring Iraq.

After a day lying in state indoors for senior Iranian leaders and foreign officials to visit, Khamenei’s coffin was displayed outdoors on Saturday under ⁠glass, along with those of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter.
On Sunday, tens of thousands more mourners, including soldiers, seminary students and ordinary men and women filed into the Mosalla to pay their respects ​to Khamenei and his family, waving flags emblazoned with promises of revenge against America and Israel.
Others prayed in unison at the complex named after Iran’s first supreme leader Khomeini, whom Khamenei succeeded in 1989.
The farewell ceremony ​was extended by about an hour to 10 p.m. (1830 GMT) due to the high number of people taking part, state media reported.

NO SIGHTINGS OF MOJTABA

There has still been no public sighting or image released of Mojtaba, said to have been injured in the attack that killed his father and the other family members on February 28, when Israel and the U.S. bombed Iranian targets at the start of the war.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s face was disfigured and he suffered a significant injury to one or ​both legs, people close to his inner circle told Reuters.
One disappointed mourner said she had hoped to see the new supreme leader during the funeral events.

“Until the last moment, before the prayer began, I kept ​telling those around me that I hoped (Mojtaba Khamenei) himself would come. That was our only wish,” a young woman wearing makeup and sunglasses told the semi-official Tasnim news agency in an interview.
A ceasefire has suspended the four-month-old war under ‌an agreement with Washington ⁠that Iran’s authorities say will ultimately bring huge economic benefits, in line with what they describe as a victory over a superpower.
During the war, more than 3,000 people were killed, including many of Iran’s most senior politicians and military commanders. Military bases and major infrastructure projects were destroyed causing billions of dollars in damage.
But Iran successfully struck U.S. bases in the region, inflicted pain on the Gulf Arab countries that host them, and asserted its control of the Strait of Hormuz, causing a spike in global energy prices, which U.S. President Donald Trump said led him to push faster for peace.
The interim deal reached last month includes the unfreezing of ​billions of dollars in Iranian assets held abroad, and ​waivers from financial sanctions that had brought ⁠Iran’s economy to its knees.
Trump told the Axios news website that peace talks had been paused for a week for the events surrounding the funeral.
On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf prayed behind the coffins. Masoud Khamenei was seen crying and wiping his tears with a keffiyeh – the chequered ​scarf that is a symbol in Iran of militant revolutionary ideals and solidarity with Palestinians – as an imam recited funeral prayers.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-sons-irans-slain-leader-khamenei-appear-funeral-not-his-successor-2026-07-05/

U.S. ​President Donald Trump, speaking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone for nearly 90 minutes, offered ‌to help find a solution to the Ukraine war, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments made public early on Sunday.
Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, U.S. Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at ​the NATO summit in Turkey.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he also spoke to Trump.

“The American president once ​again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and ⁠find solutions to overcome the crisis,” Ushakov said of Trump’s call with the Russian president.
Ushakov, who described the ​conversation as “business-like and quite constructive,” said Russia sought “a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia’s fundamental ​approach.”
Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European allies of “counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians.”
He was referring to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry, which have triggered fuel shortages in several Russian ​regions.

Ushakov said Putin “depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating ​one locality after another.”
Russian commanders told Putin on Friday that Moscow’s troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka in ‌eastern ⁠Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
On Saturday, Zelenskiy and Ukraine’s General Staff dismissed that claim, saying Kyiv’s forces still controlled the city.
Russia has said any solution must include Moscow assuming full control over Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Ukraine rejects that assertion and Zelenskiy urged Putin last month to hold a one-on-one meeting with him, but the Kremlin leader refused.

U.S. ENVOYS

Ushakov quoted Trump ​as saying that Washington’s envoys, ​Steve Witkoff and Jared ⁠Kushner, would keep trying to broker a settlement and were prepared to make another visit to Moscow.

U.S. diplomatic efforts have virtually stalled as Washington is focused on the war ​with Iran.
Ushakov said Putin expressed hope during the conversation that U.S. diplomatic efforts ​in the Iran ⁠conflict would “allow for mutually acceptable long-term solutions to be found on key issues of a settlement.”
Ushakov said Putin also reminded Trump that he had an open invitation to visit Moscow.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-offered-over-phone-help-putin-find-deal-with-ukraine-kremlin-aide-says-2026-07-04/

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts and President Donald Trump could hardly be more different personally, but each prevailed during the Supreme Court’s most recent term when their interests aligned.
The mutual benefits of the dynamic between Roberts, a mild-mannered Midwestern institutionalist, and Trump, an audacious billionaire New York real estate developer, were on display when the court issued ​several major rulings favoring the president during its eventful nine-month term that ended on Tuesday.

Among those was a decision, authored by Roberts, that gave Trump broad authority to fire regulatory agency heads, capping a decades-long conservative push to strengthen the ‌president’s grip on key levers of government power.
Overall, the court has been highly deferential to Trump in his second term in office, as he has pushed to expand his powers in domestic affairs and foreign policy, drawing numerous legal challenges.
Yet the court’s term also brought into sharper focus the differences between Roberts and Trump. In three major cases where their alignment on issues broke down, Trump was handed stinging defeats. Roberts penned each of these rulings.

The trio of Trump losses, which were joined by a different lineup of justices but backed in each case by the court’s three liberals, dealt Trump big setbacks on tariffs, birthright citizenship and his unprecedented bid to fire a ​member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
John Yoo, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, said these rebukes should put to rest the idea that the court is merely “an arm of the Trump agenda.”
“This term shows that ​Trump wins at the court only when his agenda coincides with Roberts’ agenda,” said Yoo, who served as a Justice Department lawyer under Republican President George W. Bush.

MOVING RIGHTWARD

Roberts has served as chief justice for two ⁠decades, and with four different presidents in the White House — two Democrats and two Republicans. For most of that time, the Roberts Court had a 5-4 conservative majority, with former Justice Anthony Kennedy serving as a “swing vote.”

Things changed dramatically with Trump’s appointment during his first term of ​three justices — Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Amy Coney Barrett in 2020.
With the resulting conservative supermajority provided by Trump, the Roberts Court has moved American law dramatically to the right this decade. This has included rulings that have rolled back abortion rights and affirmative action policies, expanded ​gun and religious rights, limited the authority of regulatory agencies, and more.
And the court continued that trend during its latest term.
In two pro-Republican rulings, it gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act in April and struck down a campaign funding restriction on Tuesday, advancing long-held aims of the Roberts Court.
According to Syracuse University College of Law professor Jenny Breen, the court’s continued erosion of the Voting Rights Act marked “a decades-long project for Chief Justice Roberts.”

The 6-3 Voting Rights Act ruling, powered by the conservative justices and authored by Justice Samuel Alito, made it harder for minorities to challenge electoral maps as racially discriminatory under that historic 1965 civil rights law.
The ruling opened ​the door for Republican-led Southern states to dismantle Democratic-held majority-Black and majority-Latino districts ahead of the November midterm elections. Black and Latino voters tend to support Democratic candidates. Trump’s fellow Republicans seek to retain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
As major Republican committees head toward ​the November midterm elections with a significant cash advantage over their Democratic counterparts, Trump’s party gained another boost from the Supreme Court. As it has done in other campaign finance rulings, the Roberts Court struck down funding limits in a ruling on Tuesday rejecting federal restrictions on coordinated spending between political parties and ‌their candidates, citing ⁠free speech grounds.

PRESIDENTIAL POWER

Perhaps the ruling that earned Roberts the most praise from conservative legal minds and Trump supporters alike was one that, according to some legal analysts, boosted presidential power under the U.S. Constitution more than any prior ruling in the Supreme Court’s history.
Monday’s 6-3 decision authored by Roberts in a case called Trump v. Slaughter overturned the court’s 1935 precedent that had recognized the authority of Congress to protect leaders of independent regulatory agencies from presidential removal at will. By freeing Trump to fire these officials in a ruling involving his ouster of Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter, the court consolidated the president’s authority over the executive branch.
“His best work has come when the limits of the executive branch have been tested by Trump’s adversaries,” Robert Luther III, a George Mason University law professor who worked in the White House Counsel’s Office during ​Trump’s first term, said of Roberts.
The Slaughter decision is seen as the ​high-water mark for the “unitary executive” theory, a conservative legal doctrine ⁠popularized during the presidency of Republican Ronald Reagan in the 1980s that had made steady inroads with like-minded justices. That theory sees the president as having sole authority over the U.S. government’s executive branch, including the power to fire and replace heads of federal agencies at will.
According to American University Washington College of Law professor Elizabeth Beske, the ascendancy of the unitary executive is “part of a decades-long John Roberts project.”
“Roberts has always ​been a unitary executive guy, since his days in the White House Counsel’s office” during Reagan’s presidency, Beske said.
“There have been a lot of scholarly headwinds in the past few years against the ​moves taken in Slaughter,” Beske said of ⁠the ruling, “but I think he set out to do it long ago and could not be stopped.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/when-their-interests-align-trump-roberts-both-win-supreme-court-2026-07-04/

Ukrainian President Volodymyr ​Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had ‌spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump on the Fourth of July holiday and called ​for “American resolve” to help end the ​more than four-year-old war with Russia.
Zelenskiy ⁠said he had a “very good” conversation ​with Trump, discussing the situation on the ​front line.

“There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have ​a crucial meaning,” he said.

Zelenskiy said ​he and Trump had agreed to continue their discussion ‌at ⁠next week’s NATO summit in Turkey.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-he-spoke-trump-calls-american-resolve-help-end-war-2026-07-04/

Tens of thousands of Iranians thronged a vast outdoor prayer complex in Tehran on Saturday to view the coffins of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader killed at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, and his family.
Dressed ​in black and draped in the red, white and green flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran, mourners held up portraits of Khamenei and his son and successor, Mojtaba.

In a show of ‌public devotion to the Islamic Republic’s theocratic state and revolutionary zeal, Iran is staging a week of mass funeral processions for the supreme leader killed in February by the opening airstrikes of the war.

After a day lying in state indoors for senior Iranian leaders and foreign officials to visit, Khamenei’s coffin was put on display under glass outdoors, along with those of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter.
There has still been no public sighting or image released of his son, the new leader, said to have been injured in the same ​attack.
Mourners filed into the vast courtyard of the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, beating their chests, wailing and waving the banners of the Islamic Republic. Women dressed in black chadors wore white visors or held umbrellas ​to shield from the hot mid-morning sun.

“Let us wail!” a compere encouraged the crowds through a loudspeaker. Chants of “Death to America” echoed through the huge prayer hall.

BLOOD FEUD

“Everyone here ⁠has come to avenge the blood of their supreme leader,” Arash Rahimi, 40, told Reuters in the crowd. “As our leader has said, we have a blood feud with the United States. Our relations with the United States will ​never be good.”
The funeral is taking place at a critical moment for Iran, with its clerical rulers, backed by the military, buoyed from having survived the onslaught with their ruling system intact.
The war has been paused for a ceasefire ​under an agreement with Washington that Iran’s authorities say will ultimately bring huge economic benefits, in line with what they describe as a victory over a superpower.
The Axios news website quoted U.S. President Donald Trump as saying peace talks had been paused for a week for the events surrounding the funeral.

With Iran’s leaders all attending, Washington could take them all out with “one shot”, it quoted Trump as saying: “But we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with.”
Trump also told the news outlet that ​he was surprised to see some Iranians crying at the funeral, saying he thought people hated Khamenei. “Maybe it’s fake tears,” he said.

Iran’s embassy in Armenia reacted to Trump’s remarks in a post on X: “You don’t understand these things ​because you have neither civilization, nor history, nor honor.”
Within Iran, beyond the displays of solidarity with the leadership, it remains impossible to assess how deeply public loyalty runs across a country of 90 million people.
Weeks before the war, hundreds of thousands of ‌Iranians demonstrated against ⁠the government in protests that were put down in a violent crackdown in which thousands were killed. But there has been little or no public sign of such dissent since the U.S. and Israeli attacks began.
During the war, more than 3,000 people were killed including many of Iran’s most senior politicians and military commanders. Military bases and major infrastructure projects were destroyed causing billions of dollars in damage.
But Iran successfully struck U.S. bases in the region, inflicted pain on the Gulf Arab countries that host them, and asserted its control of the Strait of Hormuz, causing a spike in global energy prices which Trump said led him to push faster for peace.
The interim deal reached last month includes the ​unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian assets held ​abroad, and waivers from financial sanctions that had brought ⁠Iran’s economy to its knees.

SHI’ITE MARTYRDOM

In Iran’s theocratic system, Khamenei was not only head of state and leader of a revolutionary movement, but the earthly representative for Shi’ite Islam’s last imam, a holy figure who disappeared in the ninth century.
His death in an enemy attack plays into a long tradition of martyrdom and ritual mourning, dating to the ​seventh-century death in battle of the Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hussein, which divided Islam into its Shi’ite and Sunni branches.
Burials are meant to be conducted within a day ​of death in Islam, but because ⁠of the risks of holding a big funeral during the war it was postponed until after last month’s interim truce deal was agreed.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/iranians-flock-week-long-funeral-rites-khamenei-2026-07-04/

The body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lay in state in a vast hall in Tehran on Friday as clerics, officials, foreign ​dignitaries and other mourners paid their respects to Iran’s late Supreme Leader, slain by U.S. and Israeli bombs.
Iran is staging a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei, whose 37-year reign was brought to ‌an end in February by the first airstrike of the war, in a show of public devotion to the Islamic Republic’s theocratic state and revolutionary zeal.

Khamenei’s body was expected to be taken to Qom, Najaf and Kerbala, the great Shi’ite centres of Iran and Iraq, before being laid to rest on Thursday in Mashhad, home to the country’s holiest pilgrim shrine.

CRITICAL MOMENT FOR ISLAMIC REPUBLIC

His coffin was unveiled late on Thursday to a throng of sobbing supporters, swaying and beating their heads in time to a sung lament as flowers were thrown from the bier into ​the crowd. On Friday the coffin — and those of family members killed with him — was laid in state in the great prayer hall built to honour his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The funeral is taking place at ​a critical moment for Iran, where the clerical rulers backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are riding high from surviving what they saw as an existential war against their greatest ⁠and most powerful foes.

Authorities aim to mobilise millions of people for the big processions over the coming days, offering transport, food and lodging to buoy the numbers.
But nearly five decades after the 1979 revolution, and for all the official proclamations ​of national unity in the run-up to Khamenei’s funeral, the Islamic Republic has rarely been so internally fractured.
Support for the clerical leadership is paper thin, analysts say, and the new Supreme Leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen in any ​new image since being wounded in the strike that killed his father.
Years of crippling sanctions have paralysed the economy as accelerating bouts of mass nationwide protests have been put down by security forces with increasing force — culminating in the killing of thousands of demonstrators in January.

Those deep problems have been brushed aside this week, with the authorities mounting a display of state power and mass support.
Tehran streets were tightly controlled, with military and police vehicles lining the major roads and police and members of the black-shirted volunteer Basij paramilitary force patrolling on motorbikes. Iran ​warned the United States and Israel against any attacks during the funeral.
After the coffins arrived on Friday, borne high across the upraised hands of a waiting crowd, they were laid in the prayer hall on a white, stepped dais before a ​high, intricately tiled, arched recess, flanked by national and black mourning flags.
A black turban, worn by clerics claiming descent from Islam’s Prophet Mohammed, lay on the coffin on a folded chequered scarf, a symbol in Iran of militant revolutionary ideals and solidarity with Palestinians.
Former ‌Russian President Dmitry ⁠Medvedev, Chinese National People’s Congress deputy head He Wei, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi were among the foreign leaders and officials attending.

Families of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior commander Imad Mughniyeh, close Lebanese allies of Iran killed in Israeli strikes, attended the ceremony.
Iran’s own political leaders — the president, parliament speaker, foreign minister and others — filed in to weep and pray on Friday morning. A group of generals stood saluting in front of the coffin. Among them was the new Revolutionary Guards head Ahmad Vahidi, having not appeared in public since his appointment for fear of assassination.

SOBBING CROWDS, FUNERAL TOUR OF IRAN AND IRAQ

In Iran’s theocratic system, Khamenei was not only head of state and leader of a revolutionary movement, ​but the representative on earth for Shi’ite Islam’s 12th imam, ​who disappeared in the ninth century.
His death in an ⁠enemy attack plays into a powerful Shi’ite tradition of martyrdom and mourning, in which processions of flagellants beat their chests or backs.
That potent symbolism has been evident in the black funeral flags hanging over city streets since his death referencing the seventh-century martyrdom of Shi’ism’s third imam, Hossein.
In central Tehran overnight, a crowd stood sobbing and chanting, led by a Basij ​member, as others handed out posters of the late Khamenei.
“God willing, only by avenging his blood, demanding justice for it, and ensuring that our leader’s blood is not left ​unavenged, can this sorrow of the ⁠people be somewhat alleviated,” said Mobina Razaaghi, an 18-year-old student from Isfahan, attending the funeral events with classmates.
Killed alongside Khamenei, and displayed in coffins next to his, were his daughter, son-in-law and baby granddaughter, as well as the wife of his son Mojtaba.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-slain-leader-khamenei-laid-state-tehran-week-mass-funeral-events-2026-07-03/

NATO leaders gather next week in Ankara, where Europeans aim to set aside strife with U.S. President Donald Trump over Iran and Greenland ​and show they are stepping up to defend the continent as Washington cuts back on its commitments to the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says ‌the gathering next Tuesday and Wednesday will show Europeans are honouring pledges to hike defence spending to deter Russia from any attack, with arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars to be signed.

Leaders are also expected to vow to keep funding weapons for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will attend a dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who will also hold bilateral talks with Trump.
European ​officials say they hope Trump’s strong relationships with Erdogan and Rutte will ensure a smooth summit but cannot be sure, given lingering transatlantic bitterness over the Iran ​war and the U.S. president’s frequent criticism of NATO.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump complained the United States was spending ⁠money to protect NATO members “without getting any benefit from so doing”.

Rutte and other NATO leaders have insisted the alliance contributes to the United States’ own security and that Europeans ​are heeding Trump’s longstanding calls to spend more on their own defence.

RUTTE SAYS EUROPEANS TAKING GREATER RESPONSIBILITY

“The summit next week will focus on turning extra spending into combat-ready capabilities, and ​significantly scaling up our defence industries,” Rutte said in Berlin on Wednesday.
“NATO is, and will always be, a transatlantic alliance but we need to rebalance it for the better,” he added. “Working closely with the United States, European allies and Canada are taking greater responsibility for conventional defence in Europe.”
Rutte said last month that NATO’s European members and Canada spent $90 billion more on defence in 2025 than in the ​previous year, to reach a total of more than $570 billion.

In The Hague last year, NATO leaders agreed to spend 3.5% of GDP on core defence items such as weapons ​and troops by 2035 – up from a previous goal of 2%. They also agreed to invest a further 1.5% of GDP on broader defence-related investments such as boosting cybersecurity.

EUROPEANS HOPE FOR REPEAT OF ‌SMOOTH HAGUE ⁠SUMMIT

European officials are hoping for a repeat of that summit, where Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the 32-member alliance and its Article 5 mutual defence pact, as well as praising his fellow leaders.
But the past 12 months have severely strained the alliance, with Trump threatening to take Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark and then waging a war against Iran that roiled the global economy without consulting European allies.
The U.S. has also announced troop withdrawals from Europe, cut the forces it assigns to NATO’s defence plans – including an aircraft carrier, ​refuelling aircraft, fighter jets and drones – and ​launched a six-month review of its military ⁠presence on the continent.

“The alliance is alive and kicking but a bit bruised,” said a European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/nato-leaders-gather-ankara-aiming-smooth-over-tensions-with-trump-2026-07-03/

The world’s biggest internet domain seller, GoDaddy, has warned that India’s crackdown on fake websites impersonating famous brands will make the internet less safe for legitimate ​businesses and carry global ramifications.
Soaring smartphone and internet use has coincided with a worsening problem of online fraud in India, the world’s most populous nation. It’s a key challenge for Prime Minister Narendra ‌Modi’s government, which last year received 2.4 million complaints of alleged cyber fraud amounting to $2.4 billion.

Starting in 2019, lawsuits were brought by dozens of Indian and global firms – Amazon against fake shopping sites trading on its name and McDonald’s complaining against bogus sites offering franchises. In December, an Indian court blocked more than 1,100 such websites.
The New Delhi judge however went further, ordering sweeping new measures that tech experts say have rewritten rules of internet governance: Domain sellers should not offer buyers free privacy protection by default, the buyer’s details should be released to ​anyone with a “legitimate interest” within 72 hours, and website addresses that are variations of protected brand names must be prohibited.

U.S.-based GoDaddy (GDDY.N), has challenged the directives before a larger bench of judges at the Delhi High Court, ​according to a Reuters review of non-public filings. It says the ruling will affect legitimate businesses that have names similar to big brands.
Stopping privacy-by-default features, GoDaddy said, will result ⁠in public disclosure of name, address, telephone and email of legitimate website owners, exposing them to “foreseeable privacy and security risks” such as stalking and harassment.
As domain names operate globally, not locally, the order could force GoDaddy to regulate website addresses ​across the world, it said.
On the court’s order imposing a 72-hour deadline on companies to provide registration details to anyone with “legitimate interest”, GoDaddy argues it has no wherewithal to assess who has legitimate interest or not.

The “commercially destabilising” directives may force domain ​name companies to “exit India”, said one of GoDaddy’s appeal documents that ran into 5,121 pages.
The Indian government and GoDaddy did not respond to e-mails from Reuters requesting comment.

‘ENGINES FOR LARGE SCALE DECEPTION’

With annual revenue of $5 billion, GoDaddy manages 80 million domains and serves over 20 million users. In 2024, company executives said India was its biggest region in the emerging market space.
GoDaddy rivals, Arizona-based Namecheap and Netherlands-based Hosting Concepts, have also challenged the New Delhi ruling, court records show, although Reuters could not ascertain details of their appeals. The companies did not ​respond to Reuters queries.
The legal dispute embroiling GoDaddy and others was triggered by more than 20 companies that sought the court’s intervention on fake websites damaging their brand. These included Amazon (AMZN.O), McDonald’s (MCD.N), Microsoft (MSFT.O), Xiaomi (1810.HK), and Colgate-Palmolive (CL.N). None of the ​companies responded to queries from Reuters.

The December ruling noted the fake websites were “engines for large scale deception”.
One of the 14 measures outlined by the court said masking a domain buyer’s registration details should now be offered as a payable service as the feature acts “as ‌a cloak” to ⁠hide the identity of rogue operators.
Despite the court order, which remains in force, GoDaddy’s website still promotes its offering as one which includes “free privacy protection forever … we redact your name, address, phone number and email” from the public directory.
GoDaddy argues that diluting the privacy feature will run contrary to India’s data protection law and the European Union GDPR law which mandates a “privacy by default” approach.
Farzaneh Badii, a New York-based researcher on internet governance, criticised the New Delhi ruling, noting that Europe redacted such details because publishing them had been abused by harassment and targeted phishing.
“The people exposed will be journalists, activists, small business owners, and private individuals. The brand impersonators will not,” she said.

MCDONALD A COMMON NAME, GODADDY SAYS

Modi’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, ​said this year that one person falls prey to cybercrime ​every 37 seconds in India, and lack of action ⁠risks turning the menace into a “national crisis.”
While the sweeping December directives were issued by a court, they followed government’s submissions, documents showed.
An unreported 59-page IT ministry document from 2023, contained in GoDaddy’s latest appeal papers, revealed New Delhi conveyed to the judge it was concerned about the “issue of domain name abuse” and “lack of stringent verification”.
The home ministry, tasked with handling ​cybercrime, told the judge registration details “should be readily (made) available” for investigations.
That stand is in line with Modi’s bitter disagreements and spats with global technology giants in recent years. New Delhi has repeatedly criticised ​companies like Meta, X, Google ⁠and Telegram – and even taken some on in courts – for not doing enough to police content it sees as against national interests.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/worlds-biggest-domain-seller-fears-indias-fake-site-crackdown-could-damage-2026-07-03/

Donald Trump Jr. helped take an online retailer known as the “Amazon of guns” public last year. Now, GrabAGun, where the U.S. president’s son is a shareholder and board member, could reap a windfall from a proposed rule change at Trump’s Bureau of Alcohol, ​Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that would make it easier to ship guns directly to people’s homes.
If finalized, the rule would be among the most consequential changes to the U.S. gun policy in two decades, potentially driving huge growth in online gun sales, ‌according to ten industry officials, store owners, and gun-control advocates interviewed by Reuters.

The proposal would allow licensed dealers to ship firearms directly to in-state residents who undergo an online identity verification and background check, along with a seven-day waiting period after notifying local law enforcement. Currently, online buyers must pick up firearms at physical stores and undergo in-person background checks unless they have a permit.
Some gun shop owners, industry officials and gun control advocates argue the direct shipping of firearms poses significant public safety and security risks and threatens the viability of small brick-and-mortar gun shops.
The change could benefit Trump Jr., whose more than 300,000 shares, in GrabAGun are worth more than $700,000 – down from more than $5 million last year.

A spokesperson for Trump Jr., Andrew ​Surabian, said in a statement that the president’s son had no role in the ATF proposal.
“Don is a lifelong businessman and vocal advocate of our Second Amendment rights,” he said. “He does not interface with the Federal Government as part of his role with any company that he ​invests in or advises and had zero involvement in this particular decision.”
GrabAGun CEO Marc Nemati told Reuters that neither he nor Trump Jr. knew this proposal was coming. He said in an interview that the company is still ⁠analyzing the potential impact of the rule change on its $100 million in revenue.
The CEO was bullish, however, in a May news release : “We believe GrabAGun is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this potential opportunity.”

A GROWTH MARKET IN FIREARMS HOME DELIVERY

The ATF projects that half of all gun buyers – nearly 3.3 million people a year – ​would eventually use the home-delivery method. Some industry leaders told Reuters they expect the actual numbers to be far higher because of the convenience of online shopping. Online ordering for in-store pickup currently represents a smaller but still substantial portion of U.S. gun sales, industry experts say.

ATF chief counsel Robert Leider said in ​an interview that he oversaw a team effort at the agency to craft the proposed rule. He said it aimed to align the gun industry with the rest of the modern economy. The agency estimates the change would save consumers $103.7 million annually in travel and processing time.
Leider said he was unaware of Trump Jr.’s connection to GrabAGun until asked by Reuters and that the president’s son had no influence on the proposed rule. Leider declined to say whether the White House had any role in the proposal.
The White House said it had no record or knowledge of any “interaction with the President’s son on any of these topics.”
The rule is one of 34 deregulatory measures proposed by ATF this spring in ​response to a February 2025 presidential executive order, to expand gun access.

Marianna Mitchem, a senior firearms industry advisor at Everytown for Gun Safety, worked at ATF for more than 20 years, including about four as the industry liaison. She said the industry had never asked for a similar policy in her interactions and ​that physical gun shops had historically played a key role in vetting owners.
“ATF always says the gun store is the first line of defense in gun safety,” said Mitchem, who opposes the proposed rule. “But now they are flipping it.”

‘PEOPLE BUY EVERYTHING ONLINE’

Founded in 2010, GrabAGun is one of the nation’s leading online-first gun retailers, though some competitors ‌with physical retail operations ⁠also provide online ordering. GrabAGun would be poised for substantial growth under the new ATF rule but competitors including major outdoor stores and other retailers could also take advantage of the regulations, according to industry analysts, former ATF officials and gun shop owners.
Trump Jr. emerged as the face of GrabAGun last year when it went public through a special purpose acquisition company merger that netted the company $119 million. That SPAC was brought by 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr. is a partner.
Shares of the company, which trades under the ticker PEW, have dropped 85% over the past year. Reuters could not establish the factors driving the stock’s falling price.
Trump Jr. argued at the time that the online gun sales were safe because they were sending guns to gun shops for customer pickup – rather than directly to homes, as the new rule would allow. He also made TV appearances to argue that young people and women who may not otherwise want to visit ​a gun store would flock to the company’s more accessible website.
“People buy ​everything online,” Trump Jr told Fox Business, last summer.

GUN SHOPS WORRY ABOUT SAFETY, ⁠LOST BUSINESS

The proposed rule is now in a public comment period that closes in early August. The proposal may not be finalized until late 2026 or early 2027 and could still be withdrawn or changed.
Gun-control groups, including Everytown, Brady and Giffords, argue shipping millions of firearms to buyers’ homes is ripe for illegal gun trafficking, mail theft and straw purchases, when a legal buyer purchases a firearm on behalf of someone prohibited from owning one.
“Even with the most robust ​virtual sales and background check process, there is no way for a gun store that is selling a gun over the internet to know if the person making the purchase is funneling the firearms to others,” ​Giffords spokesperson Aneesa McMillan said in a statement.
The ⁠change coincides with a similar proposal by the U.S. Postal Service to lift a century-old ban on mailing handguns.
Justin Anderson, the director of online sales at Hyatt Guns, which has a storefront in North Carolina and is one of the nation’s largest gun retailers, said physical shops act as the “last line of defense” to ensure dangerous people do not obtain weapons. While Anderson said Hyatt would likely adopt home delivery if the rule is finalized, the safety concerns give him pause.
Smaller shop owners said in interviews they worried about both the safety and financial risks that would result from the proposal. Many smaller rural dealers survive on “transfer fees” – which can run about $30 ⁠per weapon – charged to ​complete background checks for online purchases that require in-store delivery. Such transactions also drive foot traffic for ammunition and accessories that drive sales.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-jrs-amazon-guns-could-make-millions-under-new-proposed-firearm-rule-2026-07-02/

The US president described the ongoing negotiations with Iran as part of Washington’s efforts to eliminate Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that Iran has agreed to nearly all of Washington’s demands in the ongoing negotiations, while reiterating that the talks are aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Speaking to CNBC, Trump said he believed the negotiations were nearing an agreement. “I think they’ve agreed to just about everything we need,” the US president said.

‘It’s Denuclearisation Of Iran’

The US president described the negotiations as part of Washington’s efforts to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

“We’re in the war, and it’s really the denuclearisation of Iran. This is not a war per se. This is the denuking of Iran. You can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump also claimed the United States had significantly weakened Iran’s military during the conflict.

“I ripped their military apart. They have no navy, they have no air force, they have no radar, their leaders are all dead. And they elect – not elect – they raise new leaders. They’re all dead also. We’re on the third set of leaders, and we actually get along with them,” he said, while speaking to CNBC.

He further said the US has totally defeated the military of Iran, and their leftover missiles can also be wiped out easily.

“I’ve defeated them militarily. They’re totally defeated militarily. They have some missiles left, we could wipe them out too. And I hit them three times last week very hard, because they sent a drone into a ship, I hit them. Then they did something else, and I hit them. I hit them three nights in a row, the week before I hit them two nights in a row, very hard. And we’re negotiating, and we’ll see whether or not. I think they’ve agreed to just about everything we need,” Trump said.

Trump added that the United States has remained in a strong position during the negotiations. “We have all the assets. Now they are just waiting,” he said.

‘Iran Has 300% Inflation’

He also said Iran’s economy had been severely affected and suggested the US could become a supplier of food commodities if an agreement is reached.

“We have the great Navy, the greatest navy in the world. These guys are unbelievable. Not one ship got through to Iran. They have 300% inflation, they’re making no money. So we’re going to take some of the money, and we’re going to buy them. They need food. They need corn, and wheat, and soybeans, and we’re going to have exclusively our American farmers provide that. Assuming we get to the position where we should get to. I think we’re going to get there.”

Trump criticised media reports that suggested Iran was in a stronger position than before the conflict.

“The New York Times said the other day that Iran is in better position now than it was four months ago. I said, wait a minute, their military is gone. Their inflation is up to 300% from 5%. Their leaders are gone. Their second row of leaders are gone. Some of their third row of leaders are gone. Their generals are mostly wiped out. But they said that they are in better shape today than they were four months ago, before we attacked,” he said, while speaking to CNBC.

Speaking about the naval operations against Iran, Trump said that the US has blown up all their radars, and they will have to start building them again.

“We did something nobody knew. Every night, we were taking ships out through the South, which is the furthest point from where they have their little weapons, and they were going along the coast with no lights for a month and a half… We blew up Iran’s radar, they had no radar, they still don’t. We blew it up again the other night. They had a nice new radar, they were all set to go, and we blew it up last week. They have to start all over again for a third time,” he said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/just-about-everything-we-need-trump-claims-iran-has-accepted-nearly-all-us-conditions-ws-l-10187723.html

A US Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk crashed into the Arabian Sea during an emergency landing; 3 crew were rescued, 1 is missing,

A MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter with the US Navy crashed into the Arabian Sea on Wednesday during an emergency water landing, the US military said in a statement.

The incident was not a result of a hostile action on the chopper, currently assigned to the USS George H W Bush Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. The statement from the US Navy’s 5th Fleet said that the incident happened on July 1 at 3:30am EDT.

The Navy said the helicopter had four crew members, three of whom were recovered with injuries, while one still remains missing. No details about the missing crew member were revealed.

“US Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other crew members still missing,” the statement read. “The cause of incident is under investigation.”

The USS George W Bush has been a key part of the US Navy’s deployment in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. It has been in the Middle East region since April 2026 as one of the two US aircraft carriers in the region.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/us-navy-mh-60s-water-landing-arabian-sea-helicopter-crash-service-member-missing-update-101782945218134.html

India and Pakistan have exchanged sharp statements over Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan, with Islamabad rejecting New Delhi’s criticism and insisting the operation targeted terrorist infrastructure. India condemned the strikes as aggression following civilian deaths, while Pakistan accused India of supporting militant groups, further intensifying diplomatic tensions over cross-border security.

Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India’s criticism of its recent airstrikes in Afghanistan, maintaining that the operation was aimed at “terrorist infrastructure”.

Pakistan defends Afghanistan strikes

Pakistan said it killed more than two dozen militants during strikes carried out in Afghanistan on June 29. The operation came after Islamabad accused militants based in Afghanistan of carrying out multiple attacks inside Pakistan.

India condemns civilian deaths

The Israeli leader also reiterated that Israeli forces would remain deployed in southern Lebanon as long as they viewed the Iran-backed Hezbollah as a threat.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel could carry out another military operation against Iran if it deems it necessary, saying Tehran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons while he remains in office.

In an interview with Hebrew-language broadcaster Channel 14, Netanyahu said that Israel had already entered Iran twice to prevent what he described as an existential threat and would not hesitate to act again.

“We entered Iran twice to save ourselves from destruction. There will be a third time if necessary. As long as I’m Prime Minister Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” he said.

Netanyahu also asserted that Israel’s campaign against Iran and its regional allies was far from over, saying his pursuit of “total victory” continued despite what he described as significant military gains over the past three years.

“It never ends,” Netanyahu said when asked whether his Gaza war objective of achieving “total victory” was still in force. “Israel is stronger than it has ever been… We have more work to do. We will take care of what is left of the Iranian axis.”

The Israeli leader also reiterated that Israeli forces would remain deployed in southern Lebanon as long as they viewed the Iran-backed Hezbollah as a threat.

“Our position is clear: we will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat has disappeared. And as long as Hezbollah, armed, is here and threatening us, we will stay here,” he said during a visit to Israeli troops in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

Commenting on the possibility of rebuilding Israeli settlements in Gaza, Netanyahu said, “As for rebuilding settlements in Gaza, you have to be ready to act first and talk afterward. Sometimes it’s better to separate the two. That’s why I’m not going to add anything further on that subject.”

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/entered-twice-will-do-it-again-netanyahu-warns-of-third-strike-on-iran-if-needed-ws-l-10183223.html

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf said that under the memorandum of understanding, vessels would be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz without charges for 60 days.

Iranian Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Tuesday said Tehran was “not negotiating with a friend” but with an “untrustworthy enemy” as talks with the United States continue, adding that Iran was prepared for war if necessary, even as discussions remain focused on implementing the memorandum of understanding (MoU).

According to Ghalibaf, Iran is not engaged in fresh negotiations with the United States and will not begin talks on a final agreement until Washington fulfils its commitments under the MoU.

“We are following up the process of talks to implement Article 13 of the memorandum of understanding,” Ghalibaf said.

He said Article 13 provides that, after the MoU is signed and subject to the implementation of the agreed provisions, Iran and the United States will begin negotiations on a final agreement covering the remaining clauses.

Ghalibaf said Tehran’s current position is that it will not move to those negotiations until the United States implements key commitments under the MoU, including ending hostilities, maritime de-escalation, immediate oil waivers for Iran and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.

‘Ready For War’

Commenting on Iran’s engagement with Washington, Ghalibaf said Tehran remained cautious despite the ongoing contacts.

“Even now that we are negotiating with America, we are not negotiating with a friend. We are negotiating with an untrustworthy enemy that will definitely act against us whenever it finds the opportunity. In truth, a person can negotiate well only if they are also prepared for war,” he said.

Ghalibaf warned that Iran was prepared to respond if the United States failed to honour the agreement.

“If they refuse to implement what was discussed, we are also prepared for war. If it becomes necessary to do this through war and fire, we will do it. We said that if they respond, we will definitely respond again,” he said.

Ghalibaf further said that Iran, the United States and Lebanon had agreed to establish a committee to oversee the implementation of the end of the war in Lebanon.

‘Agreement Preserves Lebanon’s Independence’

On the issue of Lebanon, Ghalibaf said Iran’s agreement safeguarded the country’s sovereignty.

“Our agreement preserves Lebanon’s independence. The guarantee of the agreement is our strength, not a UN resolution,” he said.

He also alleged that the Lebanese military was acting in Israel’s interests.

“The Lebanese Army is being placed at the service of the Zionist regime so that it can ensure the security of the Zionist regime,” he said.

Ghalibaf said attacks on Lebanon had declined since the Switzerland talks.

“The volume of attacks on Lebanon is incomparable to before the talks in Switzerland,” the speaker added.

‘Free Passage Through Hormuz Only For 60 Days’

Addressing the Strait of Hormuz, Ghalibaf said sovereignty over the waterway rests with Iran and Oman.

“Sovereignty over the Strait belongs to Iran and Oman, and passage through the Strait is subject to arrangements determined by Iran, although we consult with the coastal countries of the Persian Gulf,” he said.

He added that, under the memorandum of understanding, vessels would be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz without charges for 60 days.

“From the day the blockade was actually lifted until today, we have exported over 40 million barrels of oil — and this happened in just the last 10 or 12 days. But in the previous 50 or 60 days, we truly didn’t export even a single barrel of oil. We were entirely tied up with this issue,” he said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/negotiating-with-an-untrustworthy-enemy-iran-says-its-ready-for-war-if-us-talks-fail-ws-l-10183152.html

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has claimed responsibility for airstrikes on alleged ISIS (ISKP) positions inside Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, saying the targets were being used to plan attacks.

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has claimed it carried out cross-border airstrikes against alleged Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) positions inside Pakistan, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two neighbouring countries following recent Pakistani military operations inside Afghan territory.

According to TOLOnews, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence said its air force struck multiple locations in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, claiming the sites were being used to coordinate attacks against civilians inside Afghanistan.

Scientists stumbled upon the first dinosaur bone ever found in Antarctica, decades after it had been unassumingly tucked away in a drawer.

The bone, which comes from the tail of a titanosaur, was discovered in 1985 during an expedition to Antarctica’s James Ross Island led by geologist Mike Thomson — who logged it as belonging to a large reptile.

The bone was then shoved into a drawer in the geology collection of the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, the BBC reported.

Decades later, paleontologist Mark Evans rediscovered the bone and, with a team of researchers, decided to compare it with more complete dinosaur remains.

Evans’ suspicions about the bone proved correct, with scientists confirming that it belongs to a long-necked, plant-eating titanosaur.

The findings were published on Monday in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.

Dino fossils are a rare find in Antarctica due to unforgiving ice caps, though the frigid continent was once home to lush forests.

The titanosaur whose bone was unearthed from the drawer was believed to be about 23 feet long, which is small for its group.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/06/29/science/antarcticas-first-ever-dinosaur-bone-discovered-collecting-dust-in-drawer-for-over-40-years/

An Indonesian researcher spotted fishy behaviour by her compatriots at a conference in Denmark and refused to look away. The case has sparked a wider debate over research integrity in Indonesia.

Indonesian authorities are investigating a case of suspected academic fraud that transcended borders and could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s researchers.

The case involves research that one of the alleged fraudsters presented at a scientific conference in Denmark in May.

After two Indonesian academics took to social media to voice their suspicions, netizens found that the other alleged conspirators may have done the same at other conferences overseas.

The alleged fraudsters may also have lied about their affiliations, and misused the names of legitimate researchers without their knowledge.

Some researchers fear the case, if proven, could affect the international standing of Indonesian academics and called for measures to strengthen research oversight and integrity, especially amid increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) told CNA it is investigating the allegations with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.

Together with Yogyakarta State University (UNY), BRIN and the ministry have questioned four of the implicated individuals – Rifaldy Fajar, Prihantini, Rini Winarti and Riana Dwi Kurniawati.

They completed their undergraduate studies at UNY from 2019 to 2021 and later obtained master’s degrees from other universities, Agus Haryono, BRIN’s Deputy for Research and Innovation Facilities, told CNA.

“We still need more accurate information to determine the extent of the alleged violations,” said Agus.

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto has confirmed that his office has directly summoned the individuals involved.

“They have been summoned, and we will proceed with processing the case,” said Brian on Saturday (Jun 27) as reported by news portal Detik.

Brian said law enforcement officials are now involved in the investigation to determine the specific legal charges against the perpetrator.

“We are currently working with law enforcement agencies to clarify the legal charges. We also intend for this case to serve as a deterrent,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian academic who first spotted the suspicious activity at the 14th Meeting of the International Society on Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD-14), held in Copenhagen from May 17 to 21, has reported the matter to the symposium’s organising committee.

According to her, ISPPD replied to confirm the list of abstracts submitted by travel grant recipients from Indonesia. The list included who submitted the abstracts, as well as their presenters.

CNA has contacted the ISPPD about the case and the status of the travel grant for the alleged perpetrators.

HOW THE ALLEGED FRAUD UNRAVELLED

At an ISPPD-14 session, a woman who introduced herself as Riana Dwi Kurniawati presented research examining the relationship between extreme heat and pneumonia risk among older adults.

Roughly 10 minutes later, she appeared at another session under the name Dimas Fajar Prasetyo, and presented another study on AI-driven pneumococcal vaccine booster strategies for elderly populations.

The discrepancy made clinical medicine researcher Wa Ode Dwi Daningrat of the University of Oxford sit up at the conference, because Dimas Fajar Prasetyo is a male Indonesian name.

“I found it bizarre to see one participant with multiple name tags because, typically, even when representing a colleague or teammate, you use your own name tag, introduce yourself, and clarify your role. There’s no need to switch name tags or alter your appearance between presentations,” Wa Ode Dwi told CNA.

Wa Ode Dwi said she chose not to report her suspicion to the organisers right away, opting instead to gather more evidence first.

The following day, Wa Ode Dwi attended another oral presentation scheduled under the name Riana Dwi Kurniawati. The presenter was the same woman who, the previous day, had variously introduced herself to different people as Dimas, Riana and Prihantini.

This time, the woman identified herself as Prihantini. She was asked a question by Keith Klugman, director of the pneumonia programme at the Gates Foundation and, according to Wa Ode Dwi, was unable to answer a seemingly basic question about the research.

After the presentation, Wa Ode Dwi approached Prihantini and asked her to explain the data presented. Once again, Prihantini was unable to do so.

“She stated that she did not know the details of the data and posters, claiming they were ‘generated’ by their ‘leader’, Rifaldy Fajar,” Wa Ode Dwi said.

The explanation raised further questions because neither Rifaldy nor Prihantini was listed as an author in the study, which named only Dimas Fajar Prasetyo, Aminatus Saadah and Riana Dwi Kurniawati as first authors.

When confronted again by Wa Ode Dwi about the discrepancy, Prihantini reportedly said Dimas was a colleague currently pursuing a master’s degree in Australia.

Prihantini also claimed she had not personally received a travel grant from the conference organisers. Instead, she said her airfare and accommodation had been funded through a grant awarded to Riana Dwi Kurniawati that was later transferred to her.

However, Wa Ode Dwi found out from the conference organisers that the four individuals – Dimas Fajar Prasetyo, Aminatus Saadah, Riana Dwi Kurniawati and Prihantini – had all received travel grants.

Wa Ode Dwi said she reported her concerns to the organisers and formally submitted a written complaint via email on May 19, 2026.

Beyond the alleged identity fraud, she and fellow academic Ida Bagus Mandela Brasica, an Indonesian climate mathematics researcher at the University of Exeter, also suspect some or all of the research data under the quartet’s names had been fabricated, possibly using AI.

Suspicions about the use of AI arose because the research presented data from various countries without the involvement of local collaborators. In international research practice, this is considered nearly impossible.

One of the alleged fraudsters, Rifaldy, has reportedly admitted to using AI in his research falsification. He has also apologised for lying about being affiliated with Muhammadiyah University of Bulukumba in some instances, reported Detik news portal.

Prihantini also failed to answer basic questions about the studies during the discussion, Wa Ode Dwi said. Ida Bagus co-authored the Instagram posts exposing the alleged misconduct but did not attend the ISPPD-14.

NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT?

Ida Bagus said he and Wa Ode Dwi decided to go public with the allegations because “we didn’t know where we could report what we believed was fraud”.

He also suspected the problem extended far beyond a single conference.

Their allegations gained traction on social media. Netizens began digging and soon claimed to have uncovered evidence suggesting similar misconduct may have taken place at other international conferences.

“People in Indonesia found indications that these individuals may have done similar things at several other conferences,” Ida Bagus told CNA.

One social media user had a screenshot of a post, allegedly uploaded by the suspected ringleader Rifaldy, who claimed to have taken more than 200 flights over two years.

Although that claim could not be independently corroborated, Ida Bagus said that based on various conference records bearing the names of the alleged participants, they may have attended dozens of international conferences.

Such conferences may provide travel grants to participants. Wa Ode Dwi said travel grants provided by ISPPD-14, for example, varied depending on a participant’s country of origin. The conference’s grants covered return airfare, five nights of accommodation, local transport including taxis and trains related to the conference, and registration fees.

Ida Bagus said travel grants for European scientific conferences typically range between €1,000 (US$1,141) and €1,500.

The alleged misconduct means many legitimate Indonesian researchers may have been denied opportunities to attend these conferences, he and Wa Ode Dwi said.

“If they committed this kind of fraud 100 times, then that’s 100 opportunities (potentially) taken away from Indonesian researchers who had genuine work to present,” said Ida Bagus.

“This is a serious violation of scientific integrity,” said Wa Ode Dwi. “What they did effectively mocked researchers working honestly in this field. They exploited the principles of good faith and honesty that underpin scientific research.”

CONCERNS OVER SAGA’S IMPACT

The scandal, if proven, could taint Indonesians doing good research around the world, said the two UK-based researchers and other Indonesian academics.

“Their actions could seriously undermine the scientific credibility that Indonesian researchers have spent years building internationally,” said Wa Ode Dwi.

She believes the alleged perpetrators exploited the conference’s trust-based abstract review process.

ISPPD required researchers to submit abstracts of around 250 to 300 words, she said.

Applications for travel grants required recommendation letters from supervisors and identity documents, with funding prioritised for early-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries eligible for support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

In general, the review of abstracts is not on the basis of whether the research is valid, “but rather, within the framework of (whether the) research is relevant to this conference”, said Wa Ode Dwi.

Within Indonesia, the scandal, if proven, could erode public confidence in science and evidence-based policymaking, said Ubaid Matraji, an education observer from the National Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI).

“If those who are supposed to produce scientific truth can lie, public scepticism towards evidence-based policy will only deepen,” he said.

This could leave society more vulnerable to misinformation and populism, he added.

The latest case adds to other academic integrity controversies in Indonesia in recent years.

In 2024, the publication record of Kumba Digdowiseiso, former dean of the faculty of economics and business at Universitas Nasional, came under scrutiny after he was credited with producing around 160 scientific papers between 2023 and early 2024 — an output considered unusually high.

The controversy fuelled broader debate on the existence of so-called “paper mills” — businesses that produce scientific manuscripts in large quantities — and intensified criticism that Indonesia’s academic incentive system rewards publication volume more than research quality.

In another case, Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education revoked the professorships of 17 lecturers at Lambung Mangkurat University in 2024 and 2025, following an investigation into alleged breaches of academic integrity linked to scientific publications and promotion requirements.

“NO CHOICE” BUT TO CUT CORNERS?

Academics and experts CNA interviewed said the Copenhagen case should serve as a catalyst for broader reforms.

Ida Bagus said Indonesian academics face intense pressure to publish while receiving limited financial support for research.

“University lecturers are expected to produce internationally recognised research every six months, but financial support is extremely limited. Government grants are rare, highly competitive and burdened by complicated bureaucracy,” he said.

According to Ida Bagus, such pressures can encourage some researchers to take unethical shortcuts.

“The gap between expectations and available resources makes some academics feel they have no choice but to cut corners,” he said.

He also cited longstanding practices surrounding authorship in Indonesia’s academic community.

“Many senior academics or professors ask to have their names included on papers despite contributing nothing to the research. That’s already unethical, but it’s been normalised (in Indonesia). Ethical boundaries have become blurred,” he said.

JPPI’s Ubaid agreed the latest case goes beyond personal misconduct. He and other researchers told CNA it reflects structural flaws within Indonesia’s academic system, where quantitative performance indicators often outweigh research quality and integrity.

“This is clearly a systemic disease, not merely personal misconduct,” he argued.

“It is the result of the industrialisation of academic titles. Lecturers are forced to become ‘credit-point labourers’, chasing promotions and incentives within an irrational academic ecosystem.”

Oversight mechanisms also need to be strengthened, Ubaid said.

“Our academic system has become trapped in administrative fetishism. Oversight focuses on stamps, receipts and compliance with templates rather than verifying whether the research itself was actually conducted,” he argued.

The Copenhagen case appears to have exposed failures in institutional supervision by assuming the alleged fraudsters were genuinely affiliated with academic institutions, said Lilis Mulyani, chair of the Indonesian Young Academy of Sciences (ALMI) for 2024–2026.

Abstracts submitted to ISPPD-14 listed their affiliation with the AI-Biomedicine Research Group, IMCDS Biomed Research Foundation. BRIN has since said the institution does not exist.

Lilis said researchers wishing to attend overseas conferences normally undergo multiple layers of internal review before receiving approval.

Typically, institutions require permission from their supervisors, submission of the research to be presented, and feedback from senior researchers or research groups. Many researchers also conduct rehearsal presentations before travelling abroad, said Lilis.

She noted a study on research integrity risk in 2025 – by Lokman Meho, a professor at the American University of Beirut – that listed several of Indonesia’s top universities in the most serious category for “systemic” risks and “extreme anomalies”.

Yogyakarta State University was among those in the “red flag” category of Meho’s Research Integrity Risk Index. The “red flag” was a tier above “high risk” – for universities deemed to have “significant deviation from global norms”. This was followed by the “watch list”, “normal variation” and “low risk” tiers.

There has been a growing number of Indonesian scientific papers being retracted, added Lilis. “In 2025 alone, more than 229 Indonesian scientific publications were retracted because of serious problems,” she said.

“This is deeply worrying because it damages not only individual researchers but also the reputation of our institutions and the country.”

Lilis noted sanctions for academic misconduct in Indonesia have so far been largely administrative, including revoking of professorships, dismissal of lecturers or excluding individuals from academic communities.

“To my knowledge, we’ve never seen criminal or civil penalties imposed in cases like these,” she said.

BRIN rejected claims of systemic regulatory failure and Agus disagreed with suggestions that the Denmark case was the result of Indonesia’s research regulations.

“I don’t believe this case is a systemic consequence of our existing regulations,” he said.

Agus said BRIN researchers are not required to attend a certain number of international conferences each year. In fact, he said, participation has been restricted in recent years because state budget funds cannot routinely be used for conference travel.

Instead, BRIN evaluates researchers primarily through research output such as scientific publications, intellectual property and licensing achievements.

Agus said researchers are not required to publish only in journals that charge publication fees, noting that many reputable international journals remain free to authors.

But he acknowledged that rapidly advancing technologies such as AI have created new challenges.

“What we are seeing may reflect a broader challenge facing today’s younger generation. The ease of using AI may encourage ideas or behaviour that should not occur in research,” he said.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-alleged-fake-research-scandal-fraud-denmark-scientific-conference-6218216

Australian AI infrastructure company Firmus Technologies said on Monday it had ​signed a strategic partnership with Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O), to help provide emerging ‌AI firms with more cost-effective access to computing power.

• Firmus said the deal would see it buy Nvidia infrastructure and sell Nvidia‑powered cloud services to “AI Native” customers, among ​others, in an agreement that would earn the U.S.-listed chip giant product ​revenue and a share of cloud revenue.
• The deal will ⁠deliver 170,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPU) from the first quarter of 2027 ​to the start of 2028, that will be located in Batam, Indonesia.
• Firmus ​said it expected to earn up to $30 billion in revenue during the first six years of the deal, based on customer commitments.
• The Australian-founded company said the deal ​would make it easier for smaller and developing AI firms to ​access the technology’s infrastructure.
• “We have worked to figure out how to close the gap ‌between ⁠the cost benefits that the large guys have access to, which they do because they have great credit ratings, and the guys that are up and comers,” Firmus co-chief executive Tim Rosenfield told Reuters. “This is ​actually a really ​material way to ⁠level the playing field a little bit to give the next a chance to compete with the ​big guys.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australias-firmus-technologies-strikes-ai-access-deal-with-nvidia-2026-06-28/

Iran and the United States ​agreed to halt recent hostilities in the Gulf and renew talks regarding their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official said on Sunday, raising ‌hopes of saving an interim peace deal that was under pressure from days of tit-for-tat strikes.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU. Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely,” the official said, referring to the 14-point memorandum of understanding that was agreed on June 17 under which the strait would be re-opened for traffic.

Axios, which first reported the cessation ​of hostilities, citing a senior U.S. official, said talks would resume Tuesday in Qatar.
A return to diplomacy would follow several days of strikes and counterstrikes since ​an Iranian projectile hit a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with both the U.S. and Iran accusing the ⁠other of breaking an interim ceasefire that was agreed to on June 17.
Iran launched missiles and drones at U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain early on Sunday, shortly ​after President Donald Trump threatened that the Islamic Republic would cease to exist if it did not honor the agreement to end the war.

Meanwhile, Israel said on Sunday it had once ​again struck Iran-backed armed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, destroying underground infrastructure used by the group in a village in southern Lebanon. That came after another strike on Saturday, which closely followed its latest ceasefire deal with Lebanon on Friday. Iran says the fighting in Lebanon must end if the wider agreement is to stick.
The U.S. military said earlier it had struck Iran again, hours after a tanker was hit in ​the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important energy shipping route, which Tehran has largely closed for most of the conflict.
“There may come a point when we are no ​longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” Trump said on social media, before the Axios report.

The 14-point interim peace accord was meant to halt the fighting, which the U.S. and Israel started on February 28, and reopen the strait while talks proceeded on issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.

VIOLENCE, ACCUSATIONS FOLLOW PEACE DEAL

One round of mediated talks, led by Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, was held in Switzerland a week ago and Washington waived sanctions on Tehran, but fighting has since resumed and intensified.
About an hour after Trump’s post, Kuwait’s army said its air defenses were responding ​to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain ​said sirens had sounded there.
Iran’s Islamic ⁠Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement its navy and air forces had launched missile and drone operations targeting U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The Guards said U.S. strikes had violated the ceasefire and “will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes”, state-run ​Press TV said. The IRGC navy command said American bases in the region “will experience hell in the coming days”.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-carries-out-fresh-strikes-against-iran-after-tanker-struck-hormuz-escalating-2026-06-27/

Europe’s unprecedented early summer heatwave may be responsible for hundreds of excess deaths, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Temperature records were broken across the continent again on Sunday – including in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic – as the extreme heat continued to move east.

In a post on X, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 1,300 excess deaths had been recorded since 21 June “linked to high temperatures in Europe”.

“Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures,” he said.

On Sunday morning, France’s national health ministry said there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected in the country since Wednesday.

Many of the extra fatalities are among those aged 65 over, the agency said, after logging a 40% rise in the number of people dying at home.

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average,” Tedros warned.

Millions of people across the continent are currently “living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling”, he added.

On Sunday, Germany experienced its hottest-ever day for the third consecutive day after 41.7C was recorded in the east of the country, preliminary data showed.

A station in Coschen, near the Polish border in eastern Brandenburg, recorded 41.7C at around 16:00 local time.

The Czech Republic set its second temperature record in two days, recording 41.1C at Doksany, north of Prague, the meteorological institute CHMI said.

CHMI said it expected the heat to peak on Sunday, with storms forecast for western areas later.

Poland also broke its all-time temperature record with 40.5C in the town of Slubice, a spokeswoman for the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) told the AFP news agency on Sunday.

Climate change was responsible for the extreme weather, Tedros said, warning that Europe was warming at “twice the global average”.

“Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the ‘once-in-a-generation’ heatwave is now occurring nearly annual,” he said.

He called on European countries to “implement heat health action plans”, as part of a push to safeguard health in the face of climate change.

The extreme weather has led European authorities to take drastic measures to prevent heat-related illnesses.

On Thursday, the Dutch music festival Defqon.1 was cancelled following an unprecedented code red warning for extreme heat.

In Paris, officials banned drinking takeaway alcohol in public and cancelled the city’s pride march to help stretched emergency services.

The ban began at noon on Friday local time ahead of France’s World Cup match with Norway and lasted until Sunday morning.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4d2vv935lo

Former President Joe Biden was back onstage at a Democratic Party gala to excoriate President Trump Saturday – but needed a little help figuring out just how to exit.

Biden, who got pushed out of his reelection bid by fellow Democrats in 2024 following his debate disaster against Trump, defended his record and blasted his successor during his speech to the Maryland Democratic Party’s Fight Back & Win summit near Baltimore.

He ripped Trump for the “deliberate distraction – destruction of NATO” and hammered Trump’s White House ballroom as a “vanity project.”

At his speech’s conclusion Biden delivered a familiar refrain about the nation’s ability to overcome challenges – then sought an assist to find out which way to leave the stage.

He turned to the side seeking guidance, then pointed in two different directions to ascertain the best route. Once he had it sorted out, he walked away from the stage with his back to the audience.

His appearance at event, held at the Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland, came just days after he appeared at the grand opening of the Barack Obama presidential library in Chicago.

At that event, a bewildered looking Biden was left awkwardly onstage at its conclusion. “Where’s my granddaughter?” he shouted while walking up to the podium as it ended. At other times, he was guided by former first lady Jill Biden.

Biden, 83, relied on a teleprompter during his Saturday night remarks, squinting at times as he read his verbal blasts at his rival, who he defeated in 2020, only to relinquish the White House in 2024. He coughed loudly several times early on.

“Have you noticed that Americans are saying the economy under the Biden administration is a hell of a lot better than under Trump?” he told party faithful in the deep blue state.

“It’s not just his vanity projects – tearing down the East Wing of the White House making room for his ballroom. Putting his name on the Kennedy Center. Building an arch in his own honor. Even hiring his own pool guy to fix the reflecting pool. Woah – what a loser,” Biden said to applause.

He called it “simply stunning to me” that Trump made “billions of dollars” as he returned to the White House, saying “he has no shame.”

Biden’s successive awkward exits come after a long history during his presidency of mangling stage directions, as he did famously at a G7 photo-op in Italy in 2024.

He made no reference to the ideological fight going on in his party after democratic socialists prevailed in three New York primaries.

Source: https://nypost.com/2026/06/27/us-news/joe-biden-manages-to-find-his-way-offstage-at-democratic-gala-after-seeking-directions/

IRAN has accused the US of a “brutal and blatant violation” of its peace deal after Donald Trump launched fresh strikes on Tehran.

Dramatic footage shows the moment US forces struck missile and drone storage sites in response to an Iranian attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian media said a projectile struck the area around a pier in Sirik in southern Iran on Friday.

Video shows a huge explosion erupt from the US strike, as a mushroom cloud of smoke rises from the target site.

“These brutal attacks, which targeted Iranian coastal surveillance facilities, are a blatant violation of the memorandum of understanding to end the war”, the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Iran hit back with a series of dawn strikes on Bahrain today, the country’s ministry of foreign affairs said.

The ministry condemned the drone strikes as “heinous aggression” and placed “sole responsibility on Tehran for undermining peace efforts”.

US Central Command said: “CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.

“Military aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities.

“Commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz continue. U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready.”

President Donald Trump on Friday (Jun 26) unveiled a rendering of a new limited-edition US passport to mark the country’s 250th anniversary of independence – featuring his stern-faced likeness.

“The USA’s New Passport, which says, ‘Welcome, but be good!'”, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform featuring the passport mock-up.

The image features a glowering Trump leaning on his desk and his signature, with the text of the Declaration of Independence in the background. It appears to be based on a portrait taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok.

The opposite page shows a painting depicting the declaration’s signing in 1776, with the words “United States of America 250”.

The White House posted the same passport rendering, with the words “PATRIOT PASSPORT”.

The State Department – which had previously announced that a commemorative passport with “custom artwork” would be available from Jul 6 – did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A department official said in April that the Trump-themed passports would only be available at in-person appointments in Washington “for as long as there is availability”.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-unveils-new-us-passport-picture-himself-6214771

Mayor Zohran Mamdani promised to never accept the US Supreme Court’s ruling allowing President Trump’s administration to strip deportation protection for Haitian and Syrian migrants.

“To have people who frankly taught the world about freedom have their own freedom put into jeopardy by the actions of a Supreme Court and federal administration — it is not only cruel, it’s not something we will ever accept,” Hizzoner said in a video statement after Thursday’s bombshell 6-3 ruling.

The high court ruled that the “temporary protected status” statutes don’t allow for judicial review and that lower courts can’t intervene in the Trump administration’s decision to remove deportation protections for more than 6,000 Syrians and 350,000 Haitians living in the US.

Mamdani immediately rallied with immigration advocates, Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James following the ruling, and released the defiant video message afterward.

“The Supreme Court just sparked one of the largest attacks on immigrants in modern American history. In one fell swoop, thousands of Haitians and Syrians now risk losing the right to live and work in the country they call home,” Mamdani also said in a statement issued by City Hall.

“This decision will cause enormous pain across the five boroughs. Here in New York, it falls hardest on our Haitian community, one of the largest in the country, alongside Syrian families,” the statement said.

“To the tens of thousands of New Yorkers with TPS who are watching the news, frightened about what comes next, hear me clearly: New York City is your home. You belong here. We will not turn our backs on you.”

City Hall said the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs would be sharing “additional information and resources soon.”

“You will not face this cruelty alone. This administration will stand alongside immigrant New Yorkers today, tomorrow, and every day that follows,” Mamdani said.

New York’s sanctuary rules largely prevent local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration laws and operations, or cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

But Mamdani has boosted the Big Apple’s sanctuary rules since taking office in January.

The mayor signed an executive order in February strengthening sanctuary protections, including a prohibition on ICE entering city property like public schools, homeless shelters and hospitals without a judicial warrant.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/06/26/us-news/mamdani-bucks-scotus-ruling-on-deportation-protection-for-haitians-syrians/

Germany vs Ecuador Highlights, FIFA World Cup 2026 Match: Gonzalo Plata scored the all-important goal as Ecuador beat Germany 2-1 to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32.

King Charles has disclosed he paid £12.9m in tax for 2024-2025 – becoming the first monarch to reveal their tax bill.

The level of tax paid by the King puts him in the top 100 of UK taxpayers.

The Prince of Wales declared he paid £7.76m tax over the same period, the figures in the annual royal report and accounts show.

It has also been revealed the King and Queen Camilla will continue to live in Clarence House and not move into Buckingham Palace.

The accounts show the main source of annual public funding for the Royal Household, the Sovereign Grant, is rising to just under £100m for the year 2027-28.

The accounts also show the King paid £11.7m in tax for 2023-24, while Prince William paid £8.34m for the same period.

The publication of how much tax the King and Prince William voluntarily pay was a personal decision made by both men, according to their offices.

Buckingham Palace described the move as increasing transparency and aimed to “encourage wider understanding of our accountability.”

Since the King became monarch in 2022 and William the Prince of Wales, the combined tax bill of father and son paid to HM Revenue and Customs has been more than £50m.

The new figures do not give any detailed breakdown of how the tax has been calculated.

The monarch paid the highest rate of tax.

The King receives an annual income from his Duchy of Lancaster estate set up to give the monarch an independent source of money for official and private expenditure.

It is a portfolio of land, investments and properties. It provides the King with an annual income which in 2025-26 was £25.2m.

Other sources of income, liable for tax, include the King’s own investments and savings alongside money generated by his private estates, Balmoral and Sandringham.

Initially, the Prince William did not release his tax payments when he became heir to the throne – but in line with his father, he has now made his payment of income and capital gains tax public.

Prince William receives an income from the Duchy of Cornwall – a billion-pound 130,000 acre hereditary estate which also includes the Oval cricket ground in London – which funds official duties, his office and private family life.

“Prince William pays income tax at the highest rate on any net surplus after those costs have been met. Those costs are independently audited to ensure that any deductions are appropriate,” said the prince’s private secretary Ian Patrick.

“The prince recognises the interest in these arrangements and the importance of appropriate transparency.”

The tax payable for 2025-2026 is still being audited and will be made public next year.

The income or any detail on private investments for both the King and Prince William has not been disclosed.

Prince William has also announced he will no longer personally benefit from the £1.5m annual rent generated by the abandoned Dartmoor Prison.

He has asked for the sum to be removed from the income of the Duchy Of Cornwall with the money instead spent on supporting the local community particularly in the rural community of Princetown close to the prison.

Dartmoor has been empty since 2024 due to high levels of the toxic gas, radon, discovered within the building.

The publication of the annual royal accounts also reveal:

• The most expensive overseas royal visit was Prince William’s three-day trip to Saudi Arabia in February this year costing just over £130,000
• This was just ahead of the £126,946 in travel costs for the King and Queen’s four-day state visit to Italy in April 2025
• The King’s trip on the royal train to Lancaster in June 2025 costing £48,460. The train is due to be taken out of service by 2027 to save money.
• Some 177 helicopter journeys were made by Royal Family over the past year costing £733,063

Meanwhile, under a new formula for calculating the Sovereign Grant, the Royal Household will receive £99.9m a year from 2027-2028. Three years ago the figure was £51.8m.

The grant provides public funding for the running costs of the monarchy. This includes core staff costs, running expenses of the King’s official household including receptions, maintenance of palaces in England and travel costs for royal engagements.

The higher figure was decided upon by Royal Trustees – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the King’s keeper of the Privy Purse and treasurer James Chalmers.

The extra money will be used pay for the upkeep of historic buildings, strengthen cyber security at royal residences and support the transition to green energy with £11m earmarked to replace boilers at Windsor Castle.

Chalmers insisted the funding was “not a blank cheque” and there were strict checks to ensure the grant was value for money.

“Expenditure is governed by the same standards and disciplines as any publicly funded body, with strict value-for-money requirements, detailed planning, multi-year strategies, independent audit, and Treasury oversight,” he said.

For the past 10 years, the Sovereign Grant has been at a higher level than its core sum to cover the costs of the major refurbishment of Buckingham Palace which will be complete by the end of 2027.

With the work finished, the annual figure will fall from £137.9m to a core funding of £99.9m – a sum that will be unchanged for the next five years when it will next be reviewed but is significantly higher than previous years.

“It is important to emphasise that the Sovereign Grant does not provide personal income to members of the Royal Family,” Chalmers said. “It funds the work of the institution – not private lives or private wealth.”

The decision of the King and Queen to continue living in Clarence House, where they have been based since 2005, has been taken to allow greater public access to Buckingham Palace, officials said.

Refurbishments on the palace totaling just under £370m are set to be completed in March next year.

It is hoped it will also allow the landmark to generate more income.

It will mark the first time since Queen Victoria’s reign that a monarch has chosen to reside away from Buckingham Palace.

Historian Anna Whitelock told BBC News the King revealing his tax bill puts him “front and centre as a very rich man”.

She said the disclosure was a direct response to calls for greater accountability and financial transparency in the monarchy, particularly in recent weeks and months.

“I do think this is very much a sign of the times, and it’s an attempt by the monarchy to try and get on front foot and before they were absolutely pushed to try and show they are responsive and not reactive.”

Norman Baker, former Lib Dem Home Office minister and a critic of royal funding, told BBC News Buckingham Palace visitor ticket sales should go to the Treasury and not the Royal Family.

“They bring in millions every year, so what should happen is if they’re not living in Buckingham Palace, [they] should open it to the public and all the money from visitors 12 months of the year should go to the Treasury to help pay for refurbishment,” he said.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x2151y8q4o

European leaders reaffirmed on Wednesday their commitment to a stronger defence partnership ahead of next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, following a series of spats with U.S. President Donald Trump and tensions among ​the main European members.
They also offered a warm farewell to outgoing British Prime Minister Keir ‌Starmer after he announced this week he would step down amid growing discontent in his party.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who invited the leaders of Britain, France, Italy and Poland to Berlin, said the NATO summit on July 7-8 would be the ​moment to demonstrate Europe’s determination to take a stronger leadership role in defence.
“We want to ​renew the Alliance. We are strengthening its European pillar,” Merz said as the leaders ⁠made brief remarks before meeting over dinner.
A joint statement “affirmed their unwavering commitment to Euro-Atlantic security and the ​transatlantic bond”.
Behind the messages of unity, Merz’s invitation to Berlin came after several incidents that laid bare ​tensions over defence and security issues among the main European partners.

Berlin and Paris have seen their long-delayed FCAS joint fighter project abandoned over strategic and management disagreements, underlining the difficulties Europe has faced in joining forces to rebuild its defences ​as Trump has increasingly turned away from NATO.
In recent months, Washington has criticised the alliance for its reluctance ​to support the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and threatened to draw down troops in Europe.
Germany, France and Britain, the ‌so-called E3 ⁠group, have also faced criticism from some European capitals, including Rome and Warsaw, that they have kept other countries from talks with Ukraine.
Merz, who has previously insisted that the E3 arrangement is intended to ensure Europe can act quickly, did not address differences directly but stressed the aim of reinforcing a joint ​approach, including a strong ​partnership with the United ⁠States.

“We are travelling this path together,” he said, adding, “Unilateral national actions in our defence policy would be a mistake.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/european-leaders-pledge-unity-after-recent-tensions-ahead-nato-summit-2026-06-24/

The White House has formally requested $87.6 billion mostly to replenish the Pentagon after the U.S. war against Iran, submitting the request to Congress at a politically difficult time as Republican and Democratic lawmakers have objected to any further military action.

The Office of Management and Budget sent the supplemental spending request on Wednesday. It arrived just hours after President Donald Trump assailed Republican senators during a private lunch — engaging in a shouting match with one — over their votes to approve a war powers resolution that would halt further hostilities.

The request is mostly for expenses incurred by the Defense Department as part of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led attack on Iran. But it also includes a range of other items, including $11.1 billion toward economic assistance for American farmers, $1.4 billion for the Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa and $500 million to support ongoing efforts “to complete restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, D.C.”

“I urge the Congress to take action on these important and urgent requests as soon as possible,” said OMB Director Russ Vought in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “President Trump is asking taxpayers to clean up his messes, to the tune of $87.6 billion.”

“After dragging America into a reckless war, he now wants Congress to hand him tens of billions more to paper over the damage — while families are still paying higher prices.”

There may not be enough support in Congress to pass war funds

It’s unclear how quickly the House and Senate could act on the White House’s request, or if Congress takes up the matter at all. The funding faces a difficult path because many lawmakers could view any votes as a reflection of test of their support for the war effort.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday briefing House GOP lawmakers from the conservative Republican Study Committee on the Pentagon’s budgetary needs. The White House is seeking as much as $1.5 trillion in defense spending in this year’s budget, a nearly 50% increase over previous levels.

But many lawmakers have complained they have yet to receive any formal briefing from the administration on the Iran war, nearly four months after it was launched, and as Trump’s team is now working to secure a fragile ceasefire and bring an end to the conflict.

Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the request is not merely to pay for “the president’s disastrous war, but an attempt to secure tens of billions of additional dollars for unrelated Pentagon priorities.”

Murray said she would review to ensure servicemembers are taken care of, “but I will not rubberstamp tens of billions more for this disastrous war of choice.”

Yet the White House was clear to include provisions to interest lawmakers from various regions, including $1 billion to assist “the final design and construction of a modernized Penn Station in New York City,” which would be of interest to Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York.

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Ca., who chairs the panel’s subcommittee on Defense, said in a joint statement, “President Trump’s request reflects the reality that our defense strength must be maintained, not merely demonstrated.”

Money for farmers, the Ebola outbreak and other needs included

The bulk of the request, $67 billion, is to replenish the Pentagon from the Iran war. The largest portion of that defense funding, $21 billion, would go to weapons and munitions, with another $17.3 billion for operational costs and $12.1 billion for other classified programs. Funds are also requested to cover fuel costs, drone manufacturing and cybersecurity.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/white-house-billions-congress-war-farmers-ebola-c0cbd21df91c48fa821fc21e021d8831

Trump declared that Tehran will “never have a nuclear weapon” under the framework of the deal.

US President Donald Trump hailed the newly signed peace agreement with Iran as a historic diplomatic breakthrough, declaring that Tehran will “never have a nuclear weapon” under the framework of the deal.

Trump said the agreement aims to end the prolonged conflict between the United States and Iran, ensure the full reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, and establish what he described as unprecedented safeguards against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Last week, we signed a historic agreement to end the conflict with Iran, fully open the Strait of Hormuz, and accomplish what no President has ever been able to accomplish before — Iran will NEVER have a nuclear weapon!” Trump said.

“For the first time in 3,000 years, we are finally going to have peace in the Middle East,” he said while addressing crowd at the kickoff event for the Great American State Fair.

Trump said the United States and Iran are expected to finalize the agreement within the next 60 days. Over the weekend, American and Iranian officials, working with mediating parties in Switzerland, established a roadmap aimed at securing a final deal.

Vice President JD Vance, who was involved in the diplomatic efforts, said the latest round of talks “laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal” before departing Switzerland on Monday.

The proposed agreement is expected to address Iran’s nuclear program while easing tensions that have fueled instability across the Middle East in recent months. Trump presented the development as one of the key achievements of his administration, alongside economic initiatives and efforts to revitalize Washington, D.C.

Highlighting broader progress under his presidency, Trump told the crowd that the United States is currently living through a “Golden Age,” pointing to gains in diplomacy, economic growth, and national development.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/iran-will-never-have-a-nuclear-weapon-trump-on-peace-agreement-with-tehran-ws-l-10171771.html

The ​U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday $17.5 billion in conditional loans for utilities and energy companies to purchase ‌parts needed to strengthen the U.S. commercial nuclear supply chain.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters the loans will help the U.S. achieve its goal of having 10 new large-scale nuclear reactors under construction by 2030, potentially accelerating that timeline by three years.

The U.S. industry has struggled to attract investment because nuclear ​projects are capital‑intensive, prone to cost overruns and subject to complex regulations, making them riskier than cheaper, quicker alternatives such ​as natural gas and renewables.
The loans would help companies procure items such as reactor vessels and steam ⁠generators, which can take years to secure, and potentially reduce the time to build large AP1000 nuclear plants.
Wright said the loans have ​attracted strong interest from data center hyperscalers — tech giants that run global cloud and computing infrastructure — and energy companies, as U.S. electricity demand ​soars with the rapid buildout of data centers to power AI capabilities.

“We are confident that these projects will be economic for utility shareholders, ratepayers and hyperscalers,” Wright said.
The loan announcement comes months after the DOE announced an $80 billion agreement with Westinghouse Electric’s owners, Canada-based Cameco (CCO.TO), and Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.N), in which ​the government would arrange financing and help secure permits for the Westinghouse reactors in exchange for a 20% share of future profits.

LOANS ​TO SUPPORT WESTINGHOUSE REACTORS

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, formerly known as the Loan Programs Office, will back up to five loans, each ‌of which ⁠will support two 1.1-gigawatt Westinghouse reactors per site.
Westinghouse will partner with up to five utilities and energy companies nationwide that will procure the reactors and other “long-lead” supply chain needs at a fixed price.

Wright said seven utilities have expressed interest, but would not disclose their names or project locations.
Each project will be jointly owned by Westinghouse and a utility or energy company, each required to commit $500 million before accessing ​DOE funds.
“This is not a risky ​endeavor,” Wright said.
During President Donald ⁠Trump’s first term, the only use he made of the then-Loan Programs Office was for financing reactors at Georgia’s Vogtle nuclear power plant.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-announces-175-billion-conditional-loans-nuclear-power-2026-06-23/

By stepping in as mediator in the Iran war, Pakistan has managed to elevate its status from a regional player to a global diplomatic stakeholder — with a little help from China and its friends in the Gulf.

The US-Iran deal, serving as foundation for the ongoing talks in Switzerland, marks a crucial diplomatic achievement for Pakistan, perhaps the most significant in the country’s modern history.

“Pakistan was not only able to effectively leverage its relations with Tehran and growing closeness to Washington but also its network of regional partners like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey,” Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, told DW.

“It gave Pakistan more diplomatic weight and international support going into the mediation role,” she added.

Islamabad also boasts close ties with China — not an easy feat on a continent increasingly shaped by the Washington-Beijing rivalry.

“Pakistan’s patient diplomacy was critical in getting the US-Iran deal across the finish line, though its long-term impact will depend on the agreement’s durability as difficult negotiations continue,” Elizabeth Threlkeld, South Asia director at the Washington-based Stimson Center, told DW.

She lauded Islamabad for balancing ties with the US and Iran while also keeping key Gulf partners and China onboard, and “helping to find formulations that worked for all sides.”

Trump praises Pakistan’s Munir as his ‘favorite field marshal’

But good working relationships with regional and global powers were just a starting point. The Pakistani government has been pursuing a hands-on diplomatic strategy towards Tehran, with Pakistan’s most senior military commander Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifboth visiting Iran in May 2025, just weeks before the short-lived conflict with Israel that ended with the US bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“Asim Munir and Shehbaz Sharif had both traveled to Iran that summer. That is when, in my view, the Trump administration first began to recognize that the Pakistanis could be a viable and trustworthy mediator,” Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow for South Asia at Washington-based Atlantic Council, told DW.

Army chief Munir, in particular, seem to have left a positive impression on Donald Trump, with the US president repeatedly praising him as a “great fighter,” “an exceptional human being” and “my favorite field marshal.”

The Pakistani leaders had much to lose with the US-Israel conflict with Iran spiraling into an all-out regional war. Pakistan shares a border with Iran and relies heavily on Gulf trade routes, so prolonged instability could trigger refugee flows, economic disruption, and security challenges along its western frontier.

Pakistan puts in work with Washington, Tehran

Once the US and Israel launched new airstrikes against Iran in late February, Sharif’s government began engaging in an intensive diplomatic effort involving shuttle diplomacy, direct contacts with Washington and Tehran, and coordination with regional capitals.

While Munir and Trump discussed the conflict by telephone on March 22, Prime Minister Sharif spoke to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on the following day. Sharif then floated Islamabad as a possible destination for direct talks between Washington and Tehran.

In early April, Pakistan announced the initial ceasefire between the two warring parties, and then hosted delegations led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf for a marathon negotiation session on April 11.

The Pakistani government repeatedly reasserted its mediator role in the following months, despite the peace talks eventually moving to Switzerland. With the peace process in jeopardy over the fighting in Lebanon, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran twice last week.

Support from China and the Gulf States

Many voices have speculated that Pakistan could only act as a mediator due to strong support from China. Beijing has ties to Tehran and needs stability in the Gulf to ensure energy imports and regional trade routes remained open. Chinese officials have publicly backed Islamabad’s diplomatic initiative and encouraged efforts to prevent escalation.

“I do think the role of China and the Gulf States is critical here. One could and should give credit to Pakistan for its role as a prime mediator, but it could not do this alone. That was never going to be the case,” asserted Kugelman.

“When (Pakistan’s Foreign Minister) Ishaq Dar went to Beijing several weeks ago, that led to this joint resolution for peace. It was at that moment that China formally signed on to the Pakistan-led peace process, and that meant that the Iranians knew that China was buying into this process. China leverages Iran in a big way because of its economic clout, because of the energy it imports from Iran, and so on,” underlined Kugelman.

Analyst Farwa Aamer says China did not play an overt role in Pakistan’s diplomatic effort, but warns that Beijing’s influence cannot be overlooked.

“Pakistani leadership kept China in the loop throughout, and Qatar was another prominent but influential player in the process,” she said.

Countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia also have strong incentives to avoid a prolonged conflict that threatened energy markets and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar, in particular, has now positioned itself as a second mediator in the conflict, with its officials attending the US-Iran talks at the luxury Swiss resort of Bürgenstock.

Pakistan a glorified messenger between US and Iran?

Diplomatic sources familiar with the negotiations describe Pakistan’s role as extending beyond mere mediation between the warring parties.

“Pakistani officials helped identify areas of compromise, coordinated draft proposals, and worked to keep channels open during several moments when negotiations appeared close to collapse and maintained contact with both sides throughout the crisis,” a senior diplomatic source in Islamabad told DW.

Atlantic Council analyst Kugelman agrees that Pakistan was not simply a messenger in the US-Iran negotiations, pointing to army chief Munir and his direct involvement in Islamabad talks.

“Three-way discussions were taking place, which goes far beyond the role of a country merely passing messages between two sides. That is direct mediation,” said Kugelman.

“US Vice President JD Vance even remarked that he had spoken to Field Marshal Asim Munir more than anyone else over the past few months. Such statements reflect the depth of Pakistan’s involvement in the process,” commented Kugelman.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/us-iran-deal-pakistans-diplomatic-masterstroke/a-77660414

As high-stakes negotiations to end the Iran war continue in Switzerland, the maritime industry’s message to the White House is clear: Don’t allow Iran to formalize its tolling racket over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran wants all commercial shipping vessels to register with a newly formed Iranian agency in order to pass through the narrow entry to the oil-rich Persian Gulf — but Western insurance underwriters are refusing to comply, slamming the mandate as a sanctions trap, The Post has learned.

Senior sources say unless US negotiators force Iran to completely dismantle its unilateral insurance mandates and fully clear international waters of underwater mines, trade in the region will never truly recover.

“The current Iranian proposal or directive is unacceptable and not workable for commercial shipping,” one insider told The Post. “No country can unilaterally assert its jurisdiction over international waters. That has to be respected. If it isn’t, you will not get transit back to pre-war levels. It’s not possible.”

Under the guise of a 60-day truce, Tehran’s newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) declared that all traditional shipping channels through the international waters of the strait are “prohibited.” To force compliance, Iran wants all commercial vessels to register with the PGSA and carry Iranian-approved insurance.

But insiders told The Post that insurance firms are refusing to comply with a system they say is completely unworkable for the private sector.

“They’re using the strait and their perceived control of the strait as an economic weapon against the United States and their allies,” a senior source briefed on the matter said on the condition of anonymity. “It’s basically an attempt to vandalize the global economy.”

Tehran is dangling “free” insurance during the initial 60-day window, but the mandate explicitly reserves the right to levy steep premium fees down the line.

Global firms warn that signing on the dotted line would violate stringent US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions once premiums are paid. It also would force companies to rely on an Iranian legal system in which the West has “absolutely zero” confidence.

“No real legitimate shipping company internationally is going to buy insurance for their vessels from an insurance company they don’t know, and with the law and jurisdiction of over that insurance in Iran,” said one insider.

“You contract with an Iranian entity, you undermine your relationship with the United States,” they added. “I think that anyone doing that would do so at their peril, quite honestly.”

Instead, companies will likely continue to opt for shipping their goods through Oman under protection of the US military. Roughly 55 ships successfully navigated the narrower Omani channel over a recent weekend alone.

However, traffic remains severely bottlenecked compared to pre-war levels of more than 130 ships per day, primarily because the wider international waters remain littered with Iranian mines.

In the interim, Lloyd’s of London recently launched a massive new insurance consortium led by American underwriting giant Chubb.

The facility provides up to $200 million for hull risk, $200 million in liability, and $200 million for cargo, and covering roughly 80% of the world’s merchant ships transiting through the US-protected Omani channel.

“There is one urgent matter now: mine clearance,” warned a senior EU diplomat. “Otherwise, there will be no benefit from the agreement — shipowners, ships’ captains and insurance companies are not going to arrange a transit of the strait if they run the risk of seeing tankers blow up.”

At its narrowest, the Strait of Hormuz is a mere 21 miles wide, yet it serves as the single most critical artery for the global energy market.

Roughly a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption, more than 20 million barrels per day, squeezes through the waterway separating Iran and Oman.

The strait is the only path to the open ocean for crude oil from major producers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq, while it also serves as the primary export route for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by Qatar, accounting for roughly 20% of global LNG trade.

A March 2026 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report said Iran’s extensive coastline and asymmetric military capabilities enable significant power projection over this energy trade.

By using threats to selectively disrupt commerce by country or carrier, Tehran has historically created closure-like conditions without requiring full military action.

Because the designated shipping lanes are just two miles wide, any threat immediately sends shockwaves through global commodity markets.

While Chinese vessels allied with Iran are currently utilizing the Iranian-controlled channels toll-free, the rest of the global fleet is actively shutting Tehran out.

Compounding the crisis, the US military currently possesses no immediate local mine-clearing capability in the strait, as American operational planning historically delegates demining duties to European allies.

The lack of cleared lanes threatens the very benchmark some inside the Trump administration had set itself.

“What constitutes success for this mission is maritime trade resumes to pre-conflict levels, and the industry is restored across the board to those levels,” a senior US administration official said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/06/22/business/inside-the-quiet-insurance-racket-iran-is-running-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/

Two leading German newspapers have deleted articles created with the use of artificial intelligence. Many fear an increasing reliance on AI will damage the credibility of German media outlets.

“For our newsroom, AI is a tool that helps us simplify and also improve certain steps in the editorial process. It is, however, definitely not a tool that is allowed to take over the core of our work.” This was the explanation published last weekend in the Berlin-based newspaper Tagesspiegel, as it hoped to contain a scandal that shook the German media world.

In the same text, the editors laid out their reasoning for taking the drastic decision to stop publishing columns by one of their most famous political commentators until further notice, after it emerged that Stephan-Andreas Casdorff, the newspaper’s former publisher and editor-in-chief, had used AI to compose opinion pieces.

The 67-year-old said he was aware of the magnitude of his misconduct: “I have made a huge mistake, damaged the publication’s reputation and my own,” Casdorff said. “For that I make a heartfelt apology. I used AI in the texts. I should have made that clear and therefore not allowed them to be published.”

The editorial leadership deleted several of Casdorff’s articles from the newspaper’s website: “We decided to take the texts in question offline for the time being until a detailed examination has been completed,” they explained.

The Casdorff case has further fueled an occasionally incendiary debate about the use of artificial intelligence in journalism. A few days earlier it was revealed that a guest op-ed in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) by the state premier of Thuringia, Mario Voigt, was also created with the help of AI. The FAZ said it had only found this out after the piece was published.

The core of journalistic work

Media researcher Vera Katzenberger, of Leipzig University, considers the Casdorff case to be especially serious because it shook trust in journalism.

“This is not about support with brainstorming or research, this is about the core of journalistic work,” Katzenberger told DW.

Readers buy or subscribe to newspapers because of the expertise or perspectives of certain authors. “If opinion pieces are generated by AI without its use being disclosed, the public could well see that as deception.”

When AI influences opinions

Katzenberger also thinks Casdorff’s AI-supported opinion pieces are dangerous because such commentaries have a particular function in democratic debates: “They offer us orientation in an increasingly complex world and support us in helping form our own opinions. If opinion pieces are generated by AI, that very directly interferes in how public opinion is formed.”

That is a problem because AI has no values, no political position, no sense of responsibility, Katzenberger said. Though she can see a positive outcome of the case: “It actually shows that editorial departments take their own policies very seriously and that breaches like these have serious consequences.”

The Tagesspiegel editors said they took down the Casdorff’s texts pending investigation because he breached editorial guidelines which were clearly communicated within the organization and binding for everyone. “The journalistic judgment, the weighing up of information, the analytical classification, and the way it is written must always be the responsibility of authors.”

That requirement is shared by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which has now taken the apparently AI-generated guest opinion piece by the Thuringian state premier off its website. The media researcher sees two sides to this issue: “Whoever writes a text or submits a guest opinion piece should disclose whether and how AI has been used,” Katzenberger thinks.

“At the same time, editors cannot rely solely on what the authors say,” Katzenberger added. AI is now fundamentally changing journalism’s work processes, and editorial teams must now adapt their proofing methods to suit and establish clear rules, she said: “Which forms of AI support are allowed? When is there an obligation to label AI-generated content? What level of personal contribution is expected?”

However, Mathias Döpfner, CEO of the influential Axel Springer company, criticized the FAZ’s deletion of the AI-generated opinion piece by the Thuringian state premier.

Döpfner said he prompted an AI to target the FAZ in a polemic way, the resulting text was published as an opinion piece with Döpfner’s byline and accused the FAZ of rejecting modern technologies, saying it was a “desperate attempt from the stagecoach-lobby to ban the automobile.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ai-scandal-rocks-the-german-media/a-77606407

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party comfortably secured another parliamentary majority, defeating a fragmented opposition.

“The ruling Prosperity Party secured 438 of the 486 seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives,” Melatwork Hailu, chairperson of the NEBE, announced.

The June 1 legislative elections went ahead, despite voting not taking place in parts of the country, including areas in the Tigray and Amhara and Oromia regions.

Prosperity Party maintains its hold on power

More than 40 parties ran against Ahmed’s Prosperity Party, but most lacked funding, and the ruling party was unopposed in 64 constituencies. The best-represented rival, Ezema, fielded 293 candidates, compared with the Prosperity Party’s 461.

“The party’s victory accounts for roughly 90 percent of the contested seats,” the NEBE said.

The outcome will likely give Abiy, who has been in power since 2018, another five years in office, as the legislature elects the prime minister.

Some analysts say the suspension of voting in parts of Amhara, Oromia, and Tigray highlights the impact of unresolved conflicts.

“I hope they use the coming five years to really bring what the majority of the country really needs and deserves, which is peace and security,” analyst Bizuneh Yimenu previously told DW.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ethiopias-ruling-party-wins-overwhelming-majority-in-parliament/a-77647557

Iranian negotiators stormed out of the high-level peace talks with the US in Switzerland on Sunday after a frustrated President Trump unleashed his fury on the regime — threatening to seize the Strait of Hormuz and “blow the s–t out of them.”

The talks were abandoned after just 80 minutes when the discussions entered a “difficult phase” following “an insulting message by the US president,” Iran’s state news agency reported.

Vice President JD Vance, who was spearheading the negotiations, had earlier said the US hoped to “turn over a new leaf” with the Islamic Republic.

The talks in the Qatari-owned mountaintop resort of Buergenstock in Switzerland were the first to be held under the terms ‌of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreed a week ago.

But hopes of progress were swiftly dashed, and the diplomatic efforts were cut off when Trump, who had been criticized for being too soft on the regime with the MOU, warned that the US would hammer Iran if it didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz and rein in its terrorist proxies.

The president’s most explicit warning was aimed directly at Tehran’s diplomats in Switzerland.

“You won’t even make it back to your f–king country,” an irate Trump told Iran’s leaders, according to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst.

“You close it, and you won’t have a country,” he said of the Strait of Hormuz.

“We may take over the Strait, if we have to. I’ll blow the s–t out of them.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had claimed Saturday it was shutting down the critical waterway due to the continued fighting in Lebanon.

Iran also came into peace talks on Sunday wanting to prioritize discussions about Lebanon, where Israel’s military has been fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.

The talks were supposed to address Tehran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the strait; however, Iran said there could be no start to the next phase of negotiations until the fighting ends, the state news agency reported.

Trump also took to Truth Social to let out his rage, blaming Iran for the fighting and demanding that the regime keep Hezbollah in line.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” the president wrote. “If they don’t we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

The Islamic Republic’s chief negotiator and head of Iran’s parliament, Mohammed Ghalibaf, slammed Trump’s threats as an act of “desperation.”

“We don’t take the Americans’ threats seriously,” he wrote on X.

Ghalibaf went on to warn the president that any force would be met in kind.

“They had better watch their statements,” he hit back.

“Our armed forces are ready to respond in another way. Whatever they say, we are the ones who will act.”

Ghalibaf and another of Iran’s top negotiators, Abbas Araghchi, also refused to participate in a scheduled handshake and joint photo session event with the US team, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

The officials described the photo-op as an American “media show,” with the optics raising worries that the US fumbled the start of the negotiations.

US officials, however, claimed there was no snub and that Iran was merely spreading opportunistic propaganda.

The US delegation in Switzerland was being led by Vance, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

A senior US diplomat engaged in the negotiations later downplayed the diplomatic row, insisting that the peace talks remain ongoing.

“The Iranian delegation is still at the negotiating venue and the US delegation expects to continue working through the night,” the official said, adding that the discussions have included “clarifying some of the confusing messaging from Iran on the Strait and building deconfliction mechanisms to ensure the Strait will remain fully open.”

“We have also worked through deconfliction mechanisms and enforcing the ceasefire in southern Lebanon,” the diplomat said.

The talks Sunday would be used “as a starting point for ongoing technical talks going forward,” the official added.

Still, Morgan Ortagus, the deputy US special envoy to the Middle East, said the president’s latest threats mark a major shift in how Trump will proceed with the peace talks, after the notable concessions the US appeared willing to make last week to end the war.

“This is a game-changing announcement by the President as it relates to his policies towards Iran — if Hezbollah strikes, the President is now vowing he will hold Iran responsible and will hit them in return,” Ortagus wrote on X.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who has been pushing for Trump to be tougher on Iran, agreed that the onus should be on Iran to forge peace in Lebanon or face the consequences.

Graham also predicted that the peace talks wouldn’t be fruitful.

“I’d rather try diplomacy than take it off the table,” the lawmaker told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“If you don’t have a diplomatic path through the MOU, then you have to go to war or some other form of coercion. Let’s try this. Let’s try a diplomatic solution. I think it’s going to fail.” he added.

He added that he believes Trump will ultimately take control of the Strait of Hormuz by force and “obliterate” Iran if the talks collapse.

“I spent four-and-a-half hours with President Trump Friday. Here’s what I think will happen next. If this deal fails, President Trump is going to take the Strait of Hormuz over by force,” the hawkish senator explained.

Along with the threats, President Trump himself suggested the US could take full control of the Strait of Hormuz and impose its own “Guardian Angel” toll system after repeatedly warning Iran not to charge fees for passage.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/06/21/world-news/trump-threatens-to-destroy-iran-over-strait-of-hormuz-closure-floats-20-guardian-angel-tax-on-oil/

Long before Jeffrey Epstein became the world’s most notorious sex offender, he committed an act that foreshadowed a lifetime of manipulating women — and his first victim was his own mother.

According to a researcher examining Epstein’s early years, the disgraced financier’s pattern of exploiting women began decades before his sex-trafficking empire came crashing down.

“His mother Paula adored him,” CUNY sociology professor Thomas Volscho, who is researching a book on wealthy sex traffickers, told The Post. “Both his parents were remembered as hardworking, well liked people from a simple Brooklyn family.”

Yet, one of the earliest documented controversies involving Epstein centered on his leaving his family in the lurch while a student at NYU.

According to a May 1976 report by Fidelifacts, New York University took Epstein to civil court in December 1975 after receiving an invalid tuition payment.

“He wrote a check on his mother’s checking account for his tuition and the check bounced,” Volscho told NYU student newspaper Washington Square News.

“When NYU sent a debt collector to his address, his brother answered the door and said he’d gone off to Europe and then coughed up like three or four hundred dollars of the thousand-odd dollars owed.”

The NYU lawsuit was later settled, but the incident is an early glimpse into a pattern that would define Epstein’s life.

Survivors revealed that Epstein — who left NYU without a degree and lied to prospective employer Bear Stearns about his education — repeatedly used promises of admission and tuition payments at New York University and other elite institutions to lure and control his victims, according to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

He would dangle the prospect of an education to entice young women into his orbit, and in some cases he or his associates arranged scholarships or paid tuition, then threaten to pull funding if they failed to comply with his demands.

As despicable as Epstein’s manipulation tactics were, he was the grand master at them. Even after his mother’s death, he exploited her for his own benefit.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/06/20/us-news/epsteins-first-victim-was-his-own-mother-biographer

Health officials warned that dengue infections are expected to keep rising for at least two more weeks before the outbreak begins to ease.

Sri Lanka is battling the worst outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever in years, with more than 44,000 cases and 28 deaths recorded since January, an official said on Friday (Jun 19), putting public hospitals under strain.

Dengue is common during Sri Lanka’s monsoon season, but unplanned urbanisation coupled with damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which hit the island nation in late November, has worsened the outbreak this year, authorities said.

The number of dengue cases nearly doubled from 5,651 in April to 10,638 in the first two weeks of June, data from the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) showed.

“We noticed this increase after the cyclone,” Dr. Prashila Samaraweera, consultant community physician and NDCU spokesperson, told Reuters.

“A lot of debris was in our environment, so we noticed a lot of mosquito breeding places, and our entomological indices were high from that time.”

With 51,000 cases recorded in the whole of last year, the rate of infections has risen sharply, Dr. Samaraweera said. Infections are likely to increase for at least two more weeks before tapering off, she added.

SURGE COULD PUT HEALTH FACILITIES UNDER SEVERE STRAIN

A further uptick in patient numbers could put public hospitals under severe strain, Sri Lanka’s health minister Nalinda Jayatissa warned on Thursday.

More than half the cases are from the western region of the country, including 9,429 cases from commercial capital Colombo. Eight other districts have reported more than 2,000 patients since the start of the year.

The 28 deaths include five children.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/sri-lanka-dengue-fever-cases-surge-6196126

US President Donald Trump claims he can influence Israel’s actions, saying leaders “do as I say”.

United States President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that he would be able to prevent Israel from carrying out strikes on Lebanon. He indicated that the Israeli leadership acts on his directions due to what he described as strong mutual respect.

During an interview on The Axios Show, when asked whether he could influence Israeli military actions in the region, particularly regarding potential strikes on Lebanon, Trump said that he would be able to exercise control over such decisions. “Yeah, I will be. I mean, they have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say,” Trump said.

Trump also referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they both have strong ties.”It’s good, but we have to keep him a little bit sane,” he remarked.

Trump’s remarks came as Israel and Hezbollah agreed to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had threatened to unravel an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end their war.

The ceasefire followed a day of escalating violence. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 47 people overnight and into Friday, while Israel said four of its soldiers had been killed in attacks by Hezbollah.

Earlier on Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance, during his press conference, seemed to be deliver a strong public criticism of the Israeli leadership, fuelling speculation that cracks are widening between Washington and its closest ally in the Middle East.

“Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time… If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Vance was quoted as saying.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/donald-trump-boasts-of-influence-over-israel-says-he-keeps-netanyahu-sane-article-154692263

The Justice Department is refusing a judge’s request for sworn declarations from top officials confirming that the controversial $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund is no longer moving forward.

The Justice Department is pushing back against a federal judge who wants top officials to officially confirm, under oath, that a controversial $1.8 billion fund is really off the table for good.

In a new court filing Friday, the DOJ said the judge’s request for these declarations simply isn’t needed and warned that being forced to comply would raise what it called “serious separation of powers concerns,” according to CNN.

What This Fund Was Supposed to Do

The case is unfolding in a federal courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, and it’s just one of several legal challenges tied to the fund. The money originally came out of a settlement connected to a lawsuit President Trump filed against the IRS, a lawsuit that critics have described as legally shaky from the start.

The plan was to use the fund to compensate people who claimed they’d been targeted or “weaponized” against by the government under previous administrations. But the idea drew sharp criticism almost immediately, with opponents arguing it could effectively function as a slush fund benefiting Trump’s allies.

As pushback grew, both politically and in the courts, the administration eventually walked away from the plan altogether.

Why the Judge Wants It in Writing

Once the administration dropped the fund, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, who’s overseeing the Virginia case, signaled she was leaning toward declaring the legal dispute moot. But she didn’t want to just take the administration’s word for it informally.

Last week, she ordered the DOJ to produce formal declarations from three specific officials: acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, his top deputy Associate Attorney General Stan Woodward, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. She wanted each of them to confirm, in her words, that “they will not take any action to create or operate the Anti-Weaponization Fund, and that the Anti-Weaponization Fund will not proceed in any manner, or under any name.”

Brinkema made clear in her order that if the declarations weren’t submitted, the case would simply continue moving forward through the legal process.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/trumps-doj-refuses-to-confirm-that-anti-weaponization-fund-is-dead-article-154691822

Tulsi Gabbard has released a tranche of documents that she says expose Dr Fauci’s role in funding the research in Wuhan and influencing intelligence assessments on the origins of COVID-19.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Thursday released what she described as previously undisclosed communications and intelligence records that allegedly show Dr Anthony Fauci played a central role in shaping official narratives surrounding the origins of COVID-19 while overseeing federal funding connected to coronavirus research in Wuhan, China.

The release marks one of Gabbard’s final actions before leaving office and forms part of what the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) says was a year-long declassification review. According to the DNI, the documents contain internal communications, whistleblower testimony and intelligence records that raise questions about how the US government assessed the origins of the pandemic and whether dissenting views were sidelined during that process.

In a statement accompanying the release, Gabbard argued that the American public deserved transparency regarding decisions made during the pandemic. She alleged that senior officials manipulated intelligence assessments, suppressed alternative viewpoints and concealed information relating to gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

What The Newly Released Documents Claim

According to the ODNI press release, the newly disclosed material suggests that Fauci, while serving as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), authorised funding for coronavirus research conducted through programmes involving the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The documents released by the DNI further allege that Fauci maintained close relationships with intelligence officials and scientists whose views helped shape official assessments regarding the origins of COVID-19. The release claims those interactions contributed to intelligence products that favoured a natural-origin explanation for the virus while downplaying the possibility of a laboratory-related incident.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence also alleges that some intelligence analysts who challenged prevailing conclusions faced professional pressure or retaliation. According to whistleblower accounts cited by the agency, analysts advocating greater consideration of the lab-leak hypothesis were allegedly discouraged from pursuing those assessments.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/covid-cover-up-exposed-tulsi-gabbard-releases-files-implicating-dr-fauci-and-wuhan-research-article-154680964

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO Thursday (Jun 18) the Pentagon will review its force presence in Europe within the next six months, as he lashed out at allies over defence spending and their response to the Iran war.

“This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defence of Europe,” Hegseth told a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels.

“It’s a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colours.”

The Pentagon chief said the move was also aimed at ensuring US “access, basing and overflight are clearly delineated and assured” after some European countries imposed restrictions on US forces during the Iran war.

“It was shameful. These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk,” he said. “There’s no excuse for that.”

The US is piling on the pressure ahead of a NATO summit next month as it seeks to make sure that allies make good on a pledge made last year to massively ramp up defence spending.

Hegseth said going forward that Washington paying its dues to cover NATO organisational running costs – roughly some US$790 million in 2026 – would be “contingent” on allies reaching spending targets.

“Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down,” he said.

The broadside from the US defence chief – who had initially signalled a conciliatory tone – will send a jolt through NATO allies concerned over US commitment to defending Europe.

US President Donald Trump had lashed out against European allies over their response to his war in Iran.

But there was hope the US peace deal with Tehran could help NATO put the bad blood behind it by the time alliance leaders meet in Turkey.

“Too many allied capitals seem to still miss something in translation,” Hegseth said.

Trump “gave our allies a test to support America when we asked for their help, and too many failed it”, he added.

Despite the tough language, Hegseth did acknowledge strides by many members of NATO to ramp up their defences and said progress was being made.

“Some of our allies have gotten the message and stepped up. You know who you are, and we very much appreciate it,” he said.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-hails-nato-progress-6192601

U.S. Vice President JD Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the ​Iran deal on Thursday, saying President Donald Trump is Israel’s only ally, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in U.S. defense aid the country receives.

Vance ‌was defending the deal reached this week to end the war with Iran that critics in the U.S. and Israel have slammed for failing to curb Iran’s missile program and providing no clear path to dismantling its nuclear facilities, while constraining Israel in its war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Trump has repeatedly criticized longtime ally Israel, spiking tensions nearly four months after the two countries partnered to attack Iran. The war has roiled markets and ​global oil supplies as Tehran responded by closing the critical Strait of Hormuz supply route.

Vance, asked at a White House news briefing about a report that Israeli Prime Minister ​Benjamin Netanyahu was fuming over the agreement, said he had not heard such comments from Netanyahu but criticized members of the Israeli leader’s cabinet, ⁠who he said have attacked the deal and personally attacked Trump.

“My message to them would be twofold. No. 1: Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire ​world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Vance told reporters at the White House.

“If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not ​be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”

He said he would also remind those cabinet members that two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected Israel “have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.” The United States provides Israel with roughly $4 billion in military assistance a year, but the two countries are negotiating a new aid agreement.

“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. ​Trump and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in,” Vance ​said.

Netanyahu’s office and Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

TENSIONS GROW BETWEEN U.S., ISRAEL

Israeli senior officials, speaking anonymously, have said the deal terms were bad for Israel because they failed to ‌address concerns over ⁠Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, a view they say is shared across Israel’s leadership.

Trump tried to play down Israel’s concerns during closing remarks on Wednesday at the Group of Seven summit in France. Netanyahu could use a “softer touch” in the fight against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, Trump said.

In his first comments since the deal, Netanyahu said at a public event that Israel appreciated its relationship with the U.S. but would continue to occupy southern Lebanon to maintain security for citizens living near Israel’s northern border.

“This requires maintaining the security strip in southern Lebanon; it requires that we not leave there ​as long as Israel’s security needs require it,” ​Netanyahu said.

Israel published a map on Thursday ⁠showing an expanded military control zone in southern Lebanon and said it would not rule out carrying out attacks beyond it, challenging the terms of the U.S.-Iran pact.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/vance-criticizes-israel-freakout-over-iran-deal-new-york-times-interview-2026-06-18

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday told a roomful ​of global leaders “I’m the boss”, as he and other G7 heads acknowledged Ukraine’s improved battlefield fortunes with a unified pledge of ‌support and fresh sanctions against Russia.
Trump’s comment — a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of an unspoken truth hanging over the June 15 to 17 summit of the Group of Seven Western powers in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains — followed a joint leaders’ statement that could bolster Kyiv’s growing leverage in potential peace talks with Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his ​allies came to the G7 hoping to convince Trump that Ukraine’s fightback is delivering results, and that Russia is in no position ​to dictate terms for any peace deal.

TRUMP DESCRIBES RUSSIA AS ‘OFFENSIVE’ PARTY

The joint statement and comments from leaders suggest ⁠Trump has warmed to Zelenskiy’s argument after years of scepticism.
Trump told a press conference that Russia was losing more soldiers than Ukraine in the ​war, describing Moscow as the “offensive” party in the conflict.
Trump showed a “real change in approach” regarding the Ukraine war, French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier in ​the day. Other European leaders made similar comments.

A G7 summit in Canada last year ended without any joint stance on Ukraine. This time, ahead of a glitzy dinner in the Versailles palace, both Macron and Trump called the G7 summit a success.
However, any hopes of strongarming Moscow into peace talks still rely on Trump commitments, which can ​be elusive.
The U.S. president made his “I’m the boss” remark to G7 chiefs and reporters as he arrived to take his seat at a session ​on global economic security.

DIPLOMATS URGE CAUTION ON IRAN DEAL

G7 chiefs also welcomed a preliminary peace deal between the United States and Iran and said they were ready to ‌help implement ⁠it, but left with no commitment from Trump on what their role, if any, could be.
European allies fear an inexperienced U.S. negotiating team may fail to secure a robust nuclear agreement or address Iran’s ballistic missile programme in the next phase, risking a prolonged standoff.

Meanwhile, Trump stressed that the memorandum of understanding with Iran was not final, and that he could resume a bombing campaign if it was not honoured.
“If I don’t like it, if they don’t ​behave, we’ll go right back to ​dropping bombs right smack in ⁠the middle of their head, OK?” he said.
And although European allies appeared supportive of the preliminary memorandum in public, diplomats cautioned that getting a lasting deal on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme as well as ​its support for proxy forces in the Middle East is no small challenge.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/g7-leaders-tackle-reliance-china-critical-minerals-2026-06-17/

Vice President JD Vance has been on a whirlwind media tour all week, from co-hosting Fox News’ The Five (which is remarkable in and of itself), to tussling with the co-hosts of The View, to hitting the podcast circuit with the likes of Megyn Kelly. While Vance is out there pitching his new book, he’s also made himself the face of President Donald Trump’s Iran peace deal, which he said was signed electronically over the weekend.

As Vance emerges as the spokesman for the deal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has raised eyebrows across the political world with his near-total absence. Rubio, who has taken on multiple roles in the administration, was central to the Iran negotiations up until the last week or so, in which Vance, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff stepped in to rush to finalize an end to hostilities.

Axios reported on Monday that as Trump announced the “great settlement,” Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were all skeptical, based on the latest intelligence, that Iran would be willing to make any actual concessions to end the war.

While the national security team inside the Trump administration appears to be sitting out going to bat for the deal, Vance has tied himself to it so much so that Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade and Marc Thiessen have taken to calling it “JD Vance’s deal.”

Rubio’s calculation here appears clear; he’s sitting back and waiting for the deal to either blow up or go into effect and be annihilated by the conservative pundit class.

Trump offered a preview of sorts on Wednesday morning of the precarious position Vance has put himself in when pressed on whether or not the deal gives Iran access to a $300 billion fund to rebuild the country. As the fund took arrows from the right in the press, Trump worked to deny its existence and jabbed Vance for highlighting it in the first place.

“That’s a false story that got picked up incorrectly from a statement that was pretty well made, I think. Maybe a little bit— Could have been a little more accurate, frankly,” Trump said of the claim, which originated from Vance during his media hits. Vance tying himself so closely to the deal not only risks him taking blame from conservative pundits for its shortcomings, but from Trump if the mood in the GOP turns against it.

The Economist’s chief Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom fleshed out this point on Wednesday morning in reply to a social media comment claiming, “Trump will blame Vance when conflict does not actually stop in the Gulf and Lebanon.”

Carlstrom replied, “Which is why no one has heard a peep from Rubio over the past 48 hours. America’s most powerful secretary of state since Kissinger and yet the moment the deal was signed he magically went into occultation.”

Rubio’s silence makes clear that he’s aware of the many pitfalls in rushing through a deal with Iran, especially at a moment when Trump desperately needs to get the oil flowing again to ease inflation and avert a looming energy crisis. As Carlstrom’s interaction makes clear, there are so many other players in the region and potential flashpoints for the conflict to start again that Rubio’s betting against a quick peace seems like a safe play.

Source : https://www.mediaite.com/opinion/rubios-two-day-absence-secretarys-media-silence-is-a-flashing-red-sign-trumps-iran-deal-stinks/

Archaeologists revealed Thursday that they have discovered a structure near the prehistoric stone circle of Stonehenge in southern England that may have served as a “prototype” for the 5,000-year-old Neolithic monument.

A team from the British firm Wessex Archaeology said the structure would have consisted of two wooden poles 120 meters (394 feet) apart and aligned to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice.

Researchers said the discovery predated Stonehenge by around 500 years.

The team was led by archaeologist Phil Harding, who is well known in the U.K. through his many years of excavations for Channel 4 TV series “Time Team.”

Harding, 76, said the site, which also turned up a treasure trove of finds including pottery, animal bones and a rare disc-shaped knife, was likely to have been a focus for major religious gatherings.

“Opportunities like this probably only come once in a career, in a lifetime,” Harding said. “I’m probably towards the end of my career now, but thank God I’m still in archaeology long enough to be part of this discovery, because it’s certainly the highlight of my career.”

The findings were released ahead of the summer solstice, which falls this year on Sunday, when thousands head to Stonehenge each year to celebrate the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Stonehenge is a symbol of British culture and history and remains one of the country’s biggest tourist draws. The World Heritage Site was built on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period about 2,500 B.C.

The site’s meaning has been the subject of vigorous debate. The most generally accepted interpretation is that it was a temple aligned with movements of the sun — lining up perfectly with the summer and winter solstices.

Researchers who found the structure near Stonehenge carried out the dig at Bulford, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the main stone circle, as part of archaeological work to support the British defense ministry’s program to accommodate troops who have been withdrawn in recent years from Germany, where the army had a big footprint for decades. The area around Stonehenge is one of the largest military training grounds and in the U.K. and Bulford is home to a barracks.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/stonehenge-britain-discovery-summer-solstice-36f8517159a9e750c1042bebd884ca2d

Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPCX.O), is buying the startup behind the popular AI coding agent Cursor, Anysphere, for $60 billion in an all-stock deal to boost its presence in the lucrative enterprise AI tools market.
Tuesday’s deal follows a blockbuster Nasdaq ​debut for the rockets-to-AI company last week, in which its valuation surged to more than $2 trillion.

The acquisition will give xAI, which was acquired ‌by SpaceX in February, a stronger hold in AI coding, one of the first areas where companies have turned AI into a real source of revenue from businesses.

Capitalizing on that interest is crucial for SpaceX as it had pitched its IPO investors an addressable market worth $28.5 trillion, the theoretical maximum revenue it could capture, of which a big share is expected to come from ​AI for businesses.
Cursor is one of several Silicon Valley startups that have drawn waves of developers by using AI to automate coding, making it ​a key rival to market leaders Anthropic and OpenAI. But a lack of access to computing power has hampered Cursor’s growth.
“Cursor ⁠does not have the scale of OpenAI or Anthropic, but it has built some very impressive coding models relative to cost. That makes this a positive move ​for SpaceX,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

SpaceX had been eyeing Cursor for months and had in April unveiled an option to either buy ​the startup for $60 billion later this year or pay $10 billion for a partnership.
In its IPO filing, the company had said Cursor’s access to developers’ data, including coding requests and design decisions, could help improve its AI models such as Grok.
SpaceX said on Tuesday it would soon release an AI model on Cursor as well as Grok Build, xAI’s coding agent, which it has ​been jointly training for several months.
The all-stock transaction, for which SpaceX will not use proceeds from its IPO, is expected to close in the third quarter of ​2026.
Its shares jumped 10% in early trading, putting the company on track to add about $247 billion to its market capitalization of $2.53 trillion. At $211.27, the stock has climbed more than 56% ‌from its ⁠IPO price of $135.

If the gains hold, SpaceX is set to overtake Amazon (AMZN.O), in market value to become the fifth-largest company.

HIGH-PROFILE BACKERS, RAPID GROWTH

Paying in stock, experts said, lets SpaceX take advantage of its towering valuation, which would mean giving up a relatively small slice of equity for a $60 billion deal.
“One of the things that makes SpaceX so valuable is how valuable it is. The Cursor acquisition costs materially less in dilution because of SpaceX’s high valuation,” billionaire Bill Ackman said in a post on ​X.
Cursor’s business has scaled rapidly since its ​founding in 2022, with roughly $2.6 billion ⁠in annualized business-to-business revenue and enterprise sales growing sharply, according to company data shared with Reuters earlier this month.
The San Francisco-based company, backed by prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalists such as Andreessen Horowitz and Thrive, as well as Nvidia (NVDA.O), and Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), ​Google, had reportedly been in talks for a funding round valuing it at $50 billion.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/spacex-buy-anysphere-60-billion-2026-06-16/