Global military spending surpassed $2.7 trillion in 2024, marking a 9.4% increase from the previous year, with over 100 countries raising their military budgets.

David Axelrod characterises the first 100 days of a presidency as a mere “hallmark holiday”, yet it remains an important barometer for US presidents’ early effectiveness.

Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade policies are prompting global economic policymakers to reassess their strategies while highlighting concerns about trade imbalances and reliance on a single economic partner, particularly China.

Politics continues to dominate the American headlines this morning, 24 April 2025, as Donald Trump signals the tariff war is slowing down, which has settled the markets a bit, along with Trump’s statement that he has no plans to fire the Federal Reserve boss, Jerome Powell.

Trump’s comments on Ukraine, and his new US-led deal, which would require Ukraine to hand over Crimea to Russia, are making national and international headlines. Trump has said he will walk away from Ukraine if a deal isn’t reached soon.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Iran must permanently abandon its nuclear enrichment activities to engage in fruitful negotiations with the Trump administration and avert military conflict.

US news is today heavily domianted by politics, tariffs and stock markets. The US President has clarified that he has no plans to fire Fed boss Jermone Powell despite complaining about his performance via Twitter/X.

The President has also hinted he may reverse his trade tariffs on China as the IMF downgrades the global economy forecasts and warns of a US recession.