Donald Trump’s most senior counterterrorism official has resigned, saying he “cannot in good conscience” support the Iran war and claiming the country posed “no imminent threat” to the United States.

Joe Kent was director of the National Counterterrorism Center, leading the agency as it detected and analysed terrorist threats to the US.

Announcing his resignation in a post on social media, he wrote: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

Iran war latest: Senior US official quits and blames Israel

Who is Joe Kent and why did he resign?

Mr Kent, who was appointed by Mr Trump and confirmed by the Senate in his post last July by 52 votes to 44, unsuccessfully ran for Congress twice and has been criticised for his connections to right-wing extremists.

The 45-year-old is the highest-ranking administration official to publicly voice his opposition to Mr Trump’s war with Iran, highlighting concerns among some of Mr Trump’s supporters about his justifications for the conflict.

Mr Kent said he was resigning over concerns about the reasons, or lack of reasons, given for the strikes on Iran.

Some experts have claimed an imminent threat would have been required for Mr Trump to launch his war without congressional approval and under the international law of war.

Mr Trump has given several reasons for the war, including stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, destroying its ballistic missile capabilities, and regime change. He has disputed claims Israeli action forced the US to strike.

Responding to Mr Kent’s resignation during an Oval Office news conference on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he always thought he was “weak on security”. He added that if someone in his administration did not believe Iran was a threat, “we don’t want those people”.

A career in the special forces and two unsuccessful political bids

Mr Kent previously served in the military for 20 years, undertaking 11 deployments as a Green Beret – an elite counterterrorism force known for conducting unconventional warfare – before joining the CIA as a paramilitary officer. He later served as counterterrorism adviser to Mr Trump’s 2020 presidential re-election campaign.

Before he entered Mr Trump’s administration, Mr Kent attempted two unsuccessful bids for Congress in Washington state.

He was previously a strong supporter of Mr Trump, having met the president after his wife Shannon, a cryptologist in the US Navy, was killed by a suicide bomber while fighting Islamic State in Syria in 2019, leaving him to raise their two sons.

Praise for Trump’s ’empathy and thoughtfulness’

In an opinion piece for NBC News, Sky News’ US partner network, published a year later, Mr Kent said he met Mr Trump in the days after his wife was killed and praised him for his “empathy and thoughtfulness on one of the worst days of my life”.

Mr Kent said he could “unmistakably” see in the president’s eyes “the same pain I’d seen in the eyes of other senior leaders who ultimately bear the responsibility for sending men and women to their deaths in combat”.

In a stark contrast to his resignation letter, Mr Kent went on to write: “His [Mr Trump’s] use of decisive military force only when absolutely necessary, combined with his reluctance to use the military as the sole tool of foreign policy, is not only good and smart, but the sign of utmost respect for the lives of our troops.”

He added: “Previous presidents’ support of endless wars has resulted in the loss of thousands of American lives and cost American taxpayers trillions of dollars, whereas President Trump’s limited use of military force and swift action when needed marks a decisive change from that policy.”

Ties to right-wing extremists and conspiracy theories

During his congressional campaign in 2022, Kent paid a member of the far-right group the Proud Boys, Graham Jorgensen, for consulting work.

He also worked closely with the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, Joey Gibson, while attracting support from a variety of far-right figures.

Democrats opposed his appointment as head of the National Counterterrorism Center, criticising him for his past ties to far-right figures and his penchant for conspiracy theories.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Mr Kent refused to distance himself from the conspiracy theory that US federal agents instigated the January 6 attack at the US Capitol in 2021 and did not back down from false claims that Mr Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

He was also grilled by Democrats on his participation in a group chat on the Signal messaging app which was used by Mr Trump’s national security team to discuss airstrikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, while Republicans praised his counterterrorism qualifications and pointed to his military and intelligence experience.

Manchester City welcome Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium in their Champions League round of 16 second leg tonight.

Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium will have an entire tier closed off when Real Madrid visit in the Champions League tonight. The top tier of the North Stand has been closed recently due to the club expanding their stadium’s capacity and improving facilities.

The top tier of the stadium, once completed, will hold 7,000 extra supporters. As this project involves extensive construction work, that area of the stadium has been closed off for the entirety of the campaign and will remain empty for the clash with Real.

In their autumn progress report, City said the top tier of the North Stand would reopen for supporters before the end of this season. However, the other new additions to the stadium – including a 401-bed hotel, fanzone, new superstore and museum – will be opening in late 2026.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

Once fans are allowed into the top tier of the North Stand, the Etihad Stadium’s capacity will reach more than 60,000. For context, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium holds 60,704 and Liverpool’s Anfield houses 61,276 supporters. As part of the work, the old roof on the North Stand has been removed and a new one added.

A new screen is already in place in the south-east corner of the stadium that mainly benefits those in the North Stand, while there have also been improvements to the concourses. In total, the work will cost £300m and will sit alongside the new 23,500 capacity Co-op Live as the regeneration of east Manchester continues.

City have a mountain to climb this evening. Federico Valverde’s first-half hat-trick at the Bernabeu last week has left City on the verge of elimination, but the Blues have hammered Real before and will hope to do so again as they aim to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Ribbon Daycare, located at Fishburn Primary School, has shown consistent excellence in its approach to early childhood education.

In terms of achievement, children make steady progress from their starting points, whether they have special educational needs or face learning barriers, the report explains.

The daycare has hit ‘expected standards’. (Image: Ribbon Daycare Fishburn)

Ofsted say staff encourage toddlers to predict words and engage in critical thinking, discussing concepts like which feathers will fall the fastest.

Behaviour and attitudes are also a strong focus in the report.

Staff are described as positive role models who speak to children in a respectful manner, which helps to build trust and strong bonds.

It adds that children demonstrate an understanding of rules, like explaining why they wear aprons during painting – staff help children learn how to take turns and share, creating a supportive environment.

In terms of welfare and wellbeing, the staff’s warm relationships with children are also praised, stating they foster secure attachments, making children feel confident and happy.

Ofsted added that the curriculum is well-balanced and ambitious, catering to all children, including those who are disadvantaged.

Staff adapt their teaching to meet children’s individual needs, ensuring they can understand early mathematical concepts through play.

Read more:

The report adds that leaders work closely with parents to identify children needing additional support, creating individual plans that promote development, stating: “parents discuss that they feel included and supported by the setting.”

Children thrive in this nurturing environment, according to the report’s conclusion.

They are greeted warmly by staff and engage in learning with excitement and curiosity, stating that parents report that their children feel happy, secure, and prepared for the transition to school.

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the Iranian regime and Vladimir Putin’s Russia are connected in hate amid reports that Putin is harbouring the injured Ayatollah in Moscow.

The Ukrainian president highlighted co-operation between Tehran and Moscow on Shahed kamikaze drones which had targeted Ukraine and countries across the Gulf.

Speaking in a Westminster committee room, Mr Zelensky said: ‘The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred, and that is why they are brothers in weapons.

‘And we want regimes built on hatred, to never, never win in anything. And we want no such regime to threaten Europe or our partners.’

It comes after reports that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been secretly flown to Moscow for life-saving surgery after he was severely injured in an Israeli airstrike.

Khamenei was severely injured in the attack that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the outbreak of the Iran War.

Citing a ‘high-ranking source close to the new Iranian supreme leader, Kuwaiti paper Al-Jarida claimed that Vladimir Putin personally offered Khamenei medical treatment in the Russian capital during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday.

When asked about Al-Jarida’s claims during a press briefing in Moscow, a spokesperson said that the Kremlin did ‘not comment in any way on such reports’.

On Tuesday, Zelensky told MPs that his drone squads were far cheaper to counter Iranian or Russian strikes.

He said: ‘Together Europe is a global force – one that the world cannot do without and that no-one can stand against. We must grow this strength, and we must direct it, and we can. We must act now, so that future generations can say ‘these leaders acted when it mattered’.

‘Work with us as closely as possible so that neither Kyiv, nor London, will have to hide under drone nets or live under concrete without a safe sky.’

‘There has been no real peace while this regime has been in Iran,’ Zelensky says.

‘We are entering a time when such regimes are gaining new ways to kill, cheaply, over long distances, using AI, and simply because they want to destroy you and can force their own people to work for war.

‘One Iranian Shahed missile costs $150,000. To shoot it down pilots sometimes use missiles some costing up to $4m.’

But he says the Ukrainian approach is ‘far most cost effective’. With smaller missiles costing less than $10,000 dollars.

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the UK for its support over the a ‘difficult winter’

The Ukrainian president said he would update Sir Keir on battlefield developments and energy security, saying: ‘Of course, we can’t sleep, we must move quickly.’

‘Also not to forget about our diplomatic efforts and negotiations and where we are with the Americans and with the Russians.’

MORE: US’s top counterterror chief quits with damning statement on Iran war

MORE: What will it take for Trump to end the nationwide blackout in Cuba?

MORE: Iran responds to Donald Trump World Cup threat and demands to play games outside America

One of the couple also stole from Home Bargains, Waitrose, and Next while on bail

A couple worked together to steal hundreds of pounds worth of items from a Peterborough filling station. The Peterborough pair stole from the same place four times, and one continued to steal while on bail from the likes of Home Bargains and Next.

Lewis Howden, 40, and Charlotte Ritchie, 39, stole almost £500 of goods from the BP filling station, in Bretton, across four visits between February 5 and February 10. However Howden continued committing crimes after he was arrested.

The pair were arrested at their home in Tyesdale, Bretton, on February 11, and charged with the offences. Each was bailed by a court pending a further hearing, which Ritchie failed to attend.

While on court bail, Howden committed a further three thefts in Peterborough. He stole from Waitrose, in Mayors Walk, West Town, Peterborough, on February 23, Home Bargains, in Bourges Boulevard, on February 24, and Next, in Brotherhood Retail Park, on March 2.

The pair were arrested again on March 11 and appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court the following day. Howden was jailed for ten months and ordered to pay £207.99 in compensation after admitting seven thefts.

Ritchie was ordered to pay £234 in compensation and handed a two-year conditional discharge. It means that if she commits another crime during that period, she can be sentenced for the four thefts, which she also admitted.

PC Jack Jenkins, who investigated, said: “I would like to thank the businesses impacted by the pair’s offending for continually reporting incidents to us. This helps us to identify those involved and put them before the courts.”

Fans have been waiting three years to for the third season of the hit BBC drama

An EastEnders legend has joined David Tennant and Siobhan Finneran in a revamped BBC drama that’s set to air in the coming months.

It was announced last year that Jimmy McGovern’s BAFTA-winning hit drama Time would be coming back for a third season. Featuring a new cast every season, the first two seasons followed the lives of inmates and staff in His Majesty’s Prison Service.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

First starring Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean and Stephen Graham in 2021’s first season, Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker picked up the reins two years later, with The Last of Us’ Bella Ramsey joining the cast. The latest edition of the BBC anthology series will be set in a young offenders’ institution.

Consisting of three episodes, Rivals; David Tennant is starring as Prison Officer Bailey with Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran reprises her role as Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain. The series will explore the impact of locking up teenagers and the effects on those who look after them.

Its synopsis reads: “Prison Chaplain Marie-Louise comes to the YOI having lost her faith. When tragedy strikes within the prison, Marie-Louise clashes with veteran officer Bailey, a man in the midst of his own crisis.

“Bailey knows more about the circumstances that led to this major incident – but will he come clean before the guilt gets too much? Meanwhile, two teenage young offenders, Peter and James, struggle through the terrifying first weeks and months of their incarceration.

“Can James ever face his broken parents after an unforgivable act of violence and will Peter tell the truth about the death of an innocent man, or does family loyalty mean more?

“An unlikely friendship between them looks to shift the trajectory of their futures, but in an increasingly unstable environment, is change ever possible?”

Series creator and writer Jimmy previously said: “Siobhan Finneran is back! And we’ve got a wonderful leading man in David Tennant. And a brilliant director in Paul Whittington. I think it’s going to be wonderful.”

On Tuesday (March 17), the BBC announced further additions to the cast as filming begins in Belfast. Leading the additions is Boiling Point and The Lazarus Project’s Vinette Robinson as Erica. If that wasn’t enough, Jo Joyner will play Nicola.

EastEnders fans will recognise Joyner from her time playing Tanya Branning on the BBC soap. Recent years have seen her appear in his series Little Disasters and Stay Close.

Also appearing in Time season three are The Bay’s Daniel Ryan as Custodial Manager Jennings, The Responder’s Warren Brown as Albie, Stranger Things: The First Shadow’s Louis McCartney as James, with Ollie McNulty and Chukwubuikem Molokwu making their screen debuts as Peter and Christopher, and Hollyoaks’ Ethaniel Davy playing Jayden.

Co-writer Samuel Bailey said: “It’s been an absolute honour to work with Jimmy on Time series 3, and with the brilliant cast put together by the team, I think this series will be just as impactful and devastating as Time 1 & 2.

“I’m particularly excited for audiences to meet the lads playing our young offenders, who are all remarkable actors that I know we’re going to be seeing a lot more of in the future.”

The BBC Radio 1 DJ has taken on his most enduring challenge yet: the Longest Ride, which will see him covering 1,000km from Weymouth to Edinburgh.

Starting on Friday (March 13), Greg has cycled the arduous route up north, arriving to a celebrating crowd at Central Hall on the University of York’s campus today (Tuesday, March 17).

He was joined by the Prince of Wales earlier this afternoon, who accompanied him on his tandem bike across the South Yorkshire countryside.

Prince William confirmed that Greg had smashed his fundraising targets for Comic Relief, which now exceed £1 million.

After a lengthy cycling journey, the pair parted ways before Greg arrived in York shortly before 5pm.

Upon making it to his final destination of the day, the DJ was greeted by hundreds of enthusiastic students and staff, many of whom adorned themselves in Long Boi masks – cheering Greg on with signs and kazoos.

The very tall, very special duck stole Greg’s heart after he revealed international attention for his disappearance in 2023.

In the years that followed, Greg has unveiled a bronze statue of Long Boi and officiated his funeral, which was attended by 700 people and listened to by 4.4 million Radio 1 listeners.

University official Gemma Vessey explained: “Greg has always been vocal about the importance of not taking life too seriously.

“Long Boi was a reminder of the beauty of this, and hence, York is a pivotal spot during Greg’s challenge.”

Student union representative Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb added: “We can’t compete with Prince William, we can’t compete with the Red Arrows, but what we can do is bring out a student body of ducks and face masks, kazoos and lean into the silliness and the fun of it all.”

Stopping to speak to the media after his arrival, Greg praised the huge crowd that showed up to support him and Comic Relief.

He said: “There was a bit of a low this morning, then the sun came out.

“All it took was for the future king to turn up and I thought, you know what, maybe I can do this.”

Paying tribute to Long Boi, he said: “He is forever in our hearts, obviously, but thanks so much to everyone for turning up – it means so much.”

Greg will continue his journey up north tomorrow, passing through Wigginton, Sutton-on-the-Forest and Stillington before reaching the North York Moors National Park.

You can track him and keep up-to-date with his challenge by heading to www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday/challenges/greg/.

The transplant list is at a record high, with more than 8,000 people waiting for organs

Two hospitals in Cambridge are at the heart of a trial that could see hundreds more lives saved each year. Hundreds more organs could be saved for transplant every year thanks to preservation techniques being trialled by NHS doctors at hospitals including Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth in Cambridge.

Several major hospitals in England are running a pilot to keep donor organs preserved for longer so checks can be carried out to see whether they are suitable for transplant. There is not always enough time to carry out tests on organs before they need to be used, meaning doctors are not always confident about accepting them for operations.

If successful, the pilot would lead to the first full national network in the world for reconditioning organs. Under the scheme, up to 750 more organ transplants could be carried out every year – a 19% rise on current figures. This could include up to 202 more liver transplants being carried out, up to 202 more lung transplants, and up to 345 additional kidney transplants.

Perfusion is a technique for circulating oxygenated blood or nutrient-rich fluids through organs, preserving their function and enabling more time for them to be assessed. The first lung pilot centre has opened at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, and will be followed by lung pilot sites at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and Harefield Hospital in London.

A dedicated perfusion suite at Addenbrooke’s opened last year and is the first of its kind in the UK. Some 12 liver and kidney pilot centres will also open in the coming months.

Addenbrooke’s multi-visceral transplant lead, Mr Andrew Butler, welcomed the trial, explaining that perfusion machines provide a greater opportunity accept multiple organs and match them to recipients. An example was a liver that was perfused for 32 hours before half of it was successfully used to assist a 15-year-old patient.

Mr Butler, who helped pioneer the perfusion technique, said: “Our greatest wish is to honour the gift from the donor by using it to save the life of another person. We are proud to have played a key role in the development of the perfusion machine, since it greatly improves the odds of achieving that goal and we are delighted to be selected as one of the ARC pilot sites.”

Transplant list at record high

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) says changes are needed to save more organs owing to the record high transplant waiting list, which is consistently over 8,000 people. The potential donor pool is also falling as people live longer and have long-term health conditions.

Derek Manas, medical director for organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHSBT, told the Press Association the aim is to create “centres of excellence” that benefit patients across the country. Some trusts already have perfusion techniques but the aim is to standardise practice and create a network.

“There are two aims of perfusion,” he said. “One is to extend the preservation time – the standard currently is to put all organs in a box of ice. What the perfusion machines will do is give us more time to keep the organs viable… So you can keep organs on a machine until the theatre is available, until surgeons are available, until anaesthetic staff are available and so on.

“The length of time will depend on each organ. The heart still probably has the least extended time. At the moment, in a box of ice, you’ve got about three hours at the most, but with machine perfusion you’ve got eight hours and probably longer. For livers, you can probably extend the time to 12 to 24 hours.

“We’re not sure exactly how long we can extend the time for, but it certainly will make a significant difference to transplants. The other value of perfusion is assessing the functionality of the organs. Most organ donors now are older… so putting organs on a machine allows you to assess their function.”

He said several hospitals do perfusion “but the pilot is about trying to find where the best location should be”. He added: “It’s hugely inequitable at the moment, because some patients are getting the benefit and others are not. The pilot will hopefully change that.”

Programme could save hundreds of lives

With perfusion, organs are connected to a device by tubes going into the arteries. Organs are then fed blood or an oxygenated substance, plus nutrients. Waste products such as bile are removed. With a full reconditioning network, organs could also receive additional reconditioning treatments, such as surgical repairs, medications, blood group changing or cell therapies.

Dr Zubir Ahmed, the Government’s health innovation and safety minister, said: “Every person waiting for a transplant deserves the best possible chance of receiving one. We are committed to funding this crucial programme because, as part of our plans to build an NHS fit for the future, we want to use the latest technology to give clinicians more time and better tools to assess organs safely, honouring the extraordinary generosity of donors and their families.

“This programme could mean saving and transforming hundreds of lives that might otherwise have been lost. As a transplant surgeon, I know first-hand what that can mean for patients and families, and I am proud that the UK is leading the world in this approach.”