Keir Starmer hosts Ukrainian, French and German leaders in Downing Street after Russia fires hypersonic weapons at Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of the UK, France and Germany discussed “the urgent need to scale up” Ukraine’s air defences and deep-strike capabilities in London on Sunday night, after Russia fired hypersonic weapons at Ukraine, Downing Street said.

The meeting of Ukraine’s staunchest allies in London came hours after a Russian drone strike damaged a storage centre for spent nuclear fuel nine miles from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

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© Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock

© Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock

© Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock

Move comes as 137 Labour MPs sign letter demanding ‘urgent, concrete action’ to stop settler violence

The UK Foreign Office and a group of western countries are due to announce a package of sanctions against Israel this week designed to deter companies from becoming involved in a proposed West Bank settlement that would split the territory in two and render the concept of a two-state solution near impossible.

Nine countries including France, the UK and Australia have warned that settlement violence must stop and no company should be involved in what is known as the E1 development.

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© Photograph: Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Hazem Bader/AFP/Getty Images

Legal papers, expert investigations and social media posts tell story of how a 32-year-old Iraqi appeared to run ‘proxy’ campaign

On Monday, a slightly dishevelled Iraqi man, shackled and dressed in beige prison overalls, was ushered into a Manhattan courtroom.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, pleaded not guilty to a series of terrorism-related offences, then gestured toward the judge and prosecutors. “I’m a prisoner of war. I’m not a threat,” he told them. “Children and women are being killed by your rockets.”

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© Composite: Guardian Design/NurPhoto/Shutterstock/ Southern District of New York/AP/Reuters

© Composite: Guardian Design/NurPhoto/Shutterstock/ Southern District of New York/AP/Reuters

© Composite: Guardian Design/NurPhoto/Shutterstock/ Southern District of New York/AP/Reuters

Political victories achieved through strict party discipline and powerful financial support often result in a deepening of internal divisions, the consequences of which only become noticeable over time. Back in my days as a young public school teacher in Kentucky, I learned fast that in politics, money talks, and anything else (BS) takes a hike […]