Latest news with #F-bomb
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
This Week in Explainers: Were Iran's nuclear sites ‘totally obliterated' as Trump claims?
The war between Israel and Iran is over. At the centre of this conflict were Iran's crucial nuclear sites, which US President Donald Trump claims were 'totally obliterated' by US strikes. But is there any conclusive proof? We talk about the conflicting narratives and more in our weekly wrap read more A woman shows the victory sign outside a house, following an Israeli strike on a building on Monday, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, on June 26. Reuters After 12 days of intense missile attacks and with the US stepping in, the '12-day war' between Israel and Iran ended on Tuesday (June 24). It came hours after Iran launched an attack on the US-run airbase in Qatar. You'd think the US would hit back harder, but instead, Donald Trump took to Truth Social and announced a ceasefire. Tehran, it turns out, informed the US and Qatar about the largely symbolic strikes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After ceasefire violations and a miffed Trump dropping the F-bomb, the fragile truce between Israel and Iran has been holding. With the conflict ending, it's time for assessment. While the US president insists that Iran's key nuclear sites are 'totally obliterated', reports from US and European intelligence talk about severe damage. What's the truth? It's hard to say. In the US, the New York City mayoral primary caught everyone's attention. Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Indian-origin state assemblyman, became the Democratic candidate for NYC mayor after he beat former governor Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani made history as the first Muslim nominee, but he is receiving backlash from across the spectrum, be it from Donald Trump or Indian politicians. Talking about history, the Axiom-4 mission , carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the ISS, finally took off on Wednesday (June 25). Shukla became the first India to travel to the space station along with three other crew members. It was a big moment for Poland and Hungary as well, which also sent their astronauts – Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu – to space for the first time in nearly half a century. Now let's talk about the 'Wedding of the Century'. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos married former TV journalist Lauren Sanchez at a grand ceremony in Venice. The couple faced protests and were forced to change their venue, but can anything ruin a party when you are the world's third-richest man? The most famous and influential descended upon Venice for a celebration that cost up to €40 million (Rs 400 crore). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We talk about all this and more in our weekly roundup. 1. After the US attacked Iran's key nuclear sites, a retaliation was expected. The Islamic Republic launched missiles at the US-run Al Udeid Air Base, a key military facility in West Asia. However, there were no casualties or damage. In fact, Iran gave Qatar and the Trump administration a prior notice about the strikes. Here's why. 2. After Iran attacked the US air base, the war took an unexpected turn. Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on Truth Social. Now all three sides – the US, Israel, and Iran – are claiming victory. But who actually won? And how did entering the conflict benefit America? This story explains. A man passes next to a mural after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Haifa, Israel, June 25. Both sides have claimed victory in the conflict. Reuters 3. Trump maintains that Iranian nuclear sites were 'totally obliterated'. Israel shares a similar story. Intelligence assessment by the US and EU talk of 'severe damage' However, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insists that the US strikes did not 'accomplish anything significant' to disrupt Iran's nuclear programme. How much damage has been caused to the facilities? It's hard to tell. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4. In American politics, a 33-year-old son of an Indian-American filmmaker has grabbed headlines. Zohran Mamdani won the New York mayoral primary, becoming the Democratic candidate for the race . The first Muslim nominee, Mamdani, however, is getting brickbats from all around. Supporters attend a watch party for Zohran Mamdani's primary election in New York City. Mamdani defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo to become the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor. Reuters 5. Finally, the Axiom-4 mission took off after six delays. With this, India's astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla became the first from the country to travel to the International Space Station. But life in space comes with challenges of its own. 'I am learning like a baby how to walk and eat in space,' Shukla said in one of his first remarks during the spaceflight. So what happens to your body in space? This explainer answers the question. Axiom Mission 4 successfully docked with the @Space_Station on 26 June 2025 at 16:15 hrs IST. Team ISRO, led by Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO, witnessed the historical moment from the Mission Control Room at @NASA_Johnson, Houston. Welcome ceremony of Axiom… — ISRO (@isro) June 26, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 6. Last year, the South Korean government implemented a nationwide ban on the sale of dog meat for consumption. The landmark legislation comes into effect in 2027. Farmers have time until then to shut operations and sell off the remaining canines. This leaves 500,000 dogs and thousands of farmers in a limbo . A dog in a cage is pictured during a protest to demand that the government scrap plans to enforce a ban on eating dog meat. File photo/Reuters 7. The 'Wedding of the Century' took place in Venice. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former TV journalist Lauren Sanchez exchanged vows on Friday (June 27). What followed was a grand celebration. From politicians to businessmen and celebrities, the who's who of the world thronged the San Giorgio island. Here's how much the wedding cost . Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos embrace, as they leave on a boat from Aman Venice hotel, on the third day of their wedding festivities, in Venice, Italy, June 28. Reuters That's all from us this week. Happy reading. If you like taking a deep dive into the news, come back for more explainers here .
West Australian
14 hours ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Joe Spagnolo: Opposition spat sure to get an ‘F-bomb'
Let's be brutally honest: Most of us drop the F-bomb from time to time. I do it frequently. Probably way too frequently. Sometimes, there's no other word that will cut it, depending on the situation you're in. Donald Trump made international headlines this week when he 'dropped the bomb' to describe the on-again, off-again war between Israel and Iran. I don't reckon he's the only political leader to drop the F-bomb this week. I reckon WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas would have dropped quite a few during the course of the week, albeit in private. The reason for Basil's annoyance? I'm reliably told he wasn't too happy that Nationals leader Shane Love went off-script and declared in The Sunday Times that either the Libs and Nats form a formal coalition by the end of the year, or the Nats may well pull out of the current Alliance agreement and go solo — leading up to and during the next election. Basil has been telling anyone who will listen that the relationship between the Nats and the Libs is much improved on past years. Sure. The parliamentary MPs that make up the 13-person Liberal-National Alliance may well be singing Kumbaya and doing their best to work together to hold Labor to account. But Love's public declaration that the Nats might walk and break the Alliance, if a coalition is not formed by the end of this year, cannot be described as anything but a crisis — no matter how you spin it. For mine, good on Shane Love for speaking his mind and raising an uncomfortable truth: unless the Nationals and Liberals form a coalition sooner, rather than later, then the two parties will remain in opposition for at least another eight years. At the past three elections, the Libs and Nats have been absolutely killed by Labor — going into those polls as an Alliance that allowed the two parties to have different policies and run candidates against each other in city and country seats. Just recently, the Nats — under a letterhead from State president Julie Freeman — wrote to Liberal State president Caroline Di Russo asking that negotiations between the two parties recommence to agree on a new way forward. Love wants that new way forward to mirror the Federal model of the Coalition. Di Russo this week confirmed receipt of the letter to The Sunday Times. 'We have received a letter from the National Party and we will respond to that letter,' Di Russo told me. 'It has always been our intention to continue our discussions in relation to how our parties can work together. 'We will no doubt discuss and consider all options. 'That said, my preference is, and has always been, that that is done between the parties and not via the media.' Clearly, Di Russo wasn't too rapt either that Love went public with his ultimatum. And knowing Di Russo as I do, I'd suggest her language — once she read Love's comments in The Sunday Times — would have made Trump's look tame. Since I covered my first State election in 2008, the Libs and Nats have had an Alliance agreement, rather than a former coalition like the parties do in Canberra. As Love points out, that agreement hasn't worked. 'It's either all in with an arrangement where we acknowledge we would be working together, sharing responsibilities — and that's commonly called a coalition — or we would be better off being fully independent of our Liberal colleagues,' Mr Love said. 'To be anything in the middle has really not proven successful. 'For me, we either have an agreement where we are definitely working together, or we be separate.' The Libs might well say: What the f--k? But Love is 100 per cent correct to call for the Alliance agreement to be torn up, and a new coalition agreement be signed. If the Libs and Nats are dinkum about being a formidable force then they can't continue walking the path of destruction.
Metro
2 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
Putin stages deadly war games after NATO agrees to increase defence spending
Russia is staging nuclear war games in a candid warning to the West, just days after NATO countries agreed to raise their defence spending. Vladimir Putin's nuclear-capable Yars missile systems were sent on a combat patrol in the Altai region of Siberia. The RS-24 Yars missile typically carries three or four nuclear warheads, each with a yield estimated between 100 and 300 kilotons, making each warhead between seven and 20 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. They have a range of up to 7,500 miles, enabling strikes on both the US and Europe. They are currently the main element of the ground-based component of the Russian strategic nuclear force. Defence ministry TV channel Zvezda said the drills were 'to check the readiness of military personnel, weapons and equipment for long-term duty in field conditions'. A statement explained: 'Soldiers are engineering field positions, organising camouflage and combat security.' They were exercising in countering 'enemy scouts and saboteurs', with support units removing 'special equipment from areas of simulated chemical contamination'. The war games are days after the NATO bloc agreed to increase defence spending to counter the danger. Russia already mocked the spending increase, calling it 'frenzied'. As foreign minister Sergey Lavrov put it, the 5% rise – which Donald Trump hailed a 'big win for Europe and… Western civilisation' – is the 'talk of the town'. The Kremlin has previously accused Nato of being on a path of rampant militarisation and portraying Russia as a 'fiend of hell' to justify its major increase in defence spending. Russia, which is spending more than 40% of this year's budget on defence and security, denies any intention to attack a Nato state. More Trending Allies agreed to raise their collective spending goal over the next decade, citing what they called the long-term threat posed by Russia and the need to strengthen the civil and military resilience. NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, even hailed Trump as 'Daddy' for dropping the F-bomb live on TV over alleged ceasefire violations in Israel's war with Iran. Former Dutch PM Mark Rutte praised the US president, saying: 'Sometimes daddy has to use strong words.' The comment came as leaders of the 32-nation alliance gathered in The Hague, to agree the new defence spending target of 5% of the gross domestic product. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Donald Trump is already selling 'Daddy' T-shirts for £20 MORE: Map shows safest countries to be in if global conflict breaks out MORE: Six places which could be safe if World War Three erupts – including two in UK
Metro
2 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
Trump and his defence boss have created a ‘cult of personality'
US strikes on Iran have dominated headlines this week, in a fast-moving news story that grew stranger by the minute. Trump even shouted: 'They don't know what the f*** they're doing'. Today, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth gave a speech at the Pentagon that came across as more of a condescending lecture, slamming the press for their coverage of the attacks on nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. Through gritted teeth, Hegseth told reporters: 'The assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, setting it back by years, I repeat, years. What the United States did was historic.' Furrowing his brow, the defence chief added: 'But because you – and I mean specifically you, the press – because you cheer against Trump so hard… You want him not to be successful so badly that you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. 'You hope maybe they weren't effective, the way the Trump administration has represented them isn't true, so you make half-truths, spin leaked information into every way you can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind.' Hegseth's remarks were one of the most brutal attacks on the press from a senior official in Trump's second term so far. But the most interesting part isn't the words, an expert has said — it's the focus of their wrath. Ian Garner, historian and propaganda analyst at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw, told Metro it's telling to see Trump and Hegseth go on the attack, not against Iran, but against the media. 'This has been coming back since his first presidential run. To me, it's extremely authoritarian,' he said. 'The authoritarian approach is to say that the real enemy, the much more frightening enemy, is the enemy within.' For Hegseth and Trump, that 'enemy' is the press, which they claim has undermined a military mission simply by reporting on evidence coming out of the Pentagon. Media outlets that reported on new intelligence from the US suggesting the attacks in Iran did not destroy the nuclear facilities were publicly humiliated by Trump. For the President and his Defence Secretary, who hailed them as 'one of the most successful military strikes in history', this was a betrayal. @metrouk The White House has released a video of Donald Trump with the title 'Daddy's Home'. The nickname comes after Nato's secretary general Mark Rutte has hailed Donald Trump as 'Daddy' for dropping the F-bomb live on TV over alleged ceasefire violations in Israel's war with Iran. Former Dutch PM Mark Rutte praised the US president, saying: 'Sometimes daddy has to use strong words.' #donaldtrump #daddy #worldnews #usnews ♬ Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) – Usher But Mr Garner points out: 'To suggest the media is somehow undermining a military mission by reporting on evidence, can't possibly affect the reality of that mission. 'The way Trump and Hegseth have interacted with the public and media tells us is something much more important: that this conflict is much more about spectacle and performance and giving domestic audiences a show of strength from the White House and the Pentagon than achieving any particular strategic target.' The heart of this performance? Trump himself. A growing number of Americans are seeing him as the true commander-in-chief, Mr Garner argues. @metrouk US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities did not destroy the Iranian nuclear programme and have likely only set it back by months, according to an intelligence assessment. The White House says the assessment is 'flat-out wrong' and is 'a clear attempt to demean' President Trump. #us #donaldtrump #iran #nuclear 'The idea here is that power seems to emanate from this one political figure, from Donald Trump himself, which is eerily reminiscent of cults of personality we've seen elsewhere. 'And yet, the spectacle and the performance are delivered in such an obvious way that it is really clear to any intelligent observer that this is truly a cult of personality.' The media spectable unfolded after the US unleashed more than a dozen bombs on t wo Iranian nuclear facilities, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment plant and the Natanz Enrichment Complex. But the revelation that the US may not have fully eliminated the centrifuges of the sites and highly enriched uranium is quickly becoming an issue for Trump and his 'cult of personality' – as well as the media reporting on it. But it's not Trump's first fight with the media. He became famous in his first campaign for slamming what he called the 'fake news media' for spreading lies. In 2017, it was found that one in four of Trump's tweets at the time contained fake news. check our news page.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Phony MLB announcers keep telling us what we see isn't true
Duck! Here comes another 96 mph sinker! Welcome back to summer school, you reprobates. Ready for your first test? It's an IQ test to gauge how ignorant the expert MLB TV instructors think you are, how much bull-lony fools can swallow before returning fire in the form of projectile 'disengagement' that soaks the screen. Let's fast-backward to Friday, when the benches and bullpens emptied to perform a push-and-shove F-bomb chorale after the Angels' Zach Neto was hit in the right wrist, about letter high, by a rising fastball thrown by the Astros' Hunter Brown.
