Latest news with #FreeWorld
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Exiled crown prince says Iranian people have 'tremendous opportunity' to topple weakened regime
The Iranian regime is weaker now than ever, and it's only a "matter of time" before it's toppled, exiled crown prince HRH Reza Pahlavi said Sunday on Fox News. Speaking on "Sunday Morning Futures," Pahlavi said the people of Iran are exactly the "boots on the ground" needed to overthrow the terrorism-sponsoring regime that has been in place for decades, and they now have a "tremendous opportunity" to make it happen. "It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when…" he told Maria Bartiromo, responding to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that Iranian senior leaders are "packing their bags" in light of his country's military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, military infrastructure and more. "The last time we spoke, I mentioned that the regime is at its weakest. As of the last three days, the regime was ten times weaker than it was two weeks ago," he added. At this stage, Pahlavi said, the Iranian people realize the "playing field" has been more equalized for them to take action and put power back into their own hands — but they need support from the outside world. "What they need… is solidarity from the free world to, once and for all, get rid of the problem, help Iranians overcome this regime and put an end to all the threats that this regime has been the root cause of for decades now in the region and beyond." Pahlavi warned the free world that eliminating the regime is the only way to secure a better tomorrow, thereby abolishing the threat of nuclear terror, reducing the stress of global economic instability and lessening the loss of innocent victims. "The Iranian people are willing to do their part. In fact, they've done this so many times with no help whatsoever, but they're willing to risk life and limb in order to finally overcome [this regime]," he said. "Last night, people on the streets were angry, chanting death to the dictator yet again. They know who the enemy is. The regime has been giving them the slogans of 'death to America' and 'death to Israel' for the past four decades, and Iranians have been responding, 'They lie to us when they say it's America. Our enemy is right here,' meaning the regime." "Fortunately, I see that more and more people, public opinion, media [outlets] and foreign governments, are finally making a clear distinction between the people of Iran and the regime, and that's key. That tells you right there that the solution is in front of your eyes. The Iranian people are your solution. Not negotiating with a regime that cannot be trusted."
eNCA
06-06-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Renowned Mars expert says Trump-Musk axis risks dooming mission
WASHINGTON - Robert Zubrin quite literally wrote the book on why humanity should go to Mars -- so why has the renowned aerospace engineer soured on Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur leading the charge? In an interview, the 73-year-old founder of the Mars Society delivered a blistering critique, accusing the world's richest person of undermining the mission through divisive politics and a bleak vision of the Red Planet as an escape from Earth rather than a journey of hope. "On one level, he's absolutely instrumental in opening up this opportunity to get humans to Mars, both through the development of Starship and also the inspiration that has been caused," Zubrin told AFP, referring to Musk's prototype rocket. "But for it to succeed, it has to go beyond these -- this initiative cannot be seen as a Musk hobbyhorse or a Trump hobbyhorse -- it must be seen, at a minimum, as America's program, or preferably the Free World's program." Zubrin's 1996 book "The Case for Mars," since updated numerous times, laid out a practical blueprint for reaching and settling the Red Planet using existing technologies and local resources -- with the ultimate goal of transforming the atmosphere for long-term human habitation. - Supporter turned critic - The book won praise from Musk himself, who once posed with Zubrin at SpaceX's Starship facility in Texas and called it "worth reading." But today, Zubrin -- who co-authored the Mars Direct plan in 1990, has published hundreds of papers, and invented several advanced propulsion concepts -- sees troubling signs. While he described Musk as a "tremendously talented and forceful person," he said his success has bred "hubris and arrogance," comparing him to Napoleon as he thumped his fist for emphasis. He was especially critical of Musk's embrace of Donald Trump during the 2024 election and his role as the administration's chainsaw-wielding cost slasher. "This combination of Trump and Musk is not going to persist forever," Zubrin warned, in an interview conducted before the pair's relationship imploded Thursday in a spectacular public row. "And if this program is identified as their deal, it will be crushed as soon as opposing forces have sufficient power." During their fight on Thursday, Trump called Musk "crazy" and threatened to terminate his government contracts worth billions of dollars. Zubrin also condemned Trump's efforts to gut NASA's space science budget -- a move he sees as fundamentally at odds with the exploratory spirit of the Mars endeavour. The Mars Sample Return mission -- aimed at retrieving specimens collected by the Perseverance rover -- is among the biggest science projects on the chopping block. Although the mission, developed with the European Space Agency, has suffered delays and budget overruns, Zubrin said eliminating it entirely rather than reforming it would be a mistake. "This threatens to brand this program with the mark of Cain of original sin -- that this program is born with the blood of the murder of Space Science on it." - Creative outpost - Where Zubrin still sees promise is in Starship -- Musk's massive prototype rocket aimed at making life multiplanetary, though the vessel's repeated test explosions show there's a long way to go. He diverges with Musk over how it should be used. Starship is far too large to serve as a Mars ascent vehicle, Zubrin said. The Mars expert has proposed a vessel he calls Starboat -- a compact lander that could shuttle between planetary surfaces and orbit, using a fraction of the propellant and surface power. But his sharpest critiques are philosophical. He rejects Musk's portrayal of Mars as a refuge from a dying Earth -- a vision that echoes the works of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. "We're not going to Mars out of despair," Zubrin said. "We're going to Mars out of hope... to establish new branches of human civilisation which will add their creative capacity to that of humanity as a whole." He sees Mars not as a refuge but renewal, where a campaign beginning with robotic missions in the late 2020s and culminating in human landings by 2033 could inspire bipartisan support, showcase American ingenuity and restore national purpose. "If we do the kind of program that I advocated... we will once again, as we did in Apollo, astonish the world with what free people can do," he said. "We'll make it clear that freedom, not authoritarianism, is the future of the human race." by Issam Ahmed
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Renowned Mars expert says Trump-Musk axis risks dooming mission
Robert Zubrin quite literally wrote the book on why humanity should go to Mars -- so why has the renowned aerospace engineer soured on Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur leading the charge? In an interview, the 73-year-old founder of the Mars Society delivered a blistering critique, accusing the world's richest person of undermining the mission through divisive politics and a bleak vision of the Red Planet as an escape from Earth rather than a journey of hope. "On one level, he's absolutely instrumental in opening up this opportunity to get humans to Mars, both through the development of Starship and also the inspiration that has caused," Zubrin told AFP, referring to Musk's prototype rocket. "But for it to succeed, it has to go beyond these -- this initiative cannot be seen as a Musk hobbyhorse or a Trump hobbyhorse -- it must be seen, at a minimum, as America's program, or preferably the Free World's program." Zubrin's 1996 book "The Case for Mars," since updated numerous times, laid out a practical blueprint for reaching and settling the Red Planet using existing technologies and local resources -- with the ultimate goal of transforming the atmosphere for long-term human habitation. - Supporter turned critic - The book won praise from Musk himself, who once posed with Zubrin at SpaceX's Starship facility in Texas and called it "worth reading." But today, Zubrin -- who co-authored the Mars Direct plan in 1990, has published hundreds of papers, and invented several advanced propulsion concepts -- sees troubling signs. While he described Musk as a "tremendously talented and forceful person," he said his success has bred "hubris and arrogance," comparing him to Napoleon as he thumped his fist for emphasis. He was especially critical of Musk's embrace of Donald Trump during the 2024 election and his role as the administration's chainsaw-wielding cost slasher. "This combination of Trump and Musk is not going to persist forever," Zubrin warned, in an interview conducted before the pair's relationship imploded Thursday in a spectacular public row. "And if this program is identified as their deal, it will be crushed as soon as opposing forces have sufficient power." During their fight Thursday, Trump called Musk "crazy" threatened to terminate his government contracts worth billions of dollars. Zubrin also condemned Trump's efforts to gut NASA's space science budget -- a move he sees as fundamentally at odds with the exploratory spirit of the Mars endeavor. The Mars Sample Return mission -- aimed at retrieving specimens collected by the Perseverance rover -- is among the biggest science projects on the chopping block. Although the mission, developed with the European Space Agency, has suffered delays and budget overruns, Zubrin said eliminating it entirely rather than reforming it would be a mistake. "This threatens to brand this program with the mark of Cain of original sin -- that this program is born with the blood of the murder of Space Science on it." - Creative outpost - Where Zubrin still sees promise is in Starship -- Musk's massive prototype rocket aimed at making life multiplanetary, though the vessel's repeated test explosions show there's a long way to go. He diverges with Musk over how it should be used. Starship is far too large to serve as a Mars ascent vehicle, Zubrin said. The Mars expert has proposed a vessel he calls Starboat -- a compact lander that could shuttle between planetary surfaces and orbit, using a fraction of the propellant and surface power. But his sharpest critiques are philosophical. He rejects Musk's portrayal of Mars as a refuge from a dying Earth -- a vision that echoes the works of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. "We're not going to Mars out of despair," Zubrin said. "We're going to Mars out of hope... to establish new branches of human civilization which will add their creative capacity to that of humanity as a whole." He sees Mars not as refuge but renewal, where a campaign beginning with robotic missions in the late 2020s and culminating in human landings by 2033 could inspire bipartisan support, showcase American ingenuity and restore national purpose. "If we do the kind of program that I advocated... we will once again, as we did in Apollo, astonish the world with what free people can do," he said. "We'll make it clear that freedom, not authoritarianism, is the future of the human race." ia/jgc/acb
Arab Times
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Welcome the man of Syria who knows how to govern
HIS Excellency Syrian President Ahmed Al- Sharaa, welcome to Kuwait. We welcome this extraordinary political figure who, from the first moment, has known how to draw a roadmap for the renaissance of Syria, this great country whose people have always been known for their professionalism and honest pursuit of livelihood throughout the world. Everyone knows that Syria has no debts. When you came to power, you did not raise flimsy slogans that could tempt some and of no consequence, especially those raised by the previous regime such as 'Free Jerusalem' or 'Free World.' You did not say 'we would throw Israel into the sea or unite the Arab world.' From the beginning, you rather focused on the establishment of healthy and smooth relations with the whole world, because you practice 'realpolitik'. This is why we have witnessed the entire world's acceptance of the new Syrian government. Moreover, you intelligently and shrewdly dealt with Israel's aggressive practices. You put Tel Aviv in your 'box', because of your desire for just peace. All Arabs who love Syria will never forget that Ahmed Al-Sharaa cleansed Syria of groups seeking to change its cultural and social ideology. He also freed it from Iranian infl uence, which alienated the beating heart of Arabism from its surroundings. Dirty hands worked to divide its people into sectarian clans and denominational states. If we say that Syria was liberated from this, it was thanks to a man who viewed its people solely through a national lens, who did not favor any group, despise or marginalize another. Instead, he sought to unite his people on a common opinion, despite some of the frustrations caused by the remnants of the former ruling gangs. These remnants sabotaged the healthy relationships that existed before the previous regime rose to power, while spreading corruption until it became rampant and eroded the State's strength. Welcome to Kuwait. Kuwaiti people have known Syria throughout history and they love it deeply. They did not distance themselves from Syria, but the gangs of the former regime tried their best to isolate Syria from its Arab nation. Today, Syria reoccupied its rightful place among the Arab world, thanks to a man who knows how to govern and deal with various components of his people, without any fuss or creating crises; like those the former regime used to cover up conspiracies against Syrians, aimed at achieving personal interests or diverting attention from the corruption and problems that led to the impoverishment of the people. Undoubtedly, Syria will return to its former glory, thanks to its brave people who will not fail to reconstruct and develop their country armed by determination and strong will.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Once bubbly, the White House Correspondents' dinner goes flat
This year's White House Correspondents' weekend is shaping up to be a contrast moment ripe for tension and awkwardness. The press, somber and tentative after President Donald Trump and his administration have pulled access and sued outlets over coverage, has ditched the comedian at Saturday's annual dinner in what's been billed as a celebration of independence. Trump, a no-show for each of his previous four years in office, will be in Rome on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis. Trump's supporters have relished what they call the snub of the mainstream media as an opportunity to brandish his populist credentials — a gesture made all the more poignant by his attendance at a funeral for a renowned religious leader. But Trump's travels have their own complications. He'll be memorializing a liberal pontiff who made no secret of his disdain for Trump's harsh mass deportation agenda. And although he will dodge a press corps he views as hostile, Trump will share quarters for a few hours with a cadre of fellow world leaders reeling from his sweeping tariffs and bristling over his recent comments that 'Crimea will stay with Russia.' Trump's allies say his attendance at the funeral will give him a high-profile moment. 'The death of the pope, while coincidental timing, only allows Trump to elevate his disdain for the mainstream media,' said Eric Bolling, a longtime conservative pundit. Steve Bannon sees it as a study in contrasts: 'President Trump transformed from leader of the Free World to the leader of Christendom while media elites bore themselves at interminable parties.' Trump's relationship with the Correspondents' Dinner is fraught. In 2011, former President Barack Obama roasted Trump, saying he would 'bring some change to the White House' while displaying a tacky, Trump-branded casino to the raucous laughter of the Washington political establishment. It was a turning point for Trump, who was in the room, with his longtime political adviser Roger Stone telling PBS in 2016 that it was 'the night he resolves to run for president.' But during his first term and now his second, the distance between Trump and the dinner has echoed his relationship with the press. Although it is customary for the president, first lady and White House press secretary to join the White House Correspondents' Association board on the dais, Trump never attended the dinner during his first term. Some of his senior aides, notably press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, attended during the beginning of his presidency, and left the event scarred by the comedian's cutting satire. That distance will continue this year: Although Air Force One is scheduled to land stateside early Saturday evening, the president and first lady are planning to stay the night at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, before returning to Washington on Sunday. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month she also would not attend. Neither will many Republicans, who in the past saw the dinner as one of the hottest tickets in Washington but are now taking cues from Trump. 'This has nosedived real quick,' said Sean Spicer, who served as press secretary during Trump's first term. 'The president … didn't go for four years, so that's not a huge change. But any Republican will be few and far between.' (Spicer said he will not attend, though he has been spotted at a pre-party.) This year's dinner comes as Trump and his administration have shown open disdain for the White House press corps' norms. The White House has yanked power from WHCA, moving to unilaterally decide which outlets can cover the president and when. Trump, Leavitt and her press shop frequently refer to the media as 'fake news,' make ad hominem attacks against journalists and revoke access as punishment for critical coverage or, in the case of the Associated Press, for failing to change how it refers to the Gulf of Mexico in its influential style book. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio has moved to detain and deport noncitizen legal residents on the basis of anti-Israel speech. The WHCA is branding this year's dinner 'as a celebration of the foundational American value of a free and independent press,' it's president, former POLITICO journalist Eugene Daniels, said in an email to members last month. He added that he was 're-envisioning' the event and that the board had unanimously decided to no longer feature a comedic headliner after its initial pick, Amber Ruffin, joked the Trump administration is 'kind of a bunch of murderers.' 'This year is about creating a dinner that matches the mood of our members and changing a few traditions to do so,' Daniels said in an interview released Thursday with the journalist Oliver Darcy. 'We feel very good about the experience we're offering.' Still, WHCA must walk a tightrope, showing support for press freedom and celebrating reporters' work while recognizing that Trump and his allies are eager to capitalize on any misstep that might lend credence to their assertions of bias. 'If they get on their high horse about democracy being under attack, I think they're going to dig in deeper,' Spicer said. 'If they start to talk about Trump and attacks on their profession, it's just going to further divide.' The press corps itself also looks different this year, saturated with MAGA-friendly figures the White House has embraced with open arms. And there will be multiple alternative events on Saturday, including a 'new media party' hosted by Substack and a Bannon-hosted bash at MAGA mecca Butterworth's called 'the uninvited.' Trump, meanwhile, is trading one awkward venue for another. In Rome, he'll attend the funeral of a pope who once said the president is 'not Christian' and has been overtly critical of Trump's mass deportation plan. The pontiff's final public address on Easter slammed 'how much contempt is stirred up at times toward the vulnerable, the marginalized and migrants.' Also attending the funeral are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stormed out of the White House in February after a heated Oval Office exchange, and former President Joe Biden, Trump's two-time presidential rival. The White House left the door open to Trump meeting with world leaders during his short stint in Rome, but has yet to announce anything official. Dasha Burns contributed to this report.
