DOVER, March 19 — US President Donald Trump attended the repatriation of six crew members who were killed when a refuelling aircraft crashed during the Iran conflict yesterday.
DOVER, March 19 — US President Donald Trump attended the repatriation of six crew members who were killed when a refuelling aircraft crashed during the Iran conflict yesterday.
It marked his second visit to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware since the war began, where the remains of fallen US service members are brought back to the country.
The KC-135 aircraft went down in western Iraq last week, raising the death toll of US personnel involved in the joint US-Israeli operation to at least 13. Another aircraft damaged in the incident managed to land safely.
“Their courage will never be forgotten,” the White House said on X after the closed-door ceremony, which was held at the families’ request.
Trump, dressed in a black overcoat, saluted as flag-draped coffins were carried off a transport plane, according to images released by the White House.
He was accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior military official Dan Caine, and did not speak to reporters.
Earlier, on March 7, Trump attended a similar transfer ceremony for six troops killed in a drone strike on a key US command centre in Kuwait during the early stages of the conflict.
Such “dignified transfers” are among the most solemn responsibilities of a US president.
However, Trump had previously drawn criticism, including from members of his own party, for wearing a white “USA” baseball cap during the earlier ceremony. The White House dismissed the backlash, accusing critics of politicising the occasion.
The conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, with Trump sending mixed signals on the objectives and duration of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
In response, Tehran has launched missile and drone attacks on several Gulf nations and has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, driving global oil prices higher. — AFP
BANGKOK, April 24 — Thailand’s Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a petition accusing 44 current and former opposition lawmakers of ethics violations over their 2021 move to amend a law protecting the monarchy from criticism, according to Thai media reports.
PUTRAJAYA, April 24 — The Court of Appeal today dismissed Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura’s appeal against a High Court ruling ordering her to pay RM825,000 in damages and costs for defaming three DAP leaders by linking them to former Communist Party of Malaya leader Chin Peng.
THE HAGUE, April 23 — Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his controversial “war on drugs.”