7 h. ago House Democratic veterans back moves to limit Trump’s military authority

Letter from 12 members demanding congressional approval for war follows Trump’s unauthorized bombing of IranUS politics live – latest updatesA group of 12 House Democratic military veterans have thrown their weight behind efforts to constrain Donald Trump’s military authority, announcing they will support a War Powers Act resolution in response to the US president’s go ahead for airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.The veterans – some of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan – were strongly critical of Trump’s decision to launch what they called “preventive air strikes” without US congressional approval, drawing explicit parallels to the run-up to some of America’s longest recent wars. Continue reading...

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31 h. ago Donald Trump donned red MAGA hat as he approved strikes on Iran nuclear sites

The White House released a series of photos on Saturday showing President Donald Trump and his national security team in the Situation Room as they authorized military strikes on three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites

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7 d. ago Democratic senator proposes curbing Trump’s war powers amid Israel

Tim Kaine introduces measure to prohibit US forces from taking action against Iran without approval from CongressAs Iran and Israel exchange missile attacks for a fourth day, Democrats in Washington are moving swiftly to reassert congressional authority over US military engagement in the region amid fears of American involvement in a broader conflict.Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, on Monday introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit US armed forces from taking direct action against Iran without explicit authorization from Congress or a declaration of war. The measure, like other attempts to claw back power from the executive branch, faces a steep climb in the GOP-controlled Congress, where Republicans have been mostly unwilling to challenge Donald Trump’s authority. Continue reading...

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8 d. ago Trump’s military parade was feared to be the stuff of authoritarians. It was more small

The Washington, D.C., parade featured families, picnics and bad weather, Richard Hall reports.

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9 d. ago Trump’s military parade taps an ancient tradition of power: from Mesopotamia to Maga

Critics see echoes of authoritarianism, a break from the US’s usual restraint on military displayTo Donald Trump, the inspiration is the pomp and pageantry of Bastille Day, France’s annual celebration of the 1789 revolution.For his critics, it is redolent of the authoritarian militarism proudly projected by autocracies like Russia, China and North Korea. Continue reading...

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1 week ago MIKEY SMITH: Nervy Washington DC braces for Donald Trump's tank parade: 'This is f*****g weird'

The display of Donald Trump's military might comes amid growing nerves about Trump's near-authoritarian behaviour, deploying troops on US soil and rounding up thousands to be deported

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1 week ago The Guardian view on Trump and deportation protests: the king of confected emergencies | Editorial

Strongmen love inventing or exploiting crises to justify extreme measures and extended power. The US is taking another step towards authoritarianismDonald Trump will celebrate his birthday with a North Korean-style military parade costing tens of millions of dollars this weekend. He has gratefully accepted the early gift of the demonstrations, which have spread across the country, with more scheduled for Saturday. The president’s immigration crackdown spurred overwhelmingly peaceful protests in Los Angeles. Ordering in troops, over the governor’s head, then inflamed the situation and allowed the agent of chaos to portray himself as its nemesis once more.Mr Trump has diverted attention from his rift with Elon Musk, the stalling of his “big, beautiful” tax and spending bill, the court-ordered return of the wrongly deported Kilmar Ábrego García and the impending impact of tariffs. But underlying the manufactured crisis is a deeper agenda: reigniting fear of undocumented migrants, deleg...

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1 week ago Trump is waging war against his own citizens in Los Angeles | Judith Levine

In its first months in office, the Trump administration enacted what could be called soft authoritarianism. Now we are in a second phaseOn Monday, the Pentagon sent 700 active-duty marines to Los Angeles and doubled the number of national guard troops deployed there to 4,000, to quell protests Donald Trump said on Sunday were already “under control”, “still simmering ... but not very much”.The same day, the US president used the word “insurrectionists” to describe demonstrators against the unprecedentedly large and fierce immigration deportation raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) that started on Friday in that city. The remark echoed his long-held desire to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, which would authorize him to send the military anywhere in the country to put down dissent. Continue reading...

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1 week ago I really hate to say it, but I agree with JD Vance. Britain has a free speech problem

Despite the ongoing crackdown on protesters in Los Angeles, the US constitution (for now) provides far more freedom of speech than there is in the UKHello from the US where, if you’re a fan of things such as civil liberties and not getting shot in the leg by masked thugs sporting law enforcement badges, the situation is somewhat suboptimal. Over in Los Angeles, national guard troops have been brought in to rough up protesters who are demonstrating against immigration raids. There were at least 27 attacks on journalists by law enforcement recorded at the protests between 6 and 8 June, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).One of the most alarming things about the crackdown against protesters in LA is the memo greenlighting it. It acts pre-emptively, a first in the US, authorising the military to be deployed in locations where protests are “likely to occur”. Scarier still, Donald Trump has said he won’t rule out invoking the Insurrection Act: an 1807 law that empowers the presi...

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1 week ago I really hate to say it, but I agree with JD Vance. Britain has a free speech problem | Arwa Mahdawi

Despite the ongoing crackdown on protesters in Los Angeles, the US constitution (for now) provides far more freedom of speech than there is in the UKHello from the US where, if you’re a fan of things such as civil liberties and not getting shot in the leg by masked thugs sporting law enforcement badges, the situation is somewhat suboptimal. Over in Los Angeles, national guard troops have been brought in to rough up protesters who are demonstrating against immigration raids. There were at least 27 attacks on journalists by law enforcement recorded at the protests between 6 and 8 June, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).One of the most alarming things about the crackdown against protesters in LA is the memo greenlighting it. It acts pre-emptively, a first in the US, authorising the military to be deployed in locations where protests are “likely to occur”. Scarier still, Donald Trump has said he won’t rule out invoking the Insurrection Act: an 1807 law that empowers the presi...

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1 week ago Chinese man living illegally in US pleads guilty to smuggling weapons to North Korea

Authorities say illegal shipments included firearms, ammunition and military technology

Events

2 w. ago 2 people die before a suspected explosive attack in Uganda's capital, authorities say

Uganda military authorities say two people died before executing a suspected explosive attack near a Catholic shrine in the capital, Kampala

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3 w. ago Crucial defence review warns Britain's Armed Forces aren't ready to fight a war against a foe with similar capabilities in stark assessment of UK's military prowess

Britain's Armed Forces aren't ready to fight a war against a military with similar capabilities, the authors of Britain's Strategic Defence Review have warned.

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