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Trump arrives in Britain for second state visit

On Wednesday, Trump and his wife, Melania, will be treated to British royal pageantry, including a carriage tour, a state banquet, a flypast by military aircraft and a gun salute.

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U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Britain late on Tuesday for an unprecedented second state visit at which the two nations will seal investment deals, a renewal of a “special relationship” Prime Minister Keir Starmer is keen to champion, Reuters reported.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and British finance minister Rachel Reeves led events before Trump’s arrival, announcing a “Transatlantic taskforce” to deepen work between two of the world’s largest financial centres.

Trump will then be greeted by King Charles on Wednesday, for a day of pomp at Windsor Castle, a regal show of soft power that Starmer hopes will offer him protection from possible pitfalls during the trip.

The visit should provide Trump with a diversion less than a week after a close ally, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was shot dead, a killing that has appeared to affect the president deeply.

Starmer is also looking to turn the focus onto geopolitics and investment after enduring a tough couple of weeks that have undermined his authority. First he was forced to fire his deputy and then six days later his ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer wants to pitch Britain as a destination for U.S. investment, closely aligning its financial services, tech and energy sectors with larger U.S. peers to try to drive much-needed economic growth at home, read the report.

To that end, business executives including Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O), CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are due to attend, while billions of dollars of business deals are expected to be announced.

Micosoft (MSFT.O), said it would invest over $30 billion in Britain over the next four years, while Google said it would invest 5 billion pounds ($6.8 billion), partly on a new data centre close to London that would help meet demand for AI services.

A spokesperson for Starmer described the state visit as “a historic opportunity” coming “at a crucial time for global stability and security”.

“The prime minister will discuss the challenges that both our countries face, and the opportunities, as we enter a new era of our deep and unparalleled relationship,” the spokesperson told reporters.

Starmer will turn the focus to foreign affairs on Thursday when he hosts Trump at his Chequers country residence and will attempt to draw a line under his handling of the departures of his deputy, Angela Rayner, and Mandelson.

He gave both his full-throated support before being forced to let them go, prompting questions over his political judgment at a time when Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party holds a hefty lead the polls, read the report.

Mandelson’s ties to the late Epstein that led to his sacking could present Starmer with a tricky moment with Trump, whose administration had close ties to the former ambassador and whose own relationship with the financier has also come under scrutiny.

Starmer has justified his abrupt sacking of Mandelson last week by saying he was not aware of the depth of the ex-ambassador’s ties to Epstein and Trump has denied writing him a birthday letter which Democrats in the House of Representatives made public.

On Wednesday, Trump and his wife, Melania, will be treated to British royal pageantry, including a carriage tour, a state banquet, a flypast by military aircraft and a gun salute.

A day later, Starmer welcomes Trump to Chequers, a 16th century manor house in the southern English countryside, to discuss investment, tariffs on steel and aluminium, ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Gaza.

Both nations will have sizeable delegations and will be largely protected from planned anti-Trump protests. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was greeted by Britain’s newly-appointed foreign minister, Yvette Cooper, when he arrived on Tuesday.

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Trump says US could restart Iran strikes ‘if they misbehave’

Iran has ⁠been blocking nearly all shipping from the Gulf apart from its own for more than two months. Last month, the U.S. imposed its own blockade of ships from Iranian ports.

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had been told about the concept of a deal with Iran, but was ​waiting for the exact wording, while warning there was still the possibility of restarting strikes on the country if Tehran misbehaves, Reuters reported.

A senior Iranian official said on ‌Saturday that an Iranian proposal so far rejected by Trump would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. blockade of Iran while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear program for later.

When asked about Iran’s proposal before boarding a flight to Miami at West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump replied: “They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now.”

He added on his social ​media channel that he could not imagine the proposals would be acceptable and that Iran had not paid a big enough price for what it had done.

Asked if ​he might restart strikes on Iran, Trump replied: “I don’t want to say that. I mean, I can’t tell that to a reporter. If ⁠they misbehave, if they do something bad, right now we’ll see. But it’s a possibility that could happen.”

Trump has said repeatedly that Iran can never ​have a nuclear weapon and said on Friday he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal, while Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran was ready for diplomacy if the U.S. changes its ​approach, read the report.

Reuters and other news organizations reported over the past week that Tehran was proposing to reopen the strait before nuclear issues were resolved. The official confirmed that this new timeline had now been spelled out in a formal proposal conveyed to the United States through mediators.

Trump also said on Friday that “on a human basis,” he did not prefer the military course of action and told congressional leaders he did not ​need their permission to extend the war beyond a deadline set by law for that day because the ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities.

While saying repeatedly he is in no hurry, Trump is under ​domestic pressure to break Iran’s hold on the strait, which has choked off 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies and pushed up U.S. gasoline prices. Trump’s Republican Party faces the risk of ‌a voter ⁠backlash over higher prices when the country votes in midterm congressional elections in November.

Iranian media said Tehran’s 14-point proposal included the withdrawal of U.S. forces from areas surrounding Iran, lifting the blockade, releasing Iran’s frozen assets, payment of compensation, lifting sanctions and ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as a new control mechanism for the strait.

The United States and Israel suspended their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago, but appear no closer to a deal to end a war that has caused the biggest disruption ever to global energy supplies, roiled ​global markets and raised worries about the possibility ​of a wider global economic downturn.

Iran has ⁠been blocking nearly all shipping from the Gulf apart from its own for more than two months. Last month, the U.S. imposed its own blockade of ships from Iranian ports.

Washington has repeatedly said it will not end the war, which has led to the deaths of ​thousands of people, without a deal that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the primary aim Trump cited when he launched ​strikes in February in the ⁠midst of nuclear talks. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential diplomacy, the senior Iranian official said Tehran believed its latest proposal to shelve nuclear talks for a later stage was a significant shift aimed at facilitating an agreement, Reuters reported.

Under the proposal, the war would end with a guarantee that Israel and the United States would not attack again. ⁠Iran would open ​the strait, and the United States would lift its blockade.

Future talks would then be held on curbs to ​Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, with Iran demanding Washington recognize its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, even if it agrees to suspend its nuclear program.

“Under this framework, negotiations over the more complicated ​nuclear issue have been moved to the final stage to create a more conducive atmosphere,” the official said.

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Trump says he’s dissatisfied with Iranian proposal as rift with allies deepens

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal for ​talks on the Iran war, while Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran was ready for diplomacy if the United States changes its approach.

Trump’s comments indicated the deadlock over the ‌two-month-old war is likely to persist, even as he looks to end a conflict that remains deeply unpopular among Americans, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, U.S. relations with its traditional allies were further strained over Iran on Friday, as the United States announced it was withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany. Trump had threatened a drawdown over differences with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday the Iranians were humiliating the United States and that the Americans lacked an exit strategy.

A senior Pentagon official, speaking on ​condition of anonymity, said recent German comments were “inappropriate and unhelpful.”

“The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks,” the official said.

Though the United States and Iran have suspended hostilities since ​an April 8 ceasefire, the two countries remain at odds over a range of issues, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and control over the Strait of ⁠Hormuz, and the two sides have yet to agree to a second meeting following a brief summit of senior officials in Islamabad last month.

It was unclear what the Iranians had submitted in their ​fresh proposal. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has cautioned against expecting quick results.

“They want to make a deal, but … I’m not satisfied with it,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that the Iranian leadership ​was “very disjointed” and split into two or three groups.

“They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to,” he said, adding that negotiations by phone were continuing.

Later on Friday, during a speech in Florida, Trump said the United States would not end its confrontation with Iran early “and then have the problem arise in three more years.”

Trump has said Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. He is also under pressure to break Iran’s hold ​on the strait, which has choked off 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies.

Global oil prices eased on Friday following news of the Iranian proposal, coming off Thursday’s four-year high. Benchmark Brent crude ​was down 1% to around $109.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said his country was ready to pursue diplomacy if the United States changes what he called its “excessive approach, threatening rhetoric and provocative actions.”

However, Araqchi added in a post ‌on his ⁠Telegram channel that “Iran’s armed forces remained ready to defend the country against any threat.”

Iran has activated air defenses and plans a wide response if attacked, having assessed that there will be a short, intensive U.S. strike, possibly followed by an Israeli attack, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

REPORTS ON PLANS FOR NEW STRIKES

Separately, Trump told leaders in Congress that he did not need their permission to extend the war beyond a Friday deadline set by law because the ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities.

“Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do ​we want to try and make a deal?” ​Trump said when asked about his options.

Trump ⁠added that “on a human basis,” he did not prefer the military course of action.

The war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has led to the deaths of thousands of people. The closure of the strait has increased concerns about the possibility of a wider ​global economic downturn.

The U.S. Navy is blockading exports of Iranian crude oil. As of Friday afternoon, 45 commercial vessels had been stopped, according to ​the U.S. military.

The U.S. Treasury ⁠said that any shipper paying tolls to Iran for passage, including charitable donations to organizations such as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, would be at risk of punitive sanctions.

IRAN SAYS TO BUY DOMESTIC

The war has aggravated Iran’s economic plight, but it looks able to survive a standoff for now, despite the U.S. blockade that has curtailed its energy exports.

In a written message, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on businesses damaged in ⁠the war to ​avoid layoffs as much as possible, Iranian news agencies reported.

China’s U.N. ambassador, Fu Cong, said it was an urgent necessity to ​maintain the ceasefire and that the strait needs to be reopened as quickly as possible. He said he was sure the strait would be high on the agenda in talks between China’s leader Xi Jinping and Trump if it is still ​closed when Trump travels to Beijing this month.

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US judge rejects Trump administration’s halt on immigration applications

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A federal judge on Thursday ruled that policies that make it harder for ‌people from countries on President Donald Trump’s travel ban list to get green cards and work permits are discriminatory and unlawful.

U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick in Boston reached that conclusion as she issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit by around ​200 people from 20 countries including Iran, Haiti, Venezuela and Syria who sued over a halt ​on the processing of their immigration-related applications, Reuters reported.

The lawsuit, filed in December, took aim at ⁠policies U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adopted beginning in November affecting applications by immigrants seeking asylum, green ​cards and work authorization.

Those policies have resulted in the agency placing a hold on the processing of applications ​from people from the 39 countries that are the subject of full or partial travel bans imposed by Trump, who has cited vetting and security concerns.

Before instituting that halt, the agency, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, adopted ​a policy in November 2025 that treats the nationality of people from those countries as a “significant negative ​factor” when reviewing their applications.

Kobick, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, concluded the plaintiffs were likely to succeed ‌in proving ⁠that policy ran afoul of the Immigration and Nationality Act’s bar against nationality-based discrimination.

The judge said the agency’s subsequent halt on reviewing asylum and naturalization applications was likewise “contrary to Congress’s command that the agency issue decisions on such applications.” She said the pause on reviewing green card and work authorization applications violated regulations ​governing them.

Kobick blocked USCIS from ​enforcing the policies against ⁠22 plaintiffs who had provided declarations detailing how they were harmed by them, and she directed the parties to discuss whether her order should apply to the ​rest of the 200.

Jim Hacking, ​a lawyer ⁠for the plaintiffs, welcomed the ruling, which he said appeared to be the first by a judge nationally to address the “significant negative factor” policy alongside the separate but related hold on the processing of applications. A handful ⁠of other ​judges have previously ruled against that halt in some migrants’ cases.

“USCIS ​wants to make it harder for people to receive an immigration benefit if they are from one of the 39 countries, even ​though Congress has never allowed them to,” he said.

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