
The absence of key world leaders hangs over Biden's first G-20
CNN
When the leaders of the Group of 20 assembled for their family photo here on a blue-carpeted riser, there were a few unfamiliar faces among the most powerful people on the planet.
Standing in for the absent heads of China, Russia, Japan and Mexico were lower-level ministers dispatched in their places, a smattering of the less-well-known among some of the globe's most recognizable leaders.
In some ways, this year's in-person G-20 summit has a feeling of the world playing its second string. Several prominent leaders are remaining at home instead of traveling to the Eternal City for the yearly gathering.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

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As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.









