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The National
7 minutes ago
- The National
Nato chief asks alliance members to make 'quantum leap'
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte will warn on Monday that a '400 per cent increase' in air and missile defence capacity is needed to counter the threat from Russia. The Nato chief is meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London amid calls by Donald Trump for members of the transatlantic alliance to increase defence spending to five per cent of GDP. The current target is two per cent. Mr Rutte believes a 'quantum leap' in collective defence is needed. He is expected to warn that 'wishful thinking will not keep us safe' and say that Nato must become a 'stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance' to protect itself. 'We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,' Mr Rutte will say in a speech to the Chatham House think tank in London. His comments come ahead of a Nato summit in the Netherlands this month and amid mounting pressure by Mr Trump on Nato members to increase defence spending. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week in Brussels that the allies were close to agreeing the five per cent target, which could be formalised at the summit in The Hague. Nato members have been scrambling to bolster their defence capabilities since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 'Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends,' Mr Rutte will say. 'We need a quantum leap in our collective defence … We must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full. 'Our militaries also need thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells.' The UK's Strategic Defence Review, which was published last week, recommended sweeping changes, including a greater focus on new technology, including drones and artificial intelligence based on rising budgets. It included plans to build up to 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines and six munitions factories to rearm the country in response to Russia's threat.


Al Etihad
21 minutes ago
- Al Etihad
LAPD issues assembly ban for downtown Los Angeles after third day of demos
9 June 2025 12:22 Los Angeles (dpa) Authorities have declared the entire downtown Los Angeles area an "unlawful assembly" zone after a third consecutive day of clashes between protesters and law enforcement, sparked by the crackdown on immigration ordered by US President Donald Trump."You are to leave the area immediately," the Los Angeles police department (LAPD) wrote on X in the early hours of Monday. Over the weekend, 56 people were arrested in connection with the ongoing protests, according to police reports. Police chief Jim McDonnell was quoted by US media as announcing that "the number of arrests so far is nothing compared to what is yet to come." #LosAngeles protests: Scuffles erupt as soldiers sent by #Trump fan out#AletihadNewsCenter #USA #LosAngelesProtests #LA #California #immigration — Aletihad English (@AletihadEn) June 9, 2025 On Sunday, tensions spiked dramatically following Trump's order to deploy the National Guard and, controversially, mobilise regular military forces - despite opposition from local of protesters flooded the streets in response to the unprecedented deployment. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs in an effort to disperse the crowds. However, the rest of the sprawling metropolis reportedly continued to function largely as normal, aside from isolated pockets of unrest in the downtown area. The protests began on Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers executed search warrants across the city as US President Donald Trump pushed forward with his goal of mass deportations of undocumented Governor Gavin Newsom has accused the Trump administration of deliberately provoking the escalation and acting unlawfully in an effort to portray the president as a strongman leader. The Democratic governor announced that the state would file a lawsuit against the federal government.


The National
an hour ago
- The National
US and Chinese trade negotiators to meet in London
The US and China will hold talks in London on Monday in an attempt to preserve a fragile truce on trade. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are to lead the delegation from Washington. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who led his country's negotiating team in Geneva in May, is also at the head of Beijing's team in London. "The meeting should go very well," US President Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Sunday that "we want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva". While the government of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has repeated it is not involved in the content of the discussions, a representative said: "We are a nation that champions free trade." UK authorities "have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks", the representative added. The talks in London come a matter of days after Mr Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first publicly announced phone call since the Republican returned to the White House. Mr Trump said the call, which took place on Thursday, reached a "very positive conclusion". Mr Xi was quoted by state-run news agency Xinhua as saying that "correcting the course of the big ship of Sino-US relations requires us to steer well and set the direction". The call came after tensions between the countries had soared, with Mr Trump accusing Beijing of breaching a tariff de-escalation deal reached in Geneva in May. "We need China to comply with their side of the deal. And so that's what the trade team will be discussing" in London, Ms Leavitt said. In April, Mr Trump introduced sweeping worldwide tariffs that hit China hardest. At one point, the US imposed levies on China of 145 per cent, as both sides engaged in tit-for-tat escalation. China's countermeasures on US goods reached 125 per cent. After two days of talks in Switzerland, the two sides agreed to reduce their tariffs for 90 days. But differences over certain issues have persisted, including China's restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in tech products. The impact of the tariffs was reflected in the latest official export data released on Monday in Beijing. Exports to the US fell by 12.7 per cent in May, with China shipping $28.8 billion worth in goods. This was down from $33 billion in April, China's General Administration of Customs has said. Throughout talks with the US, China has opened discussions with other trading partners, including Japan and South Korea, in an effort to build a united front to counter Mr Trump's tariffs. On Thursday, Beijing turned to Canada, with the two sides agreeing to regularise channels of communication after a period of strained ties. China is expected to host a summit with the EU in July, marking 50 years since Beijing and Brussels established diplomatic ties.