While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 27, 2025
A man taking a photo of a residential building in Tehran that was hit by an Israeli missile, with the damaged part covered by a large Iranian flag, on June 25. PHOTO: AFP
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 27, 2025
Iran says no plan for new US nuclear talks
Iran on June 26 denied it is set to resume nuclear talks with the United States after the end of a 12-day war with Israel, and accused Washington of exaggerating the impact of US strikes.
The most serious conflict yet between Israel and Iran derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, yet President Donald Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope 'for a comprehensive peace agreement'.
But Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shut down what he said was 'speculation' that Tehran would come to the table and said it 'should not be taken seriously'.
Mr Araghchi's denial came as Iranian lawmakers passed a 'binding' Bill suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Mr Trump of exaggerating the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
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US' Rubio to welcome Asian 'Quad' back to Washington
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will welcome counterparts from the 'Quad' – Australia, India and Japan – to Washington on June 24, in an at least brief re-focus on Asia, the State Department announced.
Mr Rubio had welcomed Quad foreign ministers on Jan 21 in his first meeting after President Donald Trump's inauguration, seen as a sign that the new administration would prioritise engagement with like-minded countries to counter China.
Since then, much of Mr Rubio's attention has been on the Middle East, with the United States bombing Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israel, and on Ukraine, as Mr Trump unsuccessfully seeks a ceasefire in Russia's invasion.
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Harvard contingency plan for international students
Harvard University and the University of Toronto have unveiled a contingency plan that would allow select Harvard graduate students to continue their studies in Canada if US visa restrictions prevent them from re-entering the United States.
It is the first international student backup strategy announced since the US Department of Homeland Security moved in May to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll international students. A federal judge has since blocked the government's move.
In response to potential US visa challenges, students at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government who are unable to return to the United States will have the option to continue their studies through a visiting student programme at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
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Anna Wintour steps down as editor of US Vogue
Magazine legend Anna Wintour is stepping down as editor of fashion bible US Vogue after 37 years in the post, US media reported on June 26.
British-born Wintour, 75, has been one of the most influential and formidable figures in fashion and magazine journalism for decades, famous for her ever-present sunglasses and unchanging bob haircut.
She was widely seen as the inspiration behind The Devil Wears Prada, a hit 2003 novel and 2006 movie, in which the role of a tyrannical magazine editor was played by Meryl Streep.
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Man City destroy Juve to top group at Club World Cup
Manchester City secured top spot in Group G of the Club World Cup with a 5-2 thrashing of Juventus on June 27, exposing the Serie A side's defensive frailties in emphatic fashion.
With both teams already through to the knockout stage, City underlined their status as title favourites by becoming the only team to finish the group phase with three wins, showing flashes of their brilliant selves.
Pep Guardiola's side finished three points clear of Juventus, who will face the winners of Group H in the last 16.
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Iran decries ‘destructive' conduct by IAEA chief
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and explained why Tehran halted cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog IAEA. PHOTO: REUTERS Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Tehran halted cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog due to what he called the agency chief's 'destructive' behaviour towards the Islamic republic, his office said on J une 30. 'The action taken by Parliament members… is a natural response to the unjustified, unconstructive, and destructive conduct of the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),' Mr Pezeshkian told Mr Macron in a phone call late on J une 29 , according to a presidency statement. On June 2 5, Iranian lawmakers voted in favour of a Bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, citing Israel's June 13 attack on the Islamic republic and later strikes by the United States on nuclear facilities. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold on June 24. Since the start of the war with Israel, Iranian officials have sharply criticised the agency for failing to condemn the strikes. Iran has also criticised the watchdog for passing a resolution on June 12 accusing it of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations. In a post on social media platform X on J une 29 , Mr Macron said he called for 'respect for the ceasefire' and a return to negotiations to address 'ballistic and nuclear issues'. He further called for 'the swift resumption of the IAEA's work in Iran to ensure full transparency'. On June 30 , France, Germany and Britain condemned what they called 'threats' against the IAEA chief Rafael Grossi after Iran rejected its request to visit nuclear facilities bombed during the war. None specified which threats they were referring to, but Iran's ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper recently claimed documents showed Mr Grossi was an Israeli spy and should be executed. Iran has said Mr Grossi's request to visit bombed sites signalled 'malign intent' but insisted that no threats were posed against Mr Grossi or the agency's inspectors. On June 30 , Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the Iranian Parliament's decision to halt cooperation with the IAEA reflected the 'concern and anger of the Iranian public opinion'. He further criticised the US and European powers for maintaining what he described as a 'political approach' towards Iran's nuclear programme during his weekly press conference. Mr Baqaei also questioned how the safety of IAEA inspectors could be ensured while the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities – targeted by Israel and the US during the 12-day war – remains unknown. 'One aspect of this issue is how to ensure the safety and security of the agency's inspectors, in a situation where there is still no accurate assessment of the severity of the damage,' he said. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
UK campaign group Palestine Action to challenge government ban
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in protest against Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's plans to proscribe the \"Palestine Action\" group in the coming weeks, in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/ File Photo LONDON - Pro-Palestinian campaign organisation Palestine Action said on Monday it had initiated legal proceedings to challenge the British government's intention to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. The proscription - expected to be laid before parliament on Monday - would make it a criminal offence to belong to the group, and was announced days after its activists damaged two British military planes in protest at London's support for Israel. Palestine Action previously condemned the government's move, calling it "an unhinged reaction", and said that London's High Court had granted the group an urgent hearing on Friday to consider permission for a legal challenge to the proscription. The group is seeking a court order to prevent the government from proscribing the group pending its case being heard, Palestine Action said. It includes written statements from human rights experts at Amnesty International and others that have expressed concerns "about the unlawful misuse of anti-terror measures to criminalise dissent". "The court's decision to grant an urgent hearing this week is indicative of the vital importance of what is at stake in this case, including the far-reaching implications any proscription of Palestine Action would have on fundamental freedoms of speech, expression and assembly in Britain," co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, said. Under British law, the Home Secretary can proscribe a group if it is believed it commits, encourages or "is otherwise concerned in terrorism". The ban would put Palestine Action on a par with Hamas, al-Qaeda or ISIS under British law. The Home Office declined to comment on Palestine Action's legal challenge. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper previously said the group had a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage" and that the government would not tolerate those who put national security at risk. Palestine Action has regularly targeted British sites connected to Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems as well as other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza in 2023. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump says not offering Iran ‘anything', nor speaking to them
US President Donald Trump said he was not offering Iran anything nor talking to it. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump says not offering Iran 'anything', nor speaking to them WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on June 30 he was not offering Iran anything nor talking to it 'since we totally obliterated' the country's nuclear facilities. 'I am not offering Iran ANYTHING, unlike Obama,' Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'Nor am I even talking to them since we totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities.' The statement comes as Iran's deputy foreign minister told the BBC that talks between Washington and Tehran cannot resume unless the US rules out further strikes on Iran. Mr Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the British broadcaster that the US had signalled it wants to return to the negotiating table, a week after it struck three Iranian nuclear facilities. 'We have not agreed to any date, we have not agreed to the modality,' said Mr Takht-Ravanchi. 'Right now we are seeking an answer to this question. Are we going to see a repetition of an act of aggression while we are engaging in dialogue?' The US needs to be 'quite clear on this very important question', he said. The two countries were in talks over Tehran's nuclear programme when Israel hit Iranian nuclear sites and military infrastructure in June , with the US joining by bombing three nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – on June 21. The deputy minister revealed to the BBC that the US had signalled it did 'not want to engage in regime change' by targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mr Takht-Ravanchi also said Iran should still be allowed to enrich uranium. 'The level of that can be discussed, the capacity can be discussed, but to say that you should not have enrichment, you should have zero enrichment, and if you do not agree, we will bomb you, that is the law of the jungle,' he said. Israel claims that Iran's nuclear programme is close to producing a bomb, whereas Tehran says it is for peaceful purposes. It is not clear yet how much damage the strikes inflicted on Iran's nuclear facilities, which Mr Trump has said were 'totally obliterated'. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Iran would probably be able to begin to produce enriched uranium 'in a matter of months'. Mr Takht-Ravanchi said he did not know how long it would take. Under a 2015 deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium below 3.67 per cent purity for fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. Mr Trump abandoned the agreement in 2018 and Iran responded by producing uranium enriched to 60 percent – above levels for civilian usage but still below weapons grade. That material, if further refined, would theoretically be sufficient to produce more than nine nuclear bombs. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
