Trump Says Musk Will Face ‘Very Serious Consequences’ If He Funds Democratic Candidates

 President Donald Trump points as he arrives on Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)
President Donald Trump points as he arrives on Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)
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Trump Says Musk Will Face ‘Very Serious Consequences’ If He Funds Democratic Candidates

 President Donald Trump points as he arrives on Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)
President Donald Trump points as he arrives on Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP)

US President Donald Trump, in an interview with NBC News on Saturday, said there would be "serious consequences" if billionaire Elon Musk funds Democratic Party candidates to run against Republicans who vote for Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill.

Trump declined to say what those consequences would be in the phone interview, and went on to add that he had not had discussions about whether to investigate Musk.

Asked if he thought his relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was over, Trump said, "I would assume so, yeah."



Trump Says US Still Has 'One or Two Targets' in Iran

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP
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Trump Says US Still Has 'One or Two Targets' in Iran

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran's military but still has to "take care of" one or two targets, as Tehran warned of reprisals if attacked.

Trump maintained that negotiations with Iran to end the war, which was started by the United States and Israel in February, were "going fine but you know they're not very reliable."

According to AFP, the Republican president said the United States is not in a hurry to take offensive action because it had already decimated Iran's military and nuclear program.

"We've knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes," Trump told reporters at his Florida residence.

"You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, and you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quickly," he added, referring to a suspected underground nuclear complex.

The Iranian government denied any nuclear work is carried out there.

Earlier Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump has not made a decision about fresh strikes on Iran and that the United States would be open to a diplomatic solution.

Iran's supreme leader on Saturday warned the United States and Israel against launching a new offensive, following threats they could resume strikes after crucial elections in both countries.

Trump had previously warned an attack could come after the US midterms this week, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a "historic, one-time opportunity" to topple the Iranian government.

The elections in both countries could determine the direction of the conflict, with Israel having voted in a general election on Tuesday but yet to form a new government.

"Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response," Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei told top military commanders, according to a statement.

Khamenei also ordered commanders to update Iran's target list to include "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy".

This was the first reported meeting between Khamenei and military top brass.

The supreme leader has not been seen publicly since before he took the helm in March, after the killing of his father Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Rubio warned that "we can achieve military objectives if we seek to", adding that Trump had not made a decision on any fresh strikes.

Since the recent outbreak of the war, Tehran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption.

Iran has previously warned it would also consider severing undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz.

Fresh diplomatic efforts are underway to avert any resumption of fighting.

Qatari mediators landed in Tehran on Friday, and US Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei.

"I read the letter," said Rezaei, head of Iran's supreme national security council, in a video broadcast on Iranian television.

"I haven't yet responded. Their tone has completely changed," he added, describing that as "a good sign" without going into more detail.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were currently no plans for meetings with US officials.

Rezaei insisted Iran would continue to blockade the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions, including releasing frozen assets, were met.

Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating between the warring parties, but the talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement.

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said any resumption of hostilities would only expand the scope of the war.

"The flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area," he said on social media.

Araghchi warned on X that there would no longer be any "red lines".


FBI Accuses NKorea of Standing Behind $6 Billion Crypto Theft from Binance

A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)
A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)
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FBI Accuses NKorea of Standing Behind $6 Billion Crypto Theft from Binance

A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)
A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)

The FBI on Saturday accused North Korea of stealing more than $6 billion in virtual assets from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance in what is thought to be the biggest-ever crypto heist.

Malicious actors from North Korea were observed laundering the stolen assets by ⁠converting them into ethereum, said the FBI, adding that ⁠it expects “further laundering stages” for the stolen ⁠digital assets.

The US law enforcement agency's statement came as Binance offered reassurances it was covering the losses from the hacking attack, saying it has used company funds to buy tokens to replenish 90% of what was stolen.

Binance is the world's largest crypto exchange by daily trading volumes.

News of the cyberattack caused the prices of most major cryptocurrencies to fall sharply on Friday.

The FBI confirmed earlier suspicions from private investigators and analysts that a North Korea-affiliated group called TraderTraitor was behind the hack.

TraderTraitor is the same group blamed for a $1.5 billion theft from the Bybit platform in February last year.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is releasing information advising the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance, on or about October 29, 2026,” the statement said.

The FBI added that it had observed “TraderTraitor actors” converting stolen assets into Ethereum, and expected those assets to be laundered further by converting them using decentralized finance and instant swap services.

It said it was urging private sector entities “to block transactions with or derived from addresses TraderTraitor actors are using to launder these stolen assets.”

US President Donald Trump, however, cast doubt on the North Korea's involvement in the hack.

“I'm not concerned. We're learning about it. We don't know if it's North Korea,” Trump told reporters at his residence in Florida late Saturday.

The president often reflects with pride on summits he held with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term.

Binance said Saturday it has set aside more than $6.34 billion in company funds to cover losses in the hack.

“Our commitment remains the same: Binance will fully cover the financial impact of the funds stolen in this incident,” the company said on X.

It said it has used company money to buy tokens to replenish 90 percent of the stolen funds, while the remaining 10% of tokens are “less liquid, which means they may take longer to source in the required amounts.”

Binance suspended user withdrawals after the hack, but said in its latest update they were on track to resume Sunday.

The attack on Binance came as many observers express worries that the ever-expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence models could compromise cryptography and IT security protocols.

Bitcoin plunged nearly 5% after the news of the hack, while Ethereum dropped nearly six percent and BNB, native to Binance, tumbled nearly 10%.

Binance said Friday it was working to resolve what it called a “complex attack” with several “points of breach.”

The sheer scale of the hack has put a spotlight on the capacity of North Korea -- which faces extensive international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs -- to find illicit means to capture revenue.

TraderTraitor is believed to be part of the Lazarus Group, which gained notoriety in 2014 when it was accused of hacking into Sony Pictures as revenge for “The Interview,” a film that mocked North Korean leader Kim.


Erdogan Takes Russia, Ukraine to Task Over Black Sea Attacks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 31, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 31, 2026. (Reuters)
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Erdogan Takes Russia, Ukraine to Task Over Black Sea Attacks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 31, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, October 31, 2026. (Reuters)

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday attacks aimed at civilian vessels in the Black Sea were unacceptable, urging Russia and Ukraine to "act responsibly".

Despite its ties with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has been infuriated by the attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

"It is clear that attacks against civilian vessels and actions that further escalate tensions in the Black Sea serve no one's interests," Erdogan told a news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul.

"We cannot accept these attacks under any circumstances, regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered. We call on all parties to act responsibly on this matter," he said.

Ankara has sent a proposal to Russia and Ukraine to end strikes on civilian ships, but says the two foes have failed to act on it.

"We will continue our talks with the parties concerned with a view to restoring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea," the Turkish leader said.

"I believe that reaching an agreement on this issue would also give fresh impetus to efforts to secure lasting peace in Ukraine."

Türkiye has also hosted several rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine aiming for a lasting ceasefire and peace deal.

In a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Erdogan said Türkiye was ready to support efforts to revive the diplomatic process between Ukraine and Russia and bring the war to an end through negotiations, according to the Turkish leader's office.