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Facing the threat of an attack from Russia, Sir Keir Starmer has finally revealed he will "set out the path" to raise defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring.But merely offering a timeframe to reveal an even-further-off-in-the-future date for when expenditure will increase to a level most analysts agree is still woefully short of what is required is hardly the most convincing display of deterrence and overwhelming strength. What the prime minister should perhaps instead be doing is making very clear to Vladimir Putin - with new NATO-wide military exercises and the immediate hardening of UK defences - that his government is prepared for any Russian strike and the devastating cost to Moscow would be so astronomical as to make even the thought of hitting a UK target utter ma...

At least 11 people have been killed and 23 injured in an Israeli strike on central Beirut, Lebanese authorities have said.Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the attack "completely destroyed" an eight-storey residential building in the Basta neighbourhood early on Saturday.Footage broadcast by Lebanon's Al Jadeed station also showed at least one destroyed building and several others badly damaged around it. Image: The central Basta neighbourhood in Beirut, where four people were killed in an Israeli airstrike The Israeli military did not warn residents to evacuate before the attack - the fourth targeting the centre this week.At least four bombs were dropped in the attack, security sou...

Israel has targeted central Beirut with at least four airstrikes, according to security sources cited by Reuters news agency.Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the attack "completely destroyed" an eight-storey residential building in the Basta neighbourhood early on Saturday.It is not immediately clear how many have been killed or injured and the Israeli military did not warn residents to evacuate before the attack, the fourth targeting the centre this week.The blasts happened at about 4am (2am UK time) and came after a day of bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs, which Israel had warned residents of in advance. Image: Pic: AP Heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is ongoing in southern Lebanon, as Isra...