US Senate committee hearing on commerce, science and transportation
US Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety, convened a subcommittee hearing titled 'On the Right Track: Modernizing America's Rail'. This hearing will examine the state of the US freight and passenger rail network, with an emphasis on enhancing safety, improving efficiency, fostering innovation, and ensuring the long-term viability of the nation's rail infrastructure to move American energy, goods, and people. The hearing will explore avenues for meaningful regulatory and policy reforms in the context of the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization.
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Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
Iran-Israel conflict: Donald Trump warns Iran has ‘two weeks' to avoid US strikes
US President Donald Trump warned escalating tensions on Friday, giving Iran a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid potential American air strikes. His remarks come as Israel asserts it has already delayed Iran's presumed nuclear ambitions by at least two years. Trump also dismissed European diplomatic efforts, saying it would be "very hard" to ask Israel to halt its ongoing military actions, according to a report by AFP. A series of blasts were heard in Tehran on Friday as Israel kept up the massive wave of strikes it says is aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons -- an ambition Tehran has denied. 'According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb,' Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar said in an interview published Saturday. Saar said Israel's week-long onslaught will continue. "We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat," he told German newspaper Bild. As Trump mulls the prospect of joining the war on Israel's side, top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva and urged him to resume talks with the United States that had been derailed by Israel's attacks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said "we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for." But Araghchi told NBC News after the meeting that "we're not prepared to negotiate with them (the United States) anymore, as long as the aggression continues." Trump was dismissive of European efforts, telling reporters, "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." Trump also said he's unlikely to ask Israel to stop its attacks to get Iran back to the table. "If somebody's winning, it's a little bit harder to do," he said. Any US involvement would likely feature powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses to destroy an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo. On the streets of Tehran, many shops were closed and normally busting markets largely abandoned on Friday. Since Israel launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people. A hospital in the Israeli port of Haifa reported 19 injured, including one person in serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo. More than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones, according to Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate. We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Iran Israel war updates: Indians evacuated from Iran to land in Delhi today
Heavily damaged building of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) after it was hit a few days earlier in an Israeli strike, in Tehran. Iran and Israel exchanged a new wave of air strikes on Friday, marking the eighth consecutive day of hostilities between the neighbours. The conflict intensified even as European diplomats convened in Geneva in a fresh bid to revive nuclear negotiations and stem further escalation. Israeli fighter jets targeted missile infrastructure in western Iran, the military said, while Tehran launched salvos of missiles at Haifa and Beersheba. At least 19 Israelis were reported wounded, and Iran's Human Rights Activists News Agency estimated 657 deaths and over 2,000 injuries in Iran since the conflict began. ...Read More In Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with EU foreign policy chief and ministers from the UK, France, and Germany. Araghchi said Iran would not engage with the US until Israel halts its attacks, but signaled willingness to continue talks with Europe. US President Donald Trump cast doubt on European mediation efforts, asserting that 'Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us.' Trump had on Friday warned Tehran that it has only two weeks to de-escalate or face potential American intervention. Latest developments in the Iran Israel war: Israel vows a 'prolonged campaign' to cripple Iran's nuclear capacity. Iran's foreign minister holds talks in Geneva, but rules out US dialogue for now. Israel says it struck missile and nuclear-related sites in Tehran and western Iran. Trump gives Iran two weeks to de-escalate or face possible US strikes. Iran reports 657 killed, including civilians, in Israeli airstrikes since the conflict began. Iran accuses Israel of bombing five hospitals in recent attacks. Haifa and Beersheba hit by Iranian missiles; 19 injured in Israel. Arab ministers warn of regional energy disruption, call for US pressure. Follow all the updates here: June 21, 2025 6:09 AM IST Iran Israel war live: Hundreds of American citizens have departed Iran using land routes over the past week since an aerial war between the Islamic Republic and Israel broke out, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Friday. While many left without problem, "numerous" citizens had faced "delays and harassment" while trying to exit, the cable said. It said, without giving further details, that one unidentified family had reported that two US citizens attempting to leave Iran had been detained. June 21, 2025 6:05 AM IST Iran Israel war live: The Israeli military launched a new wave of attacks targeting missile storage and launch infrastructure within Iran. Following the recent Iranian air strikes, Israeli authorities have now instructed residents that it is safe to leave protected areas, indicating that the immediate threat has passed.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Great day for Africa': Trump administration brokers Congo-Rwanda treaty to end mineral war; US President says he deserves Nobel Peace Prize
In what he called 'a Great Day for Africa,' US President Donald Trump on Friday announced on Truth Social that his administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has successfully brokered a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. The treaty is aimed at ending one of Africa's deadliest and longest-running conflicts and is due to be formally signed in Washington on June 27. 'I am very happy to report that I have arranged, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a wonderful Treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Rwanda, in their War, which was known for violent bloodshed and death, more so even than most other Wars,' Trump wrote. 'This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!' The announcement follows three days of closed-door talks in Washington between representatives of the two nations. The conflict is centred in the mineral-rich eastern provinces of the DRC and has claimed over six million lives over the past three decades. The turmoil is fuelled by competition for control over valuable resources such as coltan, cobalt, lithium, and gold. The peace deal was initiated at the invitation of DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, who requested Trump's administration to step in after multiple failed attempts at reconciliation, reports CBS News. According to the US State Department, the agreement includes commitments to halt hostilities, respect territorial boundaries, disarm rebel groups, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and integrate local economies. 'Transactional diplomacy' While many welcome the potential end to hostilities, analysts remain cautious. Daniel Van Dalen, a senior analyst at Signal Risk, an Africa-focused intelligence firm, noted that the deal marks a shift in American strategy on the continent. 'The days of diplomatic soft power are over,' he said. 'This is transactional diplomacy at work.' One major concern is the M23 militia, which controls parts of eastern DRC but was not part of the peace talks. The group is believed to be supported by Rwanda, although Rwandan officials have always denied this. M23 has recently taken over areas in two provinces. 'The M23 are still pushing, in spite of peace negotiations, for territorial gains,' Van Dalen warned. Sources told CBS News that Rwanda may agree to withdraw troops believed to be supporting M23 fighters, while the DRC might allow small-scale mining in its territory to be routed through Rwanda. However, without M23's direct involvement or commitment, observers worry that the conflict may simply continue under new terms. Tiffany Trump's father-in-law appointed as senior adviser to the White House Amid the negotiations, Tiffany Trump's father-in-law, Massad Boulous, was appointed as a senior adviser to the White House on Africa. He travelled across the region to meet with leaders and promote US business ties, especially in mining. The Trump administration is reportedly looking to re-establish American interests in Africa's critical mineral supply chain, where Chinese firms currently dominate. The DRC has begun revisiting mining tax laws to make the country more appealing to Western investment. The US has already committed substantial funding to infrastructure, including $560 million towards the Lobito Corridor, a rail project that connects the DRC's copper belt to an Angolan port, offering a vital trade route. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this': Trump Even though some people doubt whether the treaty will really work, Trump used the moment to point out what he sees as his ignored efforts to bring peace around the world. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this… but the people know, and that's all that matters to me!' he said on Truth Social, also referencing previous efforts to resolve conflicts between India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as the Abraham Accords in the Middle East.
