![\"Demonstrators](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/6133.jpg\")
Demonstrators hold banners and closets during a demonstration called by unions trade against austerity. Nantes, western France. Photograph: Sebastien Salom-Gomis\/SIPA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n280,000 people took part in French protests excluding Paris, estimates suggest<\/p>\n
We are getting more figures from France on the number of people arrested on the sidelines of today\u2019s protests.<\/p>\n
Demonstrators hold banners and closets during a demonstration called by unions trade against austerity. Nantes, western France. Photograph: Sebastien Salom-Gomis\/SIPA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
By 4pm, 141 people had been arrested, including 21 in Paris, and 75 people remain in custody, the latest figures from the interior ministry showed.<\/p>\n
The authorities say just over 280,000 people attended protests outside of Paris, but the numbers are still being checked, Le Monde reported.<\/a><\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 17s ago<\/p>\n ‘If oil price comes down, Putin is going to drop out’ of war with Ukraine, Trump says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5m ago<\/p>\n 280,000 people took part in French protests excluding Paris, estimates suggest<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 16m ago<\/p>\n Russians ‘being killed at higher rate than Ukrainian soldiers,’ Trump says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 35m ago<\/p>\n ‘He’s really let me down,’ Trump says about Putin<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 46m ago<\/p>\n Starmer, Trump give press conference at Chequers<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 48m ago<\/p>\n Zelenskyy says Ukraine ‘pushed back’ some of Russia’s advances as Putin reveals 700,000 soldiers are deployed on frontline<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Main Paris demonstration under way \u2014 in pictures<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Italy first in EU to pass comprehensive law regulating use of AI<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Starmer, Trump speaking at reception for business leaders<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Crowds gather in Paris as part of day of strikes and marches \u2014 in pictures<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Are you in France? Tells us what you think.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Strikes and protests across France \u2013 latest updates<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Poland agrees deal to learn from Ukraine on drone warfare<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n EU ‘expects to present’ new sanctions on Russia ‘soon’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Day of strikes and protests in France \u2013 in pictures<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Spain to investigate human rights violations in Gaza as S\u00e1nchez meets with Germany’s Merz<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Slash red tape to help us grow, German industry chiefs urge commission president von der Leyen<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Trump likely to get ‘much more aggressive’ on Russia, ally claims<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Trump’s schedule for day two of state visit in Britain<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n UK set to begin talks with EU about access to defence loans scheme<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Hungary hasn’t changed view on accelerating Russian oil phaseout amid concerns about energy security, minister says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Morning opening: France grinds to halt<\/p>\n <\/a>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n ‘If oil price comes down, Putin is going to drop out’ of war with Ukraine, Trump says<\/p>\n Back to Chequers, on Russia, Trump also gives another hint at what he expects of Europe<\/a> to do next as he says that \u201cif the price of oil comes down, Putin is going to drop out, he\u2019s going to have no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n He says he is willing \u201cto do other things\u201d to help Europeans push back against Russia, but \u201cnot when the people that I\u2019m fighting for are buying oil from Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t [do that], that\u2019s not playing fair with the United States, and we can\u2019t have that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the oil price comes down, very simply, Russia will settle,\u201d he insists.<\/p>\n And it ends the press conference.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>280,000 people took part in French protests excluding Paris, estimates suggest<\/p>\n We are getting more figures from France on the number of people arrested on the sidelines of today\u2019s protests.<\/p>\n Demonstrators hold banners and closets during a demonstration called by unions trade against austerity. Nantes, western France. Photograph: Sebastien Salom-Gomis\/SIPA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n By 4pm, 141 people had been arrested, including 21 in Paris, and 75 people remain in custody, the latest figures from the interior ministry showed.<\/p>\n The authorities say just over 280,000 people attended protests outside of Paris, but the numbers are still being checked, Le Monde reported.<\/a><\/p>\n Share<\/a> My focus here is on broader European issues, but the two leaders also answered questions about their conversations on domestic migration, energy, and free speech.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested, you can read the key lines over on the UK blog here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Russians ‘being killed at higher rate than Ukrainian soldiers,’ Trump says<\/p>\n Trump gets asked a follow-up question on Putin.<\/p>\n He repeats that Putin \u201chas let me down,\u201d and he adds:<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, frankly, the Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n He then goes on about other conflicts he claims to have solved.<\/p>\n But eventually comes back to Ukraine and says he hopes \u201cwe\u2019re going to have some good news for you coming up\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI will say this, it\u2019s millions of people have died in that war, millions of souls, and they\u2019re not American, the soldiers, mostly soldiers, \u2026 [that] are being killed at levels nobody\u2019s seen since the second world war. But they\u2019re being, they\u2019re being killed, and I feel I have an obligation to get it settled for that reason.\u201d<\/p>\n He repeatedly says that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was potentially \u201cheading to a third world war\u201d although \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to go there now.\u201d<\/p>\n Starmer responds with a general line on the need to put more pressure on Putin, and he also notes last week\u2019s Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.47 EDT<\/p>\n ‘He’s really let me down,’ Trump says about Putin<\/p>\n In his opening comments, Trump strikes a similar line, saying he will be working on ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine, repeating his usual line that he thought it \u201cwould be easiest [to end] because of my relationship with President Putin\u201d.<\/p>\n But, unusually, he goes a bit further and adds:<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s let me down. He\u2019s really let me down.\u201d<\/p>\n He then says \u201cwe will see how that turns out\u201d, and that \u201cRussia and Ukraine will get done, but \u2026 you never know in war, you know, war is a different thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThings happen that are very opposite of what you thought, you thought you were going to have an easy time or a hard time, and it turns out to be the reverse,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.25 EDT<\/p>\n In his opening comments, Starmer says the pair has \u201cdiscussed today how we can build our defences, further support Ukraine, and decisively increase the pressure on Putin to get him to agree a peace deal that will last.\u201d<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see what Trump says on that point. He\u2019s speaking now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Starmer, Trump give press conference at Chequers<\/p>\n Over in Britain, Starmer and Trump are now giving a press conference at the end of the US president\u2019s two-day state visit in the UK.<\/p>\n It could be a lively one.<\/p>\n You can watch along here:<\/p>\n I will bring you all major non-UK news lines here, but you can also check our UK live blog here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Zelenskyy says Ukraine ‘pushed back’ some of Russia’s advances as Putin reveals 700,000 soldiers are deployed on frontline<\/p>\n We are also getting some updates from Ukraine, where the country\u2019s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met troops in the eastern Donetsk region and announced his army had pushed back some of the advances Russia made over the summer, AFP said.<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, poses for a photo with Ukrainian frontline soldiers at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region. Photograph: Ukrainian presidential press service\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The Ukrainian leader said his troops had reclaimed 160 sq km (62 sq miles) of land near the eastern coal mining town of Dobropillia, where Russia pierced Ukraine\u2019s defences in August.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said on Thursday that more than 700,000 Russian soldiers are now deployed on the Ukrainian frontline.<\/p>\n Putin made the comment during a televised meeting with top Russian lawmakers, Reuters said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.16 EDT<\/p>\n Main Paris demonstration under way \u2014 in pictures<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the main Paris demonstrations is now under way and we\u2019re getting first pictures of what\u2019s happening on the streets of the French capital.<\/p>\n A protester holds a French national flag with the slogan \u201cPeace on you\u201d during a demonstration in Paris. Photograph: Tom Nicholson\/ReutersPeople take part in a demonstration against austerity measures in the upcoming budget in Paris, France. Photograph: Yoan Valat\/EPAA protester holds a flare during a demonstration in Paris. Photograph: Tom Nicholson\/ReutersParis protesters hold a banner which reads \u201cMacron, resign! General strike to block everything\u201d. Photograph: Beno\u00eet Tessier\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.40 EDT<\/p>\n Italy first in EU to pass comprehensive law regulating use of AI in Rome<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Italy has become the first country in the EU to approve a comprehensive law regulating the use of artificial intelligence, including imposing prison terms on those who use the technology to cause harm, such as generating deepfakes, and limiting child access.<\/p>\n Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni Photograph: Claudia Greco\/Reuters<\/p>\n Giorgia Meloni\u2019s rightwing government said the legislation, which aligns with the EU\u2019s landmark AI Act<\/a>, is a decisive move in influencing how AI is used across Italy.<\/p>\n The aim is to promote \u201chuman-centric, transparent and safe AI use\u201d while emphasising \u201cinnovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections\u201d.<\/p>\n The bill introduces prison sentences of between one and five years for the illegal spreading of AI-generated or manipulated content if it causes harm.<\/p>\n There will also be harsher penalties for using the technology to commit crimes, including fraud and identity theft, and stricter transparency and human oversight rules governing how the technology is used in workplaces as well as in a range of sectors such as healthcare, education, justice and sport.<\/p>\n In addition, children under the age of 14 will need parental consent to access AI.<\/p>\n When it comes to copyright, the law stipulates that works created with AI assistance are protected if they originate from genuine intellectual effort, while AI-driven text and data mining will only be permitted for non-copyrighted content or scientific research by authorised institutions.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Starmer, Trump speaking at reception for business leaders<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are speaking at a reception for business leaders at Chequers.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump takes his seat for a joint press conference with Britain\u2019s prime minister, Keir Starmer, at Chequers, near Aylesbury, England. Photograph: Evan Vucci\/AP<\/p>\n You can follow all the key lines coming out of that meeting with Andrew Sparrow over on the UK blog here:<\/p>\n \u2026 or watch their speeches live here:<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.56 EDT<\/p>\n Some clashes were reported on the margins of protest rallies in the western city of Nantes, with police firing teargas, and in Lyon, where French media said three people were injured, Reuters said.<\/p>\n A demonstration in Nantes. Photograph: St\u00e9phane Mah\u00e9\/ReutersA protester holding a CGT union confederation flag stands amid teargas during clashes with French police at a demostration in Nantes. Photograph: St\u00e9phane Mah\u00e9\/ReutersProtesters and police officers at the demonstration in Nantes. Photograph: St\u00e9phane Mah\u00e9\/ReutersDemonstrators march with flares in Lyon, central-eastern France. Photograph: Olivier Chassignole\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.59 EDT<\/p>\n Crowds gather in Paris as part of day of strikes and marches \u2014 in picturesMembers of various trade unions and confederations such as CGT, Solidaires and Force Ouvri\u00e8re walk behind a banner reading \u2018Stop austerity\u2019 at the head of a demonstration against budget cuts in Paris, France. Photograph: Mohammed Badra\/EPAProtesters applaud and chant during a demonstration in Paris. Photograph: Beno\u00eet Tessier\/ReutersProtesters hold placards which read \u201cCulture at war against austerity\u201d and \u201cMoney for art\u201d during a protest in front of the Gare du Nord railway station in Paris. Photograph: Beno\u00eet Tessier\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.01 EDT<\/p>\n Are you in France? Tells us what you think.Marchers in the streets of Saint-Denis, the capital of the French Indian Ocean island of La R\u00e9union. Photograph: Richard Bouhet\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Are you in France<\/a>? How do you view of Thursday\u2019s strikes? Are you taking part?<\/p>\n Tell us what you think.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.46 EDT<\/p>\n Strikes and protests across France \u2013 latest updates<\/p>\n Back in France, we\u2019re getting more striking pictures from the day of strikes and protests across the country.<\/p>\n 94 people had been arrested by midday, including 15 in Paris, and 32 remain in custody, according to the latest government figures reported by the French media. At least 476 separate demonstrations are under way.<\/p>\n About 15,000 people took part in a demonstration in Marseille, according to the local police, with significantly higher numbers reported by the organisers, Le Figaro said.<\/a><\/p>\n A protester lights flares in Marseille, southeastern France. Photograph: Miguel Medina\/AFP\/Getty ImagesProtesters march with union flags at the port in Marseille, south-eastern France. Photograph: Clement Mahoudeau\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Major demonstrations walked down the streets of Nantes and Lyon, too.<\/p>\n Demonstrators march in Nantes, western France. Photograph: Mathieu Pattier\/AP<\/p>\n In Paris, about 100 protesters managed to get to the economy ministry, \u201csetting off a few smoke bombs\u201d as they move towards Place de la Bastille where the main demonstration of the day takes place later today, Le Monde said.<\/a><\/p>\n French SNCF railway workers inside economy and finance ministry building in Paris. Photograph: Tom Nicholson\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.42 EDT<\/p>\n Poland agrees deal to learn from Ukraine on drone warfare<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s defence minister signed a partnership agreement with Ukraine today, saying that the country hopes to benefit from Ukraine\u2019s knowledge and skills regarding drone warfare.<\/p>\n The announcement comes a week after a Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace sparked a national debate about air defence and the country\u2019s readiness for any future attack of this sort.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to benefit from your knowledge and skills, and we want Polish companies, both public and private, to be able to participate in this together,\u201d Poland\u2019s defence minister, W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz, said during a news conference in Kyiv.<\/p>\n His Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, said that Ukrainian troops and engineers will train their Polish counterparts, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are ready to … share our experience in any conditions…but the key thing is air defence from Russian drones, (and) missiles,\u201d Shmyhal said.<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s defence minister, Denys Shmyhal, and the Polish deputy prime minister and defence minister, W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Alina Smutko\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.58 EDT<\/p>\n The European Commission was also asked about the Polish-Belarusian border situation, after Poland had temporarily closed its border with Belarus in the buildup to the recent Russian-Belarusian military drills.<\/p>\n It has since extended the closure until further notice, risking disruption to EU-China trade by rail, estimated to be worth around \u20ac25-30bn (\u00a322-26bn) per year.<\/p>\n The issue was reportedly discussed during Monday\u2019s meeting between Poland\u2019s foreign minister, Rados\u0142aw Sikorski, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.<\/p>\n The EU\u2019s deputy chief spokesperson, Olof Gill, said:<\/p>\n \u201cThe important thing to keep in mind here is that any trade-related challenges that arise from such a security situation are happening because of Russia\u2019s brutal, illegal and unjustifiable war, and its comrades in arms in Belarus.<\/p>\n So the solution to this would be for them to end their war. And we repeat from this podium as we have done many many many many times and continue to do. Please end your war.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758207550_283_Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\n![\"Day](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5823.jpg\")
Day two of Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to Britain \u2013 watch live<\/p>\n![\"Angela](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Angela_Giuffrida.png\")
Angela Giuffrida<\/p>\nDay two of Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to Britain \u2013 watch liveShare<\/a><\/p>\n