Politics LIVE: International judge who ruled against Britain on Chagos is ex Chinese government official who backed Putin's invasion of Ukraine
WATCH NOW: Chris Parry slams Labour over Chagos 'surrender'
GB News
An international judge who ruled against Britain on the Chagos Islands used to be a Chinese government official who supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
While she served as vice president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Xue Hangin ruled in 2019 that Britain should hand over the archipelago to Mauritius "as rapidly as possible".
In the written document submitted to the ICJ, China declared that it backed the "decolonisation" of the territory. Her support for such a stance was considered controversial given her previous support for Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
She supported the majority verdict that led the UK to start up negotiations over the islands, which is home to a joint base shared between the UK and US.
Last October, Labour announced that it would "surrender" the territory to Mauritius and has drafted a handover deal.
China has consistently supported Mauritius' claim over the islands and those slamming Starmer's deal have suggested that Beijing is hoping to gain a foothold in the region.
Xue used to work as a Chinese Communist Party official and was director general of the department of treaty and law in the nation's foreign ministry.
The judge later became China’s ambassador to the Netherlands and to the Association of South-east Asian Nations further on in her career.
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Reform TOP YouGov poll AGAIN as Rayner, Streeting, Cooper and ‘slew’ of other Labour big beasts projected to LOSE seats
Reform UK has topped a YouGov national poll for the second time in a row
YouGov/PA
Reform UK has topped a YouGov national poll for the second time in a row sending a major warning shot to the establishment parties.
The highly respected pollsters YouGov put Nigel Farage’s party on 26 per cent, one percentage point ahead of Labour on 25 and the Conservatives on 21 per cent.
Delving into the data, YouGov’s research revealed Reform polled as the biggest party in England, third in Wales and a shocking second in Scotland.
Labour's new border tsar on £130k per year wants to work from Finland as Tories slam 'ludicrous' decision
Labour’s new border tsar will earn £130,000 per year while living in Finland as Tories have slammed the “ludicrous” decision.
John Tuckett, 73, was named by the Government last month as the “preferred candidate” for the role.
As Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, he would be in charge of assessing the Government’s performance in all areas of immigration, including tackling the small boats crisis.
In response to the appointment, shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "It’s totally ludicrous to claim an important public official can work from a different country hundreds of miles away."
Assisted dying bill in 'real jeopardy' senior campaign figure claims
The future of the assisted dying bill hangs in the balance as around a dozen MPs begin to waver on the policy's support.
Yesterday, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater proposed scrapping a safeguard requiring a High Court judge to sign off chioices for terminally ill individuals to end their lives.
The amendment was dubbed a "disgrace" by critics, who argued that the proposal seriously undermined any protection in place for vulnerable people.
"For the first time it looks like third reading is now in real jeopardy," said one senior source involved in the campaign against the policy.
Patrick Christys baffled as guest repeatedly dodges probe in defence of people identifying as llamas: 'At least answer ONE question!'
James Barr repeatedly dodged Patrick's probe in defence of Ashley Dalton's 'llama' remarksGB NewsLabour's new Health Minister has sparked fiery clash on GB News after claiming that people can "identify as llamas".
Following the Government's WhatsApp scandal, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appointed Ashley Dalton to replace outgoing minister Andrew Gwynne.
However, her appointment sparked controversy after a 2016 social media post resurfaced, where she claimed that if someone chose to identify "as a llama", they should be "treated with dignity and respect".
Discussing the claims on GB News, host Patrick Christys grew increasingly frustrated as commentator James Barr defended Dalton's stance on llamas, and dodged repeated probes on the issue.
As Patrick asked Barr how "someone who thinks that people can be animals be a health minister", Barr joked: "Where are the llamas in this conversation?"
Patrick laughed and pressed Barr for an answer again, with the commentator telling GB News: "I think the question is about llamas, really. If we're talking about llamas, we're talking about llamas, aren't we? Why are we asking a question of whether she should be near a position?"
Labour MP mocks Jewish headwear in 'vile' Labour WhatsApp group
Oliver Ryan was elected to represent the constituency of Burnley just last year in JulyGETTYText messages sent by a now suspended Labour MP have appeared to mock Jewish clothing - and threatens to kickstart a fresh row on antisemitism within the party.
In 2019, Oliver Ryan wrote that he would "eat his hat" if Labour won a Peterborough by-election.
Once the party claimed the seat, one member of the group chat said that their success was in spite of the anti-semitism allegations that had taken hold of the party at the time.
In response, Ryan made a reference to headwear worn by orthodox and practising Jews, saying: "[I] won’t eat my Shtreimel then. Or Kippah, it’ll have to be a cowboy hat or something."
Ryan became the second MP in Starmer's party to be suspended over his involvement in a 'vile' WhatsApp group called "Trigger Me Timbers".
Sinn Fein leader rejects King's offer to stay at Windsor
Sinn Fein's First Minister of Northern Ireland has snubbed the King as she rejected a formal invitation to stay the night at Windsor Castle.
Keir Starmer - along with the leaders of the devolved nations - was invited for a "sleepover" at the historic location after a private dinner on Wednesday night.
Michelle O'Neill was the only one to reject the offer, while the first ministers of Scotland and Wales and the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland accepted to stay the night.
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