UNITED KINGDOM

Pete Hegseth supports cuts of up to 8% of civilian workforce as Trump bids to institute massive government cutsThe Pentagon announced plans Friday to fire 5-8% of its civilian workforce, staring next week with layoffs of 5,400 probationary workers, a Department of Defense official said in a statement.The initial civilian layoffs will be followed by a Department of Defense hiring freeze to analyze the military’s personnel needs in compliance with Donald Trump’s political goals, Darin Selnick, the acting under-secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in the statement. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/21/pentagon-layoffs-civilian-workers Author : Lois Beckett and

Weather bureau forecasts temperatures as high as 39C in Adelaide, 36C in Melbourne, 30C in Canberra and 29C in HobartGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastExtreme fire danger and total fire bans have been declared for much of South Australia and Victoria, including Melbourne, as hot and dry winds bring sweltering temperatures to the region on Saturday, and cyclones threaten to form off the Queensland and Western Australian coasts.Forecast temperatures were between six and 12C above average in many places for Saturday, with expected maximums of 39C in Adelaide, 36C in Melbourne, 30C in Canberra and

Rapper is a vocal supporter of Palestine but has received criticism over restaurant’s links to Israeli militaryStormzy has denied that he “compromised beliefs for commercial gain”, after his advertising partnership with McDonald’s was criticised over the company’s ties to Israel.In a new campaign, the rapper appears in filmed adverts and on billboards promoting the “Stormzy meal” featuring a selection of his favourite menu items. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/21/stormzy-denies-he-compromised-beliefs-with-mcdonalds-partnership Author : Ben Beaumont-Thomas Publish date : 2025-02-21 23:48:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Keith Kellogg takes different tone from Trump, who contrasted ‘very good talks’ with Putin with cooler relationship with Ukraine’s leaderThe US envoy to Ukraine, Gen Keith Kellogg, has praised Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war”, striking a dramatically different tone from Donald Trump, who has called Ukraine’s president a “dictator”.Kellogg left Kyiv on Friday after a three-day visit. Posting on social media, he said he had engaged in “extensive and positive discussions” with Zelenskyy and his “talented national security team”. “A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine,” he said.