99 m. ago Trump’s Russia sanctions refusal leaves Europe with few options but to wait

Frustration is growing amid increasing signs US could wash its hands of Ukraine, but some observers counsel patienceGen Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump’s somewhat estranged special envoy on Ukraine, is said by some US diplomats to like to joke that the president did indeed say he would solve the Ukraine crisis in 24 hours, he just never specified which 24 hours.Dark humour may be all that is left to Europeans as they absorb not just Trump’s refusal to impose the promised “bone-crushing sanctions” over Russia’s rejection of a 30-day ceasefire but also the increasing signs that the administration will wash its hands of Ukraine and instead focus on forging a new economic partnership with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago White House says Trump is reviewing IVF policy recommendations promised in executive order

A White House official says the Trump administration is reviewing a list of recommendations to expand access to in vitro fertilization

Events

4 d. ago Trump and Putin's 'frank and informative' phone call lasts two hours

The phone chat between the two world leaders comes four months after Trump retook the Oval Office hot seat and promised a 'swift action' to end to the war in Ukraine

Politics

5 d. ago Trump news at a glance: president faces intensifying criticism over Qatar plane gift

Top Democrat condemns ‘flying grift’ as senior Republicans join chorus of disapproval – key US politics stories from Sunday 18 May at a glanceDonald Trump is coming under increasing pressure for accepting a $400m luxury plane from Qatar as several senior Republicans join the chorus of criticism.Leading Democratic Chris Murphy on Sunday called it the “definition of corruption”, while even some of Trump’s close allies have been enraged, with some saying it was the opposite of Trump’s promise to drain the swamp and was “a stain on the administration”. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Trump set to bring about 'collapse of Russian economy' as Putin avoids Turkish peace talks

Russia's economy is in serious trouble after a wave of sanctions and its non-defence sector is in recession amid calls for new measures with a focus on energy profits, which is funding its war effort

Politics

1 week ago The Guardian view on Trump’s leftward lurch: the ‘lunatics’ are running the right | Editorial

The White House says it is borrowing from Bernie Sanders and adopts rhetoric once dismissed as dangerous to lift its flagging poll ratingsIt’s striking to see Donald Trump, who built his re-election campaign around attacking the “radical left”, now borrowing some of its economic policies. In just months, he has shifted from denouncing “communist” price controls to saying he would implement them, and from defending tax breaks for the wealthy to proposing tax increases on those earning more than $2.5m a year if it benefits poorer Americans. These moves echo longstanding proposals from progressives like Bernie Sanders – despite Mr Trump’s past efforts to portray such ideas as “lunatic”. The irony is hard to miss.Consider recent policy announcements that mirror a liberal-left agenda. Capping credit card interest rates was a Sanders campaign promise before it was a Trump one. And it may happen – courtesy of an unlikely alliance between Mr Sanders and the Republican senator Josh Hawl...

Politics

1 week ago Trump administration promises Illinois it will pay to keep carp out of the Great Lakes

Illinois is getting set to close on property that officials want to buy to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes

Politics

1 week ago Chris Packham hits out at Trump administration promise to ‘eliminate’ autism

The conservationist says autistic people “are not broken”

Politics

1 week ago Pharmaceutical stocks slide as Trump vows to cut US prescription drug prices ‘by 30

President plans to use executive powers, saying US should pay ‘same price as nation that pays the lowest price’Donald Trump has promised to use his executive powers to cut the price of prescription drugs in the US in an attempt to bring them more in line with other countries.The US president has said he will sign an order on Monday that will reduce prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices “almost immediately” by “30% to 80%”. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump promises immediate sweeping cuts to drug prices in his ‘most important and impactful’ Truth Social post

President to sign executive order putting plan in place on Monday morning

Politics

1 week ago Putin’s spokesman says Moscow will ‘continue’ invasion while blaming Ukraine for not being ‘ready’ for peace

Talks tentatively set for Thursday in Turkey as Trump seeks conclusion to war he promised he could end in 24 hours

Politics

1 week ago Amid fragile ceasefire, Trump promises to boost trade with India and Pakistan

Truce agreement was reached after diplomacy and pressure from US but within hours there was cross-border shellingA fragile ceasefire was holding between India and Pakistan on Sunday, after hours of overnight fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours, as US president Donald Trump said he would work to provide a solution regarding Kashmir.The arch-rivals were involved in intense firing for four days, the worst in nearly three decades, with missiles and drones being fired at each other’s military installations and dozens of people killed. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump's 'secret embarrassment' over day one promise he made that has been spectacularly broken

President Donald Trump made a key day one promise to voters both before and after he was elected. He is reportedly frustrated he hasn't been able to deliver on it well past 100 days in office.

Politics

2 w. ago Whiplash reversals mean Trump’s erratic trade policy is as clear as mud

The specifics of the administration’s economic masterplan – from strollers to movies to China – change by the dayDecades of economic orthodoxy failed millions of Americans, according to Donald Trump, who marched back into the White House promising to shred the status quo. But the specifics of his alternative – exactly how his administration claims it will make America great again – change by the day.The US president declared this week to be a key milestone of his second term, as he unveiled his first major trade deal since returning to office following accelerated talks with the UK. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Flattery gets Starmer somewhere as The Donald stays awake to toot tariff deal | John Crace

Sycophancy stops Trump from dozing off as PM and co hail victory – or at least getting what they could getThree days ago, Donald Trump promised an announcement that would be very possibly the greatest announcement in the whole history of announcements. Come Thursday morning, he said the US and the UK had reached a full and comprehensive trade deal.I guess a lot depends on what you mean by the words “greatest announcement” and “full and comprehensive”. As details of the deal began to emerge, it rather looked as if the UK had managed to negotiate a worse deal with the US than we had even two months ago. One that was hardly transformative. Just reversing some of the damage that had been done to the UK by the US starting a global trade war. Tariffs as a protection racket. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Vance says Russia was 'asking for too much' in its initial Ukraine peace offer

Vice President JD Vance says Russia was “asking for too much” in its initial peace offer as the United States looks to bring about an end to the war in Ukraine

Politics

2 w. ago John Swinney condemns Israeli plan to 'capture' Gaza that would cause 'more deaths'

Scotland's First Minister called for a two-state solution to bring peace to the Middle East amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Politics

2 w. ago Trade union advises staff at newly christened Reform UK councils to sign up after jubilant Nigel Farage promised Trump

Mr Farage warned council staff working on diversity or climate change initiatives to seek 'alternative careers' after his party took control of Durham council.

Politics

2 w. ago From ‘fiasco’ to ‘fantastic’: Americans weigh in on 100 days of Trump

While many are outraged over the chaos, others have embraced some policies promised on the campaign trail“I’m not a fan of Trump, but he’s delivering a long-overdue kick in the pants to the bloated bureaucracy of the US federal government,” said Martyn, a marketing executive from California. “Seems odd to ask Trump to focus on eliminating corruption, but sometimes you need a crook to catch a crook. It’s been, however, way more chaotic than I thought was possible.”Martyn was among thousands of Americans who shared with the Guardian how they felt about the first weeks of Donald Trump’s second term, painting a picture of voters who felt disoriented and maximally alarmed on one side, and exhilarated, hopeful or positively surprised on the other. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump’s promised ‘golden age’ for the US economy is off to a chaotic start

Growth in the first three months was challenged by Trump’s overhaul plans, and execution of his tariffs created widespread confusion and uncertaintyDonald Trump promised to usher in a new “golden age” for the US economy – one with lower prices, more jobs and greater wealth. This week, his first quarter report card came in, and the new age is off to a chaotic start.Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank for the first time in three years during the first quarter, abruptly turning negative after a spell of robust growth as trade distortions and weaker consumer spending dampened activity. Continue reading...

Politics