US judge orders release of pro-Palestinian activist Khalil

Khalil, a prominent figure in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war on Gaza, was arrested by immigration agents in the lobby of his university residence in Manhattan on March 8.

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Hindustan Times

44 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

Israel claims it killed veteran Iran commander Saeed Izadi as both sides attack

Israel said on Saturday it had killed a veteran Iranian commander as the countries traded attacks, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive. Earlier a prayer ceremony was conducted for Amin Karami, a member of Iranian Revolutionary Guard, who was killed during Israeli strikes.(AP) Saeed Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' overseas arm, was killed in a strike in an apartment in the Iranian city of Qom, said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. Calling his killing a "major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force", Katz said in a statement that Izadi had financed and armed the Palestinian militant group Hamas ahead of its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza. The Revolutionary Guards said five of its members had been killed in attacks on Khorramabad, according to Iranian media reports that did not mention Izadi, who was on U.S. and British sanctions lists. Iranian media had said earlier on Saturday that Israel had attacked a building in Qom, with initial reports of a 16-year-old killed and two people injured. Iran's Fars news agency said Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of the nation's biggest, but there was no leakage of hazardous materials. The Israeli military said it had launched a wave of attacks against missile storage and launch infrastructure sites in Iran. Follow for live update on Israel-Iran conflict Ali Shamkhani, a close ally of Iran's supreme leader, said he had survived an Israeli attack. "It was my fate to stay with a wounded body, so I stay to continue to be the reason for the enemy's hostility," he said in a message carried by state media. Early on Saturday, the Israeli military warned of an incoming missile barrage from Iran, triggering air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Interceptions were visible in the sky over Tel Aviv, with explosions echoing across the metropolitan area as Israel's air defence systems responded. There were no reports of casualties. Iran's nuclear programme Israel began attacking Iran on June 13, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this. Its air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based human rights organisation that tracks Iran. The dead include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Iran's health minister, Mohammadreza Zafarqandi, said on Saturday that Israel has attacked three hospitals during the conflict, killing two health workers and a child, and has targeted six ambulances, according to Fars. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An Iranian missile hit a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Thursday. Iran's NOURNEWS on Saturday named 15 air defence officers and soldiers it said had been killed in the conflict with Israel. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, according to Israeli authorities. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he thought Iran would be able to have a nuclear weapon "within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months". He told reporters at the airport in Morristown, New Jersey: 'We can't let that happen.' He said his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was wrong in suggesting there was no evidence Iran is building a nuclear weapon. Scan progress in Geneva Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there was no room for negotiations with the U.S. "until Israeli aggression stops". But he arrived in Geneva on Friday for talks with European foreign ministers at which Europe hopes to establish a path back to diplomacy. Trump reiterated that he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel's side, enough time "to see whether or not people come to their senses", he said. Trump said he was unlikely to press Israel to scale back its airstrikes to allow negotiations to continue. "I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens," he said. The Geneva talks produced little signs of progress, and Trump said he doubted negotiators would be able to secure a ceasefire. "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one," Trump said. Hundreds of U.S. citizens have fled Iran since the air war began, according to a U.S. State Department cable seen by Reuters. Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the Security Council on Friday his country would not stop its attacks "until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled". Iran's U.N. envoy Amir Saeid Iravani called for Security Council action and said Tehran was alarmed by reports that the U.S. might join the war. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran was ready to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment but that it would reject any proposal that barred it from enriching uranium completely, "especially now under Israel's strikes".

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

Behnam Shahriyari, top IRGC commander, eliminated in targeted IDF operation

Behnam Shahriyari, a senior IRGC Quds Force official, was killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike in western Iran, the military says. Shahriyari headed the Quds Force's Unit 190, responsible for the clandestine transfer of weapons to Iran's proxy groups, especially Hezbollah. The IDF says he was targeted in a strike while driving in a car, more than 1,000 kilometers from Israel. Israel has been seeking to target Shahriyari since 2009. Unit 190 has been in charge of Iran's efforts to arm Hezbollah in Lebanon, Palestinian terror groups in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. Show more Show less

First Post

an hour ago

• First Post

Romania finally gets a prime minister, budget crisis PM Bolojan's first test

Romania's President Nicusor Dan nominated Ilie Bolojan, leader of the National Liberal Party, after weeks of coalition talks. Now, the biggest challenge in the new government's hands will be tackling the budget crisis read more Romania's new pro-Western president, Nicusor Dan, on Friday nominated Ilie Bolojan, leader of the pro-European National Liberal Party (PNL), as the country's next prime minister. AP Romania's new pro-Western President, Nicusor Dan , nominated Ilie Bolojan, leader of the pro-European National Liberal Party (PNL), as the country's next prime minister. The move was announced on Friday, marking an end to the weeks of political uncertainty following the annulled December presidential elections. The 56-year-old centre-right leader was serving the role of Senate president and is known for his reformist approach and administrative discipline. It is pertinent to note that Bolojan had previously served as acting president from February to May, when Dan defeated a hard-right opponent in a heated presidential election rerun . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The nomination came as Romania, a European Union and NATO member state, is seeking to end a protracted political crisis that has gripped the nation since last year. Bolojan was nominated following a fresh round of talks between Dan and PNL. The biggest challenge facing Bolojan now will be taking care of the budget crisis in the country. The budget crisis: Bolojan's biggest challenge The 56-year-old leader will be tasked with tackling Romania's dire finances and reconciling the divided EU member. The country's budget deficit stood at 9.3 per cent at the end of last year, making it the highest in the European Union, AFP reported. In a press conference last week, Bolojan said Romania was 'in a complicated situation', adding that the incoming government would have to resort to 'unpopular measures' that could include cutting public spending and imposing tax rises. Meanwhile, Political scientist Sergiu Miscoiu told AFP that Bolojan was 'the person best placed to take unpopular measures to tackle the serious budget crisis'. However, analysts also point out that apart from a brief time as interim president, he had 'no experience in national politics'. Apart from this, deep social divisions in the nation were also made clear by the controversies that surrounded the presidential election. According to Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, the new government will face the challenge of reaching a longer-term consensus over already delayed state reforms. 'There is only a disputed agreement on very short-term measures for the economic and budget crisis,' the political consultant told The Associated Press. 'If the short-term measures come with a social cost, inflation … (and) will not be met by profound changes in policies and institutions, then the political crisis will loom over the next years and (future) elections," he furthered. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What comes next Bolojan's nomination will now need to be approved by the country's parliament. According to Euro News, his government is expected to be comprised of the leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, the PNL, the reformist Save Romania Union party, and the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party. Ahead of his nomination, the PSD has pushed for a power-sharing agreement that would see a rotation of the prime ministerial post. While speaking after being nominated for the prime ministerial position, Bolojan said he's 'fully aware of the great responsibility' the role will bring and acknowledged it 'will not be an easy undertaking.' 'I will pursue three priorities: to restore order to the country's finances, to work toward good governance that creates conditions for development in Romania, and … to show proper respect to the Romanian people," he furthered. While the far-right parties recently won a third of the parliament seats, they were kept out of the talks to form a new government. Defeated presidential candidate labelled the move as 'a disgrace and an insult'. Meanwhile, the European Union has voiced concerns over the rise of Eurosceptic parties in NATO member Romania that are opposed to sending military aid to Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies.