(May 8, 2024)
British spy planes have recorded up to 1,000 hours of footage over Gaza, including from the day Israel assassinated three UK aid workers.
(May 8, 2024)
British spy planes have recorded up to 1,000 hours of footage over Gaza, including from the day Israel assassinated three UK aid workers.
(June 27, 2024)
The International Criminal Court Pre-Trial Tribunal on Thursday postponed its decision-making process about whether it will allow ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes.
The postponement came following a June 10 application by England to file a “friend of the court” brief against the ICC’s jurisdiction over the issue.
The US vetoed a Palestinian request to the United Nations security council for full UN membership, blocking the world body’s recognition of a Palestinian state. US officials had been hoping Washington could avoid use of its veto if other states objected to a draft resolution before the council recommending the ‚State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations‘
Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of the U.S. Central Command, is expected to meet Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Israel Defense Forces officials.
Israeli officials say they are preparing for a possible unprecedented direct attack from Iranian soil using ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles against Israeli targets.
In such a scenario, Israel will retaliate with a direct attack against Iran, the officials said.
The US has been tight-lipped in its public reaction to the Apr 1 strike, saying it has not determined whether Israel struck a diplomatic facility, which would breach international agreements on the inviolability of embassies and consulates.
The US and its allies believe major missile or drone strikes by Iran or its proxies against military and government targets in Israel are imminent, in what would mark a significant widening of the six-month-old conflict, according to people familiar with the intelligence.
Staunch allies calling themselves friends of Israel are beginning to realise they are also friends of the murderers of western aid workers, friends of genocide and friends of fascism
(January 15, 2024)
The United States must now be held accountable for the crimes it committed,‘ says Van Rensburg, who is leading the 47-lawyers team.
“We intend to bring legal proceedings against the U.S. Government based on overwhelming evidence that the U.S. Government has, and is, aiding, abetting and supporting, encouraging or providing material assistance and means to Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces. This conduct by the U.S. Government has enabled and continues to enable Israel to engage in international crimes against the Palestinian people,” the South African lawyers said in a letter sent to US President Joe Biden on January 2.
The British public should realise that Muslim scapegoats today, much like the Jewish, Irish or Black scapegoats used by demagogues yesterday, are not their enemies
In an earlier statement, Gove‘s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the definition had been updated to respond to an “increased extremist threat since October 7 terror attacks in Israel”, citing an increase in reported antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes.
It said the new definition would be used by government departments and officials to help them decide which groups they should engage with and fund, and to identify “extremist organisations, individuals and behaviours”.
But it said: “This definition is not statutory and has no effect on the existing criminal law – it applies to the operations of Government itself.”
The UK government will continue to suspend funding to Palestinian relief works agency UNRWA, the Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell has said, despite famine gripping Gaza and crippling food shortages.
The US, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Finland, Australia and the Netherlands will also continue their freeze to critical life saving aid to the UN aid agency for Palestinians until an interim report about Israel allegations that UNRWA aid workers were involved in Hamas‘s 7 October attacks is released, the minister said.
A UN investigation found that US and UK-manufactured weapons or parts may have been used to bomb British doctors working for British and American organisations in Gaza in January, the organisations involved have highlighted.
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) also said this week that Israeli officials have offered six different explanations about why the residential compound housing their staff was hit.
The compound, which was not close to any other buildings, was struck around 6am on 18 January by an F-16 jet which „most likely'“ fired a 1,000-pound „smart bomb“, the UN investigation found.
Mitte letzter Woche gab es noch Ärger zwischen Deutschland, Frankreich und Großbritannien, da Bundeskanzler Scholz angeblich „geheime Informationen verraten“ hatte. Es ging um den Einsatz von Marschflugkörpern, den Scholz ablehnt. Der Kanzler will Deutschland nicht zu einer direkten Kriegspartei machen. „Was an Zielsteuerung und an Begleitung der Zielsteuerung vonseiten der Briten und Franzosen gemacht wird, kann in Deutschland nicht gemacht werden“, so Scholz wörtlich. Franzosen und Briten widersprachen Scholz, das britische Verteidigungsministerium warf ihm gar vor, Falschinformationen zu verbreiten. Wenn die Inhalte des abgehörten Gesprächs der vier deutschen Luftwaffenoffiziere korrekt sind, lügen jedoch die Briten.
Galloway turned the question around: “We had this conversation last night. Why are you reheating it?”
Coates repeated: “Because in the light of the Prime Minister’s…”
“Don’t keep telling me about the Prime Minister as if he was Moses!” the MP interrupted.
“Do you not respect the Prime Minister?” Coates asked.
“Do I respect the Prime Minister? I despise the Prime Minister,” Galloway said.
“What started as protests on our streets have descended into intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence.
“Jewish children fearful to wear their school uniform lest it reveals their identity. Muslim women abused in the street for the actions of a terrorist group they have no connection with.
“Now our democracy itself is a target. Council meetings and local events have been stormed. MPs do not feel safe in their homes. Long-standing parliamentary conventions have been upended because of safety concerns.
“And it’s beyond alarming that last night, the Rochdale by-election …
George Galloway’s victory was described as “beyond alarming” by Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who used a Friday evening address to the nation to warn that British democracy was being targeted by extremists.
Galloway, 69, swept to victory in Thursday’s contest, winning almost 40% of the vote in the parliamentary seat of Rochdale.
Der „Taurus“ ist einer der modernsten Flugkörper der Luftwaffe. Die Präzisionswaffen können Ziele in 500 Kilometern Entfernung treffen. In diesem Radius liegt von der russisch-ukrainischen Grenze aus gesehen Moskau.
German-made Taurus cruise missiles can hit targets up to 500 kilometres away with great precision. Unlike Germany, the UK and France have already delivered long-range systems to Ukraine.
However, adjustments necessary to restrict Taurus’ “very far-reaching” range would require German soldiers to operate in Ukraine, which has so far been excluded as an option, and would, in any case, require an official parliamentary vote, Scholz said.
(16.02.2024)
He was likely shot by Hamas police. In response, many from the young man‘s family arrived at the crossing, starting riots and mass confrontations. The crossing‘s entrance gate was also set ablaze. Hamas police intervened in an attempt to restore order.
(16.02.2024)
…while
there’ve been deliberate delays at Israel’s Karem Abu Salem crossing
(15.02.2024)
Why
Where R the Human rights NGO which come mocking on the doors of Muslim countries why they R not asking questions from Israel & Protesting against them. Hypocrisy on its limits
#النصر_الفيحاء
#Rafah
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, today urged the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) to halt the possible extradition of Julian Assange to the United States of America.
She called on British authorities to consider Julian Assange’s appeal based on substantial fears that, if extradited, he would be at risk of treatment amounting to torture or other forms of ill-treatment or punishment.
(26.10.2023)
The executive authority in Nicaragua published an official statement in which it revealed that it warned the governments of said Western powers that they might be jointly complicit in the „flagrant and systemic violations“ of the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip.
Nicaragua could move to take Germany, Canada, the U.K. and the Netherlands to the International Court of Justice over their role in aiding Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Nicaragua called on the four nations to immediately stop providing arms, munitions and technology to the Israeli army.
Das russische Außenministerium in Moskau hatte erklärt: „Washington, das sich seiner Straffreiheit sicher ist, setzt seine Saat des Chaos und der Zerstörung im Nahen Osten fort.“ Das Außenministerium fügte hinzu, es habe die Angriffe „entschieden verurteilt“.
Two US destroyers fired Tomahawk missiles as part of the strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, a US official told CNN. The USS Gravely and USS Carney, both of which are Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, fired the land-attack cruise missiles during the operation.
F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier also took part in the strikes, officials said.
Mr. Cameron, speaking to the Conservative Middle East Council, an organization that promotes discussion about the region among the Conservative Party, said on Monday that showing progress toward a two-state solution was essential to negotiating peace, and called Israel’s security policies of the last three decades “a failure.”
The British government has long held the position that it would only recognize a Palestinian state at the “right time” in the peace process with Israel, and Mr. Cameron’s comments, in London, suggested that Britain may be aiming to do that sooner.
As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the U.K. has joined others — not, however, the U.S. — in calling for an immediate pause in the fighting, as well as the release of all hostages being held in Gaza and the provision of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Palestinian territory.
But „most important of all,“ Cameron told the Arab ambassadors, „is to give the Palestinian people a political horizon.“
Cameron, a former U.K. prime minister, said it was essential to demonstrate to Palestinians and the wider region that „there is going to be irreversible progress to a two-state solution and, crucially, the establishment of a Palestinian state.“
The U.K. is considering a push to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said, as he tries to sell a plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
The former prime minister — drafted into the foreign affairs brief by his boss Rishi Sunak last year — said the move could bring about “irreversible progress to a two-state solution.”
France and Japan said Sunday that they were suspending funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, becoming the latest country to make such a move after accusations of staff involvement in the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, while Jordan warned that cutting financial support to UNRWA amounted to “collective punishment.”
– USA
– Canada
– UK
– Finland
– Australia
– Italy
Driving the news: A senior Israeli official said the Shin Bet and Israeli military intelligence provided information that pointed to the active participation of UNRWA staffers and the use of the agency‘s vehicles and facilities during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
„This was strong and corroborated intelligence,“ the official said. „A lot of the intelligence is a result of interrogations of militants who were arrested during the Oct. 7 attack.“
The airstrikes, carried out on Monday night, marked the eighth round of allied attacks in 12 days. They targeted an underground storage site and locations linked to the Houthis’ “missile and air surveillance capabilities,” the US and UK said in a statement along with partners Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.
The Democratic Socialists of America demand an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities by the United States against Yemen and an end to diplomatic and military support of Israel. President Biden widened the existing regional war even further by ordering airstrikes against civilian infrastructure in Yemen in an effort to stop that country’s humanitarian blockade of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Since October 7th, Israel has continuously engaged in provocative military aggression, aimed at expanding its brutal war into Lebanon. Israeli spokespeople continue their propaganda efforts to tie Iran to the events of October 7th and have issued calls for retaliation. A cyberattack believed to be the work of Israeli military intelligence has struck Iranian civilian infrastructure and extrajudicial assassinations have targeted senior leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hamas in Syria and Lebanon. The U.S.’s attack on Yemen comes in the context of Yemeni forces having blocked container ships owned by Israelis or headed towards Israeli ports. U.S. airstrikes are taking place while South Africa presents its arguments to the International Court of Justice for provisional measures against Israel for the crime of genocide.
„All American and British interests have become legitimate targets for the Yemeni Armed Forces in response to their direct and announced aggression against the Yemeni Republic,“ the Houthis‘ Supreme Political Committee said in a statement as tens of thousands of Yemenis took to the streets to protest the strikes.
(12.01.2024)
(12.91.2024)
When will we learn from our mistakes and realise that war is not the answer?
US President Joe Biden said he ordered the strikes “in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.”
Hotovely told Dale that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have found that „every school, every mosque, every second house, has an access to tunnel,“ referring to the tunnels used by Hamas—which were first built when Gaza was under Israeli control in 1980.
„That‘s an argument for destroying the whole of Gaza, every single building,“ Dale said, prompting Hotovely to ask, „Do you have another solution, how to destroy the underground tunnel city?“
Journalist Hamza Ali Shah said the ambassador‘s statement amounted to „a clear call for genocide.“
Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews. The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways. We remain committed to the international rules-based order and are determined to hold malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks.
(29.12.2023)
n the face of increasing pressure from the United States, Britain and Germany, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on his opposition to what these allies see as the future of Gaza: an interim government overseen by the Palestinian Authority and an eventual Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.
Speaking only hours after the army admitted to shooting three Israeli hostages as they held up a white flag in Gaza, fueling consternation and anger among Israelis, Mr. Netanyahu appeared to be trying to change the subject, boasting that he had prevented the creation of a Palestinian state in the past and would continue to do so.
Am Freitag war der Containerfrachter „Al Jasrah“ in der Meerenge zwischen dem Jemen und Dschibuti beschossen und beschädigt worden. Die Besatzungsmitglieder blieben laut Hapag Lloyd unverletzt. Die Bundesregierung verurteilte den Angriff und prüft eine Bitte aus den USA um eine Beteiligung der deutschen Marine an einem Einsatz
The U.K. is banning violent Israeli settlers from entering the country, Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced Thursday, in a bid to “make sure our country cannot be a home for people who commit these intimidating acts.”
In a post on social media, Cameron — the former British prime minister reappointed to the Cabinet last month — said “extremist settlers, by targeting and killing Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
https://palestinecampaign.eaction.online/ceasefireMPdebate
(10.12.2023)
(November 9, 2023)
The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
Description
Letter dated 6 December 2023 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2023/962).
Related Sites and Documents
S/2023/962
webtv.un.org/en/asset/k19/k1…
Available in: لعربية 中文 English Français Русский Español
More than 130 of my colleagues have already been killed, many with their families. (…)
More than 17,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the start of Israel’s military operations. This includes more than 4,000 women and 7,000 children. Tens of thousands are reported to have been injured, and many are missing, presumably under the rubble.
All these numbers are increasing by the day. (…)
At least 286 health workers have been killed. (…)
I urge the Council to spare no effort to push for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the protection of civilians, and for the urgent delivery of lifesaving aid.
While we deal with the current crisis, we cannot lose sight of the only viable possibility for a peaceful future: a two-State solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security.
This is vital for Israelis, Palestinians, and for international peace and security.
The eyes of the world – and the eyes of history – are watching.
It’s time to act.
(December 7, 2023)
Meanwhile, in New York, Ecuador – which holds the presidency of the Security Council, announced that an emergency meeting to discuss the Palestine-Israel crisis would take place at 10 AM local time in New York on Friday.
UN chief António Guterres called on the 15-member Council on Wednesday – invoking the rare but powerful Chapter 99 tool – to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire.
“Many of my own NRC staff members now live on the streets. One of them does so with her two-month-old baby.
“Our colleagues in Gaza ask themselves a simple question: how is it that these atrocities are beamed across the world for all to witness, and yet so little is done to stop them?
“Countries supporting Israel with arms must understand that these civilian deaths will be a permanent stain on their reputation.
(graphic)
(18.11.2023)
Some world leaders are already discussing a worldwide refugee resettlement scheme and saying they would welcome Gazans to their countries. This could be supported by many nations around the world, especially those that claim to be friends of the Palestinians.
This is an opportunity for those who say they support the Palestinian people to show these are not just empty words.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel took the highly unusual step on Sunday of suspending a far-right minister from his government, after the minister said that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza and killing everyone there was “one way” of dealing with the threat from Hamas.
(November 3, 2023)
Euro-Med Monitor highlighted that the weight of the nuclear bombs dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan at the end of World War II in August 1945 was estimated at about 15,000 tonnes, adding that due to technological developments affecting the potency of bombs, the explosives dropped on Gaza may be twice as powerful as a nuclear bomb.
“This means that the destructive power of the explosives dropped on Gaza exceeds that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima,” Euro-Med Monitor said.
During the interview, Eliyahu raised his objection to allowing any humanitarian aid into Gaza. “We wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid… there is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza,” the minister was quoted as saying.
Eliyahu also backed retaking the Gaza Strip’s territory and restoring the settlements there, the report added. Asked about the fate of Palestinian civilians Eliyahu said, “They can go to Ireland or deserts, the monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves.”
Heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu of the Otzma Yehudit party is quoted by the Times of Israel as saying in an interview that the Palestinian people “can go to Ireland or deserts, the monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves”, adding that those who wave a Palestinian or Hamas flag “shouldn’t continue living on the face of the earth”.
It quotes him saying that dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip “is one of the possibilities”, and that humanitarian aid to the population should be restricted, saying “we wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid. There is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza.”
During the demonstration, protesters shouted against Western leaders like Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden, criticizing their support for Israel.
The protest also saw many pro-Palestinian signs, including: „Bombing kids is not self-defense,“ „Cease-fire now,“ and „No peace, no justice.“
Jewish demonstrators also protested the actions of Israel’s government with banners saying “Jews say stop genocide of Palestinians“ and „Jews for a free Palestine.“
(October 31, 2023)
The US and Israel are exploring options for the future of the Gaza Strip, including the possibility of a multinational force that may involve American troops if Israeli forces succeed in ousting Hamas, people familiar with the matter said.
(31.10.2023)
Or: peacekeeping force modeled on MFO. Or: temporary UN governance.
(Oct 19, 2023)
(19.10.2023)
Only eight percent of respondents said there shouldn‘t be a ceasefire with 16 percent saying they didn‘t know.
The poll was conducted on 19 October by UK-based YouGov polling company and surveyed 2,685 adults.
(Oct 20, 2023)
Today, on the 106th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, activists from Palestine Action targeted Britain’s foreign office and are currently occupying the weapons firm Leonardo at their London HQ. Leonardo’s London offices have been covered in red paint, to symbolise the Palestinian bloodshed by their weaponry, whilst one activist remains on top of the company’s front overhang. Elsewhere, the Foreign Office in London was sprayed in messages including ‘Britain Guilty’ and ‘Fuck Balfour.
(13 hours ago)
Tory MP Paul Bristow, who served as Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan’s parliamentary private secretary, was ousted from that role following a letter he sent to Sunak last week accusing Israel of carrying out “collective punishment” on the people of Gaza.
“Paul Bristow has been asked to leave his post in government following comments that were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility,” a Downing Street spokesperson says.
(today)
A Meta spokesperson said: „The overwhelming majority of Brits already rely on apps that use encryption to keep them safe from hackers, fraudsters and criminals.
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„We don‘t think people want us reading their private messages so have spent the last five years developing robust safety measures to prevent, detect and combat abuse while maintaining online security.“
Although friction from policymakers has clearly made the “pivot to privacy” which founder Mark Zuckerberg announced all the way back in 2019, when he said the company would universally apply E2EE on its services, slow going.
Finally, though, this August, Meta announced it would enable E2EE by default for Messenger by the end of the year.
(19.09.2023)
The bill could empower the government to undermine not just the privacy and security of U.K. residents, but internet users worldwide.
A clause of the bill allows Ofcom, the British telecom regulator, to serve a notice requiring tech companies to scan their users–all of them–for child abuse content.This would affect even messages and files that are end-to-end encrypted to protect user privacy. As enacted, the OSB allows the government to force companies to build technology that can scan regardless of encryption–in other words, build a backdoor.
Das rund sechs Jahre lang verhandelte Gesetz ist inzwischen auf gut 300 Seiten angewachsen und trifft nicht nur große Online-Dienste wie Facebook oder Google. Schätzungen der konservativen Regierung zufolge sind rund 20.000 kleinere und nicht-kommerzielle Anbieter wie die Wikipedia betroffen. Viele davon machen sind nun Sorgen, ob sie die Vorgaben überhaupt umsetzen können, für manche kommt sogar ein Rückzug aus dem Internet für britische Nutzer:innen in Frage.
(15.05.2023)
WIRED contacted nine of the UK’s internet service providers and telecom companies asking about their abilities to create and store people’s internet connection records. Eight did not respond to the request for comment. TalkTalk, the only one that did, said it will “meet its obligations” under UK law but couldn’t “confirm or deny” whether ICRs existed.
(12.09.2023)
Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan insisted that nothing had changed in the long-awaited legislation, after privacy campaigners earlier this month claimed a victory following widespread reports of a shift in the Government stance on encryption.
„I have the pleasure of welcoming you, Foreign Secretary Cleverly, because there are excellent relations between our countries and I am sure that your visit will only strengthen them,” Netanyahu stated.
“We both have smart countries with a similar set of values,” the Israeli prime minister said at the start of their meeting. “We are two strong and vigorous democracies that cooperate and that is a wonderful thing.”
„The US Administration‘s decision to send depleted uranium rounds to Kiev is a clear sign of inhumanity. Obviously, Washington, obsessed with the idea of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia, is ready to fight not only to the last Ukrainian but to put a cross on the future generations,“ the embassy wrote on its Telegram channel.
Kritiker des Einsatzes von Uranmunition wiesen auf einen drastischen Anstieg von Krebserkrankungen und Geburtsschäden in Ländern wie Irak und Serbien hingewiesen, in denen diese Munition eingesetzt worden ist. Die Gefahr besteht vor allem in Staubpartikeln, die freigesetzt werden, wenn die Munition zerfällt. Diese sind hochgiftig, wenn sie eingeatmet oder angefasst werden.
Although the subject of media frenzy in the immediate aftermath of the 1999 Kosovo conflict, the use of depleted uranium ammunition in Iraq 2003 raised little media attention. How could the use of such a controversial weapon in 1991 go largely unnoticed just four years later? Does this lack of global condemnation necessarily lead to the conclusion that the “dictates of the public conscience” have evolved in regard to the use of this previously controversial weapon of war? This article seeks to analyze the legality of the use of depleted uranium ammunition — the main question being whether the existing laws of armed conflict are already sufficient to address any human and environmental concerns.
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process needed to create nuclear weapons. The rounds retain some radioactive properties, but they can’t generate a nuclear reaction like a nuclear weapon would, RAND nuclear expert and policy researcher Edward Geist said.
Rishi Sunak is reshuffling his top team, with Grant Shapps succeeding Ben Wallace as defence secretary and Claire Coutinho entering cabinet as energy secretary.
Mr Wallace, who revealed his intention to quit back in July, said in his resignation letter: “After much reflection, I have taken the decision to ask that I be allowed to step down. I won my seat in 2005 and after so many years it is time for me to invest in the parts of life that I have neglected, and to explore new opportunities.”
The US intelligence community concluded Saudi Arabia‘s crown prince had approved the killing of the well-known and respected journalist, while a UN expert who investigated the murder also said there was „credible evidence“ that MBS was responsible for the murder.
Any visit to the UK will be interpreted as the latest sign of Western countries softening their stance towards the controversial leader and follows a similar move by the US to integrate the crown prince back into the diplomatic fold.
(17.08.2023)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the crown prince spoke earlier on Thursday to discuss trade, investment, defence and security cooperation, according to a readout of the call issued by Downing Street.
(12 May 2023)
Manufacturer MBDA says the Storm Shadow has a range of more than 150 miles, giving Kyiv the ability to strike behind the Russian front line.
Britain is understood to have received assurances that the missiles will only be used defensively against targets in Ukrainian territory being occupied by Vladimir Putin’s forces.
The Government has not provided detail on the number of missiles to be provided to Kyiv.
(May 11, 2023)
Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of more than 155 miles. He didn‘t say how many are being sent. (…)
The missiles give Ukraine capacity to strike well behind the front lines, including in Russia-occupied Crimea. U.K. media reported that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself. (…)
He said U.K. officials would not comment publicly on whether Britain had placed any limitations on the missiles‘ use.
(Aug 8, 2023)
Analysts have been suggesting ATACMS would soon appear in U.S. Defense Department military aid packages, after the U.K. announced in May it was sending its long-range Storm Shadow, or SCALP, missiles.
ATACMS have a slightly longer range than the Storm Shadow, althoug there is some debate among experts about the true range of the air-launched cruise missiles.
Rishi Sunak has held on to Boris Johnson’s former seat in Uxbridge – a win widely seen as a result of Ulez – despite suffering two painful by-election blows.
The Tories lost two seats with around 20,000 majorities in by-elections on Thursday in Selby and Ainsty, to Labour, and Somerton and Frome, to the Lib Dems, while narrowly holding on to Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat amid a challenge from Labour.
Tory Party chairman Greg Hands claimed the 495-vote victory in Uxbridge was the “standout result” while Mr Sunak insisted the next general election was not a “done deal” despite the loss of two safe seats.
The Conservatives lost to the resurgent Labour Party in Selby and Ainsty, a region in the north of England where the Sunak’s party had enjoyed a commanding majority.
A second seat, Somerton and Frome, was won by the Liberal Democrats, a centrist party.
The Conservatives just managed to hold on to a third seat, Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the constituency held by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson until his resignation from parliament last month, although Labour significantly grew its share of the vote.
(14.07.2023)
News of the UK visit, first reported by the Financial Times, comes as Saudi Arabia tries to end the war in Yemen, and has opened up diplomatic relations with Iran. The US is seeking to persuade Saudi Arabia also to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel, but Riyadh, unlike its Gulf Arab allies the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, is resisting until there is progress on the Palestinian issue.
(12 July 2023)
A coalition of 11 nations decided during the recent NATO summit in Lithuania to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark. A training center will also be set up in Romania for the same purpose.
NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands have been leading international efforts to train pilots as well as support staff, maintain aircraft and ultimately enable the supply of F-16s to Ukraine in its war with Russia, according to Reuters.
(11.07.2023)
The Ministry of Defence of Denmark reported that Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the UK agreed to start the training of Ukrainians on the F-16 fighters.
The training is expected to start at the end of the summer and will be conducted in Denmark.
Mr Sunak joined many Conservatives in swerving the debate, instead attending a Jewish Care event.
Earlier this week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the House has no plans to take up legislation that would boost military aid to Ukraine above levels included in the recent debt ceiling legislation, a position that put him at odds with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).
‚The president and the prime minister will also discuss the joint US-UK leadership on critical emerging technologies as well as our work to strengthen our economic security.‘
Biden will then hold talks with current NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on Monday.
Ukraine is set to top the agenda for their talks which will take place one month out from the summit and will give other NATO countries an inkling of what to expect from Kyiv‘s most powerful western ally.
Das von der ehemaligen Richterin Lady Heather Hallett geleitete unabhängige Untersuchungskomitee soll die umstrittene Handhabung der Pandemie unter Johnson aufarbeiten. Der aktuelle Premier Sunak war damals Finanzminister. Spekuliert wird daher, dass er und weitere Kabinettsmitglieder fürchten, in der WhatsApp-Korrespondenz Johnsons könne auch für sie kompromittierendes Material sein.
Baroness Hallett, the chair of the inquiry, has threatened the Government with legal action if it refuses to comply with her order for full copies of Mr Johnson’s communications and diaries, and the messages of a key aide, with a deadline of 4pm on Thursday to fulfil her demand.
But last night, Whitehall sources indicated that Mr Sunak would stand firm and refuse to submit unredacted material, from him or any minister, to the inquiry.
I suspect the Bank to deny this, but they have already admitted their models of inflation based on their own understandings of the issue do not work, so little weight should be given to that.
Instead it‘s time to cut rates and remove the only excuse businesses have to increase prices because interest rates are the only cost expected to remain high, and excessively so, from now into the future.
(11 May 2023)
The Bank of England has raised interest rates by a quarter of a point to 4.5% as it forecast inflation would stay higher for longer than previously expected and the economy would perform more strongly.
The scheme would aim to get retailers charging the lowest possible amount for some basic products like milk and bread, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
A Number 10 source said the plans are at „drawing board stage“ and would not involve government-imposed price controls.
(31 Jan 2023)
US president, Joe Biden, when asked at the White House late on Monday if his country would provide F-16s, answered simply “no”, although he emphasised on Tuesday morning he would remain in discussions with Ukraine about its weapons requests.
Later on Tuesday, the UK also said supplying western jets was not practical. “These are sophisticated pieces of equipment,” a Downing St spokesperson said. “We do not think it is practical to send those jets into Ukraine.”
The interlocutors also discussed further defense cooperation and coordinated their positions on the eve of upcoming international events.
„In particular, we need clear signals about Ukraine‘s future with NATO,“ Zelenskyy said.
The United Kingdom has delivered multiple “Storm Shadow” cruise missiles to Ukraine, giving the nation a new long-range strike capability in advance of a highly anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces, multiple senior Western officials told CNN.
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, calling the donation Ukraine’s “best chance to defend themselves against Russia’s continued brutality,” confirmed the transaction on Thursday after CNN exclusively reported the deal.
Highlighting what he called the deliberate targeting of civilians, Britain‘s Defence Minister Ben Wallace told parliament: „Russia must recognise that its actions alone have led to such systems being provided.“
Lucy Crompton-Reid, the chief executive of Wikimedia UK, said it was “definitely possible that one of the most visited websites in the world – and a vital source of freely accessible knowledge and information for millions of people – won’t be accessible to UK readers (let alone UK-based contributors)”.
Lucy Crompton-Reid, chief executive of Wikimedia UK, warned the text of the bill could compel the website to introduce age verification.
The Wikimedia Foundation, which supports the free encyclopaedia, said it would refuse to verify the age of UK readers.
Failure to properly comply with the Online Safety Bill could create a situation where the site is fined, or even blocked for UK users entirely.
(April 25, 2023)
WhatsApp and Signal, two of the largest privacy-focused messaging apps, have joined forces to petition against the United Kingdom’s proposed Online Safety Bill due to privacy concerns. They are accompanied in this effort by several other smaller privacy apps, such as Viber and Wire, who have signed on to an open letter directed to UK legislators.
(30.03.2023)
The anomaly is that if the government can access the content, criminals and foreign governments will almost certainly be able to use the same backdoor. (…)
This law will already affect US firms. The real danger is its arguments may spread like a contagion to be used by other governments.