Donald Trump calls for 'a real end' to conflict between Israel and Iran
Washington, Jun 17 (AP): In the span of about eight hours Monday, President Donald Trump went from suggesting a nuclear deal with Iran remained “achievable” to urging Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut his visit to the international G7 summit short to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team.
Trump expressed frustration with Iranian leaders for failing to reach an agreement, adding that he wants “a real end” to the conflict and a “complete give-up” of Tehran's nuclear programme.
Here's the latest:
Trump shares Huckabee's lengthy text message of praise
On his social media site, Trump shared a screenshot of the text from Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel. Huckabee's also a Baptist minister and a former Arkansas governor.
He opens by referencing last year's attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania, saying Trump was spared by God to be the “most consequential President in a century – maybe ever.”
Huckabee says no president in his lifetime “has been in a position like yours. Not since Truman in 1945.” That's a reference to President Harry Truman's decision to drop an atomic bomb on Japan during World War II.
“You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!” Huckabee wrote, adding, “It is my honour to serve you!”
Trump again dismisses comments of one of his top aides
Back in March, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers US spy agencies did not believe Iran was building a nuclear weapon.
When asked about the comment aboard Air Force One, Trump dismissed her remark.
“I don't care what she said,” Trump said. “I think they were very close to having it.”
A widening schism over Iran among Trump's MAGA supporters
Trump bristled when asked about some of his MAGA faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who've suggested further US involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end US involvement in expensive and endless wars.
“Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that,' IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!'” the president wrote on social media.
Other prominent Trump supporters have also raised concerns about how far the president should go in backing Israel.
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk are among prominent Trump World allies who've noted that voters backed Trump because he promised not to entangle the nation in foreign clashes and to be wary of expanding US involvement in the Mideast conflict.
Trump says he won't call Minnesota Gov Tim Walz after lawmaker shootings
The president said he he won't call Walz after the targeted shootings of two state lawmakers because it would “waste time.”
One of the lawmakers and her husband were killed.
The Republican president spoke to reporters early Tuesday aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington after abruptly leaving an international summit in Canada because of rising tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran.
Asked if he planned to call Walz, Trump said the Democratic governor is “slick” and “whacked out” and said, “I'm not calling him.”
Presidents often reach out to other elected officials at times of tragedy to offer condolences.
Trump added, “The guy doesn't have a clue. He's a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call him, but why waste time?”
Walz was the vice presidential running mate for 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who lost her presidential bid to Trump.
San Francisco appeals court will hear arguments over National Guard deployment in LA
A federal appeals court in San Francisco is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday on whether the Trump administration should return control of National Guard troops to California after they were deployed following protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids.
The hearing comes after the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by the administration last week to temporarily pause a lower court order that directed Trump to return control of the soldiers to the governor who filed a lawsuit over the deployment.
The three-judge panel is set to hear oral arguments via video starting at 3 pm ET, and protests outside the downtown San Francisco court are expected.
US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco ruled last week that the Guard deployment was illegal and exceeded Trump's statutory authority. It applied only to the National Guard troops and not the Marines, who were also deployed to LA.
Trump is at a moment of choosing as Israel looks for more US help crushing Iran's nuclear programme
President Donald Trump in about eight hours Monday went from suggesting a nuclear deal with Iran remained “achievable” to urging Tehran's 9.5 million residents to flee for their lives as he cut short his visit to an international summit to return to Washington for urgent talks with his national security team.
He returns to the capital at a moment of choosing in his presidency.
Israel, with five days of missile strikes, has done considerable damage to Iran and believes it can now deal a permanent blow to Tehran's nuclear programme — particularly if it gets a little more help from Trump.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One during his overnight flight back to Washington that Iranian leaders had been unwilling to reach an agreement over their nuclear programme, suggesting he was now less interested in talking with them.
“They should have done the deal. I told them: Do the deal,” Trump said. “So I don't know. I'm not too much in the mood to negotiate.”
The Republican president, who said he plans to meet with advisers in the Situation Room, appears to be gradually building the public case for a more direct American role in the conflict.
His shift in tone comes as the US has repositioned warships and military aircraft in the region to respond if the conflict between Israel and Iran further escalates.
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Railway exams postponed after pro-Kannada activists protests over exclusion of language
Bengaluru (PTI): South Western Railway on Tuesday abruptly postponed its recruitment examinations following protests by pro-Kannada organisations over the conduct of tests only in English and Hindi.
Members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike gathered outside exam centres in Bengaluru and Hubballi, demanding that the exams also be held in Kannada.
"The recruitment examinations have been postponed due to the protests and next dates would be announced later," a SWR official said.
Officials said the South Western Railway (SWR) had scheduled promotion examinations on Tuesday to fill 295 posts, including 194 posts of goods train manager.
Following the development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged the Union Government to ensure that Kannada-speaking candidates are not subjected to "such injustice".
He also sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue necessary directions in this regard, demanding that the cancelled examinations be conducted at the earliest, with provision to write them in Kannada.
The morning exams were postponed after members of the pro-Kannada organisation staged protests near the exam centres in parts of the state including Bengaluru. The exams scheduled for the afternoon hours have also been postponed, he said.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has been opposing the move to drop the local language from the recruitment exams, stating it could prevent local candidates from appearing.
Welcoming the postponement, the organisation warned it would resume protests if the exams are held again without meeting its demands.
"Every state language must be respected. Candidates must be allowed to write exams in their respective state languages...Kannada in Karnataka, Tamil in Tamil Nadu, Marathi in Maharashtra, so that local candidates can have better opportunities to serve in higher positions," Hanumanthappa Ambigeri, a member of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, told reporters in Hubballi.
Taking to social media platform 'X', Siddaramaiah said the Railway Department has abruptly cancelled the promotion examinations scheduled to be held today for 194 Goods Train Manager posts in South Western Railway and 101 LDCE posts in the Hubballi division, placing Kannada employees in uncertainty.
This follows strong opposition from Kannadigas and Kannada organisations, he said.
Siddaramaiah pointed out that thousands of Kannada-speaking employees had already raised objections over the lack of provision to write the examination in the local language.
Despite peaceful protests, he alleged that the department failed to respond in time, cancelling the examinations at the last moment and leading to the present confusion.
"Had the department acted early and allowed the examination in Kannada, this situation could have been avoided. Instead, its indifferent approach and last-minute cancellation after protests intensified is condemnable," Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister claimed that this is not the first instance, nor will it be the last, of Kannadigas facing injustice in central government examinations.
"Due to the continued imposition of Hindi in recruitment processes across central departments, Kannada candidates have long been subjected to unfair treatment," he alleged.
"It is unfortunate that this has occurred even when (state MP) V Somanna serves as Minister of State for Railways. I had expected that he would stand for Kannadigas and address this injustice, but that expectation has not been fulfilled. He must move beyond words and act in the interest of Karnataka," he said.
Siddaramaiah said that Kannadigas have already experienced the adverse impact of the Centre's preference for Hindi and neglect of regional languages. Restricting central examinations to Hindi and English is unacceptable, he said.
"India is a union of states formed on linguistic foundations. We do not oppose Hindi, but we will not accept its imposition over Kannada. Kannadigas are not seeking employment or promotion as charity, but asserting their right in the language they were educated in," he added.
