Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni vowed to work together on tackling illegal migration at a meeting at No 10 Downing Street on Thursday.
The pair exchanged warm words before their private talks, which touched on issues including defence, immigration policy and bilateral trade.
Mr Sunak described the UK and Italy’s values as “very aligned”, while Ms Meloni praised him as a “very strong” and empathetic leader.
Stemming the flow of migrants is a key issue for both governments, with Mr Sunak having made “stopping the boats” crossing the English Channel one of his priorities.
Ms Meloni, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, is in Britain for a two-day state visit and was the subject of a small protest at Downing Street over her hardline stance on migration.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the gates of Downing Street as the leaders met, holding signs that read “No to fascist Meloni” and chanting: “Refugees in, Meloni out.”
The pair will sign an agreement, which Mr Sunak said would strengthen co-operation on reducing irregular migration, defence and the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
They will later head to Westminster Abbey for a private tour.
The British Prime Minister paid tribute to Ms Meloni’s “very careful handling of the Italian economy”.
He told her: “I think the values between our two countries are very aligned, which is why we can work so well together on shared challenges, whether it’s responding to Putin’s illegal invasion in Ukraine, where again I pay tribute to your leadership, but also tackling illegal migration, which is something that is common to both of us.”
“We have nations that, as you said, well they have a strong partnership since decades, but I think there is much more that we can do on many topics on which we are on the same side – defence, Ukraine,” she said.
“Tackling traffickers and illegal migration is something that your government is doing very well.
“I’m following your work and I absolutely agree with your work and I think there are many things that we can do together.”
She also hailed a “new beginning” for bilateral co-operation.
The meeting comes a day after the UK government’s asylum bill cleared its final stages in the House of Commons, though it will face a stiff test in the Lords when it undergoes further scrutiny.
The Illegal Migration Bill would change the law so people who arrive in the UK illegally would be detained then promptly removed, either to their home country or a safe third country such as Rwanda.
In Italy, Ms Meloni has led a crackdown on people smugglers and on rescue ships run by charities, which she says are encouraging a growing number of migrants to risk dangerous voyages from North Africa across the Mediterranean.
On the agenda, too, is the agreement between the UK, Italy and Japan to develop next-generation fighter jets.
Under the defence partnership, announced in December, it is hoped the planes, called Tempest in the UK, will be flying by 2035 and serve as a successor to the RAF Typhoon.
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
