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Fossil fuels made the nation prosperous but as reserves dwindle, do they drill deeper, even as the Caribbean feels the heat of the climate crisis, or shift to a greener economy?

In 1930, Trinidad and Tobago produced more than 40% of the British empire’s oil. By the 1970s, the newly independent republic was producing 278,000 barrels of crude oil a day. For a country of just 1 million people, after the collapse of its sugar and cocoa industries, oil proved to be transformative.
Today, with a population of 1.5 million and oil production down to less than 54,000 barrels a day, Trinidad and Tobago is at a crossroads. The country’s only petroleum refinery closed in 2018 due to mismanagement and declining production by the state-owned Petrotrin company. A recent analysis noted that the energy revenues plummeted 48.4% to $14.7bn (£10.9bn) in the last fiscal year, while non-energy revenues grew by 26% to $32.7bn.
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PM cannot afford for US president to walk away from Ukraine crisis and must persuade him to publicly support specific Gaza plans
With bear traps avoided and fireworks unlit, Keir Starmer will be delighted that his press conference with Donald Trump lent credence to his claim to be America’s first partner in defence, trade and now technology.
Trump, for his part, got the “great pictures” he wanted and was on his best low-wattage behaviour. He said he did not disagree with his host about much, save Starmer’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state. And he teetered on the edge of being diplomatic, at least until he advised Starmer to use the military to stop small boats crossing the Channel.
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US president suggests he is negotiating with Taliban for American forces to once again occupy base
The United States is seeking to retake control of Bagram airbase from the Taliban, Donald Trump has said, bringing back a key strategic asset that was surrendered during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The US president suggested he was negotiating with the Taliban for American forces to once again occupy the base, formerly the largest US military site in the country, and an important regional foothold because of its proximity to China.
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Discover and buy more of Ben’s cartoons here
Order your own print of this cartoon from the Guardian Print Shop
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Core budget to fall to $3.2bn next year and initial minimum 3,000 job cuts expected amid streamlining process
The UN will need to cut $500m (about £370m) from next year’s budget and lose 20% of its staff as it struggles to cope with a massive reduction in funding by the Trump administration.
The plan, in gestation since Donald Trump started cutting his foreign aid budget, is likely to involve an initial minimum 3,000 job cuts out of a 35,000-strong main workforce. The overall UN core or regular budget would be cut from $3.7bn to about $3.2bn next year. It means reductions of 15.1% in resources and 18.8% in posts in the regular budget compared with the 2025 budget.
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Donald Trump hailed the ‘eternal’ bond between the United States and Britain in a Windsor Castle state banquet toast, praising British heritage and shared values as King Charles hosted him during his historic second state visit. Charles touched on security in Europe, environmental concerns and the continuation of the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries
Starmer banks on £150bn investment to placate critics of Trump state visit
Superfans descend on Windsor to enliven Trump’s festival of nothing
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Prime minister seeks to make best of difficult state visit by US president with package of commitments by US firms
Keir Starmer has sought to navigate a politically treacherous state visit by Donald Trump with an announcement of £150bn of US investment in the UK, as the president was kept safely within the confines of Windsor Castle.
As thousands of protesters voiced their anger in London at a Stop Trump Coalition protest, the US president was escorted by the king and queen through a first day that ended in a state banquet but kept him out of reach of his critics.
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With most late-night hosts on Emmys break, Meyers discusses Trump’s feckless foreign policy as Russia impedes on Poland’s airspace
As several late-night hosts take a break for the Emmys – which went to the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Sunday night – Seth Meyers looked into Donald Trump’s lack of international leadership.
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Alexandre Padilha’s father fled dictatorship for the US – now the health chief’s family is a target of Trump’s bully tactics
When Alexandre Padilha’s father most needed help, the United States took him in.
It was 1971, the height of Brazil’s brutal two-decade dictatorship, and Anivaldo Padilha, a young Methodist activist, had been forced to flee his homeland after spending 11 months in one of São Paulo’s most notorious torture centres.
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Keir Starmer will have to choose how to spend limited political capital, with most pressing issues ones UK and US do not agree on
Donald Trump has repeatedly described Keir Starmer as a “good man”, distancing himself from the attacks on the UK prime minister mounted by other figures on the US far right such as Elon Musk.
One of the many known unknowns, however, of a Trump state visit is what kind of Trump will show up when a microphone is placed in front of him.
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