Top Republican warns Trump against making a deal with Iran: ‘Finish the job’
A top Senate Republican is publicly pressuring President Donald Trump against pursuing what he described as a weak Iran deal as administration officials signal negotiations with Tehran are making progress. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a sharply worded warning Thursday urging Trump not to abandon military pressure on the Iranian regime in favor of diplomacy. “We are at a moment that will define President Trump’s legacy,” Wicker said in a statement. “His instincts have been to finish the job he started in Iran, but he is being ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on.” REPUBLICANS URGE TRUMP TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON HIS PLAN TO DISMANTLE IRAN’S NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES “Our commander-in-chief needs to allow America’s skilled armed forces to finish the destruction of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait,” Wicker went on. “Further pursuit of an agreement with Iran’s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness. We must finish what we started. It is past time for action.” The remarks expose growing tension inside Republican national security circles as the Trump administration weighs whether to pursue a negotiated agreement with Iran or continue its military campaign against the Iranian regime and its nuclear capabilities. A White House official said in response: “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, and while President Trump always prefers a diplomatic solution, he has been clear about the consequences if Iran refuses to make a deal.” “As the President stated, he will only make a good deal for the American people. He is not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. Due to the successes of Operation Epic Fury, Economic Fury, and the blockade, President Trump holds the cards and has all the time he needs to make the best deal for the United States and the world,” the official went on. Wicker’s comments came just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged there had been “some progress” in ongoing negotiations with Iran, while cautioning that no agreement had been reached. “There’s been some progress,” Rubio said Thursday. “I wouldn’t exaggerate it. I wouldn’t diminish it.” “We’re not there yet,” Rubio added. “I hope we get there.” Rubio said key issues remain unresolved, including Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and whether Tehran would be permitted any future uranium enrichment capability under a potential agreement. “The issue of highly enriched uranium has to be discussed. Its disposition has to be dealt with. And of course, the issue of future enrichment has to be dealt with as well,” Rubio said. He also indicated discussions involving the Strait of Hormuz remain part of broader negotiations. The comments marked one of the clearest public signs yet that active diplomacy between Washington and Iran remains underway despite recent military escalation and fears of a wider regional conflict. Trump himself recently signaled he remains open to giving diplomacy additional time before considering further military action. “If I can save war by waiting a couple of days, if I can save people being killed by waiting a couple of days, I think it’s a great thing to do,” Trump said in recent days. PAKISTAN’S AMBASSADOR WARNS IRAN TOO ‘WAR-TORN’ TO RESPOND QUICKLY AS TRUMP EXTENDS STRIKE DEADLINE The administration’s diplomatic push has coincided with intensified regional mediation efforts, including a high-profile visit by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to Iran — a trip widely viewed as part of broader backchannel efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Washington and Iran. The visit fueled further speculation that Pakistan is playing a quiet intermediary role as negotiators explore possible frameworks to avoid additional military escalation. Still, Rubio repeatedly emphasized Thursday that negotiations remain fragile and could ultimately collapse. “We’re dealing with a very difficult group of people,” Rubio said. “It may not” happen He added that Trump “has other options” if diplomacy fails, while stressing the president still prefers “the negotiated option and having a good deal.”
Warren torched over ‘my kind of man’ praise for Platner after death-wish post for wounded veteran resurfaces
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s vocal support for her controversial New England neighbor Graham Platner’s Democratic Senate campaign is raising eyebrows in light of his Nazi-linked tattoo and a slew of resurfaced remarks, including an admission of getting aroused by smelling biocide in Port-a-Johns. Most recently, Platner was lambasted for appearing to wish the Taliban had killed former Pennsylvania GOP lieutenant governor candidate Teddy Daniels after video of him under siege in Afghanistan surfaced: “Dumb mother—er didn’t deserve to live,” Platner said in a resurfaced social media post about the Purple Heart recipient. “Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part…” On his podcast, Washington-area radio host Larry O’Connor presented a mashup of Warren shouting, “my kind of man,” with narration of Platner’s uncovered foibles. UNEARTHED POSTS SHOW DEM SENATE HOPEFUL PRAISING VULGAR GRAFFITI, MAKING CRUDE PORTA-POTTY ADMISSION “Hey Elizabeth Warren, Graham Platner says that whenever he goes into a Port-a-John, he smells the blue water in there and he has to pleasure himself — how do you respond?” “That’s my kind of man!” a clip of Warren intercedes. “Hey Elizabeth Warren, Graham Platner just said that [‘American Sniper’] Chris Kyle … is actually a psychopathic murderer…” “That’s my kind of man,” the clip replayed. “Yeah I could do this all day,” O’Connor quipped. “And I have no doubt that is in fact her kind of man.” When confronted by Fox News Digital in Washington on Wednesday, Warren smiled at the camera, said nothing, and continued walking into an office building. DEMS SILENT ON PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE’S NAZI-STYLE TATTOO AFTER KNOCKING HEGSETH FOR CHRISTIAN SYMBOL Conservative commentator “Western Lensman” flagged a 33-page letter Warren had sent to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth when he was under nomination consideration in 2025. Warren questioned Hegseth about a tattoo with a Christian phrase tied to the Crusades — “Deus Vult” or “God Wills It” — and expressed concern about Hegseth reportedly being removed from former President Joe Biden’s inauguration because “fellow servicemembers feel concerned enough about to report as a potential insider threat.” Lensman contrasted that objection to Hegseth’s Christian tattoo with her silence on Platner’s own chest tattoo considered German Nazi imagery. “It just tells you all the [the left’s complaints about right-wing] White supremacy blah-blah is all performative nonsense,” he said. Bernadette Breslin, a former top aide to Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., offered a side-by-side of Warren crowing about Platner just weeks ago before appearing tight-lipped to Fox News Digital. “Look how quickly she changed her tune once his baggage started becoming a political liability,” Breslin said on X. TOP DEM LAWMAKERS DUCK QUESTIONS WHEN PRESSED ON PLATNER’S REDDIT SCANDAL The Republican Party’s rapid-response account RNC Research latched onto Warren’s glowing words for Platner and is now using them for second-degree criticism. When Iowa State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Iowa City, invoked Warren at an event and said he is “very honored to have her endorsement” in his US Senate bid to fill retiring Sen. Joni Ernst’s, R-Iowa, seat, the RNC posted context about Warren also endorsing the controversial Platner. “Warren has also endorsed candidates like Graham Platner — who got a Nazi tattoo, praised Hamas’ tactics, and said women should ‘act like an adult’ to avoid rape,” they said. Meanwhile, Daniels – who also ran for sheriff of Dare County, North Carolina last year – told Fox News’ “The Bottom Line” that Platner’s comments are run-of-the-mill for what he’s dealt with and that he largely dismissed them. “I don’t get offended. I’ve been attacked by the left for years,” Daniels said. “This coming from a man whose party has no idea what a woman is, but yet he was online and saw a video of a man and had an emotional meltdown like a 13-year-old girl who just got dumped by her boyfriend – that’s not the type of leadership we need in our government,” he added. MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON ‘TERRIBLE’ POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT Platner has attributed his online behavior to PTSD from Middle East military service and personal depression, saying in a statement that “I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am.” “I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet. I would prefer if people could judge me on the person I am today,” the oyster farmer added. Other Democrats besides Warren have also become tight-lipped on Platner this week, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York claimed he had not seen the Reddit posts when confronted by a Fox News Digital reporter outside the same Washington, D.C., office building Wednesday that Warren had entered shortly beforehand. Platner’s sudden spike in controversy now endangers Democrats’ most-coveted Senate seat this cycle, as GOP Sen. Susan Collins seeks to continue her uniquely independent tenure as the last sitting federal Republican in office in all of New England. Fox News Digital reached out to Warren for comment.
Trump administration orders green card applicants to leave the US, apply from their home countries
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday a major shift in immigration policy, dictating that noncitizens in the U.S. who have applied for a green card, or lawful permanent resident status, must leave the country indefinitely — even if they are in the country legally and regardless of whether they have spouses or children with citizenship. Green card petitioners will then be required to wait for their application to be processed outside the country through consular processing via the U.S. Department of State. USCIS said it will grant “adjustment of status” only in extraordinary circumstances, on a case-by-case basis. CAN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORT GREEN CARD HOLDERS? HERE’S WHAT RIGHTS THEY HAVE IN THE US The Trump administration’s position remains that when noncitizens travel into the country via student visas, tourist visas or temporary work status, they are supposed to leave once that term expires and that temporary permission to be in the U.S. should not serve as the first step toward getting a green card. Officials claim the policy reflects the original intentions of the law, though lawsuits and litigation are expected to follow. “We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,” USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler wrote in a statement. “From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances. This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes.” ‘SHAMEFUL’: LEGAL IMMIGRANTS FACE UPHILL BATTLE AMID ONGOING BORDER CRISIS Kahler added that when noncitizens apply for a green card from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who “decide to slip into the shadows” and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency. “Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose,” he said. “Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the green card process. “Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the State Department at U.S. consular offices abroad and frees up limited USCIS resources to focus on processing other cases that fall under its purview, including visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, naturalization applications and other priorities,” Kahler added. “The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.” Critics of the policy shift argue many overstays have U.S. citizen spouses or children, pay taxes and fill labor shortages and, if removed from the country, will face long processing delays and humanitarian concerns. It is unclear if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin deporting green card applicants. Maye Musk, Elon Musk’s mother, took to X to react to the policy change. “When I wanted to get my green card, I had to have numerous vaccinations, health tests and a lung x-ray,” Maye Musk wrote in a post. “Because I was Canadian, I had to fly to Montreal to have a lung x-ray again to confirm that it’s the same person. However, when the x-ray had to be delivered to me at my friend’s home, the delivery truck was stuck on a bridge because of thick ice. I had to stay an extra day. Nothing was easy. It took another five years before I could get citizenship. Worth it.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
WHO raises Ebola public health risk to ‘very high’ in DR Congo
Provincial gov’t in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, has banned public gatherings to stop the spread of the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded the public health risk of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from high to “very high” as the deadly outbreak continues to spread. WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Friday that they were revising their risk assessment for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, to “very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at global level.” Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Tedros also said on X that the situation in the DRC was “deeply worrisome”. “So far, 82 cases have been confirmed, with seven confirmed deaths. But we know the epidemic in the DRC is much larger. There are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths,” he wrote. He added that additional WHO personnel had been deployed to the epicentre of the DRC’s outbreak in Ituri province, to support affected communities. The new strain of the virus currently has no approved vaccine or treatment, and the WHO declared it an emergency of international concern on Sunday. Ebola is an often-fatal virus that causes fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhoea. It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Friday that volunteers are going door-to-door in the area at the centre of the outbreak, to combat misinformation about Ebola and explain how people can protect themselves and seek care. “Community reactions remain mixed. For some people the outbreak is very real and they are taking information on how to protect themselves,” Gabriela Arenas, the Regional Operations Coordinator for the IFRC Africa Region, told reporters via video link from Nairobi. “For others, there’s still suspicion and misinformation claiming that Ebola is fabricated.” Advertisement Public health measures Reporting from the eastern Congolese city of Goma, in neighbouring North Kivu province, Al Jazeera’s Alain Uaykani said authorities are taking “serious measures” against the outbreak as the situation escalates. In an official order on Friday, Ituri’s provincial government restricted funerals, saying burials must now be conducted only by specialised teams and prohibited the transport of dead bodies by non-medical vehicles. It also limited public gatherings to a maximum of 50 people and suspended the local football league. This came a day after residents in Ituri province’s Rwampara town torched an Ebola treatment centre and clashed with police while trying to recover the body of a victim on Thursday. “The way things are going in Ituri, they are fearing that more cases are spreading because the majority of the cases reported across the region are still coming from Ituri,” Uaykani said. The world should not underestimate the risk posed by this Ebola outbreak, Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, told the Reuters news agency on Friday. “It would be a big mistake to underestimate it, especially with a virus with this strain, Bundibugyo, [for] which we don’t have the vaccine,” Janabi said, adding that the outbreak in DRC has had relatively little global attention compared with this month’s hantavirus outbreak, which affected cruise ship passengers from 23 countries, including wealthy Western nations. “You just need one contact case to put all of us at risk, so my wish and prayer is that we should give [Ebola] the attention it deserves,” he said. Moreover, the WHO director of health emergency alert and response operations, Abdirahman Mahamud, also said on Friday that the potential for this virus to spread rapidly was “high, very high, and that changed the whole dynamic”. The strain of Ebola was also documented in Uganda, but Tedros said that the situation there was “currently stable”, after one death linked to a case from DRC was reported. Tedros added that a United States national who was working in the DRC has tested positive for Ebola and was transferred to Germany for care, and there was “another American national, who is a high-risk contact, who has been transferred to the Czech Republic”. Adblock test (Why?)
French Open: Players accuse Slams of ignoring concerns as tensions rise
By Reuters Published On 22 May 202622 May 2026 A simmering dispute between players and the Grand Slams over revenue sharing intensified at the French Open, with Novak Djokovic warning the sport risked further fragmentation as leading players pressed for a greater voice in shaping its future. Several players were expected to limit their appearances at Friday’s traditional pre-tournament media day to 15 minutes, and to not conduct any additional multi-media interviews. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The tensions have been building for weeks, but the rhetoric sharpened in Paris, where players, such as Taylor Fritz, insisted that their grievances were not just about “wanting more money”. “It’s about just wanting what’s fair,” the American added. “As the tournaments make more money, we obviously want to see the revenue shared back to the players reflect that.” Players have pointed to pensions, tournament expansion, scheduling and late-night finishes among the issues fuelling frustration, alongside what several described as a persistent lack of dialogue from organisers. Russian Andrey Rublev painted a picture of a widening disconnect between players and the sport’s leadership. “When you try to communicate for so many years … they don’t hear you. They don’t answer,” Rublev said. “When you send the mail in, no one responds to official mail for months.” Rublev said the issue was not simply financial, but structural. “It’s more about are we together, and we try to do something together to grow the sport,” he said. World number one Aryna Sabalenka cast the debate as a struggle on behalf of the sport’s lesser lights rather than its leading stars. Advertisement “It’s not about me. It’s about the players who’s lower in the ranking, who is suffering,” she said. “But as the world number one, I feel like I have to stand up and to fight for those players.” Don’t mention the ‘B’ word Even so, players adopted a more cautious tone over the prospect of a boycott after Sabalenka raised the possibility earlier this month in Rome. “I don’t know if I want to start throwing around the ‘B’ word,” Fritz said. “It’s a really big deal, and I don’t think we as players should really make big threats like that unless we’re fully ready to do it.” Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek also stopped short of endorsing drastic action. “I don’t think doing something that is not constructive will make sense,” the four-time French Open winner said. “But we want to push a bit more to get what we need.” Djokovic said he was not personally involved in the planned 15-minute media action, but aligned himself with many of the players’ broader concerns while warning against further division in the sport. “I have always been on the players’ side and tried to advocate for players’ rights and better future for players, but not only top players,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said. “We tend to forget how little is the number of people that live from this sport.” Djokovic said the lower tiers of professional tennis were essential to the game’s long-term health and called for greater unity between governing bodies, tournaments and players. “Grand Slams, governing bodies, the governing tours, everyone. We are very fragmented,” he said. “So the further fragmentation is really hurting me personally. I really don’t like to see that.” The Serbian also pointed to golf and the divisions caused by the emergence of LIV Golf as a warning for tennis. “Let’s learn from that. Let’s try to be a bit more united and have a unifying voice into finding better structure and better future for our sport,” he said. While top ATP and WTA events redistribute around 22 percent of revenues to players, the Grand Slams are estimated to return closer to 15 percent, a gap that has become a central source of tension. French Open organisers have been arguing that tournament profits fund entire national tennis ecosystems, not just prize money. They are expected to meet player agents on Friday as discussions continue over revenue sharing and player representation. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo said she regretted the prospect of reduced media access at the start of the claycourt Grand Slam. Advertisement “It’s always regrettable because media day is an important moment for the tournament, for journalists who come from all over the world and also for the fans through the media coverage,” Mauresmo told reporters on Thursday. “We understand that there are discussions and concerns from the players, but dialogue is always preferable.” Adblock test (Why?)
Economic confidence plummets in US amid Iran war, poll shows
As petrol prices rise, new survey suggests economic confidence in the US is at -45, the worst since 2022. Published On 22 May 202622 May 2026 Only 16 percent of Americans view the economy in the United States as “good” or “excellent”, a new Gallup poll suggests, as inflation continues to rise amid the war on Iran. The survey, released on Friday, deepens US President Donald Trump’s political woes ahead of the midterm elections in November, which will determine whether his Republican Party can retain control of Congress. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The survey, dubbed Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index, showed confidence in the economy has dropped to -45. Forty-nine percent of respondents said economic conditions are poor and 34 percent rated them as fair. At the same time, 76 percent said they think the economy getting worse, while 20 percent said it is getting better. The index averages the results on economic conditions, currently at -33 and economic outlook, currently at -56. It was the worst set of findings on the economy that the index recorded since 2022 when the cost of living rose after the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Petrol costs in the US have skyrocketed since the start of the conflict with Iran late in February. The average price of one gallon (3.8 litres) of gasoline has risen to $4.55 from less than $3 before the US and Israel launched the war. According to official government reports, consumer prices overall rose in March and April due to the energy crisis. Iran has responded to the US and Israeli strikes – which killed several top officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as hundreds of civilians – by closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, sending oil and gas prices soaring. Advertisement The US has also imposed a naval siege on Iranian ports, deepening the strain on energy supplies across the world. Despite the ceasefire that began in April, the blockades have persisted in the absence of a permanent end to the war, and Iran is now claiming sovereignty over Hormuz, which operated as a free international passageway before the war. Parts of the strait run through Iranian and Omani territorial waters. Although the US is one of the world’s largest oil producers, energy prices are set globally, so the disruption has spiked costs for American consumers. As a candidate, Trump promised to be a president of “peace”, saying he would pursue “America first” policies that would prioritise domestic issues over foreign interventions. But the US president joined Israel in attacking Iran without direct provocation. His administration argues that the military campaign is necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. And Trump’s own intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard has said that Tehran is not building a nuclear bomb. Trump has repeatedly argued that the cost of the war is worth it, stressing that petrol prices will drop rapidly once the conflict is over. Last month, the US State Department released a legal justification of the war, saying that Washington joined the conflict “at the request of and in the collective self-defence of its Israeli ally, as well as in the exercise of the United States’ own inherent right of self-defence”. The Gallup survey on Friday is the latest in a series of negative polls for the Trump administration. A New York Times/Sienna poll released earlier this week suggested that only 31 percent of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the war with Iran. Earlier this month, the US president suggested the economic fallout from the war and its effect on people in the US do not play a role in his approach to Iran. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody,” he said. “I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. That’s the only thing that motivates me.” Adblock test (Why?)
Oggy Janata Party emerges as rival to Cockroach Janata Party, vows to ‘expose’ Abhijeet Dipke; What are its objectives and moto?
A new rival of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has emerged on social media. It is ‘Oggy Janata Party’, which is created as a ‘parody opposition’ to CJP, and has an objective to ‘expose’ the CJP’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke. What are the key promises of the Oggy Janata Party?
Twisha Sharma Death Case: Husband on run for 10 days offers to surrender, lawyer says bail plea will be withdrawn
In a fresh development in the Twisha Sharma death case, her husband, who had been missing for 10 days, has offered to surrender, his lawyer informed the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Twisha Sharma’s Death Case: Madhya Pradesh HC approves second autopsy examination by AIIMS Delhi
The directive came as Twisha Sharma’s husband, Samarth Singh, withdrew his bail plea from the High Court, stating he would surrender before a trial court and apply for bail there.
India to host Quad meet on May 26: Check key agenda likely to dominate this year?
India is all set to host a crucial Quad meeting in New Delhi on May 26, with top diplomats from Australia, Japan, and the United States expected to feature. India’s External Minister S Jaishankar will host the talks. Check out the possible agendas of this highly anticipated meeting.