Three Royal Navy personnel were killed when a Merlin Mk4 helicopter crashed during a training exercise near Sourton Down, close to Okehampton in Devon, in the early hours of 3 June 2026. Emergency services were alerted at about 03:45 BST and a multi-agency response including Devon and Cornwall Police, the Civil Aviation Authority, fire and search-and-rescue teams and Ministry of Defence personnel attended the scene. The wreckage was visible in a field; nearby roads including the A386 and slip roads at the A30 were closed while investigators worked. The MoD confirmed the deaths, said the families had been informed and requested a period of grace, and that an investigation is under way. Senior figures paid tribute: Royal Navy head Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins described the loss as “deeply saddened”, Defence Secretary John Healey said he was “devastated”, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the crash “utterly tragic”. Merlin Mk4s are normally based at RNAS Yeovilton and are used by the Commando Helicopter Force for maritime and troop-support roles. Further details will be released as inquiries progress.

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on June 3-4, 2026 approved a Democrat-led war powers resolution directing President Donald Trump to end U.S. military hostilities with Iran. The measure passed 215-208 after four Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett and Warren Davidson — joined Democrats; Democratic Rep. Jared Golden also shifted to support the effort. The resolution invokes the 1973 War Powers Act and would direct removal of U.S. forces from hostilities unless Congress explicitly authorises further action. The measure must still clear the Republican-controlled Senate and would face an almost certain presidential veto, making it largely symbolic for now. Backers say the vote is the strongest congressional rebuke to date of Trump’s three-month-old campaign against Iran, which began with strikes on Feb. 28 and has contributed to higher fuel prices and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Lawmakers and administration officials remain sharply divided over the legality and impact of the resolution amid fragile ceasefire talks and continuing exchanges of strikes in the Gulf.

U.S. President Donald Trump on June 3 confirmed he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he was "effing crazy" during an expletive-filled phone call about Israeli operations in Lebanon, saying he was "a little bit perturbed" and urging a halt to strikes on Beirut. The confirmation followed an Axios report of a terse exchange in which Trump rebuked Netanyahu for actions he said jeopardised U.S.-brokered talks with Iran. Trump has said he helped secure an agreement—announced on June 1—under which Israel would refrain from striking Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs while Hezbollah would halt attacks on Israel. Despite that declaration, Israeli forces continued strikes across southern Lebanon on June 2-3, killing civilians and damaging hospitals, as Hezbollah kept firing at Israeli troops. Lebanese officials say more than 3,400 people have been killed and over a million displaced. Iranian state media reported Tehran paused indirect talks with Washington, a claim Trump denied, saying U.S.-Iran negotiations were ongoing. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, continue to press for a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran's nuclear activities. Netanyahu faces mounting domestic criticism for perceived U.S. influence over Israeli military decisions ahead of elections.

Senate Republicans on June 3 began formal consideration of a roughly $70–72 billion budget reconciliation package to fund U.S. immigration enforcement through fiscal 2029, after weeks of delay over White House proposals that alarmed GOP senators. The Senate voted 53-46 to proceed and opened debate and a marathon vote-a-rama of amendments. The package — pared back in revised text — drops language that would have provided up to $1 billion for security upgrades tied to President Trump’s planned White House ballroom and proceeds after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the administration would not move forward with a controversial $1.7–1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” or settlement fund. Republican leaders say the changes cleared the way to get the base bill across the finish line, but holdouts including Sen. Thom Tillis have signaled they may press amendments to permanently bar the fund. The measure allocates funds across agencies (committee texts cited about $13 billion for Customs and Border Protection, roughly $31 billion for ICE and additional DHS funding) and faces further hurdles in floor votes and in the Republican-controlled House.

Voters in six states, led by California, held primary elections on June 2 that will shape November’s midterms and could influence control of the U.S. Congress. California’s crowded “jungle” primary — 61 candidates on a single ballot with the top two advancing regardless of party — produced early, inconclusive returns. With roughly half the expected ballots still to be tallied, early tabulations put Republican Steve Hilton near 27%, Democrat and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra near 26% and Democrat Tom Steyer around 20%, leaving the final top-two outcome too close to call. The contest is occurring alongside a newly redrawn congressional map approved by California voters in 2025 that shifts five districts toward Democrats, creating several high-stakes House primaries that could affect the narrow balance in Washington. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced a multi-candidate primary including reality TV figure Spencer Pratt and councilmember Nithya Raman. Outside California, primaries in Iowa, New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota delivered mixed results, with Democrats eyeing pickup opportunities in Iowa’s governor and Senate contests. The campaign has been marked by heavy spending (Steyer alone has spent over $200m), celebrity candidacies, a recent high-profile withdrawal and resignation by Eric Swalwell, and endorsements from former President Donald Trump for some GOP contenders.