TV News LIES

President Trump unveiled the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One plane on Friday, saying it will fly “further and faster” than any other model of presidential plane.

Trump toured the renovated Boeing jet at Joint Base Andrews in  Maryland.

“There will never be one like this. This is very unique. This is considered the world’s most luxurious plane,” the president said. “When it was built, it was built at a level that will probably never be seen again.”

The plane features a new color scheme — red, white, gold and navy blue, a change from the two-toned lighter blues. It features the presidential seal on the left side and has a massive waving American flag on its tail.

The aircraft, designated by the Air Force as VC-25B, is expected to be a “bridge” aircraft in use between the aging Boeing 747-200s that have been used for more than two decades and the two new Boeing planes that were expected in 2024 but won’t be ready until 2028.

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Imperial Germany famously signed a treaty under humiliating terms to end WWI at Versailles, codifying a surrender despite the fact that the war was overwhelmingly fought beyond its borders.

Likewise, Iran never got close to US shores during the war, and did not need to. 

Its missile and drone attacks depleted the US’s stockpile of air defence interceptors to dangerous levels, while its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz drained Washington’s strategic oil reserve to a forty-year low and starved the global economy of fossil fuels.

The world was facing an “economic catastrophe”, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday. The US president ended up signing a deal with Iran, at the same French palace where Germany and its foes ended WWI.

The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran ushers in 60 days of negotiations to reach a permanent end to the war started by the US and Israel. In Washington, both supporters and opponents have called the deal a debacle - even if they agree with ending the war on the MoU’s terms.

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The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has denounced the “unlawful and illegitimate” Israeli seizure of its property in occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Patriarchate said that it "expressed grave concern over the Israeli raid and land grab targeting its Church property in Silwan".

During the operation, which took place on Monday, “the Patriarchate’s representative was forcibly removed, his equipment was confiscated, trees were uprooted, and the property was enclosed with fencing and gates”.

It said that the disputed land, which is adjacent to the Monastery of St Onuphrius, is registered under its ownership, and warned that this seizure “sets a dangerous precedent for Church rights in Jerusalem”.

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An influenza outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 150 recruits in training at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas.

The outbreak comes just weeks after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers.

“We’re seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our war fighting capabilities,” said Hegseth in an April social media video. “In this case that includes the universal flu vaccine and the mandate behind it.

“Your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable,” said Hegseth.

At least 159 recruits have fallen ill, according to the New York Times and ABC News. After Hegseth made influenza shots optional, only about 40% of recruits opted to get vaccinated, air force officials told the New York Times.

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The Barack Obama presidential center opened in Chicago on Thursday after more than a decade in the making amid a musical fanfare and paeans to democratic principles that evoked a previous age, all while delivering an implied rebuke to Donald Trump.

Featuring appearances by a cast of musical stars and retired politicians from a less polarised era, it was a seemingly perfect antidote to the crass spectacle of cage fights on the White House lawn.

Without naming the current White House occupant, Barack and Michelle Obama launched full-frontal attacks on Trump’s auIt was the former first lady who aimed the sharpest barbs at Trump – four days after an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor called her “a man” during a bout held at the White House last Sunday to mark the US’s 250th anniversary.

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels was defined by a “window of opportunity” for Ukraine, pointing to a new wave of concrete pledges of military assistance from allied countries.

According to Ukrinform, several allies – including Germany, the Netherlands, Latvia, Norway, Lithuania, Denmark, Luxembourg, Croatia, Sweden and Iceland – have now committed hundreds of millions of dollars into the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program, which finances purchases of US-made military equipment for Ukraine.

“Window of opportunity – I think this is the main topic today,” Rutte said, adding that additional “assistance focused on Ukraine’s priorities will help increase pressure on Russia and force them to sit down at the negotiating table and eventually join serious negotiations to stop this terrible war.”

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Iran has announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz in two months, after the 60-day period of negotiation that has been triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding.

Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the strait would not be welcome. The US on Thursday lifted its blockade of Iran, and oil tankers began freely moving through the critical channel.

Ahronoth reported that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had said Israel “will maintain the security zone in south Lebanon as long as our security needs require it”, referring to the more than 600 sq km of Lebanese territory occupied by Israeli troops along the border.

On Iran, Netanyahu stated that Israel would continue to “adhere to the supreme objective” of not allowing Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.

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On Thursday, New York City fans came out in droves to celebrate the New York Knicks' first NBA championship win since 1973. The ticker tape parade started in Battery Park, traveled down Manhattan's famed "Canyon of Heroes," and ended at City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave a speech praising the Knicks team.

Rick Brunson and Jalen Brunson of The New York Knicks celebrate winning the 2026 NBA Championship with a ticker tape parade at City Hall.
Elias Wlliams for NPR

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrates the New York Knicks winning the 2026 NBA Championship during a ticker tape parade at City Hall

Jose Alvarado of The New York Knicks celebrates winning the 2026 NBA Championship during a ticker tape parade at City Hall.

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