3 h. ago Pete Hegseth shutters Pentagon office that helped military leaders plan for possible future wars

The office is often referred to as the Pentagon’s internal think tank and strategizes for possible future conflicts

Events

18 h. ago DOGE lease cancellations: Which government offices could be closed this year and when

The General Services Administration, working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, has notified landlords that federal agencies will be terminating hundreds of leases for offices and buildings in the coming months

Politics

27 h. ago DOGE staffers at Social Security have access to Americans’ personal data as Elon Musk hunts for dead people

At least seven DOGE employees were granted access to ‘personally identifiable information,’ government lawyers say

Events

28 h. ago US journalist sues Indian government after losing his overseas citizenship

Raphael Satter had his OCI card taken away after publishing a story critical of an Indian businessmanA US journalist has taken the Indian government to court after his Indian overseas citizenship was unilaterally cancelled, following the publication of a story critical of a prominent Indian businessman.Raphael Satter, who covers cybersecurity for Reuters news agency in the US, received a letter from India’s ministry of home affairs in early December 2023, accusing him of producing work that “maliciously” tarnished India’s reputation and informing him that his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card had been cancelled. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Arab leaders endorse $53bn plan to rebuild Gaza as alternative to Trump idea

Proposal focuses on emergency relief and long-term economic development under Palestinian Authority administrationArab leaders have endorsed a $53bn (£42bn) plan to rebuild Gaza under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in a rushed attempt to present an alternative to Donald Trump’s idea for a property development-style plan, which involved a relocation of the Palestinian population that has been widely criticised as effectively endorsing ethnic cleansing.The prospect of the PA governing Gaza remains far from certain, however, with Israel having ruled out any future role for the body, and Trump having closed the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) liaison office in Washington during his first term while stepping up support for Israel. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago LIVE: Streets gridlocked as major road closed after 'digger hits Post Office'

Officers are responding to an incident in Platt Bridge

Society

1 week ago UN food program closes its southern Africa office in the wake of Trump administration aid cuts

The United Nations’ World Food Program is closing its southern Africa office in the wake of the Trump administration’s aid cuts

Politics

1 week ago Tulsi Gabbard drops Ukraine bombshell after disastrous Trump and Zelensky White House meeting

Donald Trump's new DNI Tulsi Gabbard unleashed a verbal attack on Ukraine for 'cancelling elections,' wartime moves against churches and 'government control of the media.'

Events

1 week ago Girl, 4, dies in Manchester house fire tragedy as woman 'known to child' arrested

Officers from Greater Manchester Police rushed to the scene in Gateshead Close, near Rusholme, this afternoon. The child, who suffered serious injuries, died a short time later

Events

1 week ago Email shows that Musk ally is moving to close office behind free tax filing program at IRS

Program is apparently being closed according to email from former Tesla engineer installed in GSAAn Elon Musk ally installed in the US government said in a late night email going into Saturday that the office behind a popular free online tax filing option would be shuttered – and its employees would be let go.The 18F office within the General Services Administration (GSA) created the IRS Direct File program that allows for free online tax filings. It has been a frequent target of Musk, and one of the billionaire businessman’s close associates who holds a key position in the GSA informed staffers that the agency would close 18F in an email to staffers that arrived around 1am on Saturday morning. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago M6 closed as police race to scene after car flips over onto roof

Police raced to the scene of a crash on the M6 when a car flipped over onto its roof - one lane of the motorway has been closed as officers carry out an investigation

Events

2 w. ago Trump tried to extort Zelenskyy and was impeached – now he may succeed

The Ukrainian president is expected at the White House on Friday to sign a multimillion-dollar minerals deal with echoes of a notorious 2019 phone callAlexander Vindman remembers the phone call – and what he did next. Serving on the national security council (NSC), he went to see his twin brother, who was the council’s senior ethics official, closed the door and told him: “Eugene, if what I’m about to tell you ever becomes public, Donald Trump will be impeached.”Vindman had set up a call between Trump and Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in July 2019. He heard the US president attempt to leverage US military aid to the country in return for Zelenskyy launching an investigation into Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, over his position at a Ukrainian gas company. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Elon Musk admits his DOGE team 'accidentally cancelled' plan to prevent deadly disease

Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been causing chaos in the US by cancelling Treasury payments to contractors without any warnings

Events

2 w. ago Budapest Pride should be held in closed venue for ‘child protection’, says government official

Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff says event this year should be taken off streetsHungary’s Budapest Pride should be held in a “closed venue” this year rather than on a city centre avenue as in previous years, the prime minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff has said, citing child protection.The plan, announced on Wednesday, appeared to be part of Orbán’s restrictions on the activities of the LGBTQ+ community as the nationalist leader prepares for elections in 2026 in which his right-wing Fidesz party faces an unprecedented challenge from a new opponent. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Budapest Pride should be held in closed venue for ‘child protection’, says Orbán official

Prime minister’s chief of staff says event this year should be taken off streetsHungary’s Budapest Pride should be held in a “closed venue” this year rather than on a city centre avenue as in previous years, the prime minister, Viktor Orbán’s, chief of staff has said, citing child protection.The plan, announced on Wednesday, appeared to be part of Orbán’s restrictions on the activities of the LGBTQ+ community as the nationalist leader prepares for elections in 2026 in which his rightwing Fidesz party faces an unprecedented challenge from a new opponent. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago One in three contracts canceled by DOGE won’t save Trump’s government any money

DOGE’s ‘slash and burn’ approach is being slammed as ‘pointless’

Politics

3 w. ago Trump says he ‘had very good talks with Putin’ and again criticizes Ukraine – live

US president also accuses Kyiv of talking ‘tough’ but having few bargaining chips in latest remarks in feud with Ukrainian president ZelenskyyNational security adviser Mike Waltz told a crowd of Donald Trump loyalists that he believes the president will receive the Nobel peace prize.“This is the presidency of peace. He’s going to end the war in Europe. He is going to end the wars in the Middle East. He is going to reinvest the United States and our leadership in our own hemisphere, from the Arctic to the border to Panama all the way down to our good friends in Argentina,” Waltz told the Conservative Political Action Conference.The pause comes after CNN reported on Wednesday that the mass terminations, which could affect over 50,000 civilian employees across the Pentagon, could run afoul of Title 10 section 129a of the US code. Following that report, Pentagon lawyers began reviewing the legality of the planned terminations more closely, the officials said.That law says that the secre...

Politics

3 w. ago Senate passes budget funding Trump’s mass deportations; federal workers brace for more firings – US politics live

Senate Republicans approve spending plan that will pay for hardline immigration policies; mass layoffs get all-clear after judge lifts blockMass firings could cause ‘monumental’ bill, say expertsThe defense department will delay a plan to fire civilian employees on probation as it assess whether the move complies with the law and if it affects military readiness, CNN reports.The cuts were to be made as part of Donald Trump’s effort to dramatically downsize the federal government, which is being led by Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency”. Here’s more, from CNN:The pause comes after CNN reported on Wednesday that the mass terminations, which could affect over 50,000 civilian employees across the Pentagon, could run afoul of Title 10 section 129a of the US code. Following that report, Pentagon lawyers began reviewing the legality of the planned terminations more closely, the officials said.That law says that the secretary of defense “may not reduce the civilian workforce ...

Politics

3 w. ago UK weather wind warning: Travel chaos with major bridges closed as Met Office issues yellow alert 

Yellow weather alerts have been in force across the UK this morning with a map showing which areas will be worst affected.

Events

3 w. ago Courteney Cox, 60, exudes elegance in a pale pink dress as she officiates her friend's wedding in Australia

Courteney Cox proudly officiated her friend's wedding in Australia, close to the Sydney Opera House on Thursday.

Society