Texas cracks down on birth tourism

The Liberal Democrats have called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to directly contact European leaders and lobby for an immediate suspension of the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES) until at least September. Speaking at Heathrow Airport, foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller criticised the biometric scheme as a “bungled, malfunctioning border system” that risks ruining summer holidays for millions of British citizens during peak travel periods. The call comes as approximately 2.2 million British holidaymakers prepare to travel abroad over the weekend following the start of school summer breaks across the UK. Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Turkey remain the primary destinations. While the EES requires non-EU citizens to undergo biometric registration, including photographs and fingerprinting, border police have retained discretion to relax checks during severe delays. Several European nations have already introduced temporary flexibilities or experienced tech issues, with automated border booths in France failing to function and Greece opting to exempt British nationals from additional biometric checks. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has held discussions with EU commissioners and French counterparts regarding cross-Channel concerns, particularly at French border posts situated in the UK, such as the Port of Dover. To mitigate severe queueing, French border police have temporarily suspended fingerprinting and photography for car passengers at ferry ports and the Eurotunnel terminal. Consequently, queue times at Dover have remained manageable, staying under 40 minutes despite heavy traffic volumes. Meanwhile, airlines such as easyJet are pressing the EU to extend border flexibility through the end of October to prevent further travel disruption.

Russia has raised concerns over reports that the United States and Türkiye may facilitate the transfer of a large stockpile of American-made weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said recently released documents from the US Congress indicate that the proposed shipment could include a substantial quantity of offensive weapons. According to her, the documents refer to 12 multiple rocket launch systems, more than 2,500 unguided cluster munitions for those systems, around 47,000 203mm cluster artillery shells and 70 ATACMS short-range missiles. Zakharova said Moscow was particularly concerned about what she described as unanswered questions surrounding the reported re-export arrangement. She questioned who initiated the proposal, how the weapons would be transported and when the reported shipment could reach Ukraine. The Russian spokeswoman also criticised Washington and Ankara for their alleged involvement, arguing that both countries have previously presented themselves as potential contributors to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict. According to Zakharova, supplying additional weapons to Ukraine would not fundamentally alter the military situation but could increase the scale of destruction and casualties. She warned that further arms deliveries could also have broader consequences for Russia’s relations with both the United States and Türkiye. Moscow also questioned Türkiye’s position because Turkish authorities have previously made assurances about limiting the supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine. Zakharova said that adopting peace-oriented rhetoric while simultaneously facilitating military support for Kyiv could damage mutual trust between the countries involved. The Russian Foreign Ministry has reportedly sought explanations from both Washington and Ankara following the information contained in the US congressional documents. Zakharova urged the parties involved to reconsider the situation before any reported transfer moves forward. She said there was still an opportunity for the countries concerned to assess the potential consequences of the proposed arms shipment. The allegations come as international efforts to address the Ukraine conflict continue alongside ongoing military operations