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New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Bows to Putin's Approach on Ukraine: No Cease-Fire, Deadlines or Sanctions
Supported by News Analysis The net effect of the Alaska summit was to give President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia a free pass to continue his war against his neighbor indefinitely without further penalty, pending talks on a broader peace deal. By Peter Baker Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent and a former Moscow co-bureau chief for The Washington Post, reported from Anchorage. On the flight to Alaska, President Trump declared that if he did not secure a cease-fire in Ukraine during talks with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, 'I'm not going to be happy,' and there would be 'severe consequences.' Just hours later, he got back on Air Force One and departed Alaska without the cease-fire he deemed so critical. Yet he had imposed no consequences, and had pronounced himself so happy with how things went with Mr. Putin that he said 'the meeting was a 10.' Even in the annals of Mr. Trump's erratic presidency, the Anchorage meeting with Mr. Putin now stands out as a reversal of historic proportions. Mr. Trump abandoned the main goal he brought to his subarctic summit and, as he revealed on Saturday, would no longer even pursue an immediate cease-fire. Instead, he bowed to Mr. Putin's preferred approach of negotiating a broader peace agreement requiring Ukraine to give up territory. The net effect was to give Mr. Putin a free pass to continue his war against his neighbor indefinitely without further penalty, pending time-consuming negotiations for a more sweeping deal that appears elusive at best. Instead of a halt to the slaughter — 'I'm in this to stop the killing,' Mr. Trump had said on the way to Alaska — the president left Anchorage with pictures of him and Mr. Putin joshing on a red carpet and in the presidential limousine known as the Beast. 'He got played again,' said Ivo Daalder, who was ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama. 'For all the promises of a cease-fire, of severe economic consequences, of being disappointed, it took two minutes on the red carpet and 10 minutes in the Beast for Putin to play Trump again. What a sad spectacle.' Mr. Trump's allies focused on his plans to convene a three-way meeting with Mr. Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. 'Let me tell you, I've never been more hopeful this war can end honorably and justly than I am right now,' Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a leading hawk on the Ukraine war, said on Fox News Friday night. The cease-fire that Mr. Trump gave up in Alaska had been so important to him last month that he threatened tough new economic sanctions if Russia did not pause the war within 50 days. Then he moved the deadline up to last Friday. Now there is no cease-fire, no deadline and no sanctions plan. Mr. Trump, characteristically, declared victory nonetheless, deeming the meeting 'a great and very successful day in Alaska.' After calling Mr. Zelensky and European leaders from Air Force One on the way back to Washington, Mr. Trump said he would now try to broker the more comprehensive peace agreement Mr. Putin has sought. 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,' he wrote on social media on Saturday. He said that Mr. Zelensky would come to Washington for meetings on Monday to pave the way for a joint meeting with Mr. Putin. 'If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,' Mr. Trump said. 'Potentially, millions of people's lives will be saved.' Mr. Putin's conditions for such a long-term peace agreement, however, are so expansive that Ukrainian and European leaders are unlikely to go along. Mr. Putin referred to this during his joint appearance with Mr. Trump in Anchorage after their talks, when he spoke about addressing the 'root causes' of the war — his term for years of Russian grievances not just about Ukraine but about the United States, NATO and Europe's security architecture. 'We are convinced that in order for the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, all the root causes of the crisis, which have been discussed repeatedly, must be eliminated; all of Russia's legitimate concerns must be taken into account; and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored,' Mr. Putin said in Alaska. In the past, Mr. Putin has insisted that a comprehensive peace agreement require NATO to pull forces back to its pre-expansion 1997 borders, bar Ukraine from joining the alliance and require Kyiv to not only give up territory in the east but shrink its military. In effect, Mr. Putin aims to reestablish Moscow's sphere of influence not only in former Soviet territory but to some extent further in Eastern Europe. President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Zelensky and European leaders rejected similar demands on the eve of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. But Mr. Trump appears willing to engage in such a discussion, and since his Friday meeting with Mr. Putin, he has sought to shift the burden for reaching an agreement to Ukraine and Europe. Mr. Trump has long expressed admiration for Mr. Putin and sympathy for his positions. At their most memorable meeting, held in Helsinki in 2018, Mr. Trump famously accepted Mr. Putin's denial that Russia had intervened in the 2016 election, taking the former K.G.B. officer's word over the conclusions of American intelligence agencies. Much like then, the president's chummy gathering in Alaska on Friday with Mr. Putin, who is now under U.S. sanctions and faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes, has generated ferocious blowback. Some critics compared it to the 1938 conference in Munich, when Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Britain surrendered part of Czechoslovakia to Germany's Adolf Hitler as part of a policy of appeasement. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, once considered the Trump of London, called the Alaska summit meeting 'just about the most vomit-inducing episode in all the tawdry history of international diplomacy.' But Mr. Zelensky and European leaders sought to make the best of the situation. Some were heartened by Mr. Trump's comments on the way to Alaska suggesting a willingness to have the United States join Europe in offering some sort of security assurance to Ukraine short of NATO membership. He broached that again in his call with them following the meeting. 'We support President Trump's proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the U.S.A. and Russia,' Mr. Zelensky said on Saturday. 'Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain praised the American president. 'President Trump's efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine,' he said in a statement. 'His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.' What remains unknown is whether Mr. Trump secured any unannounced concessions from Mr. Putin behind the scenes that would ease the way to a peace agreement in the days to come. Mr. Trump talked about 'agreement' on a number of unspecified points, and Mr. Putin referred cryptically to an 'understanding' between the two of them. At the moment, however, it does not look like Mr. Putin has made any move toward compromise, even as Mr. Trump has now given up on his bid for an immediate cease-fire. Before the Alaska summit, Russian forces were pounding Ukraine as part of their relentless yearslong assault. And for now, at least, they will continue.
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Epstein scandal reveals 'something truly, deeply awful' about U.S. politics
New polling shows President Trump's approval rating falling to 37%, driven by a sharp decline among independents—yet he retains overwhelming support from Republicans. As fallout continues from the Epstein case files, Susan Glasser, David Drucker and Peter Baker join the Morning Joe panel to discuss Trump's loyalty to conspiracy theories, the durability of his MAGA coalition, and what it all means for the GOP's future.
Telegraph
26-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Testing for prostate cancer around the world. How does the NHS compare?
The global statistics are terrifying. Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer in all populations, the second most common cancer among men worldwide, and ranks first in Europe where a third of men who die from cancer will die because of prostate cancer. It is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in 112 countries and the leading cause of cancer death among men in 48 countries. There will be almost three million new cases of prostate cancer a year by 2040, more than double 2022 rates, and the mortality rate will rise by 85 per cent. Given the figures, it is no surprise that Global Action on Men's Health (GAMH) is calling for worldwide initiative to tackle the threat, lobbying the World Health Organization (WHO) to introduce measures which cover every stage of the prostate cancer pathway, 'from prevention to palliative care'. Director Peter Baker, warns of a 'tsunami of cases'. 'It will overwhelm healthcare systems. The financial as well as the human costs will be massive. We need to act now to do what we can to prevent it,' he says. The problem with current testing in the UK Despite this, up until now, international action has been uncoordinated and piecemeal. Part of the problem lies in historic testing protocols which rely on PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests, which studies have shown can lower mortality rates through early detection but are also prone to deliver false results, leading to unnecessary biopsies, overdiagnosis and subsequent overtreatment. For this reason, many healthcare bodies in developed nations currently follow the 'informed choice' pathway, in which men can request tests, but are not proactively offered them as part of a national strategy. In the UK, any man over the age of 50 can ask for a PSA blood test, but these are not actively encouraged as the NHS concedes that 'results can be unreliable'. And even while tests are available, not everyone is aware of them, which leads to inconsistencies in take up. According to Prostate Cancer Research, in the UK tests tend to be taken up mainly by educated, affluent and health-literate men. The charity also points to inconsistent care and advice offered by GPs. 'Testing is not systematic,' says David James, director of patient projects and influencing at Prostate Cancer Research. 'There's no process involved.' As with The Telegraph campaign, the charity is calling for the introduction of a system which actively informs men and recommends they get tested at a certain age. Currently, studies in other nations are looking at how such a system would work. And the good news is that screening protocols have changed significantly in the past five years, alleviating some of the anxiety and inaccuracy associated with past models. James explains: 'An elevated PSA score would lead to a trans-rectal biopsy, but as PSA can be elevated for reasons other than prostate cancer, a lot of men ended up going for biopsies who didn't need them, and the biopsy is not a particularly nice process, and it carries a risk of complications, like sepsis.' The introduction of MRI scans has been a game-changer. 'An MRI now sits in between a PSA test and a biopsy and filters out lots of men who would otherwise have gone on to have a biopsy,' continues James. Indeed, MRI scans can even determine the clinical significance of a tumour, which means that some men may just need to be monitored on an 'active surveillance' protocol, rather than undergo more radical interventions. Biopsy protocols have also changed and are now carried out through the perineum (the area of skin between the anus and the scrotum), vastly reducing the risk of infection. Lifestyle and family medical history are also used to inform risk. These advances are now being used to inform a best-practice model of testing and screening which it is hoped will be adopted internationally in the coming years. What other countries do Europe: Experimental screenings The EU is leading the way in developing screening programmes by funding a project run by the European Association of Urologists called Praise-U. The aim of this is to improve the early detection of prostate cancer across different member nations. The project is running pilot programmes in Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, and two areas in Spain (Galicia and Manresa). These are designed to test different screening strategies and see what works best. Lithuania: Invitations to PSA tests between 50-69 Lithuania had a history of systemised prostate testing before the Praise-U project. It has been running active screening since 2006. Under its programme, men aged 50 to 69 and those with a family history of certain cancers get official invitations from the health care system to have a prostate check. It is free, and offered every two years. The system has been refined over time. PSA thresholds and biopsy rates have declined, helping reduce overdiagnosis. 'The programme detects about 2,800 new prostate cancer cases every year, so it is significant,' explains James. 'It's the best example that I'm aware of.' 70 per cent of men aged 50 to 74 participated in the prostate cancer programme at least once in the first 10 years of the screening. That's impressive when you look at the UK figures: Specifically, a study of 212,039 men between the ages of 40 to 69 in the UK found that 62,022 (29 per cent) reported ever having had a PSA test. Czech Republic: PSA offered between 50-59 Last year the Czech Republic launched a nationwide five-year PSA-based screening programme in which men aged 50-59 are offered a PSA blood test through their GPs. Based on the results of that test, the GP will follow up with either another test in four years, in two years, or an MRI scan and referral to a urologist if necessary. Sweden: Advanced blood tests Screening for prostate cancer in Sweden is through informed choice, but the government supports several Organised Prostate Cancer Testing (OPT) trials where all men aged 50 were invited for tests by letter. These programmes use PSA blood tests followed by an MRI where necessary. If an MRI shows suspicious areas, a prostate biopsy is conducted to check for cancer. By the end of 2024, 16 of Sweden's 21 regions had started OPT and collectively invited around 256,000 men, with an average uptake of around 43 per cent. Since 2022, the Stockholm3 blood test has also been included in national guidelines. It combines PSA, additional protein biomarkers and genetic markers to better predict the risk of aggressive prostate cancer, improving accuracy and reducing unnecessary MRI exams compared to PSA alone. In the Nineties, Sweden also conducted the Göteborg trial, which was designed to find out whether screening men for prostate cancer using the PSA blood test could reduce the number of deaths from the disease. 20,000 men aged 50–64 took part. Half were invited for PSA testing every two years, half were not screened but could ask for testing if they wanted. The trial found that men who were regularly screened had around a 40 per cent lower chance of dying from the disease than men who weren't. US: Discussions with healthcare provider Like the UK, the US runs an elective prostate cancer screening system. In 2018 the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a federal expert panel that issues national screening guidelines, ruled that prostate testing should be an individual decision made after shared discussion with a healthcare provider. The American Urological Association (AUA) and American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends starting discussions at 50, with earlier screening (at 45 or 40) for higher-risk individuals, such as black men, those with family history or genetic mutations, such as BRCA2. James explains that some health insurers in the US will fund and encourage testing to mitigate future costs. 'They can be more proactive at offering PSA testing and also at offering newer 'reflex' tests, which are additional tests done to further investigate a slightly elevated PSA level, helping to determine if a biopsy or MRI is necessary,' he says. Australia: PSA incorporated into check-ups In Australia, there isn't a government-mandated, organised prostate cancer screening programme. However, PSA testing is commonly incorporated into health check-ups, particularly for men over 50 or those with a family history of prostate cancer. Recent proposals by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia include a 'strong recommendation' for GPs to initiate conversations about PSA testing and to offer testing every two years to all males aged 50–69. The charity also recommends a national public education campaign focused on understanding risk factors and early detection.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fmr. State Attorney says Wall Street Journal likely can back up release of Trump Epstein letter
NBC News learned from sources around the White House that President Trump is frustrated with Attorney General Pam Bondi for having to bear the brunt of criticism in the Epstein saga. New York Times Chief White House Correspondent and MSNBC political analyst Peter Baker, former state attorney for Palm Beach County, FL, Dave Aronberg, and NBC News White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor join Alex Witt to discuss the latest developments.
BBC News
13-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hundreds gather at Bournemouth beach for mass baptism in the sea
Hundreds of people have taken part in an outdoor service which saw 92 people baptised in the from five churches across Bournemouth gathered next to Boscombe Pier for the Baker, senior minister at Lansdowne Church, led the ceremony described as a celebration of said the public display was to "bring together Christians who believe in Jesus Christ and want to tell the world that". Mr Baker said the church was "alive and kicking" in Bournemouth and it had seen a "quiet revival" post said it felt like a festival and the churches were planning to do similar events in the future for people who were "unashamed" of their faith. Liam Brownen, 35, from Ringwood, was one of those baptised at the Bournemouth collective church beach baptism said the church had helped him to overcome his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction."The second I gave my life to Christ I was instantly relieved of the bondage of addiction," he added that the baptism "means everything to me. I owe my life to Christ so to be baptised in his name is unbelievable". You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
