By Sean Rayment Nato leaders hope to push forward the Ukraine peace plan, as Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last weekend’s talks were “a major step towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine”. Expected at the virtual meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, co-hosted by the UK and France, are leaders from European countries and potentially US President Donald Trump, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This meeting will provide an opportunity to review discussions held in Geneva on Sunday between US, European and Ukrainian negotiators, the Elysee said in a statement. Meanwhile, talks continue…

By Dr. Dion George South Africa stands at a crossroads. At stake is not only the survival of our iconic wildlife—rhinos, elephants, lions, and abalone—but the integrity of our national security and the security of our international partners, including the United States. During my tenure as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, I learned firsthand that illicit wildlife trafficking is never just about wildlife. It is one node in a sprawling criminal ecosystem that moves drugs, weapons, people, and illicit finance through the same routes and by the same violent networks. To confront these syndicates is to confront the…

By Staff Writer Polish authorities have accused Russian secret services of orchestrating sabotage attacks on railway infrastructure, in what officials describe as part of Moscow’s wider campaign to destabilise Europe. Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for Poland’s minister-coordinator of secret services, said the incident on the Warsaw–Lublin line was organised by “secret services from the East” and warned that Russia aims to intimidate Polish society and sow division. “Everything currently indicates that the terrorist act on Polish railway tracks was initiated by secret services from the East,” Dobrzyński said. He added: “Officers are doing everything possible to clarify this case. I cannot…

By Sean Rayment MI5 has issued an espionage alert to MPs and peers warning that two people linked to the Chinese intelligence service are actively seeking to recruit parliamentarians. The two recruiters, who operate as headhunters on the LinkedIn professional networking website aiming to obtain “non-public and insider insights,” MI5 said, are also targeting economists, think tank staff and civil servants for their access to politicians. The spy agency sent its warning about the two to Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the Commons, and his Lords equivalent, Lord McFall, on Tuesday morning, both of whom relayed its contents to MPs…

By Sean Rayment The US is poised to launch a direct attack against Venezuela following an announcement that a cartel allegedly run by the country’s president will be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Sunday announcing that the US intends to list the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) from 24 November. The move means that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will effectively be designated a terrorist as well, given that the US alleges he heads the Cartel de los Soles — an accusation he strongly denies. This…

By Staff Writer Disinformation is one of the greatest threats to global climate action, world leaders at the COP30 summit in Belém declared. Twelve countries, including Brazil, France, Canada and Germany, have signed the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, the first formal commitment by governments to confront false and misleading claims about the climate crisis. Officials say the surge in false climate narratives is being driven by fossil-fuel interests seeking to delay the energy transition, political actors who are weaponising environmental issues for electoral gain, and online influencers who profit from outrage-based content. Day three of COP30 ended…

By Sean Rayment Britain’s elite special forces have been directly involved in the killing of more than 4,000 Islamic State terrorists in Syria and Iraq over the past 10 years. Troops from the SAS, the SBS and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment have launched ambushes, carried out sniping attacks, called in air strikes and directed heavily armed drones against hundreds of Islamic State (IS) strongholds. The covert missions formed part of Operation Shader, the military codename for operations against IS terrorists in Syria and Iraq, launched in 2014. Defence sources have told National Security News that almost all of the carefully planned attacks…

By Sean Rayment Britain is sending a specialist Royal Air Force regiment counter-drone unit equipped with advanced technology to Belgium after repeated incursions by “uncrewed aerial systems” over the country’s airports and military bases. Sir Richard Knighton, the head of the UK’s armed forces, said the British military would provide “our people, our equipment” to support Belgium, though he was careful to note that “we don’t yet know” the origin of the drones. “Russia is the biggest threat right now, and their illegal invasion of Ukraine has shown what they are capable of,” he added. “Russia is something we should…

Opinion by Andre Pienaar Kazakhstan’s accession to the Abraham Accords marks a new milestone in the global movement for peace and cooperation first launched under the visionary leadership of President Donald J. Trump. When President Trump introduced the Abraham Accords in 2020, he reshaped the diplomatic landscape of the Middle East through realism, strength, and shared prosperity. What began as a bold peace initiative among Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and others has now evolved into a broader coalition connecting regions, economies, and faiths. Kazakhstan’s decision to join this historic framework extends that vision from the Mediterranean to the…

By Staff Writer Referrals to the Government’s flagship counter-extremism programme Prevent have reached their highest level on record, driven by a surge in cases following the Southport child murders last year. Home Office figures show 8,778 referrals were made to Prevent in the year to March, a 27 per cent rise on the previous year. Officials said referrals were broadly steady until July 2024, when Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. His case, in which he had previously been referred to Prevent three times but was not escalated to a Channel panel,…

By Sean Rayment The UK Government has been urged to invest in the global “race for space” by a House of Lords committee. In a report focused on growing the UK’s space economy, the House of Lords cross-party committee said the government should provide clear leadership, strategy, and investment to avoid missing the opportunity to become a “lead player” in the global space sector. “Only the most strategic and forward-looking nations will capture the economic and scientific rewards of this new space age,” said committee chair Baroness Catherine Ashton. “With the right leadership, coordination, and investment, the UK can be…

By Sean Rayment Deep cuts to Britain’s overseas aid budget, carried out to boost spending on defence, will have “devastating consequences” without improving national security, a parliamentary report has stated. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement in February of heavy reductions to pay for an increased defence budget, in light of the growing Russian threat, could actually make the UK’s defences weaker, the International Development Committee said. Slashing the development budget will “continue to lead to unrest and further crises in the future” as well as jeopardise the UK’s ability to wield soft power, the committee of MPs added. Following cuts…