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Washington (CNN)Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a challenge to President Donald Trump on Monday, saying the Islamic Republic would welcome talks with the US "right now." "I don't have preconditions. If the US government is willing, let's start right now," Rouhani said during an interview that aired on state television late Monday local time, just hours before the US renewed sanctions on Iran. "If there is sincerity, Iran has always welcomed dialogue and negotiations," Rouhani said. Trump's national security adviser John Bolton, when asked about the offer by CNN's Jake Tapper, dismissed it as possible "propaganda." "Let's see what really...

Since ascending to the throne in 1952, the monarch has seen 13 prime ministers serve Britain and lived through another 13 US presidents. She's now 92. At some point — not for many years yet, we hope — Queen Elizabeth II's reign will come to an end. But what happens then? For at least 12 days — between her passing, the funeral and beyond — Britain will grind to a halt. The stock markets and banks are likely to close. But to focus on the financial disruption doesn't begin to describe the sheer magnitude of the queen's death. It will...

Hillary Clinton has become the first female nominated for President of the United States but, should she win the election, she will not be the first female to occupy and control the Oval Office (insert Monica Lewinsky joke here). That honor arguably goes to Valerie Jarrett, currently Senior Adviser to [Hussein]. ....Not only did Valerie Jarrett become a mentor to the young Barack Obama, she soon became what Investor’s Business Daily called Obama’s Rasputin, someone who had more security than our personnel did in Benghazi... ....She arguably has more influence over Obama than anyone with the possible exception of Michelle...

Donald Trump's campaign reached out to John Kasich in May with an offer to make him the "most powerful vice president in history," the New York Times reported Tuesday. Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., reached out to a Kasich advisor after the Ohio governor ended his own presidential campaign, promising that if he accepted the vice presidency, Kasich would be in charge of domestic and foreign policy. The advisor asked what Trump would be in charge of, the report said, and Trump Jr. responded: "Making America great again."

The Queen’s role as head of the Church of England may no longer be “appropriate” following changes to the law of succession, a group of MPs has suggested.Reforms agreed earlier this year by Commonwealth countries would create a potential conflict of interest because they allow a monarch to marry a Roman Catholic, said a parliamentary committee. It said that if a future heir to the throne were raised as a Catholic, there would be an “obvious difficulty” in that person becoming head of the Anglican Church on their succession. Under current laws, the Queen is required to “join in communion”...

If Putin becomes PM, Russian govt will be more independent - RUIE president MOSCOW. Dec 12 (Interfax) - If Vladimir Putin agrees to head the Russian government following the 2008 presidential elections, the government will become a more independent body entitled to make final decisions on matters within its purview, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE) President Alexander Shokhin said. "This has not happened yet because either the presidential staff or the president personally have been the real decision-making center even on issues that are within the government's purview," Shokhin told Interfax. "Decisions will be made quicker and this...

It may not be all uphill for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in a run for president. The former first lady - who already appears unbeatable in her re-election bid this fall - has come out as the top Democratic White House hopeful, according to a Time magazine poll released on the publication's Web site today. According to the poll - which will hit newsstands tomorrow - Clinton would be the only Dem to make it a real race against GOP favorite Sen. John McCain. The poll shows a statistical dead heat, with McCain getting 49 percent of the vote to...