Daily World Briefing, Feb. 1

Trump says Iran negotiating with U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran is negotiating with the United States.

"The plan is that (Iran is) talking to us, and we'll see if we can do something. Otherwise, we'll see what happens," Trump told a Fox News correspondent.

He added that "the last time they negotiated, we had to take out their nuclear. It didn't work, you know. Then we took it out a different way, and we'll see what happens."

British PM highlights importance of engagement during Shanghai trip

During a visit to Shanghai on Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the great importance of engagement in fostering mutual trust and respect between nations.

He participated in an exchange session with Chinese middle school students, during which he cited the Chinese parable, "the blind men and the elephant," to illustrate why it is important to understand China as a whole.

In the parable, several blind men touch different parts of the elephant, and each forms a distinct conclusion: one feels the trunk and thinks it is a snake; another touches a leg and says it is a pillar; and a third touches the belly and believes it is a wall.

U.S. special envoy arrives in Venezuela

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Saturday that U.S. diplomat Laura Dogu, a special envoy of the U.S. government, has arrived in Venezuela as part of the working agenda between the two countries.

According to Gil, who released the information via Telegram, their talks are aimed at defining a roadmap on issues of bilateral interest, as well as addressing and resolving existing differences through diplomatic dialogue.

The foreign minister stressed that the process is being carried out on the basis of mutual respect and international law, which he described as guiding principles of relations between the two countries.

Denmark to transfer key defense tasks to Air Greenland

Negotiations are underway between Danish Defense Ministry and Air Greenland about leasing aircraft to better carry out surveillance tasks in the region, said a statement released on Saturday by the ministry.

The move is part of a broader policy to involve Greenlandic companies in carrying out state functions, said Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen during a joint press conference in Nuuk with Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt held Saturday afternoon.

Under the planned agreement, Air Greenland would participate in surveillance missions in Greenlandic airspace. The shift aligns with the terms of the first-part agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic, signed by the involved parties and the Greenland government, which calls for the gradual phasing out of Challenger aircraft and the transfer of surveillance and rescue tasks in the Arctic to civilian partners.

U.S. stocks fall as markets assess Trump's Fed chair pick

U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday as investors evaluated U.S. President Donald Trump's nomination of former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as the next Fed chair.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 179.09 points, or 0.36 percent, to 48,892.47. The S&P 500 sank 29.98 points, or 0.43 percent, to 6,939.03. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 223.31 points, or 0.94 percent, to 23,461.82.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors closed in negative territory, with materials and technology posting the steepest losses at 1.85 percent and 1.33 percent, respectively. Consumer staples and energy outperformed, rising 1.35 percent and 0.98 percent.■