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Critics warned of ‘higher ticket prices, more fees, and fewer options’ for passengers if two travel giants try to combineThe CEO of United Airlines is said to have pitched a blockbuster merger with American Airlines during a meeting with Donald Trump, floating the combination of the world’s two largest carriers.Scott Kirby, who leads United, raised the prospect during an encounter with the US president in late February, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources. Such a deal would overhaul the global air travel industry – and likely face intense competition scrutiny. Continue reading...

Officials confirm misfire as Amnesty gives death toll after speaking to survivors of strike on market in Yobe stateA Nigerian air force strike targeting jihadist rebels hit a market in north-east Nigeria, killing more than 100 people and injuring many others, Amnesty International and local media have said.Officials confirmed a misfire had occurred but did not provide details. Continue reading...

President already has issued sweeping pardons throughout second term, including for 1,500 US Capital riot defendantsDonald Trump has reportedly said he will issue pardons en masse to his closest advisers at the end of his second presidency, promising them in casual conversations over the last year.“I’ll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval [Office],” the president reportedly said in a recent meeting, garnering laughs from the room, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing an anonymous source. Continue reading...

‘She got ripped away from me,’ army soldier Matthew Blank said after his wife Annie Ramos was detained in LouisianaImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents under the command of the Trump administration have reportedly detained the wife of a US army staff sergeant at his military base in Louisiana amid his preparations to deploy.The arrest of Annie Ramos, 22, took place last Thursday, just days after she married 23-year-old Matthew Blank, a soldier who has served for more than five years and previously deployed to the Middle East and Europe, the New York Times first reported on Sunday. Continue reading...

Pentagon announces Randy George retiring from role as US army chief of staff, ‘effective immediately’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxRandy George, the US army’s top officer, is stepping down from his role after defense secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly requested that he retire immediately. The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that George, who had been serving as the army’s 41st chief of staff, is retiring.“General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately. The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement shared on social media. Continue reading...

Anatoly Kolodkin could soon discharge at Matanzas port, US official says, three months after Cuba’s last oil importA Russia-flagged tanker carrying Russian crude entered Cuba’s exclusive economic zone on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, in what could be the Caribbean country’s first oil import in over two months.Tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, which departed from Primorsk after loading some 650,000 barrels of Urals crude, could soon discharge at Cuba’s Matanzas port if it does not change its current course, according to tracking services MarineTraffic and LSEG. Continue reading...

Conflict shows signs of entering new, more dangerous phase as additional 3,500 US troops arrive in the Middle EastUS lawmakers responded to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, as thousands of US troops assemble in the Middle East and the conflict showed signs of entering a new, more dangerous phase.Officials told the Washington Post that a ground operation in Iran could be limited to raids by Special Operations forces and infantry troops, but it was unclear whether Donald Trump would approve any of the Pentagon’s plans. Continue reading...

US defense secretary axed the four officers’ names from list to become one-star generals, the New York Times reportsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, is reportedly attempting to block the military promotion of four officers – two women and two Black men – to become one-star generals.The remaining promotion list includes about three dozen officers, most of whom are white men, though a few women and Black officers are still included, according to the New York Times. Continue reading...

Iran has targeted Israel and Gulf states while denying Donald Trump’s claims that any negotiations are taking place. Plus, Democrats flip seat in district home to Trump’s Mar-a-LagoGood morning.The US appeared poised to deploy airborne troops to the Middle East, according to reports, as strikes intensified across the region.What is the 15-point framework? Diplomats with knowledge of the talks believe it is likely to be a rehashed version of a proposal put forward by Trump’s negotiating team during nuclear talks in May 2025.What is happening with the strait of Hormuz? Iran has announced it is permitting “non-hostile” ships to pass safely through the strait.This is a developing story. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. Continue reading...

Autopsy reveals James ‘Jimmy’ Gracey’s injuries consistent with repeatedly hitting breakwater’s rocks, Spanish media reportA University of Alabama student who was found dead in Barcelona after going missing while vacationing evidently fell into the sea on accident in view of surveillance cameras – and an autopsy revealed injuries on his body that were consistent with having repeatedly struck a breakwater’s rocks.Such details about James “Jimmy” Gracey surfaced in the Spanish media as a spokesperson for police in Barcelona told the Associated Press that “all signs point” to the 20-year-old’s death as having been an accident. Continue reading...

Both weapons, fired after Starmer authorised US to carry out further attacks from British bases, failed to hit Chagos Island targetMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesIran has reportedly fired missiles towards a joint US-UK base on the island of Diego Garcia after warning that British lives were “in danger” after Keir Starmer backed the US to carry out further strikes from British bases.Tehran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the Chagos Islands but neither hit, the Iranian news agency Mehr reported. Continue reading...

Copenhagen was so shaken that it sent blood supplies in readiness for battle, according to Danish mediaDenmark reportedly readied itself for potential attack from the US in January – flying bags of blood to Greenland and explosives to blow up runways in case of battle with its former closest ally.During the tense days when Donald Trump threatened to take over Greenland, a largely autonomous territory that is part of the Danish commonwealth, “the hard way”, Copenhagen was so shaken that it started preparing for US invasion, according to Danish public broadcaster DR. Continue reading...

UAE and Qatar condemn targeting of South Pars gas field; Esmail Khatib confirmed killedIran threatens Gulf energy facilities after Israeli attack on its largest gasfieldFighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah in southern LebanonIran is still exporting millions of barrels of oil, with about 90 ships, including oil tankers, having crossed the strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the war with Iran, according to maritime and trade data platforms reports.This is despite Iran saying it had closed the vital waterway to vessels from the US and its allies. Continue reading...

Trump says delay of ‘a month or so’ requested while key official insists move is not to pressure Beijing to help unblock strait of Hormuz; Iraqi officials say drones and rockets attacked embassyEuropean countries reject Trump’s call for help to reopen strait of HormuzHow have you been affected by the latest Middle East events?Are fuel price increases making you cut back? Continue reading...

Sources tell Reuters layoffs could affect 20% or more of company as plans reflect broader tensions within big techMeta is planning sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of the company, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Meta seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers.No date has been set for the cuts and the magnitude has not been finalized, the people said. Continue reading...