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Britain will send a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine to help counter Russia’s invasion “in the coming weeks”, Downing Street says.

It marks the first time a Western country has pledged tanks to Kyiv.

Around 30 AS90s, which are large, self-propelled guns, operated by five gunners, will also be provided.

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The details were announced following a call between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, on Saturday.

It comes after Sky News exclusively revealed the UK was considering supplying Ukraine with British tanks.

The hope is that other allies will follow suit, most notably Germany, unlocking the Leopard 2 tank, which was manufactured in far greater numbers and is used by several other European countries.

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Ukrainian troops to be trained in UK

The UK will begin training the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use the tanks and guns in the coming days, with more information set to be provided by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Monday.

Mr Wallace travels to Estonia and Germany this week to discuss NATO efforts to aid Ukraine, while James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, is heading to the US and Canada.

The provision of tanks and weapons is to help ensure “Ukraine wins this war”, a Number 10 spokesperson said.

“The prime minister is clear that a long and static war only serves Russia’s ends,” they added.

“That’s why he and his ministers will be speaking to our allies across the world in the days and weeks ahead to ramp up pressure on Putin and secure a better future for Ukraine.”

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How will UK tanks help Ukraine?

PM’s call with Zelenskyy

Following Saturday’s call between Mr Sunak and Mr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s leader thanked the UK for its “impenetrable” support of his country’s war effort.

“Always strong support of the UK is now impenetrable and ready for challenges,” he tweeted.

“In a conversation with the prime minister, I thanked for the decisions that will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners.”

The Russian Embassy in London said the decision would drag out the confrontation, lead to more victims including civilians, and was evidence of “the increasingly obvious involvement of London in the conflict”.

It added: “As for the Challenger 2 tanks, they are unlikely to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine turn the tide on the battlefield, but they will become a legitimate large target for the Russian artillery.”

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Earlier this week, Western officials warned Ukraine would not be able to take back significant territory from Russia without an increase in fighting power, including tanks and other heavy armour.

The US has promised 50 Bradley tank-killing armoured vehicles in its biggest military assistance package to date.

Many of the UK’s 227 Challenger 2 tanks are not in a condition to be deployed, and the 14 being sent to Kyiv will be accompanied by ammunition, spare parts, and the ability to be maintained.

In service since 1994, it weighs 62.5 tonnes and is armed with a 120mm rifled gun and a 7.62mm chain gun.

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A Leopard II battle tank
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Ukraine has long requested German-made Leopard II tanks

Will anyone else send tanks?

Ukraine has long requested the mass-produced, German-made Leopard II tanks, used by several European allies, including Germany, Poland, Finland, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Warsaw and Helsinki have already signalled a willingness to supply their Leopard tanks to Kyiv, but this requires approval from Berlin because Germany holds the export licence.

Germany has announced it will supply around 40 Marder armoured personnel carriers, and France promised wheeled AMX-10 RC tank destroyers.

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League table of foreign criminals awaiting deportation and their offences set to be published

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League table of foreign criminals awaiting deportation and their offences set to be published

A league table of foreign criminals and their offences is set to be published for the first time.

The plans, due to be announced on Tuesday, will reportedly focus on those offenders awaiting deportation from the UK.

The latest data shows there were 19,244 foreign offenders awaiting deportation at the end of 2024, a rise from 17,907 when the Conservatives left office in July and 14,640 at the end of 2022.

Despite more offenders being deported since Labour came to power, the number waiting to be removed from the UK has been growing.

Factors are understood to include the early release of inmates due to prison overcrowding, instability and diplomatic problems in some countries and a backlog of legal cases appealing deportation.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the decision to publish the nationalities of foreign criminals showed Labour had “buckled” under pressure from the Conservatives to disclose the data.

The latest government statistics show there were 10,355 foreign nationals held in custody in England and Wales at the end of 2024, representing 12% of the prison population.

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The most common nationalities after British nationals were Albanian (11%), Polish (8%), Romanian (7%), which also represented the top three nationalities who were deported from the UK in 2024, according to Home Office figures.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is understood to have ordered officials to release the details by the end of the year, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper reported Ms Cooper overruled Home Office officials, who previously claimed it was too difficult to provide quality data on foreign criminals.

A Home Office source said: “Not only are we deporting foreign criminals at a rate never seen when Chris Philp and Robert Jenrick were in charge at the Home Office, but we will also be publishing far more information about that cohort of offenders than the Tories ever did.”

The source added that ministers wanted “to ensure the public is kept better informed about the number of foreign criminals awaiting deportation, where they are from and the crimes they have committed”.

In March, the government announced £5m in funding to deploy staff to 80 jails in England and Wales to speed up the deportation of foreign offenders.

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Foreign nationals sentenced to 12 months or more in prison are subject to automatic deportation, but the home secretary can also remove criminals if their presence in the UK is not considered desirable.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the news, saying: “We will finally see the hard reality that mass migration is fuelling crime across our country… Frankly, the public deserved to know this [detail on foreign criminals] long ago.”

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Rachel Reeves to head to Washington amid hopes of US trade deal

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Rachel Reeves to head to Washington amid hopes of US trade deal

Rachel Reeves will pledge to “stand up for Britain’s national interest” as she heads to Washington DC amid hopes of a UK/US trade deal.

The chancellor will fly to the US capital for her spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the first of which began on Sunday.

During her three-day visit, Ms Reeves is set to hold meetings with G7, G20 and IMF counterparts about the changing global economy and is expected to make the case for open trade.

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Her visit comes after Donald Trump imposed blanket 10% tariffs on all imports into the US, including from the UK, and as talks about reaching a trade deal intensified.

The chancellor will also hold her first in-person meeting with her US counterpart, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, about striking a new trade agreement, which the UK hopes will take the sting out of Mr Trump’s tariffs.

In addition to the 10% levy on all goods imported to America from the UK, Mr Trump enacted a 25% levy on car imports.

Ms Reeves will also be hoping to encourage fellow European finance ministers to increase their defence spending and discuss the best ways to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.

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Speaking ahead of her visit, Ms Reeves said: “The world has changed, and we are in a new era of global trade. I am in no doubt that the imposition of tariffs will have a profound impact on the global economy and the economy at home.

“This changing world is unsettling for families who are worried about the cost of living and businesses concerned about what tariffs will mean for them. But our task as a government is not to be knocked off course or to take rash action which risks undermining people’s security.

“Instead, we must rise to meet the moment and I will always act to defend British interests as part of our plan for change.

“We need a world economy that provides stability and fairness for businesses wanting to invest and trade, more trade and global partnerships between nations with shared interests, and security for working people who want to get on with their lives.”

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Murder arrest after woman stabbed to death in Enfield – as victim named

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Murder arrest after woman stabbed to death in Enfield - as victim named

A woman who was stabbed to death in north London has been named by police – as a man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Pamela Munro, 45, was found with a stab wound and died at the scene in Ayley Croft, Enfield, on Saturday evening, the Metropolitan Police said.

A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday and is in custody, the force added.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: “Investigating officers have worked relentlessly across the weekend to investigate the circumstances around Pamela’s death.

“We continue to support her family who are understandably devastated.”

GVs from SN footage on 20/04/2025 at scene of murder on 19/04/2025 of woman at Gainsborough House, Ayley Croft, Enfield in north London.
Ingest 25 NM25 SKY SAF ENFIELD MURDER GVS ENFIELD 2045
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Police at the scene at Ayley Croft in Enfield

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The Met Police has asked anyone with information or who was driving through Ayley Court between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and may have dashcam footage to contact the force.

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