Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi over Indian sailor’s death in Oman: ‘Citizens left to rot’
Gandhi on Sunday called for bringing back the mortal remains of Nishanth Uirthanathan, who died on board MT Celestial due to medical complications on June 11.
Trump announces peace deal with Iran, declares Strait of Hormuz will reopen: ‘Let the oil flow!’
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States and Iran have officially reached a peace agreement, marking a major diplomatic breakthrough that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has served as a mediator, was the first to announce the peace deal, saying a signing ceremony is scheduled to take place Friday in Switzerland. TRUMP SAYS HE’S CANCELED IRAN STRIKES, ADDS POTENTIAL DEAL-SIGNING ‘TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY’ Trump added that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen once the parties formally sign the agreement. “With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!” he said. IRAN REVEALS 10-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE US – HERE’S WHAT’S IN IT According to Sharif, the deal includes the termination of military operations across the region, including in Lebanon, where Iran-backed terrorist proxy Hezbollah has been engaged in conflict with Israel. “Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” he said. Additional details of the agreement, including any provisions related to Iran’s nuclear program, were not immediately released. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said talks with the United States on a final and more comprehensive agreement will take place during a 60-day ceasefire period, according to Reuters. The outlet reported that the future of Iran’s nuclear program will be addressed in upcoming negotiations. Trump has long maintained that Iran cannot be in possession of a nuclear weapon and has repeatedly vowed to prevent Tehran from developing, acquiring or obtaining one. Trump further praised his administration for securing the agreement. “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region,” he said. “Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace.” Sharif also thanked the United States and Iran for their “commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict,” as well as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for their contributions to the mediation effort. With the agreement now in place, mediators are expected to facilitate a series of meetings this week that could lay the groundwork for technical negotiations and the official signing ceremony, Sharif said. The peace deal would formally end the high-stakes conflict that began on Feb. 28, which disrupted roughly 20% of global oil shipments that pass through the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to higher energy prices worldwide. It comes roughly one year after Israel initiated massive strikes on Iran during Operation Rising Lion. The strikes sparked a 12-day conflict between the nations before Trump ordered strikes on a trio of nuclear facilities later that same month. Fox News’ Ashley J. DiMella and Reuters contributed to this report.
Congressional baseball game offers longstanding traditions, and plenty of confusion
There were two 1s. Three 3s. Three 4s. One 04. Three 6s. Two 06s. Two 7s. Two 07s. 2 9s. And three 12s. No. I wasn’t trying to decipher computer programming code. This wasn’t a routing number for a checking account. Nor was I communicating in hexadecimals. I was staring at these numbers to unravel the GOP’s uniform numbers for the annual Congressional baseball game at Nats Park. REPUBLICANS DESTROY DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME AGAIN, WINNING FOR 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR Congressional Republicans and Democrats play each other in the event. It’s a custom dating back to 1909. No other athletic team in any sport on the planet allows players on the same team to wear the same numbers. But since this is Congress, lawmakers get to choose whatever uniform number they want. On the Republican team, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) both wear number one. Reps. Chuck Flesichmann (R-TN), Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) don number three. You get the idea. Old-time ballpark vendors used to hawk their wares by shouting, “You can’t tell the players without a scorecard.” With all of these numbers, a scorecard won’t do. You need an abacus. The Democrats aren’t much better with their uniform algebra. Four Democrats utilized the same uniform digits. There were two 3s. Two 11s. Two 15s. And two 25s. For instance, Reps. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., sported number three. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., requested number 11. The game is a charity event, raising more than $3.2 million and coaxing 32,000 fans to the ballpark. So who wears what number really shouldn’t matter much. SCHMITT GOES IN-DEPTH ON DIVING CATCH & CHANGES TO COLLEGE ATHLETICS ON ‘RUTHLESS’ Unless you’re broadcasting the game on national television. That’s where I come in. I’ve had the privilege of announcing the game for Fox Sports for five years now, live on FS1. I handle the color commentary. My Fox News colleague and former ESPN hand Kevin Corke does play-by-play. Fox Sports sends the same production crew which handles playoff games and the World Series to cover this. Led by Fox producer extraordinaire Aaron Stojkov, the same group of folks just worked Fox’s national broadcast of the Cardinals/Cubs game a few weeks ago in St. Louis. They handled the Phillies/Brewers game in Milwaukee Saturday night. Congress is my thing. But baseball even more so. I was at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati in 1985 the night Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record. I know that Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom House caught Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run in the bullpen, breaking Babe Ruth’s mark. I can talk about Ralph Branca on the mound for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branca yielded “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to Bobby Thomson, propelling the New York Giants into the 1951 World Series. I’ll then regale you with the little known fact that Thomson is from Glasgow, Scotland. Not Staten Island. I can even give you a dissertation explaining the infield fly rule. But the annual ritual of decrypting the Congressional baseball game is the most challenging thing I do professionally each year. The exercise involving the national pastime is a fabulous yet tough assignment. I’ve often wondered if calling an actual Major League game would be easier than announcing the tilt between the Democrats and Republicans. For MLB, I follow the teams. I study box scores. I can tell who is on a winning streak. Who can’t hit a slider. PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR: HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ SMALL MAJORITY COULD MAKE ATTENDANCE A PRIORITY This is not to say that announcing a Big League game is easy. But there’s more information. It’s baseball as I know it. Pete Rose said that the easiest place to hit was the Big Leagues. The pitching was better. The umpiring was better. The lighting was better. Rose’s point is that most MLB hurlers have command. But down in the minors, some of the pitchers make Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn from the movie Major League look like Greg Maddux. Umpires in The Show work a consistent strike zone. But in the Pioneer League, an actual pioneer may have a better concept of what’s a ball or strike. Down in the South Atlantic League, you might struggle to even see the ball because the stadium is practically illuminated by foot candles. But the lighting at Major League Stadiums is better than a Taylor Swift concert. So that’s the challenge. There’s a chasm between MLB and the Congressional baseball game. You have to figure out what to say about each player – who have limited stat lines. I know more about their voting records than batting averages. So, like any reporter, I dig around to prepare what to say during the game. It was just before 7a.m. ET a few weeks ago. My phone buzzed with a text from Republican Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt. He was at the pre-dawn practice. Schmitt has the highest OPS (on base percentage, plus slugging percentage) in Congressional baseball history. He’s a mega St. Louis Cardinals fan. But despite his prowess at the plate, Schmitt made one of the most stellar plays in Congressional baseball history in the game Wednesday night. LEARNING CURVE: THE NEW PLAYERS IN CONGRESS Rep. Johnny Oleszewski, D-Md., looped a long flyball down the left field line. Approaching foul ground and the warning track, Schmitt laid himself out, with a diving, circus catch in the heel of his glove. Schmitt popped back up, blood streaming from his face after crashing into the warning track. “I’m not as sore as I thought I would be,” said Schmitt the next day, noting he scraped up his forearms. That play goes into the baseball lore for next year’s broadcast. Schmitt wasn’t the only Gold Glover this year. Reps. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., also made spectacular catches in short left field. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, is the GOP manager. But he toiled as
Sen Mitch McConnell hospitalized, ‘receiving excellent care,’ his office says
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was hospitalized for an undisclosed health issue, according to his office. “Sen. McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning,” McConnell’s Communications Director David Popp told Fox News. “He is receiving excellent care.” McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, was previously hospitalized for eight days earlier this year after experiencing “flu-like symptoms.” SEN. MCCONNELL REPORTEDLY FINE AFTER FALLING DURING GOP LUNCH The 84-year-old senator announced last February that he would not seek reelection and would retire when his current term ends in January 2027. McConnell has dealt with a series of health episodes in recent years, including injuries from falls and multiple instances in which he briefly froze while speaking publicly. Only Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, at 92 and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at 84, are older than McConnell in Congress. This is a breaking news report. Check back for more updates.
Republican leaders embrace viral World Cup fans they say are discovering the ‘real America’
As foreign soccer fans descend on the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, some visitors are going viral for documenting their enthusiasm for distinctly American experiences — from Waffle House and Buc-ee’s to college football and Southern hospitality. While political battles over immigration and travel policy continue to dominate discussion ahead of the World Cup, foreign fans are going viral for celebrating a very different side of America. Videos celebrating iconic restaurants, sprawling highways, local traditions and everyday hospitality have racked up millions of views online and drawn reactions from political leaders who say they highlight America’s enduring appeal. The upbeat posts have not gone unnoticed in Washington. INTERNET FALLS IN LOVE WITH GERMAN SOCCER FAN DISCOVERING AMERICAN SOUTH AHEAD OF 2026 WORLD CUP Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was among the officials to weigh in, sharing one of several viral posts from German soccer fan FreddyLA7, whose enthusiastic dispatches from across the United States have become a social media sensation ahead of the World Cup. In a post on X, Duffy pointed to Freddy’s journey through Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama as an example of the uniquely American experiences drawing attention online. “There’s no better way to see our country than on a road trip,” Duffy wrote. “Because to LOVE AMERICA you have to SEE AMERICA.” WORLD CUP FANS FALL IN LOVE WITH AMERICAN CULTURE, COMFORT FOOD CLASSICS He concluded the post by asking followers to suggest additional destinations for the German fan to visit as he continues his travels across the United States. Freddy’s posts have attracted millions of views for their enthusiastic portrayal of everyday American life, with the German fan praising everything from Waffle House and Taco Bell to Buc-ee’s and Bass Pro Shops as he travels the country following the German national team. After Freddy made stops across Alabama, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., joined the conversation on X, highlighting the state’s role in the German fan’s increasingly viral American road trip. After Freddy marveled at the atmosphere inside Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey invited him back for football season, writing: “Y’all ought to come back in the fall to see just how we do Saturdays in Alabama.” DeSantis similarly welcomed Freddy to Florida after the soccer fan posted footage from the Gulf Coast. The governor playfully corrected Freddy’s description of the water as “the sea” before encouraging him to enjoy what he called some of the best beaches in the world. As the United States prepares to welcome millions of visitors for the World Cup next year, Freddy’s viral road trip has offered an early preview of the tournament’s potential to showcase American culture far beyond the soccer pitch.
Gabbard says declassified biolab records validate concerns previously dismissed as misinformation
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a trove of declassified records detailing U.S. funding of more than 120 biological laboratories across more than 30 countries, arguing the documents validate concerns that were previously dismissed as misinformation. The release comes years after Gabbard drew criticism for raising concerns about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. Critics accused her of echoing Russian narratives, while supporters argued legitimate questions about the labs’ activities and oversight were being unfairly dismissed. The newly released records include ODNI briefing slides detailing the scope of U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s laboratory network. DNI TULSI GABBARD PROBES U.S. FUNDING TO MORE THAN 120 BIOLABS AROUND THE WORLD One document states that more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received U.S. funding and housed collections of dangerous bacteria and viruses, some dating back to the Soviet era. The records also show Ukrainian scientists received U.S.-funded training to work with hazardous pathogens and participated in a program focused on handling especially dangerous diseases. The documents list pathogens studied or stored within the laboratory network, including anthrax, tuberculosis, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS and SARS. Additional records detail U.S.-funded construction and upgrades at laboratories across Ukraine, including facilities in Kherson, Odesa and western Ukraine. The documents identify engineering firm Black & Veatch as a major contractor and show U.S. taxpayers spent between roughly $1.7 million and $3.5 million on individual laboratory projects. LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS AFTER SUSPECTED BIOLAB DISCOVERED IN CHINESE NATIONAL’S LAS VEGAS HOME One declassified assessment focuses on a veterinary research laboratory in Kharkiv that received Pentagon funding through the Defense Department’s Biological Threat Reduction Program. According to the assessment, the facility housed hundreds of samples of dangerous pathogens, including Brucella bacteria, which can cause a disease known as brucellosis. The document warned the lab could become a target of Russian propaganda efforts or be damaged, captured or otherwise compromised during the war. Another ODNI slide outlines what it describes as a “web of connections” linking Ukrainian laboratories with U.S. government agencies, universities, research organizations and private contractors. The document says U.S. funding supported research on bird flu and other highly infectious viruses in high-security laboratories. Gabbard said the documents demonstrate that the public was not given a full picture of U.S.-backed biological research programs overseas. Critics, however, maintain the facilities were part of long-running public health and threat-reduction efforts designed to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent biological proliferation rather than operate as biological weapons programs. The declassification is likely to reignite debate over government transparency, gain-of-function research and the scope of U.S.-funded biological research overseas.
Trump marks 80th birthday, now second octogenarian sitting president: ‘Seemed to utterly defy age’
President Donald Trump turned 80 on Sunday, becoming only the second sitting U.S. president to reach octogenarian status in the Oval Office, leaving even his onetime political opponents marveling at his defying the effects of Father Time – even if his critics continue to share concerns they never had with the older former President Joe Biden, now 83. “You don’t have to wish me a happy birthday, because I’m not happy about that birthday that I’m having,” Trump joked with Dr. Mehmet Oz, 66, in an Oval Office video shared Thursday on Instagram. “It’s a number I haven’t thought too much about. “It’s not a number I like, but I’m here nevertheless.” Trump’s White House is celebrating his keeping up the fight with an Ultimate Fighting Championship on the South Lawn. TRUMP LOOKING FORWARD TO ATTENDING UFC WHITE HOUSE EVENT FEATURING ‘ALL TOP’ FIGHTERS “At least to date, he has seemed to utterly defy age,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The 55-year-old Cruz was a target of Trump’s political fire a decade ago on the opposite side of the Republican presidential primary race. “I don’t know where he gets the energy that he displays, but he is up early in the morning and late at night,” Cruz added. Trump, born June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, crossed the threshold previously reached by Biden, who turned 80 in 2022 while serving in the White House. Trump was already the oldest president ever sworn into office when he began his second term in January 2025 at age 78. RFK JR: DR OZ SAYS TRUMP HAS ‘HIGHEST TESTOSTERONE LEVEL’ HE’S SEEN IN A MAN OLDER THAN 70 “He has gained in stamina as he has gotten older,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 82, said recently. Unlike Biden, whose age and mental acuity became a central political liability before he left office, Trump and his allies have repeatedly pointed to the president’s busy public schedule, frequent media appearances and hands-on governing style as evidence that he remains active and engaged. Trump hailed his latest physical by White House Dr. Sean Barbabella declaring him to be in “exceptional” health and his cardiac age being “approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age.” TRUMP DECLARED ‘FULLY FIT’ FOR ALL PRESIDENTIAL DUTIES AFTER ANNUAL PHYSICAL SHOWS ‘EXCELLENT HEALTH’ “They said I’m very healthy,” Trump told “Pod Force One with Miranda Devine” earlier this month, saying he has “an obligation” to give periodic cognitive reports on his mental acuity after Biden’s administration. “I took a test and cognitive test and I got 100% on it. I got as the expression goes: I aced it. And the doctors told me it’s very, very few people can ace. That’s actually a tough test.” Trump noted Biden was able to skirt potential prosecution for retention of classified documents because special counsel Robert Hur declared Biden to be a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” TRUMP PITCHES COGNITIVE TESTS FOR LEADERS, TAKES AIM AT HARRIS, WALZ, NEWSOM “I have a great memory,” Trump told Devine. “Look, so far so good. I hope I’m going to keep it that way. “If I don’t, you’ll be the first to know. You’ll say [after] this interview: ‘This isn’t the same Trump; I think he’s lost it.’” The White House has also sought to bolster that message with medical updates. Trump’s physician said the president remains in “excellent health” and “fully fit” to carry out the duties of commander-in-chief. “Unlike other U.S. Presidents, none of whom have ever taken an approved, high difficulty, Cognitive Test, I scored a perfect 30 out of 30, considered ‘extreme intelligence,’” the post began. “Are the Dumocrats really surprised?” WHITE HOUSE PROVIDES TRUMP HEALTH UPDATE AFTER MRI SCAN CONCERNS SWIRLED Trump has long cast his stamina as a political asset, regularly contrasting his pace and public visibility with Biden’s more limited appearances during his presidency. Supporters say the difference is clear: Trump remains outspoken, combative and highly visible as he enters his ninth decade. Some Democrats have seized on images of Trump’s bruising of his hand and with his eyes closed during meetings and lengthy Cabinet news conferences, which Trump has noted provide unprecedented transparency and access to the administration lasting up to three hours of live back-and-forth. “That’s false: I’ve never seen him fall asleep,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 25 years Trump’s junior and another one-time target of Trump’s political opposition, told a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing this month. WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS WENT FROM COVERING AN ‘INVISIBLE PRESIDENT’ BIDEN TO ‘OMNIPRESENT’ TRUMP: POLITICO “On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem because he calls me at 2 in the morning. He calls me at 5 in the morning. And, you know, I like to sleep a little bit, maybe not 12 hours, but at least six. So he works. The other day he was at the Oval Office until 12:30 a.m. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., 74, rejected age getting in Trump’s way like it did for Biden, saying that “just because you’re 80 doesn’t mean you’re falling apart.” Trump’s birthday also arrives during a historically unusual stretch for America’s aging political class. Three baby boomer presidents — Trump, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush — all turn 80 in 2026. The latter two are long removed from active public service. Trump is not looking to just rest after the UFC fight on the South Lawn on Sunday night. He plans to then travel early Monday to France for the annual G7 summit.
Trump condemns Israel attack on Beirut, says Iran deal still close
United States President Donald Trump has criticised Israel for launching an attack on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, on the day he has said a deal to end the US-Israel war with Iran could be signed. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said the Israeli attack on Beirut “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” he said. “There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” he said. “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!” The statement came shortly after Iran’s top negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Israel’s attacks had again drawn US trust into question. The US and Israel twice launched attacks against Iran – sparking the 12-day war in 2025 and the current war on February 28 – amid ongoing indirect talks over Iran’s nuclear programme. In a post on X, Ghalibaf said the US “either lacks the will to fulfil its commitments or the ability to do so”. “If you lack the will and ability to fulfil your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible,” he added. Authorities have said at least three people have been killed in the Israeli strikes on the Dahiyeh area of Beirut. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said the military launched the strikes in response to Hezbollah firing projectiles towards northern Israel. Advertisement In his post on Truth Social, Trump questioned the justification. “Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process,” he said. US says signing close Trump on Saturday said that a deal with Iran was “scheduled” to be signed on Sunday, with top mediator Pakistan indicating the signing would be digital. But Iranian officials have offered a slightly different timeline, with Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying on Saturday that the signing could take days. Still, both sides have broadly indicated that a signing of a memorandum of understanding to end fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, was closer than ever. While no official terms of that initial agreement have been released, both sides have indicated that the Strait of Hormuz would be open, the US naval blockade lifted, and fighting would be immediately halted. Questions over the deeply entrenched issues of the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, frozen Iranian assets and sanctions relief were expected to be addressed in a 60-day period following the initial signing. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Sami Nader, the director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, called Israel’s attacks on Sunday a “strategic test” for both sides. Israel has repeatedly pushed for Lebanon to be decoupled from any deal with Iran, he explained. “There is also a domestic intention, given the current upcoming election in Israel. Netanyahu has been criticised that he is not doing enough against Hezbollah, that he is very deferential, lenient to Trump,” Nader said during a television interview. US officials have publicly said that US and Israeli objectives for the war diverge. Obama weighs in While fighting between the US and Iran has been largely paused since April 8, barring a handful of flare-ups, efforts to reach a more lasting ceasefire have remained elusive. Trump has repeatedly vowed to reach a deal more stringent than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in 2015. Under the deal, reached between Iran, the US, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, China and the European Union, Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear programme and allow for unprecedented inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. Critics said the timelines of the agreement were not strict enough, with Trump unilaterally withdrawing in 2018. Iran has for years denied seeking a nuclear weapon. Speaking during an interview on the ABC News programme “This Week” released on Sunday, former US President Barack Obama said it was unlikely a better deal on Iran’s nuclear programme could be negotiated than the one his administration negotiated. Advertisement “It is doubtful that any agreement that arises is going to be significantly different or a significant improvement from the deal that we had in the first place,” he said. Obama added that the US can not “just bully our way or bomb our way to solutions”. “You’d think we would have learned that lesson by now,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump makes endorsement in key Georgia Republican US Senate run-off
Donald Trump picks Mike Collins over Derek Dooley in race to determine who will face Democrat Jon Ossoff in November midterms. Published On 14 Jun 202614 Jun 2026 United States President Donald Trump has made a late endorsement in a Republican run-off for a key US Senate race in Georgia ahead of the US midterm elections. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump threw his support behind US Representative Mike Collins over former football coach and political newcomer Derek Dooley. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Collins and Dooley will face off in a Republican run-off race on Tuesday to determine who will challenge incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, in the midterm election in November. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Collins for being a staunch supporter of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and a “true friend, fighter, and WARRIOR”. Ossoff entered office in 2021 as part of a blue wave in Georgia that saw the majority of the state vote for former US President Joe Biden, as well as his fellow Democrat, Senator Raphael Warnock. Georgia, which had for decades been dominated by Republicans, swung back towards Trump in the 2024 vote. Defeating Ossoff is seen as one of the Republicans’ best chances at claiming a new seat in the 100-member chamber, where they are hoping to hold on to their slim 53-seat majority. Democrats are hoping to win control of both the House and the Senate in November, which would create a major bulwark against Trump’s agenda during his final two years in office. Republican divides Trump’s endorsement pits Collins against Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has supported Dooley. Kemp has remained generally supportive of Trump, but has faced off with him on several issues, notably Trump’s evidence-less claims that the 2020 election in Georgia was marred by fraud. Advertisement Dooley has said he did not vote in 2016 or 2020 when Trump was on the ballot, and has maintained that the election results in Georgia were legitimate. Collins carried about 40 percent of the vote during Georgia’s Republican primary on May 19, with Dooley taking about 30 percent. Representative Buddy Carter, who did not advance to the run-off, came in a close third. It remains unclear how big of an impact Trump’s endorsement will have. He made the announcement after early voting had already ended for the run-off. Trump’s endorsements have seen mixed results in the primary season. Trump’s decision to back Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was seen as aiding in the MAGA loyalist’s defeat of US Senator John Cornyn in Texas’s primary run-off. Cornyn had widely been viewed as the strongest Republican candidate to take on Democratic challenger James Talarico in the general election. In Iowa, Trump’s late endorsement of US Representative Randy Feenstra did not give him the bump needed to defeat fellow Republican Zach Lahn in the gubernatorial primary race. Beyond the run-off in Georgia, Alabama will also hold several primary run-offs on Tuesday. That includes a Republican race for the solidly red seat of US Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor. Oklahoma and the federal district of Washington, DC, will also hold primary votes. Adblock test (Why?)
UK forces seize suspected Russian oil tanker accused of funding Ukraine war
NewsFeed British armed forces intercepted an oil tanker believed to be part of Russia’s sanctioned shadow fleet. The oil tanker ‘SMYRTOS’ was taken in an first-ever operation by the British military in the English Channel. Published On 14 Jun 202614 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)