Thursday briefing: Will Keir Starmer’s cautious China gamble pay off?

In today’s newsletter: With China now central to the world’s green tech​ and economic future, the UK faces a ​s​eries of strategic ​discussions it can no longer postponeGood morning. The Starmer has landed.Yesterday, Keir Starmer became the first British prime minister to make the trip to China since Theresa May’s in 2018 (meaning a surprisingly large number of PMs didn’t) and has vowed to bring “stability and clarity” to the UK’s approach to Beijing.Iran | Donald Trump has warned time is running out for Tehran and said a massive US armada was moving quickly towards the country.Assisted Dying | Supporters of assisted dying will seek to force through the bill using an archaic parliamentary procedure if it continues to be blocked by the Lords.UK politics | Centrist ideas are no longer wanted in the Conservative party, Kemi Badenoch has said.Ofsted | A snap inspection of a Bristol secondary school criticised for postponing a visit by an MP who is a member of a group that advocates for Israel has found “no evidence of partisan political views”.BBC | The BBC has named senior executive Rhodri Talfan Davies as its interim director general, as the corporation continues the search for a permanent replacement for Tim Davie. Continue reading...