Pacers book their place in NBA finals
NBA: The 2025 NBA Finals are set after the Indiana Pacers wrapped up a 4-2 Eastern Conference finals victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.
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ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Top US spokesman who defended Israel now says it 'without doubt' committed war crimes
A prominent Biden administration spokesperson who defended Israel from allegations of war crimes now says Israel has "without a doubt" committed war crimes in Gaza. Matthew Miller, who was the State Department's top spokesperson until early this year, sparred with journalists who raised the allegations or questioned American foreign policy in the Middle East. He has now appeared on a Sky News UK podcast, conceding he believes Israel was responsible for war crimes while he was working in the administration. Asked if Israel was committing genocide, Mr Miller said: "I don't think it's a genocide, but I think it is without a doubt true that Israel has committed war crimes." When interviewer Mark Stone said to him: "You wouldn't have said that from the [State Department press briefing] podium," Mr Miller said: "Yeah, look, because when you're at the podium, you're not expressing your personal opinion. You're expressing the conclusions of the United States government." Mr Miller was the public face of the State Department during the last two years of Joe Biden's presidency, holding regular press conferences in Washington. At times, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside his home. Like Mr Biden, he publicly criticised moves to hold Israel accountable for alleged war crimes, such as an International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders last November. Those warrants, which remain in force, accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant of crimes against humanity and using starvation as a method of warfare. The Trump administration has since imposed sanctions on ICC prosecutors and accused the court of "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel". The International Court of Justice is separately hearing a genocide case against Israel, which has been brought by South Africa. Israel and its leaders deny all allegations and argue the country is acting in legitimate self-defence after Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack, and that its military takes steps to avoid harming civilians, which Hamas uses as "human shields" and steals aid from. Mr Miller said it was an "open question" whether the Israeli government had pursued a policy to commit war crimes or recklessly abetted them. But it was "almost certainly not an open question" that Israeli soldiers had carried them out, he said. "And the way you judge a democracy is whether they hold those people accountable," he said. "We have not yet seen them hold sufficient numbers of the military accountable." Mr Miller said the thing "that I will always ask questions of myself about" is whether there was more the White House could have done to pressure Israel to agree to a ceasefire sooner. "I think at times there probably was," he said. The Biden administration proposed a ceasefire deal last May, which was implemented in January, but broken when Israel resumed air strikes in Gaza in March. "Now, it's difficult — Israel was not the only … party to this negotiation. You saw Hamas repeatedly move the goalposts," he said. "But you saw Netanyahu move the goalposts as well, and I do think there were times when we should have been tougher on him."
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Trump says Iran deal would not allow 'any' uranium enrichment
US President Donald Trump on Monday ruled out allowing Iran to enrich uranium under any nuclear deal between the foes -- as Tehran defended what it said was its "peaceful" pursuit of fuel for power generation. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention in five rounds of talks since April to ink a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. "Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!" Trump said on his Truth Social network after the Axios news outlet said Washington's offer would let Tehran enrich some of the nuclear fuel. Republican Trump also blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the impasse, saying the Democrat "should have stopped Iran a long time ago from 'enriching.'" Axios said the latest proposal that Washington had sent Tehran on Saturday would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, for an amount of time that has yet to be determined. Iran has insisted that Iran has "nothing to hide" on its nuclear program. Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: "If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached." The remarks came after Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment. - 'Need for more transparency' - The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent -- close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons. "There is a need for more transparency -- this is very, very clear -- in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities," Grossi said ahead of meeting Araghchi. Grossi added that some of the report's findings "may be uncomfortable for some, and we are... used to being criticized". Iran has rejected the report, warning it would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions "exploit" it. "Some countries are trying to abuse this agency to pave the way for escalation with Iran. I hope that this agency does not fall into this trap," Araghchi said of the IAEA. Iran meanwhile pushed for the United States to drop sanctions that have crippled its economy as a condition for a nuclear agreement with Trump's administration. Araghchi said on Saturday that he had received "elements" of the US proposal for a nuclear deal following the five rounds of talks, mediated by Oman. - 'With or without a deal' - Both Araghchi and Grossi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who praised the US-Iran talks and called for "de-escalation in order to prevent a slide into a full-fledged regional war". On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: "We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted." "So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue," he said. The US envoy in the nuclear talks said last month that Trump's administration would oppose any Iranian enrichment. "An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment," Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News. Following a phone call with Witkoff the day before about the ongoing nuclear talks, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a peaceful solution and a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, saying in Monday's press conference that "the region is already experiencing enough problems and crises". He warned that military confrontation would create "a state of chaos from which no one will be spared". Iran has vowed to keep enriching uranium "with or without a deal" on its nuclear program. The United States has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal that the White House called "acceptable" and in Tehran's "best interest" to accept, US media reported on Saturday. The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, said the proposal calls on Iran to stop all enrichment and suggests creating a regional grouping to produce nuclear power.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Socceroos out to end Japan hoodoo
Football: The Socceroos will be looking to beat Japan for the first time since 2009 and qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
