21:50
Piastri wins Spanish GP, Verstappen penalised
McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri won the Spanish Grand Prix, marking his fifth victory of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Three Pentagon officials placed on leave over leak investigation
Reuters
A Pentagon investigation into leaked classified information has widened to include two additional aides to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Hegseth, was escorted out of the building and placed on administrative leave after what one official described as an "unauthorized disclosure." Now, two more aides — Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll — are also on leave as the internal probe continues.
Selnick, recently appointed deputy chief of staff to Hegseth, and Carroll, who served as chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, were both placed on leave this week. Officials said more names could be added as the investigation develops.
The probe stems from a March 21 memo by Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, which requested a review into "unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications." The memo also left open the possibility of polygraph testing.
The case has drawn attention given Caldwell’s role. He was previously identified in a leaked Signal message exchange as Hegseth’s key liaison with the National Security Council ahead of U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
Caldwell has been a controversial figure in Washington. A veteran of the Iraq War, he had publicly questioned U.S. military commitments overseas. In a December 2024 interview with the Financial Times, Caldwell called the Iraq War "a monstrous crime" and argued the U.S. would have been better off avoiding prolonged deployments abroad.
He also voiced skepticism over U.S. military support for Ukraine and pushed for a leaner American footprint in Europe.
While the three aides were placed on leave due to the leak investigation, the move comes during a broader shake-up at the Pentagon since Hegseth assumed the role in January. High-profile firings have included the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Navy’s top admiral, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and several top military lawyers.
The White House and Pentagon have declined to comment on whether any criminal charges are expected as part of the investigation.
21:26
19 confirmed dead, 6 missing after quarry collapse in Indonesia's West Java
The death toll from a quarry collapse in Indonesia’s West Java province rose to 19, with six people still missing, officials said on Sunday.
20:40
Ukraine’s peace proposal sets terms for ceasefire, security guarantees, and territorial talks
Ukraine has outlined its formal negotiating framework ahead of planned peace talks with Russia, set to take place on June 2 in Istanbul, according to a full document seen by Reuters.
19:01
U.S. expects Trump-Xi call to resolve mineral dispute amid trade tensions
U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said on Sunday that he expects President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to speak soon in an effort to resolve a growing dispute over critical minerals.
16:39
Moscow within range if Germany sends Taurus missiles to Ukraine, raising stakes in war
As Germany considers providing long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, military experts warn the move could enable Kyiv to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, including Moscow — a shift that could escalate tensions and draw NATO closer to direct confrontation.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment