Battle Lines: How Putin, Xi and Trump sparked a new nuclear arms race
This week, Moscow announced that it would no longer abide by the once hugely significant Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Last week, President Donald Trump announced that he had moved nuclear submarines towards Russia.
From growing stockpiles in China and North Korea, to growing cooperation between the UK and France, the direction of travel is clear.
As Japan marks the 80th anniversary of the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Venetia talks to Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a senior fellow in military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
What's driving this new nuclear arms race? Which country will be the next to go nuclear? And is there an argument that it actually makes the world safer?
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The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hundreds march to Downing Street urging release of Israeli hostages
Hundreds of people including family members of Israeli hostages taken on October 7 have marched to Downing Street urging the release of those being held by Hamas. There were several flare-ups from counter protesters including one arrest as the 'national march for the hostages', organised by Stop the Hate UK and a number of Jewish organisations, made its way through central London on Sunday. It comes after Sir Keir Starmer pledged to recognise a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government meets a series of conditions towards ending the conflict in Gaza. Stop the Hate said that protesters will urge the Prime Minister to prioritise the release of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages, with 20 of them thought to be alive, before any recognition of a Palestinian state. Among those due to attend and give a speech is Noga Guttman, the cousin of 24-year-old Evyatar David, who was kidnapped. Hamas released a video last weekend which showed Mr David looking skeletal and hollow-eyed in a dimly lit Gaza tunnel. Some protesters held Israeli flags and wore yellow ribbons as they congregated in Lincoln's Inn Fields in Holborn from 1.30pm. A scuffle broke out after at least two men shouted 'Free Palestine' in front of the march close to Trafalgar Square. One man was seen being bundled to the ground after being surrounded by about a dozen people, while another man was seen being moved away by police officers after he began shouting. Earlier, on The Strand, a young man was kept away from the protesters after shouting 'Free Palestine'. Another man was carried away by officers after a scuffle broke out close to the gates of Downing Street. He was seen throwing water over a pro-Israel demonstrator before charging at him and putting his hand around the demonstrator's neck, before officers intervened. The Metropolitan Police said officers were deployed along the route 'to ensure the safety of those attending and to deal with any offences.' It comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy joined his counterparts from Australia, Italy, Germany and New Zealand to condemn Israeli plans to take over Gaza City. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, on Friday, that Israel would seek 'the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip', as well as 'Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip' and 'the establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority'. In their joint statement, the foreign ministers said the plans 'risk violating international law' and 'any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law'. Sir Keir described Israel's plans as 'wrong' and called for 'a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution'. He said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to meet certain conditions, including addressing the humanitarian crisis, implementing a ceasefire and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution. But he insisted the move was not a propaganda boost to Hamas, saying the 'terrorist organisation' could play 'no part in any future government'.
BreakingNews.ie
10 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Total number of Palestine Action support arrests in London rises to 522
The number of people arrested for supporting banned group Palestine Action at a protest in central London has risen to more than 520. Only 18 of those people remained in custody on Sunday afternoon but were expected to be released on bail 'in the coming hours', the Metropolitan Police said. Advertisement Hundreds attended the demonstration in Parliament Square on Saturday, organised by Defend Our Juries, with the force warning it would arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action. Hundreds attended the demonstration in Parliament Square on Saturday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Met confirmed on Sunday that 522 people were held for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, out of 532 total arrests made during the policing operation. One arrest took place at the form up of the Palestine Coalition march in Russell Square, with the remaining 521 arrests at the protest in Parliament Square. Charity Amnesty International previously described the number of arrests under UK terrorism law as 'deeply concerning'. Advertisement There were a further 10 arrests – six for assaults on officers, two for breaching Public Order Act conditions and one arrest for obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty and a racially aggravated public order offence respectively, the force said. Detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area, and those whose details could be confirmed were bailed, with conditions not to attend any further protest in support of Palestine Action, Scotland Yard said on Saturday. Those whose details were refused, or could not be verified, were taken to custody suites across London. Some 522 people were held for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Some 320 people were dealt with at prisoner processing points while 212 were transported to custody, with 18 people remaining in the latter as of 1pm on Sunday, the force said. Advertisement On Saturday the crowd sat silently on the grass inside Parliament Square after writing 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' on white placards. Police took several hours to individually remove the protesters, some sitting and some lying flat on the grass, from the square into waiting vans. Onlookers applauded the protesters and shouted 'shame on you' at the police making arrests. Scotland Yard said it was aware of photos and footage posted online suggesting that some of those who were bailed had returned to Parliament Square. Advertisement Arrest update: We have finished compiling the full arrest figures for yesterday's operation. The details can be found at the link below. — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 10, 2025 'We are as confident as we can be that none of those who returned to Parliament Square rejoined the protesters who were holding placards,' the force said. The Met's Counter Terrorism Command will work to secure charges against those arrested 'over the coming days and weeks', the force added. Earlier this week, the first three people to be charged with supporting Palestine Action in England and Wales were named. Jeremy Shippam, 71, Judit Murray, 71, and Fiona Maclean, 53, have all been charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation after their attendance at a previous demonstration on July 5. Advertisement A further 26 case files relating to arrests at that same protest are due to be submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service imminently, the Met said. Hundreds of people have been arrested in a wave of Defend Our Juries protests across the UK since the ban against Palestine Action was implemented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the decision to ban Palestine Action was 'based on strong security advice' (Jacob King/PA) Membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act 2000. Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said the Parliament Square demonstration would 'go down in our country's history as a momentous act of collective defiance of an unprecedented attack on our fundamental freedoms'. She also criticised the policing methods used on Saturday, claiming that the fact most of those arrested at the protest were 'given street bail and allowed to go home' proved the current ban was 'unenforceable'. In a statement, Ms Ammori said: 'This is humiliating for the Home Secretary, who will now have to justify this 'two-tier' policing of arresting some people as 'terrorists' for holding a sign, but not others who held the exact same sign. 'It's clear that more and more ordinary people appalled by this anti-democratic, authoritarian ban will defy it en masse and it is simply not possible to arrest them all.' Ms Cooper thanked police in London and across the country on Saturday for their work to ensure peaceful protests, and officers' 'continued dedication in responding to support for a proscribed organisation'. She said: 'The right to protest is one we protect fiercely but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organisation. 'Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.'
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Why are Trump and Putin meeting in Alaska?
The US and Russia have agreed to hold a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin next Friday, to discuss ways forward to end the war in announced the meeting last Friday, the same day of his self-imposed deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or else face more US sanctions. Three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine held at Trump's behest this summer have yet to bring the two sides any closer to peace. Here is what we know about the meeting between the two leaders, taking place in Alaska - a former Russian territory which only became a US state in 1959. Why are Putin and Trump meeting? Trump has been pushing hard - without much success - to end the war in Ukraine. As a candidate, Trump pledged that he could end the war within 24 hours after taking office. He has also repeatedly claimed that the war "never would have happened" if he had been president at the time of Russia's month, Trump told the BBC that he was "disappointed" by grew and Trump set a 8 August deadline for Putin to agree to an immediate ceasefire or face more severe US sanctions. As the deadline hit, Trump instead announced he and Putin would meet in person on 15 August. The meeting comes after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held "highly productive" talks with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, according to Trump. Is Ukraine attending the meeting? A White House official has said that Trump is willing to hold a trilateral meeting which would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr for now, it remains a Trump-Putin summit, as initially requested by the Russian response to the news of the Alaska summit, Zelensky has said any agreements without input from Kyiv will amount to "dead decisions".And on Friday, after Trump said there would need to "be some swapping of territories" in order for Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement, Zelensky spoke out on Telegram."We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated," Zelensky wrote. "Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace."Speaking to Fox New on Sunday, US Vice-President JD Vance suggested that Zelensky could join Putin and Trump for talks at a later for now, he said it would not be "productive" for Zelensky to meet Putin ahead of Trump's meeting with the Russian leader in Alaska. "Fundamentally, the president of the United States has to be the one to bring these two together," he said. What do both sides hope to get out of it? The US president claimed on Friday that a deal "to stop the killing" is "very close". He also has reportedly floated some thoughts on what may be necessary for both sides to agree to stop the both Russia and Ukraine say they, too, want the war to end, both appear to want things that the other harshly opposes. Ukraine has been adamant that it won't accept Russian control of regions it seized, most notably Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the idea outright. "There's nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution," he said. So far, Putin has not budged from his territorial demands, Ukraine's neutrality and the future size of its army. Russia invaded the country, in part, over Putin's belief that Ukraine was becoming westernised and accused the Western defensive alliance, Nato, of using the country to gain a foothold to bring its troops closer to Russia's borders. The Trump administration has been attempting to sway European leaders on a ceasefire deal that would hand over swathes of Ukrainian territory to Russia, the BBC's US partner CBS News deal would allow Russia to keep control of the Crimean peninsula, and take the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which is made up of Donetsk and Luhansk, according to sources familiar with the illegally occupied Crimea in 2014 and its forces control the majority of the Donbas the deal, Russia would have to give up the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where it currently has some military control."There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. Vance, in his Fox interview, said any future deal is "not going to make anybody super happy"."You've got to make peace here… you can't finger point," he said. "The way to peace is to have a decisive leader to sit down and force people to come together." Where will Trump and Putin meet? On Friday evening, Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social that a "highly anticipated meeting" between him and Putin would take place on 15 August in the "great state of Alaska". "Further details to follow," he said. Trump had said the meeting location would be "a very popular one for a number of reasons". The exact location of their meeting in Alaska has not been released. Why did they choose a US site? The US purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, giving a historical significance to the presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov said the location is "quite logical" and that both countries are neighbours, with the Bering Strait dividing them. "It seems quite logical for our delegation simply to fly over the Bering Strait and for such an important and anticipated summit of the leaders of the two countries to be held in Alaska."The last time Alaska took centre stage in an American diplomatic event was in March 2021, when Joe Biden's newly minted diplomatic and national security team met their Chinese counterparts in sit-down turned acrimonious, with the Chinese accusing the Americans of "condescension and hypocrisy". ANALYSIS: Why Trump-Putin relationship has souredEXPLAINER: Why did Putin's Russia invade Ukraine?VISUALS: Tracking the war in mapsGLOBAL FALLOUT: How the global economy could be impactedVERIFY: Russian attacks on Ukraine double since Trump inaugurationGROUND REPORT: On Ukraine's front line, twisted wreckage shows sanctions haven't yet stopped Russia
