“An RAF airbase in Cyprus was struck by a “kamikaze” attack drone shortly after Britain gave the US permission to mount strikes against Iran from joint bases. Families of service personnel in Cyprus are being evacuated from RAF Akrotiri as a “precautionary measure”, the Ministry of Defence said. The suicide drone, of the type used extensively in Ukraine, hit the base late on Sunday evening although there was minimal damage. The attack took place around midnight local time. A defence source told The Times there was a “full assessment” underway to establish whether it was deliberate or not. Due to the time taken for the drone to reach RAF Akrotiri, the UK believes it was probably launched before Sir Keir Starmer announced he had given the green light to the US to mount airstrikes against Iran from joint bases. The prime minister said he had given the US permission to use Diego Garcia, a joint military base in the Indian Ocean, and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. He said that the move would allow the US to carry out airstrikes for a “limited defensive purpose”… Britain remains opposed to “offensive” attacks against Iranian targets. John Healey, the defence secretary, refused to say whether Britain supports the original airstrikes by Israel and the US.” – The Times
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“The number of migrants crossing the Channel is up on this time last year. Figures show 2,209 made the perilous journey compared to 2,056 in the first two months of 2025. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to launch strict Danish-style immigration reforms that have cut asylum claims there to a 40-year low. But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said only leaving the European Convention on Human Rights will fix the problem by deporting “every illegal immigrant within a week of arrival”. He told The Sun: “This weak Labour Government cannot control our borders. Under Labour, channel crossings are getting worse. Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood lack the strength to do what is needed.”” – The Sun
“Labour is making Britain’s employment law “worse than France” with new workers’ rights that put bankers and lawyers in line for unlimited payouts if they win unfair dismissal claims. In a series of private meetings last month, business leaders warned the Government that multinational companies will shun Britain if new laws championed by Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, come into force. Angry City bosses told officials at the Department for Business and Trade that scrapping a compensation cap on successful claims will make Britain less competitive than European countries such as France, Spain and Italy. At one meeting between government officials arranged by lobby group TheCityUK, several attendees highlighted that the UK was moving in the “180-degree opposite direction to what our competitors have done” on the Continent. The meeting – which was attended by legal and human resources executives at a number of Magic Circle law firms and City giants – stressed that it would leave Britain in a less competitive position than countries such as France, which is known for its onerous labour code. “We will end up with worse labour laws than France,” said one person at the meeting. “And that’s really saying something.”” – Daily Telegraph
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