Rishi Sunak refuses to say whether any airline has been chosen to facilitate the flights to take asylum seekers to Rwanda claiming that "all the preparatory work to operationalise the Bill has been in place for a while" but that he cannot disclose details due to the "commercial" nature of the Home Office conversations with protentional airlines.
Report by Czubalam.
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Defence Minister James Cartlidge says that supplying munitions to Ukraine has depleted the UK’s stockpiles as he outlines the reasons for an increase in defence spending. His comments come after Rishi Sunak’s new pledge that the UK will spend 2.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by the end of the decade, amounting to 75 billion pounds. Report by Czubalam. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a joint press conference. Speaking today in Berlin, the prime minister confirmed the reduction in civil service headcount to pre-pandemic levels would partly fund the defence spending uplift. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Rishi Sunak met the Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss closer co-operation on security, trade and illegal migration.
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Rishi Sunak visits Germany, the day after announcing in Poland that the UK will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030. The prime minister is welcomed with military honours by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the country's capital. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds described a government minister's appearance on Question Time as "incredibly embarrassing" after he appeared to ask if Rwanda and Congo were different countries. When discussing the government policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, policing minister Chris Philp responded to an audience member’s question during the BBC One programme by asking: “Rwanda is a different country of Congo, isn’t it?”
Mr Reynolds said the Rwanda scheme has caused "significant damage to the reputation of the UK around the world." The government's Rwanda bill, which was passed in parliament last week, says any asylum seeker entering the UK "illegally" after 1 January 2022, from a safe country such as France, could be sent to Rwanda.
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The deaths of the Reading terror attack victims were "probably avoidable" and contributed to by the failings of multiple agencies, an inquest has found.
Friends James Furlong, 36, Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, and David Wails, 49, were stabbed to death by Khairi Saadallah, now 29, in Forbury Gardens on 20 June 2020.
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Royal biographer Hugo Vickers said the King's return to duties is a sign he is "on the way to recovery." Buckingham Palace confirmed today that His Majesty The King will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis. "I think the most difficult thing for him was he was really getting into his stride as head of state and he was doing so much and then suddenly he was confined to base. We'll be very pleased to see him and he'll be delighted to be out and about again," Mr Vickers added. Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The world’s first personalised mRNA cancer jab for melanoma – which also has the potential to stop lung, bladder and kidney cancer – is being tested in British patients. Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Former Post Office boss Angela van den Bogerd has left the Post Office inquiry after her second day of giving evidence. Ms van den Bogerd, who held numerous positions at the Post Office during her 35-year career, opened her evidence yesterday by saying she is "truly sorry" for the "devastation" caused to wrongly convicted sub-postmasters.
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Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf is battling for his political survival after a chaotic 24 hours which saw him end the SNP’s governing partnership with the Greens on Thursday. This was followed a couple of hours later by the Scottish Conservatives putting forward a motion of no confidence in the first minister. The motion was backed by Scottish Labour, the Scottish Lib Dems and, crucially, the Greens, who just 24 hours earlier were close cabinet colleagues. It leaves Mr Yousaf potentially having to rely on Alex Salmond’s Alba Party, and their one MSP Ash Regan, to survive a no-confidence vote. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn