President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran would not get sanctions relief in exchange for giving up their highly enriched uranium. His comments come as the United States and Iran try to strike a deal to end the conflict that has engulfed the Middle East for the last three months.

"No, no, not at all. Not sanctions relief, no," Trump told PBS News during a short phone call when asked if the current deal would mean that Iran would give up their highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief. (PBS – Continue Reading)

The Trump administration's trade agency said on Wednesday it will kick off the first of three negotiating rounds with Mexico this week to revamp the North American trade agreement, but made no mention of any talks with Canada.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office said in a statement that Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Goettman will lead bilateral talks in Mexico City on Thursday and Friday focused on "economic security and rules of origin for key industrial goods." (Reuters – Continue Reading)

The United States depends heavily on imported critical minerals, including rare earth elements, needed for semiconductors, renewable energy, AI expansion, and defense systems. Because supply disruptions could seriously harm the economy and national security, the US government has launched Project Vault, a $12 billion public-private program to stockpile emergency supplies of critical minerals. Funded by a $10 billion EXIM Bank loan and $2 billion in private capital, the project is aimed at reducing reliance on foreign suppliers, particularly China, and protecting American—and eventually allied-country—manufacturers from shortages. Project Vault’s design, however, raises important questions about its durability and day-to-day operations. (PIIE – Continue Reading)

Making large-language models is hard. Rockets are even harder.

SpaceX and OpenAI are both racing toward public offerings, which will highlight two very different businesses that are both putting distinctive spins on the artificial-intelligence market.

The rivalry runs deep. SpaceX’s IPO filing and the reports that OpenAI’s filing is imminent came just two days after SpaceX’s founder and chief executive officer, Elon Musk lost a jury trial over a lawsuit challenging OpenAI’s corporate structure. That loss still produced a case that packed plenty of embarrassing details for OpenAI and its polarizing CEO, Sam Altman. (WSJ - Continue Reading)

European Union foreign ministers will convene on Thursday to discuss potential negotiations with Russia, prompted by Ukraine's call for a more active European role. With the U.S. focusing on other global conflicts, the EU's stance remains one of isolation following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Amid stalled U.S.-led peace talks, some EU officials advocate readiness for dialogues with Moscow. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown openness for negotiations, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy stresses the need for Europe to clearly define its representation in any discussions. (Devdiscourse – Continue Reading)

One in five Britons say they cannot afford a summer holiday this year as the cost of living – fuelled by the conflict in the Middle East – continues to rise, a new poll has found.

Nearly a third (30 per cent) of Brits have postponed holidays or travel this year, the polling conducted by YouGov and commissioned by fintech company SumUp shows. A further one in five (19 per cent) say they cannot afford to travel at all. (Independent – Continue Reading)