There are increasing signs that the UK government may reconsider plans to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system, with ministers hinting that renewal may be delayed, if not abandoned.

The US President, Barack Obama, has abandoned controversial plans to site a missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic. The decision is likely to ease tensions in the USA’s relations with Russia.

The government's plans to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system have taken another blow with a poll revealing that voters would rather scrap nuclear weapons than see public spending cuts affecting health or education.

The government has attracted derision after apparently changing a key nuclear policy twice within 24 hours – leaving it back where it started. The Ministry of Defence say decision-making on Trident will not be delayed.

Public criticism and campaigning has led to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown announcing a delay to plans for the renewal of the controversial Trident nuclear weapons system. Decisions will now be made after an international nuclear summit.

The Prime Minister has today said that he wants to “make the world safer” through new global agreements on nuclear weapons. His critics say this is not consistent with the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

A newly published poll reveals that most of the British public want an end to the UK's ownership of nuclear weapons. This is thought to be the first time that such a view has attracted majority support.

The Prime Minister has been challenged over his allegedly inconsistent approach to nuclear weapons, following an arms reduction agreement between Russia and the USA.

There has been a widespread welcome for the announcement by the US and Russian Presidents that they have reached a new agreement over a reduction in nuclear weapons.

As the US President Barack Obama arrived in Moscow this morning, there were predictions of a significant agreement between the Russian and US governments over a reduction in nuclear warheads.