Starmer to resume aid funding to Palestine relief agency UNRWA as Cobra meeting held over IT outage - live

Sir Keir Starmer ’s Labour government is set to resume funding to UN Palestine relief agency UNRWA for Palestinians escaping the war in Gaza .

The Conservative government stopped the money alongside the US in January following accusations from Israel that staff members were involved in the 7 October attacks. But the UN investigation into the allegations is still ongoing.

During the King’s Speech debate, foreign secretary David Lammy said Britain was “absolutely committed” to a two-state solution for Palestinians but he claimed the plan must guarantee the security of Israel.

Following the major IT outage hitting airlines, train companies and banks , government officials held a Cobra emergency meeting to address the chaos in trains, GPs and TV channels.

It comes as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky urged the British government to help Kyiv’s lift restrictions on how the country can use weapons supplied by western allies.

Addressing ministers in Downing Street , Mr Zelensky discussed the situation in Ukraine and called for the need to expand Europe’s defence industrial base, as well as agreeing a £3.5bn defence export finance deal with Sir Keir.