Skip to main content

UK defence minister Healey quits, says PM Starmer's plans fail to keep country safe

British defence minister ​John Healey quit on Thursday in a dispute over military spending, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of ‌failing to commit the government resources that are needed to defend the country at a time of heightened threat. The unexpected resignation, accompanied by a scathing public letter, compounds the pressure on Starmer when he is facing a likely leadership challenge and ​exposes the crisis at the heart of government - how it can ramp up defence spending when there ​is no money to spare. Britain's defence and finance ministries have been locked in talks ⁠for months over how to meet rising demands to expand military spending, delaying Britain's Defence Investment Plan, which ​was expected to be published last year. Military leaders have stressed the plan is needed to meet the rising threat ​level at a time of frequent Russian incursions into British waters, but the government is already struggling to reduce debt while the overall tax burden...
Post a Comment

Iranian military orders closure of Strait of Hormuz to all vessels after US attacks

Iran's military command stated on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz was closed to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial vessels, in a statement carried by Iran's Mehr news agency. "From this moment on, due to insecurity in the region, the Strait of Hormuz is declared closed for the passage of all types of vessels," the military said. "Any passage [of ships] will be targeted." Iran’s Mehr news agency reports that Iran’s top joint military command has ordered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial vessels. Any vessel attempting passage will be targeted, it added. pic.twitter.com/18xOPDmfLb — Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) June 11, 2026 Iranian media said two US ships were fired on, but US Central Command denied that the strait was closed or any of its ships were struck, saying commercial ships were still transiting the strait despite Iran's warnings. Iranian news agencies reported explosions in several cities across the country of 93 million, including Sirik, Kargan, Bandar Abbas, Minab, and Karaj near the strait, as well as Varamin far to the north, closer to the Caspian Sea. Read: US and Iran trade attacks for a second day, undermining shaky ceasefire US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the move as an effort to force Iran into a deal to end the conflict. The strikes would "advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position," he told reporters during a visit to Central Command in Florida. "We will strike them hard tonight, and hopefully Iran makes a good decision," he said. "If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs." The US and Iran have traded fire several times since the tentative ceasefire took hold, even as negotiators have unsuccessfully sought to end the war, now in its fourth month. Trump has repeatedly said a deal is close, though there has been no sign of a breakthrough, while also threatening to resume bombing. Early on Wednesday, the US military targeted air defences and radar sites around the Strait of Hormuz after Monday's downing of a US attack helicopter near the strategic waterway. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. A US official said there was no significant damage. Read more: Trump vows fresh Iran strikes Iran accused the US of striking reservoirs that supplied drinking water to 10 villages and violating international law. "This is not collateral damage - it is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights," said foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghei. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The war has killed thousands and disrupted roughly a fifth of the global supply of crude oil and liquefied natural gas, sending prices sharply higher. Iran has blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US has maintained its own blockade on Iranian ports.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/dFGy4xA
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vancouver tribunal says 'every dog is entitled to one bite' in injury case

A woman who sought nearly $5,000 in damages after being bitten by a dog on Christmas Eve has had her claim dismissed, after a British Columbia tribunal ruled the incident amounted to an accident — and that “every dog is entitled to one bite.” Ying Shen was bitten on the hand by a mini Australian Shepherd named Juliet as she stepped out of an elevator in her apartment building in Vancouver on 24 December 2022. The dog, which was leashed and accompanied by neighbour Jeffrey Dale Polo, bit Shen as the two passed each other in the corridor. According to the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal’s decision, Polo apologised, saying Juliet was “usually well behaved.” Shen sought medical attention that night at St. Paul’s Hospital, where she was treated for a superficial abrasion and given a tetanus shot. She later filed a report with the City of Vancouver. A bylaw officer determined that Juliet was not considered dangerous under city regulations, though the dog was found to be unlicensed. In his 5 M...
Post a Comment
Read more