UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says Britain must continue to advocate for "freedom and openness" on the international stage, in what will be his first major speech on foreign policy.
Mr Sunak will warn against “short-termism” and “wishful thinking” when dealing with adversaries including Russia, Iran and China, as he pledges to stand up for British values.
“Freedom and openness have always been the most powerful forces for progress," he is expected to say during the Lord Mayor’s Banquet at Guildhall in London on Monday.
"But they have never been achieved by standing still.
“Under my leadership we won’t choose the status quo. We will do things differently.
“We will evolve, anchored always by our enduring belief in freedom, openness and the rule of law, and confident that, in this moment of challenge and competition, our interests will be protected and our values will prevail.”
Mr Sunak will stress the need to deepen ties in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen bonds that have been frayed by Brexit with Europe.
He will also say Britain must stand up to global competitors with “robust pragmatism” rather than “grand rhetoric”, according to early released excerpts of his speech.
Britain's "adversaries and competitors plan for the long term", Mr Sunak will say, referring to China and Russia.
"In the face of these challenges, short-termism or wishful thinking will not suffice", he will say.
"So we will make an evolutionary leap in our approach. This means being stronger in defending our values and the openness on which our prosperity depends."
Mr Sunak will tell international dignitaries and business leaders of the need to reinvigorate relationships in Europe, taking a sharp turn from his Downing Street predecessors Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.
Mr Johnson and Ms Truss were regarded as taking more combative approaches with allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron.
Mr Sunak will stress the need to adapt to new challenges and threats as the government updates the integrated review of defence and foreign policy.
He has been seeking to work more closely with France to tackle migrant crossings of the English Channel in small boats, and with Albania to establish a returns agreement for failed asylum seekers.
But there are concerns that efforts to broker a deal with Albania have been made more difficult by Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accused her of using “crazy words” and trying to find scapegoats for the crisis by blaming his people.
On Ukraine, Mr Sunak indicated no change with the policy pursued by Mr Johnson and Ms Truss, and says he will stand with Kyiv "as long as it takes".
“Ukrainian flags have flown over almost every town and city on these islands for the last nine months. No one told people to put them there," he will say.
“They felt moved to show solidarity with people they have never met, in a country most have never visited, to show their faith in fairness, freedom and the rule of law.
“Be in no doubt. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will maintain or increase our military aid next year.
"And we will provide new support for air defence, to protect the Ukrainian people and the critical infrastructure that they rely on.
“By protecting Ukraine, we protect ourselves.”
Rishi Sunak through the years - in pictures
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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