Page 10 - Rishi Sunak

Must never lose sight of how essential the two-state solution is: Sunak

"We must never lose sight of how essential the two-state solution is. So we'll work together with our international partners to bring renewed energy and creativity to this effort," the UK PM said

Sunak travels to Egypt for crisis talks to prevent conflict from spilling

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Egypt on Friday as part of his Middle East tour for crisis talks to prevent the Israel-Gaza conflict spilling over across the region. His talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi follow productive discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. I had an important and productive meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. We agreed on coordinated action to prevent further escalation in the region, provide vital humanitarian aid in Gaza and support stability, both now and in the long-term, tweeted Sunak after the meeting. Sunak "encouraged the Crown Prince to use Saudi's leadership in the region to support stability, both now and in the long-term", Downing Street said. His stop at Riyadh followed a visit to Israel for talks with President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during which he addressed a joint press conference with the latter to reiterate that the UK stands

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British PM Rishi Sunak pledges to stand with Israel in its 'darkest hour'

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Thursday pledged to stand with Israel in its "darkest hour" and welcomed the opening of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza as he held talks with the country's top leadership during his two-day visit to the Middle East aimed at preventing further escalation of conflict in the region. After his meetings with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sunak acknowledged the "shocking scenes" over the past day. He pledged to stand with Israel in its "darkest hour" and welcomed the opening of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza. The British Indian leader was greeted by Netanyahu with an embrace and described each other as my friend. "You described this as Israel's darkest hour. Well then it's for me to say I'm proud to stand here with you in Israel's darkest hour, as your friend we will stand with you in solidarity, we will stand with your people and we also want you to win," said Sunak, addressing a joint press conference with h

Netanyahu holds private meeting with his British counterpart Rishi Sunak

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday held a private meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at his office in Jerusalem

UK and I stand with you: Sunak assures support to Israel after reaching

He also mentioned that he would meet the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hoped for a "productive" meeting

Hopes of sealing India-UK trade deal this month may be fading: Report

The hope that the ongoing 13th round of negotiations towards an India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) could conclude with a deal for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to sign off in time for the India versus England World Cup cricket clash in Lucknow on October 29 seem to be fading, according to a UK media report on Wednesday. The Financial Times' quoted officials briefed on the negotiations to say that a lack of movement towards opening up of the Indian market to British professional services in the field of law and accountancy is among the factors for the slowdown. So much so that cricket fan Sunak's proposed return visit to India after an inaugural visit as UK Prime Minister to New Delhi for the G20 Summit last month is looking very, very unlikely to happen. The discussions are not where we want them to be, the newspaper quoted a British official familiar with the talks as saying. The Prime Minister has said he will not sign a trade deal on arbitrary deadlines. He's going to do t

Sunak condemns 'horror, barbarism' one week on from Israel-Hamas conflict

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned the horror and barbarism unleashed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and pledged continued support to Israel in restoring security as he marked one week of the conflict in the Middle East. In a statement issued by 10 Downing Street and also on social media on Saturday evening, the British Indian leader also reiterated his commitment to the Jewish community in the country that all protective measures would be deployed. His warning to anyone stirring up shameful antisemitism came as thousands of pro-Palestine protesters marched the streets of London chanting anti-Israel slogans and 15 arrests were made on suspicion of public order offences and criminal damage. No words can begin to describe the horror and barbarism unleashed in Israel a week ago. Daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, grandparents were taken from people in the cruellest and most horrific way possible, reads Sunak's statement. I know that the days and

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UK PM Sunak deploys Royal Navy ships to support Israel against Hamas

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has directed UK military assets to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel, reinforce regional stability and prevent escalation, Downing Street announced in London on Thursday. A Royal Navy task group will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts and maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying in the region from Friday to track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups. The military package, which includes P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, will be on standby to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance. We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated. Alongside our allies, the deployment o

India, UK looking at possible visit of PM Sunak to New Delhi soon

India and the UK are looking at a possible visit to New Delhi by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak soon but it may finally depend on whether the two sides could resolve the remaining differences to firm up the much-awaited free trade agreement (FTA), people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The two sides were exploring the possibility of having the visit around October 28 but nothing has been finalised yet, they said, suggesting that the visit is linked to the finalisation of the ambitious FTA. The two sides are learnt to have finalised around 24 of the 26 chapters in the FTA and are now looking at sealing it by bridging differences on certain contentious issues, including mobility of people and import duty concessions on certain items, they said. It is learnt that both sides were even looking at the possibility of Sunak watching the India-England World Cup one-day international cricket match in Lucknow on October 29. There is no finality on the visit, the people cited abov

Trudeau updates UK PM Sunak on situation of Canadian diplomats in India

Sunak hoped to see a de-escalation in the situation and agreed to remain in contact with Prime Minister Trudeau on the next steps, as per the official release

In call with Trudeau, Sunak calls for de-escalation of India-Canada row

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he hopes to see a de-escalation of the India-Canada diplomatic row in a call with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, which was dominated by the standoff over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in June. According to a Downing Street statement, the British Indian leader spoke to Trudeau on Friday evening during which he was updated on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India. Both leaders agreed to stay in contact as Sunak reaffirmed the UK position of respect for the rule of law after Canadas allegation of Indian involvement in the killing of a pro-Khalistan wanted terrorist. Prime Minister Trudeau updated on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India, reads the Downing Street statement. The Prime Minister [Sunak] reaffirmed the UK's position that all countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law, including the principles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. He hoped to see a ...

UK PM Sunak proposes raising legal age to buy cigarettes in England

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday proposed raising the legal age that people in England can buy cigarettes by one year, every year until it is eventually illegal for the whole population and smoking will hopefully be phased out among young people. Setting out his plan at the annual Conservative Party conference, Sunak said he wanted to stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place." It is currently illegal for anyone to sell cigarettes or tobacco products to people under 18 years old throughout the UK. Sunak's office said the incremental changes would stop children who turn 14 this year and those younger than that now from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England. If Parliament approves the proposal, the legal change would only apply in England not in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. People take up cigarettes when they're young. Four in five smokers have started by the time they're 20," he said. Later, the vast majority try to quit ... if we could bre

Britain not racist country, my story is a British story: Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak addressed his first Conservative Party conference as party leader in Manchester on Wednesday and used his own elevation as the country's first Indian-origin Prime Minister as proof that the UK is not a racist country and that his skin colour was not a big deal. Dubbed as the most important speech of his political career nearly a year after he took charge as Tory leader, there was a lot riding on the 43-year-old leader's address to the governing party activists ahead of a general election expected next year. After a warm and personal introduction by wife Akshata Murty, who praised his honesty, integrity and strength of character, Sunak went on to lay out his plans for what he hopes would win him the British public's mandate at the next polls. Never let anyone tell you that this is a racist country. It is not, said Sunak. My story is a British story. A story about how a family can go from arriving here with little to Downing Street in three generations, he said. He went

Akshata Murty makes UK political stage debut for 'best friend' UK PM Sunak

Britain's Indian First Lady, Akshata Murty, made a surprise debut on the political stage on Wednesday when she stepped out to introduce best friend Rishi Sunak for his maiden speech as UK Prime Minister to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. Murty, during her light-hearted and personal speech, claimed her husband was unaware of her gate-crashing as the warm-up act to the centrepiece of the annual conference and that her decision had also surprised their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka. The 43-year-old daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy went on to share her pride in Sunak's many achievements and how it was his honesty and integrity that had first attracted her to him when they met as students at Stanford University in their 20s. Rishi and I are each other's best friends; we are one team and I could not imagine being anywhere else than here today to show my support to him and to the party, said Murty. Rishi and I met when we were 24 when we were both studying

UK PM Sunak reiterates commitment to get free trade deal with India done

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reiterated his commitment to closer India-UK ties across different sectors, including a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries. Addressing a reception by the diaspora group Conservative Friends of India (CFIN) on the sidelines of the ongoing Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Monday evening, the British Indian leader began by reflecting upon his successful first visit to India as Prime Minister for the India-led G20 Summit last month. I've just come back from my first trip to India as Prime Minister and that was very successful, said Sunak. Everybody here already knows just how strong the relationship between our two countries is. At the G20, we really saw a glimpse of what the future of that relationship can be, with closer cooperation on absolutely everything from trade to defence, innovation, security, research, and I hope a free trade deal, and we can get it done, he said. The 43-year-old politician, who is leadin

G20 a glimpse of what future of India-UK ties can be: Rishi Sunak

Recalling his recent India visit for the G20 summit, Sunak said it was a special one, given the strong ties between the two countries

Good progress on bringing down inflation, says British PM Rishi Sunak

"Inflation is making people feel poorer, the quicker we bring inflation down the better it is, and that is why it is the right priority, and we are making good progress," Sunak told the BBC

Sunak under pressure over taxes ahead of first Tory conference as UK PM

Rishi Sunak will be leading his first Conservative Party conference as British Prime Minister this weekend and goes into the annual event starting on Sunday amid pressure from his backbenches over cutting taxes as the governing party prepares for a general election, expected in 2024. His predecessor, Liz Truss, who had a historically brief run at 10 Downing Street last year after her attempt at slashing taxes in a controversial mini-budget and former Indian-origin home secretary Priti Patel are among the Tory MPs openly voicing their discontent. It came after the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank issued a forecast this week that tax levels in the UK are at their highest since records began 70 years ago. This unprecedentedly high tax burden is one of the reasons our economy is stagnating and why we need to cut taxes to help make Britain grow again, tweeted Truss. We should always seek to reduce the tax burden, especially when there's so much pressure on family budgets, s