Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth informed Estonia's defense minister that the delivery of six High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems would be delayed until after the war with Iran, raising significant concerns about U.S. reliability as a defense partner.
Modest investments abroad could advance America's interests at home - by preventing pandemics from reaching our shores, by expanding markets for U.S. goods, by promoting democracy and freedom - all for less than 1% of the federal budget each year.
Collard had been having a live dialogue about Mandelson with the separate UK Security Vetting (UKSV) team, based in the Cabinet Office. Collard had then asked to speak to Robbins for what turned out to be a critical meeting: it concluded with Mandelson being granted vetting clearance.
Diminished. Sadly. I mean, you know, when I was a student, it was just understood that the U.S. was the leading nation in the world, not just the biggest, not the richest, not most powerful, but the country that people looked to because of our values as well as because of our strength.
The conversation reveals that the ongoing conflict raises critical questions about the motivations behind US foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel's role in shaping military strategies.
Many of the foundations that have underpinned Australia's security, prosperity and democracy are being tested: social cohesion is eroding, trust in institutions is declining, intolerance is growing, even truth itself is being undermined by conspiracy, mis- and disinformation.
Four days into this situation in the skies over Tehran, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said, 'We're not at war right now.' This was, rather, a 'very specific, clear mission-an operation.' Operation does seem to be the preferred word in government talking points, even as it encompasses assassinating an ayatollah, torpedoing an Iranian naval ship, blowing up fuel depots and a desalination plant, and losing the lives of (so far) eight American service members along the way.
At the same time, however, the United States is hemorrhaging billions in tourism revenue by the year, a downward trend many experts credit to President Donald Trump's nationalistic approach to immigration. In December, the administration expanded its travel ban to 39 countries-most of them in Africa-that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem claimed had "been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies" on X.
American diplomats are supposed to represent the nation, advocate for the interests and policies of the U.S. government, and stay on generally good terms with the country to which they're assigned. Even when they are sent to places that have an adversarial relationship with the United States, they are expected to maintain decorum while conveying messages these regimes may not want to hear.
Western governments, the U.S. under Donald Trump leading the pack, are caught in the grip of an anti-immigration fervor, enforcing cruel and degrading laws that violate human rights and undermine public safety. This entire approach toward immigrants is not only immoral but also rests on false economic claims, argues Daniel Mendiola, assistant professor of history and migration studies at Vassar College, in the interview that follows.
Across the world, governments are redefining data. It is no longer a commercial byproduct, but a strategic resource. One that carries economic weight, political influence, and long-term national consequences. At the center of this shift is what most people never consciously see but continuously produce: their digital DNA.