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World leaders urged restraint on Friday after Israel pounded Iran, striking 100 targets including nuclear and military sites, and killing senior figures. Here is a roundup of key reactions:- ‘Cannot have nuclear bomb’: United States – “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform, adding that Israel has a lot of weapons thanks to the United States and “they know how to use it”.Earlier in the day, Trump told Fox News that “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table.”- ‘Maximum restraint’: UN -UN chief Antonio Guterres asked “both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford,” according to a spokesperson.Guterres was “particularly concerned” by Israel’s strikes on nuclear installations amid the ongoing US-Iran negotiations.- ‘Unacceptable’ and ‘unprovoked’: Russia -“Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies, calling the strikes “unacceptable” and “unprovoked”, while the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv urged Russians in Israel to leave the country.- ‘Deeply worried’: China -“The Chinese side… is deeply worried about the severe consequences that such actions might bring,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, calling “on relevant parties to take actions that promote regional peace and stability and to avoid further escalation of tensions”.- ‘Diplomacy best path forward’: EU -“The situation in the Middle East is dangerous. I urge all parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. Diplomacy remains the best path forward, and I stand ready to support any diplomatic efforts toward de-escalation,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. – ‘Right to defend itself’ : France -“France reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself and ensure its security,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in English on X, calling “on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate” and “avoid jeopardising the stability of the entire region”.- Avoid ‘further escalation’: Germany -Germany, which for years expressed concerns about Iran’s “advanced nuclear weapons programme”, said it was “ready to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to influence the parties to the conflict. The goal must remain that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons”.- ‘Dangerous escalation’: Hamas -“This aggression constitutes a dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilise the region,” said the Iran-backed, Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.- Threaten to ‘ignite the region’ : Hezbollah -Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, long seen as the Iran-led axis’s most powerful group, said of Israel: “This enemy adheres to no logic or laws and knows only the language of killing, fire, and destruction,” adding that the “brutal” strike threatened to “ignite the region”.- ‘Threat to international peace’: Iraq -Iraq strongly condemned the attacks, saying: “This act represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security.”- No ‘battleground’: Jordan -“Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, reaffirming that the Kingdom will not be a battleground for any conflict,” a government spokesperson told AFP after Jordan closed its airspace.- ‘Dangerous approach’: Oman -Nuclear talks mediator Oman said “calls on the international community to adopt a clear and firm position to put an end to this dangerous approach, which threatens to rule out diplomatic solutions and jeopardise the security and stability of the region”.- ‘Strong condemnation’: Qatar -Gaza mediator Qatar expressed “its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack,” the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said, adding that the “dangerous escalation threatens security and stability of the region and hinders efforts to de-escalate and reach diplomatic solutions”.- ‘Aggressive actions’: Turkey -“Israel’s attacks on our neighbor Iran are a clear provocation that disregards international law,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel and a fervent advocate of the Palestinian cause, urging the international community to “put an end to Israeli banditry”.- ‘Reduce tensions urgently’: UK -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region.”- ‘Legitimate right to defend itself’: Yemen’s Huthis -Tehran-backed Huthi rebels said they backed “Iran’s full and legitimate right to… develop its nuclear programme” and that “we strongly condemn the brutal Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and affirm its full and legitimate right to respond by all possible means”.burs-djt/giv

The Trump administration won a temporary reprieve to retain control of California National Guard troops at least until Tuesday after a day of legal tussling over the president’s decision to send them to quell demonstrations in Los Angeles that erupted over immigration raids.US District Judge Charles Breyer originally ordered Donald Trump on Thursday to return control of the reserve force to California’s Governor Gavin Newsom on June 17, ruling that the president’s actions were “illegal.”The Department of Justice (DOJ) slammed Breyer’s Thursday order as “an extraordinary intrusion on the President’s constitutional authority as Commander in Chief” and lodged an immediate appeal. An appeals court then issued its own ruling within minutes that stayed Breyer’s order until a hearing set for Tuesday so that it had time to consider the DOJ’s appeal.That means Trump will keep control of the National Guard in California during protests planned for Saturday.Sporadic though spectacular violence has rocked Los Angeles over days of demonstrations against immigration raids launched by the Trump administration.But the clashes fell “far short” of the “rebellion” the president described to justify his decision to send in the National Guard, Breyer said in a 36-page opinion released Thursday. Trump’s actions “were illegal… He must therefore return control” of the guardsmen to Newsom, Breyer said.Newsom was quick to celebrate Breyer’s order — potentially a much-needed win on just one of several fronts that Democratic California is fighting against the White House.Trump “is not a monarch, he is not a king, and he should stop acting like one,” the 57-year-old Democrat said.- ‘Voice for the people’ – Protests over the immigration crackdown first began in Los Angeles a week ago and were largely confined to just a few blocks of the sprawling city.Damage included vandalism, looting, clashes with law enforcement and several torched driverless taxis.Trump, who has repeatedly exaggerated the scale of the unrest, deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 US Marines to Los Angeles despite the objections of local officials, claiming that they had lost control of the “burning” city.It was the first time since 1965 that a US president deployed the National Guard over the wishes of a state governor.Critics have accused Trump of a power grab, with protesters in Los Angeles on Thursday angry about his immigration crackdown. “What brings me out here? The people that were taken, people who don’t have voices. We are the voice for the people,” said Jasmine, who held a placard that said “Abolish ICE,” the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Trump was unrepentant, declaring again on Friday he “saved LA” and that “if I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now.”Anger at Trump’s raids and the use of masked, armed immigration agents backed by uniformed soldiers has roused protests in other cities, including San Francisco, Chicago and San Antonio, Texas.In Georgia, a Mexican citizen died in an ICE facility, Mexico’s foreign ministry said Thursday, adding that it was trying to “clarify the facts, confirm the official cause of death.”- ‘Reeks of totalitarianism’ -Breyer’s ruling came after California’s stand-off with the administration ratcheted up earlier Thursday, when a sitting US senator was handcuffed and forcibly removed from a news conference about the immigration raids.Video footage shows California Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat, being pushed from the room at a federal building in Los Angeles as he tried to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the raids.”I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he said as two men grappled with him in front of journalists, including from AFP.Footage filmed by Padilla’s staff outside the room shows the senator being pushed to the ground and handcuffed.The incident “reeks of totalitarianism,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, calling for an investigation.The White House hit back, claiming without evidence that Padilla “lunged toward Secretary Noem.”Trump was elected last year after promising to launch historic mass deportations.But with his mounting crackdown rippling through industries heavily reliant on immigrant labor, Trump said he had heard employers’ complaints and hinted at a forthcoming policy shift.”We’re going to have an order on that pretty soon, I think,” he said.The nationwide “No Kings” protests on Saturday will coincide with a highly unusual military parade that Trump is attending in the US capital.The parade, featuring warplanes and tanks, has been organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army but also happens to be on the day of Trump’s 79th birthday.

US President Donald Trump implored Israel on Thursday not to attack Iran and declared, once again, his goal was to be a peacemaker.Hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — one of Trump’s closest international allies — brazenly defied his advice by unleashing a major military campaign described as a “preemptive” strike against Iran’s nuclear program.The attack marks the latest setback for Trump’s lofty goal set out at the start of his second term of being a “man of peace.”Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Trump has also boasted a warm relationship, has rebuffed his overtures for a ceasefire with Ukraine.And Israel resumed another massive offensive in Gaza after talks bogged down on extending a ceasefire with Hamas reached with Trump’s support at the end of his predecessor Joe Biden’s term.Trump’s friend and roving envoy Steve Witkoff — who has negotiated in all three crises — had been set to meet Iranian officials again Sunday in Oman.Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear in a statement the United States was not involved in attacking Iran and warned Tehran not to retaliate against US troops in the region.Hours later, Fox News reported that Trump had said he was aware Israel was going to conduct strikes on Iran before it happened, and that he hoped negotiations could still happen. “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see,” Trump said, according to Fox News, which added that Trump also said “the US is ready to defend itself and Israel if Iran retaliates.”The president will hold a meeting with the National Security Council on Friday morning. – ‘It would blow it’ -Before Israel launched its operation, Trump said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it.”He doubled down with a social media post saying he remained “committed to a diplomatic resolution” on Iran.Netanyahu has described Iran’s cleric-run government, which backs Hamas, as an existential threat and already last year ordered strikes that knocked out its air defenses.”We’ve clearly seen a fork in the road in the American and Israeli approaches to this problem set,” said Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official who is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.”These strikes are going to disrupt and delay and degrade Iran’s nuclear program. The question, I think, is whether or not the United States and Israel in the future are going to work together on what to do to maximize the time that’s put back on the clock,” she said.Stroul noted that rifts had been building between Israel and Trump, who last month agreed to remove sanctions on Syria after former Islamist guerrilla Ahmed al-Sharaa swept into power.Trump embraced the new Syrian leader after appeals on a tour of Gulf Arab monarchies — which have also backed diplomacy on Iran.In Qatar last month, Trump said after meeting the emir that he believed a deal was in sight with Iran and that there would be no “nuclear dust” over the region.- ‘Reckless escalation’ – Despite growing disagreements, Israel enjoys robust support in Trump’s right-wing base.The Trump administration in recent days has again taken lonely positions to back Israel, with the United States casting one of the only votes at the UN General Assembly against a Gaza ceasefire resolution and criticizing top allies, including Britain, for imposing sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers.Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the Israeli attack will “destroy US diplomatic efforts” on Iran and called for Trump to reject any US military role in protecting Israel from retaliation.”Israel has the right to choose its own foreign policy. At the same time, it has the responsibility to bear the costs of that policy,” he said.But lawmakers in Trump’s Republican Party quickly rallied behind Israel. Senator Tom Cotton said that the United States should “back Israel to the hilt, all the way,” and topple Iran’s Islamic Republic if it targets US troops.Trump’s Democratic rivals, who mostly backed his diplomacy on Iran, were aghast at Israel’s action ahead of new US-Iran talks.”Israel’s alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence,” said Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

Israel pounded Iran in a series of air raids on Friday, striking 100 targets including Tehran’s nuclear and military sites, and killing the armed forces’ chief of staff, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and top nuclear scientists.Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attacks.The Israeli military said later that Iran launched 100 drones towards Israel in response and that its air defences were intercepting them outside Israeli territory.US President Donald Trump told Fox News he had advance notice of the Israeli strikes which Israel’s military said involved 200 fighter jets. Trump also stressed that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear bomb”.The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action and warned Tehran not to attack its personnel or interests.But Tehran said the United States would be “responsible for consequences” as Israel’s operation “cannot have been carried out without the coordination and permission of the United States”.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme”, taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and nuclear scientists.The strikes would “continue as many days as it takes”, the Israeli leader said, adding later that the initial wave of strikes were “very successful”.The Israeli military said its intelligence gathering showed Iran was approaching the “point of no return” on its nuclear programme.The strikes killed Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, Iranian media reported.State media said residential buildings in Tehran were hit as well, killing a number of civilians including women and children.Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists killed in the attacks.- Flights suspended -Air traffic was halted at Tehran’s main gateway, Imam Khomeini International Airport, while Iraq and Jordan also closed their airspace and suspended flights.Israel declared a state of emergency and closed its airspace, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying Israel was braced for Iran’s expected retaliation.”Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Katz said.An Israeli military official said the army believed Iran had the ability to strike Israel “any minute”.Oil prices surged 12 percent while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes, which came after Trump’s warning of a “massive conflict” in the region.Trump had also said the United States was drawing down staff in the Middle East, after Iran threatened to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out.Trump said he believed a “pretty good” deal on Iran’s nuclear programme was “fairly close”, but said that an Israeli attack on its arch foe could wreck the chances of an agreement.The US leader did not disclose the details of a conversation on Monday with Netanyahu, but said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it.”Trump quickly added: “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”- ‘Within reach’ -US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran not respond to Israeli strikes by hitting US bases, saying Washington was not involved.”Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” Rubio said in a statement.Prior to Friday’s attack, Iran had threatened to hit US bases in the Middle East if conflict were to erupt.With the violence raising questions on whether a sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran will still take place on Sunday in Oman, Trump said however that Washington is still “hoping to get back to the negotiating table”.Confirming Natanz among targets, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said it was “closely monitoring” the situation.”The agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country,” International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said.- ‘Extremist’ -Israel, which counts on US military and diplomatic support, sees Iran as an existential threat.Netanyahu has vowed less restraint since the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Tehran-backed Hamas, which triggered the massive Israeli offensive in Gaza.Since the Hamas attack, Iran and Israel have traded direct attacks for the first time.Aside from Hamas, Israel is also battling Iranian proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen.The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has repeatedly denied.Israel again called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Wednesday of non-compliance with its obligations.Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, slammed the resolution as “extremist”.In response, Iran said it would launch a new enrichment centre in a secure location.”The world now better understands Iran’s insistence on the right to enrichment, nuclear technology, and missile power,” the Iranian government said following the strikes.Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close, though still short, of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.

President Donald Trump, whose second term has been devoted to going it alone, makes his return to the Group of Seven in crisis mode after Israel attacked Iran.The G7 summit starting Sunday in the Canadian Rockies town of Kananaskis marks the first major global gathering of Trump’s second term, in which he has been even more brash in shattering diplomatic norms.Looking to avoid a dust-up, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had set the agenda on largely uncontroversial themes such as building global supply chains for critical minerals.That agenda could now be upended as Israel launched a massive military campaign against Iran on Friday, saying it was taking pre-emptive action against its adversary’s contested nuclear program.The Trump administration has closely aligned the United States with Israel, taking aim even at close allies who criticize its offensive in Gaza.But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly defied Trump, who hours earlier had called for a diplomatic solution and whose friend and roving envoy Steve Witkoff had been due to hold new talks with Iran on Sunday just as the G7 opened.A senior Canadian official said there would be no attempt at the G7 to reach consensus on a joint communique on the issues of the day and that leaders instead would be asked to endorse “short, action-oriented statements.””Of course it would be desirable for a summit statement to be issued, but as the summit is being held in a very complex international situation, I believe that the unity of the G7 should be given the highest priority,” Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said.- New leader in ’51st state’ -The last time Trump attended a G7 summit in Canada in 2018, he stormed out early and took to social media to disassociate the United States from the statement and brand then-prime minister Justin Trudeau as “dishonest and weak.”The bad blood never ended, and Trump on returning to office mockingly said Canada should be the 51st US state.Trudeau handed over the premiership in March to Carney, a former central banker who told Trump firmly in the White House that Canada was “never for sale.”Like Trump, “Trudeau liked being the center of attention,” said John Kirton, founder of the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto.Trudeau at least at first was seen as “young, handsome and — I’m quoting others — hot. Carney is none of these things,” Kirton said.Carney has instead patched up with Trump through his analytical skills and competence, Kirton said.Trump also has an incentive to keep the peace in Kananaskis — the United States will lead the G7 in 2027.”He doesn’t want to kill the G7 golden goose before he can produce the ‘biggest, best summit ever’ for the whole world stage two years from now,” Kirton said.- ‘America First’ -The G7 club of major industrial democracies — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — was formed in the 1970s to coordinate economic policy and grew in scope to take on some of the world’s security hotspots.Trump since returning to the White House has upended the global economic system by imposing tariffs and has sought to negotiate with Russia over Ukraine — an issue that will also figure prominently when he heads to a NATO summit in The Hague a week after Canada.The US president can be expected to push back in Kananaskis if allies seek to moderate him, said Rachel Rizzo, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.”He does not view these organizations as ways to deepen and expand American power and influence. He sees these fora as constraining America,” she said.Europeans will observe Trump at the G7 to see how he treats their alliance, said Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.”Our allies and partners in Europe are really questioning the US commitment and they are asking themselves, is this a relationship that is going to be maintained?”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to attend the G7 and hopes to meet Trump. The two clashed bitterly at the White House on February 28 but Trump since then has voiced frustration at Russia’s reluctance on peace overtures.In a key step distancing himself from Trudeau, Carney has also invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Relations sharply deteriorated after Trudeau publicly accused India of masterminding the assassination of a Sikh separatist in Canada.burs-sct/dhc

The Trump administration slammed a judge’s “extraordinary intrusion” on presidential powers Thursday, after he ruled that the decision to send the California National Guard to protest-hit Los Angeles was “illegal.”The ruling by US District Judge Charles Breyer ordering Donald Trump to return control of the reserve force to California’s Governor Gavin Newsom infringes on the president’s authority as Commander-in-Chief, the Department of Justice said in an emergency appeal.Breyer stayed his order until Friday, however, giving the administration time to launch a swift appeal.Within minutes the higher court issued its own ruling staying Breyer’s order for several more days to give it time to consider the appeal, with a hearing set for June 17.The stay means Trump would still control the National Guard in California during protests planned for Saturday.Sporadic though spectacular violence has rocked Los Angeles over days of demonstrations against immigration raids launched by the Trump administration.But the clashes fell “far short” of the “rebellion” the president described to justify his decision to send in the National Guard, Breyer said in a 36-page opinion released earlier Thursday. Trump’s actions “were illegal … He must therefore return control” of the guardsmen to Newsom, Breyer said.”That order is an extraordinary intrusion on the President’s constitutional authority as Commander in Chief,” the justice department wrote in the appeal.Newsom, however, was quick to celebrate Breyer’s order — potentially a much-needed win in just one of several fronts that wealthy, Democratic California is currently fighting against the White House.Trump “is not a monarch, he is not a king, and he should stop acting like one,” the 57-year-old Democrat said.Protests over the immigration crackdown first began in Los Angeles on Friday, and were largely confined to just a few blocks of the sprawling city. Damages include vandalism, looting, clashes with law enforcement and several torched driverless taxis.Trump, who has repeatedly exaggerated the scale of the unrest, deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 US Marines to Los Angeles despite the objections of local officials, claiming that the city was “burning” and they had lost control.It was the first time since 1965 that a US president deployed the National Guard over the wishes of a state’s governor.Critics have accused Trump of a power grab. But he has been unrepentant, taking credit Thursday for making Los Angeles “safe” and declaring thatNewsom — a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 — had “totally lost control.”Anger at Trump’s crackdown and the use of masked, armed immigration agents, backed by uniformed soldiers, is rousing protests in other cities, though Los Angeles was calm on Thursday night.- ‘Reeks of totalitarianism’ -The ruling came after California’s stand-off with the administration ratcheted up earlier Thursday, when a sitting US senator was handcuffed and forcibly removed from a press conference on the immigration raids.The shocking incident was slammed by furious Democrats who said it “reeks of totalitarianism.”Video footage shows California Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat, being pushed from the room at a federal building in Los Angeles as he tried to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the raids.”I’m Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he said as two men grappled with him in front of journalists, including from AFP.Footage filmed by Padilla’s staff outside the room shows the senator being pushed to the ground and handcuffed.The incident “reeks of totalitarianism,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, calling for an investigation.The White House hit back, claiming it was a “theater-kid stunt” and claiming without evidence that Padilla “lunged toward Secretary Noem.”Trump was elected last year after promising to launch historic mass deportations.But with his mounting crackdown rippling through industries heavily reliant on immigrant labor, Trump said he had heard employers’ complaints and hinted at a forthcoming policy shift.”We’re going to have an order on that pretty soon, I think,” he said.Breyer’s ruling comes two days ahead of the nationwide “No Kings” protests expected on Saturday, the same day Trump attends a highly unusual military parade in the US capital.The parade, featuring warplanes and tanks, has been organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army but also happens to be on the day of Trump’s 79th birthday.

Scale AI announced a major new investment by Meta late Thursday that values the startup at more than $29 billion and puts its founder to work for the tech titan.Company founder and chief executive Alexandr Wang will join Meta to help with the tech giant’s own artificial intelligence efforts as part of the deal, according to the startup.Meta was reportedly pouring more than $10 billion into San Francisco-based Scale AI, and acquires its 28-year-old CEO amid fierce competition in the AI race with rivals such as OpenAI, Google and Microsoft.”Meta has finalized our strategic partnership and investment in Scale AI,” a Meta spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.”As part of this, we will deepen the work we do together producing data for AI models and Alexandr Wang will join Meta to work on our superintelligence efforts.”Meta promised more details about the move in coming weeks.Scale AI works with business, governments and labs to exploit the benefits of artificial intelligence, according to the startup.”Meta’s investment recognizes Scale’s accomplishments to date and reaffirms that our path forward — like that of AI — is limitless,” Wang said in a release.”Scale bridges the gap between human values and technology to help our customers realize AI’s full potential.”Since Wang founded Scale AI in 2016, it has grown to more than 1,500 people, he wrote in a post on X.He said a few other employees, whom he referred to as “Scaliens,” will go with him to work on Meta’s AI initiative.Wang described his departure as “bittersweet,” adding he will remain a member of the Scale AI board of directors.- Military AI -Along with work that includes AI data, agents, and optimizing systems, Scale AI late last year announced an artificial intelligence model built on Meta’s Llama 3 model that is customized for US national security missions including planning military or intelligence operations and understanding adversary vulnerabilities. Listed capabilities of “Defense Llama” include assessing scenarios and answering tactical questions such as how enemies might attack and how to effectively counter, according to Scale AI.”Scale AI is committed to ongoing collaboration with the defense community to ensure Defense Llama remains a trusted and effective asset for US military and intelligence operations,” Wang said at the time.Scale AI will use the infusion of capital to accelerate innovation and strengthen partnerships, along with distributing proceeds to equity holders, according to the startup.Meta will hold a minority stake in Scale AI after the investment deal closes, but an exact figure was not revealed.Tech industry veteran and investor Jason Droege, a co-founder of Uber Eats food delivery platform, will take over as chief of Scale AI, according to the company.”Scale has led the charge in accelerating AI development,” Droege said in a release.”We have built the strongest foundation to tackle AI’s data challenges and push the boundaries of what’s possible.”Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg recently touted his tech firm’s generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) assistant, telling shareholders it is used by a billion people each month across its platforms.

Israel carried out strikes against Iran on Friday, targeting its nuclear and military sites, and killing the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and top nuclear scientists.Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attack, which also killed a senior Guards commander according to Iranian media.The United States underlined that it was not involved in the Israeli action, and warned Tehran not to attack its personnel or interests.Israel’s operation struck at the “heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme”, taking aim at the atomic facility in Natanz and nuclear scientists, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.The operation against Iran will “continue as many days as it takes,” Netanyahu said.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards leader Hossein Salami was killed in the strikes, said Iranian media Tasnim.Iran’s Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri was also “likely eliminated”, said an Israeli security official.Iranian state media said residential buildings in Tehran were hit as well, killing a number of civilians including women and children.Air traffic was halted at Tehran’s main international airport Imam Khomeini, while neighbouring Iraq has also closed its airspace and suspended all flights at all airports, state media reported.Israel declared a state of emergency, likewise closing its airspace, with Defence Minister Israel Katz anticipating retaliatory action from Tehran.”Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Katz said.An Israeli military official added that the Israeli army believed that Iran had the ability to strike Israel “any minute”.- ‘Might blow’ deal -Oil prices surged 12 percent while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes, which came after US President Donald Trump’s warning of a “massive conflict” in the region. Trump had also said the United States was drawing down staff in the Middle East, after Iran threatened to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out.”I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday when asked if an Israeli attack loomed. Trump said he believed a “pretty good” deal on Iran’s nuclear programme was “fairly close”, but said that an Israeli attack on its arch foe could wreck the chances of an agreement.The US leader did not disclose the details of a conversation on Monday with Netanyahu, but said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it.”Trump quickly added: “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.”Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran not respond to Israeli strikes by hitting US bases, saying Washington was not involved.”Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” Rubio said in a statement.Prior to Friday’s attack, Iran had threatened to hit US bases in the Middle East if conflict were to erupt.”All its bases are within our reach, we have access to them, and without hesitation we will target all of them in the host countries,” Iran’s Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said this week.Following Israel’s strikes, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said it was “closely monitoring” the situation.”The agency is in contact with Iranian authorities regarding radiation levels. We are also in contact with our inspectors in the country,” International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said.- ‘Extremist’ -Israel, which counts on US military and diplomatic support, sees Iran as an existential threat and hit its air defences last year.Netanyahu has vowed less restraint since the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Tehran-backed Hamas, which triggered the massive Israeli offensive in Gaza.Since the Hamas attack, Iran and Israel have traded direct attacks for the first time.The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, which it has repeatedly denied.Israel again called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Wednesday of non-compliance with its obligations. The agency’s resolution could lay the groundwork for European countries to invoke a “snapback” mechanism, which expires in October, that would reinstate UN sanctions eased under a 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by then US president Barack Obama.Trump pulled out of the deal in his first term and slapped Iran with sweeping sanctions.Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, slammed the resolution as “extremist” and blamed Israeli influence.In response to the resolution, Iran said it would launch a new enrichment centre in a secure location.Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close, though still short, of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead.

Scale AI announced a “significant” new investment by Meta late Thursday that values the startup at more than $29 billion and puts its founder to work for the tech titan.Scale AI founder and chief executive Alexandr Wang will join Meta to work on the tech giant’s own artificial intelligence efforts as part of the deal, according to the startup.Meta was reportedly pouring more than $10 billion into San Francisco-based Scale AI, and acquires its 28-year-old CEO amid fierce competition in the AI race with rivals such as OpenAI, Google and Microsoft.Scale AI works with business, governments and labs to exploit the benefits of artificial intelligence, according to the startup.”Meta’s investment recognizes Scale’s accomplishments to date and reaffirms that our path forward — like that of AI — is limitless,” Wang said in a release.”Scale bridges the gap between human values and technology to help our customers realize AI’s full potential.”Scale AI will use the infusion of capital to accelerate innovation and strengthen partnerships, along with distributing proceeds to equity holders, according to the startup.Meta will hold a minority stake in Scale AI after the investment deal closes.Tech industry veteran and investor Jason Droege, a co-founder of Uber Eats food delivery platform, will take over as chief of Scale AI, according to the company.”Scale has led the charge in accelerating AI development,” Droege said in a release.”We have built the strongest foundation to tackle AI’s data challenges and push the boundaries of what’s possible.”Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg recently touted the tech firm’s generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) assistant, telling shareholders it is used by a billion people each month across its platforms.

Scott Konopasek, a decorated US veteran, has gone from defending his country to protesting the government, angered by deep budget cuts hurting former members of the military.Wearing a US Army cap, the former intelligence officer voiced frustration and outrage at the impact of the Donald Trump administration’s dramatic overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).”I’m just very disappointed in my country,” he told AFP at a recent demonstration in Washington for veterans’ rights.Having served in the US Army for 15 years, including being decorated for his service during the Gulf War, Konopasek is entitled to free health care through the VA.That has long been a coveted perk in a country where private insurance can be extremely expensive.But Konopasek said he cannot “get appointments anymore for my medical treatment.””The system has been broken,” he said, his voice cracking and tears welling in his eyes.The VA — the second largest US government agency after the Defense Department — not only ensures that veterans can access health care, but also free university education and pensions.In May, department head Douglas Collins announced a drastic restructuring of the institution, which employs some 500,000 people — 90 percent of them in the health sector.A leaked internal memo indicated 15 percent of VA staff would be let go, sparking outrage among former military members.- Privatization of care -Making matters worse, veterans were simultaneously being hit with cuts demanded by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), until recently run by Elon Musk.While they represent 6.1 percent of the US population, veterans constitute a quarter of federal employees, according to Jamie Rowen, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.Joe Plenzler, who served as a US Marine for two decades, insisted the veterans dismissed by DOGE were “patriotic Americans.””Many of them… are serving their country for a second time,” he said.”For them to be fired and then maligned on the way out the door… is an insult.”Another cause for concern, Rowen said, is that “Project 2025” — a blueprint for reshaping the government published by a conservative think tank two years ago in anticipation of a Trump win — called to “privatize healthcare at the VA.”But, “the quality of care by those private providers is not as good as the VA,” the professor stressed.This would be “bad for veterans. It’s more expensive, the wait times are longer and the quality of care is lower.”Ydelka Schrock, a 47-year-old veteran from Maryland who served until 2001, also criticized the shift.”I don’t think what they’re doing to the VA and to the veterans who have fought for our country is right,” she told AFP at the protest.”My husband is also a veteran, and he’s disabled” due to his service as a parachuter, she said, insisting his medical benefits “shouldn’t go away.”Schrock also fears that staff shortages could “make it harder for other veterans” to access the benefits they need.- ‘Losers and suckers’ -Trump’s repeated derogatory remarks about veterans also riled up some of the protesters.He at times clashed with military brass during his 2017-2021 first term, and in 2020 The Atlantic magazine reported he had referred to fallen troops as “losers” and “suckers” — something he denied.”These men and women serve honorably, and now they’re being abandoned… thrown under the bus,” said John Tyler, a 76-year-old veteran who served during the Vietnam war.The betrayal was particularly egregious coming from “a man who didn’t serve (in the military)… a coward,” he told AFP at the Washington protest.Tyler, an African American, and Schrock, who is Hispanic, both slammed the Trump administration’s treatment of minorities in the military and its general attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.”Less people are going to want to serve a government that is not standing for the people to begin with,” Schrock said.She said she would be protesting again Saturday, when Trump hosts a military parade in Washington to celebrate the US Army’s 250th anniversary, and his own 79th birthday.Schrock refused to lose hope. “We’re a rebellious country, a rebellious people,” she said with a smile.