India will not accept third-party mediation of relations with Pakistan, Modi tells Trump
NEW DELHI, June 18 (Reuters) - India Prime Minister Narendra Modi told U.S. President Donald Trump that India would never accept third-party mediation in its conflict with Pakistan, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday.
Modi made the statement during a 35-minute long telephone conversation with Trump, Misri said.
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Telegraph
33 minutes ago
- Telegraph
My 48 hours watching Trump make a mockery of the G7
Looking back, perhaps the tone was set from the very first drinks reception. On Sunday night, as leaders of the world's wealthiest Western-aligned nations arrived for the G7 summit in the grandeur of Canada's Banff national park, an informal gathering was held. Sir Keir Starmer was there. So too was Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor. The pair had bumped into each other at the summit hotel and took the chance to have a chat. Other leaders passing through soon joined. Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, who has known Sir Keir since his Bank of England days, took up a spot. Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni, the leaders of France and Italy respectively, also joined. For an hour, over glasses of Canadian wine in the temperate evening, a tet-a-tet was had. Only two leaders of the nations who make up the G7 were missing: Japan's Shigeru Ishiba and, tellingly, the man who mattered most: Donald Trump. British officials were quick to note the president had not arrived when the informal chat had taken place. But the image of Mr Trump apart from the crowd became the defining one of this summit. Ever since Russia was expelled from the then G8 for its annexation of Crimea back in 2014, these annual gatherings of the G7 have been designed to project a message of unity. They were a forum for allies to progress shared visions, nudge solutions to the world's knottiest problems their way, all the while underscoring the enduring strength of the post-Second World War order. Over the 48 hours that followed, Mr Trump made a mockery of it all. The irony is Mr Carney, who swept into office so decisively in March on a wave of Canadian horror at the US president's annexation threats, had tried hard to Trump-proof this summit. Gone was any attempt to deliver the usual communique issued at the end of such gatherings – an acceptance that trying to lock the president into a detailed statement of intent was not worth the bother. Mr Trump had been given leeway others had not. In the official hotel, where space was so tight each leader could only have 16 rooms for their team, the president was gifted 70. His delegation was more than 1,000 strong, much larger than Britain's 150. Mr Trump even brought along three cabinet ministers – another luxury other leaders were not afforded. There were attempts, too, to protect attendees from the threats that come from the raw wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. So concerned were organisers of the bears that roam these wooded landscapes that an electronic fence had been erected around the hotel, with drones monitoring and 'bear dogs' to scare them off. 'A very big mistake' From the off, Mr Trump indicated his displeasure at the set-up. It was a ' very big mistake ' to kick out Russia, he bemoaned. Having China here too would not be 'a bad idea'. So much for the message of togetherness in the face of common foes. Here, from the first hours of Monday, the dynamic was already set: not the G7 but, in reality, the G6 plus one. This format, preceded by months of precursor summits with financial and foreign ministers from the nations meeting in the same spot, is designed to bring about tangible progress. But in the areas that really mattered, the 47th US president's presence did the opposite. On Ukraine, No 10 had boldly declared on Monday, ahead of universal agreement, that a hard-hitting set of sanctions was coming on Vladimir Putin's 'war machine'. But within hours, Mr Trump had publicly questioned the point of sanctions, complaining that they cost 'a lot of money'. When the UK finally unveiled their move, no joint US action was announced. Mr Trump would later skip his planned meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the country's president. On free trade, Sir Keir got what was framed as a win: the US president finally putting his signature to an executive order that implemented the deal struck in principle last month. But the specifics showed British steel exports were still being hit with 25 per cent tariffs. The agreement undid some of the pain implemented by Mr Trump with his Liberation Day tariffs in April. So, it is still a more protective UK-US trade arrangement than was in place just three months ago. The image of the Prime Minister bending to pick up dropped pages of the deal held aloft by Mr Trump may have been a perfectly honourable British instinct, jumping to help, but to critics it perfectly encapsulated the doting stance Sir Keir must adopt to thrive in the era of Trump 2.0. When it came to free trade and the Middle East, the G7 highlighted how far apart the president was from his so-called allies. The divide was keenly felt in the most pressing issue of this gathering: what, if anything, could the G7 leaders do to calm the flames of conflict roaring ever higher between Israel and Iran. Here it was determined that a joint statement was actually needed. Drafts began to circulate. The White House indicated it would not be signing, another blow to the pretence of unity. Just as the debate played out behind the scenes, Mr Trump then took a decision that underscored just what he makes of these gatherings – he was packing his bags. Shortly after 5pm on Monday, the first day not even fully completed, the White House press secretary declared the president would be heading back to Washington. In past summits, Mr Trump has railed against fellow leaders and ripped up communiques moments after they were signed, but walking out all together was another level. There was time for a final dinner before his departure. There, finally, the words of a bland 121-word statement on the conflict was signed off, containing a call for 'de-escalation'. This was the win Sir Keir clung to as he was grilled on Tuesday morning about whether the G7 had delivered anything meaningful in the face of a conflict of growing intensity and grave implications. 'There is nothing the President said that suggests he's about to get involved in this conflict,' Sir Keir said. The clear message being sent from the Prime Minister: the US does not want to get involved militarily. Safely ensconced in the White House, the president proceeded to suggest that is exactly what he was thinking about. 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' Mr Trump said eagerly in one post on Truth Social. In another he indicted interest in assassinating Khamenei: 'We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now.' A third post read simply: 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' Shortly before the president announced his abrupt departure, a video had begun to circulate among the delegates of their worst fears. A bear had been spotted. Footage of a hulking grizzly stomping onto the golf course right by where the world leaders were staying had been captured by a startled EU delegation. It turned out this was Banff's most famous resident: a 660 pound colossus said to have fathered much of the area's cubs who is so well known in these parts he has his own nickname, 'The Boss'. The danger was averted. The electric fence perimeter had done its job. If only organisers could claim the same success at taming the summit's political big beast.
North Wales Chronicle
42 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Israel unleashes intense air strikes in Tehran
The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said it had identified 239 of those killed in Israeli strikes as civilians and 126 as security personnel. The group, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, cross-checks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources it has developed in the country. Iran has not been publishing regular death tolls during the conflict and has minimised casualties in the past. Its last update, issued on Monday, put the death toll at 224 people killed and 1,277 others wounded. Uncertainty roiled the region and residents of Tehran fled their homes in droves on the sixth day of Israel's air campaign aimed at Iran's military and nuclear programme. Israel acknowledged the strikes early on Wednesday in Tehran, saying that more than 50 fighter jets took part. The Israelis claimed they hit a centrifuge manufacturing facility. The Israeli government said it had to launch its air strike campaign to stop Iran from getting closer to being able to build a nuclear weapon. It came as Iran and the United States had been negotiating over the possibility of a new diplomatic deal over Tehran's programme, though American President Donald Trump has said Israel's campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks. Iran long has insisted its nuclear program was peaceful, though it was the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, was still conducting inspections, though limited, in the country. U.S. intelligence agencies as well have said they did not believe Iran was actively pursuing the bomb. Iran has retaliated against Israel's airstrike campaign by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Israel unleashes intense air strikes in Tehran
The Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said it had identified 239 of those killed in Israeli strikes as civilians and 126 as security personnel. The group, which also provided detailed casualty figures during the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, cross-checks local reports in the Islamic Republic against a network of sources it has developed in the country. Strikes have injured hundreds of people in Tehran (AP/ISNA) Iran has not been publishing regular death tolls during the conflict and has minimised casualties in the past. Its last update, issued on Monday, put the death toll at 224 people killed and 1,277 others wounded. Uncertainty roiled the region and residents of Tehran fled their homes in droves on the sixth day of Israel's air campaign aimed at Iran's military and nuclear programme. Israel acknowledged the strikes early on Wednesday in Tehran, saying that more than 50 fighter jets took part. The Israelis claimed they hit a centrifuge manufacturing facility. The Israeli government said it had to launch its air strike campaign to stop Iran from getting closer to being able to build a nuclear weapon. An oil storage facility was hit in Tehran on Sunday (AP) It came as Iran and the United States had been negotiating over the possibility of a new diplomatic deal over Tehran's programme, though American President Donald Trump has said Israel's campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks. Iran long has insisted its nuclear program was peaceful, though it was the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, was still conducting inspections, though limited, in the country. U.S. intelligence agencies as well have said they did not believe Iran was actively pursuing the bomb. Iran has retaliated against Israel's airstrike campaign by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel.
