Britain's Labour government will announce an economic policy blitz in its first King's Speech this week as it puts dozens of bills before the new Parliament.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a first test of loyalty from his massed Labour ranks as back bench MPs look to sway his position on Gaza and welfare.
King Charles III will read out Labour's legislative programme as part of the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Wednesday.
Labour is working on 35 bills in its first year as it aims for an "ambitious parliamentary session that will be built on a bedrock of economic security", Downing Street said.
The package will include laws to create a national wealth fund, relax rules on house-building and hand more powers to local politicians.
Mr Starmer is also promising "unbreakable fiscal rules", to avoid a repeat of the unfunded Liz Truss tax cuts of 2022 that sent financial markets into a tailspin.
Amendment debate
The speech is followed by several days of debate on a 'humble address', which nominally thanks the King for his speech but also acts as a vote of confidence in the government.
Two back bench Labour MPs have already announced plans to derail the address with amendments on arms sales and child benefits.
Zarah Sultana has promised to table an amendment to ban arms sales to Israel, which is also a demand of five pro-Gaza independents who won seats from Labour.
"The Israeli military is using British-made weapons in its horrifying assault on Gaza. Our new government must end this complicity and uphold the rights of the Palestinian people," Ms Sultana said.
The Labour leadership has stopped short of supporting an arms embargo, although Foreign Secretary David Lammy has not ruled out the possibility of a shift.
Labour's huge majority means it should defeat any rebellion comfortably but any vote could reveal the extent of pro-Gaza sentiment on its benches.
Pro-Palestinian candidates stunned Labour in several heartland seats at the election, capturing five and running it close in others.
Mr Lammy said Labour "recognises the agony of communities” after its vote share crashed in constituencies with a large Muslim population.
Ministers will also face a call from Labour backbencher Kim Johnson to scrap a two-child benefit cap brought in by the Conservatives.
"This policy is cruel, punitive and is pushing struggling families into further poverty," said Ms Johnson, who was re-elected in Liverpool.
The monarch's speech, the first under Labour since 2009, is written for King Charles by the government and read out from a throne in the House of Lords.
MPs are asked to attend by a messenger of the King who symbolically has the door of the House of Commons slammed in their face, asserting its independence.
The speech will include measures that Labour has already announced in its first days in office, such as a new border command to tackle illegal migration.
Any financial measures such as tax changes would normally be announced in a Budget by new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
Mr Starmer said there is "no time to waste" as he said Labour is "hitting the ground running by bringing forward the laws we will need to rebuild our country".
"This is just the down payment on our plans for the next five years, but the legislation set out at the King’s Speech will build on the momentum of our first days in office and make a difference to the lives of working people," he said.
On Thursday he will host a meeting of the 47-nation European Political Community, an informal gathering of leaders from both EU and non-EU countries.
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak will lead the opposition's response to the King's Speech, having decided to stay on as caretaker Conservative leader.
The Conservatives have yet to set out a timetable for their leadership election after winning just 121 seats, their fewest ever.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
