Latest news with #DepartmentofWarStudies
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Military expert gives chilling British 'civil war' warning over 'feral cities'
British cities are at risk of becoming 'feral' and could even descend into civil war over the next few years, a military expert has warned A military expert has warned that British cities could fall into a state of 'civil war' within five years because a breakdown in law and order. David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, cautioned that the UK and France are among the nations likely to struggle to maintain peace in the years ahead due to a multitude of social and economic issues - creating the risk of so-called "feral cities". It follows the shocking riots that gripped Paris after PSG's victory in the Champions League at the weekend, which left two dead and hundreds injured. Distressing footage from the French capital showed frightened women cowering inside their cars as mobs of out-of-control football fans smashed windows and set fire to nearby vehicles. And in Britain, a report released last month cautioned that authorities must be much swifter in tackling misinformation on social media to avoid a repeat of last year's riots, which followed the murders of three young girls at a dance class in Southport. Writing in in the latest issue of Military Strategy Magazine, Professor Betz argued that governments across the Western world have been "losing the ability to peacefully manage multicultural societies", leaving them open to mass disorder and potential civil war". He added: "The initial result is an accelerating descent of multiple major cities into marginally 'feral' status". In another part of the essay, Professor Betz predicted that the "countries that are most likely to experience the outbreak of violent civil conflict are Britain and France" - but said that other parts of Europe and the United States could also be at risk "It must be assumed that if civil war breaks out in one place it is likely to spread elsewhere", he added. Hundreds arrested after deadly PSG riots Clashes between police and supporters on Saturday began long before PSG's thumping 5-0 victory over Inter Milan had even finished, with officers deploying a water cannon on the Champs-Elysees at half-time. Ugly scenes later in the night saw drivers attacked in their cars, vehicles torched and shops looted, with over 200 people injured and two killed in gatherings connected to the post-match celebrations. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a street party after the final, the national police service said, and in Paris, a man in his 20s was killed when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations. A police officer was also hit accidentally by fireworks at a PSG fan gathering in northwest France, and placed in an artificial coma because of severe eye injuries. More than 500 people were arrested by police in connection with the disorder. Reacting to the initial reports of rioting Saturday night, France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau labelled the rioters "barbarians" and not "true PSG fans", adding: "It is unbearable that it is not possible to party without fearing the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing." Smaller clashes between gangs of youths and police continued in the centre of Paris on Sunday.
Channel 4
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Channel 4
Will India's missile strike on Pakistan lead to all out war?
Pakistan has described India's missile attacks that killed more than 30 people 'an act of war', but India says it was retaliation for a terrorist assault in Indian-controlled Kashmir. So is an all-out war inevitable between these two nuclear-armed neighbours. In the past the US has acted as a peace broker, but is the Trump administration willing to involve itself in another foreign conflict? To discuss this, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined from Delhi by the Emmy-nominated journalist Barkha Dutt who has reported from the frontline in previous conflicts between India and Pakistan. And also by Ayesha Siddiqa from the Department of War Studies at King's College, London. She writes extensively on the Pakistan military after serving as the country's director of naval research. Produced by Calum Fraser, Holly Snelling, Rob Thomson
Mint
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Post-Pahalgam belligerence will help the Pakistan Army rebuild its image in the country: Defence expert
Pahalgam terror attack: The tragic killings at Pahalgam have had one definite effect from Rawalpindi's perspective: the increase in bilateral belligerence is certainly going to help the Pakistan Army rebuild its image among the people of the country, says a leading Pakistani defence expert. 'The heightened tension is likely to regain the army's lost image as Pakistan's saviour. It was losing popular support in the past couple of years, especially in Punjab, a province that matters the most to the armed forces. This was due to the army chief's treatment of Imran Khan and his party, and the military's involvement in rigging the 2024 elections,' Ayesha Siddiqa, senior fellow at the Department of War Studies at King's College, London, said. So, for the Pakistani Army, it is a strategic gain, she told this reporter. "My reports from Pakistan suggest that the men who matter are very calm. They are enjoying putting pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who they think is going to retaliate, for sure.' While an overall Indo-Pakistan conflagration may not be on the cards, a proxy war on the LoC is very much a possibility, Siddiqa said. "If India attacks, the Pakistanis are certainly going to retaliate,' she predicted. According to Siddiqa, the Indian television media's immature coverage following the slaying of 26 tourists in Pahalgam's Baisaran, has certainly helped the cause of the Pakistani Army. While it is difficult to say who was behind the killing without any evidence, the popular notion spread by the television channels is that the Pahalgam incident is India's false flag operation to undermine Pakistan. "The narrative being developed through mainstream TV media and social media, is that Pakistan is under a deliberate attack,' Siddiqa said. "To be sure, there is no mention of the jihadis, the LeT or the Jaishe-e-Mohammad, which are not just being kept in Pakistan but were being encouraged and provided improved infrastructure in the last couple of years. This was done with the intent of responding to what is believed to be India's assistance to the insurgency in Balochistan and the tribal areas,' she said. According to some people she spoke to, a Pakistani response was inevitable, especially after the killing of army personnel during the Jaffar Express hijacking in Balochistan. "Islamabad clearly holds India responsible for the attack, and any tit-for-tat response is aimed at building the image of both the army chief and the armed forces,'' said Siddiqa, a former Pakistani civil servant who in 2007, published her critically acclaimed book, Military Inc: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy. The net result is that no one is speaking of Imran Khan or the situation in Balochistan, as the Pakistani Army is being seen as the country's saviour. Given that President Donald Trump does not particularly seem to care or know about the situation, ``Islamabad appears confident to benefit from the transactional nature of the new American administration, with whom it has been working to put relations back on some kind of track. It has worked diligently and consistently to develop counter-terrorism dialogue with Washington as a channel of communication,' Siddiqa said. The heightened tension is likely to regain the army's lost image as Pakistan's saviour. It does not help that there is a huge concern regarding India holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, a declaration that is considered an act of war. "It comes at a time when the Sindh province is up in arms over the army leadership and the political government planning six new canals that would hamper the flow of water to the southern province. It will be used to build a narrative that only the army can ensure national security,' says Siddiqa. First Published: 29 Apr 2025, 11:02 AM IST
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russia's spies: Uncovering Russia's secret espionage programmes
How is Russia using deep undercover agents, known as 'illegals' to infiltrate the West? How has Moscow pivoted in recent years from using trained professional spies to recruiting casual operatives for one-time sabotage operations? What are the goals of Russia's increasingly deadly sabotage campaign, including arson attacks, exploding parcels and even assassination attempts? Join our expert panel including Christo Grozev, Daniela Richterova and The Guardian's Shaun Walker, live in London and online. They'll take us into a world of shadows and mystery to uncover the gripping history and present-day operations of Russia's spy programme – as explored in Walker's new book, The Illegals. The panel will also discuss the methods and sources they have used to uncover some of Russia's most secret operations and fully understand Russia's clandestine malign activities, looking further back in history – to the Cold War and into the long and chequered past of Russia's spy programmes. Shaun Walker is the Guardian's central and eastern Europe correspondent. His new book, The Illegals, shines new light on Russia's most secretive espionage project. Through hundreds of interviews and access to never-before-seen archives, it blows open the secrets of the biggest group of deep-cover spies in intelligence history. Daniela Richterova is the senior lecturer in Intelligence Studies at the Department of War Studies in King's College London. She has worked on the history of Eastern Bloc sabotage operations, and how that heritage informs present-day Russian tactics. Christo Grozev is an award-winning investigative journalist who has busted numerous Russian spies with his groundbreaking investigations for Bellingcat and The Insider. He was the first to identify the suspects in the Novichok poisoning of Sergei Skripal in 2018. The late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose poisoning he also investigated, described him as 'a modern-day Sherlock Holmes'. You can join this event in-person at a Central London location or via the livestream. Tickets are £35 to attend the event in person, or £15 to watch it online. See tickets for further details. Book tickets – in person or livestream Date: Thursday 22 May 2025Time: 7.30pm-9pm (BST) Or see this time zone converter to check your local live streaming Central London location, details will be notified to ticket holders closer to the eventAccessibility: The venue is fully wheelchair accessible. If you have any access requirements you are eligible for 1 x free companion ticket, to notify us of this and your requirements, please email If you miss this live event, a recording will be sent to you. It will be available for two weeks so you can catch-up or revisit the event in your own time. What are the terms and conditions? By proceeding, you agree to the Guardian Live events Terms and Conditions. To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy. How do I access a livestream event? This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Vimeo, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the event. After registering, please refer to your confirmation email for access to the event. Will there be closed captions available? Yes closed captions will be available for this event. Guardian Live brings you closer to the big stories, award-winning journalists, and leading thinkers in livestreamed and interactive events that you can access from wherever you are in the world. To stay informed, sign up to our newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin Placates Trump, But Dodges Wider Ukrainian Peace Deal
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an extended phone call today to discuss the war in Ukraine, which the U.S. president has touted as a major step toward kicking off peace talks in the devastating conflict. However, statements from both the Kremlin and the White House indicate only a limited agreement was reached – while Putin has shifted the onus for further progress onto Ukraine, demanding that Kyiv stop mobilizing and arming its soldiers before Moscow will agree to a broader ceasefire. 'My phone conversation today with President Putin of Russia was a very good and productive one,' Trump wrote in a social media post. 'This war would never have started if I were president!' While no full transcript of the call has been made public, the White House released a brief read-out with carefully curated details. 'The leaders agreed that the movement to peace would begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire,' the White House read-out said. 'The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside.' In its version, the Kremlin noted that it had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire on energy targets, but emphasized that it wanted a full halt to all foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine as a precondition for ending the conflict. The tenor of the discussion between the two leaders described in the read-outs accords with the analysis of several experts, who see Putin's intentions as placating the American president, while staving off meaningful progress toward a ceasefire as Russian forces advance on the battlefield. 'Today's Putin-Trump conversation will be about Russia-U.S. relations and what they each think they can extort from Kyiv, not peace in Ukraine,' Prof. Ruth Deyermond, a senior lecturer at King's College London's Department of War Studies who specializes in U.S.-Russia relations, observed ahead of the call. 'Russia and Ukraine were negotiating a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure well before Trump won the presidential election. So not a single concession comes from the Russian side after 2-plus [hours] of [a] Trump-Putin call,' Daniel Szegelowski, the head of the Eastern Europe Program at the Polish Institute for International Affairs, wrote after it ended. The Kremlin has previously said that any negotiations with the U.S. toward a ceasefire must also involve a wider discussion aimed at lifting sanctions and normalizing ties — and reshaping the world order to Putin's liking. That appears to have happened, as Trump and Putin also 'spoke broadly about the Middle East,' 'the need to stop the proliferation of strategic weapons,' and 'enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability,' according to the White House read-out. A cessation of missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure will be welcome in Ukraine, but falls short of the wider pause in hostilities for which officials in Kyiv had hoped. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had agreed to a U.S. proposal for an immediate and total 30-day ceasefire, but has been pessimistic about the prospects for progress — and anticipated Russia would delay in today's Trump-Putin call. 'It is clear to everyone in the world — even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years — that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war,' Zelensky said in a video address posted to social media on Monday night. 'For a week now, Putin has been unable to squeeze out 'yes' to the ceasefire proposal.' Russia, too, will welcome a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure, as oil production and storage facilities have been the primary target for Ukraine's increasingly sophisticated long-range attack drones. Putin's delaying tactics, in offering a win for Trump without making a larger commitment that affects Russia's favorable military momentum, also plays into a broader strategy to encourage and exploit growing rifts between the United States and its European allies, in order to neutralize NATO. 'Western dominance is slipping away and new centers of global growth are emerging,' Putin told a gathering of business leaders in Moscow, just minutes before his phone call with Trump. Moscow is gleeful that the pro-Russia camp within Trump's inner circle has vocally embraced its longstanding worldview, with influential Russian commentators praising the American president. '[Trump] is much more conservative. He is in favor of traditional values. He is in favor of the patriotism of the nation, and I define that as the great power's world order. Putin and Trump coincide in accepting this model instead of liberal globalism,' Alexander Dugin, an ultranationalist philosopher who has been influential on Putin's regime, told CNN in an interview earlier on Tuesday. Putin also likely hopes that Washington's relationship with Kyiv will continue to deteriorate amid Trump's personal animosity toward the Ukrainian president. Trump has echoed the Kremlin's view that Zelensky is an 'illegitimate' leader, at one point even calling on him to step down. The administration's antipathy toward Zelensky was on full display in a tactless meeting at the Oval Office last month, in which Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance verbally attacked the Ukrainian leader, saying he 'was not ready for peace.' Multiple U.S. officials have echoed Trump's assertion that Zelensky is a 'dictator,' calling for elections in Ukraine — which are currently prohibited under martial law. One of Putin's primary goals in starting the war three years ago was to remove the pro-Western, democratically elected government in Ukraine, and install a puppet government friendly to Moscow. Putin has long maintained that his fundamental goals in Ukraine are non-negotiable: no NATO membership; no foreign military support or troops; demilitarization of Ukraine's armed forces; the installment of a 'neutral' regime in Kyiv; and territorial concessions. The U.S. has already signaled its willingness to support at least some of these goals, including a ban on NATO membership and territorial concessions. Trump further said that his goal was 'dividing up certain assets' in Ukraine between Russia and the U.S. — an unfortunate echo of the secret deal between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on the eve of World War II in 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, in which the two authoritarian powers agreed to divide Poland. Ahead of the phone call today, Trump demonstrated that his views about the conflict were in alignment with Moscow's claims, specifically pointing to a Russian offensive to retake territory captured by Ukraine in Kursk province. 'Tomorrow, I will speak with President Putin to save Ukrainian soldiers who are in a very difficult situation,' Trump said on Monday. 'They are surrounded by Russian forces. If it weren't for me, they'd be gone already. I managed to convince them to hold off for now.' Multiple independent analysts in both Russia and Ukraine contest this characterization, acknowledging that while the Ukrainians were losing ground in Kursk, no large units were 'surrounded' and the bulk of forces were retreating in good order. Fundamentally, the war in Ukraine is not going well for either of the warring parties. Three years into the conflict, there have been nearly a million casualties, according to estimates by U.S. officials. Across the nearly 500 mile line of contact, much of the war has devolved into attritional trench warfare. Ukraine's military situation is dire, with the embattled nation unable to muster the manpower it needs to hold the line. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers are killed or wounded every day, eking out incremental gains. But tens of thousands more are sent to the front each month, to fight and die in Ukraine as Russia continues to advance. There remains a significant gap between these realities on the ground and the Trump administration's assertions that it can achieve peace quickly. Neither Ukraine nor any of the U.S.' NATO allies have been directly included in discussions between Moscow and Washington at this point. Leaders in Europe are watching developments closely, and have already been alarmed by Trump's earlier decision to cut off military and intelligence aid to Ukraine — a decision the American president reversed when Kyiv agreed to Washington's ceasefire proposal. While many European leaders have used strong rhetoric when speaking about the war, and the European Union taken together is the largest overall contributor of aid to Ukraine, the reality is that the United States has shouldered the bulk of the burden in supplying direct military aid to Kyiv. But there are signs that – after three years of brutal armored and trench warfare, and nightly missile and drone attacks by Russia against civilians in Ukraine – Europe is awakening to its own danger. 'Russia poses the greatest threat to European security,' said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, just moments before legislators in the Bundestag voted to pass a massive defense spending bill, unprecedented in modern Germany and a collateral result of the crisis in Euro-American relations. That threat was manifested clearly only hours after Putin ended his call with Trump, as air raid alerts sounded across nearly half of Ukraine, including in the capital Kyiv. Russian one-way attack drones had started their nightly journeys toward Ukrainian cities, and the sound of air defense machine guns and interceptors began echoing through their streets. More from Rolling Stone Teslas Torched at Las Vegas Facility in 'Targeted Attack' Supreme Court Chief Justice Slams Trump's Call to Impeach Judge 'Move Fast': Inside Team Trump's Furious Defiance of the Courts Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
