logo
Merz, Starmer to discuss defence, migration in London

Merz, Starmer to discuss defence, migration in London

RTÉ News​16-07-2025
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, with the visit set to focus on defence and illegal migration.
Mr Merz and Mr Starmer are expected to sign a friendship and cooperation treaty, with both leaders committing to boost joint defence exports.
Alongside that agreement, Germany will also introduce a law later this year to make it illegal to facilitate illegal migration to the UK.
According to Downing Street, the law will give German authorities the powers to investigate warehouses and storage facilities used by migrant smugglers.
During his first year in office, Mr Starmer has embarked on a charm offensive with European leaders.
It has seen him host multiple summits including one with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen last May and an Ireland-UK Summit last March, where both countries agreed on a programme of cooperation.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron was in London for a state visit and a France-UK summit which also focused on efforts to tackle illegal migration.
Mr Merz was elected Chancellor last May and this will be his first visit to the UK as German leader.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Starmer said: "The progress we are making today is further proof that by investing in our relationships with likeminded friends and partners, we can deliver real change for working people."
In the area of defence, both leaders will make a new commitment to deliver new "deep precision strike" capability in the next decade, with a range over 2,000km.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK will recognise Palestine in September unless Israel ‘takes steps' over Gaza
UK will recognise Palestine in September unless Israel ‘takes steps' over Gaza

Irish Independent

time22 minutes ago

  • Irish Independent

UK will recognise Palestine in September unless Israel ‘takes steps' over Gaza

The prime minister recalled the Government from their summer recess to discuss the situation. According to a readout of the Cabinet meeting issued by Downing Street, Mr Starmer told ministers 'now was the right time to move this position' on the two-state solution. The read out went on: 'He said that because of the increasingly intolerable situation in Gaza and the diminishing prospect of a peace process towards a two-state solution, now was the right time to move this position forward. 'He said that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA (UN General Assembly), unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution.' It comes after the prime minister had been under increasing pressure to recognise Palestine amid the warnings of starvation in Gaza.

UK will recognise Palestine in September unless Israel ‘takes steps' over Gaza
UK will recognise Palestine in September unless Israel ‘takes steps' over Gaza

Irish Examiner

time22 minutes ago

  • Irish Examiner

UK will recognise Palestine in September unless Israel ‘takes steps' over Gaza

The UK will recognise the state of Palestine 'in September' unless Israel takes 'substantive steps' to end the 'appalling situation in Gaza', British prime minister Keir Starmer has said. Earlier, Mr Starmer recalled his government from their summer recess to discuss the situation. According to a readout of the cabinet meeting issued by Downing Street, Mr Starmer told ministers 'now was the right time to move this position' on the two-state solution. The read out went on: 'He said that because of the increasingly intolerable situation in Gaza and the diminishing prospect of a peace process towards a two-state solution, now was the right time to move this position forward. 'He said that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA (UN General Assembly), unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution.' It comes after the UK prime minister had been under increasing pressure to recognise Palestine amid the warnings of starvation in Gaza. Read More France calls on EU to pressure Israel to move on Palestinian two-state solution

Social media giant X fails in court challenge against Irish media regulator over Online Safety Code
Social media giant X fails in court challenge against Irish media regulator over Online Safety Code

Irish Examiner

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

Social media giant X fails in court challenge against Irish media regulator over Online Safety Code

Ireland's media regulator has successfully defended a High Court challenge from social media giant X over its new Online Safety Code. The judgment of Mr Justice Conleth Bradley was delivered on Tuesday in the judicial review taken by X, formerly Twitter, against Coimisiún na Meán over the code, which fully took effect last week. Both sides have been on a collision course over the Online Safety Code, which obliges major platforms based in Ireland like X, Meta, and TikTok to adopt safeguards to protect children online. Last week, Coimisiún na Meán wrote to X to express its concerns it had not adopted measures to verify the ages of users to allow them to watch pornography on the platform. It gave the Elon Musk-owned firm until last Friday to respond and it did so, with X saying it had adopted such age assurance measures in Ireland. The regulator said it would now assess if this was robust enough to adhere to the code. It follows similar laws coming into force in the UK at the same time, which Mr Musk has hit out at and claimed 'its purpose is suppression of the people'. Virtual private networks, or VPNs, which allow internet users to mask where they are browsing from, have surged in popularity in the past week as these new measures took effect. In Ireland, two VPN providers are in the top five most downloaded apps on the Apple store in the 'utilities' section this week. Advocates have said Coimisiún na Meán must be proactive in tackling the big tech firms to which the code applies, to prevent children being exposed to pornography, extreme violence, self-harm content, and cyberbullying. The High Court had previously heard X had accused Ireland's watchdog of 'regulatory overreach' in its approach to restrictions on certain video content. The company wanted the court to quash the commission's decision from last October to adopt certain sections of the Online Safety Code, which applies binding rules to video-sharing platforms headquartered in Ireland. Penalties for breaching the code could be as high as 10% of a company's turnover. The company had further asked the court to overturn Coimisiún na Meán's decision to apply the code to X. The regulator fully defended its position in the High Court, and said it had developed codes and practices for keeping people safe online in line with Irish and European legislation. Mr Justice Bradley, having considered the arguments, said he did not believe X was entitled to the reliefs it had sought. He said X had placed 'insufficient weight' on its argument that provisions of the code went further than what was required in transposing EU legislation. The judge also said sections of the code do 'not amount to an impermissible or inconsistent overreach' of the provisions of EU legislation, meaning Coimisiún na Meán had acted within its legislative powers. Mr Justice Bradley listed the case for mention on Thursday. In a statement, Coimisiún na Meán said: 'We welcome the court's judgment and will study it in full before commenting further." X was contacted for comment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store