Trump confirms he canceled the attack on Iran 10 minutes before; UK temporarily suspends arms sales to Saudi Arabia

Trump confirms canceling Iran attack order 10 minutes in advance

US President Donald Trump. Photo:Reuters.

The US president called off a planned attack on Iran after being told the strike would kill many people. "On Monday they shot down one of our drones in international waters. We were locked and loaded and launched retaliatory strikes last night on three different Iranian sites," US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter today.

Trump said that after the attack plan was ready, he asked how many people would die and a general said 150. "I called a halt 10 minutes before the attack. That's not worth shooting down a drone," he explained his decision to call off the airstrike. The US president insisted that he was "in no rush" and that the US military was "rebuilt, renewed and ready" to remain "the most powerful force in the world."

Chinese President Xi Jinping concludes visit to North Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: THX/TTXVN

On June 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping left Pyongyang after concluding a two-day state visit to North Korea. According to China Central Television (CCTV), this is the first visit to North Korea by a top Chinese leader in 14 years.

During their talks in Pyongyang on June 20, the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral relations for regional peace and stability. They said this was in line with the common interests of the two countries and would benefit the peaceful and stable development of the region. President Xi Jinping reaffirmed Beijing's support for a "political solution" to the North Korean nuclear issue and pledged to play a "positive and constructive" role in the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.

UK suspends arms sales to Saudi Arabia and allies

The Court of Appeal in London has ruled that British arms sales to Saudi Arabia are likely to have been used in the conflict in Yemen and has ordered the British government to review its arms sales to the Middle Eastern country. The court said the British government had failed to assess whether Saudi Arabia and its allies had violated international human rights laws in the recent conflict in Yemen. Although the court's ruling does not force the British government to stop contracts with Saudi Arabia, the British government has decided to temporarily suspend signing new arms sales contracts to the Middle Eastern country.

Following the British government's decision, the US Senate has decided to block US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and many other Arab countries, even though this was authorized by US President Donald Trump.

British and Dutch airlines stop flying over Strait of Hormuz

A KLM Dutch airline plane. Photo: Aviation Tribune.

Dutch airline KLM announced on June 21 that it had suspended flights over the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shot down a US MQ-4C unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the strategic area. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also issued an emergency order, prohibiting US airlines from flying in Iranian-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Last month, the FAA advised airlines to exercise caution when flying over Iran and neighboring airspace due to increased military activity and political tensions.

British Airways said it would follow FAA guidance to avoid certain areas of Iranian airspace and use alternative routes to continue operations. "Our safety and security team is in constant contact with authorities around the world to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of every route we operate," a British Airways spokesperson said.

Iraq: Explosion at a mosque, nearly 30 casualties

Scene of the bombing. Photo: Alahednews

A bomb blast killed at least seven people and wounded 20 others at a Shi'ite mosque in eastern Baghdad on June 21. The blast occurred in the Baladiyat district. A police source said the perpetrator used a suicide vest or an improvised explosive device. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

India has a new minister to take care of "national affairs"

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind (second from right, back row), Indian Prime Minister (second from left, back) and Speaker of the National Assembly Om Birla (center) arrive at the Parliament headquarters in New Delhi on June 20. Photo: AFP

According to AFP, on June 20, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind announced to Parliament a new ministerial position called Minister of Water, specializing in solving the problem of water conservation and management. The new ministry was established in the context of India having to deal with a growing water crisis. More than 60% of India's 1.3 billion people depend on agriculture and weather.

Mr Kovind said traditional methods of water storage were disappearing as many ponds and lakes were filled to make way for houses and other structures. The loss of water supplies was making life more difficult for the poor. The Indian president said water scarcity was one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century and was bound to worsen due to climate change. Therefore, he said, creating a new ministry "is a decisive step in this trend and will have long-term benefits".

Malaysia determined to recover $65 million lost from 1MDB fund

1MDB investment fund billboard in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has filed a lawsuit against 41 individuals and entities to recover 270 million ringgit (65 million USD) related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. The lawsuit was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 19 under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activities Act 2001, MACC chief Latheefa Koya said.

The individuals and organizations mentioned above received money related to 1MDB from the personal account of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak - who is being investigated by Malaysian authorities for a series of corruption allegations as well as abuse of trust and position. The list includes officials and organizations of Mr. Najib's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party as well as a number of other parties with ties to UMNO and a number of businesses.