The US president abruptly ended a sit-down with Kristen Welker after the ‘Meet the Press’ host challenged his election-fraud claims

US President Donald Trump stormed out of an interview with ‘Meet the Press’ host Kristen Welker after a heated exchange over his election-fraud claims.

“You’re crooked, your press is crooked and ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked,” the visibly annoyed president said. Before ending the interview with the NBC News anchor on Saturday, Trump also slammed several other mainstream media outlets, including ABC, CBS, and CNN, describing them as “one-sided crooked networks.”

The interview took a tense turn after Trump alleged that the California primary elections earlier this week were marred by fraud. He cited the state’s protracted vote-counting process, suggesting that the vote was rigged to eliminate Republican contenders.

Unlike many other US states, California uses ‘jungle primaries,’ in which candidates from all parties compete on the same ballot to advance to the general election.

Welker said, “that’s how they count the votes in California,” adding that local officials have acknowledged that the process is slow. Trump fired back by accusing NBC and other media outlets of “playing right into their hands with this crap,” and telling Welker that she was “either crooked or you’re stupid.”

“Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” the president said, appearing to remove his microphone.

Welker’s attempts to talk Trump out of leaving proved futile, with the president grumbling: “I sat in the rain with you for an hour.”

“I’ve given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press, because you know what – a country can never be great with a dishonest press,” Trump said before walking off.

READ MORE: Pentagon bars journalists from press office

Trump has a history of contentious relations with the press, often derogatory epithets when referring to journalists. Aside from liberal-leaning mainstream media outlets, the president has recently lashed out at conservative media figures, including prominent podcaster Tucker Carlson, who has criticized Trump’s war against Iran.

Donald Trump has reportedly warned Benjamin Netanyahu that he “could be left alone” if tensions escalate into a full scale war

Israel and Iran have halted tit-for-tat strikes after the worst escalation in tensions since the April ceasefire. Both sides, however, have warned that attacks could quickly resume, with Tehran saying its operations will restart if the IDF continues its attacks. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the Jewish state carried out “historic strikes to prevent a nuclear attack” and that “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” threatening to renew strikes if Iran “attacks once more.”

US President Donald Trump, who earlier said both sides “had their fun” and should stop, told Israel’s Channel 12 that he warned Netanyahu he “could be left alone against Iran very soon” if the confrontation spirals into a full scale war, and claimed he persuaded Israel to scale back its operation. 

Tehran has accused the US of bearing “direct responsibility” for Israeli ceasefire violations after the IDF launched intensive airstrikes on what it said were Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Sunday. 

Iran responded with a wave of retaliatory strikes on Israel, triggering further Israeli attacks on targets across the Islamic Republic, including reported explosions in Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Karaj, as well as at the Karun Petrochemical Company in the Mahshahr Special Economic Zone.

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Here are the key developments:

• Israel’s latest strikes on Iran wounded 15 people, Iranian emergency services chief Jafar Miadfar has been quoted as saying. 

• An RT crew reporting from the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon said Israeli strikes have continued despite the ceasefire, hitting residential buildings and making it “very dangerous for anyone to move around these areas.”

• Yemen’s Houthis have reinstated a ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, warning any Israeli linked vessel will be treated as a military target.

• The death toll from Israel’s offensive on Gaza has exceeded 72,980, with 173,171 people injured since October 2023, according to the Palestinian enclave’s Health Ministry.

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Oak processionary moth caterpillars can trigger rashes, respiratory problems and, in rare cases, allergic shock

An insect infestation is spreading across Berlin, forcing closures and health warnings in parks, sports grounds, and residential areas, German media has reported. The culprit is the oak processionary moth caterpillar, a tree-killing pest covered in toxic stinging hairs.

The insect, scientifically known as Thaumetopoea processionea, is a moth species whose caterpillars emerge between May and July. While the moth itself is harmless, the caterpillars develop hundreds of thousands of microscopic toxic hairs that can travel up to 200 meters on the wind and cause rashes, eye irritation, and respiratory problems. In severe cases, exposure can trigger allergic reactions and even anaphylactic shock.

The infestation has been spreading across Berlin for years, but officials say several districts are seeing a sharp rise in affected trees this summer. According to Bild, authorities and park operators have issued warnings across Berlin and Potsdam, closing off infested areas and temporarily shutting parks, sports facilities, and pedestrian routes.

The hardest-hit areas are Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Treptow-Köpenick, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, and Spandau, which contain many of Berlin’s oak-lined streets and parks.

According to B.Z. daily, the caterpillars have also spread throughout a Jungfernheide housing estate of more than 11,000 residents, infesting everything from facades and cars to door frames, railings, and light fixtures.

Local politicians have criticized what they describe as poor coordination between authorities. Health agencies have limited powers to intervene because the caterpillars are classified as an allergen rather than a public-health pest, while plant protection rules restrict the use of certain biocides.

Critics are calling for a coordinated response from district authorities, the Berlin Senate, and housing companies, including earlier treatment of oak trees and more aggressive nest removal. F rustrated residents have also launched a petition demanding a binding protection plan for Jungfernheide, which has already attracted more than 4,500 signatures.

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Last year, Berlin’s Senate Department for the Environment recorded 5,032 infested oak trees at 881 locations across the city. Experts predict that the outbreak will worsen as warm, dry weather favors the caterpillars’ spread, with forecasters expecting hotter and drier-than-average conditions across Germany and Central Europe this summer.

The pest is not confined to Germany. The oak processionary moth is established across much of Europe and has been recorded from the Netherlands and France to Denmark and the Mediterranean. It was accidentally introduced to the UK in 2006 and is now established in Greater London and parts of southeast England, prompting a government warning on Saturday urging the public not to touch the insects or their nests.

The US secretary of war’s remarks come as Brussels prepares to roll out its most ambitious migration reforms in years

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used a D-Day ceremony in Normandy to warn that Europe is under a new form of “invasion,” urging EU leaders to confront migration before it’s too late.

Speaking on the anniversary of the June 6, 1944 Allied landings in France, Hegseth said, “different European beaches are stormed by different, dangerous ideologies” in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria, where “boats and men arrive.”

“When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not,” he added.

D-Day marks the beginning of the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi rule. The troops who landed on Normandy’s beaches were not invading Europe in the sense used by modern immigration critics; they arrived to free territories occupied by Nazi Germany.

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Hegseth’s remarks echo a broader narrative in the Trump administration linking migration to cultural change, security risks, and the erosion of national identity. The administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy warned that Europe faces “civilizational erasure” driven by migration.

US President Donald Trump has pursued a tough immigration agenda at home, expanding deportation efforts and high-profile ICE operations. Critics have raised concerns over due process and the treatment of migrant communities.

Hegseth’s comments come as the EU prepares to implement its most ambitious migration overhaul in years. On June 1, EU lawmakers and member-state representatives agreed in principle on new rules aimed at speeding up the deportation of rejected asylum seekers. The measures are designed to complement the Migration and Asylum Pact, which reforms asylum processing, border screening, and responsibility-sharing among member states.

EU institutions and migration experts estimate that only 20-30% of people ordered to leave the bloc actually do. The European Commission says immigration is needed to address labor shortages, with the EU workforce shrinking by around 1 million people a year.

READ MORE: Over 500,000 waiting to cross into Europe from Libya – Greek migration minister

The EU’s migrant population reached a record 64.2 million in 2025, including 46.7 million people born outside the bloc, according to a recent Berlin-based study using Eurostat and UN data.

Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris warned last month that the EU could be on the verge of a new migrant crisis, with more than half a million people waiting in Libya alone to cross into Europe.

The gaffe-prone former foreign minister has been blamed for Berlin’s failure to win a rotating seat on the UN Security Council

German lawmakers want former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock questioned over Berlin’s failure to secure a seat on the UN Security Council, Bild reports. According to the outlet, the ruling CDU/CSU alliance blames the former top diplomat for the setback and wants her summoned before the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

Germany failed to win a non-permanent seat on the UNSC – the UN’s most powerful body, with authority to adopt legally binding resolutions and sanctions – for the first time in modern history on Wednesday, losing out to Portugal and Austria. Germany won all six previous contests it entered since 1977, but this time received only 104 votes, well short of the required two-thirds majority.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the result as a “bitter defeat,” but insisted he “did not personally blame himself,” arguing that Germany entered the race too late. According to Bild, lawmakers are placing the blame on Wadephul’s predecessor, Baerbock, who served from 2021-25.

“We must thoroughly investigate the causes of this embarrassing electoral defeat,” Stephan Mayer, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the outlet. “[It is] absolutely essential that Annalena Baerbock answer questions before the Bundestag [to explain] how, when, and what exactly her ministry did to mobilize support for Germany’s bid.”

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Hesse’s Minister for International Affairs, Manfred Pentz, also pointed the finger at Baerbock.

“You cannot blame [Chancellor] Friedrich Merz and Johann Wadephul for this electoral defeat. Annalena Baerbock messed it up during her time as foreign minister,” he stated.

Baerbock’s tenure as Germany’s top diplomat drew frequent criticism for a lack of diplomatic pragmatism, an inconsistent agenda, and high-profile verbal blunders.

During her time in office, she said she would support Ukraine “irrespective of what my voters think,” declared the EU to be “fighting a war against Russia,” and described Israeli strikes on Palestinian schools as “self-defense.” She also made several awkward historical, geographical, and mathematical slip-ups, including promising a “360-degree foreign policy.”

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Despite the gaffes, Baerbock was appointed president of the UN General Assembly after leaving the Foreign Ministry – a largely ceremonial but prestigious UN post.

Munich Security Conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger suggested that Germany’s defeat this week may have partly been retaliation for how Baerbock “snatched” the role, which he told WELT TV had “not exactly generated new sympathy for Germany” among UN ambassadors.

A diplomatic source told Bild that Baerbock is widely unpopular in the General Assembly for being “too focused on Germany… selfies and herself.”

READ MORE: If only there was a German word for Berlin’s UN humiliation

Botswana’s former president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, also told the outlet that Germany could have secured more support from African countries in the Security Council vote had Baerbock not treated African partners in a “condescending and disrespectful” manner. He cited diplomatic disputes over infrastructure projects during her tenure as foreign minister.

The effort comes in response to delimitation talks between Japan and the Philippines, which Beijing considers illegal

China has launched a ‘special maritime law enforcement operation’ east of Taiwan in response to the announcement of maritime border talks in the area by Japan and the Philippines. China – which views the self-ruled island as its own sovereign territory – protested the negotiations, saying they infringe on its sovereignty.

The effort was launched on Saturday by China’s Ministry of Transport in coordination with the local authorities, according to Xinhua. The operation is aimed at fully exercising China’s maritime administrative law enforcement jurisdiction and safeguarding national rights and interests, the report said.

The operation follows a May 28 summit in Tokyo in which Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a joint statement announcing the start of maritime delimitation talks on their respective exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning denounced the announcement, saying the waters Japan and the Philippines intend to delimit lie east of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as an exclusive economic zone.

“Any negotiations involving maritime delimitation in waters east of Taiwan must involve China,” Mao said, adding that Japan and the Philippines violated international law by bypassing Beijing.

Taiwan has also sounded the alarm over the imminent talks, urging Tokyo and Manila to consult with it, as the area likely to be subject to negotiations overlaps with waters in which the island claims “rights and interests.”

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said, however, that any agreement reached between Japan and the Philippines “would not be legally binding on any third party.”

Taiwan’s coast guard said it deployed at least five vessels “to respond appropriately” to the Chinese operation, which it said violates international law, and monitored four Chinese government vessels departing from the Port of Xiamen on the mainland.

China regards Taiwan as its own territory, and President Xi Jinping has refused to rule out the use of force to achieve reunification.

Tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan have simmered since November 2025, when Prime Minister Takaichi warned that a Chinese attempt to take over the island could be grounds for a military intervention. China subsequently accused Takaichi of being the first Japanese prime minister to explicitly frame a Taiwan scenario as a “survival-threatening situation,” adding that the narrative has historically served as “a go-to tactic for Japanese militarism to launch aggression.”

Police said at least 12 people were wounded in Toledo, Ohio, with the suspected gunmen still at large

At least 12 people have been wounded in a shooting near a street festival in Toledo, Ohio, with videos from the scene showing crowds fleeing in panic as police launched a manhunt for the suspects.

The incident occurred near the Old West End Festival in Toledo on Saturday. Officers responded to reports of a shooting at around 5:37 PM local time near the event and found multiple gunshot victims upon arrival, according to the Toledo Police Department.

“Many victims have been transported to nearby medical facilities for treatment,” police said, adding that the search for the suspect or suspects is ongoing. Police later said at least 12 people were injured, including two who were in critical condition. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 61, according to media reports.

Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said it appeared that at least two people were firing weapons and were “probably shooting at each other.”

In a video posted online, multiple shots are heard as people flee the area in panic.

Breaking: Shots fired at Old West End Festival in Toledo, Ohio. pic.twitter.com/STA5NImQG3

— Wolverine Update (@W0lverineupdate) June 6, 2026

Witnesses described scenes of chaos as festival-goers dived for cover. Kevin Berry, a Navy veteran with medical training who was at the scene when the shooting occurred, said, “everybody hit the deck” as gunfire erupted. He told AP he saw at least five wounded people “spread out around the arboretum area.”

🚨#BREAKING: MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SHOT AT THE OLD WEST END FESTIVAL IN TOLEDO OHIO.

ABSOLUTE PANIC AS PEOPLE RUSHED FOR COVER, POLICE ARE ON SCENE, MEDICS ARE ATTENDING THE WOUNDED.

SH00TER IS STILL ON THE LOOSE!!!!

WE DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/D4cmSQgctU

— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) June 7, 2026

Police, who were already present at the festival, responded immediately, according to officials. The authorities urged the public to avoid the area as officers continued searching for the suspects and investigators worked to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he is “deeply concerned” by the incident, adding that “summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence.”

The Old West End Festival is a two-day celebration held in Toledo’s historic district. This year’s event, the 53rd annual edition, was scheduled for June 6-7 and featured live music, food markets, a beer garden, home tours, shopping, and the King Wamba Carnival Parade.

Tehran is demanding access to its funds as part of a lasting peace deal with Washington

The Trump administration is seeking to redirect frozen Iranian assets toward rebuilding energy and other infrastructure damaged by Tehran’s retaliatory strikes in Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases, Bloomberg and CBS News report.

The Treasury Department plans to use “all available authorities” to make Iranian assets accessible for rebuilding and repair efforts linked to any future damage caused by Iran, CBS reported on Saturday, citing a source familiar with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s thinking.

Bloomberg reported that Bessent directed Treasury officials to assess conditions among US allies in the Persian Gulf and request comprehensive estimates for damage inflicted since the start of the conflict. The outlet said the department will also consider whether Iranian assets could be used to cover “past damage” blamed on Iranian-backed groups.

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The initiative comes as indirect talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled over Iran’s demand for access to frozen funds. Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Friday that a deal hinges on the release of $24 billion in Iranian assets.

“This is our own money, not America’s money,” Rezaei told CNN, calling the demand a test of trust for US President Donald Trump.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Mehr News Agency that Tehran wants at least $12 billion released immediately upon the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the US, while the remainder should be released within “not more than one or two months.”

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Since the US and Israel launched an attack against Iran on February 28, the sides have largely refrained from directly targeting oil and gas infrastructure. In mid-March, however, Israel hit the world’s largest natural gas field in South Pars, knocking out 12% of Iran’s gas production.

Tehran declared that energy infrastructure in Gulf Arab states hosting US forces has become “direct and legitimate targets.”

Energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain have all sustained damage in tit-for-tat strikes, before a Pakistani-brokered ceasefire took effect in April.

The US reportedly promised to unblock some Iranian assets to bring Tehran to the negotiating table in Islamabad, although it has publicly called the demand unacceptable. Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor, Barack Obama, for allegedly sending Iran billions of dollars in “pallets of cash” under the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump unilaterally withdrew from during his first term.

This comes amid growing tensions between the US and Israel over the conflicts in the Middle East

The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has elevated the threat posed by Israeli espionage to the highest level as tensions over Iran and Lebanon grow, NBC News and the New York Times reported on Saturday.

The assessment, which was circulated internally in recent weeks, includes a seven-page document and a chart rating Israel’s human and technical intelligence-gathering capabilities as “critical,” according to NBC.

The officials targeted included President Donald Trump’s top negotiator in talks with Iran, Steve Witkoff, the Pentagon’s top policy official Elbridge Colby, and one of his main deputies, Michael DiMino, according to the NYT.

US counterintelligence officials are increasingly concerned about Israeli spying activities targeting the US, including efforts to gain insight into the Trump administration’s deliberations on Iran and Lebanon, both NBC and the NYT wrote, citing sources. The assessment also reportedly cites several specific incidents, although the sources declined to identify them.

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The aggressiveness with which Israeli spy services have surveilled top US officials since the start of Trump’s second term has been “unhinged,” the NYT cited a senior official as saying.

While espionage between allies is common, the report said Israel’s recent activities have gone beyond what would normally be expected, leading to the heightened threat assessment.

The Pentagon declined to comment. A White House official told NBC that the “entire story is false,” while a spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington dismissed the report as “politically motivated” and insisted that Israeli intelligence efforts “are aimed at its enemies, not its allies.”

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This comes amid growing friction between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran and Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.

Despite the fragile US-Iran ceasefire reached in early April and extended on May 8, negotiations on a broader deal remain deadlocked over Iran’s nuclear program, with Israel publicly questioning Trump’s diplomatic push and Netanyahu advocating renewed military action.

At the same time, Israel has intensified operations in Lebanon, where it launched a military operation in March against the Iranian-aligned Hezbollah movement. Earlier this week, Trump acknowledged reports that he called Netanyahu “f**king crazy” during a heated phone conversation over Israel’s actions in Lebanon.

“I did,” Trump said when asked about the exchange on the New York Post’s ‘Pod Force One’ podcast. “I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon.”

Previous reports suggest that Trump accused Netanyahu of jeopardizing US negotiations with Iran by continuing the operation in Lebanon.

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Trump said on Monday that both the Israeli leader and Hezbollah had agreed to a truce, and the US State Department announced on Wednesday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to implement a ceasefire contingent on “a complete cessation” of Hezbollah attacks and the withdrawal of fighters from the South Litani Sector.

Despite the announcements, hostilities continued this week, with Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon killing and injuring dozens of civilians on Thursday, according to Lebanese health authorities. Iran previously said it would not agree to a permanent settlement with the US unless the deal also addresses Lebanon, and warned it would abandon negotiations if Israeli strikes continue.