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Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Jack Blanchard share their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes. 

On the day Sir Keir Starmer addresses the Labour Party conference as prime minister for the first time, Jack and Sam set out what he’ll announce and ask whether he can pull off his tough messaging.

They also talk about the conflict in the Middle East, as the prime minister travels to the UN General Assembly in New York later.

👉 Tap here to follow Politics at Jack and Sam’s wherever you get your podcasts 👈

You can send a WhatsApp to Jack and Sam on 07511 867 633 or email them: jackandsam@sky.uk

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Court prolongs Tornado Cash developer Pertsev’s pre-trial detention

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Court prolongs Tornado Cash developer Pertsev’s pre-trial detention

The court decision raises alarming legal concerns for the developers of privacy-preserving blockchain protocols.

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Starmer says UK will ‘set out a path’ to raise defence spending to 2.5%

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Starmer says UK will 'set out a path' to raise defence spending to 2.5%

The UK will “set out a path” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.

Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.

There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and  Keir Starmer, during a trilateral meeting in 10 Downing Street.
Pic: PA
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Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer and NATO boss Mark Rutte in October. Pic: PA

Ukraine war latest: Follow live updates

A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.

They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.

“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.

“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”

The defence review will also be published in the spring.

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While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.

They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.

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Coin Center warns US policies could scare away crypto investors despite Trump win

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Coin Center warns US policies could scare away crypto investors despite Trump win

Coin Center says that while a Trump administration will undoubtedly be positive for crypto, there are still several ongoing cases that could prove troublesome to investors and developers.

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