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Politics latest: Wes Streeting announces national investigation into maternity safety

Wes Streeting has announced a national investigation into maternity safety. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has accused Keir Starmer of being 'totally dumbfounded' by US strikes on Iran over the weekend.

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ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y and Starmer to discuss new ways to hike pressure on Russia

Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y will discuss Ukraine's defences with Sir Keir Starmer when the leaders meet for talks on Monday.

The Ukrainian president said he expected to discuss new ways to increase pressure on Russia ahead of a NATO summit that starts on Tuesday.

His arrival in the UK follows reports that Russia fired 352 drones and 16 missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing at least 10 civilians including seven in Kyiv.

ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y said preliminary reports indicated Russia had used North Korean missiles to attack Kyiv and described those two countries, and Iran, as a "coalition of murderers".

His visit to London comes the day before NATO leaders are set to meet in The Hague for a two-day summit, with increased defence spending top of the agenda.

ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y has been invited to the summit but will not take part in its main discussions, and it is still unclear whether he will attend at all.

Politics At Sam And Anne's: The four questions Starmer will be asking on Iran

  馃憠Listen to Politics At Sam And Anne's on your podcast app馃憟

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Donald Trump about the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table after Tehran's warning of "everlasting consequences" for the US bombing raid on their nuclear sites.

On this episode, Sam and Anne discuss the key questions facing the UK government after the military action, including what escalation could look like and whether Britain is ready for the economic blowback.

Plus, they also discuss the government's new industrial strategy, with eight industries singled out for support and a promise to help lower energy prices from 2027 for certain companies, though not for others. 

Sam and Anne discuss how it will be paid for.

Labour MP accuses Bangladesh's leader of 'orchestrated campaign' to damage her reputation

Former minister Tulip Siddiq has accused the leader of Bangladesh of conducting an "orchestrated campaign" to damage her reputation and "interfere with UK politics", according to a new legal letter seen by Sky News.

The Labour MP also said comments made by Professor Muhammad Yunus in a Sky News interview have prejudiced her right to a fair investigation, meaning the ongoing corruption inquiries into her should be dropped.

In March, the chief adviser - who is effectively the country's interim leader - told Sky News that Siddiq "has so many (sic) wealth left behind here" and "should be made responsible".

Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has opened several investigations into Siddiq alleging corruption in connection with the government of her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as the country's prime minister last year.

In the new correspondence sent today to Professor Yunus and the ACC, lawyers for the former minister write: "The time has now come for the chief adviser and the ACC to abandon their wholly misconceived and unlawful campaign to smear Siddiq's reputation and interfere with her public service."

Sky News has approached the chief adviser and the ACC for comment.

Chancellor condemns 'unacceptable' action of pro-Palestine activists

Rachel Reeves has condemned activity by the group Palestine Action as "unacceptable" after campaigners damaged planes at an RAF base.

Sky News understands the home secretary will take steps to proscribe the Palestine Action Group on Monday.

Reeves said: "Whatever your views are about what's happening in the Middle East, these actions are unacceptable, and the home secretary will be making a statement to parliament later today."

Watch: What's happening to Palestine Action?

Reeves was also asked about plans by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to grant wealthy foreigners a 10-year residence permit and tax benefits in exchange for a one-time fee of 拢250,000.

Reeves said: "Let's be really clear what Reform have set out today. A tax cut for foreign billionaires. 

"That would mean taxes of ordinary working people would have to go up to compensate for those lack of revenues."

It would also mean cuts to public services like the NHS, she added.

Escalation in the Middle East in 'no one's interests', chancellor says

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has reiterated that de-escalation is needed in the Middle East after the US targeted three nuclear sites in Iran.

She said the UK agrees with Donald Trump that Iran "should never be able to develop a nuclear weapon".

"That's why the US took the action that it took," she said.

"The prime minister spoke to President Donald Trump on the phone last night to discuss next steps."

She added the US and UK agree that "Iran needs to get back to the negotiating table", and "we want to see a de-escalation because an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is in no one's interests".

UK ready to 'defend our allies'

Asked if the US attack on Iran is illegal, Reeves said: "It's up to the US鈥� we weren't involved in those actions".

"We believe very strongly that Iran should never be able to develop a nuclear weapon," she said. "But what is needed now is a return to the negotiating table, to reduce that threat." 

Reeves added that the UK has moved "assets to the region, including fighter jets, to defend our personnel, our bases".

This is also to "defend our allies", she said.

GPs can prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today - but strict eligibility criteria in place

GPs will be able to prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today.

About 220,000 people with the "greatest need" are set to receive Mounjaro - with strict criteria for the first year of the rollout.

Initially, only those with a body mass index of over 40 who have at least four other health problems linked to obesity will be eligible.

Some doctors have raised concerns about the additional workload this new programme will bring, while pharmacists fear it could lead to supply shortages.

While an estimated 1.5 million people are now taking weight loss drugs across the UK, they could previously only be accessed through specialist services or private prescriptions.

Streeting announces national maternity care investigation

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a "rapid national" investigation" into maternity care.

Streeting made the announcement to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Up to 10 most at risk units will be investigated, and report by Christmas. It will also look at the maternity and neo-natal system as a whole.

The health secretary says the review will be based on a similar investigation into the state of the NHS carried out by Lord Darzi.

In his speech, Streeting acknowledges the failures at locations like Nottingham, Leeds and Sussex, among others.

He says he wants to end the mindset of deaths at birth being something that just "happen".

The health secretary says he will chair a new national maternity and neonatal taskforce, that will also include "a panel of esteemed experts and bereaved families", according to a government announcement.

'Britannia Card': Farage unveils tax policy allowing wealthy foreigners to buy 10-year residence permits

Now, Nigel Farage turns to his tax policy.

He says there is a "political narrative that has got stronger and stronger" over the years - whether it is fair to tax the rich more.

"Is it fair that people earn these vast sums of money? Surely we should tax them more," he says.

"And you might have thought traditionally this would be a policy that would come from the Labour Party, but not a bit of it, not a bit of it. In 14 years in power under the Conservatives, we saw taxes go up, we saw thresholds frozen. 

"We saw significant changes to non-dom tax rules. Indeed, there were something like 150,000 people with non-dom tax status 10 years ago. 

"That number today probably, we don't know officially yet, but probably nearer now to 60,000 than 70,000. And falling very, very quickly."

'It all goes back to the bailouts'

Farage explains that since 2008, "the rich have got richer, and those at the lower end of the scale are simply no better off".

He adds: "It all goes back to the bailouts. It all goes back to the failures of the banking system in 2008, when effectively it was the little man and woman bailed out the big banks."

Turning to his plan, Farage warns that "many talented people are leaving" the UK - and "we want, as a party, as many entrepreneurs, as many risk-takers, as many job creators, as many people paying lots of tax, and as many people to invest in huge sums of money".

"That is why today we're coming up with this idea of the Britannia Card."

Under this plan, wealthy foreigners and returning British citizens would be granted a 10-year residence permit and tax benefits in exchange for a one-time fee of 拢250,000.

PM 'totally dumbfounded' by US action in Iran, Farage says

Nigel Farage has said he is "pleased that the Americans have intervened" in the Middle East as he kicked off a speech on his new tax policy.

Addressing the US decision to strike three military sites in Iran, Farage says: "Generally, I'm against military interventions, I was vehemently opposed to what happened in Libya."

But, he says, "in this case, this Iranian regime is brutal, evil and has been there for four decades."

Farage adds that he believes the American reports are correct and "Iran no longer has nuclear capability, and we'll see what comes after that".

Farage: Britain should help the US

He then takes aim at Sir Keir Starmer, saying the prime minister was the "only person in the country who didn't seem to know that the Americans were about to do something".

He says Starmer appears to be "totally dumbfounded by the whole thing".

The PM "says there should be de-escalation, whilst in the next sentence saying Iran should not have nuclear capability", he adds.

"We look forward to the prime minister explaining to the House of Commons this afternoon exactly what the British position is."

Later, Farage says he believes the UK should help the US if we are asked.

Farage unveils Robin Hood-style tax policy - follow live

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is delivering a speech at the moment, in which he will announce a radical tax policy.

This will offer non-doms the chance to pay a 拢250,000 fee to shield them from tax, with the proceeds going directly to the lowest paid.

We'll bring you all the key updates throughout - stay tuned.