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UK and France order more cruise missiles, pledge nuclear cooperation
The two nuclear-armed members of the UN Security Council will highlight deeper defense ties during meetings between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in London. They will also order more of the conventionally armed Storm Shadow cruise missiles that they've been supplying to Ukraine and accelerate efforts to develop a next-generation replacement for the weapons, according to a statement from the British defense ministry.
The announcement made during a state visit to the UK by Macron is part of an attempt by both leaders to signal their commitment to Europe's sovereign defense capabilities amid the threat from Russia as the US signals a desire to pare back its traditional security role in the continent under President Donald Trump.
'From war in Europe to new nuclear risks and daily cyber attacks, the threats we face are multiplying,' Starmer said in the statement. 'As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defense collaboration and today's agreements take our partnership to the next level.'
Starmer and Macron are also expected to announce a new plan to tackle migrant crossings on the English channel on Thursday. Le Monde reported that France would only accept the return of up to 50 migrants per week under the agreement, a relatively small share given that 695 migrants arrived across the channel to the UK this past week. Defence Secretary John Healey didn't deny the contents of the report on Thursday.
A series of other Anglo-French projects on air-to-air missiles, directed energy weapons, space and artificial intelligence will also be advanced, under the badge of a new 'Entente Industrielle' — a play on the Entente Cordiale, a set of early 20th-century agreements designed to improve relations between the historic adversaries. Healey said the two militaries will increase coordination, allowing a force of around 50,000 to be ready to activate and defend Europe within NATO.
Earlier: Macron Pushes Starmer to Recognize Palestine on Visit to UK
The further commitment to the Storm Shadow program, and the step closer to choosing a final design for its successor deep strike missile, comes after the weapon was deployed by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia.
Starmer and Macron are to dial in to a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing on Thursday, a group of countries that have pledged continued support for Ukraine. A senior French official said a representative from the US — although not Trump himself — would also join the call, in a further sign of American backing for the country just a day after the president vowed to resume halted weapons deliveries.
The coalition will announce that it has an operation command center on that call, the official said.
Known as SCALP in France, Storm Shadow missiles have a maximum range of around 250 kilometers (160 miles). They are produced by the multinational European arms maker MBDA and are seen as having exceptional accuracy because of their advanced navigation system.
The missiles fly close to the terrain at high speeds and using a combination of so-called inertial navigation with Global Positioning System and terrain-reference navigation, according to a fact-sheet on the MBDA website. Each missile costs almost $1 million. The UK government did not say how many it would order nor whether they are to replenish domestic stocks or to send on to Ukraine.
Britain began allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow against targets inside Russia in November 2024, following a decision by then US President Joe Biden to approve Kyiv's limited use of the weapons to hit military sites on Russian territory.
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United News of India
11 minutes ago
- United News of India
France to recognize Palestinian state: Macron
Paris, July 25 (UNI) French President Emmanuel Macron has said France will recognize a Palestinian state in an announcement to the United Nations General Assembly in September. 'True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine,' Macron posted to X yesterday. 'The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and to rescue the civilian population,' he continued, reiterating calls for an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid for the population of Gaza, the release of all hostages and the demilitarization of Hamas, reports CNN. 'We must build the state of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative,' Macron added. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the consul in Jerusalem delivered a letter from Macron to the Palestinian Authority stating France's intention. Palestinian Authority (PA) Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh posted to X thanking Macron for his letter to PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Soon after, Hamas has welcomed President Macron's announcement that France will recognize a Palestinian state. Hamas called it 'a positive step in the right direction toward achieving justice for our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on all of their occupied territories.' However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned French President Macron's decision to recognize Palestinian statehood. 'Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became,' the PM said in a statement. 'A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,' he added. UNI XC SS

Business Standard
11 minutes ago
- Business Standard
France to recognise Palestinian state at UN in September, says Macron
France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States. Macron, who unveiled the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convincing other partners to follow suit. "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine," Macron said. Home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially fuelling a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel. The news sparked anger in Jerusalem and Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of Israel's closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy." In a post on X, he added, "A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel' not to live in peace beside it. "Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism," adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a "Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence." In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States "strongly rejects (Macron's) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly." In a post on X, he said, "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Earlier, Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its "failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza" and reiterating support for a two-state solution. Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. "Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith," he added. "We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza." In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against US foreign policy interests and draw consequences. In June, Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a US foreign policy goal. Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so. French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. The conference was postponed under US pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which the closure of regional airspace made it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend. It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28 and July 29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Creating Momentum The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week's conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries that are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or have misgivings in doing so. Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. About 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week. Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have called "a nuclear bomb" for bilateral ties. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives - even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas. Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority's Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron's decision reflected "France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state." (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India-UK trade pact — a template for deals with America and Europ
On Thursday, India and the UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement that has been many years in the making. Leaders of both countries exuded confidence that the agreement would open up markets and bring enormous benefits to their countries. The goal is to double bilateral trade between the nations from roughly $56 billion now. The signing of the deal was accompanied by the unveiling of the UK-India Vision 2035 — which envisages greater engagement in areas such as defence, tech and education, indicating a desire to deepen the relationship between the two countries. Through this trade agreement, said to be one of the most comprehensive deals that Delhi has entered into, India has indicated its willingness to bring down its tariffs substantially as it seeks to integrate more closely with developed countries and encourage more investment into the country. Delhi's high tariff walls have been criticised by others, including the US. The Office of the United States Trade Representative had recently noted that India's average applied tariff rate was 17 per cent, while that on agricultural products was even higher at 39 per cent. As per reports, under this new deal, the average tariffs on British products will fall from 15 per cent to 3 per cent, which could potentially lead to a large increase in UK exports. On the other hand, the agreement paves the way for 'unprecedented duty free access for 99 per cent of India's exports to the UK', covering almost the entire trade basket. This includes labour intensive segments such as textiles, leather, footwear and gems and jewellery, as well as sectors like engineering goods and auto components. Alongside, India has secured significant commitments on services and labour mobility. The agreement increases market access in critical areas such as IT and IT-enabled services as well as financial, legal, professional and educational services. The double contribution convention agreement will help Indian professionals and their employers avoid making social security payments in the UK, thereby bringing down the costs of doing business. The India-UK deal comes at a time when the global trading architecture has been upended by US President Donald Trump's tariff policies. Trump has over the past few days announced new deals with countries such as Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, after similar agreements with Britain and Vietnam, with the tariffs ranging between 10 and 20 per cent. In the case of India, even as talks continue, a deal remains elusive. India is also negotiating a deal with the EU — as this paper has reported, the two sides have agreed to seven out of 23 chapters in the agreement. The deal with the UK could serve as a template for some of the issues, especially the more contentious ones. Delhi must press ahead with these trade agreements as it seeks to integrate with global supply chains more closely.