TheNewsGuru

Tag: Donald Trump

  • Inside the Oval Office, Trump’s new Lair – By Azu Ishiekwene

    Inside the Oval Office, Trump’s new Lair – By Azu Ishiekwene

    The world has never been short of demagogues and fools, but the remedies have often matched the supply. In 1990, during President Nelson Mandela’s thank-you tour of the world, he was asked at the City College of New York, Harlem, NY., why he remained friends with Muammar Gaddafi, Yasser Arafat, and Fidel Castro.

    He replied that he didn’t think it was the business of any country to choose South Africa’s friends. These people stood by South Africa in its hour of need; why should he betray them now? His interlocutor turned tail, and Mandela received a standing ovation.

    British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher preached “constructive engagement” to dismantle apartheid. In response to her duplicity in 2004, the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, pointed out to her that “constructive engagement” favoured England, particularly the Prime Minister, whose son, Mark, was involved in gunrunning and coup plots on the continent. Thatcher had no response.

    Castro v. Bush

    Castro accused President George Bush of a “pirate mentality.” And he wasn’t being flippant. One of Africa’s worst kleptocrats, Joseph Desire Mobutu, worth $5 billion in the 1980s, visited President Bush in 1989. 

    Despite Mobutu’s appalling record, Martin Meredith in The Fate of Africa, quoted Bush as saying on the South Lawn of the White House, “Zaire is among America’s oldest friends, and its president – President Mobutu – one of our most valued friends. We are proud and very, very pleased to have him with us today.”

    Like Castro, President Olusegun Obasanjo is also reputed not to suffer fools gladly. Stephen Sackur, anchor of the BBC programme HARDtalk, might recall when, in response to what Obasanjo perceived as a rude question, the former Nigerian president asked Sackur if he could pose that question to his prime minister.

    In the lion’s den

    There is a long list of leaders who confronted bullies without flinching. This quality, which is in demand more than ever before, is falling short, as shown by recent high-profile encounters in the White House since President Donald Trump’s second term. The White House, especially the Oval Office, has become for high-profile visitors what the lion’s den is to straying goats. 

    After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s antagonistic exchange with Trump, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is the latest target. Almost from the moment the first live footage of the visit began airing, it was clear that Trump wanted only one thing. 

    He wasn’t interested in resetting trade talks or bilateral issues. He wasn’t interested in repairing ties between South Africa and the US or hearing firsthand the other view about the so-called genocide against white farmers. He wasn’t interested in conciliation. He was interested in only one thing: having Ramaphosa for lunch. And he did, which was painful and difficult to watch.

    ‘How did you get my number?’

    From Trump’s question about “how did you get my number?”, gestures that suggested he valued the presence of the golfers in Ramaphosa’s entourage – Ernie Els and Retief Goosen – more than the president, to dumping piles of fake documents on the South African president and converting the Oval Office into a cinema while Ramaphosa was still speaking, Trump displayed utter contempt and disregard for his visitors.

    The encounter made Zelenskyy’s visit appear like a lovefest. Some have argued that it reflects more poorly on Trump and the US that the host treated his guest so shabbily, raking him over the coals with fake and discredited materials, than on Ramaphosa, who kept his smile and rational stance. That is partially correct, but more than anyone else, Ramaphosa has himself to blame for the shambolic treatment.

    Yellow flags

    There were more than enough yellow flags beforehand. From the Executive Order in February, stopping all US financial assistance to South Africa, to the accusations of “white genocide”, to the expulsion of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, and the offer of “refugee” status to white farmers, Trump, mainly instigated by Elon Musk, has never disguised his misguided displeasure against South Africa. 

    The country’s decision to drag Israel to the ICJ over the war in Gaza and its leadership role in BRICS (which could potentially curtail the influence of the dollar), of course, were also unspoken sources of Trump’s anger.

    If a war foretold does not take the disabled person by surprise, how could Ramaphosa have ignored these yellow flags and decided to visit the lair with a golfing picture book as a peace offering, instead of a luxury Boeing 747 jetliner, the perfect sacrifice?

    Success. What success?

    The South African president has described the visit as “a great success.” Perhaps that would be correct if he were describing his narrow escape. There is no readout or evidence of the “reset” Ramaphosa requested. As of today, the fake video of the crosses on the roadside, supposed to be memorials for about 1,000 murdered white South African farmers, is still playing on the X handle of the White House. Nothing has changed.

    If Ramaphosa believes the visit was a success, his opinion has divided his country as much as it has a largely subdued continent. Femi Badejo, a diplomat and professor of Political Science, used the metaphor of a safari to describe the response across the continent. “If a lion grabs an antelope,” he asked me, “what do you think will happen to the rest of the herd?”

    South Africa is not just another African antelope; it’s a leader in the pack. Although many African diplomats are publicly spinning Ramaphosa’s visit as measured and dignified, behind the scenes, they are scandalised at the possible fate that awaits them – and the continent – especially with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expiring in September.

    Who’s next?

    For many reasons, primarily economic, the Africa that once stood up to bullies or was even deemed worthy allies has become a thing of the past. The Egyptian leader, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, may receive red-carpet treatment at the White House due to that country’s strategic importance to the US, just as Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traore, Russia’s poster boy, may get flowers in the Kremlin. The others, grappling with internal security challenges, discontent and fragile economies, are on their own as they struggle to navigate a hostile and deeply divided world.

    It would be a long time before another leader from the continent visits the White House, that is, if Trump has not closed half of the US embassies in Africa before he marks his first year in office. If, at this time, African leaders cannot find good company among themselves, they may as well learn to sit at home.

     

    Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book, Writing for Media and Monetising It.

  • Donald Trump, whitewashing apartheid history – By Hamilton Odunze

    Donald Trump, whitewashing apartheid history – By Hamilton Odunze

    By Hamilton Odunze

    In a blatant attempt to whitewash the history of apartheid in South Africa, Donald Trump accused South Africa of genocide against white South Africans. Therefore, he sent a private plane to bring fifty-nine white South Africans for resettlement in the United States.

    Trump’s claim that this was to correct the ‘egregious’ actions of the Republic of South Africa is a gross misrepresentation of the truth. His empowerment of this action with Executive Order 14202 is an apparent injustice that we cannot allow to go unchallenged. Allowing it to happen without a challenge is an affront to the years of the fight against apartheid and Nelson Mandela’s legacy.

    Here is what Trump did. On February 7, 2025, he signed Executive Order 14202. According to Trump, the executive order attempts to address the “egregious” actions of the Republic of South Africa. In section one, he states that the South African government disregards its citizens’ rights. Trump claims that the South African government created the Expropriation Act 13 to enable it to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.

    Donald Trump’s interpretation of the Expropriation Act 13 is fundamentally flawed. In January 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Act into law after a protracted debate in the South African House. This Act, like similar laws in many other countries, including the United States, allows the government to take land for public use.

    The Expropriation Act 13 in South Africa is a fair and just law. It enables the government to seize land from any private owner, regardless of color, for public purposes and interests. The law provides fair compensation, but the government can also seize land without compensation. In support of the Act, the African National Congress (ANC) defended it as necessary to correct past injustices of the apartheid years.

    If we go back to 1975, in the thick of apartheid, the South African House passed the first Expropriation Act. When apartheid ended in 1994, white South Africans owned 85 percent of the arable land in South Africa. Today, they own 72 percent of agricultural land despite being only 7.3 percent of the population. The ANC argues that this is part of the past injustices that the new Expropriation Act urgently seeks to correct. So, when Donald Trump says that the government is confiscating agricultural property from white South Africans, he is being disingenuous.

    In the same Executive Order 14202, Donald Trump stated that South Africa has aggressively opposed the United States and its allies. He said that South Africa accused Israel of genocide instead of holding Hamas accountable for the attack that killed 1,200 and took another 252 Israelis hostage. On October 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian militants attacked Southern Israel in the first invasion of the Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. South Africa and the rest of the world swiftly and justly condemned the attack on Israel.

    It has been more than a year, and the war in Gaza rages. According to the Gaza Health Ministry and other sources, the number of Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023, has exceeded 50,000. The conflict has also displaced more than 1.9 million people in Gaza. In response, the South African government sued Israel at the International Court of Justice to order Israel to stop the assault on Rafah. In the lawsuit, the South African government alleged that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

    Trump said that the lawsuit is against the interests of the United States and its allies. Therefore, he wants South Africa to pay for its “egregious” actions. What he missed is what prompted South Africa to go to court on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza. In bringing the lawsuit, South Africa says, as a signatory to the UN’s 1948 genocide convention, it must act. It also sees a similarity between the struggles of Palestinians in Gaza and the fight against apartheid.

    “As a people who once tasted the bitter fruits of dispossession, discrimination, racism, and state-sponsored violence, we are clear that we will stand on the right side of history,” says Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa.

    In a recent visit to the White House, Ramaphosa said that there is no genocide in South Africa. Yet, Trump doubled his claim and presented videos and news articles as proof. The problem is that many of the videos and news articles he presented are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the real genocide is happening. Since 1996, more than 6 million people have died in Congo, millions more have been displaced, and the world has looked the other way.

    If Trump is passionate about fighting genocide, Congo would have been a good starting point. He passed on Congo because the impacted people do not fit the profile of what he considers real human beings. To understand why Trump flew in fifty-nine white South Africans in a private plane for resettlement in the United States, you must look at the politics of it.

    During his campaign, he told Americans that he would rid the country of illegal immigrants. Trump, without evidence, accused countries of sending their criminals to the United States. He specifically said that Congo had opened its prisons and allowed its criminals to come into the United States. Since his second term, Trump has deported thousands of immigrants from Latin America and Africa, even students with legal status.

    But he is willing to replace them with white South Africans, who are some of the privileged in Africa. Trump had accused Democrats of relying on immigrants’ votes to win elections. In his mind, deporting immigrants from Africa and Latin America is a strategy to reduce votes for Democrats. Back in his first term, in January 2018, in a White House meeting on immigration reform, Trump asked, “Why are we having these people from shithole countries come here.”

    He is consistent with his dislike for people who are not white. While running for the second time, at a dinner party in Mar-a-Lago, Trump bemoaned the lack of immigrants from Denmark, Switzerland, and other places he refers to as “nice” countries, who are primarily white. The problem for Trump is that citizens of Denmark and Switzerland are not as destitute as Africans. Therefore, they are less likely to move to the United States on a whim. Otherwise, Trump will bring them in droves to the United States.

    Trump’s willingness to bring white South Africans for resettlement in the United States has nothing to do with genocide; it has to do with race, politics, and the MAGA agenda. Do not be deceived. There is nothing ideological about Trump’s immigration policy. He may try to rewrite the history of apartheid in South Africa, but we will not let him get away without a challenge.

    Hamilton Odunze

    Lean In

  • Putin wants all of Ukraine; he is crazy – Trump

    Putin wants all of Ukraine; he is crazy – Trump

    U.S. President Donald Trump has fired at his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, accusing him of wanting all of Ukraine and saying he has gone absolutely crazy.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Trump to have said Putin is “needlessly killing a lot of people” and that “missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine for no reason whatsoever”.

    “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely crazy!

    “He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,” Trump stated via Truth Social.

    Recall the U.S. President had said his personal intervention was needed to push peace efforts forward between Russian and Ukraine.

    Last Monday he held separate talks over the phone with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

    The phone calls with leaders of Russia and Ukraine deepened expectations that progress might soon be made on ending the more than three-year war.

    Following the phone calls, Trump said Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin ceasefire negotiations.

    Although, there was no detail on exactly when or where such talks might take place and who might attend them.

    However, it seems there is no headway yet.

    “I’ve always said that he wants all of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia,” Trump stated.

    In his post on Sunday, Trump went on to blame Zelenskyy for contributing to the endless war in Ukraine, saying “everything out of his mouth causes problems”.

    The U.S. President advised the Ukrainian President to stop making comments capable of inflaming the war further.

    “Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop.

    “This is a war that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s war, not “Trump’s”.

    “I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through gross incompetence and hatred,” Trump stated.

    Meanwhile, a recent Russia’s attack in Kyiv with an hour-long barrage of missiles and drones, killed nine people and injured more than 70.

    This was said to be the deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since July 2024, and just as peace efforts were coming to a head.

    Zelenskyy said after the attack in April, that he was cutting short his official trip to South Africa and returning home as the city reeled from the bombardment that kept residents on edge for about 11 hours.

    Zelenskyy said this appeared to be Russia’s biggest attack on Kyiv in nine months and called it one of Russia’s “most outrageous.’’

    The attack drew a rare rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin from President Trump, who said he was “not happy” with it.

    “Not necessary, and terrible timing. Vladimir, STOP!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

    However, senior U.S. officials have warned that the Trump administration could soon give up its efforts to stop the war if the two sides don’t compromise.

    Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko announced an official day of mourning in the capital, following the strike.

    The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, four plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and four other regions of Ukraine.

    Rescue workers with flashlights scoured the charred rubble of partly collapsed homes as the blue lights of emergency vehicles lit up the dark city streets.

  • Federal Judge blocks Trump-Era move to bar foreign students at Harvard 

    Federal Judge blocks Trump-Era move to bar foreign students at Harvard 

    In a high-stakes legal showdown between Harvard University and the Trump administration, a federal judge has temporarily blocked an attempt to revoke the school’s ability to host international students.

    The Department of Homeland Security had announced a policy Thursday that would have removed Harvard from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the database critical to managing foreign students’ academic status in the U.S.

    On Friday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order, pausing the implementation of the policy and offering short-term relief to Harvard and its international student population.

    Harvard responded with an immediate lawsuit, labeling the policy a “blatant violation” of U.S. law and a threat to academic freedom. The university accused the administration of punishing it for resisting federal demands over its curriculum, admissions, and staffing decisions.

    “The government tried to erase a quarter of our student body with a single stroke,” the university’s legal team argued, referring to the roughly 6,800 international students who make up more than 27% of Harvard’s enrollment.

    Harvard President Alan Garber condemned the administration’s move as “unlawful and unwarranted,” warning that it could have serious repercussions for academic independence across the country.

    In response, White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson accused Harvard of turning a blind eye to antisemitism and enabling what she termed “pro-terrorist agitators” on campus. She dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous” and criticized the judge’s ruling as ideologically driven.

    As reported by the BBC, critics warn that the administration’s stance could undermine global access to U.S. higher education and destabilize the financial health of universities that rely heavily on international tuition. At Harvard, tuition alone is set at $59,320 for the upcoming academic year, with total costs often exceeding $100,000.

    The court’s ruling comes as a relief for students like Leo Ackerman, who is set to begin studies at Harvard this fall. “This is a dream for so many of us,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to see it jeopardized, but now there’s a chance.”

    Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth is among the international students potentially affected by the dispute.

    Although the court’s order puts the administration’s action on hold for now, the broader fight over academic freedom and the role of international students in U.S. education is far from settled.

  • Trump threatens Apple with 25% tariff

    Trump threatens Apple with 25% tariff

    U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Apple with an import tariff of 25 per cent on iPhones sold, but not manufactured, in the United States.

    “I have long ago informed (chief executive) Tim Cook of Apple this,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday.

    “I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else.

    “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25 per cent must be paid by Apple to the U.S.,” he added.

    Trump has long demanded that Apple build the iPhone, its most important product in the U.S.

    Experts argue that this would require huge investments and make smartphones drastically more expensive.

    Under Cook’s leadership, Apple has built up supply chains in Asia over the last few decades with large factories, mainly in China.

    In recent years, the company has also stepped up production in India and Vietnam, partly in response to supply bottlenecks following the coronavirus lockdowns in China.

  • Trump administration revokes Harvard’s authorization to admit international Students

    Trump administration revokes Harvard’s authorization to admit international Students

    The Trump administration on Thursday rescinded Harvard University’s certification to enroll international students, who account for more than a quarter of the institution’s student body. The move marks a major intensification in former President Donald Trump’s dispute with the prestigious university.

    The decision comes after Harvard declined to comply with federal demands for increased oversight of its admissions and hiring practices. Trump has accused the university of fostering anti-Semitism and advancing what he describes as a “woke” liberal agenda.

    Harvard, which counts 162 Nobel laureates among its affiliates, has strongly defended its institutional independence and denied the accusations. The revocation is likely to trigger significant legal and political backlash, with experts warning of its potential impact on academic freedom and the future of international education in the U.S.

    In a letter addressed to Harvard, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated: “Effective immediately, Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) is revoked.” SEVIS is the system that manages the enrollment of international students in the U.S.

    Trump had previously warned that Harvard could lose its ability to admit foreign students if it failed to comply with government directives aimed at increasing federal control over the private institution.

    “It is a privilege—not a right—for universities to host foreign students,” Noem wrote. “All institutions must adhere to Department of Homeland Security regulations, including specific reporting requirements, to retain this privilege.”

    The letter cited Harvard’s refusal to provide requested information, claims of fostering an unsafe campus environment, accusations of hostility toward Jewish students, support for pro-Hamas sentiments, and the implementation of what the administration called racially divisive “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies.

    University records indicate that international students make up more than 27% of Harvard’s total enrollment.

     

  • Ramaphosa persuades Trump to make deals with South Africa

    Ramaphosa persuades Trump to make deals with South Africa

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday headed to the White House on a perilous mission to persuade Donald Trump to make deals with his country rather than scold and punish.

    Trump had earlier attack South Africa’s land reform law aimed at redressing the injustices of apartheid and its genocide court case against Israel.

    He also cancelled aid to South Africa, expelled its ambassador and offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners based on racial discrimination claims Pretoria says are unfounded.

    Ramaphosa, on state television, said “whether we like it or not, we are joined at the hip and we need to be talking to them,” before flying to Washington to meet President Trump.

    The stakes are high for South Africa.

    The United States is its second-biggest trading partner after China, and the aid cut has already resulted in a drop in testing for HIV patients.

    Ramaphosa goes into his meetings with Trump, scheduled to start at 1530 GMT, bearing offers of trade deals and investment opportunities, and accompanied by ministers, luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert and champion golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.

    On Trump’s side will be Vice President JD Vance, South African-born billionaire Elon Musk who has accused Ramaphosa of pursuing anti-white policies, which he denied and senior figures from the U.S. government.

    Responding to speculation in South Africa that a shouting match similar to the clash between Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Feb. 28, was a risk, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson said “Zelenskiy-style treatment” was not expected.

    “The issues are different, the leaders are different,’’ he told News24, a leading South African website.

    South African billionaire Rupert, founder of the Richemont luxury goods group that owns brands like Cartier and is an important investor in his home country, helped to bring about Ramaphosa’s meeting with Trump, South African media reported.

    Also, a former world number one golfer and four-time major champion, also played a part, according to the reports.

    Both men have played golf with Trump and neither responded to requests for comment.

    Ramaphosa will offer Trump a broad trade deal, as well as specific deals such as duty-free access for Musk’s Tesla electric vehicles in exchange for the firm building charging stations, and potential licensing for Musk’s Starlink company.

    Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, who is in Ramaphosa’s delegation, said he was focused on securing and expanding South African farmers’ duty-free access to the U.S. market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

    AGOA is at risk from Trump’s tariff regime, which is currently suspended but would hit South Africa with a 30 per cent duty if enacted.

    For his part, Trump is likely to demand that U.S. companies be exempted from “racial requirements”, a White House official said.

    South Africa has laws to compel businesses to hire and promote Black South Africans, including a requirement for large companies in some sectors, such as mining and telecom, to have a 30 per cent equity stake held by disadvantaged groups.

    Ramaphosa is unlikely to agree to weaken such rules, which are core to his government’s aspiration to restore racial justice after centuries of colonialism and apartheid.

  • Trump makes bold statement: Russia and Ukraine to begin ceasefire talks immediately

    Trump makes bold statement: Russia and Ukraine to begin ceasefire talks immediately

    U.S. President Donald Trump has made a striking claim following a recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Russia and Ukraine are set to begin immediate negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire.

    Describing the discussion with Putin as “very well,” Trump suggested that meaningful dialogue is underway, but noted that the final terms of any ceasefire must be decided by the two nations themselves.

    On the Russian side, President Putin told reporters that Moscow is willing to work with Ukraine on drafting a peace memorandum and is open to “compromises,” though he stopped short of providing specific details. He emphasized the importance of tackling the “root causes” of the conflict and said the negotiations appear to be “on the right track.”

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also weighed in, proposing a potential “high-level” summit involving Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., the European Union, and the United Kingdom to help find a diplomatic resolution.

    Zelensky called on the U.S. to stay deeply involved in the process and stressed that progress hinges on Russia demonstrating a genuine willingness to participate in constructive talks.

    While challenges remain, the latest statements from global leaders signal a cautious but potentially promising shift toward dialogue and de-escalation in the ongoing conflict.

  • Trump skips Turkey peace talks to see his newest grandchild

    Trump skips Turkey peace talks to see his newest grandchild

    U.S. President,  Donald Trump has skipped Turkey Peace Talk to visit new grandchild.

    Speaking at an event in the United Arab Emirates, Trump said his daughter, Tiffany had just given birth to a baby, and he wanted to see his grandchild as soon as possible.

    Trump said he wanted  to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, “as soon as he can set it up” but will not be at the Friday talks in Turkey, opting instead to return to Washington to see his newest grandchild.

    He added that he should have returned last night but did not want to disappoint his Abu Dhabi hosts.

    Trump had previously left open the possibility of making a last-minute trip from the Gulf region to the talks in Turkey, which are focused on ending the Russian war against Ukraine.

    He argued that there would be no real progress in peace efforts until he personally met with Putin.

    “We’re gonna get it done. We gotta get it done,” he said, adding that “5,000 young people are being killed every single week on average.”

  • Donald Trump reacts as India, Pakistan exchange airstrikes

    Donald Trump reacts as India, Pakistan exchange airstrikes

    American President Donald Trump has said he hoped tensions between India and Pakistan would de-escalate quickly, following Indian attacks on targets inside Pakistan.

    “They’ve been fighting for many, many decades,” Trump said at a White House event.

    “I just hope it ends very quickly.”

    “People knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past,” he added.

    TheNewsGuru reports that India launched military strikes on Pakistan on Wednesday claiming to be targeting the hideouts of militant groups behind a late April attack in the disputed region of Kashmir in which at least 26 civilians were killed, and Pakistan claimed it shot down five Indian Air Force jets, in an escalation that has pushed the two nations to the brink of a wider conflict

    Meanwhile, at least three civilians were killed by Pakistani shelling in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed Kashmir region, according to Indian reports.

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he was monitoring the situation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

    “I echo (Trump’s) comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution,” Rubio said on social media platform X.