31 m. ago Zelenskyy heads for Trump White House meeting as Russia names new US ambassador – Europe live

Appointment of Alexander Darchiev is latest sign of thaw in US-Russian relationsin AthensThe peaceful scenes in central Athens have now been eclipsed by the eruption of full scale clashes between rock-throwing youths and riot police. Continue reading...

Politics

99 m. ago Zelenskyy in US for Trump meeting as Macron says he has ‘very little hope’ EU can avoid tariffs – Europe live

Macron blamed US-EU row on ‘misunderstandings’ on the part of the US administrationin AthensThe peaceful scenes in central Athens have now been eclipsed by the eruption of full scale clashes between rock-throwing youths and riot police. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Zelenskyy heads to US for Trump meeting with minerals deal expected to be signed – Europe live

Key details of agreement yet to be made public but US president has resisted agreeing to provide security guaranteesTrump says Putin would keep his word on a Ukraine peace dealSince Helena’s last update, the protests in Athens have turned ugly, with AFP reporting clashes between firebomb-wielding youths and police who fired teargas.in Athens Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago M6 crash: Lorry driver killed and motorist seriously injured as major collision closes motorway

Significant delays expected following the serious collision on the M6

Events

5 h. ago What are Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, where are they and what will the deal with Trump involve?

More than 50 per cent of Ukraine’s critical rare earth mineral resources are in regions illegally annexed by Vladimir Putin and partially occupied by his forces

Politics

5 h. ago Starmer’s Trump meeting ‘spectacular success’, says Streeting, as Tories dismiss president’s backing for Chagos deal – UK politics live

Health secretary hails talks over defence, security and trade as Badenoch says her party will continue to oppose Chagos dealWes Streeting, the health secretary, was doing an interview round this morning to promote an announcement about a new contract for GPs in England. He claims it will end the “8am scramble” for GP appointments.Explaining how this would work, the Department of Health and Social Care says in its news release:The new deal agreed yesterday (February 27) between the government and British Medical Association (BMA) will free up doctors from red tape and box-ticking targets to concentrate on what they do best – treating patients.The new agreed contract will modernise general practice by requiring GP surgeries to allow patients to request appointments online throughout working hours from October, freeing up the phones for those who need them most, and making it easier for practices to triage patients based on medical need. The reforms are part of the government’s Plan fo...

Politics

6 h. ago M6 crash: Major traffic delays as motorway shuts after serious collision

Significant delays expected following the serious collision on the M6

Events

6 h. ago Zelensky braces for Trump showdown: Ukrainian leader jets into Washington to sign key rare earths deal

Volodymyr Zelensky 's delegation is expected to sign a landmark economic agreement with the U.S. aimed at financing the reconstruction of war-damaged Ukraine

Politics

7 h. ago Donald Trump invited to meet King Charles at Dumfries House estate ahead of second UK state visit

King Charles has suggested a possible meeting at his Dumfries House estate, which is located less than an hour from Trump's Turnberry resort.

Politics

7 h. ago ‘Tea with a side of flattery’: what US papers say about Starmer’s meeting with Trump

The get-together between the UK prime minister and US president barely made a splash across the AtlanticA quick scan of the UK newspaper front pages and you would be forgiven for thinking it was the diplomatic moment of the century, but a glance at the media on the other side of the Atlantic suggests Keir Starmer and Donald Trump’s get-together barely made a splash.Instead, much of the scant coverage portrayed the prime minister as a messenger, bringing an invite for something much more glamorous than a former lawyer from Oxted: the royal red carpet. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago The Independent’s White House correspondent tells what it’s like to tangle with Trump in Oval Office lion’s den

Andrew Feinberg goes at it over tariffs and Canada as Trump meets with Keir Starmer

Politics

7 h. ago He’s one of boxing’s biggest stars. But will Tank Davis ever put it on the line?

The mercurial boxing savant returns to Brooklyn on Saturday with another big payday and signature knockout expected. But the real question is what comes nextGervonta Davis leaned back from the microphone, a slow grin creeping onto his face, brimming with the earned confidence of a man who’s seen this all before. “You know what I come to do, man,” the World Boxing Association’s lightweight champion said. “You know why I’m here. I don’t want to say too much. [His mother] is over there in the corner. Got to keep it polite, but y’all know: fireworks.”It was the same styling of laconic menace he’s dispensed at nearly every press conference before his fights, and yet it still sent a quiet ripple through the Barclays Center atrium on Thursday afternoon. Because when Davis says it, history has shown he’s standing on business. Thirty bouts, 30 wins, 28 knockouts. World titles at 130lb, 135lb and 140lb while selling out arenas from coast to coast. There’s a reason why the squat Baltimore sout...

Events

8 h. ago Trump tried to extort Zelenskyy and was impeached – now he may succeed

The Ukrainian president is expected at the White House on Friday to sign a multimillion-dollar minerals deal with echoes of a notorious 2019 phone callAlexander Vindman remembers the phone call – and what he did next. Serving on the national security council (NSC), he went to see his twin brother, who was the council’s senior ethics official, closed the door and told him: “Eugene, if what I’m about to tell you ever becomes public, Donald Trump will be impeached.”Vindman had set up a call between Trump and Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in July 2019. He heard the US president attempt to leverage US military aid to the country in return for Zelenskyy launching an investigation into Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, over his position at a Ukrainian gas company. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Starmer sees value in Trump’s mineral deal with Ukraine after meeting with US president

British prime minister says agreement will form ‘at least one element’ of security guarantee for Kyiv

Politics

9 h. ago Inside Donald Trump and Keir Starmer's gift swap during crunch White House visit

World leaders traditionally exchange gifts at top level meetings - and Keir Starmer and Donald Trump were no different when the PM visited the White House for key talks

Politics

11 h. ago Newspapers welcome ‘warm rapport’ from Starmer’s meeting with Trump

Friday’s papers have a largely, if not unanimously, warm response to the Prime Minister’s trip to the White House.

Politics

17 h. ago Trump says Putin would keep his word on a Ukraine peace deal

President claims presence of US workers in Ukraine would deter Russian aggression after talks with Keir StarmerStarmer visits Trump: latest updatesDonald Trump has insisted that Vladimir Putin would “keep his word” on a peace deal for Ukraine, arguing that US workers extracting critical minerals in the country would act as a security backstop to deter Russia from invading again.During highly anticipated talks at the White House with the prime minister, Keir Starmer, the US president said that Putin could be trusted not to breach any agreement, which could aim to return as much of the land as possible to Ukraine that was seized by Russia during the brutal three-year conflict. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Trump dodges question on Starmer’s efforts to avert UK tariffs but says: "He tried"

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has gone on a trip to the White House to meet US President Donald Trump.

Politics

18 h. ago Donald Trump praises Keir Starmer’s ‘beautiful’ accent as he makes special pledge

Donald Trump praised Sir Keir Starmer’s “beautiful” accent as he pledged to continue the “special” relationship between the US and UK.

Politics

18 h. ago Trump praises Starmer’s ‘hard’ lobbying as he again suggests UK will be exempt from US tariffs – live

Trump calls Starmer meeting ‘tremendously productive’ and says ‘we have a very good chance at arriving at a very good deal’Trump-Starmer visit: the key takeawaysEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will travel to London this Sunday to take part in an informal meeting on Ukraine and European security, the European Commission has just confirmed. Jakub Krupa has more on his Europe live blog.David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has confirmed that President Trump has the ability to veto the deal that the UK has negotiated transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Isands to Mauritius. Speaking on ITV’s Peston last night, Lammy said:If President Trump doesn’t like the deal, the deal will not go forward.The reason for that is because we have a shared military and intelligence interest with the United States, and of course they’ve got to be happy with the deal, or there is no deal. Continue reading...

Politics