LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) – The former top official in Britain’s foreign ministry who was sacked over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as U.S. ambassador said on Tuesday he had come under a lot of pressure from the prime minister’s private office to resolve his security clearance quickly. Olly Robbins told a parliamentary select committee there was…
LONDON (AP) — A former top UK Foreign Office official says Peter Mandelson did not fail security vetting because of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Olly Robbins says concerns raised during security vetting did not relate to the convicted sex offender. He said the vetting agency considered Mandelson a “borderline case” and was “leaning toward…
TOKYO, April 21 (Reuters) – Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons. The move aimed at strengthening Japan’s defence industrial base marks another step away from pacifist restraints that have shaped…
By John Irish and Parisa Hafezi PARIS/DUBAI, April 19 (Reuters) – European allies fear an inexperienced U.S. negotiating team is pushing for a swift, headline‑grabbing framework deal with Iran that could entrench rather than resolve deeper problems, diplomats with past experience dealing with Tehran said. They worry Washington, eager to claim a diplomatic win for…
April 17 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Friday for joint efforts for an effective mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and said Kyiv’s wartime experience in the Black Sea could help. “Decisions made regarding Hormuz now will determine how other aggressive actors perceive the possibility of creating…
WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. is urging G20 members and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to take coordinated action to ensure fertilizer access amid disruptions in food trade supply chains caused by the war in the Middle East, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott…
LONDON, April 17 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday faced renewed calls from his political opponents to resign after it was revealed that his former ambassador to the United States failed security vetting and was still allowed to take up the job. The government on Thursday confirmed Mandelson – who was subsequently…
PARIS, April 17 (Reuters) – France and Britain will chair a meeting on Friday of around 40 countries aimed at signalling to the United States that some of its closest allies are ready to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow. Iran has largely closed the…
PARIS (AP) — The leaders of France and the U.K. will gather dozens of countries — but not the United States — on Friday to push forward plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil route choked off by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The Paris meeting is part of attempts by sidelined…
By Michaela Cabrera and Daria Sito-Sucic VILLERS-COTTERETS, France, April 16 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron urged high school pupils on Thursday to switch off their phones and read, pushing for one “no screens day” per month for all, and a blanket social media ban for those under 15 years of age. Following Australia’s groundbreaking…