As the Iran war enters second week, will the media be kinder to Trump?
The Straits Times
As the Iran war enters its second week, will the media be kinder to Trump? A look at his relationship with the press. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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HOUSTON - For millions of Americans, the tragedy of the Iran war hit home on Saturday afternoon as the coffins of six servicemen were received by President Donald Trump at an air force base in Delaware.
The solemn, toned-down coverage at one of the most sensitive moments of war – when the caskets come home – was not shown on TV channels.
There were no speeches, bagpipes or eulogies in the silent footage released by the White House of the 30-minute ritual. There were no images of grief-stricken family members of the fallen soldiers who were killed when an Iranian drone hit the US command centre in Kuwait.
The coverage was in keeping with US policy since 1991 that bars the spectacle of flag-draped caskets being broadcast live. The idea is both to let families mourn in privacy and to prevent the politicisation of the images – a legacy of the Vietnam War era, when uncensored photos fuelled anti-war sentiment.
During the Iraq war (2003-2011), then President George W. Bush stayed away from the arrival of dead soldiers, saying his presence would be a distraction for grieving families.
WASHINGTON, March 17 - President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States had been informed by most of its NATO allies that they did not want to get involved with the country's military operation in Iran, a move he described as a \"very foolish mistake\". Read more at straitstimes.com.
ROME, March 17 - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has turned to an unlikely platform in her push for a 'yes' vote in next week's justice referendum, joining an irreverent podcast hosted by a popular rapper in a bid to reach younger voters. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The seized tankers, Asphalt Star, Al Jafzia and Stellar Ruby, are currently docked off Mumbai. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PARIS, March 17 - President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday France would never take part in operations to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, pushing back on comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that Paris was willing to help. Read more at straitstimes.com.
ANKARA, March 17 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that Turkey is ready to host the next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, during a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, Turkey's foreign ministry said. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BERLIN, March 17 - More than 36,000 Palestinians in the West Bank were forcibly displaced over a year by Israeli settlement expansion and associated violence, the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Hungary was blocking a loan to Ukraine over the pipeline outage, which was caused by a Russian attack. Read more at straitstimes.com.
SARAJEVO, March 17 - Slovenia's prime minister on Tuesday accused \"foreign services\" of interfering in Sunday's election after a report alleged officials from Israeli private spy firm Black Cube visited the country in December and met the main opposition contender. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Trump cited the Iran war for the delay, a reason analysts said Beijing can accept publicly, even if scepticism remains. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Mr Kent said in a statement on X that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BRUSSELS, March 17 - A Brussels court on Tuesday ordered a former high-profile Belgian diplomat to stand trial over the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of Congo, in a final attempt to shed light on the still murky circumstances surrounding his murder. Read more at straitstimes.com.
AMSTERDAM, March 17 - The Netherlands is investigating whether Iran was involved in the attack on a Rotterdam synagogue on Friday, Justice Minister David van Weel has said, adding that the suspects apprehended for the attack had most likely been recruited. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MOSCOW, March 17 - Russia said it had unwavering solidarity with Cuba on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected to have the honour of \"taking Cuba\" and that \"I can do anything I want\" with the Communist-run island republic. Read more at straitstimes.com.