Key points
- Sir Keir Starmer hopes to 'reset' relationship with Europe at summit in Oxfordshire
- Migration announcement expected as PM meets Macron
Zelenskyy warns Russia will try to 'blackmail' Western countries
- The COVID Inquiry has released a report on UK preparedness for the pandemic
- Watch: Pat McFadden and Ed Davey appearing at Post Office inquiry
- Beth Rigby:How to survive a general election
- Listen: What are Labour's key plans?
- Jon Craig:Sunak apologises to Tory MPs eight times at party 'wake'
- Live reporting byTim Baker
'There will be a next time,' inquiry chair warns
COVID inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett is speaking now following the publication of one of the inquiry's reports.
She warns that "there will be a next time", with expert evidence suggesting "it's not a question of if another pandemic will strike, but when".
"The evidence is overwhelmingly to the effect that another pandemic, potentially one that is even more transmissible and lethal, is likely to occur in the near to medium future," she says.
Baroness Hallett says that there will be "immense suffering" and society's most vulnerable will be most affected if the UK is not better prepared for another outbreak.
She reiterates that the UK was ill prepared to deal with any pandemic, let alone the COVID pandemic that struck.
The country "lacked resilience" due to a slowdown in health improvement and widening health inequalities, she adds.
'This cannot be allowed to happen again'
Baroness Hallett says the country had long planned for the possibility of a flu pandemic - but this preparation was "inadequate" for the scale of the COVID pandemic which struck the entire globe.
She describes as "labyrinthine" the institutions and structures responsible for emergency planning, and says there were "fatal strategic flaws" when it came to risk assessments for the UK.
The government's pandemic strategy, from 2011, was "outdated and lacked adaptability" and had never been properly tested, she says.
"There were serious errors on the part of the state and serious flaws in our civil emergency systems. This cannot be allowed to happen again," Baroness Hallett says, before detailing the 10 recommendations laid out in today's report.
Each organisation responsible for implementing the recommendations will have to explain their plans within six months, Baroness Hallett says.
"Unless the lessons are learned and fundamental change is implemented, the human and financial cost and sacrifice price of the COVID-19 pandemic will have been in vain.
"The harrowing accounts of loss and grief given by the bereaved, witnesses and others who suffered during the pandemic serve to remind us why there must be radical reform," she concludes.
UK public 'failed' by governments which prepared for 'wrong pandemic'
The UK's citizens were "failed" by their governments' processes, planning and policy ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, a public inquiry has concluded.
There were more than 235,000 deaths involving COVID-19 in the UK up to the end of 2023 and a report published today says some of the "financial and human cost may have been avoided" had the country been better prepared for the deadly outbreak in 2020.
The 83,000-word document details "several significant flaws", while the inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett is calling for "radical reform" as she makes 10 recommendations, including a major overhaul of how the UK government prepares for civil emergencies.
Read more on this breaking news story here:
Prisons would overflow by September if inmates not released, justice secretary claims
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been speaking in the House of Commons today about her recent announcement that prisoners would need to be released early to ease overcrowding.
She said the government had "no option" but to release 5,500 people early.
Ms Mahmood said: "It is now clear that by September of this year our prisons will overflow. That means there is only one way to avert disaster."
The changes - which will see inmates on eligible sentences released after serving 40% rather than 50% of their time behind bars - are expected to lead to 5,500 people being let out early between September and October.
She says the 40% benchmark will become the new standard release point until the government is able to reverse the measure.
Ms Mahmood said a review into the capacity crisis will be carried out, and accused the last government of putting the country in "grave danger".
Reforms to the planning process for building more prisons cells were branded a "gimmick" by the Conservatives.
New Labour peers sworn in to House of Lords
Away from the European Political Community summit, there have been some new steps in parliament.
Patrick Vallance and Jacqui Smith have both sworn their oaths as new members of the House of Lords.
Mr Vallance was chief scientific adviser - an apolitical role - during the COVID pandemic.
He is now a minister in the science department.
Ms Smith was an MP until 2010, and a minister before that, although she had to resign over her expenses.
She is now a minister in the education department.
Zelenskyy: Putin has not divided us - and warns of blackmail
Speaking to the European Political Community summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia's Vladimir Putin has already failed to divide European nations.
But he warns that Putin will may try to approach individual countries or parties in a bid to undermine the group.
This could involve "trying to tempt or pressure you or blackmail you so that one of you betrays the rest".
Ukraine's leader then says that the use of Western weapon has not led to an escalation in the war with Russia - and then calls for fewer restrictions on his country's use of the armaments.
"The fewer restrictions we have on the use of effective weapons, the more Russia will seek peace," he says.
He calls specifically on the US, UK, France, Germany, Poland and "other friends" to be "brave" to contribute extra resources - especially to shoot down drones.
Mr Zelenskyy concludes by calling on the nations to continue their diplomatic support of Ukraine.
People smuggling now a 'crisis' - Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer, moving on to the topic of illegal migration, explains his position to European allies.
He says that it is no longer a "challenge" - but a "crisis".
"As we speak, as we gather here, a criminal empire is at work in every country represented here today, profiting off human misery and desperation, prepared to send infants, babies, pregnant mothers, innocent people to their deaths," he says.
The prime minister says the crisis is the fault of gangs that he believes can be taken down.
But he also says the "decisions people take to leave their homes cannot be separated from the wider issues - it is global inequality and that deserves our attention as well".
He then repeats that Labour is distancing itself from the approach of the Conservatives, with the Rwanda scheme scrapped and promising to "never withdraw" from the European Convention of Human Rights".
Sir Keir promises that Britain will be a "friend and a partner" willing to work with the countries at the table.
"Not part of the European Union, but very much part of Europe," he says.
"Not focussed on the differences between us - but on the values we share.
He finishes his speech by handing over to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Starmer welcoming European leaders to summit
Sir Keir Starmer is delivering the opening remarks at the European Political Community summit in Oxfordshire.
He is sitting next to Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Sir Keir welcomes the leaders from the continent, and says the first task is to confirm "steadfast support" for Ukraine.
He highlights the way Mr Zelenskyy previously asked for extra air defences before the new school year.
Sir Keir said: "That really struck me because returning to school after the summer break, that should be a moment of joy, of excitement for children, new uniforms, new exercise books, saying how much their friends have grown over the summer holidays and reuniting with friends.
"How could anyone consider that a target?"
Time to reset relationship with EU
Sir Keir goes on to say he wants to use the summit to build new and strengthen existing relationships.
This includes "resetting" the UK's relationship with the EU.
He adds: "The UK and the EU, working together as sovereign partners, are a powerful force for good across our continent, for peace, for security, for prosperity, for all our people."
The EPC is separate - and covers more countries - than the EU.
Macron: Today a 'great opportunity for a reset'
French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived at Blenheim Palace.
He and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are expected to have a bilateral meeting later today.
A deal is expected to be announced between the UK and France on migration as well.
Speaking on the red carpet, Mr Macron said today is a "great opportunity for a reset" - and that migration was "always a delicate situation" and there was "no silver bullet".
Follow live: Former ministers at Post Office Horizon inquiry
As we mentioned earlier, current Labour minister Pat McFadden is appearing before the Post Office Horizon inquiry this morning.
He was a minister for business - including the Post Office - under Gordon Brown's government.
It's a busy day in politics with a lot going on - so if you want to follow every piece of evidence, you can watch at the link below:
Zelenskyy arrives at Europe summit in Oxford
Back at the European Political Community summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived.
Speaking outside the summit, Mr Zelenskyy said he will be meeting with the UK prime minister, and counts on Sir Keir Starmer's support.
The Ukrainian leader then went on to share a hug with Sir Keir, with the pair talking for a number of minutes on the steps of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
