Starmer To Press Trump On Gaza, Trade In Scotland Talks
The talks will come a day after the US and the European Union reached a landmark deal to end a transatlantic standoff over tariffs and avert a full-blown trade war.
Starmer is expected to push Trump on urging a revival of stalled ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas as a hunger crisis deepens in the besieged Palestinian territory.
The meeting at Turnberry, southwestern Scotland, comes as European countries express growing alarm at the situation in Gaza, and as Starmer faces domestic pressure to follow France's lead and recognise a Palestinian state.
The leaders will also discuss implementing a recent UK-US trade deal, as well as efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine, according to a British government statement issued late Sunday.
But it is the growing threat of starvation faced by Palestinians in Gaza that is set to dominate the talks, on the third full day of Trump's trip to the land where his mother was born.
Starmer is expected to "welcome the president's administration working with partners in Qatar and Egypt to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza," a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Trump told reporters Sunday that the United States would give more aid to Gaza but he wanted other countries to step up as well.
"It's not a US problem. It's an international problem," he said, before embarking on crunch trade talks with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen at the resort south of Glasgow.
He also accused Hamas of intercepting aid, saying "they're stealing the food, they're stealing a lot of things. You ship it in and they steal it, then they sell it."
Starmer and Trump's meeting comes after the UK PM backed efforts by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to air drop aid to Gaza.
Humanitarian chiefs remain sceptical those aid drops can deliver enough food safely for the area's more than two million inhabitants.
On Sunday, Israel declared a "tactical pause" in fighting in parts of Gaza and said it would allow the UN and aid agencies to open secure land routes to tackle the hunger crisis.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres urged the international community on Monday to fight against hunger around the world.
"Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war," he told a UN conference.
Last week, the United States and Israel withdrew from Gaza truce talks, with US envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of blocking a deal -- a claim rejected by the Palestinian militant group.
Starmer held talks with French and German counterparts on Saturday, after which the UK government said they agreed "it would be vital to ensure robust plans are in place to turn an urgently-needed ceasefire into lasting peace".
But the Downing Street statement made no mention of Palestinian statehood, which French President Emmanuel Macron has announced his country will recognise in September.
More than 220 MPs in Britain's 650-seat parliament, including dozens from Starmer's own ruling Labour party, have demanded that he too recognise Palestinian statehood.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told ITV on Monday that "every Labour MP, was elected on a manifesto of recognition of a Palestinian state" and that it was "a case of when, not if."
Number 10 said Starmer and Trump would also discuss "progress on implementing the UK-US trade deal", which was signed on May 8 and lowered tariffs for certain UK exports but has yet to come into force.
Trump said Sunday the agreement was "great" for both sides but Reynolds told BBC Breakfast on Monday that "it wasn't job done" and cautioned not to expect any announcement of a resolution on issues such as steel and aluminium tariffs.
After their meeting the two leaders will travel together to Aberdeen in Scotland's northeast, where the US president is expected to formally open a new golf course at his resort on Tuesday.
Trump played golf at Turnberry on Saturday and Sunday on his five-day visit that has mixed leisure with diplomacy, and also further blurred the lines between the presidency and his business interests. Starmer and Trump are due to discuss Gaza and trade AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
40 minutes ago
- Int'l Business Times
Tens Of Thousands In Rome For Vatican's Jubilee Of Youth
Tens of thousands of young Catholics from all over the world gathered on Tuesday in Rome for a week of pilgrimage during the Vatican's Jubilee of Youth -- an event that takes place every 25 years. The mass gathering is taking place just over two months after Leo XIV became the head of the Catholic Church and the first American pope. Since Monday, groups of pilgrims -- chanting and draped in flags of their countries -- have flooded the streets of Italy's capital and the corners of the Vatican City. An opening mass is scheduled at St Peter's Basilica later on Tuesday at 1700 GMT. The Vatican had last week said it expected some half a million people from more than 150 countries to take part in the youth events -- that are dedicated to faith and culture. The week will culminate with a giant mass led by Pope Leo on Sunday. The Jubilee of Youth is aimed at young people aged between 18 and 35. Pilgrims AFP spoke to said topics they most wanted to discuss at the events were wars, climate change, social inequalities and the dangers linked to AI. "The most important topic for me is war. Everyone is talking about it, thinking about it, and we want to know what the pope thinks about it and what he expects from us," 25-year-old Tiago Santos, a pilgrim from Portugal, told AFP. The event is taking place as tens of thousands have been killed in Gaza after almost two years of war with Israel and as UN groups warn of spreading starvation in the blocked territory. In Ukraine, Russia's almost 3.5-year invasion has killed thousands, with Moscow continuing deadly attacks despite Western pressure to end its campaign. For Teophanie Nasta, a 26-year-old Lebanese pilgrim who left her country for the first time, said that -- despite the conflicts in the Middle East -- she was filled with "faith in humanity by seeing so many young people" gathered for the church. In an unprecedented move, the Vatican decided to dedicated a series of events to Catholic influencers -- a sign of growing importance of social media for the church. Speaking to them on Tuesday morning, Pope Leo warned against the dangers of undermining "human dignity" in the AI era.
DW
an hour ago
- DW
Ukraine: Zelenskyy to allow over-60s enlist in military – DW – 07/29/2025
Ukrainian officials say a Russian attack on a prison near Zaporizhzhia has killed 16 inmates, with Kyiv calling the strike a war crime. More were reported killed in other parts of Ukraine and Russia. Follow DW for more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law allowing people over the age of 60 to voluntarily join the armed forces, which have struggled to find recruits since the Russian invasion started in February 2022. Meanwhile, a Russian attack has killed at least 16 inmates at a prison near Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian officials have said, with at least 35 more injured in the overnight bombing. Eight strikes were reported as likely involving glide bombs, which also damaged nearby homes and left buildings inside the complex in ruins. The Ukrainian president's chief of staff condemned the attack as a war authorities said a jailed Colombian man started two fires in Poland on behalf of Russia last year. Poland has a close political and military relationship with Ukraine and strained relations with Russia. The 27-year-old man stands accused of setting fire to two material warehouses in Warsaw and Radom in 2024, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Warsaw said. The fires were quickly extinguished, and no one was injured in either case. The Colombian man had previously been trained by a person with links to Russian secret services, according to the Interior Ministry. The public prosecutor's office is now investigating the man for working for a foreign secret service and for terrorism. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill on Tuesday allowing citizens over 60 to voluntarily join the military while the country is under martial law. The new law allows people over 60 to sign one-year military service contracts if they pass a medical exam and receive approval from a unit commander. Each recruit will face a two-month trial period, during which the contract can be terminated early if they are found unfit. While the law sets no maximum age for service, all contracts will automatically end when martial law concludes. This measure expands Ukraine's recruitment pool by enabling older volunteers to serve in non-combat and specialized roles in Ukraine's ongoing manpower shortages. The Kremlin has acknowledged a new ultimatum from US President Donald Trump, who has shortened his deadline for Moscow to move toward a ceasefire in Ukraine or face additional sanctions. "We have taken note of President Trump's statement yesterday. The special military operation continues," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday during a press call, using Moscow's official term for the war. He added, "We remain committed to a peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and to ensure our interests in the course of this settlement." Trump, speaking Monday in Britain, gave Russia 10 to 12 days to show progress toward ending the war, citing frustration with the lack of results. "There's no reason in waiting... We just don't see any progress being made," he said. The revised timeline accelerates a warning Trump issued on July 14, when he threatened new sanctions on Russia and countries purchasing its exports within 50 days — a deadline that would have expired in early September. Trump, who has spoken with President Vladimir Putin multiple times since returning to the White House in January, also said he is "not so interested in talking anymore." Missile and drone attacks have killed at least four people and wounded several others in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, regional officials said Tuesday. A strike on the city of Kamyanske killed two people, injured five, and damaged a hospital, according to regional military head Serhiy Lysak. Another person was killed and several wounded in an attack on the Synelnykivsky district. In a separate strike on Velykomykhaylivska late Monday, a 75-year-old woman was killed and a 68-year-old man injured. A private home was also damaged, Lysak said. Russian shelling has killed five civilians and wounded three others in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, local police said Tuesday. "According to preliminary data, five civilians were killed and three more were wounded to varying degrees as a result of the shelling," police said in a Telegram post, noting that Russian forces likely used a multiple launch rocket system. The regional capital, also called Kharkiv, is Ukraine's second-largest city and serves as a major economic and cultural hub. Russia has hit Kharkiv with multiple strikes in recent months, including one that damaged a maternity ward in July. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that a Russian airstrike on a prison near Zaporizhzhia was "deliberate" and not accidental, calling for increased international pressure on Moscow to end its attacks. "It was a deliberate strike, intentional, not accidental," Zelenskyy said Tuesday in a social media statement. "The Russians could not have been unaware that they were targeting civilians in that facility." He added that Russia "must be compelled to stop the killing and make peace." A Ukrainian drone strike has killed one person in Russia's Rostov region, the area's acting governor, Yuri Sliusar, said Tuesday. Sliusar reported that the victim died after a car was hit on Ostrovsky Street. He said multiple locations were targeted in the overnight attack, including Salsk, Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Volgodonsk, Bokovsky, Tarasovsky, and Slyusar. Debris also struck the Salsk train station, damaging both a freight and a passenger train. Passengers were evacuated, and no additional injuries were reported. Ukrainian officials say a Russian airstrike has killed at least 16 prisoners at a detention facility near the front-line city of Zaporizhzhia. Another 35 inmates were injured in the overnight attack, which also damaged multiple buildings within the complex, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. Federov said the area was struck eight times overnight, likely by Russian glide bombs, and nearby homes were also hit. The wounded were receiving medical care, he added. Glide bombs, launched from Russian aircraft over occupied territory, strike Ukrainian targets with little warning. Their speed and range make them difficult for Ukraine's air defenses to intercept while keeping the launch aircraft out of range. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, condemned the strikes as "another war crime" committed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin. "Putin's regime, which also issues threats against the United States through some of its mouthpieces, must face economic and military blows that strip it of the capacity to wage war," Yermak said on X. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in the Russian war on Ukraine. You join us after Russia carried out eight strikes on the Zaporizhzhia region, hitting a prison where at least 16 people were killed. The governor of Russia's Rostov region also said one person had been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike there. Stay with us for the latest news and analysis from the ongoing war.
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Trump says New York shooting suspect was a 'crazed lunatic' – DW – 07/29/2025
US President Donald Trump said a shooting that killed four people in a New York skyscraper was "a senseless act of violence." Police are investigating possible grievances the suspect, who also died, had against the NFL. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said a mass shooting that killed four people in New York was carried out by a "lunatic." According to police, the suspect, who shot dead four people before taking his own life, had a "documented mental health history." And Trump was keen to focus on that angle, as he posted on social media: "I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence." Trump said that he had been briefed on late Monday's incident that occurred in a Manhattan skyscraper. One of those killed was an off-duty police officer. Another person was seriously injured and in a critical condition. The US president did not mention gun laws in the United States, preferring to focus on the alleged gunman's condition. But New York Mayor Eric Adams did hone in on "how easy it is to gain access to a gun." "Gun violence has scarred so many neighbors and ripped apart too many families across this entire country," Adams said during a press briefing. The shooter was identified by police as 27-year-old Shane T. from Las Vegas, a once-promising American football player, who was reportedly carrying a note that referred to CTE — a form of brain damage from contact sports. The attack took place at the tower housing the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL). Mayor Adams suggested the gunman was targeting the NFL for long-held grievances related to his condition. "He seemed to have blamed the NFL," the mayor said in an interview with New York City station WPIX-TV. "The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank." The NYPD officer killed in the shooting was identified as Didarul Islam, who was born in Bangladesh. "He died as he lived. A hero," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, before adding he was married with two young boys, and his wife is pregnant with their third child.
