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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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

Move by several countries comes after allegations that UNRWA staff took part in attacks on Israel last yearMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe decision by the US, UK and other western nations to freeze ­funding for the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees will significantly worsen the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians have warned.Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland joined the...

UK, US and others use universal periodic review to speak out over Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong KongThe UK, the US and several other countries criticised China’s human rights record on Tuesday as the country was subjected to rare scrutiny of its policies at the United Nations.The UK called on China to “cease the persecution and arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans and allow genuine...

Grant Shapps says UK has no interest in wider Yemen conflict as Rishi Sunak prepares to address MPsMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe UK has no interest in taking part in any wider conflict in Yemen but is “waiting to see what happens” before deciding whether further military strikes against Houthi forces might be needed, the defence secretary has said.Discussing the US-led strikes on...

Ministers join video call to consider response to Red Sea attacks on shipsMiddle East crisis – live updatesRishi Sunak’s cabinet was meeting on Thursday evening amid expectations of UK involvement in imminent military strikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen.Ministers were scheduled to join a video call at 7.45pm, which was expected to discuss the UK response to recent attacks on ships in the...

Rishi Sunak told activist’s sister in 2022 that government was ‘totally committed’ to resolving the case The family of the imprisoned British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah have said the British government has failed to act to free him, a year after the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, told his sister the government was “totally committed to resolving your brother’s case”.A figurehead in Egypt’s...

Only one in 10 feel leaving the EU has helped their finances, while just 9% say it has benefited the NHS, despite £350m a week pledge according to new pollA clear majority of the British public now believes Brexit has been bad for the UK economy, has driven up prices in shops, and has hampered government attempts to control immigration, according to a poll...