G7 rallies behind Ukraine after abrupt Trump exit

Group of Seven leaders, holding talks Tuesday at a summit in Canada, promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fresh support as Russia stepped up attacks on its neighbor.US President Donald Trump, who has had a volatile relationship with Zelensky, had been due to meet him but left the summit early to return to Washington over the Israel-Iran conflict. Zelensky arrived at the remote resort venue in the Canadian Rockies after Russia hit Kyiv with one of the worst bombardments since it invaded in February 2022, killing at least 10 people in the capital.Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed Zelensky and announced Can$2 billion ($1.47bn) of military support, including drones and helicopters, for Ukraine.”This underscores the importance of standing in total solidarity with Ukraine,” Carney told him, calling for “maximum pressure against Russia.”Carney also joined Britain in tightening sanctions on Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of ships used to circumvent international sanctions on its oil sales.Britain said it wanted to ramp up economic pressure to show Russian President Vladimir Putin it was in his interest to end the war.”These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin’s war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.- US holding out -US lawmakers have also drafted a package of new sanctions on Russia but Trump has been hesitant to give his support, saying he wants to preserve relations with Putin, whom he spoke to by telephone on the eve of the G7 summit.Trump infamously berated Zelensky in the Oval Office on February 28, saying he was ungrateful for US aid, but has since voiced disappointment that Putin has rebuffed a US proposal for at least a temporary ceasefire.Zelensky, his voice choked with emotion, told Carney that the latest Russian attack was a “big tragedy” for Ukrainian families and it showed the need for allies’ support — and made clear that he still backed Trump-led calls for negotiations.”It’s important for our soldiers to be strong in the battlefield, to stay strong until Russia will be ready for the peace negotiations,” Zelensky said.”We are ready for the peace negotiation — unconditional ceasefire. For this we need pressure.”French President Emmanuel Macron accused his Russian counterpart of exploiting global focus on the Middle East to carry out the deadly attack on Kyiv.”It shows the complete cynicism of President Putin,” Macron told reporters at the summit.- Tough trade talks -The G7 — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — was holding its first summit since the return to power of Trump, who openly questions longstanding US alliances.Trump appeared in relatively good spirits before pulling out early.”Obviously with Trump gone the discussions might be a bit smoother, but they also have less impact with the most powerful nation not there,” a diplomat from a G7 nation said on condition of anonymity.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained to represent the United States at the summit, where discussions have also concentrated on Trump’s attempts to radically overhaul the world’s trading system.Trump has vowed to slap sweeping tariffs on friends and foes alike on July 9, although he has postponed once.The US president, speaking to reporters on his way back from the summit, complained that the European Union was not yet offering a “fair deal” on trade.”We’re either going to make a good deal or they’ll just pay whatever we say they will pay,” he said.European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she still hoped for a negotiated solution and that talks were “intense and demanding.”Trump’s negotiators have already sealed a deal with Britain and, outside of the G7, reached an agreement to lower tariffs with rival China.Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he had “frank” discussions with Trump on Monday but made clear the importance of automobile exports to the world’s second-largest developed economy.”We have not reached an agreement on the package as a whole,” Ishiba told reporters.

Israel-Iran conflict: latest developments

Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Tuesday, the fifth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East.The adversaries have for years waged a shadow war through proxies and covert operations, with Israel fighting Iranian-backed groups such as Hamas since October 2023.Here are the latest developments:- ‘Unconditional surrender’ -US President Donald Trump dramatically stepped up his rhetoric against Iran’s supreme leader Tuesday, saying on social media that the United States knows where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is located but will not kill him “for now”.In another post, Trump also appeared to demand Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” as he fuelled questions about whether the United States would join Israel’s attacks on Tehran’s leadership and nuclear facilities.Trump earlier said he wanted a “real end” to the conflict, not just a ceasefire.A White House official said Trump was convening a meeting of his National Security Council to discuss the hostilities.G7 leaders, including Trump, had issued a call on Monday for “de-escalation”, but it was accompanied by criticism of Iran and support for Israel’s right to defend itself, drawing a rebuke from Tehran.Beijing accused Trump of “pouring oil” on the intensifying conflict, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “the biggest threat to the security of the region”.- Latest exchanges -Israel’s military said it launched at least two waves of strikes Tuesday targeting missile and drone sites in western Iran.AFP journalists heard multiple series of loud explosions across Tehran over the course of the day, while Iranian media reported blasts in Isfahan, which hosts nuclear facilities.Israel said it intercepted “most” of a barrage of missiles fired from Iran after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and northern parts of the country.The Israeli military issued seven missile alerts for various parts of the country since midnight.Air raid sirens also sounded in Dimona, a town in southern Israel home to a nuclear facility, with no reports of any hits.Iran has said its targets in Israel included “sensitive” security sites, claiming attacks on the headquarters of the Mossad spy agency and air force bases.Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Iranian armed forces chief of staff, warned of imminent “punitive operations”.As of Sunday, Israeli attacks had killed at least 224 people and wounded more than 1,200 in Iran, the health ministry said. The deaths include top military commanders and nuclear scientists.At least 24 people have been killed and 592 wounded in Iran’s attacks on Israel, according to Netanyahu’s office.- Doing the ‘dirty work’ -Netanyahu has said Israel’s campaign seeks to eliminate Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, as well as its “axis of terrorism” — a reference to Iranian-backed militant groups in the Middle East.He has also not ruled out killing the supreme leader.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that “regime change is not an objective of this war — it can be a result, but it’s not an objective”.French President Emmanuel Macron warned that any attempt to change the government in Iran would result in “chaos”.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed support for the campaign Tuesday, saying in an interview that “this is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us” against Iran’s “mullah regime”.In a separate interview, he said Tehran was “considerably” weakened, adding: “I can hardly imagine the mullah regime returning to its old functions.”- Internet cuts -Iranian media reported widespread internet disruption on Tuesday.It was not immediately clear what caused the disruption. Iran has imposed internet restrictions since Israel began its aerial campaign.A cyberattack on Tuesday crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran’s main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported.- Natanz ‘impact’ -Israel has carried out repeated strikes on Iran’s key nuclear sites despite warnings from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that such military action is in breach of international law.The IAEA said Tuesday that it had detected signs of “direct impacts” to the underground part of Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, struck on Friday.burs-ami/smw

Iran confronts Trump with toughest choice yet

President Donald Trump faces potentially the hardest choice of his time in the White House, as he weighs up whether the United States should join Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.Trump fueled speculation about a US intervention as he dashed back from a G7 summit in Canada, warning Tuesday that the United States could kill Iran’s supreme leader, but would not “for now.”The choice is a monumental one for a president who has vowed throughout both his first and second terms in the Oval Office to get the United States out of its “forever wars” in the Middle East. “It’s a major political and military choice that could define his legacy in the Middle East,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told AFP.As Trump met his National Security Council in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday, there were already hints that he was considering abandoning what was until recently his preferred diplomatic route.The most likely option under consideration by Trump would be the use of giant US “bunker-buster” bombs against Iran’s deeply buried Fordow nuclear facility that Israel’s bombs could not reach.US officials said dismantling Iran’s nuclear program — which Western countries say Tehran is using to seek a nuclear weapon — remained Trump’s priority.- Fluid situation -Trump also implied that the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is back on the table, just days after a US official said he had waved off such a move by Israel.US officials stressed that Trump had not yet made a decision and was keeping all options on the table, with the situation fluid and changing “hourly.” The Axios news site said Trump was even considering a new meeting between his top negotiator Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.A game-changer however would be any Iranian attack on US forces in the region, with an official saying that Trump would not tolerate a “hair on the back of an American” being harmed.Trump’s change of tone is remarkable for coming less than a week after the US president — who has openly talked about wanting to win the Nobel Peace Prize — called on Israel to avoid strikes.But amid frequent phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Netanyahu’s own hints about pursuing regime change in Iran, Trump has pivoted.Trump has ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region along with a number of US military aircraft, raising questions about whether he will act.- ‘Decisions on your shoulders’ – A further hint that action may be on the cards came from the White House’s apparent efforts to see off any backlash from his own Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.There has been growing opposition to any Iran intervention from the isolationist wing of his base, who hold him to his pledge to keep the United States out of wars like those in Iraq and Afghanistan.Vice President JD Vance defended his boss, saying Trump had “earned some trust” on the issue and “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian (uranium) enrichment.””Having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals,” the Iraq veteran said, in a nod to MAGA skeptics.Trump himself meanwhile hinted at his mood as he mulled his critical decision.He reposted a comment by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, saying God had “spared” Trump from an assassination attempt last year.”The decisions on your shoulders I would not want to be made by anyone else. You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters. HIS voice,” Huckabee said.

Iran confronts Trump with toughest choice yet

President Donald Trump faces potentially the hardest choice of his time in the White House, as he weighs up whether the United States should join Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.Trump fueled speculation about a US intervention as he dashed back from a G7 summit in Canada, warning Tuesday that the United States could kill Iran’s supreme leader, but would not “for now.”The choice is a monumental one for a president who has vowed throughout both his first and second terms in the Oval Office to get the United States out of its “forever wars” in the Middle East. “It’s a major political and military choice that could define his legacy in the Middle East,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told AFP.As Trump met his National Security Council in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday, there were already hints that he was considering abandoning what was until recently his preferred diplomatic route.The most likely option under consideration by Trump would be the use of giant US “bunker-buster” bombs against Iran’s deeply buried Fordow nuclear facility that Israel’s bombs could not reach.US officials said dismantling Iran’s nuclear program — which Western countries say Tehran is using to seek a nuclear weapon — remained Trump’s priority.- Fluid situation -Trump also implied that the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is back on the table, just days after a US official said he had waved off such a move by Israel.US officials stressed that Trump had not yet made a decision and was keeping all options on the table, with the situation fluid and changing “hourly.” The Axios news site said Trump was even considering a new meeting between his top negotiator Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.A game-changer however would be any Iranian attack on US forces in the region, with an official saying that Trump would not tolerate a “hair on the back of an American” being harmed.Trump’s change of tone is remarkable for coming less than a week after the US president — who has openly talked about wanting to win the Nobel Peace Prize — called on Israel to avoid strikes.But amid frequent phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Netanyahu’s own hints about pursuing regime change in Iran, Trump has pivoted.Trump has ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region along with a number of US military aircraft, raising questions about whether he will act.- ‘Decisions on your shoulders’ – A further hint that action may be on the cards came from the White House’s apparent efforts to see off any backlash from his own Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.There has been growing opposition to any Iran intervention from the isolationist wing of his base, who hold him to his pledge to keep the United States out of wars like those in Iraq and Afghanistan.Vice President JD Vance defended his boss, saying Trump had “earned some trust” on the issue and “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian (uranium) enrichment.””Having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals,” the Iraq veteran said, in a nod to MAGA skeptics.Trump himself meanwhile hinted at his mood as he mulled his critical decision.He reposted a comment by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, saying God had “spared” Trump from an assassination attempt last year.”The decisions on your shoulders I would not want to be made by anyone else. You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters. HIS voice,” Huckabee said.

R. Kelly lawyers allege he was target of ‘overdose’ plot by prison guards

Lawyers for R. Kelly said in recent court filings that the criminally convicted R&B singer suffered an “overdose” of medication at the hands of prison officials.Kelly is currently serving a 30-year-prison sentence at a facility in North Carolina. He was found guilty of myriad crimes including federal racketeering and sex trafficking of minors.His lawyers alleged in a flurry of filings Monday and Tuesday that Kelly was in solitary confinement when prison staff instructed him to take an “overdose quantity of medication” on June 12.The 58-year-old became “faint” and “dizzy” by the next morning, the filing alleges.”Mr. Kelly tried to get up, but fell to the ground. He crawled to the door of the cell and lost consciousness,” his attorneys said.The court papers say Kelly was taken in an ambulance to Duke University Hospital and that he was under treatment for two days.Queried by AFP, the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment.”For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including medical and health-related issues. Additionally, the Bureau of Prisons does not comment on pending litigation or matters that are the subject of legal proceedings,” the office said in a statement.Kelly’s lawyers had previously filed an emergency motion for release to home detention, saying that the once-famous artist was the target of a murder plot orchestrated by prison officials.In opposing the request, government attorneys called the accusations “fanciful” and “theatrical.”The request “makes a mockery of the harm suffered by Kelly’s victims,” the Chicago federal lawyers said, adding that it wasn’t filed in the correct court with the jurisdiction to even entertain the accusations.Kelly was convicted in 2021 in New York federal court for using an enterprise to systematically recruit and traffic teenagers and women for sex.The singer known for hits including “I Believe I Can Fly” was then convicted one year later in Chicago federal court in a separate trial, in which jurors found him guilty of producing child pornography and enticement of a minor.He is currently serving the New York prison sentence, and will serve almost all of the Chicago sentence concurrently.