blinking-dotLive updates,

Pete Hegseth
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks on April 21 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC [File: Alex Brandon/AP Photo]
  • US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing mounting calls from Democrats to step down after another Signal chat controversy, but Republicans are coming to his defence.
  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is projecting a major slowdown in global economic growth due to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.