Is Donald Trump more king than president?
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The US economy has shrunk for the first time in three years, but President Donald Trump is blaming his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the country's poor economic performance at the start of the year.
Sky's US correspondents Martha Kelner and Mark Stone discuss the impact a struggling economy could have on Trump's popularity.
Plus, as Mr Trump holds another fawning meeting of his cabinet, are comparisons to a king at court becoming more accurate?
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Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Putin's nuclear revenge: Why Kyiv's devastating drone attack could be trigger for Russia to use tactical nukes in Ukraine
Ukraine's breathtaking drone operation that heralded the destruction of Russian bomber aircraft thousands of miles from the border has raised fears Kyiv 's forces may have crossed a threshold set out in Moscow's nuclear weapon use policy. Operation Spiderweb, conducted Sunday by Ukraine's security services (SBU), saw more than a hundred drones destroy and damage at least a dozen strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons after being smuggled across Russia on trucks. The drones were reportedly piloted by Ukrainian operatives housed in a building close to an office of Russia's FSB security service and successfully evaded detection in a scathing indictment of Russia's intelligence apparatus. While the attack may not have significantly impacted Moscow 's immediate warfighting capabilities, it showed a willingness and a capability on the part of Ukraine to threaten some of Russia's most prized military assets - up to and including parts of its nuclear triad. Several civilians have already been killed in retributive barrages of drone and missile attacks unleashed by Putin's forces on towns and cities across Ukraine, including Kyiv, since the attacks unfolded on Sunday. But these brutal bombardments are likely just one part of Russia's revenge. US President Donald Trump claimed Putin said that he had to retaliate during a call between the two leaders, before the Kremlin yesterday issued an official statement saying it would choose 'how and when' to respond. Then this morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov elevated the rhetoric, telling reporters in Moscow that the war in Ukraine is an 'existential issue for Russia's national interest, safety, on our future and the future of our children'. Now, analysts and officials have warned the daring drone strikes could be considered in Moscow to have crossed a red line set out in Russia's nuclear doctrine, opening up the prospect of a tactical nuclear weapon being deployed on Ukrainian soil. Putin in November signed off on an updated version of the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine that broadened the scope for Moscow to turn to its fearsome atomic arsenal on the same day that US-made missiles rained down on Russian soil. The new document, which replaced the previous iteration outlined in 2020, allows Putin's strategic forces to deploy their devastating weapons if Russia or ally Belarus is threatened by a non-nuclear nation supported by a nuclear power. It also greenlit the use of nuclear weapons in the event of attacks by an adversary on important state or military infrastructure that could potentially disrupt the actions of Russia's nuclear forces. Threats that could warrant a nuclear response from Russia's leadership include an attack with conventional missiles, aircraft or drones, according to the updated document. It is unclear whether any of Ukraine's nuclear-powered backers in the West - namely the US, UK and France - were in any way responsible for supporting the planning or execution of Operation Spiderweb. But George Beebe, Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and former director of Russia analysis at the CIA, said there is a real possibility that Putin's inner circle may believe that to be the case. 'They might well look at this situation and decide that this was a joint attack - that the Ukrainians could not have pulled this off without the knowledge and support of the United States or our NATO allies in Europe,' he told Foreign Policy magazine. 'Now, whether that is true or not, the danger here is that Russians might perceive that to be the case. 'We're dealing with a situation here where the Russians may be concerned that Trump is doing just what people accuse Putin of doing - namely, talking about peace while conducting war.' In November, when Western-made missiles launched by Ukrainian forces struck targets in Russia, Moscow delivered a clear signal that it was serious about lowering the threshold for nuclear conflict. Days later, Putin's forces delivered a punishing strike on Ukraine's Dnipro region with an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) dubbed 'Oreshnik' - which is believed to have been derived from the RS-26 missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova hinted that Western nations aided Kyiv in carrying out Operation Spiderweb. 'The West is involved in the terrorist activities of the Kiev regime... The countries of the 'collective West' supply weapons specifically for the purpose of committing terrorist acts,' she said in a statement. Some analysts have pointed out that Ukraine's attack, while more shocking than any prior assault on Russian strategic assets, was still carefully calculated to show restraint. The operation sought to damage Russia's Tu-22 and Tu-95 bomber aircraft, which have been frequently deployed since the start of the war to deliver conventional air-launched missile attacks on Ukraine. Although both the Tu-22 and Tu-95 are capable of carrying strategic nuclear weapons, that role is largely the reserve of Russia's fleet of Tu-160 'BlackJack' planes. These advanced, heavy strategic bombers are seen as a cornerstone of Russia's airborne nuclear deterrent, able to fly some 12,500 kilometres while carrying up to 40 tonnes of ordnance - and have largely remained absent from the Ukraine conflict. Kyiv, despite clearly boasting the capability to strike Russia's airborne assets thousands of kilometres from the border, chose not to target Tu-160s en masse - a move that could signal Volodymyr Zelensky's understanding of Moscow's limits and one which offers the Kremlin some wiggle room when plotting its response. But Beebe warned that Ukraine's operation was likely to cause a rapid escalation in the conflict regardless, reasoning that those close to Putin will be saying 'we can't afford not to respond, because if we don't, this will just cement this impression that Ukraine and its allies in the West can just continue to push across all Russian red lines'. For now though, it seems Ukrainian citizens will simply have to contend with an ever increasing threat of conventional drone and missile strikes. Russia targeted at least six regions across the country with 407 drones and 44 missiles in one of its largest coordinated attacks of the three-year war overnight into today. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said search and rescue operations are underway at several locations in the city. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, where falling debris sparked fires across several districts as air defence systems attempted to intercept incoming targets, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration. 'Our air defence crews are doing everything possible. But we must protect one another - stay safe,' Tkachenko wrote on Telegram. Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said the barrage included ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as a mix of strike drones and decoys. Ukrainian forces said they shot down about 30 of the cruise missiles and up to 200 of the drones. Ukrainian cities have come under regular bombardment since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. The attacks have killed more than 12,000 civilians, according to the United Nations. Meanwhile in the UK, Britain's Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has warned of what the UK could expect to face in the event of a conflict with Russia as concern grows over the potential consequences of Operation Spiderweb. In a comprehensive 144-page document unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey earlier this week, defence chiefs outlined the five terrifying 'methods of attack' Britain should brace itself for. Military bases, ports and airfields in the UK would be the first to come under siege, blasted by waves of drones and long-range cruise, ballistic or hypersonic missiles. Oil rigs, subsea cables, satellite communications and merchant vessels would also find themselves in the crosshairs of any onslaught by Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, with saboteurs seeking to damage or destroy them. And a shadowy digital army of hackers would also launch a devastating barrage of cyber attacks, targeting government bodies, stock exchanges, communications and other critical infrastructure in a bid to paralyse Britain. The SDR warned: 'Based on the current way of war, if the UK were to fight a state-on-state war as part of NATO in 2025, it could expect to be subject to some or all of the following methods of attack: Attacks on the armed forces in the UK and on overseas bases Air and missile strikes from long range drones, cruise and ballistic missiles targeting military infrastructure and critical national infrastructure Increased sabotage and cyber attacks Attempts to disrupt the UK economy - especially the industry that supports the armed forces - through cyber attacks, intercepting shipping trade and attacks on space-based infrastructure
South Wales Guardian
22 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Trump bid to ban foreign Harvard students temporarily blocked by judge
Mr Trump's proclamation, issued on Wednesday, was the latest attempt by his administration to prevent the nation's oldest and wealthiest college from enrolling a quarter of its students, who account for much of Harvard's research and scholarship. Harvard filed a legal challenge the next day, asking for a judge to block Mr Trump's order and calling it illegal retaliation for Harvard's rejection of White House demands. Harvard said the president was attempting an end-run around a previous court order. A few hours later, US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued a temporary restraining order against Mr Trump's Wednesday proclamation. Harvard, she said, had demonstrated it would sustain 'immediate and irreparable injury' before she would have an opportunity to hear from the parties in the lawsuit. Ms Burroughs also extended the temporary hold she placed on the administration's previous attempt to end Harvard's enrolment of international students. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard's certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork to them for their visas, only to have Ms Burroughs block the action temporarily. Mr Trump's order this week invoked a different legal authority. If Mr Trump's measure were to survive this court challenge, it would block thousands of students who are scheduled to come to Harvard's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the summer and autumn terms. 'Harvard's more than 7,000 F-1 and J-1 visa holders — and their dependents — have become pawns in the government's escalating campaign of retaliation,' Harvard wrote in a court filing on Thursday. While the court case proceeds, Harvard is making contingency plans so students and visiting scholars can continue their work at the university, president Alan Garber said in a message to the campus and alumni. 'Each of us is part of a truly global university community,' Mr Garber said on Thursday. 'We know that the benefits of bringing talented people together from around the world are unique and irreplaceable.' Harvard has attracted a growing number of the brightest minds from around the world, with international enrolment growing from 11% of the student body three decades ago to 26% today. Rising international enrolment has made Harvard and other elite colleges uniquely vulnerable to Mr Trump's crackdown on foreign students. Republicans have been seeking to force overhauls of the nation's top colleges, which they see as hotbeds of 'woke' and antisemitic viewpoints. Mr Garber says the university has made changes to combat antisemitism. But Harvard, he said, will not stray from its 'core, legally-protected principles', even after receiving federal ultimatums. Mr Trump's administration has also taken steps to withhold federal funding from Harvard and other elite colleges that have rejected White House demands related to campus protests, admissions, hiring and more. Harvard's 53 billion dollar (£39 billion) endowment allows it to weather the loss of funding for a time, although Mr Garber has warned of 'difficult decisions and sacrifices' to come.
Reuters
23 minutes ago
- Reuters
TSX futures rise ahead of key US, Canada jobs data
June 6 (Reuters) - Futures tied to Canada's main stock index rose on Friday as investors awaited domestic employment figures and monthly payrolls data from the U.S., while signs of easing tensions between Washington and China fueled trade optimism. The S&P/TSX index futures were up 0.2% at 6:52 am ET (1052 GMT). The monthly U.S. non-farm payrolls report, scheduled at 8:30 am ET, will help investors assess the impact of President Donald Trump's trade policies on the labor market. Canada's monthly unemployment data is also due at 8:30 am ET. This week, Trump doubled tariffs on imports on steel and aluminum; Canada is the largest seller of the metals to the U.S. Canada's Industry Minister Melanie Joly said on Thursday that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump are in direct communication as part of Ottawa's bid to persuade Washington to lift tariffs. Meanwhile, a highly-anticipated phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, which Trump said led to "a very positive conclusion," offered hope the trade war between the world's two largest economies might start to de-escalate. Additionally, China called on Friday for steps to improve bilateral ties with Canada, saying there were no deepseated conflicts of interest, following a spike in trade tensions with many of Beijing's Western trade partners this year. In commodities, oil prices slipped but were on track for their firstly weekly gain. Gold prices firmed while copper ticked up; both were set for weekly rises. Canada's main stock index edged higher on Thursday as higher oil prices boosted energy shares and investors assessed prospects of Canada reaching a trade deal with the U.S. FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES: TSX market report Canadian dollar and bonds report CA/ Reuters global stocks poll for Canada , Canadian markets directory
