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Defence secretary says PM will make case for spending boost at Nato’s 75th anniversary summit later this yearUK politics – latest updatesAll Nato countries should boost their defence spending to 2.5% of their GDP to meet the demands of a “more dangerous world”, the UK’s defence secretary has said.Grant Shapps said the prime minister would make the case at Nato’s 75th anniversary summit in...

New post-Brexit border checks ‘set to zero’ to avoid what Defra calls risk of serious disruptionThe UK government has reportedly told port health authorities it will not “turn on” health and safety checks for EU imports as new post-Brexit border controls begin this month.A presentation prepared by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) highlighted the risk of “significant disruption” if the...

Commission to seek approval from leaders to start talks with UK on visa-free exchanges for 18- to 30-year-oldsThe European Commission has proposed opening negotiations with the UK to allow mobility enjoyed before Brexit to millions of 18- to 30-year-olds in a major concession.It said it would now seek approval from individual EU leaders to start the talks, which could partly eliminate one of the...

Party hopes to attend meetings of EU foreign affairs council should it win UK electionDavid Lammy: Labour’s foreign policy will be realistic about us as a nation, not nostalgic about what we used to beLabour wants to draw closer to Europe on key foreign and security issues by frequently attending meetings of the monthly EU foreign affairs council.The move, which is likely to trigger...

UK foreign secretary says Israel has right to respond but Britain does not support a retaliatory strikeMiddle East crisis – live updatesWorld leaders urge restraint in aftermath of Iran attack on Israel – what we know so farThe UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, urged Israel to act with its head as well as its heart and not escalate the conflict by mounting a revenge...

Foreign secretary’s intervention comes as pressure grows on ministers to reveal legal advice over Gaza conflictDavid Cameron will set out the UK’s reasoning for continuing to export arms to Israel on Tuesday as ministers face ongoing pressure to disclose the official legal advice on the trade.The foreign secretary will discuss the Middle East crisis with his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, on a visit to...

Alicia Kearns also expresses frustration that Joe Biden is only now calling for immediate ceasefire and says UK must suspend arm salesMiddle East crisis – live updatesIt is devastating that it took six months and the killing of six western aid workers for a tipping point to be reached for Israel to change course over the supply of international humanitarian aid, the chair of...

London mayor’s comments come as other senior Labour figures call for government to take action after killing of aid workersSadiq Khan has become the most senior Labour politician to call for an immediate end of UK arms sales to Israel, with a number of other prominent party figures also saying the government should take action after the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza.The...

Number of signatories warning Sunak over breach of international law in arming Israel rises to more than 750A fourth former supreme court justice has put his name to a letter warning Rishi Sunak that the UK is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel, as the number of legal experts signing the letter rose to more than 750.Lord Carnwath joins Lady Hale, who...

Gaza health ministry says that 33,037 people have been killed in Israeli military offensive, including 62 in the last 24 hoursSee all of our Israel-Gaza war coverageReuters has spoken with Israelis who have been displaced from their communities in the far north of the country, close to the UN-drawn blue line that has separated Israel from Lebanon since 2000.Israel evacuated a number of communities,...

Experts say UK-imposed sanctions will make no difference when hacking is part of ecosystem of dealing with BeijingWith the announcement that the UK government would be imposing sanctions on two individuals and one entity accused of targeting – without success – UK parliamentarians in cyber-attacks in 2021, the phrase “tip of the iceberg” comes to mind. But that would underestimate the iceberg.James Cleverly, the...

Sevington site was never designed to handle volume of imports envisaged by post-Brexit changes due in April, port’s health chief warnsAn inland facility set up to carry out checks on nearly all EU meat and dairy imports coming through Dover will be unable to cope when post-Brexit rules come in next month, the port’s health authority has warned.The Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) said...

Ministers under growing pressure to act amid signs Israel intends to ignore UN ceasefire resolutionParliamentary pressure is building on the UK government to ban arms sales to Israel, amid signs that Israel intends to ignore the UN security council resolution passed this week calling on all sides to commit to a ceasefire.A letter signed by more than 130 parliamentarians to the foreign secretary, David...

Exclusive: Warning came at party’s first public meeting with Chinese government since Keir Starmer became Labour leaderLabour has warned China that it will respond to any interference in UK democracy after the government announced fresh sanctions against hackers linked to Beijing.The warning came at the party’s first public meeting with the Chinese government since Keir Starmer became Labour leader. Continue reading...

Calls during Yemen briefing come as missile believed to have been launched by Houthis strikes a vessel off AdenThe US and UK have called for a UN maritime inspectorate to do more to prevent Iranian missiles reaching Houthi-controlled ports in the west of Yemen.The calls during a UN security council briefing on the crisis in Yemen came as a missile believed to have been...

Diplomatic search for ceasefire in Gaza gathers pace as threatened ground offensive in Rafah draws nearIn New York at the UN, in Brussels at the EU, in The Hague, in Cairo, in Rio and even at Westminster, a set of subtle and interrelated diplomatic dances are under way.Israel’s foremost supporters are attempting to apply the squeeze on their ally while avoiding making undiluted calls...

Two projectiles hit Belize-flagged vessel in strike that if confirmed would be a propaganda victoryMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe Houthis have claimed one of their most significant strikes since they started launching missiles at ships in the Red Sea, after two projectiles hit a Belize-flagged cargo ship.The Yemeni rebels claimed the ship was at risk of sinking, a significant propaganda victory for the...

Russian opposition leader’s death occurred on Friday, say supporters, but official cause remains disputedThe death of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, has been confirmed by his representatives, who are calling for the return of his body amid confusion over the cause of the death of Putin’s once most significant political challenger.Navalny, 47, died in jail on 16 February at 2.17pm local time, said...

Foreign secretary wants an increase in European defence output and to give profits from seized Russian assets in Europe to KyivDavid Cameron will discuss strengthening Ukraine’s defences and finances against further Russian aggression with European partners in light of the continuing threat of the US Congress refusing to provide further financial support.The foreign secretary is due to visit Bulgaria and Poland before meeting a...

David Cameron issues stark warning and implies UK will not back a Rafah offensiveMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael is in breach of international law as the occupying power if it fails to provide food and water to the people of Gaza, the UK foreign secretary, Lord Cameron, told peers on Tuesday in his clearest warning yet over Israel’s conduct.He also said it was...

Exclusive: Cameron urged to raise human rights and security concerns in first meeting with Wang Yi since Sunak made him foreign secretaryDavid Cameron is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, this weekend for the first time since becoming British foreign secretary.The Foreign Office has pencilled in a meeting between Cameron and Wang at the Munich security conference, according to two government sources....

Authority weighs up legal action against government over new checks on imported meat taking place 22 miles inlandThe Port of Dover could become a target for criminals smuggling illegal and diseased meat into the country under new post-Brexit plans that will involve lorries from the continent being checked 22 miles inland, the port’s health authority has warned.The Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) is now...

Official cites Ukraine war and China threat and raises concern over turnover of top government ministersBritish defence intelligence officials say the UK is closer to a large-scale conflict than at any recent point, as the Middle East crisis intensifies while Russia pursues an expansionist agenda and China develops advanced weapons.One senior official said the secretive 4,500-strong unit was the busiest it had been in...

‘UK internal market’ to be created to ease unionist fears over de facto border in the Irish SeaNew rules to smooth post-Brexit trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland have been unveiled by the government as part of a deal with the Democratic Unionist party that will restore the Stormont executive and install a Sinn Féin first minister.A command paper titled Safeguarding the Union...