ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Trump saying it is 'very hard' to ask Israel to halt its bombing of Iran and Tel Aviv is 'winning;' a magnitude 5.5 earthquake jolting north-central Iran and a US judge ordering the release of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

TOP STORIES

• Trump says it is 'very hard' to ask Israel to halt its bombing of Iran, says Tel Aviv 'winning'

US President Donald Trump downplayed the possibility of stepping in to tell Israel to halt attacks on Iran amid the spiraling conflict, warning that Tehran has a "maximum" of two weeks to conclude negotiations.

The comments come after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is "ready to consider diplomacy once again once the aggression stops and the aggressor (is) held accountable." He was referring to Israel, which launched attacks June 13, sparking retaliation from Iran, including hundreds of drone and missile attacks.

Trump downplayed the possibility of Washington asking Israel to halt its attacks, saying Tel Aviv is "winning" the conflict.

• Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jolts north-central Iran

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale struck Iran's north-central province of Semnan.

“At 21.19 p.m. (local time), Friday, June 20, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook the area around Sorkheh, a district in the Semnan Province,” reported Iranian news agency IRNA.

• US judge orders release of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

A US federal judge ordered the release of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, according to media reports.

Judge Michael E. Farbiarz of the Federal District Court in Newark, New Jersey, ruled the government cannot deport and must release Khalil.

Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, was arrested March 8 in New York City and transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in the state of Louisiana.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Top European diplomats emphasized the urgency of continued dialogue with Iran following talks in Geneva to de-escalate regional tensions and revive negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program.
• Türkiye is using all diplomatic means to establish stability not only in the Caucasus but in the entire region, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is visiting Türkiye, during a meeting in Istanbul.
• The UN warned that the number of malnourished children in the Gaza Strip is rising at an "alarming rate" amid Israeli restrictions on aid, displacement and attacks.
• Türkiye's UN ambassador urged the global community to unite to urge Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and accept complete verification by a UN agency amid its strikes on Iran.
• The Arab League's foreign ministers convened in Istanbul to discuss developments related to conflicts in the Middle East, especially Israel’s attacks on Iran that began June 13, diplomatic sources said.
• Again violating a months-long ceasefire, Israeli fighter jets pummeled military sites in southern Lebanon it says were linked to Hezbollah.
• Israeli fighter jets hit several areas across Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran, according to media reports.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern about the growing threat of a third world war, pointing to escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as dangerous flashpoints.
• The ounce price of platinum reached a 10-year high of $1,352 amid sharp market fluctuations due to trade tensions, geopolitical risks and uncertainty about the Fed’s future policies.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• China faces oil supply risk if Israel-Iran conflict escalates

China could face major oil supply disruptions if war between Israel and Iran escalates further, as Beijing remains heavily reliant on crude oil imports from the Middle East, much of which transits through the vulnerable Strait of Hormuz.

China is the world’s largest oil importer. In 2024, it produced 4.3 million barrels of crude oil per day but imported 11.1 million barrels, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

• World suffers largest data breach in history, with 16 billion user records exposed: Report

The tech world witnessed the largest global data breach in history, with 16 billion login credentials exposed, the Cybernews news outlet reported.

Since the beginning of the year, 30 large databases, each containing tens of millions of pieces of information, and some containing more than 3.5 billion, have been compromised by info stealers.

Studies found that the 30 databases contained more than 16 billion pieces of information, making it one of the largest data breach cases in history.