Taylor Swift is youngest woman inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame, at 36

June 12, 2026 6:43 AM EDT / AP

New York — Taylor Swift became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night. She’s 36.

“It was instinctual. No one taught me how to do it,” she said of songwriting through a raspy voice she attributed to screaming along to the night’s performances and Wednesday night’s historic NBA game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

She told the room about her family uprooting their lives to move her from Pennsylvania to Nashville as a tween.

“I will never be able to express my gratitude,” the singer-songwriter said while holding back tears – crediting their sacrifice for her career.

She offered young songwriters advice: “You really have to prioritize what you love, down to your very core. Because you’ll need that.”

Taylor Swift at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 55th Annual Induction and Awards Gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 11, 2026 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Steven Spielberg introduced Swift with a surprise speech about the power of songwriting. “There is something undeniable about how songs imprint on our souls,” he said, before changing his focus to Swift. “Somehow Taylor knows us all too well.”

Swift started her speech by acknowledging Spielberg. “Because of examples like Steven’s, I trusted my imagination,” she said.

The Gen Z singer Sombr launched Swift’s segment by performing “Cardigan” and “Dear John” in front of her.

Swift has brought new eyes to this year’s ceremony and undeniably shaped contemporary pop music trends with her songwriting. Swift is the youngest woman inducted, but Stevie Wonder, who started his recording career at 13, was the youngest ever inducted, it was announced on stage.

It was a notable moment in an evening full of them: Swift, Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins and more were honored.

Numerous others in the night’s spotlight

Tamar Braxton opened the gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City with a spirted tribute to a new inductee – the game-changing R&B songwriter, producer and rapper Christopher “Tricky” Stewart – with one of the biggest songs he’s known for: Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”

He’s also responsible for singer-songwriter Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”

Dallas Austin, a songwriter and producer known for work with Boyz ll Men and Madonna, introduced Stewart. “Think about that catalog,” he said, listing off those zeitgeist-shifting records. “Those are cultural moments.”

Stewart thanked God, his family, artists he’s worked with and mentors – giving a special shout out to Grammy award-winning music producer Antonio “L.A.” Reid and the iconic singer-songwriter Babyface. “I wanted to be like L.A. and Baby,” he reflected.

Kiss founders Simmons and Stanley – two and a half years after the band’s farewell – were also recognized for their glam rock classics “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Love It Loud.” The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan covered the former, a fittingly fiery introduction for the band. He was joined by Goo Goo Dolls’ frontman John Rzeznik for the latter.

Simmons wasn’t present; Stanley said that he had a family emergency.

“Songs are the messenger,” he said – the foundation of “every show.”

Soft rock legend Kenny Loggins (“Footloose,” “Danny’s Song”) and the alt-rock icon Morissette were also inducted.

For the latter, Brandi Carlile performed “Uninvited” alongside SistaStrings, before introducing Morissette.

“Writing to me is not a hobby,” Morissette said, it’s critical. “It’s write or die.” Then she performed “Mary Jane” and “You Oughta Know” from her 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill.”

For Loggins, Gavin DeGraw performed “Danny’s Song,” before Loggins told the story behind the tune in his acceptance speech.

Taylor Dayne and Madison Cunningham performed Tina Turner classics written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle in honor of their induction; John Fogerty was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award.

“I got my songs back!” Fogerty said, ending a nearly 30-minute speech, referencing the fact that he won the rights back to his catalog at age 80. Then he ran through a medley of his hits: “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” among them.

The songwriter Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”) was also recognized, a segment that began with an introduction by actor Jeremy Renner and included a monster medley of his biggest songs by R&B singer Sheléa, kicking off with his Christmas classic six months early.

“I wanted to be The Beatles,” he said of falling in love with songwriting in his speech. “Sixty years later, I got to produce Paul McCartney.”

British singer-songwriter RAYE received the prestigious Hal David Starlight Award. She ended her speech by stating that songwriters deserve a cut of master royalties.

Last year’s inductees included George Clinton, The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, The Beach Boys’ Mike Love and Tony Macaulay.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Some already in the hall include Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins.

报道说，希利（左）和卡恩斯的辞职对英国首相斯塔默而言，无疑又是一次打击。 （法新社 / 路透社）

（伦敦综合电）因不满政府的国防投资计划资金方案，英国防长希利和负责武装部队事务的国务部长卡恩斯星期四（6月11日）相继宣布辞职，为正面临下台呼声而处境艰难的首相斯塔默带来更大压力。

希利警告，规划未来10年国防资金的《国防投资计划》，可能会导致英国安全状况恶化。

他在致斯塔默的辞职信中写道：“在当前威胁日益加剧的情况下，您无力，财政部也不愿投入保卫国家所需的资源……我已经向您解释过，如果国防投资协议不能为我们的军队提供所需资源，我无法接受。现在我别无选择，只能递交辞呈。”

斯塔默过后任命前陆军军官贾维斯（Dan Jarvis）为新任防长。斯塔默说，他的首要职责是确保英国人民的安全，而工党政府正在推动自冷战以来最大规模的国防支出持续增长。

前陆军军官贾维斯接替希利，出任英国新国防部长。（路透社）

斯塔默至今仍未公布国防投资计划的详情，但他承诺，从明年起将国防开支提高到国内生产总值（GDP）的2.5%，若工党赢得预计2029年举行的下届大选，则会进一步提升至3%，并在2035年达到3.5%。

不过希利在辞职信中称，他星期一首次看到完整的计划草案，内容显示2030年的国防支出仅提升至GDP的2.68%，“远低于当前危险时期国防和国家所需水平”。

希利和卡恩斯的辞职对斯塔默而言，无疑又是一次打击。

卫生部长斯特里廷上月辞职，并打算竞选工党党魁，取代斯塔默的位子。大曼彻斯特市长伯纳姆也在寻求通过下议院议员补选重返国会，以便向斯塔默发起挑战。

Talarico’s move to swap out ‘woman’ resurfaces amid backlash over similar bill in NY: ‘Insane individual’

June 12, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

The Democrat is trying to paint himself as sufficiently conservative to defeat Republican Ken Paxton

By Leo Briceno, Fox News

Kayleigh McEnany: Talarico’s claims are ‘blatant mistruths’

‘The Five’ co-hosts discuss President Donald Trump’s comments about Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico and the candidate’s campaign.

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James Talarico, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, once swapped out the term “woman” with “pregnant individual” in a bill that would have created protections for abortion in the Lone Star State.

The bill would have prevented “the prosecution of a pregnant individual on whom an abortion is performed or induced” and eliminated any Texas law that would have regulated or prohibited an abortion.

It never made it past consideration in committee.

Despite its stalled progress, the 2023 bill runs counter to Talarico’s efforts to paint himself as sufficiently conservative to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate as he wages an uphill campaign to defeat Republican challenger Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general.

‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY

James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and U.S. Senate candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Round Rock, Texas, U.S., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I’ve called out the extremes in both parties,” Talarico said in an interview with CBS last month.

When asked about his position on gender and previous comments that there were as many as six sexes, Talarico clarified his stance.

“I know there are two sexes, men and women. I also know there’s a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”

When asked about the bill, Talarico’s campaign emphasized the abortion-related aspect of the bill, leaving the gender wording unaddressed.

“James agrees with a majority of Texans that women should make decisions about their own bodies. While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and support Texas families,” JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital.

The bill’s resurfacing coincides with a very similar bill making its way through the New York legislature.

JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS ‘MISSED THE MARK’ WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS ‘NON-BINARY’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke during a news conference at the WIN NYC family shelter on March 5, 2026, in New York City.(Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

That bill would “adjust language in the law to a more inclusive and gender-neutral form.” Among other changes, it swaps out the term “mother” for “gestating parent.”

Having cleared the New York General Assembly and the New York Senate, it is poised to receive Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature to become law.

Although Talarico’s bill falls short of similarly reframing the state’s entire legal language, his opponents believe the very attempt to pass a bill using the same kind of terminology is emblematic of someone out of step with Texans’ principles.

“James Talarico’s entire career has been dedicated to replacing the Christian and family values of Texans with his transgender-for-all agenda,” RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said.

BILL REPLACING ‘MOTHER’ AND ‘FATHER’ WITH GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS PASSES IN NEW YORK, HEADS TO HOCHUL’S DESK

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico urged voters to reduce meat consumption in a 2022 clip that went viral on Tuesday.(Mark Felix/Getty Images)

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“He is a threat to Texans’ way of life and a truly insane individual who has been fully broken by the woke mind virus.”

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

How Trump decided to host a UFC fight at the White House

2026-06-12T10:00:08.485Z / CNN

• President Donald Trump decided to host a UFC fight at the White House after his post-election appearance at a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden.
• The $60 million event on the South Lawn comes as Trump faces low approval ratings amid a war with Iran and rising inflation.
• Some allies worry the spectacle will exacerbate perceptions Trump is focused on personal pet projects rather than governing.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

Donald Trump was at the height of his power when he decided to stage a UFC fight on the South Lawn of America’s most famous address.

Fresh off his 2024 presidential win, he made a triumphant trip to Madison Square Garden for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass” blared as he entered the arena flanked by billionaires and politicians who had left him for dead just three years earlier. Celebrities lined up to shake his hand. Chants of “USA” rained down from a crowd filled with the young men who Trump had made the backbone of his new political coalition.

And as he basked in the ovation, the president-elect determined the White House should host an even bigger and better spectacle.

“That’s when he officially decided he wanted to do it,” said one White House official with knowledge of the private deliberations.

Nineteen months and an estimated $60 million later, Trump will get his wish on his 80th birthday. The president is set to preside over a slate of UFC fights on Sunday held in the hulking, 87-foot octagon that now consumes much of the South Lawn.

But the event itself — billed as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary — is perhaps the only element of Trump’s original vision that’s gone to plan.

Far removed from those post-election highs, he will take the stage this weekend at the weakest point of his presidency, mired in an unpopular war abroad and struggling to contain rising costs at home. A growing majority of Americans disapprove of his performance, polls show, threatening the GOP’s grip on power in the midterms and exposing cracks in Trump’s base.

And now, instead of a legacy-making manifestation of Trump’s success, some allies worry, the UFC fight risks becoming just the latest and biggest symbol of the personal excesses that have contributed to his unpopularity.

“I’ll be there, but I’m not thrilled about it,” Joe Rogan, the popular podcaster who endorsed Trump in 2024 and will commentate the fights, said of the event in March. “It just doesn’t seem like a wise idea.”

Still, the event has also prompted extraordinary jockeying within Trump’s MAGA base, with aides, allies and supporters all trying to score access. Supporters described running into roadblocks with their usual connections inside the administration — with some senior officials even advising ticket-seekers to take their asks straight to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, or just try their luck on Ticketmaster.

“Forget it,” one longtime Trump ally said of the odds facing those still trying to get into the event. “It’s the hottest ticket in Trumpworld by far.”

Trump first casually mentioned the idea of a UFC fight when his transition team was brainstorming ways to replicate the nontraditional but attention-grabbing events they staged on the campaign trail, like when the GOP nominee drove a campaign-branded garbage truck in Wisconsin, two people familiar with the discussions said. And now the president’s closest advisers are relishing how a UFC fight at the White House is similarly pushing the envelope.

But the high-profile event underscores Trump’s fixation on a slate of personal projects across Washington, DC, the political utility of which has prompted concerns among some Republicans worried about the midterms.

The president is overseeing construction of a massive White House ballroom, pushing for the creation of a 250-foot “triumphal arch” and seeking to redevelop a local golf course. Those come on top of a weekslong repainting of the Reflecting Pool and several smaller efforts to make over key parts of the White House, including the Oval Office and Rose Garden.

Few of the projects have proven popular with Americans. And his efforts suffered a major blow when a federal judge said his name had to be removed from the Kennedy Center. But despite the scrutiny — and a slew of lawsuits challenging his authority — Trump has maintained an intimate role in the planning and execution of those undertakings.

That personal enthusiasm has extended to the UFC fight, which has been months in the making and has transformed the White House’s South Lawn. Trump worked closely with UFC head and longtime friend Dana White since that November Madison Square Garden appearance to plot out a multiday celebration that will include a Saturday fan festival on the Ellipse south of the White House.

The members-only club Executive Branch, meanwhile, is slated to host a far more exclusive party on Sunday for the MAGA elite descending on Washington, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by CNN.

The fights will take place in the massive South Lawn octagon nicknamed “the Claw,” with roughly 4,000 people in attendance.

“It’s right at the front door to the White House,” Trump boasted in an interview last month. “It’s never happened before, and you’ll never see it again.”

Within Trump’s orbit, some allies hope that the spectacle will help reenergize some of the young men who helped power his 2024 victory but have since partially drifted away from the GOP.

“It’s a cool thing to use the trappings of the White House to promote the UFC and bring a new audience closer [to Pennsylvania Ave.], something that many might never have the opportunity to do,” said White House communications director and longtime Trump adviser Steven Cheung, who previously ran communications for the UFC. “And the president is an honest, true fan. He knows the fight cards, he knows their stats.”

In addition to Rogan, conservative podcasters and influencers who played key roles in promoting Trump’s 2024 campaign are expected to be at the fight, including the YouTuber Nelk Boys and businessman Patrick Bet-David.

The UFC, which is footing the roughly $60 million bill for the event, has retained control of most of the tickets. Trump is personally selecting who among his staff gets the rest, two White House officials said. In a further sign of the importance he’s assigned to the fight, Trump’s Cabinet and first lady Melania Trump are expected to attend.

Yet even with all the hype, it remains unclear whether an event that the president has touted as “the greatest show on Earth” will resonate beyond his most devoted supporters.

He’s bled support among men and younger voters who enthusiastically backed him in 2024 but have since grown more skeptical amid continued cost-of-living concerns and frustration with the war with Iran.

The president has repeatedly downplayed concerns about the domestic impact of the conflict, brushing off rising inflation as a minor side effect to his pursuit of greater national security. One poll this week found just 16% of Americans believed it was appropriate to hold the star-studded event, which comes days after Trump again downplayed the rising inflation making everyday goods more expensive.

Against that backdrop, one night of UFC fighting is unlikely to allay the broader concerns weighing on many of his supporters, said Art Davie, one of the original founders of the tournament that eventually became UFC.

Davie, who also once roomed with Trump as young cadets at the New York Military Academy, told CNN that he supported and voted for the president in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He applauded Trump’s bid to bring the UFC to the South Lawn, hailing it as a legitimizing event for a sport that once faced years of political and cultural opposition, including the late Sen. John McCain’s characterization of it as “human cockfighting.”

But like others, he’s since grown concerned by Trump’s foreign entanglements. The Iran war amounts to a betrayal of the president’s initial pledge to avoid the missteps of his predecessors and not start any new conflicts, said Davie, a longtime Republican voter. Trump’s subsequent suggestions that he may take Cuba by force have only deepened that disappointment.

“He made a number of campaign statements about no wars that I found to be viable and appealing,” Davie said. “So I’m not happy that he decided on Feb. 28 to pursue a war with Iran, and I’m not sure that’s been a good decision.”

In Trump’s attempts to reshape both the White House grounds and the global balance of power, Davie added, he sees a theme that’s common among his contemporaries: An increasing focus on the legacy that they’re going to leave behind.

“He’s very much legacy-oriented at this point,” he said. “But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that with something like these foreign entanglements, you have to figure out ahead of time how far you want to go or where you want to go.”

CNN’s Isabelle Khurshudyan contributed to this report.

Trump’s grand sporting season begins with UFC fights on White House lawn

2026-06-12T10:05:56.145Z / Reuters

WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s run of high-profile sporting events begins this week in Washington, with the U.S. leader eager to project an image of strength at home and abroad.

At Trump’s behest, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will stage a slate of mixed martial arts bouts on ​the White House lawn on Sunday. The event coincides with Flag Day, a little-observed holiday celebrating the adoption of the U.S.’s stars and stripes, and Trump’s 80th birthday.

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He also persuaded IndyCar to hold a Grand ​Prix race around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. later in the summer. And the FIFA World Cup, which was awarded to the U.S., Canada and Mexico in 2018 during Trump’s first presidency, started this week.

“We’re going to showcase our country that whole weekend because of the surroundings that we have,” said Bud Denker, chair of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix and president of Penske Corp. “I really think it excites him (Trump) that it provides this positivity to our country when we need it.”

U.S. officials hope to use the momentum from these events to promote the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los ​Angeles — and elevate the president’s geopolitical brand.

Congress established a nonpartisan commission to plan events around the country’s 250th anniversary, but the Trump administration created its own group, Freedom 250, which has scheduled events including the UFC fights and ​auto race.

Global leaders have taken notice of Trump’s interest in sports. In December 2025, FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded Trump its inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. The following month, Trump ordered a military mission ⁠in Venezuela to depose its leader, Nicolás Maduro, followed several weeks later by strikes on Iran.

Almost immediately after the UFC’s mixed martial arts fights, Trump is scheduled to visit France for a meeting of G7 leaders. French officials delayed the start of ​the gathering to avoid a conflict with the UFC event, local media reported.

Trump has called the UFC fights “the greatest show on Earth” and likened the UFC’s “Claw” arena looming over the White House’s South Lawn to Paris’ Eiffel Tower.

Some critics accuse the president of “sportswashing,” ​or using athletic events to bolster his image amid concerns over human rights issues, immigration enforcement and foreign conflicts.

“We tend to talk about sportswashing when we talk about dictators or oil-rich countries,” said Nick Watanabe, who studies sport and entertainment management at the University of South Carolina. “It definitely applies to the United States.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the UFC’s growth and the White House fights as “the definition of American soft diplomatic power.” He announced a public-private partnership with UFC to incorporate combat sports into the State Department’s diplomatic efforts. Rubio did not specify the financial arrangements.

Critics ​have drawn comparisons to Gulf countries that invest in combat sports organizations, including UFC, to project influence and deflect scrutiny of their human rights records.

“It’s him using this opportune moment and it’s him trying to place himself at the forefront of 250 years ​of the American republic,” Watanabe said. “There’s nothing subtle about it, I think. He wants to show everybody that America is great, and he is the one leader.”

Trump’s allies said the events reflect Trump’s lifelong love of athletics, his business acumen and his efforts to secure his legacy ‌as a transformational ⁠president. White House representatives did not respond to multiple Reuters requests for comment.

SPORTS AS A UNIFIER

Julia Friedland, a spokesperson for Freedom 250, said: “Sports have long served as a common language that brings Americans together, and that spirit is reflected throughout the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.”

The UFC event has drawn critics simply because it’s tied to Trump, said Mark Teixeira, a Texas Republican and former Major League Baseball star. “If you’re getting bent out of shape about a sporting event in Washington, D.C. — we have a lot bigger problems in our country,” he said.

Trump’s history with mixed martial arts predates his political career. UFC held its first officially sanctioned event at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2000. Trump also attempted MMA promotion himself in 2008 and 2009, and UFC’s ​early shows took place at his casino.

Beyond MMA, Trump has on ​multiple occasions attempted to purchase National Football League teams. ⁠At one point, he purchased a franchise in a failed football league that competed with the NFL for talent and viewership.

Some political opponents with sports backgrounds expressed concern about the White House event.

Representative Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat who fought two professional MMA bouts herself, said the sight of a massive, temporary arena rising at the White House gives her pause at a time ​when consumer costs are spiraling and the U.S. is at war. She told Reuters she also worries that Trump’s attachment to UFC could taint the sport.

“My main concern is seeing the ​politicization of a sport that I ⁠hope continues to grow and that people continue to find and fall in love with,” she said.

UFC fighters told Reuters they had different plans on how to handle the pomp and circumstance — and politics.

Lightweight competitor Michael Chandler, who publicly praised Trump in the past, said he’d try to tune out the atmosphere and treat the fight as any other. Canadian bantamweight fighter Aiemann Zahabi expects to face boos and jeers while fighting American Sean O’Malley, an avowed Trump supporter.

But Zahabi said he’d look for ways to acknowledge the occasion and the ⁠president.

“It’s something that’s probably ​never going to be repeated again,” Zahabi said. “It’s a one-off, and you know, Trump’s an eccentric guy, and you know, he loves MMA. He loves ​UFC… I think of it (as) just one big celebration.”

Advocacy groups say they’re concerned that the scene at the venue injects politics — and deference to Trump — into the sports action.

“Rising authoritarianism, large-scale conflicts, and global retreat from multilateralism all have direct consequences to sport,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights ​Alliance, a nonprofit human rights group.

“Global actors vie for power, but they use sports as a weapon, and we have seen Donald Trump and the U.S. under his administration using sports in different ways.”

Reporting by Jacob Bogage; Editing by Sergio Non and Sanjeev Miglani

乌克兰拟向盟友寻求200亿美元额外军援

2026年6月12日 18:53 / 联合早报

今年以来，俄罗斯在战场上的推进速度有所放缓，因为乌克兰的中程无人机袭击削弱了俄罗斯前线的物资供应和后勤保障。 （路透社）

一名乌克兰国防消息人士称，乌克兰将在下周的会议上向盟友寻求额外200亿美元（约260亿新元）的军事援助，以巩固目前在战场上对俄罗斯的优势。

路透社报道，乌克兰将于6月18日在乌克兰防务联络小组会议上提出这一请求。这个小组是由50多个国家组成的联盟，负责协调向基辅提供财政和军事援助。

消息人士说：“我们在战场上有6到9个月的有利时机，这需要资金加快到位。”

今年以来，俄罗斯在战场上的推进速度有所放缓，因为乌克兰的中程无人机袭击削弱了俄罗斯前线的物资供应和后勤保障。同时，乌克兰的远程无人机袭击正重创俄罗斯的能源部门。

普京上周说，俄军仍每日在战场上推进，俄罗斯经济没有风险，但他承认乌克兰的袭击造成了损失。

消息人士称，一些盟国被要求各自出资20亿至60亿美元，出资形式可以是援助或贷款。

乌克兰拟向盟友寻求200亿美元额外军援

2026年6月12日 18:53 / 联合早报

今年以来，俄罗斯在战场上的推进速度有所放缓，因为乌克兰的中程无人机袭击削弱了俄罗斯前线的物资供应和后勤保障。 （路透社）

一名乌克兰国防消息人士称，乌克兰将在下周的会议上向盟友寻求额外200亿美元（约260亿新元）的军事援助，以巩固目前在战场上对俄罗斯的优势。

路透社报道，乌克兰将于6月18日在乌克兰防务联络小组会议上提出这一请求。这个小组是由50多个国家组成的联盟，负责协调向基辅提供财政和军事援助。

消息人士说：“我们在战场上有6到9个月的有利时机，这需要资金加快到位。”

今年以来，俄罗斯在战场上的推进速度有所放缓，因为乌克兰的中程无人机袭击削弱了俄罗斯前线的物资供应和后勤保障。同时，乌克兰的远程无人机袭击正重创俄罗斯的能源部门。

普京上周说，俄军仍每日在战场上推进，俄罗斯经济没有风险，但他承认乌克兰的袭击造成了损失。

消息人士称，一些盟国被要求各自出资20亿至60亿美元，出资形式可以是援助或贷款。

China arrests U.S. researcher on suspicion of “espionage and endangering national security”

June 12, 2026 6:20 AM EDT / CBS/AFP

China has arrested an American citizen for alleged espionage, the country’s government confirmed Friday, identifying the man as a political analyst for a policy think tank focused on neighboring Myanmar.

U Min Zin, a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M), has faced “criminal compulsory measures,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said during a briefing on Friday.

Authorities are holding him on suspicion “of engaging in espionage and endangering China’s national security,” Lin said, without providing further details.

Police guarding a road in Qinyuan county, in China’s northern Shanxi province on May 24, 2026. GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty

The ISP-M says it researches political, resource and conflict dynamics in Myanmar, which was plunged into civil war by a 2021 military coup.

Some of the group’s publications detail Beijing’s influence in the region spanning the China-Myanmar border, where Beijing is accused of supporting armed factions that align with its national interests.

It is not clear if U Min Zin was conducting research at the time he was detained by Chinese authorities. His biography on the ISP-M website describes him as “a founding member and the Executive Director” of the think tank.

A person with professional ties to ISP-M, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, told the AFP news agency that U Min Zin was arrested on June 3 at Kunming airport in Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar.

“He went there to attend a meeting,” said another person with a close relationship to the detained academic, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Chinese authorities said the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou had been notified of the case.

“His family and colleagues are following up with the consulate office there,” the second source said. “I know his family is worried.”

Neither the U.S. State Department, nor the ISP-M, nor the Chinese Embassy in Washington immediately responded to CBS News requests for comment on the arrest.

“We are aware of reports regarding a U.S. citizen detained in China,” the State Department told the New York Times on Thursday. “Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained, we work to provide the appropriate consular assistance.”

“China is a country under the rule of law,” the Chinese Embassy in Washington told the newspaper. “All foreigners living and traveling in China must observe Chinese laws, and those who violate the law and commit crimes will be held legally accountable.”

U Min Zin (far right) is pictured at the Dissidents and Freedom forum at the Czech Foreign Ministry in Prague, in a March 5, 2008 file photo. MICHAL CIZEK/AFP/Getty

The ISP-M is based in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, a hub for political exiles from Myanmar since the coup ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Analysts, including those at the ISP-M, say China has intermittently backed both Myanmar’s ruling military, and the rebels that military is battling in the country’s civil war, depending on its varying economic and security interests.

The arrest took place only a few weeks after President Trump attended a summit in Beijing with China’s President Xi Jinping. Mr. Trump called it an “incredible visit” and said “a lot of good has come of it.”

Jane Fonda to host First Amendment celebration opposite Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 event

2026-06-12 10:07:12 / reuters.com

Jane Fonda poses on the red carpet during arrivals for the opening ceremony and the screening of the film “La Venus electrique” (The Electric Kiss) Out of competition, at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 12, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary
• Companies

• Fonda stages concert featuring celebrities advocating for free speech and democracy
• Fonda criticizes Trump administration for attacks on free speech and environmental rollbacks
• Actor-activist urges regulators to block Paramount Skydance merger over concerns about diversity and expression

LOS ANGELES, June 12 (Reuters) – As mixed martial arts fighters gather on ​Sunday on the South Lawn of the White House in a cage match to celebrate President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday — ‌a spectacle kicking off a series of events commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary — actor and activist Jane Fonda will sponsor entertainment of a different sort from New York City.

Fonda’s advocacy group, Committee for the First Amendment, will host a concert featuring actors, musicians and public figures appearing in support of free speech and democracy — principles ​that have come under attack during Trump’s presidency, according to Fonda.

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“This is our documentary moment,” Fonda told Reuters in an interview. “History ​is going to write about this, and I don’t want to be on the side of people who ⁠said, ‘Oh my God, things are so bad, what am I going to do?’ No. I want to be out in the front.”

The “Rise Up, ​Sing Out” concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) on Sunday, will include performances or appearances by Julia Roberts, Lily Gladstone, Bette Midler, Patti ​smith and Rufus Wainwright. The event takes place at The Town Hall, a century-old landmark founded by suffragists, and

will be available to watch via livestream, opens new tab.

DECADES OF ACTIVISM AND PROTEST

Fonda, 88, has a long history of activism, from working on behalf of Native Americans and the Black Panthers in the 1960s, to protesting the Vietnam ​War in the 1970s. She earned the nickname “Hanoi Jane” following a visit to North Vietnam in 1972, though she would later express regret for ​a photo of her sitting on an anti-aircraft gun, wearing a helmet.

In recent years, the Oscar-winning actor has been involved in climate activism and has been ‌arrested multiple ⁠times in connection with her “Fire Drill Fridays” protests in Washington, D.C. A new documentary, “Gaslit,” which premieres on Friday, follows Fonda on a road trip through Texas and Louisiana to expose the environmental and health impacts of oil and gas extraction.

“Whole communities have been razed because we insist on drilling for oil and fracked methane gas that we’re shipping around the world, that is killing people and nature and animals, and it’s got ​to stop,” said Fonda, who blames ​the Trump administration for weakening ⁠environmental regulations.

PARAMOUNT-WARNER BROS DEAL CRITICIZED

Fonda has also called on federal and state regulators to block the proposed $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance

(PSKY.O), opens new tab
and Warner Bros Discovery

(WBD.O), opens new tab
. Fonda said that though she personally likes Paramount Skydance CEO David ​Ellison, she is concerned about concessions he made to the Federal Communications Commission to win approval of ​Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount.

“The ⁠lifeblood of creativity is going out the window in order to satisfy these autocrats in the White House,” she said.

Ellison has said the combined Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery would invest in quality content, releasing 30 movies a year, something that will benefit Hollywood’s creative class.

In October, Fonda revived the Committee for ⁠the First ​Amendment in response to a perceived rise in authoritarian practices and attacks on free ​speech. It was a group her father, actor Henry Fonda, formed in 1947 when Hollywood figures were called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

“We are the storytellers, we ​are the artists,” Fonda said. “Without the First Amendment, we can’t exist.”

Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Edmund Lee and Matthew Lewis

War-wary Hill Republicans question Trump’s Iran strategy with control of Congress at stake

2026-06-12T09:00:08.514Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/12/politics/republicans-question-trump-iran-strategy

A growing number of congressional Republicans are publicly questioning President Trump’s shifting Iran war strategy as midterm elections approach and gas prices spike.

Some Republicans told CNN they want a clear exit strategy and fear economic fallout will cost them their majority in November.

Trump has backed a $350 billion reconciliation bill, despite widespread Republican discontentment about military strategy.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

A growing number of Hill Republicans say they are frustrated with President Donald Trump’s ever-changing strategy in Iran — dangling a ground invasion one day, touting progress in peace talks the next — in a conflict many fear will cost them their majority this fall.

Hours after Trump’s latest threat to seize a key Iranian oil hub, several key Republicans — from centrists to leadership allies to MAGA loyalists — told CNN on Thursday they were deeply uncomfortable with the president’s threat to deepen the conflict without a clear strategy. And with gas prices and inflation again spiking, they fear the war will become the defining issue of an already-tough midterm election.

“I think people are really feeling it,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican, said in an interview. “It’s not just gas prices, food prices, and other things, and I think there’s a level of frustration. … So I think the pressure is for the president to reach a peace solution and move on.”

“Get it done. Get out,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a centrist from New Jersey who stressed he supports the ultimate goal of defanging Iran’s nuclear powers. “We need an exit strategy.”

Angst over the war has been spiking for weeks among Hill Republicans. A growing chorus of lawmakers are now bluntly warning about the economic toll of the Iran war, fearing voter blowback over rising prices and calling for a swift end to the conflict. Trump’s main response so far has been a push to temporarily freeze the federal gas tax — a measure widely panned by Republicans who say it amounts to little savings back home. And they say the White House isn’t doing any favors with his recent anti-weaponization fund or ballroom security effort — not to mention his “I love the inflation” remarks just a day earlier.

“Makes absolutely no sense to me,” GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said of Trump’s remarks, voicing concern about the party’s midterm message heading into November. “The fact that we’re not talking about or focused on the things that most people care about at election time, kitchen table issues, I think, is a problem.”

It all amounts to a rising sense of unease among Hill Republicans, including party leaders, about how to navigate the politics of the war, spiking inflation and voter anger alongside a president who demands their full loyalty. On Iran, they’re also worried about how they can deliver Trump’s massive Pentagon funding request — as much as $350 billion, the president has suggested — sometime by August, amid widespread discontentment in their party over military strategy.

Several top lawmakers, including the House GOP’s top spending leader, Rep. Tom Cole, have complained that they’ve been in the dark about how much the war will cost. Others have lamented that Trump has yet to lay out a convincing case to the American public — or to them personally. And some, like Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, are not ruling out backing a vote to formally authorize the conflict, against party leaders’ wishes, to assert Congress’ authority in the monthslong war.

“I think we can lay out the case right, but we haven’t done a good job at it,” retiring Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said of the administration’s ability to make the case for the conflict.

If Trump does decide to escalate the war in Iran — after retracting threats of new strikes earlier Thursday — he will need to make a clearer case to some in his own party.

Congressional Republicans are broadly skeptical of any move to put US troops on the ground and prolong the war. That includes Trump’s threat earlier Thursday to seize Kharg Island, which drew sharp warnings from his party.

“I don’t support boots on the ground. I don’t think America has the stomach for that,” LaLota said, when asked about Trump’s call to seize that oil infrastructure hub.

Asked if he would want to formally authorize any US operation doing so, LaLota did not rule it out: “It’s interesting. I would like to take a look at that if such a proposal is made.”

Republican Sen. John Kennedy, a loyal Trump ally, offered similarly candid remarks on Thursday, saying he was “worried” about the president’s Kharg Island suggestion and offering a stark warning that “this is how it started in Vietnam” — all while pointing to the steep economic toll.

“I think the president has clearly decided to take the pain. I think he’s decided that long-term, the benefits of crippling Iran permanently, if possible, are worth the costs to our economy, to our inflation rate, and the world’s economy. I think he’s made that decision, and it has been painful,” Kennedy said, adding that he can’t say it’s “wrong” because he’s not in the classified briefings.

Even GOP lawmakers who strongly support the war have publicly and privately acknowledged their party has mishandled messaging around the issue.

“It needed to happen even if it costs us our majority. And it might,” one lawmaker told CNN, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the fraught politics of the war.

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor in Alabama, acknowledged that “everybody is having problems” with inflation.

“We do have to get it under control,” said Tuberville, who also stressed the party can’t make decisions based on potential political fallout. “We can’t worry about that. We’ve gotta worry about the world.”

Any political fallout, however, remains a concern for a number of Republicans, including Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who argued that “people often vote their pocketbook. … If people don’t feel secure financially, they oftentimes obviously respond by choosing somebody else.”

“There’s no question that history is against us. Inflation is as big an issue to voters as any other issue” — perhaps even over security issues, Cramer said. But he argued Democrats haven’t offered a better solution and suggested voters might have soured on both parties: “I don’t think people have a great deal of confidence in any of us right now, quite honestly.”

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who has backed Trump’s push for a gas tax holiday, said this week’s inflation numbers should be a “wake up call” for Republicans to take action on high prices.

“We need some relief, and Congress can deliver some relief,” he said, warning: “If Congress doesn’t deliver the relief, I think voters are not going to be pleased.”

CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, Dugald McConnell and Casey Riddle contributed to this report.