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• 상원 군사위원회는 시퀘스터(sequester) 체제와 연계된 특정 예산 편법으로 인해 발생하는 군인 급여 자동 삭감을 차단하는 조항이 포함된 국방수권법(NDAA) 초안을 가결했습니다. • 이번 조항은 인위적인 급여 삭감이 모병 및 인력 유지 문제를 야기할 수 있다는 펜타곤 관계자들의 경고와, 시퀘스터 한도를 영구적으로 폐지하도록 의원들에게 로비를 벌여온 여러 옹호 단체들의 활동 끝에 마련되었습니다. • 아담 스미스(Adam Smith) 상원의원과 다른 위원회 위원들은 군인들이 정치적 예산 다툼의 부수적 피해자가 되어서는 안 된다고 주장했습니다.

• Janet Mills Maine 주지사는 목요일, 계획했던 Senate 출마를 철회한다고 발표하며 Democratic primary에서 사퇴했고, 이로써 Ben Chipman 주 상원 의원이 공개 경쟁에 참여할 수 있는 실질적인 길을 열어주었습니다. • Mills는 가족에 대한 고려와 세간의 이목이 집중되는 Senate 선거의 부담을 주요 사유로 꼽으며, 두 번째 임기를 수행 중인 Maine 주지사직에는 “안정적인 리더십”이 필요하다고 말했습니다. • 그녀의 사퇴는 주의 정치 지형을 재편하는 것으로, 최근 전국 선거에서 purple 성향을 보인 Maine 내에서 Democratic이 소모적인 당내 경선을 피하게 해줄 가능성이 큽니다.

목요일에 발표된 155페이지 분량의 중간 보고서는 12월 14일 총격 사건에 대해 알려진 바가 얼마나 적은지, 그리고 공유될 수 있는 정보가 얼마나 한정적인지를 보여줍니다. Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion의 155페이지 중간 보고서에서 명확한 한 가지 사실이 있다면, 그것은 Bondi massacre에 대해 여전히 밝혀지지 않은 부분이 얼마나 많은지, 그리고 알려진 정보 중 대중에게 공개될 수 있는 부분이 얼마나 적은지입니다. 목요일에 발표된 이 보고서의 권고 사항 중 3분의 1 이상이 기밀로 분류되었으나, Albanese 정부는 이를 모두 이행할 계획입니다. Continue reading...

연준의 독립성과 파월 의장의 미래에 대한 의구심이 지속되는 가운데, 상원 위원회가 트럼프 대통령의 지명자를 통과시킬 준비를 하고 있습니다.

• 통상적으로 중립을 유지하는 영국 국왕의 보좌관들에게 당혹감을 줄 가능성이 큰 미국 대통령의 발언이다. • 도널드 트럼프는 이란이 절대 핵무기를 보유해서는 안 된다는 점에 대해 찰스 국왕이 자신과 의견을 같이 한다고 주장했다. • 트럼프는 화요일 방문 중인 찰스와 카밀라를 위한 백악관 국빈 만찬에서 이 같은 발언을 했으며, 두 사람은 당일 앞서 양자 회담을 가졌다.

• 이란 갈등이 금융 제재와 해상 차단으로 인해 냉전과 유사한 단계에 진입하며 긴박한 교착 상태에 빠졌습니다. • 에너지 가격 상승세는 지속될 것으로 예상되며, 상황이 더욱 악화될 위험이 상존합니다. • 트럼프 대통령은 이란을 핵 프로그램 협상 테이블로 끌어내기 위해, 더욱 강화된 제재와 더불어 새로운 타격 가능성을 검토하고 있는 것으로 알려졌습니다.

Two months after the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran started the war, peace talks are on hold, with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran's nuclear program as the two main points of contention.(Image credit: Vahid Salemi)

Australia is dependent upon UK’s ability to deliver new submarines, but report finds ‘cracks are already beginning to show’ “Cracks are already beginning to show” in the UK’s funding for the Aukus agreement that could derail the ambitious nuclear submarine plan, a British parliamentary inquiry has found, highlighting a threat to Australia’s security.UK shipbuilding has been under-funded for decades and the country’s submarine availability is “critically low”, the House of Commons defence committee’s report found. Continue reading...

Former prime minister says policies will lose support without continued lower prices, while Malcolm Turnbull points to some progress in USGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKevin Rudd has described Donald Trump’s cuts to support for green industries as “unfortunate”, warning that Australians would conclude the clean transition was “bullshit” if it did not offer tangible benefits to their lives.But – in some of his first comments since finishing his term as Australia’s ambassador to the US – the former prime minister said climate policies would have staying power if they delivered affordable prices, a reliable energy supply and new job opportunities. Continue reading...

• Iran has announced the resumption of uranium enrichment to 80% purity at its Natanz facility, signaling a breakdown in ongoing ceasefire negotiations with the United States. • International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors confirmed the announcement on Friday; Iran's move violates terms of previous diplomatic agreements and heightens regional security concerns. • The escalation comes as negotiators report deadlocked talks over sanctions relief, with both sides blaming the other for refusing compromise on nuclear program restrictions.

• A military confrontation along the Kashmir border escalated Friday when Pakistani forces fired on Indian positions near Uri, killing 12 Indian soldiers and wounding 18 others in the deadliest incident in two years, Pakistani military sources confirmed. • India's military responded with retaliatory strikes, with New Delhi claiming to have neutralized three Pakistani military positions; Pakistan denied casualties on its side but acknowledged defensive operations. • Regional analysts expressed alarm that the incident could spiral into broader conflict, warning both nations possess nuclear arsenals and recent diplomatic tensions have left few de-escalation channels open.

In February 2025, a cheap Russian drone tore through Chornobyl’s confinement shelter. Workers warn the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident is not safe yetThe dosimeter clipped to your chest ticks faster the moment you step off the designated path inside the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Step back, and it slows again – an invisible line between clean ground and contamination.Above rises the “new safe confinement” (NSC) – the largest, movable steel structure ever built, taller than the Statue of Liberty, wider than the Colosseum, its arch curving overhead like an aircraft hangar built for giant planes. Continue reading...

Lack of a sustained plan to end the war has convinced US allies that the White House is running out of ideasNearly eight weeks after Donald Trump launched his assault on Iran, the White House has shifted from a strategy of shock-and-awe bombardments and leadership decapitation to a plan of sustained economic pressure as it tests the wills of a regime practiced over decades at wars of attrition.Since the negotiations stalled, the White House has begun to shift its messaging to say it is willing to wait to strike a more durable deal with Iran – despite the growing economic toll inflicted on the world economy by the closure of the strait of Hormuz. The reason, senior officials have said, is because of the joint US-Israeli strikes were so successful that they have fractured Iran’s leadership and prevented a new consolidation of power. Continue reading...

• North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile from its western region Tuesday evening, the sixth such test in the past three months despite frozen nuclear diplomacy with the US. • US officials assessed the missile demonstrated improved guidance systems, suggesting continued weapons development despite economic sanctions and international isolation. • The test complicates efforts to restart dialogue, with South Korea calling for emergency trilateral talks involving Japan to address escalating regional security threats.

Christopher Trybus, of Swindon, also found not guilty of coercive and controlling behaviour towards Tarryn BairdA man has been cleared of waging a campaign of domestic abuse and sexual violence on his wife, who went on to take her own life.Christopher Trybus, 43, was charged with manslaughter, as well as with two counts of rape and coercive and controlling behaviour, but was found not guilty after a seven-week trial at Winchester crown court. Continue reading...

Unwanted vessels left to decay release fibreglass shards into the water, harming marine life. Steve Green – with his trusty van Cecil – is determined to clean things upSteve Green, a boat engineer from Cornwall, was pulled over by the police just before Christmas. He was driving a decrepit-looking VW campervan and towing an even more dilapidated yacht up to Truro. He hadn’t broken any laws, but he admits that Cecil the campervan, which runs on donated chip oil from local pubs and has a crane and a winch on the front, “wasn’t quite what VW intended”.Green (and Cecil) are on a mission to rid the beautiful hidden creeks of Cornwall’s Helford and Fal rivers of 166 abandoned fibreglass yachts, which are leaking plastic and toxins into the predominantly marine waters. Marine biologists have likened the thousands of shards of fibreglass they have found embedded in the flesh of sea-creatures in areas with wrecks such as these to asbestos, a substance known to have a noxious effect on humans.Green uses a detachable crane system at the front of his van to move around bags of plastic after they have been weighed. Cecil is upholstered in recycled denim Continue reading...

Ministers hope tobacco and vapes bill, which will become law next week, will create a ‘smoke-free generation’A bill banning anyone born after 2008 from buying tobacco in the UK has completed its progress through parliament in a move that ministers hope will create a “smoke-free generation”.Under the tobacco and vapes bill anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to be legally sold tobacco across the UK, in an effort to save lives and reduce the burden on the NHS. Continue reading...

Washington reportedly limits satellite data after minister spoke publicly about suspected facility in North KoreaThe US has partly restricted intelligence sharing with South Korea after the country’s unification minister publicly identified a suspected North Korean nuclear site, according to reports in South Korean media.Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in March that North Korea was operating uranium enrichment facilities in Kusong, a north-western area that had not previously been officially confirmed as a nuclear site alongside the known facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson. Continue reading...

The 82-year-old was accused of abusing girls in the 1960s but was acquitted in Perth despite judge finding the alleged victim was telling the truthGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former champion footballer Barry Cable has been acquitted of a slew of historical child sexual abuse charges despite a judge finding the alleged victim was likely telling the truth.The 82-year-old faced a judge-only criminal trial over allegations he abused a girl aged about eight or nine at his family home in the late 1960s. Continue reading...

• US President Donald Trump warned Iran of 'no more Mr Nice Guy' and threatened new strikes if no deal is agreed by Wednesday, following stalled talks over nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz. • Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz until the US lifts its blockade, with Revolutionary Guard navy confirming the move amid risks to global oil shipments; 13 US service members killed in related conflict. • Negotiations in Islamabad saw US propose 20-year Iranian nuclear suspension, countered by Iran's 3-5 year halt offer; Tehran reports progress but fundamental gaps remain per speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

• President Trump signals he will not extend Iran's ceasefire deadline if a comprehensive deal is not reached by Wednesday, warning of renewed military action including 'dropping bombs' if negotiations fail. • Trump declares the Strait of Hormuz now open due to a U.S. Navy blockade and pointedly rejects NATO's offer of assistance, highlighting America's unilateral stance in Middle East tensions. • The escalating pressure on Iran represents a significant shift in Trump administration foreign policy and challenges traditional alliance structures in addressing regional security threats.

The defence minister insists that increases in spending did not happen because of thinktanks, retired generals ‘or washed-up bureaucrats’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIf there’s anyone who knows just how much pressure Donald Trump is heaping on allies to lift defence spending, it’s Richard Marles.The message was received loud and clear when he met his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, in Singapore nearly a year ago. Continue reading...

Pyongyang making ‘very serious’ progress on producing weapons, with rapid rise in activity at main nuclear complexNorth Korea has made “very serious” progress in its ability to produce more nuclear weapons, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has warned, in another sign that the regime is seeking to use its nuclear arsenal to ensure its survival.North Korea is thought to have assembled about 50 nuclear warheads, although some experts are sceptical of its claims that it is able to miniaturise them so they can be attached to long-range ballistic missiles. Continue reading...

Chancellor ‘frustrated and angry’ at decision to attack Iran ‘without being clear what the objectives are’UK politics live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesRachel Reeves has hit out at the “folly” of Donald Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran without a clear exit plan.Speaking to the Mirror before a trip to Washington for the International Monetary Fund spring meeting, the UK chancellor renewed her criticism of the war, which has pushed up oil prices and threatens a new jump in inflation across the west. Continue reading...

Lisa Nandy says there are no grounds to refer Axel Springer deal to Ofcom, ending almost three years of uncertainty for titlesBusiness live – latest updatesThe culture secretary has cleared Axel Springer’s £575m takeover of the Telegraph, paving the way for the end of almost three years of uncertainty over the ownership of the titles.Lisa Nandy said that she does not believe there are grounds to intervene and refer the deal to the media regulator, Ofcom, for an in-depth regulatory investigation. Continue reading...

• President Trump announced on April 12 that the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and intercept any vessel that has paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait safely, following the failure of 21-hour nuclear negotiations. • Vice President JD Vance confirmed in Islamabad that no agreement was reached, with Iran's refusal to abandon its nuclear program cited as the primary sticking point. • Iran's state-affiliated Fars news agency reported the country has no plan for a next round of negotiations, marking a significant escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict.

• Vice President JD Vance announced at a press conference in Pakistan on April 12 that 21 hours of negotiations with Iran have concluded without reaching an agreement, with the primary sticking point being Iran's refusal to abandon its nuclear program. • Vance characterized the lack of progress as "bad news for Iran," while Iran's state-affiliated Fars news agency reported that Tehran has "no plan for a next round of negotiations" according to sources close to the negotiating team. • The failed talks carry significant implications for Middle East stability and global security, with experts examining how the diplomatic breakdown affects ongoing regional conflicts and US-Iran relations.