Hind Hassan examines the prospect of a new nuclear arms race, the companies helping to fuel it, and the dangers it poses.
Eighty years after the first and only time nuclear weapons have been used – the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 – the risk of the unthinkable happening again has never been greater.
The world’s largest nuclear powers – Russia and the United States – are as close as they’ve been to conflict since the height of the Cold War.
As they upgrade their nuclear capabilities, even talking openly about using them, all signs point to the beginnings of a second nuclear arms race.
Only this time, there aren’t just two players, but three: China, once a junior member of the nuclear club, is expanding its arsenal faster than any other nation.
A statement issued by the countries says the Israeli prime minister’s comments constitutes a direct threat to Arab national security and peace.
A coalition of Arab and Muslim nations has condemned “in the strongest terms” statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his vision for a “Greater Israel”.
When interviewer Sharon Gal with the Israeli i24NEWS channel asked Netanyahu if he subscribed to a “vision” for a “Greater Israel”, Netanyahu said “absolutely”. Asked during the interview aired on Tuesday if he felt connected to the “Greater Israel” vision, Netanyahu said: “Very much.”
The “Greater Israel” concept supported by ultranationalist Israelis is understood to refer to an expansionist vision that lays claim to the occupied West Bank, Gaza, parts of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan.
“These statements represent a grave disregard for, and a blatant and dangerous violation of, the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations,” said a joint statement by a coalition of 31 Arab and Islamic countries and the Arab League.
“They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security,” the statement released on Friday said.
The signatories of the statement included the secretaries-general of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Arab and Islamic nations also condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s announcement on Thursday to push ahead with settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
The statement said the move is “a blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realise their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with Occupied Jerusalem as its capital”.
The statement added that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory.
Smotrich said he would approve thousands of housing units in a long-delayed illegal settlement project in the West Bank, saying the move “buries the idea of a Palestinian state”.
Last September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling on Israel to end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months.
Netanyahu and Smotrich made the remarks during Israel’s devastating 22-month war on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,827 people and wounded 155,275 people in the enclave.
Last week, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Netanyahu’s plan to fully occupy Gaza City, and in Tuesday’s interview, Netanyahu also revived calls to “allow” Palestinians to leave Gaza, telling i24NEWS: “We are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave.”
Campaigners said Netanyahu’s use of the word “leave” was a euphemism for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza – home to 2.1 million people, most of whom are refugees and their descendants from the 1948 Nakba when more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee from what became the state of Israel.
Past calls to resettle people from Gaza outside the war-battered territory, including from United States President Donald Trump, have sparked fears of forced displacement among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community.
In their statement on Saturday, the Islamic countries reiterated their “rejection and condemnation of Israel’s crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing” in Gaza and highlighted the need for a ceasefire in the enclave while “ensuring unconditional access to humanitarian aid to halt the systematic starvation policy used by Israel as a weapon of genocide”.
They also reaffirmed their “complete and absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form and under any pretext” and called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggression and fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Afghans brought to safety in the UK have had their personal data exposed, after a Ministry of Defence (MoD) sub-contractor suffered a data breach.
The names, passport information and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) details of up to 3,700 Afghans have potentially been compromised after Inflite The Jet Centre, which provides ground-handling services for flights at London Stansted airport, suffered a cyber-security incident.
It comes just a month after it was a revealed another major data breach in 2022 exposed the details of almost 19,000 people who had asked to come to the UK in order to flee the Taliban.
The government said the incident “has not posed any threat to individuals’ safety, nor compromised any government systems”.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that any data has been released publicly.
The Afghans affected are believed to have travelled to the UK between January and March 2024, under a resettlement scheme for those who worked with British troops.
An email sent out by the Afghan resettlement team on Friday afternoon warned their families that personal information may have been exposed.
“This may include passport details (including name, date of birth, and passport number) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) reference numbers,” it said.
Those affected also include British military personnel and former Conservative government ministers, the BBC understands.
A government spokesperson said: “We were recently notified that a third party sub-contractor to a supplier experienced a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information.
“We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals.”
Inflite The Jet Centre said in a statement it believes “the scope of the incident was limited to email accounts only” and has reported it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The ICO confirmed to the BBC it has received a report from Inflite.
Professor Sara de Jong from the Sulha Alliance charity that supports Afghans who worked for the British Army called the breach “astonishing”.
“The last thing that Afghans – who saved British lives – need is more worries about their own and their families’ lives,” she said.
Prof de Jong also urged the MoD to commit to expediting all pending cases of Afghans waiting for relocation.
The incident follows a February 2022 incident in which the personal data of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to move to the UK under the Arap scheme was mistakenly leaked by a British official, leading to thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK.
The leaked spreadsheet contained the names, contact details and some family information of the people potentially at risk of harm from the Taliban.
That incident was made public for the first time in July.
BBC’s Newsnight programme has meanwhile spoken to the son of a member of the Afghan “Triples” elite special forces who worked with the British Army and was part of the original MoD data breach.
The man and his family initially applied to the Arap scheme – which was set up to relocate and protect Afghans who worked with British forces or the UK government in Afghanistan – shortly after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.
The family were in Pakistan waiting for a final decision on the application, which was endorsed by the Ministry of Defence last year.
He faced imminent deportation back to Afghanistan, Newsnight reported, after local authorities raided his Islamabad hotel.
His son, who managed to hide from the authorities and speak to the BBC, said his family would not survive if they returned to Afghanistan after their personal details were leaked.
“Please help my family and avoid their murder by the Taliban,” the son said, in a plea to the British government.
On Friday, after the interview, Newsnight learned the man had been deported back to Afghanistan.
In response to news of the deportation, the MoD said in a statement that it was “honouring commitments” to all eligible people who pass their relevant checks for relocation.
“As the public would rightly expect, anyone coming to the UK must pass strict security and entry checks before being able to relocate to the UK.
“In some cases people do not pass these checks,” it said.
Speaking on Newsnight, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, former UK national security adviser, called both breaches “deeply embarrassing” for the British government.
He added that while checks for relocation are necessary, it falls to the British government to “honour the commitment they made”.
“We do need to move faster to protect people who genuinely are at risk of being victimised and persecuted by the Taliban if they go back,” he said.
Speaking to Newsnight, former Conservative Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said the data breaches were “very serious” and “really concerning” for people facing deportation back to Afghanistan.
Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson Helen Maguire accused the government of “staggering incompetence and clearly inadequate security standards,” as she called for an “immediate, fully independent investigation” into the security breaches.
The highly anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without a ceasefire deal to stop the war in Ukraine. Trump said he would brief Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the talks, but there was no clear plan agreed for the Ukrainian president to meet with Putin for further negotiations. v
Rescuers in northern Pakistan have pulled dozens of bodies overnight from homes ravaged by landslides and flash floods, taking the death toll to at least 321 in the past two days, according to disaster agencies.
Hundreds of rescue workers continue to search for survivors in the Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan after torrential rains and cloudbursts caused massive flooding on Friday, washing away dozens of homes, according to the provincial Disaster Management Authority.
First responders are focusing recovery efforts in the villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, which suffered the highest casualties on Friday, according to Bunar deputy commissioner Kashif Qayyum.
“We do not know from where the floodwater came, but it came so fast that many could not leave their homes,” said Mohammad Khan, 53, a Pir Baba resident.
Dr Mohammad Tariq at a Buner government hospital reported that most victims died before reaching medical care. “Many among the dead were children and men, while women were away in the hills collecting firewood and grazing cattle,” he said.
At least 307 casualties are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Above-average rainfall in Pakistan, which experts attribute to climate change, has triggered floods and mudslides that have killed approximately 541 people since June 2, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
In neighbouring Indian-administered Kashmir, floods have killed dozens and displaced hundreds in recent days.
Experts note that cloudbursts have become increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, with climate change being a significant contributing factor.
Pakistani officials report that since Thursday, rescuers have evacuated more than 3,500 tourists stranded in flood-affected areas nationwide, though many tourists continue to ignore government warnings to avoid these regions despite the risk of additional landslides and flash floods.
In 2022, Pakistan experienced its worst monsoon season on record, killing more than 1,700 people and causing approximately $40bn in damage.
US President Donald Trump had placed Washington’s police department under federal control earlier this week.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has reversed course and agreed to leave the Washington, DC police chief in control of the department, after Washington officials and the United States Justice Department negotiated a deal at the urging of a federal judge.
Trump had placed Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control on Monday and ordered the deployment of 800 National Guard troops onto the streets of the capital, claiming a surge in crime.
On Friday afternoon, a deal was hammered out at a federal court hearing after Washington, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb had sought a court order blocking Trump’s police takeover as illegal.
Trump administration lawyers conceded that Pamela Smith, the police chief appointed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, would remain in command of the Metropolitan Police Department, according to the accord presented by the two sides to US District Judge Ana Reyes.
But US Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a new memo, directed the district’s police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of any city law.
Meanwhile, the precise role of Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole, who had been named by Bondi as the city’s “emergency police commissioner” under Trump’s takeover bid, is still to be hashed out in further talks.
In a social media post on Friday evening, Bondi criticised Schwalb, saying he “continues to oppose our efforts to improve public safety”.
But she added, “We remain committed to working closely with Mayor Bowser.”
Legal battle
Friday’s legal battle is the latest evidence of the escalating tensions in mostly Democratic Washington, DC.
As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system — suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city’s immigration and policing policies, the district’s right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area.
Bowser’s office said late on Friday that it was still evaluating how it can comply with the new Bondi order on immigration enforcement operations. The police department already eased some restrictions on cooperating with federal officials facilitating Trump’s mass-deportation campaign but reaffirmed that it would follow the district’s sanctuary city laws.
In a letter sent Friday night to DC citizens, Bowser wrote: “It has been an unsettling and unprecedented week in our city. Over the course of a week, the surge in federal law enforcement across DC has created waves of anxiety.”
She added that “our limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now,” but added that if Washingtonians stick together, “we will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy – even when we don’t have full access to it.”
The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authorities to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of undocumented people in the United States.
While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city’s homicide rate ranks below those of several other major US cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed.
The president has more power over the nation’s capital than other cities, but DC has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973.
Trump is the first president to exert control over the city’s police force since the Act was passed. The law limits that control to 30 days without congressional approval, though Trump has suggested he would seek to extend it.
With 17 caps under her belt, Feaunati says she is learning every day from the England number eights who have worn the shirt before her.
Alex Matthews, 32, will be playing in her fourth World Cup, while former England captain Sarah Hunter is now the defence coach for the Red Roses.
“I just chew her [Hunter’s] ear off daily, which I’m not sure if she loves, but I just ask her heaps of questions,” said Feaunati.
“She’s got loads and loads of experience. Alex as well, they’re so open to helping me, which I just love, it’s really cool.”
Unlike Hunter and Matthews, Feaunati has not felt the pain of England’s recent record in World Cups. England have lost five of the past six finals, and last tasted success in 2014.
She admits the fact she is about to play in her first World Cup is a ‘surreal’ moment but one she is taking in her stride.
“It was never ‘I’m gonna get there’,” she said.
“It was more just a goal that I just slowly started ticking off. But as soon as Mitch [head coach Mitchell] said those words, I was really like, ‘OK, I’m in it now’.
“I just want to keep being the player I am, just keep being fearless is really what I’m going after.
“We talked to the girls that won the 2014 one and they just want us to have that feeling. It would be super cool to do it with this bunch of girls because it’s a special group.”
As for her parents, who will be flying to England from New Zealand for the World Cup, will there be any split allegiances when it comes to who they will be supporting?
“They’re 100% backing the Red Roses,” she says laughing. “My whole family is behind us all over the world.”
In the lead-up to his much-touted Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, United States President Donald Trump expressed confidence in his ability to make concrete progress towards securing a ceasefire in Ukraine at the meeting.
Putin received the red carpet treatment as he was met with a lengthy handshake by Trump as he deplaned at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military facility in the Alaskan city of Anchorage.
The warm greeting set a congenial tone for what were always going to be tough negotiations. But there was a more subdued atmosphere a few hours later as Trump and Putin departed on their respective planes – with no clear breakthrough on the war in Ukraine.
Here are some key takeaways from their meeting:
‘No deal until there’s a deal’
While the meeting was anticipated to take about seven hours, it wrapped up in less than three. Trump and Putin addressed a gathering of journalists after the talks with relatively brief pre-prepared statements. Neither leader took any questions.
Putin said his country is committed to ending the war, but the conflict’s “primary causes” must be eliminated for an agreement to be long-lasting.
Putin also warned Ukraine and the European Union against throwing a “wrench in the works” and cautioned against attempts to use “backroom dealings to conduct provocations to torpedo the nascent progress”.
A relatively subdued Trump praised the “extremely productive meeting”, in which he said “many points were agreed to”. He said there is a “very good chance of getting there” – referring to a ceasefire – but conceded that there remain sticking points with Moscow, including at least one “significant” one.
He cautioned that it’s “ultimately up to them” – referring to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” he said.
And there was none by the time Trump and Putin left Alaska.
A PR coup for Putin
The Russian leader has become an increasingly maligned and isolated figure in the West since waging war on Ukraine in February 2022.
But on Friday, that ended, with a red carpet welcome, a flypast by US fighter jets and warm applause from Trump.
Putin himself seemed pleased, grinning out the window as he drove off the tarmac with Trump in the presidential Cadillac limousine known as “The Beast”.
“For three years they [Western media] have been talking about Russia’s isolation, and today they saw the red carpet that greeted the Russian president in the United States,” Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gloated after the summit, on Telegram.
Talking business
Before the meeting, it was widely anticipated that Putin would attempt to dilute peace talks with talk of bilateral trade and cooperation.
Trump had asserted that there would be no discussion of business with Putin until the pair had made substantive progress on bringing about a ceasefire in Ukraine.
This plan, however, seems to have been derailed somewhat, with the Russian president saying in his post-meeting statement that the pair discussed their collaboration in the areas of tech and space.
“It’s clear that US and Russian investment and business cooperation has tremendous potential. Russia and the US can offer each other so much. In trade, digital, high-tech and in space exploration, [and] we see that Arctic cooperation is also very possible,” he told reporters.
Russia has previously tried to pitch its vast reserves of rare earth minerals – critical for several cutting edge sectors – to the US to broker a breakthrough.
Next up: Another meeting – and pressure on Ukraine
As Trump thanked Putin for his time, he said he hoped they would meet again soon. Putin quickly responded by saying, in English with a laugh, “Next time, in Moscow”.
“I’ll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening,” he said in response.
Trump has previously asserted that he hopes to host a trilateral meeting on ending the war in Ukraine very soon, this time attended by Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, too. In Alaska, the US leader said he would now call NATO officials and Zelenskyy to discuss the meeting.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity after the meeting, Trump was asked how he rated the summit on a scale of 10. He described the meet as a “10 out of 10”.
“We got along great,” he said.
Then, he emphasised the importance of the Ukrainian leader agreeing to a deal.
“Now, it’s really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit. But it’s up to President Zelenskyy,” he said, adding that he’ll attend the next meeting “if they’d like”.
“Make a deal,” he said, in a message apparently for Zelenskyy.
South African Army Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya is facing backlash in his home country following the release of alleged comments he made during an official visit to Iran, which analysts say could further complicate the already turbulent relations between South Africa and the United States.
The comments, which appeared to suggest that Iran and South Africa have common military goals, come at a time when Pretoria is attempting to mend strained relations with US President Donald Trump to stabilise trade.
Last week, a 30 percent trade tariff on South African goods entering the US kicked in, alarming business owners in the country. That’s despite President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempts to appease Trump, including by leading a delegation to the White House in May.
Here’s what to know about what the army chief said and why there’s backlash for it:
What did the army chief say in Iran?
Meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Major-General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi in Tehran on Tuesday, Maphwanya is reported to have stated that the two countries had close ties, according to Iran’s state news agency, Press TV and the Tehran Times.
“Commander Maphwanya, recalling Iran’s historical support for South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, stated that these ties have forged a lasting bond between the two nations,” the Press TV article read.
According to Tehran Times, he went on to say: “The Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals. We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenceless people of the world.”
Maphwanya also reportedly condemned Israel’s “bombing of civilians standing in line for food” and its “ongoing aggression in the occupied West Bank”, Tehran Times reported.
His visit, the publication quoted Maphwanya as saying, “carries a political message”, and comes “at the best possible time to express our heartfelt sentiments to the peace-loving people of Iran”.
On the other hand, General Mousavi hailed South Africa’s genocide case against the “Zionist regime” at the International Court of Justice, and said that the effort was aligned with Iran’s policies, according to Press TV.
He also condemned the US and Israel’s military and economic actions against Iran as “violations of international laws and norms”. He added that Iran’s army is prepared to deliver “a more decisive response in the event of renewed aggression”, Press TV reported.
General Rudzani Maphwanya at Air Force Base Waterkloof on June 15, 2025, in Centurion, South Africa [Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images via Getty Images]
How has the South African government reacted?
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office on Thursday clarified that the president was not aware of General Maphwanya’s visit to Iran, although such a trip would normally be approved by the Ministry of Defence, not the president’s office.
Ramaphosa appointed Maphwanya as army chief in 2021. The general, in apartheid-era South Africa, served in the army wing of the African National Congress (ANC), which started as a liberation movement, and commanded a parliamentary majority until 2024.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, at a press briefing, said the general’s decision to visit Iran was itself badly timed.
“At this period of heightened geopolitical tensions and conflict in the Middle East, one can say the visit was ill-advised, and more so, the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes.”
He added, “We are in the delicate process of resetting political relations with the US, but more importantly, balancing the trade relationship in such a manner that the trade relationship is mutually beneficial.”
Similarly, the Ministry of International Relations and the Defence Ministry dissociated the government from the army chief’s alleged comments.
“It is unfortunate that political and policy statements were reportedly made…The minister of defence and military veterans [Matsie Angelina Motshekga] will be engaging with General Maphwanya on his return,” a statement by the Defence Ministry on Wednesday read.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, one of the four parties that form the South African coalition government, is calling for the army chief to be tried in a military court on grounds of “gross misconduct and a flagrant breach of the SANDF [South African National Defence Force] Code of Conduct.”
“According to Iranian state media, General Maphwanya went far beyond his constitutional and professional mandate, pledging ‘common goals’ with Iran, endorsing its stance on Gaza, and calling for deeper strategic alignment,” the DA said in a statement on Thursday.
“Such political statements are explicitly prohibited for serving officers, violate the SANDF’s duty of political neutrality, and undermine the constitutional principle of civilian control over the military,” the party added.
The US and South Africa’s relations are at their lowest in decades, making this a particularly sensitive time, analysts say, as it follows June’s 12-day war between Iran and the US-Israel coalition.
President Trump slapped a 30 percent tariff on South African goods entering the US as part of his wide-ranging reciprocal tariff wars in April. The US is a major destination for South African goods such as cars, precious metals and wine.
Trump’s main gripes with Pretoria include South Africa instigating a genocide case against Israel, the US’s ally, at the International Court of Justice, amid the ongoing war in Gaza. He earlier accused South Africa of strengthening ties with Iran.
Trump has also wrongly claimed that white South Africans are being persecuted in the country under the majority Black leadership of the ANC, the country’s main political party to which President Ramaphosa belongs. He also claims South Africa is confiscating land belonging to whites.
White South Africans are a wealthy minority and largely descendants of Dutch settlers. Afrikaner governments controlled the country under the racist apartheid system until 1990.
South African wealth, particularly land, continues to be controlled disproportionately by the country’s white population. In recent times, fringe, extremist Afrikaner groups claiming that whites are being targeted by Black people have emerged, pointing to cases of white farmers being attacked by criminals on their farmland.
Elon Musk, Trump’s one-time adviser before their public fallout in June, had also made claims of white persecution and claimed that the South African government’s business laws were blocking his internet company from operating in the country.
He was referring to laws requiring that foreign businesses be partly owned by Blacks or other historically disadvantaged groups, such as people living with disabilities.
The South African government denied Musk’s accusations.
In early May, Trump’s government admitted 59 white “refugees” in a resettlement programme meant to protect them.
Previously, the US, under former President Joe Biden, was at loggerheads with South Africa over its close ties with Russia and its vocal criticism of Israel.
The latest incident echoes a 2022 scandal when a sanctioned Russian cargo ship called the Lady R docked at Simon’s Town Naval Base in the Western Cape, said analyst Chris Vandome of think tank Chatham House. The US alleged at the time that South African military supplies were loaded onto the ship and used in the Ukraine war, claims South Africa denied.
“It lies with South African foreign policy formation and the lack of clarity and consistency around it that has created this confusion whereby people think they are saying things in line with what the nation thinks,” he said.
US President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025 [Kevin Lamarque/Reuters]
How has South Africa tried to appease the US?
On May 21, President Ramaphosa led a delegation to the White House in a bid to “reset relations” with Trump and hopefully secure lower tariff deals.
At the heated meeting, however, Trump refused to back down from his claims of white persecution, despite Ramaphosa clarifying that South Africa was facing widespread crime in general, and that there was no evidence that whites in particular were being targeted.
South Africa, during the meeting, offered to buy US liquefied natural gas and invest $3.3bn in US industries in exchange for lower tariffs. The delegation also agreed to a review of the country’s business ownership laws.
However, Trump’s 30 percent tariffs went into effect last week. Analysts say it could put up to 30,000 South African jobs at risk, particularly in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa’s government promised to take further action to ease the burden on manufacturers and exporters. On Tuesday, Trade Minister Parks Tau told reporters that South Africa has submitted a revised proposal to Washington, without giving details.
General Maphwanya’s pronouncements this week, therefore, “couldn’t have come at a worse time” for South African diplomatic ties with the US, security analyst Jakkie Cilliers of the International Security Institute said, speaking to South African state TV, SABC.
“For the chief of the national defence force to pronounce so clearly and so unequivocally at this time is remarkably politically sensitive,” Cilliers said, adding that the general could be asked to resign upon his return.
What has General Maphwanya said?
Maphwanya, who the presidency said has returned to the country, has not put out public statements on the controversy. It is unclear how the government might sanction him. President Ramaphosa is set to meet with the army chief for briefings in the coming weeks, a presidency spokesperson said.
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held what was billed as a joint press conference after their meeting in Alaska on Friday.
After the leaders left the room, BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher and Russia editor Steve Rosenberg stayed on to unpack the takeaways.
US President Trump and Russian President Putin began talks on the war in Ukraine at a US military base in Anchorage, Alaska, meeting with aides in front of a “Pursuing Peace” backdrop. They ignored reporters’ questions during a photo opportunity ahead of a joint press conference.
US President Donald Trump says he and Russian President Vladimir Putin made progress during three hours of talks in Alaska to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, but that there’s “no deal.”. Putin said they are “ready to work” on outstanding issues.
Bournemouth fight back from two down but Liverpool secure late win on emotional Anfield night.
Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and fellow forward Federico Chiesa struck late goals as the Premier League champions began the defence of their title by beating Bournemouth 4-2 in a thriller on the opening night of the season at Anfield.
On a bittersweet Friday evening charged with emotion after the July death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, newcomer Hugo Ekitike bagged a goal on his league debut to put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes, and Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th.
But Antoine Semenyo, who was the target of racist abuse in the first half that led to a pause in the game, pulled one back for the visitors in the 64th minute and completed a double 12 minutes later to rock Liverpool and shock the home fans.
However, substitute Chiesa sent the Liverpool faithful away happy with an 88th-minute strike after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic swatted away a ball into the box by Salah, who scored himself deep into added time to wrap up the three points.
Salah chased the ball past the defence before cutting inside and firing into the bottom corner with a goal that put the Egypt international joint-fourth with Andy Cole on the all-time Premier League scorers’ list with 187.
An emotional Salah pointed to the heavens and flapped two hands to mimic Jota’s shark goal celebration.
He headed for The Kop stand after the final whistle and wiped away tears while applauding the fans who were singing Jota’s song to the tune of Bad Moon Rising.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo scores their second goal [Peter Powell/Reuters]
The night started with an emotional minute’s silence for Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a car crash. Fans fought back tears as they sang You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Ekitike, who has joined from Eintracht Frankfurt, was the most impressive of manager Arne Slot’s close-season signings in a spending spree topping 300 million pounds ($406.53m).
“Obviously, I think it was a good performance, I could do better,” said Ekitike, who held up two fingers in one hand, and made a zero with the other after his goal, a tribute to Liverpool’s Jota, who wore number 20.
“But the most important thing was winning, the mentality we showed. Obviously, we wanted to win tonight for the people who came and for Diogo,” added the 23-year-old forward.
The game was halted for several minutes after Bournemouth’s Ghana international Semenyo reported the racist abuse.
“It’s totally unacceptable,” Bournemouth captain Adam Smith said. “Kind of in shock to be honest that it happened. In this day and age, it shouldn’t be happening.
“I don’t know how Ant’s played on to be honest and come up with those goals … Something has to be done. We’ll support him in there and hopefully, he’ll be OK.”
Young people have told the BBC the “extortionate” cost of bus travel in England means they socialise less and struggle to pay rent.
A report by MPs has recommended everyone under the age of 22 should get free bus travel to help them get into work and education – similar to in Scotland.
The Department for Transport says it is already spending “£1bn in multi-year funding to improve the reliability and frequency of bus services across the country”.
But the BBC has heard from people aged 22 and under who say bus fares are too expensive and eat into their food budget.
‘I get hungry at college but can’t afford snacks’
Maisy Moazzenkivi
Maisy Moazzenkivi spends £8 a day getting to and from college on the bus
Maisy Moazzenkivi, 18, lives in Coventry with her mum, dad and brother, and travels almost two hours each way to get to college, four days a week.
Maisy, has a disability bus pass because of her autism, meaning she pays less for travel than her friends. However, she still spends £8 a day on getting to college as her free travel allowance only kicks in after 09:30, half an hour after she needs to be there.
She says money she spends on travel eats into what she would otherwise spend on food and snacks throughout the day.
“Sometimes, when I finish college I’m really hungry and just want to get a meal deal or something for the way home, but it’s so expensive on top of everything. I’m very lucky that I can go home and my family can feed me, but not everyone has that.”
If bus travel was free, Maisy says she would be able to socialise more, and save for “luxury items”.
“I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal, or an essential item, but one day, I’d love to save for a Juicy Couture tracksuit,” she said.
‘I don’t understand how it’s so extortionate’
Gracie Moore
Gracie Moore says she finds bus fares in the UK are ‘extortionate’
Gracie Moore, 22, lives in Slough and catches the bus every day to and from work, which costs her £120 a month.
“For someone who is not earning much more than minimum wage, it’s quite a big expenditure,” says Gracie who works as an administration assistant for a care home firm.
She says the high cost of travel for young people makes it difficult to navigate having a job and a social life.
Travel costs are “absolutely” a factor which stop her from moving out from her family home, she says.
“I have less independence this way, but I’m paying so much less.”
Gracie previously lived in Madrid, where she enjoyed unlimited travel on bus, train, tube, and tram) for only €8 (£6.90) a month with a young person’s travel card.
“I don’t understand how it’s so extortionate here when other countries in Europe subsidise it so well,” she says. “I just don’t know how the price of transport here can be justified.”
‘Free bus pass would make a big difference’
Nikita Upreti
Nikita Upreti says a free bus pass would give her more money to spend on groceries
Originally from Nepal, Nikita Upreti, 20, is an international student studying at University College Birmingham. She says the rising price of travel means it is getting “harder” to pay for her bus pass each month.
When Nikita first moved to Birmingham in September 2024, a monthly bus pass with a student discount cost her £49. Now, it costs her £53.
“The student discount is not helping us anymore,” she says.
Nikita also works 20 hours a week as a waitress. Despite working the maximum amount of hours her university will allow her to while studying, she still struggles to pay her rent while juggling the rising cost of living.
She says that free bus travel “would make a big difference” to her life.
“I could spend the money I save on groceries and things that would help my education. It would be really helpful.”
OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in March 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.
Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.
♈ ARIES
March 21 to April 20
Your money zone may feel more unstable than usual as the moon and Neptune link up.
But seeing flaws in spending or saving plans can be a positive push to seek advice, and make them even better.
As you hear information you might usually miss. Love-wise, romance can play out as you wish in your heart or hearts.
Get all the latest Aries horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions.
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Your weekly horoscope for Saturday
♉ TAURUS
April 21 to May 21
Any three-part process can be lucky – from meeting a love prospect three times, to contests with three stages.
But your chart also encourages you to offer yourself more chances – not just to change, but to commit.
Steer clear of strict deadlines. Private writing is ready to go public, with a surprise twist.
Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♊ GEMINI
May 22 to June 21
A clock striking 12 midnight or noon can play a part in your personal destiny.
But it’s your mix of moon insight and Neptune caring that makes the biggest impact.
You do know who and what you truly need in your future and allowing yourself to admit this is a major step.
Lucky names link to a last-minute celebration.
Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♋ CANCER
June 22 to July 22
A contrary moon and Saturn combination may feel like it’s shaking up everything familiar to you, but keep your feet on the ground and you’ll find the freedom to let your mind fly free.
This can increase confidence. Passion is wide open, so you could get the chance to approach names normally out of reach.
Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♌ LEO
July 23 to August 23
The go-getting side of Leo is focused and this takes an idea forward, fast.
Because instead of checking in with others at every stage, you trust your own judgment.
A friend who loves to drive has a travel idea to share that can speed up success.
Passion is deep and dreamy – get ready for a whole new level of love.
Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
♍ VIRGO
August 24 to September 22
The gentle touch of Neptune affects your transformation zone, and showing you can be vulnerable is a strong move to make.
You don’t always need to hold all the control – or have all the answers.
In passion terms, you’re the wild card today, intriguing and enticing.
Do follow up on all messages and calls.
Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
Everything in your chart today is surprisingCredit: Getty
♎ LIBRA
September 23 to October 23
Everything in your chart today is surprising – yet at the same time, a perfect fit.
There’s a sense of growing into the life you’ve always needed.
A re-connection with someone from your past, who can play a major part in your ideal future, can be the key.
Venus makes love feel like fun, and draws a shared goal closer.
Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions
List of 12 star signs
The traditional dates used by Mystic Meg for each sign are below.
♏ SCORPIO
October 24 to November 22
This is a day for deep feelings, including an acknowledgment that a bond may not be over yet, or moving on the way everyone assumes.
When you admit to yourself you need more time, you take steps towards getting it.
Venus casts a love spell over travel news, and a destination wedding can be part of this.
LaToya Cantrell is accused of ‘defrauding’ the city, paying Jeffrey Vappie as if he were on duty while on trips and trysts.
The mayor of New Orleans has been indicted on conspiracy, fraud and obstruction charges by a federal grand jury after a long-running investigation.
The charges released on Friday against LaToya Cantrell were based on accusations that she tried to hide a romantic relationship with bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie, who was paid as if on duty while the pair conducted their affair.
The indictment states that Cantrell and Vappie “developed a personal and intimate relationship” in 2021, defrauding the city as they attempted to “hide their relationship and maximise their time together”.
Acting United States Attorney Michael Simpson said the pair met in an apartment while Vappie claimed to be on duty, and that Cantrell had arranged for Vappie to attend 14 trips.
The trips, which included wine tasting at vineyards, were described by her as times “when they were truly alone”, said Simpson.
He dubbed the affair a “three-year fraud scheme that we allege exploited their public authority and positions”.
Cantrell allegedly lied in an affidavit that she had activated a function on her phone that automatically deleted messages in 2021, when she had not activated the feature until December 2022, one month after the media began speculating on the pair’s conduct.
When a private citizen took photos of the pair dining together and drinking wine, Cantrell filed a police report and sought a restraining order, said Simpson.
The mayor’s office didn’t immediately comment.
“This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans,” said Monet Brignac, a spokesperson for City Council President JP Morrell.
Vappie is accused of hiding a romantic relationship with Cantrell and filing false payroll records claiming he was on duty.
He has pleaded not guilty following his indictment on charges of wire fraud and making false statements.
Cantrell, the city’s first female mayor, is term-limited and will leave office in January.
Palestinian residents of Gaza City have come under relentless Israeli bombardment as the military prepares for a major offensive to seize and ethnically cleanse the area, barring emergency workers from reaching people trapped in the residential Zeitoun neighbourhood.
Gaza civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told Al Jazeera that the Israeli army had been firing at emergency vehicles trying to reach the wounded in Zeitoun on Friday, as Israeli quadcopters dropped leaflets threatening a forced displacement. Residents were told to leave sections of the eastern neighbourhood, where hundreds of homes have recently been destroyed.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said Israel had been deploying “heavy artillery, drones and fighter jets”, with four neighbourhoods of Gaza City “reporting relentless bombardment shaking the ground day and night” as the military advanced its plans.
It was, he said, “a full dismantling of civilian life to ensure that people will never be allowed back into this area”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing to seize Gaza’s largest urban hub and forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to concentration zones, despite a wave of criticism from families of captives held in Gaza and their supporters, the Israeli security establishment, and a multitude of nations and organisations around the world.
As the military closed in on Gaza City, it also continued attacks on other parts of the enclave, killing 44 people, including 16 aid seekers desperately seeking sustenance for their families, according to medical sources who spoke to Al Jazeera.
Attacks included strikes on two hospitals, underscoring daily Palestinian pleas that no place in the besieged and bombarded enclave is safe. One person was killed at al-Shifa in Gaza City, which has been bombed and burned multiple times over the war. And at least two were killed at Deir el-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Hospital in an explosion preceded by a swarm of Israeli drones hovering over the hospital.
‘Human remains 46 days under the rubble’
Amid the reports of further Israeli killing, Al Jazeera Arabic reported that a woman in the devastated Tuffah neighbourhood east of Gaza City retrieved the body of her brother and some remains of her father from the rubble of a bombed house.
The woman said that the bodies had been trapped along with 31 others since an air strike that had taken place 46 days earlier – the timeline indicating the attack occurred at the end of June. With no equipment to retrieve them under Israel’s harshly punitive blockade, it had been impossible to find them.
“What we are facing is too much. Too much torture and oppression. Torture, tiredness, and pain,” she said.
Starvation and dehydration as temperatures soar
In parallel, aid seekers continued to be targeted near humanitarian distribution sites run by the GHF, with medical sources reporting 16 were killed on Friday.
The United Nations human rights office said at least 1,760 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May – a jump of several hundred since its last published figures at the beginning of August.
Of the 1,760, 994 were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites and 766 along the routes of supply convoys. Most of the killings were committed by the Israeli military, the agency said in a statement. United States security contractors have also fired on aid seekers.
Meanwhile, as reports emerged that another child had died of Israeli-induced starvation in the enclave, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said nearly one in five young children in Gaza City were now deemed to be malnourished.
The starvation death toll has now reached 240, including 107 children, according to the Health Ministry.
The UN has said Gaza requires the equivalent of at least 600 trucks of aid entering daily to fight off the effects of man-made starvation caused by months of total Israeli blockade.
The Israeli army entity in charge of managing aid – Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories – claimed that it allowed 310 aid trucks to enter Gaza on Thursday. It said that more than 290 were collected and distributed by the UN and other international organisations.
International and Palestinian groups are reporting only one-sixth of the necessary 600 trucks a day are actually entering the territory where Israeli-backed gangs are engaged in looting.
As people battle extreme hunger, they are also enduring severe dehydration in the current heatwave, with record temperatures surpassing 40C (or 104F), and are resorting to drinking contaminated water.
“It causes stomach cramps for adults and children, without exception,” Hosni Shaheen, whose family was displaced from Khan Younis, told The Associated Press. “You don’t feel safe when your children drink it”.
He is in line to share a £50,000 147 bonus with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, who knocked in the third maximum of the season earlier this week.
Both players will also collect a further £147,000 if they are able to make another 147 at any of this season’s Triple Crown events – the UK Championship, Masters and World Championship.
In Friday’s earlier last-four match – at a tournament regarded as snooker’s ‘fourth major’ by organisers – Neil Robertson claimed a 6-3 win over Elliot Slessor.
While neither player was at their best, the rejuvenated Australian was always in control and enjoyed two runs of 93 and a 50 as he reached the 39th ranking final of his career.
“The start was crucial today, I could see Elliot was a bit nervous and I was able to use my experience,” said 2010 Crucible winner Robertson.
“To get to the final is huge in terms of ranking points, it means I should be in all of the big events later in the season which makes my scheduling so much easier.
“I took that for granted a few years ago when I was always in the top four. The standard is so high now that I have realised you have to keep your foot down all the time. A lot of hard work has happened to get these kind of results.”
