major events
Four people died after small channel boat sank
Two men and two women have died after a small boat sank in the Channel between France and Britain, French local authorities have said. diane taylor There is a story.
Commenting on the deaths a UK government spokesperson Said:
We are deeply saddened to hear of the deaths in French waters today.
Every death in the channel is a tragedy and a reminder of the dangers of criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people for profit.
We will continue to work closely with the French and our partners abroad to stop these dangerous journeys.
French authorities are leading the response to this incident and we are supporting their investigation.
Starmer discusses options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz with Gulf defense chiefs in UAE
keir starmer has held a meeting this morning with so-called defense officials in the UAE Dragon Group Partners In the Middle East, Number 10 has said.
He thanked them for what they did to protect British citizens in the region during the Iran War and discussed future plans, stressing the need to make the ceasefire permanent and not allow Iran to hold the Strait of Hormuz “to ransom”.
The meeting in Abu Dhabi was chaired by Britain’s Chief of the Defense Staff Sir Richard Knighton, and included defense representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Egypt.
Starmer told him that Britain has always insisted on reducing tensions and therefore welcomes the ceasefire.
Some of the participants took part in a virtual military planning meeting chaired by Yvette Cooper on Tuesday for about 40 countries to discuss how to keep the Strait of Hormuz open after the fighting ends.
Starmer told them that work on detailed plans to restore freedom of navigation was not starting.
Cooper says global trade depends ‘more than ever’ on freedom of navigation, as she pushes for the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Yvette CooperThe Foreign Secretary will tell more about the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open in her Mansion House speech in the City of London this evening.
According to a previously released quote, she would say:
Fertilizer for Africa, liquefied natural gas for Asia, jet fuel for the world; Trade routes to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Oman were all hijacked by Iran so they could hold the global economy hostage.
No country can close these routes – this is against the basic principles of the law of the sea. In Britain, its importance is deeply rooted in our history, our interests and our values. We are an island nation. A marine economy. 95% of our trade happens via sea. About 40% of our food is imported.
It was Victorian Britain that pioneered freedom of the seas, maritime law and made piracy a crime of universal jurisdiction. And today, we know more than ever that freedom of navigation is the foundation of global trade. This matters for every sea, ocean and strait. Every country has a stake in this. Every industry is affected by this.
We must begin immediately to restart international shipping by supporting the International Maritime Organization’s proposals to relocate 20,000 stranded ships and seafarers in the strait – a humanitarian as well as economic first step. And then the full and unconditional reopening of the strait must be a central part not only of the current ceasefire but also of the long-term future of the region.
Cooper says Trump’s threat earlier this week to destroy Iranian civilization is ‘completely wrong’
Yvette Cooper has described Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization as “completely false” earlier this week.
Trump’s language regarding Iran became increasingly aggressive and brutal before the ceasefire, culminating in A truth social post on Tuesday Saying that “an entire civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not comply with US demands.
While some opposition politicians and backbench Labor MPs strongly condemned the President’s language, Number 10 did not respond.
But, I am saying for sky news this morningCooper condemned Trump’s comments. He said:
We have different views on issues than the United States, and it is possible for us to be strong, close partners on many issues, but it is also possible to make different decisions on issues.
I think the rhetoric that we have seen is completely wrong. I think this kind of rhetoric can have serious consequences.
Cooper also said it is important to distinguish between the repressive Iranian regime and the Iranian people as a whole.
More importantly, we must always distinguish between this lethal Iranian regime, which we have long seen threatening our neighbors, and the people of Iran, many of whom have been brutally oppressed by this Iranian regime.
How did Starmer describe Saudi Arabia as a ‘steadfast ally’ in talks with Mohammed bin Salman?
keir starmer meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin SalmanThe de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, yesterday. Unlike Donald Trump, MBS (as he is sometimes called) is not a press conference person. But Number 10 later released a readout of the conversation. It added that Starmer declared Saudi Arabia a “steadfast ally”.
For the record, here’s the full readout. A Number 10 spokesperson said:
The Prime Minister began by welcoming the ceasefire and explaining how efforts should now be focused on maintaining it and transforming it into a lasting peace.
He was clear that it is now vital to continue work to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and discussed the UK’s ongoing efforts to plan and persuade partners to take the practical steps needed to give shipping the confidence to transit the Strait.
Reflecting on the defensive operations in the region since the conflict began, the Prime Minister thanked His Majesty for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to protect British citizens in the country.
The Prime Minister pledged to continue supporting Saudi Arabia as a steadfast ally, including the recent deployment of the Sky Saber air defense system, which he met with UK personnel deployed to operate it earlier today.
The leaders then discussed how the UK and Saudi Arabia can further deepen their defense industrial cooperation to boost long-term capability and mutual security, as well as enhance their thriving trade and investment relationship.
The Prime Minister said he was pleased that Britain and Saudi Arabia would soon celebrate 100 years of friendship under the Treaty of Jeddah and that he looked forward to talks again soon.
Cooper says he is ‘deeply troubled’ by Israel’s increasing attacks in Lebanon
Yvette CooperThe Foreign Secretary told Sky News this morning that she was “deeply troubled” by Israel’s ongoing air strikes in Lebanon. He said:
I am deeply troubled by Israel’s increased attacks in Lebanon yesterday. We have seen the humanitarian consequences, massive displacement of people in Lebanon.
Yvette Cooper says Iran can’t ‘hijack’ Strait of Hormuz through shipping tolls
Good morning. Keir Starmer is still at bay, and Yvette CooperThe Foreign Secretary is doing a round of interviews this morning, before giving a speech on foreign policy this evening.
As jamie grierson According to reports, Cooper is arguing strongly that Lebanon should be included in the US-Iran ceasefire.
But Cooper There are also moves to quash suggestions that, as part of a permanent deal, Iran could be allowed to charge a $2m-vessel toll for oil tankers wishing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Rather worryingly, Donald Trump has also suggested that the US could be part of it, As a “joint venture” with Iran.
In an interview on the Today programme, Cooper made clear that it would be unacceptable for the UK to charge tolls for passage through the strait.
He said:
The starting point here is that this is an international transit route. It is international shipping that uses this. This is part of the international law of the sea. It is a passage between the high seas; This is a trade route.
When told that Iran believes these are territorial waters, not international waters, Cooper said:
As part of international maritime law, it is a transit route between the high seas.
And whether you talk about Dover or Gibraltar or other straits around the world, there may be territorial waters, but there is also an international shipping route and an international transit route, which means that freedom of navigation principles apply and countries can’t just hijack those types of international transit routes and impose unilateral tolls. They cannot do this under the laws of the sea and UN conventions.
Cooper said that protecting freedom of navigation in the strait was “vital to the global economy”.
I’ll post more from his interviews soon.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Keir Starmer is in the United Arab Emirates where he is expected to hold talks with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Later in the day he has another bilateral planned, and he is recording an interview with ITV’s Robert Peston.
10.30 am: Green leader Zac Polanski launched his party’s local election campaign at an event in London.
11 am: plaid Cymru leader Raun ap Iorworth launched his party’s manifesto for the Senedd elections at an event in Wrexham.
Morning: Lib Dem leader Ed Davey is on a campaign tour in Greater Manchester.
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