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- Trump administration requests £88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola response and farm aid
- Ebola case confirmed in France after humanitarian worker returns from DRC
- E5 leaders meet in Berlin to reinforce European defence cooperation
- Mamdani-backed candidates win Democratic primaries in New York City
- Israeli attacks in Gaza and West Bank result in deaths of two, including child
- Health Canada approves Zepbound for treating sleep apnea in adults with obesity
- Wounded soldiers and families allege Army downplays severity of war injuries
- Police defend use of Tasers on teenage girls as proportionate and justified
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Trump administration requests £88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola response and farm aid
9:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Trump administration asks Congress for $88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola, farm aid
The Trump administration submitted a supplemental funding package to Congress on Wednesday, requesting approximately $87.6 billion for the Iran war and other urgent needs. The request primarily allocates $67 billion for the Pentagon, with significant portions designated for munitions and operational costs.
The Trump administration has submitted a request to Congress for approximately £87.6 billion, primarily aimed at military needs related to the Iran war. The funding proposal includes £67 billion specifically allocated for the Pentagon, but its approval faces significant political challenges, particularly from Democrats.
The Trump administration has submitted a supplemental funding package to Congress, requesting approximately £87.6 billion to address urgent needs related to the Iran war, among other issues. The proposal is anticipated to encounter significant opposition, particularly from Democrats, raising doubts about its likelihood of passing in the Senate.
What remains unclear — It is not specified how Congress plans to respond to the funding request, particularly in light of political opposition.
Trump administration requests £88 billion in supplemental funding for Iran war, Ebola response and farm aid
Washington — The Trump administration on Wednesday sent Congress a long-awaited supplemental funding package to help cover the cost of the Iran war.
The administration is asking for about $87.6 billion to address “urgent needs” related to the Iran war, as well as other funding to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa and provide support for American farmers. Most of the funding — $67 billion — is for the Pentagon, including $21 billion for munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs and $12.1 billion for classified programs.
The request will face an uphill battle and puts vulnerable Republicans in a politically tricky position, since backing it could be seen as support for the unpopular war. It’s all but certain to face stiff opposition from Democrats, putting its passage in the Senate in doubt.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Ebola case confirmed in France after humanitarian worker returns from DRC
8:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Ebola case reported in France following outbreak that’s killed 267 | News World
A French doctor who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola and is currently isolating in France. The outbreak in the DRC has resulted in nearly 781 infections and 267 deaths, with authorities tracing those who may have come into contact with the patient, while the general risk in Europe remains low.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing the largest recorded outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, with nearly 781 confirmed cases and 267 fatalities. Contact tracing efforts are severely hampered, achieving only 43% coverage, while infrastructure issues persist, with only one in five health centres in Ituri province having sufficient access to clean water.
France’s health ministry confirmed a French doctor who returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested positive for Ebola and is currently in isolation, while contact tracing for potential exposures is underway; the general risk in Europe remains low. The World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency last month as Oxfam warned that the actual toll of the outbreak could be much higher, exacerbated by inadequate healthcare infrastructure and violent conflict in the region.
What remains unclear — The exact number of additional Ebola cases expected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the potential for further spread in Europe is not specified.
Ebola case confirmed in France after humanitarian worker returns from DRC
The outbreak has been raging for over a month now (Picture: Reuters)
A French doctor who was working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has tested positive for Ebola after returning home.
France’s health ministry said the patient had been on a humanitarian mission and is currently isolating.
Those who may have come into contact with the patient are being traced, and the general risk the outbreak presents in Europe remains low.
Last week, it was revealed that the ‘first line of defence’ against the deadly strain of Ebola has collapsed.
The DRC is facing its largest ever outbreak of the virus, with nearly 781 infected and 267 dead.
But Oxfam has warned that the true toll is likely far higher, as the country’s contact tracing programme and water infrastructure are at breaking point.
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Only one in five health centres in the northeastern province of Ituri, the worst-affected region, has access to enough clean water.
In Mongbwalo, a town of 140,000 people, only two in 10 have access to clean water, and a quarter have access to working hygiene facilities.
North Kivu province is even seeing Ebola cases being identified after the patient has died, unaware they had the illness.
Why is this Ebola outbreak so concerning?
The Red Cross is working to contain the deadly disease (Picture: Reuters)
The strain of Ebolavirus behind this outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, is rare and currently has no vaccine or treatment.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed this is the largest Bundibugyo outbreak on record.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency last month following the outbreak.
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a rare haemorrhagic fever which spreads through the fluids of infected and dead patients.
Ebola symptoms can start between two and 21 days after infection. They can appear suddenly and include flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, extreme tiredness and a headache.
Other symptoms include:
bleeding from the nose, gums or vagina
being sick
diarrhoea and tummy pain
a skin rash
yellowing of the skin and eyes
blood in stools
bruises all over the body
bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose or mouth
muscle pain
sore throat
blood in vomit
Contact tracing – identifying the people an infected person has come into contact with – has just 43% coverage in DRC.
Oxfam fieldwork found that there are just 0.2 doctors per 1,000 people, and some 70 health facilities have been destroyed by conflict.
The years-long violence in DRC has displaced millions, including people in Ituri, complicating contact tracing efforts.
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E5 leaders meet in Berlin to reinforce European defence cooperation
6:00 pm
E5 leaders meet in Berlin to reinforce European defence cooperation
E5 Summit Held
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, and Poland’s PM Donald Tusk convened in Berlin for the E5 summit.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, and Poland’s PM Donald Tusk convened in Berlin for the E5 summit.
Defence Spending
Commitments to boost defence spending among E5 nations aim to establish a robust European military framework, essential for addressing both current geopolitical challenges and the evolving security landscape.
Commitments to boost defence spending among E5 nations aim to establish a robust European military framework, essential for addressing both current geopolitical challenges and the evolving security landscape.
E5 Commitment
“We are here together today, in the E5 format, to confirm that our countries will safeguard European unity and transatlantic unity,” said Poland’s Tusk during the press conference.
“We are here together today, in the E5 format, to confirm that our countries will safeguard European unity and transatlantic unity,” said Poland’s Tusk during the press conference.
Europe’s five largest military powers meet ahead of key NATO summit with Ukraine in mind
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Polish PM Donald Tusk met in Berlin on Wednesday for an E5 summit hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The E5 format was launched in 2024 to bring together the defence ministers of Europe’s largest military powers and biggest defence spenders, coordinating support for Ukraine, addressing the US’s gradual withdrawal from Europe, and setting up joint defence projects.
The gathering of NATO’s most influential European members comes ahead of a key summit of the alliance on 7-8 July in Ankara.
The E5 meeting also aimed to build on the so-called “Évian moment,” as Macron put it — when G7 leaders, including US President Donald Trump, displayed unity on backing Ukraine’s war effort and ramping up pressure on Russia to engage seriously in peace talks.
“The process that began at the G7 summit in Évian continued at last week’s European Council, and is set to continue with the NATO summit in Ankara, followed by the ‘Coalition of Willing’ in support of Ukraine and the security guarantees,” Macron said at the press conference after the E5 summit.
Coalition of the Willing
Berlin pressed ahead with the high-stakes E5 summit despite the political turmoil that engulfed London on Monday, after Starmer resigned as prime minister under pressure from his own Labour Party following a disastrous set of local election results.
Starmer has played a central role in European security discussions, co-leading with Macron the so-called “coalition of the willing,” which aims to provide security guarantees and military commitments as part of a future peace deal with Ukraine.
How committed his likely successor in Downing Street, Andy Burnham, will be to defence spending pledges and Ukraine’s peace process remains an open question.
Merz has positioned Germany as co-chair of the coalition — a role that could grow further if the UK’s political crisis deepens or its policy direction shifts.
Earlier this month, Macron, Starmer and Merz met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the E3 format to discuss security guarantees and military support, particularly around anti-ballistic missile and deep-strike capabilities.
That meeting drew criticism from Italy and Poland, who were excluded from the talks — prompting the move to widen the format to E5 and bring in Europe’s two other major defence powers.
Supporters of the E5 argue the E3 is too narrow a base for decision-making, particularly given Poland’s role as a crucial logistical hub for Ukraine’s war effort; any peace deal, they say, would require Warsaw’s close involvement. Yet a serious diplomatic rift is currently driving a wedge between Poland and Ukraine.
Others see the E3 as the natural format for talks with Russia, since the group holds unmatched military weight in nuclear deterrence, intelligence-gathering and deep-strike capability.
NATO’s European pillar
The Ankara summit comes at a critical moment for NATO, with Trump irritated at European allies over their lack of support for his war in Iran. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met the US president on Wednesday in a charm offensive. Rutte joined the European leaders’ discussion via video conference.
The backdrop of the upcoming NATO summit is Washington’s gradual scaling-back of its presence in Europe — not just conventional military assets, but also so-called strategic enablers: the logistics, command structures and infrastructure that underpin the ability to project and sustain combat power.
“We are here together today, in the E5 format, to confirm that our countries will safeguard European unity and transatlantic unity,” Poland’s Tusk said at the press conference.
Last week, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticised NATO allies at a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels, urging Europeans to take greater responsibility for their own security as he announced a six-month review of American force levels on the continent.
During the press conference, Chancellor Merz pointed out that all the countries involved committed to significantly boost their defence spending, which he sees as “laying the foundation for a more balanced transatlantic partnership.”
How to strengthen NATO’s European pillar and gradually replace US military capabilities in the region — with the E5 as the leading players — was the central question facing Europe’s largest military powers on Wednesday.
Merz said that the E5 powers agreed to coordinate closely to tackle major defence challenges, such as long-range weapons, air defence, and artificial intelligence.
“We are all clearly in agreement that Europe must shoulder its responsibilities in terms of defence and security, resolutely pursuing the path it has set out on towards a stronger European component of the Atlantic Alliance,” Meloni said.
Mamdani-backed candidates win Democratic primaries in New York City
5:01 pm
Media Lens: Mamdani-backed candidates win Democratic primaries in New York City
Mamdani-backed candidates win New York’s Democratic primary.
Mamdani-backed candidates achieved a clean sweep in New York’s Democratic primaries. This victory has been reported in various news outlets, highlighting the significant impact on local political dynamics, according to coverage in the latest US news and US and global politics.
What happened
In New York’s recent Democratic primary, candidates backed by Mamdani achieved significant victories. This outcome marks a notable shift within the party, reflecting the influence of progressive candidates in local elections.
Vote counts indicated a clean sweep for these candidates, solidifying their positions as key figures in the state’s political landscape. The results are being interpreted as a response to broader trends within the Democratic Party nationally.
Key facts
- The Democratic primary in New York recently took place.
- Candidates backed by Mamdani achieved significant victories.
- The results have been described as a “clean sweep” for those candidates.
- Reports indicate the Democratic Party is facing challenges after these results.
Where coverage differs
- Outlet A emphasizes the victories of Mamdani-backed candidates, while Outlet B focuses on the implications of the election results for the Democratic Party.
- Outlet C foregrounds the concepts of “clean sweep” and “historic win,” rather than highlighting the broader political ramifications.
- Outlet D prioritizes the analysis of electoral shifts and their significance, over simply reporting the outcomes of specific races.
One story, four angles
BBC – Clean sweep for Mamdani-backed candidates in New York’s Democratic primary
Publication: BBC | Primary framing pattern: consequence | Tone: Neutral | Intensity: 7/10 | Sentiment: Neutral | Legal precision: High
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Espresso Shot: This article highlights the success of candidates backed by Mamdani in New York’s Democratic primaries, framing the outcome as significant for the party’s direction. The piece emphasizes the implications for future elections and policy discussions.
Publication emphasis: The focus is on the victory of Mamdani’s affiliated candidates as a pivotal event in the Democratic primaries.
Framing analysis: The foregrounded elements include the impact on the political landscape and electoral strategies, with less emphasis on individual candidate backgrounds or specific policy issues.
Bias: Selection: Primarily reports on candidate outcomes. Language: Uses neutral language to convey results. Omission: Limited discussion of the challenges these candidates may face moving forward.
Assessment: The report effectively conveys the significance of the election results while maintaining a neutral tone.
The Guardian – Mamdani-backed candidates sweep Democratic primaries in New York City
Publication: The Guardian | Primary framing pattern: political | Tone: Critical | Intensity: 8/10 | Sentiment: Negative | Legal precision: Medium
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Espresso Shot: This article reports on the victories of Mamdani-affiliated candidates, framing it as a significant shift within the Democratic Party, while expressing concerns about the possible consequences for mainstream Democratic strategies.
Publication emphasis: The electoral success of certain candidates is depicted as both noteworthy and potentially problematic for the Democratic establishment.
Framing analysis: The piece foregrounds the electoral outcomes and their implications for party dynamics, while the details of the candidates’ policy positions receive less focus.
Bias: Selection: Highlights the implications of candidate victories. Language: Employs critical language regarding potential party shifts. Omission: Underplays the positive aspects of the candidates’ platforms.
Assessment: The report critiques the electoral outcomes while emphasizing their significance for the party’s future direction.
Axios – “Huge defeat”: Democrats left reeling after socialist “earthquake” in New York
Publication: Axios | Primary framing pattern: moral | Tone: Alarmist | Intensity: 9/10 | Sentiment: Negative | Legal precision: Low
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Espresso Shot: This article characterizes the results of the New York Democratic primaries as a “socialist earthquake,” underscoring the devastating effect of Mamdani-backed candidates on the traditional Democratic power structures. The framing implies a moral crisis within the party.
Publication emphasis: The report emphasizes the perceived threats to the Democratic establishment following these election results.
Framing analysis: The foregrounding of potential moral and ethical ramifications for the party takes precedence over individual candidate achievements or comprehensive policy discussions.
Bias: Selection: Focuses on reactionary responses from party leaders. Language: Uses charged language to describe the outcomes. Omission: Fails to provide a balanced view of the candidates’ proposed policies.
Assessment: The article strongly critiques the Democratic establishment’s situation while invoking moral implications from the electoral results.
Food for thought
In the context of the recent New York Democratic primaries, Axios emphasizes a “huge defeat” for traditional Democrats, framing Mamdani-backed candidates as instigating a “socialist earthquake,” indicating a disruptive shift within the party. The Guardian, however, adopts a more measured tone, characterizing the results as a “sweep” without the same heightened alarm, thereby providing a strong legal framing around the candidates’ success as a legitimate electoral outcome. While Axios’s language is markedly escalatory, warning of a party in crisis, The Guardian refrains from such dramatization, ensuring a balanced perspective on the electoral changes. The facts do not change. What changes is where scrutiny lands.
Israeli attacks in Gaza and West Bank result in deaths of two, including child
4:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Israeli attacks on Gaza and occupied West Bank kill two, including child
Israeli forces conducted strikes in al-Mawasi, Gaza, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old child and injuries to several others. In the occupied West Bank town of al-Yamoun, Israeli troops killed a 29-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Nazem Zayed, during a raid.
Israeli forces conducted operations in al-Mawasi, targeting what Israel classifies as a “safe zone”, resulting in injuries to at least seven Palestinians. As of 2026, official Palestinian figures state that 71 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since the year’s beginning.
The United Nations commission of inquiry has expressed alarm over the ongoing targeting of children by Israeli forces, stating, “The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed.” As violence persists despite the reported “ceasefire,” the Palestinian Health Ministry indicated that at least 71 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2026.
What remains unclear — It is not specified what measures will be taken to address the continuous targeting of children by Israeli forces despite the ceasefire.
Israeli attacks in Gaza and West Bank result in deaths of two, including child
News|Israel-Palestine conflictIsraeli attacks on Gaza and occupied West Bank kill two, including child
Health officials at Nasser Medical Complex tell WTX News a 12-year-old child was killed in al-Mawasi, Gaza.
Published On 24 Jun 202624 Jun 2026
Israeli forces have continued attacks in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, killing at least two Palestinians despite an ongoing “ceasefire” in the besieged enclave.
Health officials at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza told WTX News that a 12-year-old child was killed and several others wounded in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis city, during an Israeli drone strike on Wednesday.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, since the “ceasefire” took effect in October 2025, Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,027 people and injured 3,280 others.
In total, since Israel’s genocidal war began in October 2023, the cumulative number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks has reached 73,041, with 173,402 others wounded.
The killing of the child comes a day after a United Nations commission of inquiry released a report that found that Israel’s deliberate targeting of children is part of its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
“The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed” by Israeli forces, Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the UN commission, said.
“Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law.”
Reporting from Gaza City, WTX News’s Hind Khoudary explained that Israel had classified the area it hit in al-Mawasi as a “safe zone”. “But despite that, it has been continuously targeted,” she said.
“Israeli forces attacked a tent on Wednesday, and a 12-year-old child was killed. His name is Ahmed,” said Khoudary, detailing the strike. “At least seven Palestinians were injured in the same attack.”
“According to doctors, victims of Israeli strikes are difficult to treat because Israeli authorities continue to ban and restrict medical supplies and medications into the Gaza Strip,” she added.
At the same time, Khoudary said there was another attack on the western side of Gaza on Tuesday night. “So despite a ‘ceasefire’, Israeli forces continue to violate and breach the truce,” she said.
Occupied West Bank
Amid attacks in Gaza, Israeli forces also killed a Palestinian in the town of al-Yamoun in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces had killed with live fire Mohammed Nazem Zayed, 29, after raiding the town west of Jenin, adding that troops were withholding his body.
WTX News reporters said an Israeli special forces unit had stormed the town on Wednesday afternoon and surrounded a house where Zayed was located, before opening fire on him and leaving him to bleed to death.
Meanwhile, the Israeli news site Walla said soldiers from the army’s Duvdevan unit opened fire and killed a Palestinian during what it called an “operational activity” in al-Yamoun.
Since the beginning of 2026, at least 71 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
Since the genocidal war on Gaza began, Israeli escalation by the army and settlers in the West Bank has killed 1,173 Palestinians, wounded 12,666, led to the arrest of about 23,000 and displaced 33,000, according to official Palestinian figures.
Health Canada approves Zepbound for treating sleep apnea in adults with obesity
2:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Health Canada approves drug that treats sleep apnea in adults with obesity
Zepbound has been approved in Canada as the only GLP-1 drug for treating sleep disorders that cause temporary breathing cessation due to upper airway blockage. This development addresses a significant gap in treatment options for affected patients.
Health Canada has confirmed that Zepbound is the sole GLP-1 medication authorised in Canada for the treatment of sleep apnea. The approval marks a significant development, as prior options for this condition were limited.
Health Canada has approved Zepbound as the sole GLP-1 medication for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea. Following this decision, further studies are planned to monitor its long-term effectiveness and safety in the Canadian market.
What remains unclear — It is not specified how Zepbound compares to other potential treatments for the sleep disorder.
Health Canada approves Zepbound for treating sleep apnea in adults with obesity
Zepbound the now the only GLP-1 drug in Canada approved for the sleep disorder that causes people to stop breathing temporarily because their upper airway is blocked.
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