Grant Shapps News

Reuters. On March 9, CENTCOM informed that the military was responding to a large-scale attack on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between 4 am and 6:30 am (as per GMT).

Rishi Sunak gave his most senior ministers little more than an hour's notice of what he was about to tell the country and had already told King Charles III, that he had decided to call a snap UK general election for July 4. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt was among those caught unaware. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who'd had to cancel a visit to Albania just to make the meeting in Downing Street, expressed surprise, but said the decision «seizes the initiative, sets the agenda and forces the choice,» according to people familiar with the conversation.

China is sending «lethal aid» to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, Britain's defence minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday. «Today I can reveal that we have evidence that Russia and China are collaborating on combat equipment for use in Ukraine,» he said in a speech at a London conference. Shapps warned that NATO needed to «wake up» and bolster defence spending across the alliance.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Washinton was concerned about China providing inputs to Russia's defence industrial base, adding that the Biden administration has taken action to deal with that in a «concerted way» with its allies and partners. He made the remarks while responding to a query about the UK Defence Minister's statement that the US and the UK have evidence that China could be providing lethal aid to Russia. In response to the question at the press briefing, Sullivan said, «Well, going back to 2022, I've actually stood at this podium and warned about my concern that China might provide weapons — direct lethal assistance to Russia. We didn't see that in 2022. We didn't see that in 2023. We have not seen that to date. I look forward to speaking with the UK to make sure that we have a common operating picture. We have had one; we've been on the same page.

NEW DELHI : Former chief of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, Lindy Cameron, is tipped to become the country’s new high commissioner to India. Should her appointment be confirmed, Cameron will be the first woman to serve as the British high commissioner in New Delhi. Alex Ellis, the incumbent British envoy, is expected to demit office shortly and move on to another diplomatic posting.

Australia is set to provide $3 billion to British industry to support the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and ensure its new fleet arrives on time

UK announced on Saturday a new £245 million ($311 million) defence package to help boost the production of «urgently needed artillery ammunition» for Ukraine, two years after war broke out with Russia. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said Ukraine's armed forces «against all odds» had recaptured large parts of the land seized by Russia in its 2022 invasion. «But they cannot win this fight without the support of the international community — and that's why we continue to do what it takes to ensure Ukraine can continue to fight towards victory,» he added.

British forces carried out a fresh round of strikes on Monday in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said. The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have said their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. In the latest response, U.S.

By Andrew Mills and Maha El Dahan

military personnel to serve across Europe in a major NATO exercise in the first half of this year, as well as warships and fighter jets, the defence ministry said on Monday. The deployment includes 16,000 British army troops who will be based in Eastern Europe from February to June, an aircraft carrier strike group and F35B Lightning attack jets and surveillance planes. NATO's Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 marks the Western alliance's 75th year. «I can announce today that UK will be sending some 20,000 personnel to take part in one of NATO's largest deployments since the end of the Cold War,» Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said in excerpts of a speech due to be delivered later on Monday at Lancaster House, published by the defence ministry. The NATO alliance has boosted the number of combat-ready troops after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago and has continued to support Kyiv with military, economic and humanitarian aid.

Yemen over recent attacks on Red Sea shipping were «necessary and proportionate», UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. «Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea,» Sunak said in a statement. «We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States… to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping,» he said. Sunak's statement followed comments by US President Joe Biden about the strikes carried out against the Houthis, who control wide areas of Yemen. Biden described the joint strikes as «defensive» and warned of further measures if the Iran-backed rebels kept attacking Red Sea shipping. He said Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands had also provided non-operational support. The Houthis have stepped up attacks in recent weeks on shipping in the Red Sea, a vital waterway through which 12 percent of world trade flows. Houthi television channel Al-Massirah said the air strikes hit the capital Sanaa as well as the cities of Hodeida and Saada. US and British forces this week shot down 18 drones and three missiles fired by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in what Washington called a «complex Iranian-designed» attack. UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said on social media platform X that four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets had taken part in Friday's strikes against Houthi targets alongside US forces. Sunak described the Houthis' actions as «irresponsible» and «destabilising» and said their attacks were «driving up commodity prices». «This cannot stand.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was on Tuesday given full ceremony Guard of Honour at the Horse Guards Parade grounds in London. There was a special parade by the British Army's Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards and the Band of the Irish Guards. The regiments represented on parade are among the most historic in the British Army. Ceremonial welcomes of this nature are considered special and memorable moments of high honour from one nation to another. Following the ceremony, Rajnath Singh and his UK counterpart, Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps, retired to the Ministry of Defence to discuss shared future military commitments and joint training opportunities Singh on Tuesday also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in Tavistock, London. Later on Tuesday, the Defence Minister will depart for the Ambedkar Museum.

security situation in the Red Sea was deteriorating and ballistic missile and drone attacks were an increased threat, as it agreed for a Royal Navy Destroyer to join a U.S.-led operation to safeguard commerce in the region. The United States said earlier on Tuesday it was setting up a task force of ships to protect shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, key trading routes, to protect shipping from the rising number of attacks launched by Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis have stepped up attacks in response to Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, forcing oil major BP and freight firms including Maersk to avoid the area. Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD)said on Tuesday that HMS Diamond, which shot down a suspected drone in the Red Sea on Saturday, would join the U.S.-led international taskforce, as it warned of the rising threat levels. «These illegal attacks are an unacceptable threat to the global economy, undermining regional security and are threatening to drive up fuel prices,» Britain's defence minister Grant Shapps said in the statement. «This is an international problem that requires an international solution.» Britain said that alongside HMS Diamond the task force currently includes three U.S. destroyers, and a French warship is in the region.

The U.S. military says an American warship shot down 14 suspected attack drones over the Red Sea on Saturday

The defense ministers of Japan, Britain and Italy have signed an agreement to establish a joint organization to develop a new advanced jet fighter, as the countries push to strengthen their cooperation in the face of growing threats from China, Russia ...

S Jaishankar, who is on a five-day official visit to the United Kingdom to give “new impetus to the friendly ties", Monday said India and Britain are currently focusing on a free trade agreement (FTA) and hoped that both the countries would find a "landing point" workable for both of them. The Indian foreign minister said the Agenda 2030 put greater emphasis on connectivity, trade, and working together when it comes to defence and security, health and all climate change. "We are focusing on what is officially called an enhanced trade partnership.

military instructors to Ukraine, rowing back from reported comments by his defence minister that he wanted to begin training Ukrainian troops in the country. To date, Britain and its allies have avoided a formal military presence in Ukraine to reduce the risk of a direct conflict with Russia. British defence minister Grant Shapps, who was appointed to the role last month, said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph newspaper that he wanted to deploy military instructors to Ukraine, in addition to training Ukrainian armed forces in Britain or other Western countries. Hours after that interview was published, Sunak said there were no immediate plans to send British troops to Ukraine. «What the defence secretary was saying was that it might well be possible one day in the future for us to do some of that training in Ukraine,» Sunak told reporters at the start of the governing Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester. «But that's something for the long term, not the here and now. There are no British soldiers that will be sent to fight in the current conflict.» Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday said any British soldiers training Ukrainian troops in Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Russian forces Britain has provided five-week military training courses to around 20,000 Ukrainians over the past year, and intends to train a similar number going forward. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Shapps said there was scope to offer military training within Ukraine after a discussion on Friday with British military chiefs. «I was talking today about eventually getting the training brought closer and actually into Ukraine as well,» he was quoted as saying.

The British government is considering scrapping a big chunk of an overdue and over-budget high-speed rail line once touted as a way to attract jobs and investment to northern England

The British government is considering scrapping a big chunk of an overdue and over-budget high-speed rail line once touted as a way to attract jobs and investment to northern England

Grant Shapps was appointed as defence secretary on 31 August. Image: Lauren Hurley / DESNZ

Claire Coutinho, a close aide of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, got a big promotion as his new Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary in a mini reshuffle on Thursday. Coutinho, 38, becomes the second Goan-origin minister after Home Secretary Suella Braverman in the Sunak Cabinet and has a tough brief ahead of her as energy costs have been soaring in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. She has committed herself to work on safeguarding energy security and reducing bills for families struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. In her first Cabinet role, Coutinho replaced Grant Shapps after he was promoted to the post of Defence Secretary following the resignation of Ben Wallace. «I am delighted to have been appointed Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.