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Since he failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize as a peacemaker, Donald Trump became a war president by joining Israel in its 12-day June campaign against Iran. Then on February 28, Trump along with
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The world will always remember Queen Elizabeth II for her extraordinary service and dedication. Reigning for more than 70 years, she became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, ascending the throne on February 6, 1952,
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For once, the prime minister and the leaders of all the opposition parties agree. Visibly angry on Friday in his first public statement since allegations re-emerged about Peter Mandelson’s failed security vetting – which was
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Americans could be forgiven if they’re unaware that President Donald Trump recently performed one of his most essential tasks and sent his annual budget request to Congress, though months late and stunningly incomplete. After all,
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The helicopter mission of JD Vance, Donald Trump’s vice-president and chief Maga theoretician, to give last-minute support to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán had one clear outcome: the other guy won hands down. The landslide victory at
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European allies fear an inexperienced US negotiating team is pushing for a swift, headline-grabbing framework deal with Iran that could entrench rather than resolve deeper problems, diplomats with past experience dealing with Tehran said.They worry that Washington, eager to claim a diplomatic win for President Donald Trump, could lock in a superficial agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief, then struggle through months or years of technically complex follow-on talks.“The concern isn’t that there won’t be an agreement,” said a senior European diplomat, who has previously worked on the nuclear file or continue to do so. “It’s that there will be a bad initial agreement that creates endless downstream problems.”Diplomats from France, Britain and Germany – which began negotiating with Iran in 2003 – say that they have been sidelined.From 2013 to 2015, the three worked with the US to secure a deal on curbing Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).Trump withdrew from the accord – the signature foreign policy agreement of his predecessor Barack Obama – in 2018, during his first term, calling it “horribly one-sided”.After 40 days of airstrikes, US and Iranian negotiators opened talks in Islamabad earlier this month, again focused on the familiar trade-off of nuclear restrictions for economic relief.There were some signs in the Pakistani capital yesterday of preparations for a resumption of face-to-face negotiations.Diplomats say that deep mistrust and sharply different negotiating styles raise the risk of a fragile framework neither side can sustain politically.“It took us 12 years and immense technical work,” said Federica Mogherini, who co-ordinated the talks from 2013 to 2015. “Does anyone seriously think this can be done in 21 hours?”The diplomats said that a skeletal agreement may be achievable, built around a nuclear package and an economic package.“The Americans think you agree on three or four points in a five-page document and that’s it, but on the nuclear file, every clause opens the door to a dozen more disputes,” a second European diplomat said.Talks are focusing on Iran’s stockpile of roughly 440kg (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60%, material that could be used for several nuclear weapons if further enriched.The favoured option is “downblending” inside Iran under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision.Another is a hybrid approach, with some material shipped abroad.“Whatever happens now is only a starting point,” said a diplomat previously involved in nuclear talks. “That’s why the 2015 JCPOA ran to 160 pages.”Beyond stockpiles lies the deeper dispute over Iran’s right to enrich uranium at all: Trump has publicly pushed for zero enrichment, while Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes and denies seeking a bomb.One possible compromise would be a temporary moratorium followed by resumption at very low levels under strict conditions.Europeans stressed that a central role for the IAEA, including intrusive verification and unrestricted access, was essential.“A negotiation with Iran is meticulous and subtle: every word matters,” said Gérard Araud, France’s chief negotiator from 2006 to 2009. “That’s not something you rush.”The economic track focuses on lifting sanctions and unfreezing Iranian assets.In the short term, Iran wants access to frozen funds overseas.Broader sanctions relief would come later and require European buy-in, diplomats said.Officials say Washington is again separating an agreement in principle from its painstaking follow-up, an approach they say risks misreading Iranian political culture.“These talks aren’t a real-estate deal settled with a handshake,” said a senior regional diplomat briefed by Tehran, referring to the background of Trump’s main negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “They involve sequencing, sanctions relief and reciprocal nuclear steps.”“There’s simply not enough expertise in this US team,” said one European official, noting that roughly 200 diplomats, financial and nuclear experts were involved in the 2015 talks. “We’ve worked on this file for two decades.” – Reuters
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The idea that children go “online” is already outdated.For most young people today, there is no meaningful distinction between online and offline life. Their friendships unfold across group chats, their sense of identity is shaped
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It is exciting to learn that Taylor Swift once again leads the American Music Awards nominations with eight nods this year. Her recognition in major categories such as Artist of the Year, Song of the
