Iran war live: Hezbollah rejects truce as Israel continues Lebanon strikes
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Israel’s supreme court annuls a government ban on the International Committee of the Red Cross visiting Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Published On 5 Jun 20265 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Democrat fails to block US measure to deepen Israel military cooperation
A congressional panel in the United States has rejected an effort to revoke a provision from the defence budget that would further integrate the US and Israeli militaries. An amendment to sink the pro-Israel measure, introduced by Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, failed in a voice vote on Thursday in the House Armed Services Committee. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list That defeat paves the way for the proposal to advance to the floor of the House of Representatives. Khanna had argued that the provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), formally called Section 224, rewards Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when the Israeli prime minister is trying to dictate US policy in the Middle East. The progressive Democrat cited recent reports that President Donald Trump is angry at Netanyahu over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon. “Everyone in America — whether you’re a Republican, an independent or a Democrat — says that we need to tell Netanyahu that America calls the shots, not the prime minister of any other country,” Khanna said. “They want less cooperation and blank checks to Israel, not more. Only the United States Congress would dream up at this moment, ‘Let’s actually do more for Israel.’” The vote on the amendment was taken by calling on committee members to say aloud either “yes” and “no”, and the “nays” clearly were more numerous. It was not recorded as a roll-call vote, which would require each member’s preference to be logged. Section 224 would require the Pentagon chief “to designate an executive agent responsible for synchronising cooperative efforts between the United States and Israel”. Advertisement That official would be in charge of overseeing several joint initiatives, “including bilateral defence technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation”, the NDAA reads. Netanyahu’s endorsement Critics have raised concern that Section 224 may make US military aid to Israel more opaque, concealing the assistance as cooperation rather than a separate expense. The measure also risks tethering the US military to its Israeli counterpart technologically at a time when the American public is rapidly turning against Israel, according to recent public opinion polls. “As political pressure builds to reduce US military assistance to Israel, Section 224 provides the framework for continuing — and expanding — US-Israel military ties by entrenching Israeli technology within the US defense supply chain in a way that would shield it from the annual appropriations process,” the nonprofit lobbying group A New Policy said in a brief last week. “The use of must-pass legislation as the NDAA as a mechanism of integration speaks to the plummeting popularity of continuing unconditional support to Israel.” The measure comes as Netanyahu pushes to transform US aid to Israel from direct assistance to military “cooperation”. The Israeli prime minister wrote a letter to Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman endorsing a bill facilitating that transition. In the letter, Netanyahu said, “The time has now arrived for us to move from aid recipient to partner.” He added he supported Stutzman’s plan for a “new framework of joint defense cooperation, codevelopment, coproduction and mutual investment in areas including advanced missile defense, artificial intelligence … and next generation military platforms”. Referencing the letter on Thursday, Khanna argued that Section 224 “directly” follows Netanyahu’s language. “I am for Team America. I am for the interests of this country, and I believe that when Donald Trump ran, he ran ‘America First’,” the Democrat said. “That includes American interests against any foreign country. We should have American sovereignty and make it clear that we strike 224. If we want to give aid to Israel, if we want to sell them weapons, that should be a vote for the entire Congress.” But both Democrats and Republicans pushed back against his argument, saying that the provision aims to streamline existing cooperative programmes that benefit the US. Key Democrat backs Section 224 Congressman Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the panel, said he was “very sympathetic” to Khanna’s frustration with Netanyahu. Advertisement “Mr Netanyahu insisted on this war with Iran that has strengthened Iran and weakened our position. I do not like his leadership of Israel or where he is going,” Smith said. But he added that it is in the US’s interests to have deep military ties with Israel, a country accused by leading rights groups and United Nations investigators of committing genocide in Gaza. “The reason that we have these partnerships with Israel, where we may not have as many developed partnerships with other NATO countries, is because Israel has actually been having to fight,” Smith said. “They have faced drone attacks and missile attacks. They have had to develop new technologies, technologies that we’ve benefitted from.” Rights advocates often decry the promotion of Israel’s weapons as “battle-tested” — because they have been tested on the Palestinian and Lebanese communities that they devastated, killing tens of thousands of people along the way. Earlier on Thursday, Palestinian rights advocates warned against approving Section 224 during a news conference on Capitol Hill. “It is unfathomable that this is the American response to a country that has, over the past two and a half years, carried out a genocide against Palestinians and started wars in both Iran and Lebanon,” said Margaret DeReus, the executive director at the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU). Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has promised to introduce an amendment to revoke Section 224 when the NDAA goes to a full House vote. Adblock test (Why?)
Why Mogadishu clashes are deepening Somalia’s political crisis again
Mogadishu, Somalia – Mustafa, 33, dreads election time in Somalia. He drives a bajaj — a three-wheeled taxi — and says that when tensions rise, as they always do when polls are near, the whole city feels it, and drivers like him are among the first. On Wednesday, he was passing through the Hawl Wadaag district when heavy gunfire between government and opposition forces erupted all around him. Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list “I couldn’t even think. Everyone was shouting and running for their lives, and we all fled from the bullets,” he told Al Jazeera. “We haven’t seen fighting this bad in years.” The shooting that began that afternoon around the homes of former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and, later, former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, came as opposition figures were planning to organise protests against what they describe as an illegal term extension by incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Khaire and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed were among opposition leaders spreadheading the planned protests amid rising tensions with the federal government. The government said the planned protests would undermine security in a city still grappling with persistent armed violence. Hundreds of families fled neighbourhoods near the fighting, and by the next day, many of the capital’s central areas had emptied. The sudden eruption of violence ended a period of improving security in Mogadishu, shattering the perception that the city had begun turning a corner. “The most frustrating thing is that we have nothing to do with it, and it impacts so many of us,” Mustafa said. “We make our living in this city”. Advertisement Security forces sealed Maka al-Mukarama Road, one of Mogadishu’s main arteries, while Bakara market, the largest commercial hub in the city, was effectively closed for business. Maka al-Mukarama Road, Mogadishu’s main thoroughfare, is usually a bustling commercial hub, but recently, it has been largely empty, with the exception of military vehicles [Faisal Ali/Al Jazeera] “Look, it’s midday, and there’s almost no one here, shops are closed, and usually by this time the place is jammed,” Ahmed, a street vendor at Bakara market, told Al Jazeera, gesturing at shuttered stalls. Ali Wardheere, the deputy central bank governor, estimated the direct cost to businesses and services at $3.8m, though he stressed the figure was a model-based projection, not an official or final tally. Like most Somalis, Mustafa has never voted for a president or a member of parliament. The country has not held a direct election for national leadership since the late 1960s. Since the state was re-established in 2012 after its 1991 collapse, leaders have been selected through an indirect system negotiated by clan elders and political elites. As presidential terms near their end, low trust among political actors often leads to intense competition over power — and at times violence — as disputes over the electoral timetable come to a head. At a press conference in late May, Sharif warned that the political deadlock could turn violent if negotiations failed. “Where do things stand? [We say] Leave, and [you say] I won’t leave. What comes next? Bullets.” The warning echoed events in 2021, when then-President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo remained in office more than a year beyond the end of his term, triggering clashes in Mogadishu before a political agreement was reached. Higher stakes this election This time, the political standoff carries higher stakes. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says that constitutional amendments approved by parliament extended his mandate by an additional year from May 15. The opposition rejects that and has begun referring to him as a “former president”. Two of Somalia’s most influential federal states also reject the amendments, leaving the country divided over the constitutional framework governing the next election, with no constitutional court to resolve the dispute. After parliament approved the changes, Mohamud declared that the “provisional constitution, and the provisional era, was a sun which set yesterday,” signalling that his administration would press ahead despite objections from its opponents. Advertisement Tensions had been building for days. Ahead of a protest planned for Thursday, opposition leaders left the heavily fortified “green zone” near Mogadishu’s airport and returned to their residences across the city. Some opposition figures said they would deploy their own armed guards at the demonstration, a proposal Mohamud rejected. The dispute heightened fears of a confrontation before fighting eventually broke out. Both sides blame the other for starting the clashes. Khaire accused Mohamud of directing a “sustained and indiscriminate military assault” that lasted more than 20 hours, a claim Sharif echoed after fighting reached his own residence. Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, the defence minister, accused the opposition of militarising the standoff, likening it to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and alleging that opposition figures had “distributed mortars and artillery across the capital”. “Force and militias,” he said, would no longer be allowed to “seize power or block the state.” How it came to this The roots of the crisis run back to the 2012 provisional constitution, which set up a federal, parliamentary system built on broad consensus and clan-based power-sharing, which every government since has promised to achieve and failed to attain. This year, after a long review, parliament amended the constitution through a disputed process that split the political class. The government has insisted that the new constitution advances the statebuilding process and that the Somali public should be allowed to directly elect its representatives. For Ahmed Abdi Koshin, a federal MP who boycotted the draft, the danger is that the whole settlement comes apart. The process, he said, “clearly doesn’t have buy-in,” and the original constitution, for all its faults — “an imperfect product of compromise” — was the “only glue holding Somalia together”. Koshin is not against a direct vote in principle, he said, but does not believe the country is ready for one. “We don’t have legislation for a direct vote; censuses and the security situation remains compromised. It really is up to the president to either reach a deal and save Somalia, or watch
Pro-Palestinian badges should not be worn by NHS staff, UK review suggests
Badges proclaiming support for Palestinians, Israel, or even football teams should not be worn at work, an anti-Semitism review has said. Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026 National Health Service (NHS) staff in Britain should be barred from wearing political badges, including pro-Palestinian badges, on their uniforms, a review into anti-Semitism recommends. Badges proclaiming support for Palestinians, Israel, British political parties or even football teams should not be worn at work, the government’s adviser on anti-Semitism, John Mann, said in his review on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Why would somebody in their employer’s time, dealing with patients, want to be pushing their politics?” Mann said in an interview with Sky News. “A badge that says, ‘I support Palestine’, or a badge that says, ‘I support Israel’, I don’t want my dentist to be wearing that when they are about to drill my teeth,” he added. “Get the political politicking out of the NHS, out of the hospital and health environment … that’s sometimes stopping people from using the NHS,” Mann said. Health Minister James Murray said the government was accepting the “robust and practical” recommendations. “Racism and discrimination betray everything the NHS stands for, and its ability to provide safe, world-class care,” he said. Mann laid out his recommendations after being tasked by the Labour government to investigate anti-Semitism in the NHS following the killing of two people in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester last October. “Jewish people have to be confident that they will receive the same treatment as everyone else, at all times,” Mann said in his report. “Jewish people have to be confident they will receive the same treatment as everyone else, at all times in all situations. If people feel, as they do, that some have to hide their identity as patients or suffer in silence as staff, then the universality of the NHS is fundamentally breached.” Advertisement NHS care providers such as hospitals will become “the first line of defence against racism and discrimination for patients and staff,” Mann added British authorities have repeatedly faced criticism for cracking down on pro-Palestine activism during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Earlier this year, British police arrested hundreds of people during a mass vigil in central London to oppose the ban on the campaign group Palestine Action. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Unpatriotic’: Trump decries Republicans who voted to constrain Iran war
United States President Donald Trump has condemned lawmakers, including members of his Republican Party, for voting in favour of a resolution to rein in his ability to wage war with Iran. The statement on Thursday came a day after the US House of Representatives passed a so-called war powers resolution, which aims to limit Trump’s war-making authority without further congressional approval. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The resolution, which had previously failed three times in the chamber, passed by a vote of 215 to 208, with four Republicans joining Democrats to push the measure over the majority threshold. On his online platform Truth Social, Trump decried the lawmakers for passing the resolution “right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran”. “Who would do such an unpatriotic thing,” Trump wrote. Efforts to reach a lasting ceasefire agreement with Iran have progressed in fits and starts, with the Trump administration repeatedly alternating between military threats and promises that a diplomatic breakthrough is within reach. The most recent flurry of negotiations has stalled, with both sides exchanging limited strikes. Trump on Wednesday again said a deal could come by this weekend. Key sticking points include the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway. The Trump administration has reportedly found itself hard-pressed to end Iran’s chokehold on the strait, and it is angling to reach a nuclear deal that appears stronger than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a previous agreement to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment activities. Advertisement Trump unilaterally withdrew the JCPOA in 2018, calling it “foolish” and “defective”. In Thursday’s post, Trump took particular aim at the four Republicans who voted in favour of the resolution, including its longtime supporter, Kentucky’s Thomas Massie, as well as Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. The vote has widely been seen as a reflection of Trump’s weakening grip on some Republican lawmakers before the midterm election in November. “The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story – They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves,” Trump wrote. He further dismissed Wednesday’s resolution as “meaningless”. To be sure, the vote remains largely symbolic. The resolution would need to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Republicans control 53 of 100 seats, before it could be signed into law. Even then, Trump is all but assured to veto the resolution. Both chambers would need to override such a veto with a two-thirds vote, likely an insurmountable bar. Nevertheless, advocates have hailed Wednesday’s vote and urged members of the Senate to follow suit. Many pointed out that the US Constitution restricts the president’s ability to wage war, and the War Powers Act of 1973 constrains the president from continuing unapproved military action beyond 60 days. The US and Israel began launching attacks on Iran on February 28. “The Constitution is clear: The sole authority to declare war rests with Congress,” David Janovsky, acting director of The Constitution Project, a legal think tank, said in a statement following the vote. “Three months ago, the president illegally began this war. Now, it’s time for the Senate to finish what the House started and vote to end it.” Others pointed to the knock-on effects of the war on the global economy, which has seen a spike in the cost of fuels and other commodities. Polls have repeatedly suggested a majority of US voters, and a growing number of Republicans, oppose the war. Jamal Abdi, the president of the National Iranian American Council, said the “political window for this war is narrowing quickly”. In a statement, he said that lawmakers “continue to hear from Americans that have opposed this war of choice from the start and are angry that their elected representatives once again prioritised military entanglements abroad that spike the price of gas and groceries, making their lives harder and less affordable”. Adblock test (Why?)
Rise of the ‘devils of horseback’: The making of Sudan’s RSF
NewsFeed Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces have had a long history in the country. Previously called the ‘Janjaweed’, they have initiated attempts to become involved in the political field. Al Jazeera’s Hala Saadani rewind’s the timeline and explains. Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Rubio distances himself from Netanyahu’s Gaza plan
NewsFeed House Democrats question US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the lack of progress on Trump’s 20 point Gaza plan, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order to seize 70 percent of territory. Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
UK far-right accused of exploiting killing of Henry Nowak
NewsFeed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused right-wing figures of exploiting the killing of Henry Nowak for political gain, after they argued his treatment by police was evidence of so-called ‘two-tier policing’. Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Elon Musk’s SpaceX eyes $1.77tn valuation ahead of historic IPO
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is targeting a valuation of nearly $1.77 trillion in its blockbuster initial public offering (IPO), paving the way for the largest stock market debut in history. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, SpaceX said that it plans to sell 555.6 million shares at $135 apiece, raising approximately $75bn. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The eye-popping valuation would make SpaceX the world’s seventh-largest company by market capitalisation, ahead of Musk’s electric vehicle maker Tesla and social media giant Meta, and just behind Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC. It would also eclipse energy giant Saudi Aramco’s 2019 debut, which raised $26bn at a valuation of $1.7 trillion. Musk, who holds a roughly 42 percent stake in SpaceX, is poised to become the world’s first trillionaire upon the public offering next week. SpaceX shares are expected to trade on the New York-based Nasdaq stock exchange from June 12. Despite the public listing, Musk will retain effective control of SpaceX with more than 82 percent of voting rights, the result of a dual-class stock structure that grants certain shares 10 votes instead of one. The Texas-based firm’s decision to set a specific share price ahead of its IPO marks a break from usual practice. Companies preparing for a public listing usually announce a preliminary price range that can be adjusted based on investor interest. “The genuine surprise is that SpaceX fixed a price before the investor roadshow began,” Fabien Yip, a market analyst at online trading and investment company IG Group, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement “To me, this reflects Musk’s control over the deal terms and his confidence that the book will fill.” Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2026 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP] Founded by Musk in 2002, SpaceX is best known for designing and launching rockets, spacecraft and reusable launch vehicles on behalf of NASA and private companies. The company also provides internet services and artificial intelligence models through its Starlink and xAI divisions. Musk has outlined lofty ambitions for SpaceX, including to establish a “self-sustaining” city on Mars, “make life multiplanetary”, and “extend the light of consciousness to the stars”. SpaceX’s listing will be a test of investors’ confidence in Musk’s vision, which has yet to translate into profits at the company. SpaceX reported a net loss of $4.9bn on revenue of 18.7bn in 2025, followed by a $4.3bn loss in the first quarter of this year. Jay R Ritter, an emeritus professor at the University of Florida who specialises in IPOs, said the SpaceX IPO differs from Saudi Aramco’s blockbuster listing as the state-owned oil company had a track record of generating large revenues and profits. “SpaceX, in contrast, has trailing annual revenue of less than $20bn, and is not profitable,” Ritter told Al Jazeera. “So, one company’s valuation was – and is – based on its demonstrated profitability, while the other company’s valuation is based on potential.” “With SpaceX, there is a risk that cash flows will be used to send hundreds of thousands of people to Mars, at a loss,” Ritter added. Despite SpaceX’s lack of profitability, market sentiment is strong, said IG’s Yip, noting that buyers of investment products linked to the listing are pricing the company’s end-of-first-day market capitalisation at $2.2 trillion. “The Tesla parallel is perhaps worth drawing: It debuted in 2010 as a loss-making company and largely tracked the S&P 500 for years, only breaking away decisively once it turned profitable for the first time in Q1 2013,” Yip said, referring to the benchmark stock index on Wall Street. “SpaceX investors are making a similar bet on future growth, with the added complexity that SpaceX’s addressable market – rockets, satellite internet, AI – is considerably broader than Tesla’s was at listing.” SpaceX’s debut is the first of three mega-IPOs expected this year, along with AI startups OpenAI and Anthropic. The listings are poised to add trillions of dollars in value to the US stock market, which is already hovering at record highs on the back of the AI boom. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Turkiye’s top diplomat, Indonesia’s president discuss $10bn trade goal
The two discuss a range of sectors, including defence, energy, transportation and the halal food industry. Published On 3 Jun 20263 Jun 2026 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto have held an “extremely productive” meeting in Jakarta as the two countries aim to reach a bilateral trade volume target of $10bn, according to Turkiye’s top diplomat. The two sides discussed expanding cooperation across a range of sectors, including defence, energy, transportation and the halal food industry, Fidan said on X on Wednesday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Following our visit to Singapore, our contacts today in Indonesia, our strategic partner, were extremely productive in terms of following up on the multifaceted issues on our agenda,” he wrote. Fidan said the two countries also “thoroughly evaluated” projects aimed at reaching a bilateral trade volume target of $10bn. The target was agreed in April last year, when the leaders of the two countries pledged to deepen ties and pursue “new breakthroughs” in bilateral cooperation, according to Turkish media. For his part, Prabowo expressed appreciation for Turkiye’s support in the repatriation of nine Indonesian citizens who had been abducted by Israel as part of the crackdown on the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 humanitarian mission bound for Gaza. The two sides also exchanged views on developments in the Middle East, with particular attention to Iran and Palestine, according to a statement from Indonesia’s presidency. “As fellow countries in the Global South, Indonesia and Turkiye share the view that regional stability should be maintained through dialogue, diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of disputes,” the statement said. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)