1. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Pentagon to reduce the number of four-star generals by at least 20 percent to streamline military leadership. Hegseth said in a video posted on social media on Monday that “this is not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high ranking officers.” He said the aim is to maximize “strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions.”
2. US automaker Ford is bracing for a major financial hit in the wake of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Officials said on Monday earnings before interest and taxes this year will likely fall by about 1.5 billion dollars.
3. Two saplings grown from seeds that survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima have been planted at the United Nations headquarters in New York, in the hope of realizing a world without nuclear weapons. The seeds were taken from a persimmon tree that was exposed to the intense blast and radiation about 500 meters from the hypocenter in the Japanese city. A tree-planting ceremony was held on Monday.