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In the news today: President Donald Trump's Middle East visit comes as his family deepens its business ties to the region; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plans to slash the number of senior military leaders across the services would cut more than 120 high-ranking officer jobs; and Trump pushes for allies to boost their NATO spending. Also, see the looks from Cannes after a new red carpet dress code.
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President Donald Trump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders during the GCC Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Trump's Middle East visit comes as his family deepens its business, crypto ties in the region |
Before President Donald Trump began this week's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, his sons Eric and Donald Jr. had already traveled the Middle East extensively in recent weeks, drumming up business for The Trump Organization, which they run in their father's stead while he's in the White House. Read more. |
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- The travels included Eric Trump announcing plans for an 80-story Trump Tower in Dubai, the UAE's largest city. He also attended a recent cryptocurrency conference there with Zach Witkoff, a founder of the Trump family crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, and son of Trump's do-everything envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
- His family business aside, the president wasn't shy about saying he'd shape the itinerary of his first extended overseas trip on quid pro quo. Trump's first stop was Saudi Arabia, just as during his first term. He picked the destination after he said the kingdom had pledged to spend $1 trillion on U.S. companies over four years. The president is also stopping in the United Arab Emirates, which has pledged $1.4 trillion in U.S. investments over the next 10 years, and in Qatar, where Trump says accepting the gift of a Boeing 747 from the ruling family is a no-brainer, dismissing security and ethical concerns.
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Hegseth's plan to cut senior military jobs could hit more than 120 high-ranking officers
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plans to slash the number of senior military leaders across the services would cut more than 120 high-ranking officer jobs in the active duty and National Guard, including as many as nine top general slots. The cuts are part of a government-wide campaign to slash spending and personnel across federal agencies being pushed by the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Read more. |
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Based on the percentages outlined by Hegseth and his senior staff, 20% of the 44 authorized top active duty general and admiral jobs would be eliminated, along with 10% of the more than 800 one-, two- and three-star positions, according to numbers compiled by The Associated Press.
According to Hegseth and others, the intent of the military job reductions isn't to reduce the overall size of the force but to thin out the higher ranks and offset those cuts with additional troops at lower levels. Some Democratic members of Congress have criticized Hegseth's plans as an attempt to politicize the military and oust leaders who don't agree with the Trump administration.
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US envoy says the Trump administration insists NATO allies raise defense investment to 5%
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The Trump administration wants to hear this week how NATO's European member countries and Canada plan to boost defense investment to 5% of gross domestic product, new U.S. envoy Matthew Whitaker said Tuesday. Read more. |
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In 2023, as Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine entered its second year, NATO leaders agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on national defense budgets. So far, 22 of the 32 member countries have done so. Trump has cast doubt over whether the U.S. would defend allies that spend too little.
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Wan QianHui poses for photographers on the red carpet of the 78th international film festival, Cannes, on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
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See the looks from Cannes' opening ceremony after the festival banned big dresses and nude looks
A day after it was revealed the Cannes Film Festival was banning nudity and "voluminous outfits" from its red carpets and beyond, long trains and massive dresses still drew attention. |
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