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Tehran CNN  —  The prospect of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program is “meaningless” unless Israel stops striking her country, Iran’s government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told CNN Saturday at her office in northern Tehran. The streets were fairly quiet in the Iranian capital, usually a bustling metropolis of over 9 million people. Over the past few days, traffic has increased as more Iranians return to the city after fleeing Israel’s bombing during earlier days of the conflict. Despite being the voice of a government exchanging blows with a nuclear power (and waiting on whether to expect fire from the United States),…

Taipei, Taiwan CNN  —  A draft-dodging scandal in Taiwan allegedly involving a number of actors, influencers, and musicians has cast an unflattering spotlight on the conscript and reservist forces which could one day stand between the island and a possible invasion by China. Taiwan’s military service regime, which runs alongside its conventional military, faces accusations of failing to prepare conscripts for an actual war – an alarming situation against a drumbeat of threats from its giant neighbor. On Monday, authorities indicted 28 defendants. Prosecutors allege that, between 2016 and early this year, a four-person ring helped 24 healthy men dodge…

European governments may be reconsidering their use of American technology and services, according to a new report in The New York Times. The flashpoint seems to come after President Donald Trump sanctioned Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, over the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. In response, Microsoft turned off Khan’s email address. Casper Klynge, a former diplomat who has also worked for Microsoft, told the NYT that Microsoft’s action became “the smoking gun that many Europeans had been looking for,” pushing them…

CNN  —  People trying to call friends and loved ones inside Iran have instead been met with strange, pre-recorded voice messages, which some experts believe may be part of the regime’s wider internet blackout. In a recording of a telephone call heard by CNN, a person outside of Iran hoping to hear their friend’s voice on the other line, was instead met with a robotic voice. “Hello, and thank you for taking the time to listen,” the voice says. “Life is full of unexpected surprises,” it continues, “and these surprises can sometimes bring joy while, at other times, they challenge…

Multiple major U.S. airlines are suspending flights to parts of the Middle East as tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, leaving travelers and officials alike adjusting to rapidly changing conditions in the region. United Airlines has temporarily suspended its nonstop service between Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Dubai. The airline cited “conflict in the region” as the reason for the pause, but has not provided a timeline for when flights may resume. Newark is United’s only hub with direct service to Dubai. American Airlines is also temporarily halting its route between Philadelphia International Airport and Doha, Qatar. A…

Time is almost up! Regular bird pricing for TechCrunch All Stage ends this Sunday, June 22, at 11:59 p.m. PT. That means you have just 2 days left to lock in savings of up to $210 on your ticket to one of the ultimate founder events of the summer. TC All Stage lands in Boston at SoWa Power Station on July 15 for one action-packed day built for founders, investors, and startup operators who want more than surface-level inspiration. Expect tactical sessions, real conversations, and curated connections — all under one roof. If you’re a founder, investor, or startup operator,…

AP  —  Belarus has freed Sergey Tikhanovsky, a key dissident figure and the husband of exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, following a rare visit by a senior US official, Tikhanovskaya’s team announced on Saturday. Tikhanovsky, a popular blogger and activist who was jailed in 2020, arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, alongside 13 other political prisoners, his wife’s team said. The release came just hours after Belarusian authorities announced that authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko met with US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, in Minsk. A video published on his wife’s official Telegram account showed Tikhanovsky disembarking a white minibus,…

MILAN (AP) — Giorgio Armani’s admiration for other cultures and global aesthetic was on full display at his latest Emporio Armani show, but the designer himself was notably absent. Armani, 90, skipped the customary bow at the Emporio Armani menswear preview for Spring-Summer 2026 during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday, as he recovers at home. His fashion house confirmed his convalescence in advance but did not provide details about his condition.Despite his absence, Armani was deeply involved in shaping the collection, his fashion house said, working closely with Leo Dell’Orco, his longtime menswear director, who took the final bow. Normally,…

Welcome back to Week in Review! Lots in store for you today, including Wix’s latest acquisition, Meta’s new smart glasses, a look at the new Digg, and much more. Have a great weekend! Smart specs: Meta and Oakley have teamed up on a new pair of smart glasses that can record 3K video, play music, handle calls, and respond to Meta AI prompts. They start at $399 and have double the battery life of Meta’s Ray-Bans. A $499 limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN model will be available starting July 11. Unicorn watch: Wix bought 6-month-old solo startup Base44 for $80 million…

NEWARK, N.J. —After more than three months in ICE detention, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil returned to the New York area where his harrowing ordeal first began. Immigration authorities had arrested Khalil, 30, in March at the university housing complex where he lived in New York City. He was quickly transported thousands of miles away to a detention center in Louisiana, where he spent the last few months.Khalil remained defiant as he spoke to reporters and supporters on Saturday afternoon upon his arrival at Newark International Airport. “Your messages have kept me going. Still the fight is far from over,…