live Trump says Iran wants to ‘settle’ as U.S. pauses talks for Khamenei funeral
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies...
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius met in Washington on 14 July to discuss increasing NATO defence spending and support for Ukraine.
Hegseth praised Germany’s commitment to defence spending within NATO, viewing it as a sign of European leadership. He expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies would further strengthen this cooperation.
Pistorius emphasised the longstanding and strong partnership between the U.S. and Germany, describing it as a cornerstone of the transatlantic alliance.
He stated that Germany aims to take a leading role among allies by increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Germany has eased constitutional debt limits to meet NATO’s target of raising defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2029. This move will increase Germany’s defence budget from €95 billion in 2025 to €162 billion by 2029.
During the talks, the German side sought clarification on U.S. arms supplies to Ukraine, the deployment of Patriot missile systems, and the future size of U.S. forces in Europe.
Pistorius also confirmed Germany’s readiness to fund U.S.-made Patriot missile systems destined for Ukraine—a proposal previously put forward by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Patriot missiles would be sent to Ukraine, with costs to be covered by the European Union.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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