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Kristi Noem has been sacked as US homeland security secretary following what a Trump administration source described as the culmination of her many leadership failures. Donald Trump announced on social media that she will be replaced by a senator from Oklahoma. He added that Ms Noem will take up a new post as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas in about three weeks. Posting on Truth Social, Trump […]

One of the three men arrested on suspicion of spying for China has been named as David Taylor, the husband of sitting Labour MP Joani Reid. In a statement, Ms Reid said she has never seen anything to make her suspect her husband has broken any law. She added she is not part of his business activities and neither she nor her children are part of the investigation and should […]

Donald Trump says the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “if necessary, as soon as possible.” The US-Israel conflict with Iran has almost completely halted shipping traffic through the strategic sea passage connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Asked about European allies, Trump said he has been happy with some but not with others. Turning to the UK, he added he […]

The expansion of Donald Trump's war against Iran to a British base in Cyprus is being described as a serious challenge for the UK, which has limited air defences and only a small capacity to respond. Sir Keir Starmer says the military has bolstered forces in the Middle East, including a squadron of Typhoon jets in Qatar and six F‑35s operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. However, both aircraft have […]

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, has climbed eight percent over the past month as concerns grow over potential disruption to supplies amid the ongoing conflict. While Iran is not a major oil producer due to Western sanctions, its position controlling the Strait of Hormuz is crucial. The narrow shipping corridor accounts for around a fifth of global oil supplies, so missile and drone activity in the area poses a […]

Iran’s supreme leader has been killed in US Israeli strikes, according to a senior Israeli official speaking to Reuters. The official said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, is dead and that his body has been found. His compound was said to have been extensively damaged in strikes today. Within minutes of the report, Iranian state media cited the supreme leader’s office as saying the enemy is […]

Paramount has agreed a 110 billion dollar deal to buy Warner Bros Discovery, after Netflix walked away from a bidding war. Netflix declined to match Paramount’s latest offer of 31 dollars per share, having previously proposed 27 dollars 75 cents per share for its studio and streaming assets. Paramount is led by David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison, and has deep political connections to Donald Trump’s administration. American singer […]

A police sergeant has been dismissed for using a picture frame to weigh down her laptop keys to create the impression she was working from home. Avon and Somerset Police said the officer, known as Sergeant X, used the method on most shifts in April and May last year. She admitted placing a corner of the frame on the keyboard so the laptop would not enter sleep mode during personal […]

Jeffrey Epstein blamed "Charles" on the day Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stepped down as UK trade envoy. On 21 July 2011, Epstein wrote, "I assume he knows that this is Charles' doing," in response to an associate noting, "Lots of TV coverage on PA and always big feature on you. Insane." PA is understood to refer to Prince Andrew. The Metropolitan Police has apologised to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle for "inadvertently […]