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Talks between Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could last up to seven hours, the Kremlin says.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also says Trump will meet Putin at the steps of the Russian president's aircraft when it arrives in Alaska.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was "counting on America" as Trump began his journey to Alaska.

"HIGH STAKES!!!" is how Trump describes the meeting on Truth Social, while Putin has been visiting businesses and watching ice hockey on his way to the talks.

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The King and Queen lead a two-minute silence at a service in Staffordshire, England, to commemorate 80 years since VJ Day.

Among attendees are 33 veterans, including former RAF pilot Ron Gumbley, 101, who served for a time in Burma.

Earlier, the King paid tribute to those who fought and died in Asia and the Pacific, saying they will "never be forgotten".

VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is marked each year on 15 August - the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces and World War Two ended.

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Inside the US president's strategy to send the National Guard into Democrat cities.

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What is really behind Donald Trump’s decision to send the National Guard into Washington DC, and what could it mean for other states in America?

As troops arrive into DC, after Trump said the deployment was necessary to bring down crime and homelessness, Sarah and Justin talk about why the US president has made the announcement now.

We also discuss crime rates, particularly as his opponents say the figures are trending downward in DC, and how this deployment might expand to other Democratic cities.

Plus, we answer your questions on whether this is just a distraction technique to “flood the zone” away from the Epstein files.

HOSTS:

• Sarah Smith, North America Editor

• Justin Webb, Radio 4 Presenter

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Global talks to develop a landmark treaty to end plastic pollution have once again failed.

The UN negotiations, the sixth round of talks in just under three years, were due to end on Thursday but countries continued to negotiate into the night in the hopes of breaking a deadlock.

There remained a split between a group of about 100 nations calling for curbs on production of plastic, and oil states pushing for a focus on recycling.

Speaking in the early hours, Cuban delegates said that countries had "missed a historic opportunity but we have to keep going".

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US President Donald Trump has said he believes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is ready to end his war with Ukraine.

His comments come ahead of a highly anticipated summit in Alaska on Friday - their first face-to-face, one-on-one meeting in six years.

Trump also said Putin won't "mess around with me" and that his goal for the talks is to "set the table" for another meeting with Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky is notably excluded from the talks, and has warned that decisions made in his absence will be meaningless.

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As Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin prepare for a potentially historic summit in Alaska, what is really on the agenda? Could Ukraine accept any proposal which sees its territory used as a bargaining chip? And would the US demand robust security guarantees as part of a hypothetical deal?

To answer your questions on all that and more, Jamie Coomarasamy is joined by Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse, BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson, and Matthew Savill of the Royal United Services Institute.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0lx142c

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Today, we ask what happens next following the mass arrests of those demonstrating in support of the proscribed terrorist group, Palestine Action.

More than 500 people were arrested on suspicion of breaking terrorism laws in London on Saturday. The UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that those in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation “Don’t know the full nature” of the group. Joining Adam to discuss is the BBC’s home and legal correspondent, Dominic Casciani.

Meanwhile, new GDP figures show UK economic growth came in better than expected, despite slowing between April and June. So how positive is this for the economy? Adam and Alex are joined by the BBC’s Deputy Economics Editor, Dharshini David to explain it.

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As the war in Gaza continues, so do the images of devastation coming out of the Strip.

In Israel itself, much of the media doesn't focus on what's happening to Palestinians there.

In fact, many Israelis don't believe that people are starving in Gaza.

BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has been speaking to people in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

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US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be present in Alaska when at the meeting, but the US president suggested that a meeting between the warring leaders would be "more productive" than his own with the Russian leader.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian leader met UK PM Keir Starmer in London.They agreed the talks between Trump and Putin "present a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace".

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UK PM Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have said there is a "powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve" to secure peace in Ukraine.

They met ahead of a summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

There is a "viable chance" of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Sir Keir said, and stressed Ukraine's "territorial integrity" must be protected and international borders "must not be changed by force".

Zelensky and other European leaders, who are not attending the meeting in Alaska, held a joint call with Trump on Wednesday to reiterate their position.

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