Latest news with #MichaelClarke
Sky News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Israel-Gaza latest: Gaza enduring 'atrocious death and destruction', UN boss warns - as he demands Israelis allow 'flood' of aid
17:35:01 World's largest humanitarian organisation pleads with Israel for support after aid looted The World Food Programme has pleaded with Israel to support its distribution of aid after its trucks were looted by desperate and hungry residents. The world's largest humanitarian organisation said aid was stolen from 15 of its lorries late last night in southern Gaza en route to bakeries. The WFP said it "cannot safely operate" under a distribution system that limits the number of sites where food can be accessed. "Hunger, desperation, and anxiety over whether more food aid is coming is contributing to rising insecurity. "We need support from the Israeli authorities to get far greater volumes of food assistance into Gaza faster, more consistently, and transported along safer routes, as was done during the ceasefire." 17:05:01 Analysis: Israel's aid policy is a complete mess - which forces starving people to 'go and find the food' Israel's aid policy is a "complete mess" and will likely pull up to two million people towards a small southern beach with no sanitation, facilities or infrastructure, says defence and security analyst Michael Clarke. Declining to coordinate with the UN's aid agency in Gaza, UNRWA, Israel wants to set up a new organisation made up of "inexperienced" private contractors called the Gaza Humanitarian Organisation, he says. It will operate from four areas, three of which are in the south of the territory near Al Mawasi, explains Clarke. "The Gaza Humanitarian Organisation is a completely untried private enterprise arrangement with the Israeli government and I'll be astonished if it can distribute anything like the aid that the UN says is required," says Clarke. "Normally, food goes to starving people. In this case, starving people have got to go and find the food." 'It's historically unprecedented' The UN says Israel is weaponising food distribution to pull people into the south of the country. The United Nations agency UNRWA says it has a system that can administer 500-600 trucks of aid each day as they have done for years, Clarke says. "Two million people are rattling around inside a devastated landscape from which they cannot escape. "In my experience, I've never known a battlefield this small in which civilians can't get out of it, in this number. "It's historically unprecedented, in my view." 16:32:43 Looting no surprise when mothers cannot feed their children, says UN aid chief No one should be surprised aid is being looted when mothers and fathers have run out of food for their children, says the head of the UNRWA, the UN's humanitarian agency in Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini said its people have been "starved and deprived of the basics including water and medicines for more than 11 weeks" during the Israeli blockade. "The aid going in now is a needle in a haystack," he said, referring to the 100 or so trucks allowed in by Israel earlier this week. "The least needed is 500-600 trucks every day managed through the UN including UNRWA . "During the ceasefire, we brought in an average of 500-600 trucks a day without diversion or looting." 15:55:57 Netanyahu's attack on Starmer should be 'completely rejected' after overseeing Gaza 'catastrophe', expert argues It is "ridiculous" for Benjamin Netanyahu to accuse Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Canada of emboldening Hamas by criticising Israeli policy, according to an expert. "Netanyahu himself has been one of Hamas's biggest supporters," says Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Centre for International Policy. "Netanyahu's policy was to deliver, literally, bags of cash into Gaza to help sustain the Hamas government inside Gaza for the purposes of keeping the Palestinian leadership divided to prevent any negotiations that could lead to a Palestinian state. "This was Netanyahu's policy that helped keep Hamas in power, this was the policy that enabled the October 7 attacks to happen. "So to attack Starmer for this very late-coming criticism - and finally starting to put pressure on Netanyahu to change his policy in Gaza - I think should just be completely rejected right out of hand." He is rightly facing increasing criticism, including in Israel, for endangering the lives of Palestinians and Israeli hostages, says Duss. Watch below: Netanyahu's verbal attack on Starmer, Macron and Carney Netanyahu "really wants to blur that line" between criticising Israeli government policy and antisemitism, Duss adds. "Netanyahu's goal here is to conflate these things, to hide behind this shield, rather than to have to confront the very legitimate criticisms of his policy." Duss says Netanyahu's policy in Gaza has been "a catastrophe since and even before October 7". "Netanyahu has always wanted to prolong this war for his own political purposes." 15:27:36 UN demands Israel lets 'flood' of aid into Gaza amid 'atrocious death and destruction' "All the aid authorised until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required," says UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres. "The needs are massive and the obstacles are staggering." Strict quotas, prohibitions of key supplies and unnecessary delay procedures are being imposed, he says. "Meanwhile, the Israeli military offensive is intensifying with atrocious levels of death and destruction. "Four-fifths of the territory of Gaza is a no-go zone for the people of Gaza." He calls for a permanent ceasefire, the immediate release of hostages and full humanitarian access. The UN has the personnel, distribution networks and community relationships necessary, says Guterres. There are 9,000 trucks of supplies waiting, he says. For context: Israel imposed a blockade on all supplies starting on 2 March, saying Hamas was seizing deliveries for its fighters - a charge the group denies. Netanyahu allowed just 100 trucks carrying baby food and medical equipment into Gaza on Wednesday. The UN has said a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million people are at risk of famine. The Gaza healthcare system has been barely functioning, with most of the medical facilities out of order, because of repeated Israeli military strikes, raids and the ban on the entry of medical supplies, medics say. 15:20:01 More aid enters Gaza - but how much is needed? As we reported earlier (8.25am post) the Israeli military says 107 trucks carrying flour, food, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals entered Gaza yesterday. Aid began to re-enter the Strip earlier this week after Israel lifted a blockade that began in early March. However, 107 trucks is still well below the 500 per day the UN says crossed into the Palestinian territory before the war started in October 2023. Israel contends, however, that a large amount of aid entered Gaza during the recent period of hostage and prisoner releases. The Israeli government says that between 19 January and 2 March, 25,200 aid trucks carrying 447,538 tons of supplies crossed the border. During that period, it puts the number of trucks going in weekly at 4,200. That includes air drops at crossings. Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza to try to put pressure on Hamas, which it blamed for causing hunger by stealing aid meant for civilians. Hamas denies the allegation. At a clinic in central Gaza, one medical worker told Sky News that almost half of all under-fives attending the facility have acute or severe acute malnutrition - compared to around one in 20 before Israel implemented its total blockade on 2 March. Sky News understands that Israel has forbidden aid agencies from storing food and medication at warehouses, requiring that all food entering Gaza be taken directly to its final location. 14:50:01 France rejects Netanyahu attack France has joined the UK in rejecting criticism from Benjamin Netanyahu that Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer and Canada's Mark Carney are "on the wrong side of humanity" for criticising Israel's actions in Gaza. Sophie Primas, a spokesperson for the French government, said France "does not accept this accusation". "We do not confuse the Israeli people with the policies being pursued today by Benjamin Netanyahu," she says. "You know the great, immense reservations we have, particularly regarding what is happening in Gaza." "I think we must de-escalate this rising tension between our two states and work to find lasting peace solutions for Israel and Palestine." Earlier, UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard also rejected Netanyahu's strong criticism of Sir Keir Starmer (see 9am post). 14:20:01 In pictures: Israelis call for ceasefire near Gaza border A growing number of Israelis are protesting the war in Gaza as mounting international pressure threatens to turn the country into a pariah on the world stage. Below are the latest images from Sderot, near Israel's border with Gaza, where anti-war demonstrations have increased in recent months. Protesters hold signs calling for Israel to "free ghetto Gaza" and "stop the genocide". 13:50:01 60 killed in Gaza in past 24 hours, health ministry says Sixty Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military offensive in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave has said. According to its latest figures, 53,822 people have now been killed by Israel since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. A further 185 people have been injured during that time, it added. The ministry's figures do not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians. For context: While Israeli officials have cast doubt on the numbers killed in Gaza, several independent groups say the ministry's figures have proved to be largely reliable and broadly in line with those later produced by the UN and Israel itself. Examination of data from previous Gaza conflicts, comparing the ministry's counts with post-war UN analysis, shows the initial data is largely accurate with, at most, a 10-12% discrepancy.
Sky News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Michael Clarke Ukraine Q&A: Russian army 'like a sponge' and breakthrough in war is unlikely
Trump's 'Golden Dome' technically and economically impossible Ashley M 86: Does the UK need its own golden dome? What would having an Iron Dome in the US actually achieve or is it a gimmick? Sky News' security and defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke says this is the fourth time he has heard the idea pitched. Its failure in the 1960s was behind the anti-ballistic missile treaty because they knew a dome didn't work. The idea was then resurrected under Reagan and Bush in the 1980s and 2000s without success, he adds. "Donald Trump is talking about the Golden Dome as if it's a version of Israel's Iron Dome. "Israel's land area is 22,000 square kilometres. Britain's land area is something like 240,000 - so it's ten times bigger - and America's land area is almost 10 million. "America is 400 times bigger than Israel, and the Israeli Iron Dome system is the best in the world, and it is not 100% [effective]. "The requirement is absolutely huge," he says, adding it would cost at least a trillion dollars. A huge number of land-based interceptors are needed, and they have to be fired at missiles when they are launched, because otherwise the projectiles become too fast. "The thing that might make it different... is supposing you could have the defences in space," says Clarke. "That's heroic engineering. Can you take what you know exists on Earth and scale it up tenfold, put it in space, maintain it, put the whole system together, and know that the first time you use that system in anger, the first time you've ever been able to test the whole thing together, it will work to 98% effectiveness? "Can't be done." Could it work in US or UK? Clarke says it is "much, much cheaper" to put things in space than it was when this idea was previously pitched, but "the idea of defending a big country is still economically impossible". " You've still got the basic problems. It will still be cheaper to overwhelm the system than to actually keep the system up." Missile defences are best at defending small areas - a "special dome" is "not technically feasible". The UK could do with more missile defences for its ports and major systems, but just as an element of a deterrent, says Clarke. "We don't have any real reliable defence at all against incoming missiles, apart from what the Navy has got in the Sea Viper system."
Sky News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Michael Clarke Q&A: 'New UK Home Guard plan wouldn't be a joke - and Trump's Golden Dome is impossible'
Sky News' security and defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke says this is the fourth time he has heard the idea pitched. Its failure in the 1960s was behind the anti-ballistic missile treaty because they knew a dome didn't work. The idea was then resurrected under Reagan and Bush in the 1980s and 2000s without success, he adds. "Donald Trump is talking about the Golden Dome as if it's a version of Israel's Iron Dome. "Israel's land area is 22,000 square kilometres. Britain's land area is something like 240,000 - so it's ten times bigger - and America's land area is almost 10 million. "America is 400 times bigger than Israel, and the Israeli Iron Dome system is the best in the world, and it is not 100% [effective]. "The requirement is absolutely huge," he says, adding it would cost at least a trillion dollars. A huge number of land-based interceptors are needed, and they have to be fired at missiles when they are launched, because otherwise the projectiles become too fast. "The thing that might make it different... is supposing you could have the defences in space," says Clarke. "That's heroic engineering. Can you take what you know exists on Earth and scale it up tenfold, put it in space, maintain it, put the whole system together, and know that the first time you use that system in anger, the first time you've ever been able to test the whole thing together, it will work to 98% effectiveness? "Can't be done." Could it work in US or UK? Clarke says it is "much, much cheaper" to put things in space than it was when this idea was previously pitched, but "the idea of defending a big country is still economically impossible". " You've still got the basic problems. It will still be cheaper to overwhelm the system than to actually keep the system up." Missile defences are best at defending small areas - a "special dome" is "not technically feasible". The UK could do with more missile defences for its ports and major systems, but just as an element of a deterrent, says Clarke. "We don't have any real reliable defence at all against incoming missiles, apart from what the Navy has got in the Sea Viper system."
Sky News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Michael Clarke Ukraine war Q&A: 'Golden Domes', life after Putin and could oil price thwart Russia?
Do you have a question about the war in Ukraine? Our security and defence analyst Michael Clarke will be back on Thursday to answer more of your questions about Ukraine. Last week, the backdrop to his weekly Q&A was the first direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in three years. This week, it follows a call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Putin has also been visiting the Russian region of Kursk, which the Kremlin says is finally free of Ukrainian troops after Kyiv's incursion last year. What do you want to know about this week? Pop your question in the form at the top of this page. Catch up on last week's Q&A below: The Wargame If you're a fan of Clarke's Q&As, you may be interested in a new Sky News podcast, in partnership with Tortoise - The Wargame. It simulates a Russian attack on the UK, with real former cabinet ministers taking part. Click below to find out more...
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Iconic US fast food chain that ‘blows McDonald's out of the water' to open 42nd UK restaurant tomorrow
AN iconic American fast food chain is opening a new restaurant tomorrow as it boost its number of UK locations. Wendy's is opening its next location in Spalding, Lincolnshire - and it will be its 42nd restaurant in the UK. 1 The chain has confirmed to The Sun that the next two restaurants to open after that will be in York and Southampton. Fast food fans will be able to get their hands on the iconic Wendy's square burgers as well as its Frosty desserts. There's also the popular Baconator which features two quarter-pound patties, two slices of cheese, six strips of bacon, mayonnaise and ketchup. Reviewers online have said it "blows McDonald's out of the water" and is "a million times better than McDonald's". Wendy's is already hugely popular in the US and has almost 6,000 locations there. It first moved across the pond in the 1980s but then closed all of its UK stores in 1999. But it returned to the UK in 2021 with branches in Reading and Oxford. Since then it has revealed plans to open 150 locations across the UK by 2028. Wendy's has previously said it's on track to open its 50th restaurant in the UK this year. It recently opened locations in Blackpool, Grays (Lakeside) and Watford. Wendy's Frosty Flavor Revolution: New Wild Fusions Unveiled Another is also set to open in Glasgow. Michael Clarke, managing director for The Wendy's Company in Europe, said previously: "We see huge potential in the UK market, with plans to add more than 150 new restaurants across the UK and surrounding countries by 2028. "This year, we will focus on accelerating our expansion efforts so more people across the UK can enjoy Wendy's craveable menu and exceptional customer hospitality. "We have a solid foundation in the market and believe we are well-positioned to accelerate our growth trajectory even further." Full list of Wendy's stores Barlborough, Tallys End, Barlborough, S43 4WP Blackpool, 60 – 64 The Promenade, Blackpool, FY1 4QU Brampton Hut - Great North Road, Brampton, Huntingdon, PE28 4NQ Brighton - 192 Western Rd, Brighton, BN1 2BA Cambridge - 56 St Andrew's St, Cambridge CB2 3DA Camden - 189 Camden High St, London, NW1 7BP Chelmsford - 9-10 High St, Chelmsford CM1 1BE Colchester - Northern Gateway, off Junction 28 of the A12, Cuckoo Farm Way Colchester – 19 – 20 High Street, Colchester, CO1 1DB Croydon - 19/20 Wellesley Rd, Croydon, CR9 1NG Derby - Unit 2, College Park, Normanton Rd, Derby DE1 2GH Fulham - 563 Fulham Road, London, SW6 1ES Guildford - 12c North St, Guildford GU1 4LL Grays – Lakeside Shopping Centre, West Thurrock Way, RM20 2ZP Hull - Wendy's Kingswood Retail Park, Hull HU7 3DB Hull - 2 Ganstead Lane, Bilton Hull HU11 4AU Hull – Unit 1 King Albert Chambers, Jameson Street, Hull, HU1 1JF Kirkby, Unit 8, Academy Business Park, County Road, Kirkby, L33 7AN Kingston - 57 Eden St, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1DA Leeds – 88-91 Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NP Lincoln – 195 High Street, Lincoln, LN5 7AL Maidstone - 35-39 Week St, Maidstone, ME14 1QS Middlesborough, Units 6 & 7 Captain Cooks Square, Middlesborough TS1 5UB Newcastle – 68 – 72 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5JQ Oxford - 1 Magdalen St, Oxford, OX1 3AE Peterborough - 1 Bourges View Park, Maskew Avenue, Peterborough, PE1 2FG Peterborough – Unit 3 Pavilions, Cygnet Road, Hampton, Peterborough, PE7 8FD Portsmouth – 144 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, PO1 1DA Reading - 1 Station Rd, Reading, RG1 1LG Romford - 64B South St, Romford, RM1 1RB Sheffield - 25 High St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield, S1 2GA Sheffield – 3 Arena Court, Sheffield, S9 2LF Southend on Sea - 66-68 High Street in Southend-on-Sea Stratford - The Stratford Centre, 52, Broadway, E15 1NG Stretton – Unit 2, Great North Road (A1 Northbound), Ram Jam Service, LE15, 7QX Sutton - 96-98 High St, Sutton, SM1 1LT Uxbridge - 57 High St, Uxbridge, UB8 1JP Watford – 60 High Street, Watford, WD17 2BS Whitby - 79 Baxtergate, Whitby, YO21 1BL Wisbech – Horsefair Shopping Centre, 28 Churchill Road, Wisbech, PE13 1AR Wood Green - 11A Ground Floor, High Road, The Mall, Wood Green, London, N22 6HE US food chains that have hit the UK A series of American fast food chains have made the leap across to the UK in recent years. Shake Shack, which started out as a hotdog cart, recently opened its first restaurant inside a UK train station. The fast food giant has 17 locations in the UK, having opened its first in Covent Garden in 2013. Popeyes entered the UK market in 2021 and its fried chicken has proved a huge hit. In just 30 months, the brand opened over 38 restaurants across the UK. Major US fast food chain Chick-fil-A is opening branches across the UK this year too, including in Belfast, Leeds, Liverpool and London. Wingstop, which currently has 57 sites across the UK, revealed plans in January to open 20 more before the end of 2025. At least 10 of these were said to be opening in the first half of the year. Tex-Mex brand Velvet Taco will also making its UK debut in the spring. Meanwhile Dunkin' Donuts, which currently has 30 stores in the UK, hopes to open 30 new branches over the next couple of years as part of a major expansion plan.
