Trump and Starmer sign ‘tech prosperity deal’ as PM claims new US-UK investments ‘break all records’ – UK politics live

Starmer says deals worth £250bn are ‘flowing both ways across the Atlantic’

President Trump is now leaving Windsor Castle. He will be flying to Chequers by helicopter.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has thanked King Charles for what he said at the state banquet last night strongly supporting the Ukrainian cause.

I extend my deepest thanks to His Majesty King Charles III @RoyalFamily for his steadfast support. Ukraine greatly values the United Kingdom’s unwavering and principled stance.

When tyranny threatens Europe once again, we must all hold firm, and Britain continues to lead in defending freedom on many fronts. Together, we have achieved a lot, and with the support of freedom-loving nations—the UK, our European partners, and the US—we continue to defend values and protect lives. We are united in our efforts to make diplomacy work and secure lasting peace for the European continent.

Our countries have the closest defence, security and intelligence relationship ever known. In two world wars, we fought together to defeat the forces of tyranny.

Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace. And our Aukus submarine partnership, with Australia, sets the benchmark for innovative and vital collaboration.

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Russia brainwashing of Ukrainian children ‘industrial’, officials say – Euronews.com

  1. Russia brainwashing of Ukrainian children 'industrial', officials say  Euronews.com
  2. Russia Indoctrinates Children From Occupied Ukraine at 210 Sites, Study Says  The New York Times
  3. Russia gives Ukrainian kids military training and reeducation, Yale researchers find  NPR
  4. Russia subjecting abducted Ukrainian children to "forced militarization" at 210 facilities, study finds  CBS News
  5. The Russian Camp Where Abducted Ukrainian Children Reportedly Made Drones  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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French unions strike against austerity, pressuring Macron – Reuters

  1. French unions strike against austerity, pressuring Macron  Reuters
  2. Anti-Austerity Strikes and Protests Grip France  The New York Times
  3. France’s big protest: Who’s on strike, why and what’s next?  Al Jazeera
  4. Strikes and protests roil France, pitting the streets against Macron and his new prime minister  AP News
  5. Strikes and marches against budget cuts cause disruption across France, with 94 arrests – Europe live  The Guardian
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Taxpayers lose £400m as result of investment fund set up by Rishi Sunak

Report shows 334 companies backed by Future Fund, set up in May 2020 by then chancellor, have since gone under

UK taxpayers have lost £400m following the collapse of hundreds of startups backed by a heavily criticised Covid-era investment fund launched by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor.

The Future Fund spent £1.14bn backing 1,190 companies, some of them of types not usually associated with government portfolios such as the sex party organiser Killing Kittens and the now defunct festival tickets business Pollen.

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Israeli minister touts Gaza ‘real estate bonanza’, defying international backlash – BBC

  1. Israeli minister touts Gaza 'real estate bonanza', defying international backlash  BBC
  2. Israeli finance minister describes plans to turn Gaza into a 'real estate bonanza' as bombs hammer the enclave  NBC News
  3. Gaza could be 'real estate bonanza', Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich says  Sky News
  4. Revealed: Tony Blair’s US-backed proposal for ending the Gaza war and replacing Hamas  The Times of Israel
  5. Israel’s far-right finance minister suggests a real estate ‘bonanza’ in Gaza will follow the war  CNN
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Bishop calls on Christians to reclaim England flag from ‘toxic tide of racism’

Arun Arora, bishop of Kirkstall, says Christians should not be ‘neutral in the face of violence and injustice’

A Church of England bishop has called on Christians to reclaim the flag and their faith from rightwing activists, saying both were being desecrated by people seeking to divide the nation.

The Right Rev Arun Arora, the bishop of Kirkstall and the C of E’s co-lead on racial justice, made his comments in a sermon days after more than 110,000 people marched through London in a rightwing protest, many carrying crosses.

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Syria’s President Says Border Deal With Israel Could Come ‘Within Days’ – The New York Times

  1. Syria’s President Says Border Deal With Israel Could Come ‘Within Days’  The New York Times
  2. Scoop: Israel presented Syria with proposal for new security agreement  Axios
  3. Syria’s Sharaa: Security pact talks with Israel could yield results ‘in coming days’  The Times of Israel
  4. Al-Shaibani, Ron Dermer discuss Golan Heights security  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Talks with Israel could lead to results ‘in days’, says Syria’s al-Sharaa  Al Jazeera
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Macrons to submit scientific evidence to US court to prove Brigitte was not born a man

French president and wife allege rightwing influencer Candace Owens is using defamatory attacks against them to boost media profile

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife plan to present scientific evidence to a US court to prove that Brigitte Macron was not born a man, the lawyer representing them in a defamation suit has said.

The couple filed the suit in July against Candace Owens, a rightwing influencer, and her business, alleging continuing defamatory attacks against them in order to boost the profile of her media platform, gain more audience and make money.

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EU floats plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine loan, bypassing a Hungary veto – Reuters

  1. EU floats plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine loan, bypassing a Hungary veto  Reuters
  2. EU explores using €170bn of Russia’s frozen assets to fund Ukraine  Financial Times
  3. Opinion | Put Vladimir Putin’s Frozen Assets to Good Use  The Wall Street Journal
  4. Germany Backs Further Use of Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine  Bloomberg.com
  5. Spain backs EU efforts to use frozen Russian assets, cuts gas imports from Russia  TradingView
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First person removed to France under ‘one in, one out’ asylum deal, says UK

Agreement reached with France allows for removal of asylum seekers who arrive on small boats

The first Channel migrant has been deported to France under the controversial one in, one out deal, the Home Office has confirmed.

It follows three days of cancellations of tickets of asylum seekers due to fly and a high court challenge that halted the imminent removal of a 25-year-old Eritrean man to France on Tuesday evening. He was granted more time to gather evidence relating to his claim that he is a victim of trafficking.

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Italy first in EU to pass comprehensive law regulating use of AI

Legislation limits child access and imposes prison terms for damaging use of artificial intelligence

Italy has become the first country in the EU to approve a comprehensive law regulating the use of artificial intelligence, including imposing prison terms on those who use the technology to cause harm, such as generating deepfakes, and limiting child access.

Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing government said the legislation, which aligns with the EU’s landmark AI Act, is a decisive move in influencing how AI is used across Italy.

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Israel is waging a holocaust in Gaza. Denazification is our only remedy – +972 Magazine

  1. Israel is waging a holocaust in Gaza. Denazification is our only remedy  +972 Magazine
  2. The Survival of an Israeli Sparta Depends Upon a Permanent State of War  Haaretz
  3. Does Israel face a 'South Africa moment' over Gaza?  BBC
  4. Essay | Israel Is Winning the War but Losing the World  The Wall Street Journal
  5. Gaza is burning, Israel must put out the fire  Hindustan Times
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Picasso painting not seen for 80 years unveiled by Paris auction house

Portrait of Dora Maar completed in Paris during war had been in private collection since being bought in 1944

A newly discovered painting by Pablo Picasso of the French photographer and painter Dora Maar completed during the German occupation of Paris that has not been seen for 80 years, has been unveiled.

The work, Bust of a Woman in a Flowery Hat (Dora Maar), was finished towards the end of the couple’s turbulent nine-year relationship and shows Maar in a softer, more colourful light than Picasso’s previous portraits of his then lover.

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U.K. to Formally Recognize Palestinian Statehood After Trump Departs – The New York Times

  1. U.K. to Formally Recognize Palestinian Statehood After Trump Departs  The New York Times
  2. Trump Says He Disagrees With Starmer Bid to Recognize Palestine  Bloomberg.com
  3. LIVE: Trump says Putin let him down, calls for release of captives in Gaza  Al Jazeera
  4. Trump cites ‘disagreement’ with Starmer on Israel-Gaza during joint press conference  The Hill
  5. Trump holds UK news conference as Jimmy Kimmel eclipses trip: Updates  USA Today
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Trump cheers suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show after host’s Charlie Kirk comments | First Thing

The two largest Hollywood unions voiced support for Kimmel. Plus, Bernie Sanders becomes first US senator to say Israel committing genocide in Gaza

Good morning.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been suspended “indefinitely” after comments he made about the killing of Charlie Kirk, ABC has announced, hours after the Donald Trump-appointed chair of the broadcast regulator threatened broadcasters’ licenses if action was not taken against the late-night host.

What did Kimmel say? During his opening monologue for Tuesday night’s show, Kimmel said: “Many in Maga-land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” He accused the US vice-president, JD Vance, of blaming the left for Kirk’s death without evidence. “Here’s a question JD Vance might be able to answer: who wanted to hang the guy who was vice-president before you? Was that the liberal left? Or the toothless army who stormed the Capitol on January 6?” Kimmel said.

How are people reacting? Trump celebrated the suspension on social media, calling it “great news for America”. But the two largest Hollywood unions – the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild – as well as several Democratic lawmakers voiced support for Kimmel.

What’s the context? It comes after an independent UN commission of experts concluded that Israel’s actions “meet the criteria set forth in the genocide convention”. It said: “Explicit statements by Israeli civilian and military authorities and the pattern of conduct of the Israeli security forces indicate that the genocidal acts were committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a group.”

What’s the latest in Gaza City? The Israeli ground operation, which began on Tuesday morning, continues with Israeli troops pressing ahead yesterday, making further efforts to force more people to flee their homes and travel to overcrowded and unsafe areas in the south of the devastated territory. Read our coverage here.

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Jimmy Kimmel Live! suspended over Charlie Kirk comments after US government pressure

Removal of late-night show criticised as part of Trump administration’s attack on critical voices in media, academia and business

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show has been suspended “indefinitely” after the US government put pressure on broadcasters to crack down on the comedian, who had accused Donald Trump’s political movement of exploiting the killing of Charlie Kirk.

ABC, which Disney owns, announced on Wednesday night that it would remove Kimmel’s show from its schedule for the foreseeable future.

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