The Hegseth budget: defense secretary’s $1.5tn ask reveals military-industrial chaos

• Israel has launched air and ground assaults in Syria, viewing the current regime as a significant security threat. • Despite the United States easing sanctions and Arab states pledging financial aid, the country continues to face instability and minority tensions.

• The Middle East is entering a critical phase of energy reconstruction to repair damaged power systems and infrastructure. • Beyond engineering, the process involves strategic decisions regarding financing, equipment supply, software control, and long-term operational maintenance.

• The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East by deploying additional refueling planes and potentially heavy bombers amid escalating hostilities with Iran. • Jordan's National Center for Security & Crises Management reported that the Jordanian army detected and engaged six missiles launched from Iran that entered its airspace.

• President Donald Trump greeted the flag-draped remains of four American service members killed during the conflict with Iran on Wednesday. • The event occurred as Trump dismissed "desperate" calls from Iranian leaders to resume diplomatic negotiations, labeling them as unserious about a meaningful deal.

Conservative leader is becoming more confident and forging a message for her party, but faces a new opponent “So, Andy Burnham seems like a nice guy.” Those were the slightly unexpected opening words of Kemi Badenoch’s first speech since the change in prime minister. But make no mistake: she was there to bury her opponent.Even Badenoch-sceptics inside the Conservative party and farther afield agree the Tory leader is becoming more confident, and has been able to forge an increasingly coherent message for her party, one based on a promise of economic competence. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Clinical assessments concluded Rudakubana could not be safely managed in prison, sources sayThe Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been moved to a psychiatric hospital from a prison after an assessment by psychologists, the Guardian can disclose.He was transferred to Broadmoor high security hospital from the category A prison Belmarsh earlier this week after it was concluded that he cannot be managed safely in a prison environment, sources confirmed. Continue reading...

Agent came under suspicion after allegedly providing info in MS Now report about vice-president’s helicopter tripA Secret Service agent assigned to JD Vance’s protective detail is “the subject of an administrative investigation, and potential criminal inquiry, involving allegations of compromising operational and information security”, according to the Secret Service chief of communications.The agent came under suspicion after allegedly providing information that appeared in an MS Now report about the vice-president’s planned Marine Corps helicopter trip with his son to a golf lesson, a source told CNN. Continue reading...

Vance Boelter receives two life terms after admitting politically motivated killings and shootingsSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe Minnesota man who pleaded guilty to killing a top Democratic lawmaker and her husband was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison on Thursday, a little over a year after the political attacks.Vance Boelter, 59, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus 40 years in prison after pleading guilty in June to the six counts related to the killings of house speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shootings of state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Continue reading...

Escalation would follow oil passing $100 a barrel again and Houthi strikes on Saudi tankers in the Red SeaThe US president, Donald Trump, has said he is close to deciding whether to launch “a massive” attack” against Iran, on a scale larger than strikes already witnessed during the months-long conflict with Tehran.Speaking to the Axios news site Trump said: “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.” Continue reading...

Chris O’Shea defends Centrica’s plans as it reports rise in retail profits despite falling customer numbersThe owner of British Gas has claimed that most households would rather speak with an AI chatbot than deal with the company’s staff as it prepares to cut 1,300 jobs from its call centres.Centrica, the supplier’s FTSE 100 owner, plans to cut 800 jobs as the company carries out a “targeted deployment of AI tools”, on top of the 500 cutsit confirmed last month. Continue reading...

Trump officials say they will announce next phase of US trade policy as 10% global tariffs are due to expire on FridayDonald Trump’s administration will unveil the latest stage of his aggressive trade policy on Thursday, the White House has said, amid reports the US president is preparing a fresh wave of sweeping tariffs.Trump’s tariffs policy suffered a damaging blow in February when the US supreme court ruled that many of those tariffs were illegal. While the US replaced those tariffs with a 10% tariff regime on much of the world, these are due to expire on Friday. Continue reading...