Iran rules out direct talks with US while Trump exerts ‘maximum pressure’

Iran rules out direct talks with US while Trump exerts ‘maximum pressure’

Iran will not engage in direct talks with the United States on his country’s nuclear programme amid US President Donald Trump’s policy of “maximum pressure” against it, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said. His remarks came a day after the US imposed a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil industry, the Iran’s main source…

UK to hike defence spending and cut aid budget, Starmer says

UK to hike defence spending and cut aid budget, Starmer says

The United Kingdom will increase its annual defending spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said, signalling the UK’s efforts to boost Europe’s security. On the eve of his departure to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington, Starmer told the British parliament on Tuesday that he was bringing…

How the US spends taxpayer money as Musk-led DOGE seeks cuts

How the US spends taxpayer money as Musk-led DOGE seeks cuts

As the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, searches through federal computer systems to cut programmes funded by taxpayers, the tech billionaire says his team is working to slash $1 trillion from the deficit. “The overall goal is to try to get a trillion dollars out of the deficit, and if the…

France’s Macron and Donald Trump meet in Washington: Four key takeaways

France’s Macron and Donald Trump meet in Washington: Four key takeaways

United States President Donald Trump welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House on Monday for discussions on Ukraine, European security and trade. Macron, who has built a cordial rapport with Trump, was the first European leader to visit him since the beginning of his second term on January 20. The French leader’s visit…