Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (file photo)

The United States warned on Saturday that it is prepared to resume military operations against Iran if necessary, as President donald trump Reiterated that any deal with Tehran must meet key US conditions, including a permanent end to Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions.A draft outline is awaiting Trump’s approval, according to US officials cited by AFP. However, the President stopped short of making a decision after a meeting in the White House Situation Room on Friday.Speaking at a defense summit in Singapore, the US Secretary of Defense pete hegseth Emphasizing Washington’s military readiness, he said the US is “very much capable” of resuming the war if needed and “our reserves are well suited for that.”US Central Command (CENTCOM) reinforced that message, saying on Twitter that US forces “remain present and alert throughout the region.”The comments came amid conflicting signals on a possible breakthrough in the talks. While the White House has indicated that Trump is considering a possible deal, Iranian officials say the talks have not yet led to a final agreement.Although a ceasefire signed in April remains largely intact, tensions remain high. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that the country’s air defense systems intercepted a drone on Saturday and described it as “belonging to the American-Zionist aggressive enemy.”Diplomatic efforts are also continuing. Discussions have also focused on the conflict in Lebanon, which Iran has insisted on as a condition of any comprehensive agreement with Washington. Israeli troops are advancing into southern Lebanon, while military delegations from Israel and Lebanon met at the Pentagon on Friday.Trump has outlined several conditions for the deal, including guarantees that Iran will never acquire nuclear weapons and reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. “President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,” a White House official told AFP. “Iran can never possess nuclear weapons,” he said.However, Iran has rejected what it sees as US efforts to dictate terms. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said the Islamic Republic had “said goodbye to the ‘essential’ language 47 years ago.”Acknowledging that messages were continuing to be exchanged between the two sides, Bakai said that “no final agreement has been reached.”Tasnim news agency also reported that the US maritime blockade remained in effect and that ships attempting to pass through the strait were “receiving warnings from CENTCOM to stop and not cross the blockade line.”Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Nikkei Asia that the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is creating significant pressure on both Washington and Tehran. “The international impact – including energy security, food security and rising prices – is huge,” Fidan said.“It has become a situation that takes priority over the nuclear files,” he said.Meanwhile, fighting continues on the Lebanese front despite a separate ceasefire arrangement. The Israeli army issued new evacuation orders for villages in southern Lebanon on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had advanced more than 30 kilometers into Lebanese territory.The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on April 17, but is being weakened by repeated violations, with both sides blaming each other.The latest tensions began in early March when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel following the US-Israeli assassination of Iran’s supreme leader. Israel responded with widespread attacks across Lebanon and subsequently launched a ground offensive. Israel and Lebanon have since resumed direct talks, with a fourth round of talks expected to take place next week.

Symbolic Image (Photo Credit: AP)

According to the Associated Press, Russian officials said Ukrainian drone strikes opened fire on several Russian oil facilities overnight Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks targeting Moscow’s energy infrastructure.Officials in Russia’s Rostov region said falling drone debris caused a fire that damaged an oil depot and a tanker in the port city of Taganrog. In the neighboring Krasnodar Territory, authorities reported another fire at an oil depot in Armavir, reportedly caused by drone debris.ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky Confirming the attack on Armavir highlights Ukraine’s growing ability to attack targets inside Russian territory.“Another facility of Russia’s oil industry has been reached – Armavir,” Zelensky wrote on X, noting that the city is located “500 kilometers from our state border.”“We are literally bringing the war back to where it began,” he said.Ukraine has significantly expanded its long-range strike capabilities during the war, using domestically developed drones and missiles to target Russian military and energy infrastructure.Attacks on oil depots, refineries and fuel facilities are increasing as Kiev seeks to disrupt a key source of revenue supporting Russia’s military campaign.At the same time, Russia continues missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. Kiev is preparing for the possibility of intensified Russian bombardment after Moscow warned of upcoming “systemic attacks” on the Ukrainian capital earlier this week.Zelensky said Thursday that he remains “very firm” in urging the United States to provide additional Patriot air defense missiles capable of deterring Russian ballistic missile attacks.The latest developments come a day after a Russian drone involved in attacks on Ukraine struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people from the NATO member state.The incident renewed concerns about the war spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders and prompted criticism from several European countries.Meanwhile, Russia’s state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom claimed that a Ukrainian drone attacked the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant on Saturday. According to Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev, the drone hit the wall of a turbine hall, leaving a hole but causing no damage to critical equipment.Europe’s largest nuclear facility, the Zaporizhia plant, has been under Russian control since the early stages of Moscow’s full-scale invasion. Although the plant is no longer operational, it still needs a stable power supply to cool its six closed reactors and spent nuclear fuel.

An Indian-origin immigration lawyer has objected to the use of the word ‘alien’ for non-US citizens and asked whether Melania Trump is also an alien.

Indian-origin immigration lawyer Rahul Reddy opposed the official use of the word ‘alien’ in the US language to refer to non-US citizens and said that although the term is legal, it is dehumanizing and the White House should not use the term.Reddy said the term in immigration law refers to anyone who is not a US citizen, including a green card holder who has been paying taxes for 30 years. But when the White House says “aliens walk among us,” it becomes propaganda because they limit what it means to illegal immigrants.“These are people who followed the rules, stood in lines and earned their place. When the government packages that neutral legal term with fear, secrecy, invasion and threat, the message is clear: People who are here legally are being portrayed as something less than human,” Reddy asked, asking whether Melania Trump, who was born in Slovenia, is also a foreigner.“Melania Trump was born in Slovenia, immigrated to the United States, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. President Trump’s first wife, Ivana, was born in Czechoslovakia and was also naturalized. Her mother was born in Scotland. Her grandfather was born in Germany. Immigration is not a distant issue in the president’s life. It is his own family story. If legal immigrants are outsiders who “don’t belong here,” The president’s own family history is an immigrant story, too,” Reddy said.Pointing out the danger posed by the official use of such a word, Reddy said the US has every right to enforce its immigration laws but can do so without losing humanity.“The real danger of this language is that it no longer targets the undocumented. It spreads. It creates suspicion toward accents, foreign names, immigrant backgrounds, or foreign-born spouses. Lawful permanent residents, visa holders, students, naturalized citizens, and their American children all get caught in the crossfire. I see it firsthand in my own practice: People with legitimate status, legitimate work permits, and legitimate futures in this country are made to feel like intruders by their own government. Is. When the White House demonizes “aliens,” it is law-abiding immigrant families who pay the price,” Reddy said.

trump He’s back on his game as the Iran peace deal eludes himDonald Trump got furious. Here he was working tirelessly to make America great again and stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb. And there were all these judges and other busy people putting spokes in the wheel.Yet amid tough peace talks with Iran, POTUS claimed a major victory, not against Tehran, but in his Republican civil war with the four-term senator defeated by Trump-backed Republicans in a primary runoff in Texas.In addition to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who defeated Senator John Cornyn, at least eight other Trump-backed challengers have ousted longtime Republican lawmakers who had endorsed him.The results indicated he was still the boss of the Republican Party, even as his poll numbers continued to decline with the broader electorate, much to Trump’s surprise. Calling opposition Democrats “Dumocrats”, he declared, “I’ll have some nice, big, beautiful rallies for Ken. Texas, it’ll be fun!”With Iran hard-liners taking a tough stance as far as the peace deal is concerned, Trump deferred a ‘final decision’ after a two-hour meeting with top aides in the Situation Room. The proposed agreement would extend the ceasefire for another 60 days while the US and Iran negotiate a plan to remove Iran’s enriched uranium.Earlier, Trump drew his own red lines, demanding, “Iran must agree that they will never possess a nuclear weapon or a bomb. The Strait of Hormuz must be immediately open to unrestricted shipping traffic in both directions, with no tolls.”And while expressing indifference to the fallout from the Iran war, rising gas prices or political pressures ahead of the November midterms, Trump remained focused on the things that matter to him — like the big beautiful ballroom.He criticized Congress and judges for obstructing his ballroom, when a judge blocked above-ground construction on the project until Congress authorized it and Senate Republicans rejected a plan to fund its security.In a legal filing posted on Truth Social, he argued that “the President cannot safely conduct the business of the United States without a ballroom”.Meanwhile, House Democrats announced a bill to stop Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch, nicknamed ‘Arc de Trump’, near Arlington National Cemetery.A federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked the Justice Department’s $1.776 billion ‘anti-weapon’ fund to compensate its supporters allegedly targeted by the previous administration.Trump’s decision to paint the reflecting pool “American flag blue” has also gone under legal challenge. But there are no challenges yet to the construction work underway on the White House lawn for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) arena, which will host a cage match on June 14 to commemorate Uncle Sam’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s 80th birthday.And a flattering cabinet is always ready to satisfy his whims and fancies. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant announced that his department has designed a $250 bill featuring Trump in hopes of passing legislation stalled in Congress.If passed and signed into law by Trump, it would mark an extraordinary recognition for a sitting American leader as such an honor is usually reserved for the dead and departed.Meanwhile, the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into author E. Jean Carroll, who won a $5 million civil judgment after accusing Trump of sexual assault and defamation.Trump himself re-filed his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over reporting on his alleged affair with Jeffrey Epstein, after a judge threw out an earlier version due to legal deficiencies.But Bruce Springsteen, an American singer, songwriter and musician nicknamed “The Boss”, used a concert in Washington to speak out against Trump. At one point, he led the crowd in chanting “ICE OUT”, encouraging the audience to make their voices heard all the way to the White House.Springsteen, whom Trump has labeled a “total loser spewing hate” and called for a boycott of his shows, also announced a star-studded protest festival for the Washington, DC area a month before the midterm elections.However, Trump reacted with fury as a federal judge ordered his name removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.Angry against the judge’s decision, Trump threatened to withdraw his leadership from the institution he had headed after becoming President.Until he was “free to do what I do better than anyone else,” he had “no interest in continuing a frustrating journey into ‘Never Never Land,'” he posted.In a sharp satire of 580 words, Trump called the judge appointed by ‘Barack Hussein Obama’ careless. He portrayed the performing arts center as a dilapidated structure that only he could restore.Trump, referring to himself in the third person, wrote, “Unfortunately, Judge Cooper and the radical left would rather see it die than see President Trump turn it into something everyone can be proud of.”“So, based on the fact that radical left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite president, ME, than saving a dying performing arts center, … we are going to work with Congress to transfer this failing institution back to them.”He complained, “There has never been a President of the United States who has been treated more unfairly by the courts than I have been, but that’s OK, I’ll continue to do what’s supposed to be a great job for the wonderful people of our country.”Earlier, after his third scheduled medical checkup in 13 months before his 80th birthday, where “everything checked out perfectly”, he posted a photo of himself examining the White House pillars and declared, “The only president who knows how to fix the White House.”I wish he had even threatened to give it all up. Critics say it will actually work ‘just right’!(by arrangement with US market)

A person carrying a child injured in an accident (Picture Credit: AP)

At least 22 people, including 10 children and five women, were killed and about 36 others injured when a truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan overturned on a highway in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said.The accident occurred in Laghman province on the main highway connecting Kabul with Nangarhar province.According to provincial health director Aminullah Sharif, the truck fell into a ditch after the driver allegedly fell asleep, news agency AP reported.Abdul Malik Niazai, a spokesman for the Laghman governorate, said the injured were transferred to hospitals in neighboring Nangarhar province for treatment.Most of the victims were women and children.

Refugees returning from Pakistan

The travelers were among thousands of Afghans returning from Pakistan, which began a crackdown on undocumented migrants in 2023 and has since deported many Afghans or pressured them to leave.Iran has also intensified the expulsion of Afghan migrants.Millions of Afghans have returned from the two neighboring countries in recent years, including many who were born in Pakistan and lived and worked there for decades.The accident occurred on the road connecting Jalalabad and Kabul. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration showed that about 447,400 Afghans have returned from Pakistan since the beginning of this year.Traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan, where poor road conditions, weak enforcement of rules, and dangerous driving practices often contribute to fatal accidents.In a separate incident, a car veered off the road and fell into a river in Nuristan province on Friday night, injuring the driver and missing four passengers, according to local officials.Rescue teams were continuing the search operation on Saturday also.The latest tragedy comes months after a bus carrying Afghan migrants returning from Iran collided with two other vehicles in western Afghanistan in August, killing 78 people, including 19 children.

ICE agent Christian Castro has been arrested in Texas for a non-fatal shooting in Minneapolis in January that he lied about.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still grappling with its missteps in Minneapolis as an ICE agent, Christian Castro, has now been arrested for the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. The 52-year-old ICE agent is the second federal agent to be charged over his conduct during the Minnesota crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, the first being Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr.

What happened on the evening of 14 January? What did the ICE agent do?

According to court documents, on the evening of the shooting, Castro had a brief altercation with Venezuelan migrant Alfredo Aljorna, whom he was trying to arrest after a car chase. When Aljorna broke free and entered her Minneapolis home, Castro fired a shot at the front door, wounding Aljorna’s roommate, Julio C. Sosa-Celis, in the leg. It was a non-fatal injury. Both of them are from Venezuela and are living legally in America.As protests over the shooting began, Castro misled investigators and told them that he had opened fire in self-defense after three men beat him for several minutes using shovels and brooms.Aljorna and Sousa-Celis were also charged based on this account.But surveillance footage later revealed that Castro’s statement was false. Charges against two Venezuelan men were dropped.As Castro was placed on leave in February, ICE interim director Todd Lyons said he was being investigated for allegedly lying under oath.But ICE officials are not supporting the state’s charges against Castro and his arrest and believe it is nothing more than a political stunt. “This is a federal issue and should be handled at the federal level,” the agency said in a statement Friday.If Castro waives his right to an extradition hearing in Texas, he could be quickly transported to Minnesota to stand trial. If he fights extradition, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, would need to make a formal request for his extradition to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican.

Pakistan has hired a US lobbying firm led by former Republican Congressman Tom Graves under a two-year contract aimed at advancing Islamabad’s diplomatic, economic and strategic interests in Washington.Pakistan’s embassy in Washington signed a two-year agreement with Erwin Graves Strategy Group earlier this month, according to documents filed with the US Justice Department. Under the contract, the company will receive $50,000 per month to support Pakistan’s outreach efforts in the US, news agency PTI reported.The agreement mandates the firm to engage with the U.S. Congress, executive branch agencies, policy institutions, industry stakeholders, and “other relevant actors in the Washington policy environment.”Among its responsibilities, the lobbying group will monitor legislative and policy developments that could impact Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally of the US. It will also look at issues related to sanctions, human rights and security assistance that may have an impact on Islamabad.The company is also tasked with expanding Pakistan’s engagement with the editorial boards and opinion sections of major media organizations and identifying policy voices, including lawmakers, think-tank experts and academics, who can help strengthen Pakistan’s strategic importance.The agreement also calls for holding a reception, roundtable and closed-door policy discussions involving US lawmakers, government officials and Pakistani representatives at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.The lobbying firm will coordinate visits of members of Congress and Congressional staff to Pakistan and provide briefings prior to such visits. It has also been asked to facilitate the participation of MPs and Congressional staff in events hosted by the Ambassador of Pakistan, including diplomatic and policy-focused functions.Additionally, the company will reach out to members of Congress serving on committees related to foreign affairs, defense, trade, appropriations, and national security, providing strategic support aimed at increasing membership and participation in the Congressional Pakistan Caucus.The move comes amid Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to position itself as a mediator in talks between Tehran and Washington on the US-Iran conflict, which has entered its fourth month and remains under a fragile ceasefire. However, a March congressional report said more than a dozen terrorist groups continued to operate from Pakistan despite years of military operations.

An Iranian ballistic missile attack on a US military facility in Kuwait damaged two MQ-9 Reaper drones and caused minor injuries to several US personnel, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed person familiar with the incident.The report said that Fateh-110 missile targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait within the last 24 hours. Although Kuwaiti air defense intercepted the missile, debris fell inside the base.According to reports, one MQ-9 Reaper drone was destroyed and another seriously damaged in the latest attack. Each drone costs about $30 million.At least five people, including US service members and contractors, suffered minor injuries in the incident. The attack came as the White House was considering a possible extension of the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. A meeting in the White House Situation Room ended without any public announcement, despite US President Donald Trump earlier saying he was ready to make a “final determination” on a preliminary agreement.The development comes days after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a US air base in the region following fresh US attacks on southern Iran. While Kuwait confirmed it had intercepted what it described as “hostile missile and drone threats”, it did not identify the intended target.The missile launch followed US military action against Iranian assets. US forces shot down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz and attacked a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city in southern Iran, according to US officials.The latest hostilities have raised new concerns over the stability of the fragile US-Iran ceasefire in place since April, as the conflict between Washington and Tehran enters its fourth month amid ongoing talks to extend the truce.The IRGC said its attack targeted “the source” of earlier US operations against Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) described the Iranian attack on Kuwait as a “serious ceasefire violation”.CENTCOM had said the incident occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five unilateral attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the US military, all five drones were intercepted, while a sixth drone launched from a ground-control site in Bandar Abbas was also intercepted.The US military said its actions were “measured, entirely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire”.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bakai condemned the US attacks and called them a violation of the ceasefire. According to state broadcaster IRIB, he said Iran would “take all necessary steps to defend its national sovereignty”.Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the “criminal Iranian attacks” targeting its territory.