All posts tagged: Mr Trump

King teases Trump at state dinner: ‘You’d be speaking French if it wasn’t for us’

King teases Trump at state dinner: ‘You’d be speaking French if it wasn’t for us’

Published by Sam Flores

The King teased Donald Trump in his state dinner speech, joking that the US president would be “speaking French” without Britain. His Majesty, whom Mr Trump is hosting at the White House, poked fun at Mr Trump’s claim in January that European leaders would be speaking German “and a little Japanese” without American intervention in the Second World War. “You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German,” the King said. “Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French!” The King’s speech was sprinkled with jokes that spoke to the long history of the “special relationship”. At one point, he compared Mr Trump’s attempts to construct a ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing to Britain burning down the White House in the 19th century. “On this occasion, I cannot help noticing the ‘readjustments’ to the East Wing, Mr President, following your visit to Windsor Castle last year,” he said. “I am sorry to say that we …

Argentina tells Falklanders to go back to England

Argentina tells Falklanders to go back to England

Published by Sam Flores

Falklanders should go back to England, Argentina’s vice-president said after Buenos Aires renewed its claim to the British overseas territory. Argentina’s claim to what it calls the Malvinas was boosted when Donald Trump threatened to review the official US position on the islands after the UK refused to join his war on Iran. Javier Milei, Argentina’s president and a close ally of Mr Trump, said last week that the “the Malvinas were, are and will always be Argentine”. Victoria Villarruel, Mr Milei’s deputy, wrote on social media on Monday: “Today, more than ever, the Malvinas are Argentine. “The discussion over the sovereignty of our islands is between states, therefore the United Kingdom must discuss bilaterally with Argentina the claim that we maintain for legal, historical and geographical reasons. “The Kelpers are English people who live in Argentine territory; they are not part of the discussion. If they feel English, they should go back to the thousands of miles away where their country is.” The nickname “Kelpers” given to the residents refers to the masses of …

Falklands tells ‘bully’ Trump to back off

Falklands tells ‘bully’ Trump to back off

Published by Sam Flores

The Falklands government has rebuked Donald Trump and told him the islands are British after the Pentagon drew up proposals to support Argentine claims over sovereignty. The US is reviewing its official position on the islands as a means to punish the UK for failing to support its war with Iran. Islanders and Sir Keir Starmer condemned the move, while war veterans accused the US president of “bullying”. In a statement, the Falkland Islands government said that 99.8 per cent of voters on the island had cast their ballot in favour of remaining a British Overseas Territory. It added: “The Falkland Islands has complete confidence in the commitment made by the UK Government to uphold and defend our right of self-determination.” Sir Keir also hit back at the Trump administration shortly after leaked emails suggested that the US position was under review. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said he could “not be clearer” that the islands were a sovereign British Overseas Territory and that their right to self-determination was paramount. The spokesman said: “Sovereignty rests with …

Donald Trump threatens UK again and warns ‘they better be careful’

Donald Trump threatens UK again and warns ‘they better be careful’

Published by Sam Flores

The UK was back on Donald Trump’s mind as he threatened ‘a big tariff’ in retaliation to a digital services tax introduced by Westminster six years ago. The tax, which has been enforced since 2020, imposes a two per cent levy on the revenues of several major US tech companies – including social media firms. But amid strains in relations between the two countries during the Middle East war, Mr Trump raised the issue with journalists at the Oval Office on Thursday (April 23). He told reporters: “We’ve been looking at it and we can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK, so they better be careful. If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.” The tax targets companies whose worldwide revenues from digital activities exceed £500 million, with more than £25 million of the revenue from UK users. According to a 2025 Treasury review, the levy raised more than £800 million in 2024–25, up from £678 million in 2023–24. Click here …

China turns Iran war to its advantage with plan to profit from US disaster

China turns Iran war to its advantage with plan to profit from US disaster

Published by Sam Flores

Xi Jinping strode into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and settled into his chair, flanked by his top advisers at a large mahogany table decorated with purple orchids. Stately in a navy suit, China’s leader delivered brief opening remarks – just under a minute – to welcome Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, sitting opposite. “The world today is in turmoil and disorder. How a country approaches international law and the international order reflects its worldview, values and its approach to order and responsibility,” said Mr Xi, assuming the role of a respected world leader. “China and Spain are both principled countries that value justice, and are willing to stand on the right side of history,” he continued, in a thinly veiled jab at Donald Trump’s assault on Iran, which has engulfed the Middle East in war for the past 50 days. “We must oppose a return of the world to the ‘law of the jungle’, jointly safeguard genuine multilateralism and uphold global peace and development.” Official readouts also noted how Mr …

Trump: Iran has agreed to hand over its uranium

Trump: Iran has agreed to hand over its uranium

Published by Sam Flores

Iran has agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium, Donald Trump has claimed, saying the US is “close” to a peace deal to end the war. “They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House, referring to the estimated 450kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent. Iran has not responded to Mr Trump’s claims. What happens to the uranium stockpile has been the central sticking point in negotiations since talks collapsed in Islamabad last week. Tehran offered to halt any further enrichment for five years, while the US insisted on a 20-year freeze. Iranian scientists had enriched uranium to near weapons-grade before the war. “We’re going to see what happens. But I think we’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” Mr Trump said, adding that another round of talks could happen as soon as this weekend. He said that if an agreement was reached in Islamabad, he might travel to Pakistan for the signing. Tehran had offered to halt any further enrichment …

Cuba’s president has a message for the US after Donald Trump said the island was ‘next’ for a takeover

Cuba’s president has a message for the US after Donald Trump said the island was ‘next’ for a takeover

Published by Sam Flores

Cuba’s president has said he won’t step down as he pushed back against mounting US pressure for change on the island. President Trump‘s rhetoric over displacing the communist regime has intensified recently, but Miguel Diaz-Canel told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News that “stepping down is not part of our vocabulary”. “In Cuba, the people who are in leadership positions are not elected by the US government, and they don’t have a mandate from the US government,” he told interviewer Kristen Welker. “We have a free sovereign state, a free state. We have self-determination and independence, and we are not subjected to the designs of the United States.” Mr Diaz-Canel took over from Raul Castro as head of the one-party system in 2018. “If the Cuban people understand that I am not fit for office, that I have no reason to be here, then I should not be holding this position of president, I will respond to them,” he said. Cuba’s 10 million or so people have been dealing with major blackouts in recent …

Trump faces another shipping crisis – this time on his own doorstep

Trump faces another shipping crisis – this time on his own doorstep

Published by Sam Flores

Donald Trump’s obsession with acquiring Greenland has blinded him to a security crisis brewing on his own doorstep, Arctic leaders have warned. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the former president of Iceland, said Mr Trump had been talking “utter rubbish” about enemy ships surrounding Greenland, while neglecting a very real Russian threat on his own side of the Arctic. In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Grímsson urged the US president to look “closer to home” and counter a significant increase in Chinese and Russian ship activity around the Bering Strait, off the coast of Alaska. Last week, the US and Denmark began secret talks on the future of Greenland, which Mr Trump had threatened to conquer by force earlier this year. After Mr Trump attacked Venezuela, concerns over a potential invasion of the autonomous Danish territory were so acute that Denmark prepared to blow up Greenland’s runways to prevent US military planes from landing. The two countries are now seeking a diplomatic solution, with Copenhagen stressing that it cannot give up sovereignty in any form. But …

US special forces enter Iran to rescue downed airman

US special forces enter Iran to rescue downed airman

Published by Sam Flores

US special forces entered Iran on Friday night to rescue a crew member of a downed fighter jet. Iran shot down a US F-15 over its airspace, the first fighter jet destroyed by enemy fire since the war began. Two crew members ejected, reports suggested, triggering a race between Iran and the US to find the stranded American airmen. One was rescued in an operation involving two US military helicopters and low-flying refuelling aircraft, which were targeted by light weaponry. Both helicopters were hit by Iranian fire, with one trailing smoke as it returned to Iraqi territory, but they landed safely, officials said. The whereabouts of the remaining US airman were unknown on Friday night, as Iranian media broadcast images of local militia fanning out in a search operation. Broadcasts offered a $60,000 bounty for his capture as Iran claimed a propaganda victory in shooting down the US jet. Reports also surfaced late on Friday of a US A-10 Warthog, a close air support attack plane, crashing near the Strait of Hormuz. US officials said …

Iran allows French ship through Strait of Hormuz

Iran allows French ship through Strait of Hormuz

Published by Sam Flores

Iran has allowed a French-owned ship through the Strait of Hormuz, a day after Emmanuel Macron mocked Donald Trump and accused the US president of changing his mind “all the time”. The Kribi, a Malta-flagged container ship owned by French logistics company CMA CGM, became the first Western vessel to exit the Persian Gulf since the start of the war with Iran. Tehran has all but shut the strait since the start of the conflict, while letting through some ships from countries such as China, Pakistan and the Philippines. Tracking data showed the Kribi sailing close to Iran’s coastline via a route that appeared to have been approved by Tehran. It is unclear whether the vessel paid a fee. Iran is believed to be running what shipping analysts have called a “toll booth”, charging vessels up to $2m (£1.51m) to pass through the choke point, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil normally transits. The French crossing came hours after Mr Macron launched his sharpest attack yet on Mr Trump after his American …