Putin 'must prove he is serious' about ending Ukraine war, Downing Street says
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.
Concerns have been raised that the two leaders might decide the war's outcome without Ukraine's direct involvement, potentially jeopardising European security.
Trump has stated his belief that Putin will make a deal, though he also suggested a subsequent meeting involving Zelensky would be more significant.
Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any proposals that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity and urged Britain to join the Purl (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) initiative for weapons supply.
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Telegraph
24 minutes ago
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Labour ‘looking for Diane Abbott's successor'
Labour is reportedly searching for a successor to Diane Abbott in her north London seat. Supporters of Ms Abbott are concerned that a decision has been taken on the veteran MP's future before the conclusion of the investigation into her suspension from the party. Representatives from Labour's national executive committee (NEC) are giving informal advice ahead of a contest in her constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington, according to The Guardian. The favourites are said to include Sem Moema, a London Assembly member and Mete Coban, a Hackney councillor. Ms Abbott said: 'It does seem to be rather pre-empting the results of the investigation.' The MP, who has held the seat since 1987, was suspended by Labour after she claimed that Jewish people do not experience racism in the same way as black people. She had no regrets The 71-year-old had said the letter was a draft version and she was allowed back into the party in time for the general election. But she was suspended again in July after she made it clear to the BBC she had no regrets over her comments. She was previously suspended in April 2023 after saying in a letter to The Observer that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people did not experience racism in the same way as black people and compared the experiences they faced with that of people with red hair. But Labour said there had been no discussions by NEC members over future candidates for the seat while the investigation was continuing. 'There's no appetite among members for a stitch-up, they would want this to be fair after everything that's happened,' a figure on the Left of the party told The Guardian. Ms Abbott, who is the longest-serving female MP, is not expected to return to the Labour Party, according to sources. A suspended MP is blocked from standing as a candidate under party rules until their case is resolved. At the general election in summer 2024, Ms Abbott's majority in Hackney North and Stoke Newington was reduced to 15,080 as support shifted to the Greens.
Times
24 minutes ago
- Times
Africa wants new map to represent continent's impact on the world
On classroom walls from Lagos to London, the standardised world map shows a shrunken Africa, comparable in size to the United States or China, with an inflated Britain at the centre. Now African campaigners want it replaced because, they say, the nearly 500-year-old Mercator projection distorts geography by diminishing the world's second-largest continent because it exaggerates the size of the northern hemisphere. 'It might seem to be just a map but in reality it is not,' said Selma Haddadi of the African Union Commission. The AU is calling for schools, governments and international institutions to adopt images that reflect countries' true sizes. She said the present design had long fostered the false impression that Africa is 'marginal', a continent that could be tucked into Russia with room to spare, entrenching stereotypes across media, education and policy. Africa is sufficiently large that the US, China, India, Japan and much of western Europe could fit into the continent with space left over. The Mercator projection, developed in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, began as a tool for sailors. Stretching the lines of latitude, it allowed navigators to plot straight-line courses across oceans — a breakthrough for 16th-century sea travel. By the 18th century, Mercator's projection dominated world mapping, moving from maritime charts to home atlases and now viewed billions of times a year on Google Maps' mobile app. But its design exaggerates the size of landmasses near the poles and shrinks those nearer the equator. Antarctica is rendered so large that publishers often omit part of it and, in the process, centre the world vertically on Europe rather than the equator — which, critics say, gives the global north an exaggerated sense of importance. The 'Correct The Map' campaign has revived the debate over Africa's true size. Led by Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, and supported by the AU, it urges global bodies — including the World Bank and the UN — to adopt the Equal Earth map, created in 2018 by three cartographers, which campaigners say is a fairer representation of countries' shape and size. The case for change is underscored by President Trump's fascination with Greenland, which on the Mercator map appears to rival Africa in size. Africa is 14 times larger, while Greenland is smaller than a single African country, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Trump is eyeing mineral deals to counter China's dominance. Trump, who floated the idea of acquiring Greenland during his first term, told reporters he was struck by its apparent scale. 'I love maps … and I always said, 'Look at the size of this. It's massive! That should be part of the United States.'' Canada, another country he has suggested annexing, also appears far bigger than its actual size. A World Bank spokesman said that it already used the Equal Earth or 'Winkel tripel' for static maps. Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, said: 'The current size of Africa is wrong. It's the world's longest misinformation campaign, and it has to stop.'
The Guardian
32 minutes ago
- The Guardian
UK rights watchdog warns against ‘heavy-handed' policing of Gaza protests
The UK's official human rights watchdog has written to ministers and police expressing concern at a potentially 'heavy-handed' approach to protests about Gaza and urging clearer guidance for officers in enforcing the law. In the letter to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, and Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan police, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the perception that peaceful protest could attract disproportionate police attention 'undermines confidence in our human rights protections'. Kishwer Falkner, the EHRC chair, wrote that it was vital that any policing of protests was both proportionate and based on clear legal tests. The letter raised concerns about 'reports of police engagement with individuals participating in forms of protest that are not linked to any proscribed organisation'. It cited as an example the case of Laura Murton, first revealed by the Guardian. Keny police threatened her with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying 'Free Gaza' and 'Israel is committing genocide'. Murton filmed police telling her that even such general statements 'all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government'. During the exchange, one officer said the phrase 'Free Gaza' was 'supportive of Palestine Action', that it was illegal 'to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation', and that she had committed that offence with her signs. Falkner wrote: 'Whilst we acknowledge police expertise in assessing security risks, we want to emphasise that any interference with protest rights must be lawful and assessed case by case. 'Heavy-handed policing or blanket approaches risk creating a chilling effect, deterring citizens from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly through fear of possible consequences. 'This concern extends beyond those directly affected by police engagement to the broader health of our democracy, because the perception that peaceful protest may attract disproportionate police attention undermines confidence in our human rights protections.' Falkner urged ministers and police to make sure all officers were given 'clear and consistent guidance on their human rights obligations in relation to protest', which should 'ensure that the appropriate balance is maintained between public safety and the protection of essential human rights'. Murton told the Guardian last week that her solicitors had issued a letter of claim on her behalf to the chief constable of Kent police, in what was also said to be a move to remind other police forces of their responsibilities towards peaceful protests. Falkner said in a statement: 'The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy and must be protected even when dealing with complex and sensitive issues. 'We recognise the genuine challenges the police face in maintaining public safety, but we are concerned that some recent responses may not strike the right balance between security and fundamental rights. 'Our role as the national human rights institution is to uphold the laws that safeguard everyone's right to fairness, dignity and respect. When we see reports of people being questioned or prevented from peaceful protests that don't support proscribed organisations, we have a duty to speak out.' The Liberal Democrats called on Cooper to act swiftly. Lisa Smart, the party's home affairs spokesperson, said: 'The lack of clarity that has been given to police officers has led to confusion, increasing tensions and risks creating a chilling effect on freedom of speech. 'The home secretary needs to step in and give officers, often dealing with incredibly complex and sensitive situations, clear direction as to what is expected of them at protests. 'Without that officers will be left exposed and those exercising their democratic rights worried about the consequences.' The warning comes in the context of wider police operations targeting protesters who, unlike Murton, appear to directly express support for Palestine Action, which is illegal given the group's banned status. Membership of, or support for, the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act. The group was proscribed last month after incidents including one in which four people were arrested over damaged caused to two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. In the latest of a series of mass protests against the decision, more than 500 people were arrested in London last Saturday, almost all for displaying placards or signs allegedly supportive of Palestine Action. Half of those arrested were aged 60 or above, according to police figures. On Friday night the Metropolitan poice said a further 60 people would be prosecuted for 'showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action'. Amnesty International UK said that while it welcomed the EHRC letter, the watchdog had 'failed to acknowledge the hundreds of people unfairly arrested for peacefully exercising their right to free expression'. Sacha Deshmukh, the organisation's chief executive, said: 'This isn't just about the chilling effect on freedom of speech for people 'not linked to any proscribed organisation', as the EHRC states, it's also about the excessive policing of citizens' right to protest against a decision made by their elected government. 'Under international human rights law, protest speech should only be criminalised if it incites violence, hatred or discrimination. Holding a placard and peacefully stating opposition to a government decision to proscribe an organisation cannot realistically be treated as an example of incitement.' Downing Street has justified the ban on Palestine Action by saying it is 'a violent organisation that has committed violence, significant injury, extensive criminal damage', a description one of its co-founders has said is false and defamatory. The Home Office said the issues the EHRC had raised were an operational matter for the police. The Met referred the query to the Home Office.
