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World News

Fresh news brought to you daily from around the world. Hot news, breaking stories as they happen.

AOC Says US Politics Shaped Her Egg Freezing Decision

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Sunday that the political climate helped shape her decision to freeze her eggs, describing it as part of a broader effort to discuss reproductive healthcare openly.

Speaking to ABC News’ This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl, the New York Democrat said she chose to talk about the process publicly because of what she described as restrictions on reproductive rights under the current US administration. She pointed to policies she said are limiting care, including abortion access and the ability to carry a healthy pregnancy.
“In this political environment where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy, I think it’s important for us as leaders to have these conversations and share these processes, especially for working women across the country and normalize them,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Announcement came ahead of Sunday TV appearance
Ocasio-Cortez, 36, first disclosed her decision earlier in the day through Instagram posts made hours before her scheduled appearance on This Week.
In the videos, she discussed her plans to share the process and appeared to document giving herself an injection. She later said she would continue to speak about egg freezing and invited followers to send in questions.

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10 August 2026
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Iran Resumes Public Executions After Protests

Public executions have returned to the streets of Iran as authorities step up pressure on dissent following months of war with the United States and nationwide protests in January, human rights groups and relatives of those executed said.

The cases highlighted renewed concerns about the use of the death penalty in proceedings linked to protests and allegations of coercion during detention. The United Nations human rights chief said the executions form part of a widening post-war crackdown.
Executions in Isfahan
Human rights groups said cranes were used to set up hanging ropes in Isfahan, a central city, where three young protesters were executed.
Amirhossein Safari, 27, Abolfazl Sepahi, 23, and Alirez Sepahi, 25, were taken by van to Alikhani Street, according to the groups. They were hanged for alleged crimes connected to protests against the regime in January.
News of the planned execution circulated early on Tuesday, July 28, prompting security measures at Alikhani Square in Isfahan. Scaffolding was installed in the early hours, and a crane was brought to the site as forces gathered, raising fears the executions could be carried out in public.
Eyewitnesses told ABC News that the defendants were transported to the square in a van, escorted by a truck carrying a machine gun on its back to deter protesters. Videos shared online showed people chanting slogans, clashes breaking out and others fleeing as security forces moved in.
The men arrived at dawn, shortly before the morning prayer call, a time when Iranian law requires execution sentences to be carried out.
While Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi were hanged on Thursday, Alireza Sepahi did not reach the gallows and was taken to hospital after collapsing, which human rights groups described as heatstroke or a heart attack.
Scale of executions and legal warnings
The Islamic Republic has executed at least 56 people on national security-related charges since March 19, including 27 connected to the January protests, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement on Wednesday. Türk warned that more than 100 others face the possibility of execution on similar charges, urging scrutiny of the cases.
In the Alikhani case described by Iranian judiciary and human rights sources, 12 young men were sentenced to death and several others received prison terms of five to 10 years. Of the 12 sentenced to death, four had been hanged and eight were awaiting execution at the time of reporting.
Lawyers in Iran told ABC News that the true number of people at risk on protest-related national security charges could be higher than UN estimates.
Allegations of torture and pressure on families
Relatives and friends of defendants in the Alikhani case told ABC News that the regime forced them to confess. They said the men were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture for days and were not allowed to choose a lawyer.
The families, who asked not to be named for their safety and to prevent further pressure on their sons, said the court in some instances rejected evidence meant to show the defendants were not at the alleged crime scene during the time in question.
They also said the pro bono lawyer assigned by the judiciary was not given access to the case during the trial and was refused access even after the death sentence was issued. The relatives added that the lawyer and the defendants’ parents were told about the sentence only after the court had delivered it.
Türk condemned the death sentences in the case last week and expressed concern about the judicial process and reports that statements described as confessions were “allegedly obtained under torture and other ill-treatment”. He said the death penalty is “incompatible with the right to life” and “irreconcilable with human dignity”, adding it “has no place in our world”.
Amnesty International also condemned the hangings in a statement on Tuesday following the executions of Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi. It warned that three of the prisoners on death row had been arrested as children.
Amnesty said the lack of a strong international response risked encouraging Iranian authorities to continue executions, and called on UN member states to take urgent coordinated diplomatic action to halt further killings.
Relatives and contacts of imprisoned protesters told ABC News that security and intelligence forces have warned detainees not to speak to the media and threatened consequences, including harm to other family members, if they do.

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10 August 2026
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Burnham Starts UK Tour to Tackle Cost-of-Living Pressures

Andy Burnham is due to announce a series of measures aimed at easing pressures on people struggling with the cost of living in the coming days, Downing Street said.

The prime minister’s programme is intended to “give people some room to breathe”, No 10 said, as he begins a summer tour of the UK focused on both cost-of-living support and improvements to high streets.
Cost of living measures
Downing Street said Burnham will roll out “pro-consumer cost of living measures” designed to tackle everyday problems such as hidden pricing and what the government describes as consumers being ripped off.
A spokesman said Burnham believes people have not been helped by years of messaging that suggests day-to-day difficulties must be accepted as part of life. He said the plans will seek to provide practical relief as the government prepares its wider agenda.
High streets and regional tour
Burnham is also set to concentrate on “improving high streets” while meeting people across the UK’s nations and regions. No 10 said he has been in “listening mode” during the tour to help inform a “10-year plan to bring back hope” and make Britain “better off”.
Although Burnham has been on holiday this week, the spokesman said he will use the tour to gather views on local concerns and priorities.
Pressure over early release scheme
As the government prepares for the cost-of-living announcement, Burnham is likely to face continued scrutiny over a prison early release scheme in England and Wales, which is set to begin in October.
Criticism has focused on the fact that two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper are due to be eligible for release under the scheme from next year. Burnham ordered a review soon after taking office that narrowed the range of people who would qualify, but those convicted of manslaughter will still be eligible, including in the Harper case.
PC Harper’s family, former senior police officers and opposition politicians have called for the individuals to be denied early release. Burnham has said he cannot go further without risking prison capacity, a position No 10 said remained unchanged on Saturday night despite reports that he could revisit the decision.
The scheme has been in place for England and Wales since late 2023 under the previous Conservative government. However, the Ministry of Justice has warned that the prison population could exceed capacity as soon as November.
No 10 said recent figures for England and Wales, recorded on 23 August, showed the prison population at 86,495—more than 97% of usable capacity.
Opposition reaction
The Conservatives said the government’s approach to cost of living was harming high streets, arguing that “tax hikes and red tape are hammering our high streets”.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Labour was planning to release “dangerous criminals” onto streets while also driving up prices for the public through its economic policies.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said businesses on high streets needed more than what she described as a “vanity tour”, and argued that the prime minister should adopt Lib Dem proposals. These include reversing what she described as a jobs tax, delivering an emergency VAT cut for hospitality, replacing business rates and tackling “ghost landlords”.
Reform UK economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said that if Burnham wants to help with the cost of living, he should scrap green levies and taxes on energy bills and rule out tax rises at the Budget.

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10 August 2026
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Two Drones Spotted Over German Military Base

Two drones were reported over a military base in western Germany, days after an explosive-laden device was discovered at Leipzig airport, German officials said.

The Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, confirmed that two unmanned aircraft were seen on Thursday evening at a site in Mechernich, near Bonn. The base is thought to host equipment used in support of US-made Patriot air-defence systems, according to a Bundeswehr spokeswoman.
Military police called before handover to local police
The spokeswoman for the Bundeswehr Joint Force Command said military police were deployed to the area before the case was transferred to local authorities. It was not immediately clear what the drones did during the incident or whether they were recovered.
The report adds to a pattern seen in Europe, where drones have been spotted near military sites and airports supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s war. In such cases, suspicion has often fallen on Russia, which has repeatedly denied involvement.
Leipzig/Halle airport under investigation
Germany is investigating how a drone carrying explosives reached a runway at Leipzig/Halle airport. The airport is used by Nato, the German military and as a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines.
When asked by the BBC on Sunday about the suspected origin of the drones reportedly seen at Mechernich, the Bundeswehr declined to comment on the investigation.
Local police have been contacted for comment. German media reports said the Mechernich base has a storage facility for equipment and spare parts used to maintain Patriot missile batteries.
Patriot systems targeted by demand from Ukraine
Patriot air-defence systems have become important for Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian ballistic missiles since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
This week, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to provide further supplies, warning that Ukraine was running out of interceptor missiles. He renewed pressure as the conflict continues to strain air-defence stocks.
Earlier this year, the US offered Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot systems in early July, but last week President Donald Trump denied that any such agreement had been reached.
EU discusses wider drone security after sightings
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the Bild newspaper on Sunday that Germany had become a regular target of “destabilising” attacks. He said the country was not at war but was facing “hybrid warfare” on a daily basis.
A series of drone sightings in European airspace last year led to heightened alert levels across the continent. The EU then began discussing a continent-wide “drone wall” to strengthen defences.
Some European officials have blamed Russia for drone sightings, charges Moscow has described as “absurd”.

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10 August 2026
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Netanyahu Rejects Trump’s Gaza Plan on Hamas Disarmament

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, saying Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel “rejects the 15-point document” and that the Israeli military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed”. He added that Israel would continue to “thwart threats against our forces and our citizens”.
Withdrawal tied to Hamas disarmament
The position marks another setback for Trump’s proposal, which was announced in September and centres on disarmament, an Israeli troop withdrawal and reconstruction in Gaza.
Netanyahu said discussions were under way with US officials about how to proceed. He said some ideas were acceptable to Israel and others were not, adding that Israel intended to “stand our ground” on key points.
He also faced pressure from members of his right-wing coalition to adopt a harder line on Gaza, and there have been calls from far-right figures to vote again in the cabinet and end the plan. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dismissed the draft as “not acceptable”.
Hamas conditions on “ending aggression”
Trump’s administration had said its plan would rely on an agreement reached last month for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, overseen by a US-led structure described as the Board of Peace.
Hamas, however, said any handover of heavy weapons would depend on Israel ending “all forms of aggression” and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
A Hamas official told the BBC on Sunday that the group “reaffirms it commitment” to the agreement and was ready “to engage seriously and responsibly in implementing” the 15-point plan. The official called on mediators to ensure “that all parties comply with what has been agreed”.
Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza since agreeing to an initial ceasefire in the territory last October.
US envoy defends the approach
Nickolay Mladenov, a senior diplomat tasked with implementing Trump’s Gaza plan, defended the proposal on Sunday and said talks were ongoing in the hope of a “positive outcome”.
In comments to Israel’s Channel 12, Mladenov said Israel had been asked “to give the process a chance” and that the plan was “the only way forward” to prevent a repeat of the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas.
He said the draft is designed as a process that is “verifiable” and “reversible”, adding that it could be stopped at each stage. Mladenov also said Israel would not be required to withdraw until it could be verified that Hamas had taken steps towards disarmament.
Conflict and displacement
The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli statements.
More than 1.9 million people, or 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced since the war began, according to the United Nations. The Gaza health ministry has reported that more than 73,000 people have been killed; the UN considers the figures reliable.

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10 August 2026
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Iran Sets Conditions for Strait of Hormuz Reopening

Iran has set preconditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, demanding compensation for damage from the conflict and calling for broader changes to US policy, in a move that could complicate efforts to restart shipping through one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.

Tehran has imposed an effective blockade of the strait since the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran in late February. Iran has also attacked ships it accuses of trying to avoid its preferred routing and has called for tolls for passage, despite the strait having been free to transit before the war.
Preconditions tied to June accord
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said discussions with Oman on transit and management of the waterway were “approaching the final stages”. However, he said any reopening was “subject to other conditions and compensation for the violation” of a June memorandum.
Iran’s security chief, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, set out a detailed list of demands on Saturday. Alongside calls for compensation for wartime damage, he said Iran wanted an end to what he described as “war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq”.
According to remarks reported by Tasnim news agency, Zolghadr also demanded the lifting of a parallel US naval blockade of Iran, an end to sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and compensation tied to violations of the June agreement.
The comments come after attacks in the strait led to the collapse of an April ceasefire. Since then, mediators have urged both sides to return to the terms of the June memorandum.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards said the reopening of Hormuz had “nothing to do with the negotiations between Iran and Oman”. They added that the “enemy is forced to accept Iran’s conditions for the opening of the strait”.
Shipping risks and fresh accusations
Transit through Hormuz has dropped significantly. Iran has targeted vessels it accuses of skirting its preferred route through Iranian waters.
On Saturday, the United Arab Emirates condemned what it called a “hostile Iranian attack” on a tanker owned by ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) while it was transiting the strait. The UAE said a missile struck the tanker but that there were no casualties.
Later, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a ship was hit by a projectile off Oman in the Strait of Hormuz and that a fire broke out but was extinguished with no casualties. UKMTO said it was unclear whether the incident referred to the same vessel.
On Friday, ADNOC said that since the war began, 15 of its vessels had been attacked in Hormuz, including three in the previous week alone.
Oman’s foreign ministry on Saturday condemned “repeated attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz”, without naming Iran. It said talks on navigation arrangements were continuing in a “positive and constructive atmosphere” and urged against actions that could jeopardise progress.
The June framework described future arrangements for the strait as being worked out by Iran and Oman with other Gulf countries, in line with international law. International law generally prohibits tolling in such waterways.
Regional security talks widen
Separately, Turkey’s foreign minister said Egypt is expected to join a joint defence agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan aimed at stabilising the region.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that “at the next stage” Egypt would be included in the alliance, describing it as acting “as if we were alliance members”. He also said the agreement does not target a specific country, adding: “There is no common threat that we have put in writing,” according to the news agency.
A drone struck US assets at an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean last month, which was described as the first drone attack on Egyptian territory since the outbreak of the Iran war.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Friday that under the pact an attack on any member would be treated as an attack on all, adding that it was intended to “strengthen collective deterrence”.

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9 August 2026
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Trump Ex-Lawyer Blanche Confirmed as AG in 50-49 Vote

US President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, has been narrowly confirmed by the Senate as attorney general, ending a prolonged dispute between Republican lawmakers and the administration over his nomination to lead the Justice Department.

The confirmation vote took place overnight, with Blanche approved 50-49. Two Republicans, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joined all Democrats in opposing his appointment, leaving Bill Cassidy to cast the deciding ballot. Blanche has been serving as acting attorney general since April, when Pam Bondi was dismissed from the role.
Close Senate vote ends confirmation standoff
Blanche’s path to confirmation had been delayed since April by concerns within the Republican conference, as well as resistance from Democrats. The near-tie underscores the sensitivity of the attorney general post for the Trump administration, coming after months of heightened political and legal tension involving the nominee.
After the result, Blanche said he was “deeply honoured by the trust and confidence” Trump had placed in him.
Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, said the decision was focused on Blanche and the circumstances of his nomination rather than a verdict on Trump. Speaking before the vote, he said that, “all considered,” he would support Blanche, adding that while Trump would ultimately set the direction of the Justice Department, Senate confirmation would give Blanche “greater leverage” to push for changes Cassidy believed were needed.
Cassidy’s vote carried additional significance given his tense political history with Trump. During Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021, Cassidy voted to convict following the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. After Trump returned to office, he backed a challenger against Cassidy and forced his retirement from the Louisiana Senate seat earlier this year.
Republicans’ concerns cited over documents and DOJ plans
Some Republican senators had questioned Blanche’s handling of the release of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein. They also raised concerns about his role in setting up Trump’s proposed “anti-weaponisation” fund, described as a plan to provide compensation to people who alleged government persecution.
Critics, including Murkowski, argued that the scheme could instead benefit individuals connected to prosecutions tied to the 6 January attack on Congress in 2021. During his confirmation hearings, Blanche pledged to reverse course on the fund after pushback from Republican senators, but it remained unclear whether that commitment was legally binding or whether Trump could later seek to revive a similar mechanism under a different name.
Murkowski said she lacked confidence in Blanche to “check the worst impulses” of the administration, citing concerns about what she called the politicisation of the Justice Department.
Collins also raised objections related to Blanche’s involvement in settling Trump’s $10bn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Despite those reservations, Collins said she trusted Blanche to provide Trump with candid legal advice.
Democrats warn of governance risk; Republicans praise qualifications
Democratic leaders criticised the nomination regardless of the narrow margin. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he was concerned Blanche’s appointment would serve as an “excuse” and argued it would help enable corruption. He said that, in his view, Blanche had continued Trump’s wrongdoing and that senators who voted to confirm him were “enablers” as well.
Most Republicans, however, moved quickly to celebrate the outcome. Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said Blanche demonstrated “extraordinary patience, compassion and tenacity” through the process, adding that there was no doubt the nominee was qualified.
Blanche had been deputy attorney general before taking on the interim leadership role in April after Bondi was fired. His confirmation on a 50-49 vote puts him in charge of the Justice Department at a time when the Senate remains sharply divided on how far the administration will push prosecutorial and legal strategies.


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9 August 2026
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Israel Moves to Seize Major Roman-Era West Bank Site

Olive groves on a hillside overlooking the Roman columns of Sebastia, in the occupied West Bank, have been cultivated for generations by Palestinian families.

One landowner, Abu Mudif, said he has received a notice that his land forms part of an Israeli move to take possession of around 450 acres. Israel says the land is needed to help protect and develop the ancient site as part of plans for a major national park.
Palestinian owners typically receive little compensation for land expropriation, and even when payments are offered, many refuse, viewing acceptance as recognition of a loss that they consider bound up with their heritage. For Mudif, the economic impact is only part of the issue.
“It feels like something essential is being torn away,” he said, adding that he struggles to imagine himself without the land.
Residents fear loss of access to the ruins
Near the site, Nahed Sakha, who owns a local restaurant, said the area is facing potential demolition. She said the Israeli plan appears to aim to separate Palestinian residents from the archaeological complex, which includes remains from the Jewish past as well as periods including the Roman, Crusader and Ottoman eras.
Sakha said restoration and excavation work has begun and that landowners were told they would not be allowed to use or plough their land.
The village mayor, Mohammed Azem, said locals are concerned about cleaning or maintaining parts of the ruins. He described uncertainty about whether doing so could create problems with Israeli security forces and settlers.
The Sebastia area is split between Area B, where Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control apply, and Area C, under full Israeli control.
UNESCO adds Sebastia to danger list
Unesco has echoed the concerns raised by residents and local representatives. It said Sebastia is not only a World Heritage Site but has now been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Unesco cited the main threat as the “planned expropriation” and the creation of a national park called “Samaria” (Shomron), warning it could divide the property.
Israel last week allocated about 113 million shekels (£27.8m) to expand its control over archaeological sites in the West Bank, including projects in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli activist Alon Arad, who leads Emek Shaveh, said authorities have moved without consulting the municipality and residents of Sebastia. He said the site is Palestinian heritage and argued that development should involve the local community so it can benefit from it.
Under Israel’s proposals, Sebastia’s entrance would be relocated to the opposite side of the larger site, away from the village, car park and shops.
Palestinian officials responsible for tourism and foreign affairs said they hope Unesco’s decision will strengthen international support for their opposition to Israeli land seizures at Sebastia. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said Unesco cannot rewrite history.
“No vote in an international organisation can change history,” he said.
Herodium land seizure and proposed legal change
Further south, Israel has also begun expropriating land at Herodium, a manmade hill near Jerusalem where King Herod built a palace on its summit. Israel said it wants to seize about 80 acres for “preservation and development”.
Peace Now, an Israeli settlement-monitoring group, said the move is constrained under international law and by rulings of Israel’s Supreme Court, arguing Israel is prohibited from expropriating land for settlement purposes or solely for the benefit of Israeli citizens. Peace Now said Israel would likely seek to frame the expropriation as serving both Palestinian and Israeli populations, despite what it described as the apparent link to settlement expansion and Israeli control.
Shmuel Browns, who has worked on excavations at Herodium, said Israeli archaeologists and officials need to be able to oversee and protect sites with religious and historical significance. He said Israel sees itself as responsible for safeguarding archaeology, artefacts and the history of the land.
At the same time, Far-right figures in Israel’s current government have pushed for wider powers. A bill proposed earlier this year would have moved control of archaeological sites from the military-linked Civil Administration to the Israeli heritage ministry, giving it broad authority to seize land for archaeological preservation across the West Bank. The bill passed its first reading in parliament in May but is currently on hold as elections near, and may not return.
In Sebastia, Arad said the legislation proposal illustrates how archaeology is being used to advance land and governance aims, by supporting excavations and narratives while also shifting land from Palestinian to Israeli control. He said Palestinian residents fear their connection to the ruins may be lost.

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9 August 2026
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Greenland Gives Strong Warning to Trump-Linked Oil Firm

Greenland Warns Over Trump-Linked Firm's Drilling Plans
Greenland’s government has issued a “strong warning” after equipment linked to an American oil firm with connections to Donald Trump was brought ashore for exploratory drilling, despite the company receiving no approval from local authorities.

The warning was issued after materials to prepare for drilling were landed in recent days on Greenland’s eastern coast, as the US president renewed threats to claim the Arctic territory.
The government said it had not granted permission for the equipment to be brought into the area. “All future logistical matters must be advised and approved by the mineral resources authority – before they are carried out,” it said in a statement.
Two days later, Trump made another post on Truth Social, showing himself looming over a Greenlandic village.


Oil plans for Jameson Land
The firm, Greenland Energy, is a Texas company set up last year. Its executives have said up to $1tn (£7.5tn) of crude could be located beneath the Jameson Land region and they plan to spend $60m to drill two wells to test the prospect.
Although Greenland stopped issuing new oil licences in 2021 on environmental grounds, exploration rights for Jameson Land were secured by a UK company called 80 Mile. Greenland Energy’s filings state it intends to take a majority stake in the project in return for funding the exploration, while still requiring government permission before drilling can begin.
The company has declined to respond to questions from the Guardian.
Documentary and links to Trump circle
Greenland Energy has said it has retained Phil McGraw, better known as Dr Phil, to make a documentary series intended to “capture the mission of these modern-day wildcatters”.
It has also appointed as a director a US navy veteran involved in Golden Dome, a missile defence plan that Trump has said requires controlling Greenland.
Larry Swets, the chair and a major shareholder, has indicated he believes the project is not linked to American annexation. He previously said the company’s communications had caused confusion after a representative made a false claim at a community meeting in June that it had permission to land drilling equipment.
In the following month, local residents in the sparsely populated region noticed a tug towing a barge towards shore and unloading a dozen containers. Greenland’s government said the operation was intended to move equipment onshore at Nunap Qeqqa in connection with planned exploratory drilling. Danwatch quoted the head of the shipping company as confirming the delivery was for Greenland Energy.
Approvals pending, drilling timetable set
In a letter to shareholders dated Thursday, Greenland Energy said “recent high-level meetings” with Greenlandic regulatory and oversight authorities had been constructive and that it remained encouraged about progress toward remaining approvals. The company said that, following those discussions, just one well would be drilled initially.
As a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, decisions on natural resources rest with Greenland’s elected local leadership. The government’s statement suggested it would not be proportionate to demand the equipment be removed, while noting that an application for permission remained under processing.
Some observers note that the planned wells appear to be within a conservation area protected under the Ramsar convention on wetlands. Greenland’s authorities now face a choice between granting permission and refusing it—an issue that also touches on the political context of Trump’s renewed Arctic claims.
A Greenland Energy representative said a vessel carrying its 300 containers of drilling equipment is due to leave Canada on 12 September, with well drilling expected to begin in October. Jeff Landry, the hard-right Louisiana governor serving as Trump’s Greenland envoy, has said Greenland could be pumping oil next year.

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8 August 2026
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Hunter Biden Calls His Father’s Pardon ‘Not Good’ for America

Hunter Biden has told the BBC that his father’s presidential pardon was “not good” for the United States, the Constitution and the legacy of Joe Biden, while defending the decision as something he said his father felt he had to do.

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC’s Newsnight, the son of the former US president said he understood the criticism of the 2024 pardon, but argued that it was still the right act from his father’s perspective.
“What would you have thought of my dad if he did not do that for me,” Hunter Biden said, adding: “It’s something that is easily criticised and for good reason.” He acknowledged that the move would draw scrutiny and said: “All I know is that I’m grateful that he did it for me.”
The interview came as Hunter Biden also discussed his father’s worsening health after a cancer diagnosis and said he has no interest in seeking elected office. He also spoke about his own addiction and recovery.
Pardon defended amid criticism
Hunter Biden said his father granted the pardon because he feared that his son could become a target under Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
He said he was “the only one in the world that could have gotten what I got from the only person in the world who could give it”, arguing the decision reflected concern about what might follow after the election.
Hunter Biden rejected the idea that he and his father had discussed the pardon in advance. He said there was “no way” such discussions could have taken place without becoming public.
He said the pardon was granted in December 2024, and it covered his federal gun conviction, a tax case in which he had pleaded guilty, and any federal offences committed between 2014 and 2024.
Joe Biden, who announced the pardon, repeatedly said before the decision that he would not use presidential powers to intervene in his son’s legal matters. When he granted the pardon, he said Hunter Biden had been “selectively and unfairly prosecuted”.
Addiction described as “hell on earth”
Hunter Biden also gave an account of the depths of his addiction. He said at its worst he drank almost a gallon of vodka a day while smoking crack cocaine almost every 15 minutes.
“It was hell on earth,” he said. “There’s nothing glamorous about it.”
He said drugs and alcohol initially felt like a solution but later became “the thing that almost killed me”. He denied that his position as the president’s son made him feel “untouchable”, saying instead that he was “reaching for anything except oblivion”. He described addiction as a way to escape anxiety and isolation.
Cancer and political focus
Hunter Biden said his father’s cancer has spread, and he described it as having metastasised into his bones. He said it is “very painful” and “very debilitating”, and he spoke emotionally about watching his father’s condition worsen.
“Cancer is really hard,” he said, pausing to clear his throat. “It’s really sad to watch.”
He said Joe Biden remains the centre of the family and spoke of his father’s resilience, adding: “The only thing that I say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more.”
Hunter Biden also reflected on the presidential debate in June 2024 that ended the former president’s re-election campaign. He said he watched it from his home in California and immediately sensed something was wrong, adding: “I was shocked. I knew something was wrong.”
He has previously argued that Joe Biden’s debate performance may have reflected exhaustion after travel, and he questioned whether the illness may have already been affecting his father. In the BBC interview, he said his father remains politically engaged and determined to continue speaking publicly.
When asked about whether he might enter politics, Hunter Biden said he had “no interest in elected politics” and dismissed suggestions that he would seek office. Instead, he said he wanted to devote his time to discussing addiction and recovery, describing that work as something that could bridge political divisions.

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8 August 2026
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Serial Sex Offender Guilty of Two London Murders

Simon Levy, a serial sex offender being monitored by London’s Metropolitan Police, has been found guilty of murdering two women and raping a third in the capital.
The Old Bailey jury convicted the 40-year-old man after a trial in which prosecutors said he attacked three vulnerable women involved in street sex work to fund drug addictions. Levy will be sentenced next week after the court adjourned sentencing until Wednesday 12 August.
Levy killed Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025, and then murdered Sheryl Wilkins, 39, five months later. He also raped another woman in January 2025, before the murders, in the same Tottenham car park where Wilkins was later found dead.
Charges Heard At The Old Bailey
Jurors were told Levy had a long record of offending against women dating back to July 2018. The court heard that this included an attack carried out against a prison officer in 2022.
Levy, from Tottenham, declined to give evidence. He pleaded not guilty to the two murder charges and to two counts of rape, as well as to allegations of grievous bodily harm with intent and non-fatal suffocation relating to the surviving victim.
After 13 hours of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges.
In court, members of the victims’ families wept when the verdicts were read out. Levy, wearing sunglasses and a pointed beard, gave no visible reaction.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC remanded him in custody.
Failings By Agencies Admitted
Following the verdicts, the Metropolitan Police, the British Transport Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) all acknowledged shortcomings in how Levy was handled.
London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Andrea Simon, said she was “appalled by the litany of failures” in managing a prolific offender. She said scrutiny should extend across every justice agency involved, including opportunities to assess the harm Levy posed and the moments when intervention may have been possible.
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said it was deeply concerning that Levy was able to inflict further harm after being freed by police and the courts, and that urgent answers were needed about why the failures occurred.
The Met told the BBC it believed Wilkins’ death could have been avoided without multiple points of failure in dealing with Levy. The force said it did not treat Valencia-Trujillo’s death as a murder even after arresting Levy soon after and finding his DNA on her body, until after he killed again.
StreetlightUK chief executive Helena Croft said the case showed the need to treat women in the sex industry as being at risk of serious violence, adding that there were missed opportunities involving frontline services, information sharing and specialist organisations working with women most at risk.
Prior Convictions On Tubes And Trains
Levy’s latest convictions come after he was found guilty earlier this year, in February, of sexually assaulting 10 women on London’s Tube and other train services, as well as a female prison officer at HMP Brixton. Those proceedings were previously before reporting restrictions, but details of that trial can now be reported for the first time.
The offences included events between April 2022 at the prison and Tube assaults between 24 October 2023 and May 2025. Prosecutors said Levy had already been convicted of sexually assaulting two women in 2018, which is why he was in prison in 2022.
The court was told he lost sight in one eye in an attack in May 2024, and later used that to suggest he was unsteady on his feet and that any contact was accidental. Prosecutors also said he sometimes strapped his arm down and used a jumper or hoodie tied around his waist to conceal his hand as he groped victims.
During sentencing in June for the Tube attacks, Judge Michael Evans told Levy: “You were on the Tube for one purpose only, to sexually assault women.” Levy received an extended sentence of six years in jail plus three years on licence after being convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault, including an offence against the prison guard in 2022.
Oversight, Misconduct And Next Steps
The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating two Met officers over a decision in August 2024 to downgrade Levy from a high-risk sex offender to a medium-risk level. The IOPC said a police constable was served with a gross misconduct notice and a detective sergeant with a misconduct notice. It will examine how Levy was managed from his first conviction in September 2021 until his arrest in September 2025, including whether action could or should have been taken to prevent reoffending and whether policies and training were followed.
The IOPC said the notices mean the officers’ conduct is under investigation, not that disciplinary action will necessarily follow.
The British Transport Police said two of its officers have been moved to other roles due to “incompetence” in handling the case, and that procedures have been amended to prioritise linked offences and expediting investigations.
The CPS said its actions fell short of the standard victims, families and the public are entitled to expect, including at points when it could have made stronger representations about bail based on the information available.


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8 August 2026
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Westminster Plan To Curb ‘Vertical Drinking’ Sparks Row

A plan in London to limit so-called “vertical drinking” has drawn criticism from pub landlords and senior politicians, after Westminster City Council proposed changes to how licensed venues manage busy drinker footfall in the West End.

The term, used as a bureaucratic shorthand for people having a pint while standing rather than sitting, has sparked a political row as the council develops a draft licensing policy for pubs, bars and restaurants in the area. Westminster is responsible for alcohol licensing in much of the capital’s nightlife zone, including streets known for crowds on warm evenings.
The issue has become a flashpoint because many venues rely on patrons who remain on their feet, congregating to share drinks and socialise, sometimes spilling into nearby areas outside.
Pub Industry Warns Of Knock-On Effect
Lesley Lewis, who has run the French House pub in Soho for 37 years, said that discouraging people from standing would not solve disorder and could instead push customers to other parts of London. She argued that the business model depends on customers gathering and spending time in the streets and public areas around the pub, alongside the costs of rent and rates.
British newspaper coverage has amplified the debate, with headlines focusing on whether venues would be forced to create more seating and whether traditional ways of drinking would be curtailed. Westminster said the coverage had misrepresented what the council intends to do.
Westminster Says It Is Seeking Less Noise
Westminster council leader Paul Swaddle said the proposal formed part of a draft policy that is still open for public comment. He said the council’s aim was to reduce noise and disorderly behaviour by encouraging premises to serve more customers while seated, rather than barring people from having drinks while standing.
The draft policy includes a suggestion to discourage “excessive drunkenness” by encouraging businesses to provide additional opportunities for patrons to sit, with table service and fewer spaces described as accommodating high-volume standing drinking.
Westminster said it already supports the hospitality sector, and pointed to the importance of the industry to the local economy. The authority also said its approach is intended to help ensure the area remains a “great place for residents to live”.
The council has more pubs, bars and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol than any other local authority in the UK.
Burnham And Other Officials Reject The Framing
Critics from central and London government have argued that standing crowds are not, in themselves, a nuisance. A spokesman for Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that pubs filled with people standing together to share a drink are part of British life, and said Burnham’s approach is to encourage local leaders to work with hospitality businesses so they can thrive.
Burnham has previously described pubs as being central to high streets, saying he would act as a defender for the sector. His comments came after a visit to a pub in Harlow, Essex.
Officials have also linked the debate to broader concerns that the hospitality industry has not fully recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Khan Signals A Possible Review
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he could use new powers due to be granted to his office later this year to review Westminster’s policy. He said the capital’s hospitality and nightlife are tied to jobs, culture and growth, and argued that London’s approach should not be shaped by an overly rigid mindset.
The council’s draft licensing changes have therefore become part of a wider dispute over how licensing rules should balance visitor demand and public order in the West End, with politicians now pressing for clarity on what would change in practice.

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8 August 2026
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Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Joint Defence Pact

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca that says an attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all of them.

The pact was announced following a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Saudi city.
Defence Pledge Built Around Collective Deterrence
The “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” says it is designed “to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression”. It also stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states “shall be regarded as an attack against them all”, according to a joint statement.
The statement added that the agreement provides for closer defence co-operation across multiple areas.
While the pact commits the three countries to mutual support, it does not set out specific obligations for each party, including the practical steps that would follow an attack.
A Turkish official, quoted by Reuters, said the arrangement was “purely defensive in nature”.
Reaction From Tehran After Rising Tensions
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions across the Middle East linked to the conflict involving Iran.
After the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, Tehran and its allies launched strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, and disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, both major maritime routes for oil shipments.
The Mecca agreement drew criticism from Tehran. Ebrahim Rezaei, a senior member of Iran’s national security commission, wrote on X that a “paper agreement” between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan would not improve security for Riyadh, adding that past efforts involving American support had not provided protection.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defence pact last year.
Regional Security Shifts Driving New Calculations
Saudi Arabia’s decision to expand its defence alignments reflects concerns about how regional security has been reshaped by the war around Iran.
Last month, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, which control much of the north-west of the country, announced a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia. They also targeted Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea.
Saudi planners were also influenced by last year’s Israeli strikes on Doha that targeted senior Hamas officials. A report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies at the time said Gulf states “recalibrated their defence strategies”, with the Mecca pact presented as one of Saudi Arabia’s responses.
Benefits Viewed Differently by Each Partner
For Pakistan, the defence pact offers support at a time of renewed regional risk. In May 2025, long-standing tensions with India escalated into open conflict. Although an all-out war was avoided, analysts said the economic strength of Saudi Arabia and the military and industrial capabilities of Turkey could prove increasingly significant.
The agreement also coincides with Pakistan’s expanded role in diplomacy. Pakistan has acted as an intermediary between Iran and the US and hosted ceasefire negotiations, increasing its standing in the region, a factor that the pact further reinforces.
For Turkey, the deal is also seen through an industrial and operational lens. Burcu Ozcelik of the London-based Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) said it could open opportunities for Turkey’s defence sector through joint production, technology partnerships, procurement and greater military interoperability.
Unclear Triggers, But Deterrence Is Central
Although the agreement provides a framework for collective deterrence, the absence of detailed obligations leaves unanswered questions about when support would be activated and what form it would take.
Such scenarios could involve complex political choices and require careful diplomacy to avoid escalation. However, the central consequence the three countries appear to be relying on is deterrence: with two additional regional powers behind them, the potential cost of aggression would be higher.

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8 August 2026
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Pentagon Releases More UFO Files With New Footage

The Pentagon has released another batch of declassified UFO-related records, including new videos, images and documents describing unidentified objects seen by US personnel across multiple locations and decades.

The latest release comprises 41 files uploaded as the US defence department continues to publish material following an order from President Donald Trump earlier this year. It is the fifth tranche in a wider, multi-stage programme that has so far produced hundreds of documents.
Pentagon Release and File Details
The department previously uploaded an initial set of 161 files on 8 May, and said more would follow. This fifth drop includes more than a dozen videos, three images and around a score of PDF documents. The documentation spans from 1953, the earliest item, to material dated this year.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the department will continue releasing additional documents on a “rolling basis” as further records are made public.
Gulf of Oman and Middle East Videos
One video described in the new set was recorded over the Gulf of Oman in 2021 and shows what it characterises as a dark “cold orb” moving in irregular patterns. The file says that, at first glance, the movement resembles a housefly crossing the frame, and estimates the object at about 4 feet (1.2 metres) in diameter.
The records use the US government’s terminology “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAP), which is applied to objects that have not been identified. UAP can occur over land and at sea, and are described in airspace as well as underwater contexts, according to the documentation.
Another video, captured by a US military sensor camera at an undisclosed location in the Middle East in 2025, shows a round sphere travelling in a straight line over an area that appears to be residential.
Pilot Account and Pacific Footage
A declassified FBI document included in the release describes an account from a former military pilot of lights seen in the sky in October 2023 during a flight between Boston and Dublin. The pilot said other pilots had reported similar incidents between midnight and 3am.
The document states that the lights began dim and grew brighter before fading out. It adds that some lights remained stationary while others moved along straight lines, at times changing direction. The pilot also reported seeing variations of the lights at least ten times after first spotting them in 2023.
In footage dated 2019 from the Pacific Ocean, a black sphere appears and then disappears from view. When it reappears, the object is described as quivering and then drifting slowly from left to right. The file notes that although the imagery was collected by a sensor, the display was recorded using a handheld device, which may have contributed to flickering in the footage.
Earlier Naval Review and New Renderings
A 1953 PDF in the tranche includes conclusions by the US Naval Photographic Interpretation Center about two videos recorded in the western United States, in Montana in 1950 and in Utah in 1952. The memo states that the apparent objects increased in size as their “luminosity” increased, and it concludes that the videos depict characteristics “inconsistent with those of natural phenomena”.
All three images in the release are described as renderings, meaning they are artistic interpretations based on first-hand descriptions rather than direct photographic capture. One rendering depicts a large dark triangle with round lights at each corner, based on an encounter described by two former US military service members from the summer of 2011.
Interest in extraterrestrial life has increased in the US in recent years, including after Congress held its first UFO hearings in five decades in 2022 and the military pledged to expand transparency.

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8 August 2026
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Appeals Court Blocks Trump’s $400m White House Ballroom

The US administration has been ordered to stop construction on a $400m (£297m) ballroom at the White House, after a federal appeals court upheld a legal injunction that said the work cannot proceed without authorisation from Congress.

The ruling, delivered on Friday by a three-judge panel in a 2-1 decision, marks another setback for President Donald Trump’s bid to reshape parts of the presidential residence. The court also gave the administration a 14-day window to ask the Supreme Court to review the decision.
Injunction Bars Above-Ground Work
The case was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation after the administration removed the East Wing last year to start the project. The appeals court maintained a preliminary injunction won by the group, which blocked above-ground construction while allowing other work to continue.
In its majority opinion, the panel said the question of whether a large ballroom should be built is one for Congress, not for the executive branch to determine through “self-help”.
The judges added that Congress had not granted the president broad, unrestricted power to redesign and reconstruct the White House to suit a specific administration. The court said the presidential residence and its executive accommodation are intended for use by successive presidents and for the public.
The opinion stated that each president is a “temporary tenant” of the White House rather than its owner. It also concluded that the executive does not have constitutionally assigned authority over the property in the way the administration planned.
Construction Authority and Timing
The administration sought to overturn earlier rulings after a federal judge twice prevented above-ground activity on the ballroom, while permitting underground work to continue.
On Friday, the appeals court confirmed that blocking order, while pausing its own implementation for 14 days so the government could pursue a Supreme Court appeal. The BBC said it contacted the White House and the Department of Justice for comment.
Trump, who has repeatedly promoted the ballroom project since unveiling plans, reacted strongly on social media, calling the court decision “horrendous” and claiming it was politically motivated. He said the dissenting judge described the order as a “blatant abuse of discretion”.
Trump Cites Security and Plans Appeal
Trump also argued that the military and the Secret Service regarded the ruling as a national security threat, and said the decision should be overturned by the Supreme Court in full.
He repeated that the ballroom would be delivered on an accelerated timetable and within budget. Trump said it would be funded by a coalition of private donors as a gift to the American people, while also arguing that the project is needed for “grand parties” and state visits.
At the same time, Republicans have sought to draw on part of a $1bn (£740m) pot of taxpayer money for Secret Service security upgrades. A budget watchdog had dismissed that plan in May.
Government lawyers have said the project includes a security complex below ground and additional measures intended to protect the White House from threats such as drones, ballistic missiles, biohazards and other hazards. Trump said the construction would involve bomb shelters, hospital and medical facilities and “top secret” military infrastructure.


Graphic courtesy of BBC

The preservation group argued that the move to “disturb” the White House was not justified and that having a ballroom was not a national security emergency. It said there was no basis to proceed with work that would alter the historic property.
The appeals court majority said its decision did not assess whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or whether it could be built eventually. Instead, it said the administration may not proceed during the ongoing litigation unless it secures authorisation from Congress.
After the ruling, Brent Leggs, president and chief executive of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said no above-ground construction could take place “unless and until” Congress acts, calling the White House an irreplaceable monument.

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8 August 2026
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Thousands of Migrants Remain in Spain's Ceuta After Crisis

Thousands of migrants are still in Spain’s northern African territory of Ceuta after a border crisis last week, the head of the enclave has said.

Juan Jesús Vivas told the European Parliament that between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remained in Ceuta. He said that many times that number had arrived during the initial surge, which saw about 78,000 people reach the territory by sea from neighbouring Morocco within hours.
Vivas said he felt “profound sorrow” at what he described as an “irreparable tragedy”, adding that 100 people had died during the crossings. He said the situation had left Ceuta facing continued pressure, with humanitarian needs and disturbances to public order still ongoing.
Ceuta After The mass Arrival
Vivas, a conservative, criticised the Spanish government’s response, saying he had personally told Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez that it had been “late and insufficient”.
He said Ceuta lacked key information on how many people were still in the territory, arguing that the absence of numbers showed limited resources to manage the crisis. He also said warnings from local officials about an increase in sea arrivals had been ignored.
While he said the return of nearly 75,000 migrants to Morocco had “considerably alleviated” the situation, Ceuta had not returned to normal. He said the territory was still in a humanitarian emergency and that public order had been affected.
On migrants who are minors, Vivas said it was “basically impossible” to send them back because any return required their consent.
Aid For Minors And Disputes Over Numbers
Spain’s interior minister has said the government has allocated €25m to assist minors in Ceuta.
But Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that 4,860 migrant children had been registered by volunteer groups, saying the figure was double official estimates. El Mundo also carried comments from a volunteer warning the situation was “unsustainable”.
According to El País, no children had been moved to mainland Spain so far, citing reluctance among right-wing local authorities to take them in.
EU Schedules Emergency Talks Over Ceuta Migrant Surge

Trump's Role Questioned After Ceuta Disaster
The crisis has also fed into political disagreement between Spain’s regions. Some right-wing figures have pointed to an agreement with Morocco on cooperation to return migrant children to their families, while the conservative leader in Melilla called for a “gesture of solidarity” from colleagues on the mainland.
Social Media Calls For More Crossings
Vivas said new calls for mass crossings were circulating online, according to Moroccan media. Hespress reported that posts and messages were shared encouraging people to join closed WhatsApp groups, using hashtags linked to migrating to Spain and job opportunities there, despite warnings from Moroccan authorities that those promoting irregular migration could face prosecution.
Spain and the EU have also been dealing with the wider repercussions of the surge, which has contributed to tensions among member states in the Schengen area that share open internal borders.
EU Fallout And The Morocco Dispute
The EU Commission praised Spain’s “swift response”, which it said included deploying armed forces to Ceuta and to Melilla.
However, divisions among EU countries have grown. Italy suspended its Schengen arrangements with Spain, with support from Finland and Denmark, while the Czech Republic called for Spain’s Schengen membership to be temporarily suspended, despite Sánchez saying Ceuta is not part of Schengen.
Magnus Brunner, the EU’s Migration Commissioner, suggested criminal networks spreading disinformation may have contributed to the crossings, and Sánchez agreed with that assessment. The EU official also said the bloc should use leverage such as visa policy and trade to press Morocco to cooperate.
Brunner said the EU was “ready to do more” in Ceuta but had not received a further request for EU border guards from Spain.
Morocco has blamed the crisis on Spain’s Supreme Court ruling that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned to Morocco. A Moroccan government source briefing local outlets said the “deterrent element” collapsed and “the dam gave way” because of a judge’s decision, not because of the actions of criminal networks.
Vivas also questioned why Morocco’s border guards did not attempt to stop the attempt, describing it as an “unequivocal attack”. Spain’s interior minister said he was working “firmly” with Morocco to prevent further “violations” and that migrants still in Ceuta would be returned as soon as possible.

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7 August 2026
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Starmer’s £270bn Defence Figure Ruled Misleading

Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Wales Office and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) used misleading figures when describing how much the UK will spend on defence, the UK Statistics Authority has said.

In March, Sir Keir told MPs that ministers were increasing defence spending by £270bn. Similar claims were repeated by other government bodies in June, including a MoD spokesman and the Wales Office on X, before the authority intervened.
MP Claim In March
Sir Keir made the statement to the House of Commons liaison committee, saying the government had already committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence in 2027 and would reach that level. He said this would mean that, within the current Parliament, the UK would spend £270bn more on defence than it would otherwise have done.
The Wales Office later used comparable wording in June, after an MoD spokesman also described the figure in the same way.
The Wales Office subsequently removed an X post that included the claim.
Authority Says Figure Covers 2025-29
The UK Statistics Authority said the figure was presented incorrectly. It said the £270bn is not an increase in defence spending over the course of the Parliament, nor an additional £270bn, as described.
Instead, the authority said the number represents the proposed overall defence spending across the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29, covering the lifetime of the current Parliament.
In a letter to Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, the authority’s interim chair Penny Young said it is “incorrect and misleading” to describe the £270bn as an extra amount over the Parliament or as an increase.
She added that the Wales Office told the authority the wording used “was a mistake” and that it was amended as soon as it was noticed.
Steps Taken To Reduce Repeat Risk
The authority said further steps were taken by the Wales Office and the MoD to reduce the chance of the claim being repeated.
Young said the Wales Office told the authority it reviewed its press office lines on the subject and strengthened its quality assurance process for press lines. She also said the MoD had taken steps to ensure future communications use language that is “precise and consistent” when presenting defence spending figures.
A UK government spokesperson said: “We have previously acknowledged this phrasing and took immediate steps to ensure it was not replicated.”
Downing Street and Sir Keir’s office said they had nothing further to add.
BBC Wales was told the figure originated in the MoD rather than the Wales Office, which at the time was led by the then Welsh secretary Jo Stevens.
Devolution Office Role
The Wales Office is part of the UK government and oversees the devolution settlement, with the department tasked with speaking for Wales within Westminster.
Sir Keir resigned from Downing Street in July, when he was replaced by Andy Burnham.
Conservative Shadow Wales Secretary Mims Davies said the public deserved “honesty and transparency” about the defence budget, adding that Labour ministers and civil servants in the Wales Office should present figures in a way that does not risk misleading people.

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7 August 2026
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Meta Ordered to Pay $567m in Child Safety Case

A US judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay a further $567m (£421m) over what he said was the company’s failure to warn the public about dangers its social media platforms posed to children, in what the court described as the largest child-safety penalty yet imposed on the firm.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid said Meta must establish a fund to reduce future harms. The order on Thursday adds to a prior ruling of $375m, bringing the total fine in the case to $942m.
In his decision, Biedscheid said Meta’s business model amounted to a “public nuisance” comparable with pollution affecting the general public. He drew an analogy between the company and a factory, with advertising and content as its product and with the resulting “psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children” described as the pollution that must be addressed.
Judge Orders New Fund
The court’s latest ruling is the second phase of a trial brought by New Mexico in 2023. State attorneys argued that Meta should be held responsible for how its platforms endangered children and exposed them to sexually explicit material and contact with sexual predators.
In the first phase, Meta was found to have repeatedly violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act. The court said Meta’s recommendation algorithms “essentially steered” young users towards harmful content and contacts.
In the second phase, Biedscheid concluded the harms reached the level of a public nuisance. He compared the effects of the platforms to the way “noxious pollution produced by the factory can harm the common public right to reasonably clean air”, adding that the harm spreads beyond the platforms and affects the wider internet and, potentially, real-world conditions.
The judge said the impacts create a “common, societal burden” on affected children and families, as well as schools, hospitals and law enforcement.
Meta said it plans to appeal. A company spokesman said the firm disagreed with the ruling and that it worked to keep users safe, while arguing that it had been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing harmful content and bad actors. Meta said it remained confident about its record of protecting teens online.
Measures To Curb Harms
The judge ordered Meta to fund efforts to mitigate harms already caused and to support prevention and awareness.
The court said the vast majority of the money, $420m, would be used for treatment of harms through “appropriate clinical or other behavioral health programmes and professionals”. Another portion of the fund is intended to support training aimed at awareness and prevention, including for teachers and health professionals.
The ruling also required Meta to implement operational changes, including:
Ensuring that no account for users under 18 is recommended to adults and that adults cannot message underage users
Banning underage users from sending or receiving nudity
Applying a “1-strike policy” to adult users who engage in child sexual exploitation
Removing “like” counts for users under 18
Blocking push notifications for such users daily between 10:00pm and 7:00am, and during typical school hours between 8:00am and 3:00pm, except on weekends
Imposing a mandatory usage limit of 90 cumulative hours per month across Instagram and Facebook, equivalent to about three hours a day
Appeal And Wider Legal Challenges
Meta’s case adds to a growing number of US lawsuits. The New Mexico action was described as the first time a state had successfully sued Meta over child safety issues. The company is also facing other litigation, including a landmark decision earlier this year in Los Angeles in which a court found Meta could be held liable for building addictive platforms.
Bruce Daisley, a former European vice president of Twitter (now X), said the New Mexico fine, while large, was “a drop in the ocean” for Meta. In its latest financial results, Meta reported revenue of $61bn from April to June, up 28% year on year.
The New Mexico ruling comes as the UK and EU press platforms to take similar steps to protect children online, with recent focus on repair mechanisms that prevent children from being easily viewed or contacted. At the same time, some countries are considering broader bans on children using social media, including plans in the UK to block under-16s and introduce opt-out curfews for older teens at night.
A major additional trial involving Meta is due to begin next week in California. Nearly three dozen state attorneys general are suing the company, alleging violations of child privacy laws.

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7 August 2026
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RWE Abandons US Wind Projects After Trump Deal

German energy group RWE said it will abandon its planned offshore wind projects in the United States after agreeing a $1.2bn (£892m) payment settlement with President Donald Trump’s Department of the Interior (DoI).

RWE said it will use the payout to shift away from offshore wind development and reinvest in conventional gas projects. The company said $900m (£669m) of the sum would go towards a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal project in Louisiana.
No Path For Permits, RWE Says
RWE said that after reviewing its options, it concluded there was no route to secure permission for the offshore projects in the US in the foreseeable future.
The company said it has agreed to give up its offshore leases covering areas off the coasts of California and Louisiana, as well as the New York Bight.
$900m To LNG Terminal In Louisiana
RWE said it will reinvest the $1.2bn into gas-focused developments, including the Louisiana terminal. It also said the decision forms part of a broader plan to direct investment towards increasing its generation capacity in the US.
The German firm said it intends to invest about €17bn (£14.5bn; $19.6bn) in the country over the next six years as part of that growth programme.
Trump Administration Continues Offshore Wind Halt
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a post on X that Americans deserve an energy system built around “common sense”, rather than one reliant on what he described as costly subsidies. Burgum said the DoI welcomed RWE’s agreement and its decision to invest in projects intended to support US energy security.
The RWE move adds to a series of deals agreed by the Trump administration this year aimed at stopping offshore wind development.
Trump, who has backed the fossil fuel industry, has repeatedly pushed to end offshore wind projects. After returning to office, he said the administration was not going ahead with “the wind thing”, and he described offshore wind turbines as dangerous to wildlife.
Recent Agreements With Other Companies
In March 2026, the DoI reached an agreement with TotalEnergies to end the French company’s offshore wind work in the US. TotalEnergies said it would instead re-route investment towards building an LNG facility in Texas and developing “upstream conventional oil” in the Gulf of Mexico.
Last month, the administration also signed a similar large-scale deal with Duke Energy, a Charlotte-based utility. The agreement, worth $129bn (£96bn), was made in return for Duke ending its offshore wind lease covering the Carolina Long Bay area.

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7 August 2026
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Trump Orders Limits On Birthright Citizenship

President Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday aimed at tightening eligibility for automatic citizenship for children born in the United States, following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the constitutional basis for birthright citizenship.
Supreme Court Ruling Spurs new Moves
In late June, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s previous “Day 1” order, which sought to end citizenship by birth for children born on US soil. The court said the plan conflicted with the 14th Amendment, which protects the citizenship rights of people born in the country.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the Supreme Court decision was “unfortunate” and described it as close, adding that he would make “adjustments” because he believed the outcome was unfair.
Expanding Who Could Be Barred From Automatic Citizenship
One of the new orders broadens the category of people said to be ineligible for automatic citizenship. According to administration officials, the order would treat certain groups as not covered by the Citizenship Clause, including “alien enemies of the United States”, members of foreign terrorist organisations, and “large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments”.
Officials said the move is intended to work around the framework used by courts to identify exceptions to birthright citizenship. Courts have long recognised four exceptions tied to the Citizenship Clause: children born in the US to foreign sovereigns and diplomats, now referenced in the order; children born to foreign forces during a hostile occupation; children born on foreign public ships; and children of Native American tribes.
It was unclear, however, how the administration would determine who would fall within the description of people who “lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments” or how that would apply in practice.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said the order ensures that “large numbers” who would otherwise qualify for birthright citizenship would no longer be eligible for benefits.
Order Targets “Birth Tourism” Practice
The second executive order focuses on what the administration calls “birth tourism”. The practice involves travelling to another country with the primary purpose of giving birth there so that the child automatically becomes a citizen of that country.
US law already makes such conduct illegal when it involves visa or immigration fraud, and the practice has become a political focus for the right. Trump said birthright citizenship was originally intended for “the babies of slaves”. He argued that recent patterns were different, alleging that “wealthy people” have built businesses around the practice and that the US should not allow it.
He also claimed that “hundreds of thousands” take advantage of birth tourism, though data cited in the article suggests those estimates are inflated.
Trump said the original policy applied shortly after the Civil War ended, adding that it was not intended for families he described as arriving with multiple children.
Citing Immigration Law For Denying Visas
Miller said Trump has authority to pursue the new approach under Section 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. He described it as a provision that governs the travel of non-citizens into and out of the country and said it is rarely used.
Miller argued that if someone tells a consular officer they are coming as a tourist but intends to give birth for the purpose of securing citizenship for the child, they are committing fraud against the government. He said, based on that reasoning, the relevant visa “can and should and will be now denied”.

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7 August 2026
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Sexual Abuse Claims Rock UK Army Training College

Four young women who attended the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, have told the BBC they were sexually assaulted and harassed while training at the establishment for 17-year-olds.

They allege that a culture of misogyny and sexual violence existed at the college. Their accounts have prompted calls from MPs for an independent inquiry into the “culture, leadership and safeguarding practices” at AFC.
The women say they were assaulted and harassed during their time at AFC over the past five years. Their identities are protected by changes to their names.
Calls For an Independent inquiry
Sarah Atherton, the former MP for Wrexham, said public confidence in the college could only be restored through an independent inquiry. Atherton, who previously served in the Army’s Intelligence Corps, led a 2021 government review into women’s experiences in the armed forces.
Atherton said concerns at AFC Harrogate were raised years ago, and that subsequent data and complaints suggested problems continued without sufficient action.
Emma Lewell MP, who sits on the Defence Committee, said that if the alleged conduct had occurred in any other school or residential setting for children, it would likely have been shut down. She added that there has been a long-running pattern of complaints relating to sexual assault, bullying and other forms of abuse, and urged an urgent investigation led by someone with safeguarding expertise.
Two Lib Dem MPs, Tom Gordon and James MacCleary, have also written to Defence Secretary Wes Streeting. In their letter, they said it was essential that the full facts be established openly, and that any systemic barriers preventing victims from coming forward be examined, including whether reporting mechanisms work and whether safeguarding arrangements are consistently applied.
Allegations And Previous Investigations
According to the 2021 Atherton review, which took evidence from more than 4,200 women, cases included rape and the sexual exploitation of under-18s, along with findings that some women had been drugged before assaults. The review concluded that women were being “denied justice” through a “woefully inadequate” military complaints process.
Atherton told the BBC that the “best way to establish the facts” would be an independent inquiry, arguing that parents, staff and recruits deserve clear answers and accountability.
One woman, “Tilly”, told the BBC she was raped at AFC by several fellow soldiers after being invited into a room. Another woman, “Amy”, said her mother shared her account of sexual assault and near-daily harassment, adding that a malfunctioning room lock meant she slept across the doorway to stop male soldiers entering.
Another woman described how attitudes she said were encouraged or tolerated at AFC affected some male teenagers, and recalled an instructor allegedly saying the focus was on how much sexual access could be obtained.
Complaints, Police Data And Army Response
North Yorkshire Police told the BBC, in response to a Freedom of Information request, that it received 16 reports of sexual offences linked to the college in the year to June. The force said the allegations included exposure, voyeurism and sexual assault, but provided no information on whether the reports resulted in prosecutions.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) data cited by the BBC shows 176 complaints of inappropriate sexual behaviour at the college were made between January 2018 and June 2025.
The Army said “unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place” in its Armed Forces and urged victims and witnesses to come forward. It said reforms have been introduced to support victims, including specialist help through the Defence Serious Crime Command, which operates outside the Army chain of command.
The MoD said AFC “welcomes external scrutiny and challenge”, adding that in the past year the college hosted safeguarding bodies, parliamentarians, the Children’s Commissioner’s office and the Armed Forces Commissioner, and received an “outstanding” report from Ofsted.
Wider Safeguarding Context
The BBC reports that the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, said she would ensure the alleged attacks are investigated and that those responsible, including those who failed to safeguard the girls, are held to account. She said children living away from home have a right to contact her team for support, and that she would ensure girls at AFC can access that help.
The MoD also said a report last year found 67% of women in the armed forces experienced at least one sexualised behaviour in the previous 12 months, compared with 34% of men.
The renewed allegations come amid broader cases of sexual assault in the armed forces. Last year, an ex-army sergeant major was jailed for six months for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old soldier, who later died by suicide. An inquest said the assault and the Army’s failure to take appropriate action “more than minimally” contributed to her death.

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7 August 2026
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Tories Pledge Ban on Social Housing for Foreign Nationals

The Conservatives have said that, if they win the next general election, they would end access to social housing in England for foreign nationals.

Under the party’s proposal, new social housing tenancies would stop for foreign nationals. It would also end existing tenancies for couples where neither partner is a UK, Irish or EU citizen. The Conservatives said the changes would free up an estimated 228,144 homes for British families.
The party said Labour had “lost control of immigration”, leaving families on housing waiting lists. Labour disputed that characterisation, describing the policy as an “unserious, unworkable proposal” copied from Reform UK and arguing it would not address the housing shortage.
Planned Changes In England
The Conservatives said foreign nationals would be expected to leave social homes within six months if they were found to be ineligible under the new rules. The policy would cover single people as well as couples in specific circumstances.
The party’s comments came after Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, said in June that foreign national tenants would be required to secure private accommodation within three months, or face potential deportation if Reform won power.
Eligibility Rules And Existing Tenants
Under the Conservatives’ plan, any single person currently living in social housing who is not a UK, Irish or EU citizen would lose their home, regardless of whether they have children. Couples where neither partner is a UK or EU citizen and who do not have EU settled status would also lose entitlement.
People with EU settled status would not be evicted under the proposals. For future tenancies, the party said UK nationals and those with EU settled status would remain eligible, while new EU citizens without settled status would not.
Foreign nationals with settled status, refugee status or specific humanitarian protections would continue to qualify for social housing under the existing framework. Asylum seekers would not be eligible unless in exceptional cases, including where someone is experiencing domestic abuse.
The Conservatives also previously floated a different approach when in government in 2024, considering a 10-year UK residence requirement before foreign nationals could qualify for social housing.
Housing Waiting List And Lettings Data
The latest government figures show 1.34 million households were on social housing waiting lists as of March 2025.
Data from 2024-25 indicates that most new social lettings go to single people. For the lead tenant of new social lettings, the person in whose name the tenancy is held, 89% were UK nationals, totalling 233,000 tenants. In the same period, 2.3% of new lettings were granted to refugees: 800 of those were UK nationals, while 3,900 were non-UK nationals. The most common refugee nationality in new lettings was Afghanistan, with Ukraine second.
Criticism From Labour, Shelter And Reform
Helen Whately, the Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “Making Britain your home should be earned by working, paying tax and integrating.” She added that Labour had lost control of immigration and the welfare bill, and that British families were “sitting on waiting lists”.
Labour said the policy would mainly affect refugees and long-term residents who had contributed, while putting more families at risk of homelessness. A Labour spokesperson said: “No amount of headline-chasing, or following Reform to the extremes, can hide the damage the Tories did to our housing system,” adding that the Conservatives should acknowledge their failures.
Housing and homelessness charity Shelter said eligibility rules for social housing were already strict and that accommodation was not provided immediately to people on arrival. Sarah Elliott, Shelter’s chief executive, said the “divisive plans” would “brutally kick people out of their homes”, including thousands of families and pensioners who have lived there for decades, and argued the housing emergency is linked to governments failing to build enough affordable social homes.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, accused the Conservatives of trying to copy Reform’s position but argued they had not gone far enough because their ban would not include people with EU settled status. He said Reform would make social housing “strictly for British citizens”.

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7 August 2026
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Trump Gaza Board Issues First Military Base Contract

Donald Trump's Gaza Board of Peace has issued its first construction contract in Gaza, awarding a tender for a small military outpost intended to house Moroccan troops, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The project is for a rudimentary base sized at about 100 metres by 120 metres and designed to accommodate roughly 150 personnel. The contract has not been finalised, the source said.
First Contract Yet To Be Finalised
The deal was awarded to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based firm that has previously carried out work for the US government in countries including Iraq. The contract terms are still being completed, and no final award has been published.
In an email, a Board of Peace official said the board and a separate Palestinian team tasked with overseeing Gaza were nearing the end of preparations for a series of contract awards. The official added: “None have been finalised.”
Role Of The Board
The Board of Peace, established in January to oversee reconstruction in Gaza, is chaired by the US president. It is led by a team that includes Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and friend Steve Witkoff.
The Board of Peace’s Palestinian group counterpart is the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, according to the email.
Facilities For an international Stabilisation Force
The official said one prospective contract concerned facilities to support the international stabilisation force (ISF), which the board said would help implement security and governance arrangements set out in the roadmap.
The official wrote that the contract would be among multiple measures needed for the future of Gaza.
The UN resolution that authorised the Board of Peace also approved establishing an ISF for Gaza, but reports have differed on which country would provide troops. Morocco has promised a small contingent, but the legal framework for the ISF has not yet been finalised and it is unclear when any deployment would start.
Earlier contract planning reviewed by The Guardian described the planned 150-person outpost as the first phase of a larger ISF base for up to 5,000 troops. That earlier plan included vehicle fighting positions and a perimeter berm, along with basic facilities suitable for short-term deployment, such as tents and cots, chemical toilets and handwashing stations.
New Contract Comes After Hamas Disarm Claims
The award comes days after Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to disarm, though there were significant questions about how the group would surrender weapons. Israel has opposed the plan and increased airstrikes in Gaza following Trump’s announcement.
The Guardian reported in July that the board’s initial reconstruction concept had shrunk substantially, down from an ambitious plan to rebuild the entire territory to a smaller pilot project in the south of the strip.
The planned base would be located within around 60% of Gaza’s territory that the Israeli army directly controls, where Israel has also created a buffer zone beyond that area. The source said it would be about a mile from the Israeli border and include a “quick extraction route” for the small contingent if it faced attack.
In February 2025, Trump said the US would “take over” and “own” Gaza, though the agreement setting up the Board of Peace did not go that far.
At the board’s first meeting in January, Kushner unveiled what he called a “master plan” for “New Gaza”, featuring an expansive waterfront city with mixed-use towers.
Meanwhile, at least 80% of Gaza’s buildings were damaged or destroyed in the war. Ten months after the ceasefire, most of the territory’s roughly 2 million people remain living in makeshift and unsanitary camps.

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7 August 2026
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Fauci Held in Contempt After Covid Hearing

A US Senate committee voted to hold former top public health official Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he refused to answer questions during a hearing on his role in the Covid-19 pandemic response.

The vote, which split along party lines, clears the way for the committee to refer the matter to the justice department for possible prosecution. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will take action.
Fauci, who testified last week, repeatedly invoked the constitutional right against self-incrimination, doing so more than 100 times during the session, according to the hearing accounts described by US media.
Contempt Referral and Legal Uncertainty
Under the committee’s contempt procedures, the panel can pass a resolution and forward the case to the justice department if it believes a witness failed to comply with a congressional subpoena.
In this case, the committee action does not itself determine whether charges will be brought. A referral would instead allow prosecutors to decide whether to pursue the contempt allegation.
If the matter were to proceed, it could raise questions about the scope of prior legal protection for Fauci, including whether any potential charges would relate to actions after a recent presidential pardon.
Fifth Amendment Claims and Defence Response
Following the committee vote, Fauci’s lawyer criticised the decision, saying it was a “crude political stunt” aimed at punishing Fauci for exercising his constitutional right.
Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, the committee’s chairman, had argued before the vote that the committee was deciding whether Fauci could be ordered to answer questions and then defy that order without consequences.
Ahead of the decision, Paul said the chair had directed Fauci to respond and that Fauci refused. He also said the vote was not about Fauci’s past views or policy record.
Fauci himself denied wrongdoing during the hearing. He accused Paul of an “obvious obsession” with pursuing prosecution and said Paul was trying to get him to make statements that could support repeated claims that Fauci would end up “behind bars”.
The top Democrat on the committee, Michigan Senator Gary Peters, defended Fauci, accusing Paul of launching what he described as a rushed investigation and a long-running campaign to bring a case.
Pandemic Origins Dispute and the Pardon
The committee hearing took place against ongoing public debate in the US over the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The origins have been disputed between political figures and public health officials, including differences raised during Donald Trump’s presidency, when the pandemic began in 2020. Many scientists have said exposure to an infected animal is a more likely origin than a laboratory escape.
Paul has for years accused Fauci of seeking to conceal information about the outbreak’s origins and of supporting research funding connected to a lab in Wuhan, where some people believe the pandemic started with a lab leak. Fauci has denied any wrongdoing.
In his final day in office in 2025, then-President Joe Biden granted Fauci a pre-emptive pardon protecting him from federal prosecution for actions between 2014 and 2025.
However, the pardon does not necessarily prevent other proceedings. Fauci could still face charges for conduct after the date covered by the pardon, and he could also be exposed to state or local charges not covered by the federal protection.
Committee Procedure and Past Contempt Cases
Paul, who led the Republican side of the committee, bypassed a full Senate vote on the contempt resolution, saying he did not want to “waste time” running through the wider procedure.
Normally, contempt resolutions advanced by a committee go to the full Senate, where they require a 60-vote majority to move forward. Republicans hold 53 seats in the 100-member Senate.
Fauci’s lawyer, David Schertler, previously told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that Fauci was on “solid legal ground” in asserting his Fifth Amendment privilege, and he said taking the step does not amount to an admission of guilt. Contempt prosecutions, and resulting convictions, are rare.
In 2024, former Trump allies Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were convicted of contempt and sentenced to jail terms, the first such convictions since the 1980s.


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7 August 2026
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Trump Denies US Weapons Shortage, Hunts Leakers

President Donald Trump has rejected reports that the United States is facing a shortage of munitions, and said alleged information “leakers” would be pursued, after fresh questions were raised about the condition of the military’s arsenal.

Posting on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said the US had “massive amounts” of munitions, particularly certain types, and that additional quantities were being manufactured and sent as required. He also vowed to seek “long term jail sentences” for people suspected of leaking information, adding that “leakers” were being “hunted down”.
The comments came as the war entered its sixth month and a peace deal remained out of reach, with the administration under pressure to reassure Americans about the resilience of its missile and ammunition stocks.
Trump Rejects Reports of Munitions Shortage
The latest concerns were sparked by reporting from US broadcasters and newspapers citing unnamed sources. CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, said the US had drawn down much of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles during the conflict, citing two sources with direct knowledge. The BBC has not independently verified the report.
Separately, The Washington Post said on Wednesday evening that Trump had confronted Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth last week about a possible shortfall, also citing unnamed sources. The BBC has not confirmed the claim.
Trump later responded directly to the Washington Post story in a subsequent post, saying he believed its “fake” reporting was treasonous. He also said he was “extremely happy” with Hegseth’s performance.
Iran Says It Can Respond to Any Threat
Iran responded to the reports of shrinking US supplies by saying its domestically produced weapons allow it to respond to any threat. Defence Minister Majid Ibn-e-Reza wrote on X that “each day” signs of the enemy’s reduced capabilities were becoming clearer, adding that Iran’s armed forces, backed by the country’s defence industry, were “fully equipped” to respond.
He also argued that buyers seeking security and military superiority through imported systems would find Iran’s indigenous technology superior to any regional alternative.
Missile Stockpile Questions and Ukraine Demand
Some uncertainty about US missile stocks reflects broader limits on what can be verified publicly, as detailed information remains classified and reporting from the Pentagon is tightly controlled. Since taking office as defence secretary, Hegseth has moved to restrict what journalists can obtain from the department.
Still, analysis using public data has suggested pressure on certain systems. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank, estimated that by the end of July the US had between 759 and 827 Patriot missiles left, compared with 2,330 available before the conflict began. CSIS senior adviser Mark Cancian said on Wednesday that the US had used around 60% of its terminal high altitude area defence (THAAD) missiles.
Cancian noted that demand for weapons is not limited to the conflict with Iran, with the wider requirement for support also affecting supply. The US has provided Ukraine with significant numbers of Patriot missiles since Russia’s invasion in 2022, and CSIS expects the Pentagon to retain remaining stocks as supplies tighten.
At a cabinet meeting on Friday, Trump told reporters that granting Ukraine’s request for additional Patriot missiles would be a “big step”, but he said the two countries were “still talking about” the matter.
Administration Says Production Is Under Way
Because many modern weapons rely on long funding, ordering, production and delivery timelines, replacing munitions quickly can be difficult once used. The administration has repeatedly asserted that the US has sufficient weapons in its stockpile.
Trump said to the Wall Street Journal last month that the US had “far more munitions” than any country, and “far more than we need”. Hegseth, meanwhile, described reports of shortages as a “manufactured story” in a 14 June appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation.
At the same time, the administration has indicated it is accelerating production. Hegseth asked the US Senate last month for emergency funding of $87bn to pay service members and “rapidly replenish equipment and munitions”.


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