Washington's diplomatic community was buzzing yesterday over news of evacuations from the US embassy in Baghdad as regional tensions flare.
The State Department authorised the departure of all non-essential staff from the Iraqi capital - and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth signalled the departure of military dependants from locations across the region.
"They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place," President Donald Trump told reporters at an event yesterday.
The alert came on the same day Iran threatened to attack US military bases in the region if a conflict breaks out. This is no more escalatory than the rhetoric Mr Trump has frequently engaged in with regard to Tehran failing to come to an agreement with the US on its nuclear programme, but the comments from Iran's Defence Minister seem to have freaked Washington out enough to take action.
Hopefully, and more likely than not, these actions are being taken out of an excess of caution. Regardless, departing head of US Central Command Gen Michael Kurilla told Congress on Tuesday that he has presented Mr Trump and Mr Hegseth with a "wide range of options" to take against Iran should nuclear deal talks fail.
Mr Trump and Iran had said this week that talks would resume soon, with Oman saying meetings would take place on Sunday. Despite talks being scheduled to continue, Mr Trump said in an interview that he was "less confident" about reaching a deal than he was a couple of months ago.
Meanwhile, things are heating up in DC – literally – with "The Swamp" starting to officially live up to its name after a mild, late spring. This, and a forecast of thunderstorms, doesn't bode well for Mr Trump's parade this weekend. The military parade, an unusual sight in Washington, will cost about $45 million and is expected to include tanks, helicopters and hundreds of soldiers marching in formation.
Something else that might mar the day for the President is a series of "No Kings" protests planned in cities across the country - although notably not in Washington, after Mr Trump warned they would be met with "very heavy force". His comments followed days of protests in Los Angeles against immigration raids in the city. The President has sent 4,000 members of the National Guard to the major urban centre, as well as 700 US Marines, despite objections from California's Governor. Perhaps Mr Trump is just aiming to tee up some talking points for his parade speech.
EYE ON THE WHITE HOUSE
Will Trump forgive Elon Musk after 'regrets' post?
US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at a media conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Reuters
Mercurial tech tycoon Elon Musk has retracted some of his criticism of Mr Trump, after the Tesla chief and the US leader had a public falling out last week.
"I regret some of my posts about President Trump last week," he posted to X, the social media platform he owns. "They went too far."
Last week, shortly after Mr Musk announced his plans to step away from his role in the Trump administration, he used his social media platform to blast Mr Trump's much-touted “big, beautiful” tax bill, describing it as a “disgusting abomination” that would blow up the national debt.
The abrupt turn against Mr Trump's signature legislation came after the disintegration of the partnership between the two men, which had lasted more than a year and saw Mr Musk donate hundreds of millions of dollars to Mr Trump's presidential campaign.
Axing the vaxxers Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said this week that he would be firing all 17 members of a committee advising the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention "to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science". Contrary to scientific evidence, Mr Kennedy has for many years questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccines and has claimed most committee members received funding from drug companies.
Miller gets confused Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller faced criticism after she said in a post on social media that it was “troubling” that a Muslim had led the morning prayer in US Congress. “America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth,” she wrote on X. The only problem - aside from it being a bigoted take - was that it was a Sikh religious leader who had offered the prayer.
China tariffs Officials from the US and China said this week that they have agreed to a framework deal to end the tariff war between them after two days of high-level talks in London. Mr Trump hailed the deal on Truth Social, and said the US would place a 55 per cent tariff on Chinese goods, while Beijing will charge a 10 per cent levy on American goods. The move ends weeks of concern over a potential global economic slowdown after the US and China hit each other with punishing retaliatory tariffs.
Spotlight: Will France recognise Palestinian statehood at UN conference in New York?
Protesters hold Palestinian flags at the Place de la Republique square in Paris. AFP
France is more likely than not to formally recognise a Palestinian state, with expectations that the UK, Canada and other western nations could follow in a co-ordinated diplomatic move, experts say.
The possible shift comes amid heightened diplomatic efforts to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, although the exact terms of recognition remain under negotiation.
French officials have said President Emmanuel Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state before a UN conference that France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting from June 17 to 20.
Mr Macron has said he is “determined” to recognise a Palestinian state, but set out several conditions, including the “demilitarisation” of Hamas.
World’s most popular TikTok star leaves US after being detained by ICE
Khaby Lame at a film premiere in London in 2023. Invision / AP
Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikTok personality who has millions of followers, has left the US after being detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa.
The Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Serigne Khabane Lame, was detained on Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, a representative for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement told AP. His departure was voluntary.
Lame, 25, rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated “life hacks". He has more than 162 million followers on TikTok alone.
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
