62 h. ago Without dignity, leaders fell at Trump’s feet in The Hague – and for what? All Nato’s key problems remain | Martin Kettle

The relationship with him is still volatile, the Ukraine strategy still unclear and Europe needs to ensure its collective defenceNato’s Hague summit was an orchestrated grovel at the feet of Donald Trump. The originally planned two-day meeting was truncated into a single morning’s official business to flatter the president’s ego and accommodate his short attention span. The agenda was cynically narrowed to focus on the defence spending hikes he demands from US allies. Issues that may provoke or embarrass Trump – the Ukraine conflict, or whether the Iranian nuclear threat has actually been eliminated by US bombing – were relegated to the sidelines.Instead, the flattery throttle was opened up to maximum, with Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte leading the assembled fawning. On Tuesday, Rutte hymned Trump’s brilliance over Iran; yesterday, he garlanded him as the vindicated visionary of Nato’s drive towards the 5% of GDP spending goal. No one spoiled the party. As the president’s own ...

Politics

2 d. ago Trump demands CNN fire reporter for Iran intel assessment that White House confirmed is real

The president also used one of his favorite insults on Natasha Bertrand, ranting that CNN should throw her out ‘like a dog.’

Events

4 d. ago Federal Reserve chair defends holding interest rates after fresh Trump attacks

Jerome Powell says central bank is waiting to see tariffs’ impact on US prices as president claims ‘incompetence’The Federal Reserve is well placed to wait and see how tariffs affect US prices before cutting interest rates, its chair, Jerome Powell, insisted, defying renewed demands from Donald Trump.The US president has disregarded the central bank’s longstanding independence to repeatedly call for rate cuts to spur economic growth and launch a series of personal attacks on Powell. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago Starmer pledges to spend 5% of GDP on national security and defence by 2035

But Downing Street will not say how the new NATO commitment demanded by Donald Trump will be paid for by the UK taxpayer

Events

4 d. ago Starmer to commit to spending 5% of GDP on defence by 2035 at Nato summit

The figure is in line with the demands of President Donald Trump, who has called for Nato allies to shoulder more of the burden of European defence.

Politics

5 d. ago House Democratic veterans back moves to limit Trump’s military authority

Letter from 12 members demanding congressional approval for war follows Trump’s unauthorized bombing of IranUS politics live – latest updatesA group of 12 House Democratic military veterans have thrown their weight behind efforts to constrain Donald Trump’s military authority, announcing they will support a War Powers Act resolution in response to the US president’s go ahead for airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.The veterans – some of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan – were strongly critical of Trump’s decision to launch what they called “preventive air strikes” without US congressional approval, drawing explicit parallels to the run-up to some of America’s longest recent wars. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Goldman Sachs warns Brent crude could hit $100 per barrel if strait of Hormuz is disrupted; Trump demands cheaper oil – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsThe strait of Hormuz: what is it, and why does it matter to global trade?Price of oil could spike after Iran’s parliament votes to close key shipping routeThe eurozone economy has continued to flirt with stagnation this month, with little growth in its key sectors.The latest survey of purchasing managers across the euro area, just released by S&P Global, shows that the eurozone services sector is stalling this month, while factory growth slowed.“The eurozone economy is struggling to gain momentum. For six months now, growth has been minimal, with activity in the service sector stagnating and manufacturing output rising only moderately.In Germany, there are signs of a cautious improvement in the situation, but France continues to drag its feet. The momentum evident in the official growth figure of 0.6 percent for the first quarter is unlikely to have carried over into the second quarter, especially since special factors su...

Events

6 d. ago Iran 'may activate sleeper cells in UK' as Israel conflict brings 'new level of terror'

The Israel conflict is said to be bringing a 'new level of terror' to the west, experts have warned. The country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has snubbed surrender demands from Donald Trump and there are now fears the country could turn to terror

Events

8 d. ago We’re on the brink of a disastrous, illegal conflagration in the Middle East. Trump must be stopped | Fawaz Gerges

This is a war of choice, based on misinformation. If the US and UK join it, they risk a rerun of the Iraq debacle of 2003Like the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, Israel’s war on Iran is neither legal nor just. It is a war of choice, not of necessity – and should the US or its European allies, particularly Britain, join in, they risk being dragged into another disastrous and unlawful conflict in the Middle East.A US military intervention would be in direct contravention of international law. Already, the US, once the architect and guardian of the international order, is now among its chief violators. Instead of pressuring Benjamin Netanyahu to end his siege and destruction of Gaza, Donald Trump has fully sided with Netanyahu and called Israel’s attacks on Iran “excellent”. He has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender”. Trump is considering military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Doing so is explicitly prohibited under article 56 of the additional protocol to...

Events

9 d. ago Trump fans targets Crowds on Demand for alleged role in anti

PR firm accused of supplying ‘paid actors’ to bolster turnout at recent demonstrations

Politics

1 week ago Federal Reserve holds interest rates, defying Trump’s demand to lower them

Hours before the decision, the president called the Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, ‘stupid’ for anticipated rate holdThe US Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold, but signaled it might make two cuts this year, as Donald Trump continues to break with precedent and demand lower rates.Policymakers at the American central bank lifted their projections for inflation this year, as the US president stands by his controversial tariff plans, and downgraded their estimates for economic growth. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump overseeing a ‘fascist regime’ says Brad Lander after arrest – US politics live

New York City mayoral candidate warns administration could ‘undermine the rule of law’ after incident at immigration courtNew York City mayoral candidate released from custodyIsrael’s war on Iran appeared to be approaching a pivotal moment on Tuesday night after five days of bombing and retaliatory Iranian missile strikes, as Donald Trump demanded “unconditional surrender” from Tehran and weighed his military options.Trump convened a meeting of his national security team in the White House situation room after a day of febrile rhetoric in which the president gave sharply conflicting signals over whether US forces would participate directly in Israel’s bombing campaign over Iran. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump demands Iran's 'surrender' as US strike reportedly considered

Trump has said that the US will not assassinate Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei 'for now'

Politics

1 week ago Trump administration demands action from 36 countries to avoid travel ban

The Trump administration has given 36 countries, most of them in Africa, a Wednesday deadline to commit to improving vetting or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States

Politics

1 week ago Donald Trump's chilling 'unconditional surrender' demand leaves world on edge

In a series of bizarre rants the erratic US President threatened he could assassinate Iran's supreme leader - but won't 'at least for now' - he also claimed his country had "complete control of the skies of Iran"'

Politics

1 week ago Trump demands ‘UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER’ from Iran as he issues chilling threat to Supreme Leader Khamenei

Trump says the U.S. knows where ‘easy target’ Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is located and he is “safe” where he is ‘for now’ but ‘patience is wearing thin’

Politics

1 week ago Tehran radiation warning as Israel says it is on 'verge of destroying 10 nuclear sites' and Trump demands 'nothing less than complete surrender'

Iranian missiles rained down on Israel in the early hours of Monday, damaging the US Embassy as Tehran called for its allies to support its fight against Israel.

Events

1 week ago Israel and Iran strikes continue into fifth day as Trump demands ‘complete give

US president says he is looking at something ‘better than a ceasefire’ after leaving G7 in CanadaLiving in Israel: how have you been affected?Living in Iran: how have you been affected?Donald Trump has encouraged vice president JD Vance and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to offer to meet the Iranians this week, the New York Times has reported, citing a US official.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier indicated that Tehran was open to negotiations, also suggesting Trump could stop the war with “one phone call” to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. In a post on X he wrote:If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential. Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue.It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy.There is indeed an offer to meet and e...

Politics

1 week ago Trump demands 'nothing less than complete surrender' and vows a 'real end' to nuclear program

Iranian missiles rained down on Israel in the early hours of Monday, damaging the US Embassy as Tehran called for its allies to support its fight against Israel.

Politics

1 week ago Republican hawks vs Maga isolationists: the internal war that could decide Trump’s Iran response

Trump could decide to help Israel by joining the fight against Iran, or refrain from involving the US in a new overseas war – either choice will upset his supportersFollow live updates in the Middle East crisis As Donald Trump considers a direct intervention in Israel’s conflict with Iran, another war has broken out in Washington between conservative hawks, calling for immediate US strikes on uranium enrichment facilities, and Maga isolationists, who are demanding Trump stick to his campaign pledge not to involve the US in new overseas wars.At stake is whether the US could target the mountain redoubt that is home to the Fordow fuel enrichment plant, a key uranium enrichment site hidden 80 to 90 metres underground that cannot be targeted directly by Israeli jets – although they can attack some of the infrastructure that allows the plant to operate. Continue reading...

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