The Guardian – UK breaks with US to suspend 30 arms export licenses to Israel
The Guardian says the UK government has split with the Biden administration after it suspended 30 arms export licences to Israel. The paper says the move is “likely to cause tensions” with the Biden administration. It also quotes the Foreign Office saying that no definitive conclusion has been reached on whether UK arms have contributed to the destruction of Gaza, but that the scale of the destruction and the number of civilian deaths have caused great concern.
UK suspends 30 arms export licences to Israel after review
The UK has broken with the Biden administration on a significant part of their tightly coordinated policy towards Israel by announcing it is suspending some arms export licences to Israel because of a “clear risk” they may be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The Foreign Office said a two-month internal review had raised concerns about the way Israel had conducted itself in the conflict in Gaza and that the decision specifically related to concerns around the treatment of Palestinian detainees and the supply of aid to Gaza.
No definitive conclusion has been reached about whether UK arms export licences have contributed to the destruction in the territory. But the scale of the devastation and the number of civilian deaths caused great concern, the Foreign Office said.
The suspension, which is likely to cause tensions with the US government, covers components for military aircraft, helicopters, drones and targeting equipment.
Firms criticised by Grenfell inquiry face calls to be banned from public contracts
Companies criticised by the Grenfell Tower inquiry are facing calls to be banned from public contracts as it emerged that about £250m in deals have been made in the past five years with corporations involved in the high-rise’s refurbishment.
A leading member of Grenfell United, which represents bereaved family members and survivors of the tower’s 2017 fire, said companies found to have been to blame should no longer receive public contracts.
Searches of public contracts by the outsourcing data firm Tussell for the Guardian found numerous deals between councils, health authorities and housing associations and the companies that were involved in the disastrous refurbishment as well as their subsidiaries.
They include companies currently or formerly owned by Saint-Gobain, which made the combustible Celotex insulation used on the tower, and Rydon, the main contractor for the works.
Speaking before Wednesday’s publication of the final public inquiry report on causes of the 2017 fire, Karim Mussilhy of Grenfell United said: “If we see that these companies behaved fraudulently and manipulated the system, it’s not unreasonable to remove them from any public contracts and frameworks in the UK.”
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 03 September 2024.
A variety of stories lead Tuesday’s newspapers with the news the UK has suspended some weapons sales to Israel one of the most popular leads. Elsewhere, other domestic stories – mostly political make the front splashes.
The back page speculates on Manchester United’s boss Erik Ten Hag after a poor start to the new Premier League season. There is also coverage of British tennis player Jack Draper – who’s through to the last eight of the men’s singles of the US Open.