7 h. ago Trump wields the knife as he orders shock purge at crucial agency that's pivotal for Americans' safety

Donald Trump is ordering a major overhaul of the National Security Council that will shrink its size by over 100 staffers.

Politics

10 h. ago White House conducting massive overhaul of National Security Council, officials say

President Donald Trump is ordering a massive overhaul of the National Security Council that will shrink its size and return many career appointees back to their home agencies

Events

10 h. ago Trump reportedly to make drastic cuts to US National Security Council

Staff to be cut to dozens, with more authority expected to be handed to state and defense departmentsA large restructuring of the US National Security Council got under way on Friday as Donald Trump moved to reduce the size and scope of the once-powerful agency, five sources briefed on the matter said.Staff dealing with a variety of major geopolitical issues were sent termination notices on Friday, said the sources, who requested anonymity as they were not permitted to speak to the media. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago Drastic cuts under way bending US national security council to Trump’s will

Staff to be cut as office meant to formulate national security policy is reduced to implementing the president’s ideas, under watch of trusted aidesThe Trump administration started to dramatically overhaul the White House national security council on Friday, preparing to reassign hundreds of staff and consolidating power with aides trusted by the president, according to people familiar with the matter.The changes involved downsizing the NSC to about 150 from 300 staff and cutting a number of committees. Most NSC staff are drawn from other parts of the administration including the Pentagon and the state department, and were expected to be sent back to their home agencies. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago As key Israel allies threaten action over Gaza catastrophe, Washington is largely unmoved

As Palestinians are told to evacuate before ‘unprecedented attack’, the White House continues to publicly back IsraelAs Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate Khan Younis in advance of what it calls an “unprecedented attack” on Gaza, much of Washington remains largely unmoved, even as Canada and European countries threaten “concrete actions” if Israel does not scale back its offensive.Despite reports of growing pressure from the Trump administration to increase aid into Gaza, where widespread famine looms, the White House continues to publicly back Israel. National security council spokesperson James Hewitt told the Guardian in an email: “Hamas has rejected repeated ceasefire proposals, and therefore bears sole responsibility for this conflict,” maintaining the policy stance inherited from the previous Biden administration despite mounting evidence of humanitarian catastrophe. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago UN aid chief defends using 'genocide' in Gaza remarks to the Security Council that Israel rejects

The United Nations’ humanitarian chief has defended using the term “genocide” to describe what aid workers are trying to prevent in Gaza

Politics

9 d. ago Marco Rubio working on major changes to the National Security Council that would significantly scale it down

The proposed downsizing could reduce the National Security Council from 150 employees down to just 50 or 60, according to the report

Events

2 w. ago Sudan to cut ties with United Arab Emirates over alleged RSF support

UAE insists it does not provide arms to paramilitary group as Sudanese ambassador recalledSudan’s security and defence council has declared that it will break diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates over its alleged backing of the paramilitary Sudanese Rapid Support Forces.During a televised speech on Tuesday, Sudan’s defence minister, Yassin Ibrahim, said Sudan was “severing diplomatic relations with the UAE” and recalling its ambassador, claiming the Gulf nation had breached Sudan’s sovereignty through its RSF “proxy”, which has been fighting the army in a bloody civil war since April 2023. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Reform win control of first two councils, crushing the Conservatives

Nigel Farage's party has secured enough seats for a majority at Staffordshire County Council which the Conservatives had held

Politics

3 w. ago Trump fires national security adviser Michael Waltz as bombshell report details toxic atmosphere in White House after leak scandal

President Donald Trump will replace Michael Waltz as his national security adviser the Daily Mail confirmed.

Events

3 w. ago Lammy confirms UK and France in talks over Palestine recognition

Two permanent members of UN security council could make move at conference in June on two-state solutionThe UK is in discussion with France and Saudi Arabia over the recognition of a Palestinian state at a June conference convened by the two countries on keeping alive the political path to a two-state solution in the Middle East, the UK foreign secretary has said.David Lammy’s comments mark the first time the UK has acknowledged that a discussion with France about a recognition process around the conference is under way. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Council secure tree protections on entire Toby Carvery site after outrage at historic oak felling

Mitchell & Butlers Retail (MBR), which runs Toby Carvery, has apologised for the upset caused

Politics

3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: UN slashes humanitarian aid after ‘sharp’ fall in funding

Official says UN and its partners have ‘reprioritised’ operations in Ukraine, amid wider drop in aid funding from the US. What we know on day 1,162Faced with a drastic drop in funding, the United Nations will scale back its humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine, an official from its humanitarian affairs office said on Tuesday. In January, the UN appealed for $2.63bn in funding to assist 6 million people who need aid in Ukraine. But due to a “sharp contraction” in humanitarian funding, “the UN and its partners have further reprioritised” operations in Ukraine to reach 4.8 million people with $1.75bn, Joyce Msuya of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told the UN security council.“The objective is to reach those most at risk and most in need, centring on four core response priorities: people near the frontline, evacuations, emergency response after strikes, and aid to the most vulnerable among the internally displaced people,” she said. “Without increased supp...

Events

4 w. ago New Syrian foreign minister attends UN Security Council in first US appearance since Assad's fall

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani attended a U.N. Security Council briefing after raising his country’s new flag at the international body

Politics

last month Russia warns it 'reserves the right to nuclear weapons' against the west and warns a peacekeeping force in Ukraine will 'lead to World War Three'

Putin hawk Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the powerful Russian security council and ex-defence minister, said Russia rejected Western boots on the ground in the war-torn country.

Events