Dan Jarvis says vessel tracked for several days as opposition suggest decision linked to his predecessor’s resignation

Dan Jarvis has told MPs that the Russian oil tanker seized on Sunday had been monitored for several days as he deflected suggestions that its seizure had been ordered by a prime minister under pressure after the resignation of John Healey last week.

The new defence secretary, flanked supportively in the Commons by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said the Smyrtos had been “closely tracked” as he faced a question from the Conservatives as to why the capture took place over the weekend.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) remains committed to strengthening the capabilities and readiness of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) through the development of assets, technology and human capital to ensure the force remains at the forefront of defending the country’s airspace.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that over the past 68 years, the RMAF has shouldered the responsibility of safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty with professionalism, courage and dedication.

“The RMAF plays a vital role in ensuring the security of the country’s airspace and supporting various operations to protect the nation’s interests and sovereignty,” he said in a Facebook post today in conjunction with the RMAF’s 68th anniversary celebration.

Mohamed Khaled also expressed his appreciation and gratitude to all serving and retired RMAF personnel for their contributions, sacrifices and dedicated service in defending the country’s sovereignty.

The history of the RMAF began when the Air Force Ordinance was passed by Parliament on June 2, 1958, with the force initially known as the Royal Federal Air Force.

Following the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963, the force was subsequently renamed the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). — Bernama

Keir Starmer says operation involving National Crime Agency has delivered ‘yet another blow’ to Russia and Putin

Keir Starmer said he directed British troops to seize a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, the first time the UK has led a naval capture since the start of the war in Ukraine.

The prime minister released a video on TikTok early on Sunday showing heavily armed Royal Marine commandos boarding the oil-laden Smyrtos tanker, which had been sailing south of the Isle of Wight en route from Russia to India.

Starmer ‘can’t sack him or let him resign’, says ally of Dan Jarvis after predecessor’s resignation

The new defence secretary is to revisit a controversial plan for funding the armed forces and may return to demand more cash from the Treasury, allies have said.

Multiple government sources said Dan Jarvis would look to “reprioritise” aspects of the defence investment plan (Dip), which was delayed until July after the resignation of John Healey following a disagreement over its funding.

Prime minister says British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the early hours of Sunday morning

• British armed forces intercept Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Channel

As my colleagues report in this story, teenagers under the age of 16 are expected to be banned from accessing “high-risk” social media apps while safer platforms will be subjected to restrictions, under a sweeping government crackdown.

Under-18s will also be banned from using romantic or sexual AI chatbots after a consultation on keeping children safe online.

I don’t want to get ahead of the prime minister’s announcement (expected on Monday). But when we launched the consultation, it was a question of how we better protect young people online, not if we do so.

And one of the things that a social media ban does and has been shown to do in Australia is that although it doesn’t stop all young people going online and onto social media apps, it does mean that you change the presumption at a very early age to stop the situation where kids as young as eight, nine, 10, 11 are going on to social media sites because all of their friends are on them at an age when, frankly, they’re not really emotionally equipped to be able to cope with it.