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- Washington is bracing for a fast-approaching government shutdown as Republicans and Democrats appear unlikely to reach an agreement that would extend funding past a midnight (04:00 GMT) deadline.
- US President Donald Trump has addressed a rare gathering of senior military leaders summoned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Quantico, a Marine Corps base in Virginia near Washington, DC.
- Trump has suggested throughout his speech that he wants the US military to respond to perceived threats at home, including what he sees as riots and unauthorised immigration.
- Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has ordered air attacks on Iranian nuclear sites and Yemen’s Houthis, as well as lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean that have raised concerns about extrajudicial military killings.
- The Republican president has also ordered the deployment of troops in Democratic-run US cities, arguing it is necessary to fight crime.