The Pentagon has told Congress that it has authorised the transfer of $1 billion to begin the construction of the wall on the US-Mexico border.
This is the first money allocated through the national emergency Trump declared at the southern border in February, in order to obtain funding for his signature campaign pledge.
Kate Fisher reports from Washington:
Death toll from Venezuela earthquakes rises to around 235
The death toll from two back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to around 235, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said in an interview with state television on Thursday.
GCC-US talks emphasise regional security, lasting peace
Foreign ministers from the United States and Gulf Cooperation Council countries have met in Bahrain, reaffirming their commitment to regional security and their longstanding strategic partnership.
UN agency pauses Hormuz ship evacuation after vessel attacked
The United Nations’ shipping agency on Thursday paused an evacuation effort to get hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers out through the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Oman.
Europeans told to protect themselves as deadly heatwave takes its toll
The city mayor told busy Parisians to slow down on Thursday as large parts of Western Europe remained in the grip of a deadly heatwave that has claimed dozens of lives, disrupted power supplies, and shut schools and cultural landmarks.
Trump asks Congress for more funds to fight Iran, defying rebuke on war powers
President Donald Trump's administration has asked the US Congress on Wednesday for $87.6 billion in additional funding, most of it related to the Iran war, setting the stage for another fight with lawmakers already frustrated with the conflict.
