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Iran warns Israel, US of ‘severe response’ in case of retaliation

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Iran warns Israel, US of ‘severe response’ in case of retaliation

Iranian military chief says overnight attack ‘achieved all its goals’, adding that US bases are under threat if it backs Israeli retaliation.

Iran has warned Israel of a larger attack on its territory should it retaliate against Tehran’s overnight drone and missile attacks, adding that the United States should not back an Israeli military action.

“If the Zionist regime [Israel] or its supporters demonstrate reckless behaviour, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said in a statement on Sunday.

Raisi’s statement follows a similar warning by Iranian military chief, Major-General Mohammad Bagheri, who told state TV that a “much larger” response awaits Israel “if it retaliates against Iran”.

Bagheri said the Iranian attack on Israel “has achieved all its goals, and in our view the operation has ended, and we do not intend to continue”.

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Earlier on Sunday, he warned the US that any backing of Israeli retaliation would result in its bases being targeted by Iran.

The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, also warned that Tehran would retaliate against any Israeli attacks on its interests, officials or citizens.

“From now on, whenever Israel attacks Iranian interests… we will attack from Iran.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations justified Tehran’s response to Israeli “aggression” as a “legitimate defence” in accordance with the UN charter.

“The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” said a statement.

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It added that the US should “stay away” from the conflict, as it is an issue between Iran and Israel.

Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Tehran, said the Iranian attacks would be seen by its nationals as a “historic event in the country”.

“For over 40 years, Iran has been talking about going to war with Israel as one of its main adversaries,” she said, adding that celebrations were held in several Iranian cities over the air raids.

‘Significant response’

Tehran’s attacks late on Saturday were launched after a suspected Israeli air strike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1 killed IRGC members, raising the threat of a wider regional conflict.

On Sunday, Israel reported modest damage and reopened its airspace following the unprecedented direct attack.

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The Israeli military said the armed forces had shot down more than 99 percent of the Iranian drones and missiles and were discussing follow-up options.

In a brief statement on X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote, “We intercepted. We blocked. Together we will win.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s defence chief, Yoav Gallant, warned in a televised statement that the confrontation with Iran “is not over yet”.

Israel’s Channel 12 TV quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying there would be a “significant response” to the attack.

Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, also called Iran’s actions “very grave”, saying in a televised briefing that they “push the region toward escalation”.

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Despite the rhetoric, one Iranian analyst said the statements coming from Iran offer an opening for the opposing parties to back off from a wider confrontation.

Farzan Sabet, a senior researcher at the Geneva-based Global Governance Centre, said Israel “has a potential off-ramp” by making a “largely symbolic and non- or only slightly lethal response”.

But given Israel’s “historically low threat tolerance and practice of disproportionate response”, further retaliations and escalations could be seen, he said in an analysis posted on X.

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Cruise ship allegedly leaves 80-year-old woman behind on island, daughter demands answers after death

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Cruise ship allegedly leaves 80-year-old woman behind on island, daughter demands answers after death

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The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship recently called for a coronial inquest into her mother’s death, calling the incident “a failure of care and common sense.”

Suzanne Rees, who was partaking in a luxury 60-day cruise in Australia, was found dead Sunday after she was reported missing Saturday night.

Rees was last seen on a group hiking tour of Lizard Island, about 200 miles north of Cairns, but did not return to the Coral Adventurer cruise ship—which left at about 6 p.m. Saturday.

Witnesses said they heard commotion on the radio and saw the ship returning to the island on a vessel tracker.

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AMY BRADLEY CASE HINGES ON ‘SOMEBODY REMEMBERING’ AS INVESTIGATORS HUNT FOR NEW LEADS 27 YEARS LATER: EXPERT

The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship on an Australian island is calling for an investigation into her death. (iStock)

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), Australia’s national maritime safety regulator, told Fox News Digital it was notified about the incident by the vessel at about 10 p.m. local time Saturday, prompting AMSA to initiate a response.

An AMSA spokesperson said they assisted Queensland Police in the search, and are continuing to work closely with Queensland authorities, including Queensland Police and WorkSafe Queensland.

“AMSA will make an assessment as to whether there was any non-compliance associated with the passenger not being counted onto the ship and, if necessary, will take action to address them,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement. “AMSA intends to conduct inquiries on board the vessel when it arrives in Darwin. We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding. AMSA offers its condolences to the family and loved ones of the person who has passed. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”

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TWO VACATIONERS DROWN AT CARNIVAL’S NEW BAHAMAS PRIVATE ISLAND

Hikers on Lizard Island off the coast of Australia

Suzanne Rees was on a luxury 60-day cruise in Australia, when she was left behind on Lizard Island and later found dead, her daughter alleges. (Mark Conlin/VW PICS/UIG )

Rees’ daughter, Katherine, told ABC Australia “from the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense.”

“We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and Mum felt ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted,” Katherine told the outlet. “Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count.”

The family reportedly said they are hoping to learn if Rees’ death could have been prevented.

IRISH BIKINI DESIGNER FOUND DEAD ON YACHT MONTHS AFTER DIVORCE AND PRIOR LEGAL DISPUTE

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Lizard Island hikers at lookout

The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship on Lizard Island in Australia is calling for an investigation into her death. ( Education Images/UIG )

The Coroner’s Court of Queensland on Wednesday confirmed to ABC Rees’ death was “referred to the coroner for investigation.”

Once the coroner’s investigation is complete, a decision will be made about launching an inquest into the death.

AMSA said details surrounding the timing of the vessel’s arrival and AMSA’s next steps are not available, as the investigation remains active.

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“The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process,” Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield reportedly wrote in a statement. “While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.”

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The operation of the vessel is regulated under the Australian Navigation Act 2012 and relevant workplace laws, according to AMSA.

Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.

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Merz urges deeper ties with Turkey despite disagreements on Gaza

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Merz urges deeper ties with Turkey despite disagreements on Gaza

Europe should forge a deeper strategic partnership with Turkey in response to emerging global challenges, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday on his first official visit to Ankara, which has played a crucial mediating role in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Merz was speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, just days after Turkey and the United Kingdom finalised a multi-billion-euro deal for the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

Germany, part of the consortium that manufactures the advanced fighter aircraft, recently lifted its longstanding objection to their export to Turkey.

Merz’s visit also comes amid reports of German backing for Turkey’s participation in a European defence initiative known as the Security Action for Europe (SAFE), a €150 billion programme designed to enhance the continent’s military capabilities.

The initiative allows non-EU countries, including Turkey, to join defence projects.

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Greece openly opposes Turkey’s participation in SAFE, arguing that Ankara must first drop its standing threat of war linked to sea boundary disputes between the two NATO members.

Merz did not mention SAFE but underscored the importance of cooperation.

“Germany and Turkey should use the enormous potential of our relations even better in the coming months and years,” he said.

“There are compelling reasons for this, because we are entering a new geopolitical phase marked by the politics of great powers,” the chancellor said.

“A central conclusion from that for me is that as Germans and Europeans, we must expand our strategic partnerships, and there is no way around a good and deepened partnership with Turkey.”

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Divisions surfaced during the joint news conference over human rights and the situation in Gaza.

The advocacy group, Human Rights Watch, had urged Merz to speak out against Turkey’s crackdown on the opposition, including the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

The opposition figure, widely seen as a potential challenger to Erdoğan, has been held in pretrial detention since March on corruption charges, which he denies. This week, Turkish authorities filed new charges against him for alleged espionage.

Merz avoided direct mention of İmamoğlu but said: “Decisions have been made in Turkey that do not yet meet the requirements regarding the rule of law and democracy as we understand them from the European point of view.”

Erdoğan responded by defending Turkey’s judicial system.

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“No matter what position you hold, if you trample on the law, judicial authorities in a state governed by the rule of law are obliged to take whatever action is necessary,” he said.

On the issue of Gaza, Merz said that Germany has stood firmly by Israel since it was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust and will always do so. But “that doesn’t mean that we respect or accept every political decision by an Israeli government and accept it without criticism.”

Merz has frequently criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza in recent months.

On Thursday, he stressed that “Israel made use of its right of self-defence and it would have taken only a single decision to avoid the countless unnecessary victims: Hamas should have released the hostages earlier and laid down its weapons. Then this war would have been over immediately.”

Erdoğan, a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions, again accused Israel of using “starvation and genocide” as weapons of war.

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The Turkish leader argued that Hamas does not possess bombs or nuclear weapons, while Israel does, and criticised Germany for allegedly ignoring the imbalance.

“As Germany, can’t you see this?” he asked.

Additional sources • AP

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Colin Farrell Says Tom Cruise ‘Was Not Happy’ on ‘Minority Report’ Set After Farrell Drank Before Filming and Needed to Do 46 Takes of One Scene: ‘It Went Terrible’

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Colin Farrell Says Tom Cruise ‘Was Not Happy’ on ‘Minority Report’ Set After Farrell Drank Before Filming and Needed to Do 46 Takes of One Scene: ‘It Went Terrible’

Colin Farrell revealed to Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” that Tom Cruise “was not happy” with him during the making of Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report.” Farrell was in the midst of his substance abuse struggles during production and went out partying the night before his birthday, which happened to be a filming day.

“I had one of the worst days I’ve ever had on a film set [on ‘Minority Report’],” Farrell admitted. “It was my birthday on May 31, and we were shooting, and I begged production — who did I think I was? — of a $120 million film if they [could] not have me working on my birthday. So of course my pickup was 6 a.m. on May 31, and I got up to all sorts of nonsense the night before. And I remember getting into bed, and as soon as I turned off the light the phone rang and it was the driver, [who] said, ‘It’s 10 past 6.’ And I went, ‘Oh, shit.’” 

Farrell was disheveled when he showed up on the “Minority Report” set, so much so that assistant director David H. Venghaus Jr. stopped him and said: “You can’t go to the set like this.’”

“And I went, ‘Just get me six Pacifico Cervezas and a packet of 20 [Marlboro] Red,’” Farrell said. “Now, listen, it’s not cool because two years later I went to rehab, right? But it worked in the moment. All the holy people that we look to on how to live a life would say the present is all that counts.”

Farrell “had a couple of beers” and went to set and “it was terrible,” he said. “I will never forget the line I had that I couldn’t get out. It was, ‘I’m sure you’ve all grasped the fundamental paradox of pre-crime methodology.’ That was the line that started the scene. I remember [the crew] coming up and saying, ‘Do you want to go out and take a breath of fresh air?’ And I remember thinking, ‘If I go out and take a breath of fresh air, then I’ll be under more pressure when I come back in to be better.’ And I went, ‘No, we’ll just go through it.’”

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“We did 46 takes,” Farrell revealed. “Tom wasn’t very happy with me. Tom, who I love, was not very happy!”

Loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novella, “Minority Report” is set in a future where police apprehend criminals by using psychics who give them foreknowledge of the impending crime. Cruise’s police chief is framed for a crime he did not commit, forcing him on the run. Farrell plays the police agent assigned with bringing Cruise’s character in. The movie was a critical favorite and grossed a strong $358 million worldwide.

Watch Farrell’s full interview on “The Late Show” in the video below.

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