Small Boats and Big Nukes Dominate Macron's UK Visit
The Franco-British relationship is better than it used to be during the bitter saga of Brexit, when Paris and London traded blows over trade, fish and finance – and when the UK couldn't even decide publicly whether France was friend or foe. Yet even as geopolitics presses the two countries closer, some scars will take a long time to heal.
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Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Melania Trump Letter to Putin Handed Over in Alaska
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. U.S. President Donald Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter from the first lady on Friday during a crunch meeting in Alaska, Reuters reported. According to the news agency, citing two White House officials, the letter raised the plight of thousands of Ukrainian children who have reportedly been abducted by Russian forces since Putin ordered an all-out invasion in February 2022. Newsweek contacted the White House and Russian Foreign Ministry for comment on Saturday via email outside regular office hours. Why It Matters Ukrainian authorities allege that tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been kidnapped by Russian authorities and taken either to Russia or to areas of Ukraine under Russian control. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in response to the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children. Russian authorities said children were removed from war zones for their own safety and described the warrant as "outrageous and unacceptable." First lady Melania Trump, who is Slovenian, taking a personal interest in the fate of Ukrainian children could put additional pressure on Putin over Russia's conduct in the war. What To Know On Friday, Trump met with Putin at the Jointoa, to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. The talks ended without Putin committing to a ceasefire, though Trump said they had been "very productive" with "many points we agreed on." Reuters reported that during the meeting, Trump gave Putin a letter written by the first lady that raised concern over the fate of thousands of Ukrainian children said to be removed from their families without consent by Russian authorities. The exact content of the letter has not been reported. According to Kyiv, about 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted since February 2022, which it said met the United Nations' definition of genocide. In June 2024, the U.S. said it was aware of "credible reports" of Ukrainian children being listed on Russian adoption websites, which it described as "despicable and appalling." Russian President Vladimir Putin at a news conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15 and first lady of the United States Melania Trump at the Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C.,... Russian President Vladimir Putin at a news conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15 and first lady of the United States Melania Trump at the Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., on July 3. More ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY According to the British newspaper The Sun, some abducted Ukrainian children were barred from speaking in their own language and forced to sing the Russian national anthem. Moscow said it evacuated children from conflict areas as a humanitarian measure. Trump has said his wife notes that Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities despite the U.S. president's telephone calls with Putin. According to USA Today, the president said in July: "I go home, I tell the first lady, 'You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.' And she said, 'Oh really? Another city was just hit." In recent weeks, Russian state media has criticized the fist lady, with one prominent pro-regime TV anchor describing her as a "Ukrainian agent." Following his meeting with Putin, Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he had "largely agreed" with Putin about potential land swaps between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said he would not hand over any Ukrainian territory to Moscow. What People Are Saying U.S. President Donald Trump, commenting on potential Russian sanctions after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, told Sean Hannity: "I think I don't have to think about that now. … I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now." Trump also said Putin, widely regarded as a dictator, gave him advice on how to run "honest elections." Standing alongside Trump in Alaska, Putin said: "Our negotiations have been held in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect." Trump said: "I've always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir. … We were interfered with by the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax. It made it a little bit tougher to deal with, but he understood it." What Happens Next In remains to be seen whether the first lady's letter will prompt any action from Moscow regarding Ukrainian children, and if not, whether the U.S. government will take any action.
UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
On This Day Aug. 16: West Caribbean Airways crash kills 160 in Venezuela
Aug. 16 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1812, British forces foiled plans for a U.S. invasion of Canada by capturing the city of Detroit. In 1896, the North Country gold rush began with the discovery of gold in the Klondike region of Canada's Yukon Territory. In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York of cancer at age 53. In 1954, the first edition of Sports Illustrated was published. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI In 1977, Elvis Presley, the king of rock 'n' roll, died of heart failure at his home in Memphis at age 42. In 1987, a Northwest Airlines jet bound for Phoenix crashed on takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, killing 156 people. A 4-year-old girl, Celia Cichan, was the sole survivor. In 2005, a West Caribbean Airways flight from Colombia crashed in a remote area of northwest Venezuela, killing 160 people. In 2008, American swimmer Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal in a single Olympics in the Summer Games at Beijing. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI In 2009, John Yettaw, a Missouri man convicted in Myanmar of illegally visiting political opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, serving a lengthy house-arrest sentence, was allowed to leave the country. In 2012, the Ecuadorean government said it was granting political asylum in its London Embassy to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, trying to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning in a sexual assault investigation and subsequent extradition to the United States on allegations he published classified material. Ecuador withdrew its offer of asylum in April 2019, and London police arrested him. In 2013, the MV Thomas Aquinas ferry carrying nearly 700 people collided with a cargo ship and sank off the Philippines. Authorities later said the accident killed about 60 people and many others were reported missing. In 2024, President Joe Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Illinois recognizing one of the most notable moments of racial tension in the country at the time. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
UK councillor acquitted over 'cut all their throats' speech
By Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) -A British councillor was on Friday acquitted of encouraging violent disorder for saying far-right activists should have their throats cut amid riots last year, drawing claims from right-wing politicians of a hypocritical "two-tier" justice system. Ricky Jones made the comments at a counter-protest in London after three girls were murdered in the north English town of Southport and was suspended by the ruling Labour party. Misinformation on social media said the teenager who committed the murders at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event was an Islamist migrant, fuelling days of violent riots including attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Jones, 58, was cleared by a jury following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. He had made the remarks to a crowd gathered near an immigration advice centre in London after reports that far-right supporters were planning a protest. "They are disgusting Nazi fascists ... We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all," he said, running a finger across his throat. Jones gave evidence that he did not intend his words to be taken literally and said his comments referred to far-right stickers with hidden razor blades found on a train. Right-wing politicians and activists said his case was an example of how Britain had an unfair police and justice system, with those who voice concerns about immigration treated differently to those who support liberal or left-wing causes. They contrasted Jones' treatment with that of Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Conservative councillor who was jailed for 31 months for inciting racial hatred for a post urging mass deportation of migrants and the burning of their hotels. Unlike Jones, she had pleaded guilty to the offence. Chris Philp, the opposition Conservative Party's home affairs spokesperson, said on X: "The development of two-tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming." Zia Yusuf, from the populist right-wing Reform UK party which is leading in opinion polls, also compared Jones' acquittal to Connolly's sentence. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was labelled "two-tier Keir" by some opponents last summer after claims some ethnic groups were policed more leniently than others, a suggestion that has been rejected by senior ministers, police chiefs and prosecutors.
