International relations, diplomacy, conflict and foreign policy.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed RAF Typhoons will fly defensive missions over Saudi Arabia, alongside new transport and advisory support, amid Houthi attacks.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readDowning Street has challenged US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks about NATO allies in Afghanistan, citing the sacrifices made by British and other coalition forces.
Staff member · 2 min readBritish troops will join multinational exercises in Poland in November to prepare for a possible future mission supporting Ukraine after a ceasefire. No UK deployment into Ukraine has been authorised.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readDonald Trump has waived major new US sanctions and tariffs against Russia, while existing British sanctions targeting Russian oil, shipping and finance remain in force.
Staff member · 3 min readShabana Mahmood has threatened a complete UK visa ban on Eritrean nationals unless the country resumes cooperation on returns, as restrictions on officials and diplomats take effect.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe UK government has pledged £17 million to help repair the protective shelter at Ukraine’s Chornobyl nuclear power plant following a Russian drone strike in 2025.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Prime Minister and Ukraine’s president discussed speeding up defensive military support before winter, following a £45 million UK missile announcement.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readKemi Badenoch has criticised Nigel Farage over comments suggesting a Chagos-related deal with Donald Trump in exchange for restraint over the Falklands. Reform UK says Farage meant long-term US use of Diego Garcia, not a transfer of the archipelago.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readArgentina has asked an international maritime tribunal to halt the Sea Lion oil project near the Falkland Islands, while the UK defends the islanders’ rights and announces business protections.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBritain has added 26 individuals and entities and 12 ships to its Russia sanctions regime, targeting oil revenues, financial networks and military supply chains.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readSigns were removed from Britain’s East Jerusalem consulate as Israel’s closure deadline expired, but the Foreign Office says the building remains operational as UK Mission, Jerusalem.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the RAF Fairford incident clearly involves a foreign actor, while British counter-terrorism police say possible foreign-state involvement remains one of multiple lines of inquiry.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe Government has confirmed Manchester will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 27 and 28 November 2027, with world leaders gathering at Manchester Central.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readThe Government is reviewing the Chagos agreement after US opposition, with Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirming that planned payments to Mauritius will not be made at this stage.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe UK Government has pledged its full support to businesses connected with the Falkland Islands after Argentina submitted legislation designed to strengthen sanctions against companies, individuals, shareholders and suppliers.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readRussia has summoned the UK’s chargé d’affaires in Moscow over British military aid to Ukraine and issued a conditional warning about alleged British facilities used for strikes on Russian territory.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has personally defended the Government's sanctions against Israeli settlements, telling MPs that Britain 'has to stand for something' and must back support for a two-state solution with action.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readIsrael has given Britain 30 days to close its consulate in East Jerusalem, while other UK officials have seven days to leave and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is among British nationals barred from entering Israel.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readIsrael has announced the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem and a series of further retaliatory measures after the UK unveiled new restrictions targeting trade linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe Government has laid legislation imposing sweeping new sanctions on Iran, including a ban on Iranian aircraft landing in the UK and expanded restrictions on finance, energy, shipping, insurance and banking.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe UK is banning imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and restricting services supporting settlement activity as the Government unveils its promised response to settlement expansion.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readAndy Burnham has raised UK domestic security, Ukraine, Hong Kong, human rights and sensitive consular cases with Chinese President Xi Jinping while backing continued pragmatic engagement with Beijing.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe UK has pledged £100 million towards a winter air-defence package for Ukraine, including support for Patriot missiles, as Britain steps up military deliveries ahead of winter.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readAndy Burnham and Donald Trump have agreed on the need to continue working towards a ceasefire in Ukraine, with the Prime Minister reiterating UK support for recent US-led peace negotiations.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readAndy Burnham has confirmed that the UK will introduce comprehensive measures in response to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, with targeted sanctions already identified as part of the planned package.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readForeign Secretary Ed Miliband is facing a diplomatic and political backlash after saying he had heard accounts of medicines being blocked in Gaza and children dying while awaiting treatment, prompting a sharp public rebuke from Israel's Foreign Ministry.
Charlotte Mercer · 5 min readBritain has summoned Russia's Chargé d'Affaires after Germany blamed Moscow for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Russia denies responsibility.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readFrance is deploying 45 additional officers to western beaches as the UK and France respond to smugglers using larger ‘mega-dinghies’ and launch sites further along the French coast.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readThe UK Government has declared its support for the Falkland Islands 'unwavering' after a senior US official reportedly refused to rule out using Washington's position on the islands as leverage in the dispute over NATO defence spending.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readIsrael is considering expelling British officials from the US-led Gaza coordination centre as tensions rise with Andy Burnham's Government over planned measures targeting Israeli settlements.
Staff member · 4 min readRussia has threatened that British military assets could be targeted in response to Ukrainian strikes using British-supported missiles, following Andy Burnham's agreement to help Kyiv produce long-range Storm Shadow weapons.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readAndy Burnham is poised to impose a trade ban on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as ministers prepare a wider response to the E1 settlement expansion.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readMauritius is reportedly preparing to press Andy Burnham at the UN over the stalled Chagos sovereignty agreement, leaving the Prime Minister caught between Port Louis and Donald Trump's opposition to the deal.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readAndy Burnham is preparing further measures targeting Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, with trade restrictions and additional sanctions reportedly under consideration.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readChancellor John Healey has backed increased US economic pressure on Iran and revealed that the UK Government has imposed more than 240 sanctions on Iran since taking office.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readAndy Burnham is preparing for his first face-to-face talks with Donald Trump as he plans to press the US President over access to Patriot air-defence interceptors for Ukraine.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBritain has become the first international partner to gain access to Ukraine's Avengers AI Labs under a new defence and artificial intelligence partnership signed in Kyiv.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe Coalition of the Willing has reaffirmed preparations for a multinational force that could deploy to Ukraine once a credible cessation of hostilities is in place.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has said Britain must be bolder in seeking closer ties with the European Union as he and António Costa called for a step change in relations.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has travelled to Kyiv on his first overseas visit as PM as Britain backs plans to assemble long-range SCALP missiles in Ukraine.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBritain, Australia and Canada have condemned Israel’s decision not to pursue criminal investigations into the 2024 strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBritain and six allied governments have demanded that Israel withdraw construction tenders for the disputed E1 settlement project in the West Bank.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readIsraeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has rejected Ed Miliband’s demand to halt the E1 settlement project, calling the UK’s position one-sided.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readReform UK MP Sarah Pochin has faced criticism after invoking France’s defeat in June 1940 during a dispute over Operation Fortress, with critics pointing to the tens of thousands of French soldiers killed defending their country.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readReform UK’s Operation Fortress has sparked a confrontation with France, an attack on the BBC from Richard Tice and a provocative Second World War jibe from Sarah Pochin.
Charlotte Mercer · 5 min readA cross-party group of MPs and peers, including Kim Johnson, has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging sanctions on Israel and full implementation of the ICJ's ruling on Palestinian rights.
Staff member · 3 min readShadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel has called for a wider investigation into former ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following his dismissal, while Mr Khan continues to deny allegations of sexual misconduct.
Staff member · 2 min readReports are suggesting Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved the continued use of British military bases for certain US strikes against Iran, with the Government describing the authorised operations as limited and defensive.
Staff member · 1 min readEd Miliband is Britain's Foreign Secretary. Britain needs a serious and credible politician to represent our country on the world stage.
Staff member · 1 min read