Irwindale grass fire: Huge blaze breaks out at Olive Pit Mine, cause under investigation
Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 21 Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including nine at a school for displaced families. As mediators from Egypt and Qatar, supported by the U.S., seek to restart ceasefire talks, tensions remain high. Israel insists on the release of all hostages by Hamas, while Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Thank You': Netanyahu welcomes Trump's call to cancel his corruption trial; responds to US president's support with pledge to 'defeat common enemies'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly thanked US President Donald Trump for his strong words of support, after Trump urged that Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial be cancelled, calling it politically motivated. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu wrote in Hebrew, 'Thank you, President Trump, for your moving support of me and your tremendous support for Israel and the Jewish people.' He added, 'We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and swiftly expand the circle of peace.' Netanyahu also shared a screenshot of Trump's Truth Social post, in which the former US president referred to Netanyahu's trial as a 'witch hunt' and said it 'should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State.' Divided reaction in Israel The remarks drew praise from Netanyahu's allies, with several cabinet ministers lauding Trump for his "unwavering friendship." But opposition leaders quickly slammed the former US president's comments, warning against what they saw as foreign interference in Israel's legal system. Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid said, 'No foreign leader, friend or not, should interfere with Israel's judicial process.' Netanyahu's trial, which involves charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, has been ongoing since 2020 and remains one of the most politically sensitive and divisive issues in Israeli public life.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Netanyahu thanks Trump, says will ‘defeat common enemies' after ceasefire
Day after Donald Trump urged for the cancellation of Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial, the Israeli PM said on Thursday that he would continue to work with US President to 'defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.' In a post on X, Netanyahu wrote: 'Thank you, President Trump, for your moving support for me and your tremendous support for Israel and the Jewish people. We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.' He shared the message with a photo of himself and Trump holding hands, just hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered his first public address since the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. תודה לך הנשיא טראמפ על תמיכתך המרגשת בי ועל תמיכתך האדירה בישראל ובעם היהודי. נמשיך לעבוד יחד כדי להביס את אויבינו המשותפים, לשחרר את חטופינו ולהרחיב במהרה את מעגל השלום. הודעה ברשת ״Truth' מנשיא ארה'ב דונלד טראמפ: ״ביבי ואני עברנו עכשיו יחד דרך גיהנום, במאבק מול אויב ותיק,… — Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 26, 2025 In a televised speech aired on Thursday, Khamenei downplayed the impact of US and Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which he claimed 'did nothing significant.' According to The Guardian, Khamenei said: 'They attacked our nuclear facilities, which of course would merit criminal prosecution in international courts, but they did nothing significant.' He also responded to Trump's earlier claims of having 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear programme: 'He exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration – anyone who has heard these words has understood that there is another truth behind these words.' In his remarks, Khamenei also rejected what he called Trump's demand that Iran 'surrender': 'The American President indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor of the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran,' he said. 'Such an event will never happen. It will never happen.' Trump, in a lengthy post on Truth Social, lavished praise on Netanyahu for his wartime leadership and called the corruption charges a 'ridiculous witch hunt' and a 'horror show.' He suggested that Netanyahu should be pardoned, saying, 'It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu.' Trump's comments come as Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli PM to stand trial, faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three separate cases. Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, thanked Trump for his support during the recent conflict with Iran but warned against meddling in Israel's legal process. 'We don't expect foreign leaders to offer cover for political allies facing trial,' he said, suggesting Trump's remarks were meant to pressure Netanyahu ahead of ceasefire negotiations. Opposition MP Gilad Kariv responded by invoking Jewish legal tradition, saying 'no person is above the law—not even a prime minister.' Netanyahu, 75, denies all wrongdoing and has claimed the cases were fabricated by a biased legal establishment and hostile media. He is accused of accepting luxury gifts from wealthy allies and manipulating media coverage in exchange for political favours. If convicted, he could face jail time.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
The Nuclear Shadow: Israel-Iran Ceasefire and the Race for Weapons
(File) Israel-Iran war: After coming back to the White House with promises to stop global conflicts, U.S. President Donald Trump has now managed to bring about a ceasefire. He couldn't stop the war between Russia and Ukraine and allowed Israel to end the Gaza ceasefire and restart on Tuesday,24th June, he succeeded in ending Israel's attack on Iran. Trump's attempt to stop a war that could have spread to other countries and affected global energy supplies was a welcome step, even though it came late. In the beginning, he had supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to start the war and even joined in for a short while with strong action. But when Iran responded carefully to the U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear sites—by attacking a U.S. base in Qatar—Trump used that moment to declare success and shift focus to other issues. However, this ceasefire is very fragile and could break at any time. The hatred between Israel and Iran has only grown stronger after 12 days of fighting. Iran, which was already weaker in military power and has been deeply infiltrated by Israeli spies, has suffered major losses. Many of its senior military leaders were killed, its air defence systems were destroyed, nuclear sites were bombed, and hundreds of civilians lost their lives. Despite this, Iran kept launching missiles at Israel during the conflict. Some of these missiles managed to hit their targets, killing 28 people and causing serious damage. Netanyahu says his goals for the war were achieved. But his main aim—to completely destroy Iran's large nuclear program—was likely only partly successful, showing that starting the war may have been a mistake. A temporary U.S. intelligence report says Iran's nuclear program may have been delayed by just a few months, even though Trump ordered massive bunker-busting bombs to hit Iran's main nuclear sites. Also, no one knows where Iran's 400 kg stockpile of uranium—enriched close to weapons-grade—has been moved. The big risk now is that Israel's attacks could push Iran to hide its nuclear program even deeper and convince its leaders that they need to build nuclear weapons to protect themselves. Iran's parliament has already voted to stop working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is the group that keeps an eye on its nuclear activities. Another concern is that Israel, feeling confident and unchecked, might carry out more attacks on its own if it believes there's a threat—just like it has been doing almost every day against Hezbollah in Lebanon, even though both sides had agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire back in November. A lot now depends on what Trump does next. This crisis began during his first term, when he decided to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran had signed with major world powers. Iran only started increasing its uranium enrichment about a year after Trump walked away from that agreement. In his second term, Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. But instead, he allowed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue harsh attacks on Gaza and supported him when he decided to launch strikes against Iran. If Trump wants the ceasefire to last, he will need to put pressure on both Israel and Iran. He should focus on using diplomacy to find a lasting solution to the nuclear issue. Trump must also push Netanyahu to stop the war in Gaza if there's any hope of bringing peace and stability back to the region. At the same time, Iran needs to restart its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and avoid trying to build nuclear weapons. According to the Financial Times, the best way forward for Iran is to accept a deal led by Trump. This would help Iran avoid becoming isolated like North Korea and protect its long-term interests. When Trump announced the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, he called it 'the 12-day war,' possibly drawing a comparison to the famous Six-Day War of 1967. Back then, Israel captured large areas of Arab land—some of which it still controls—and is also believed to have started secretly working on nuclear weapons after that conflict. The impact of that war still causes tension in the region even today. Trump now has a responsibility to make sure that this recent conflict doesn't leave behind the same kind of long-lasting problems and instability in the Middle East. (The author, Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is also the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. Contact: girishlinganna@ )
