Two women who have lived almost all their lives in UK, but whose British fathers were not married, tell how they are having to battle for British citizenship

Two women who have lived almost all their lives in the UK have had their lives thrown into chaos due to the new border control rules for British dual nationals because their French mothers were not married to their British fathers.

Both women have been forced to prove their right to British passports as a result of archaic laws, which did not accord automatic citizenship to the children of unmarried British fathers in dual national relationships until the law was changed in 2005.

The court of justice said Portugal had committed serious infringements of EU environmental law

Portugal has been fined €10m (£8.7m) by the EU’s court of justice for failing to comply with environmental laws that require it to protect biodiversity. It has also been ordered to pay €41,250 a day until it complies with a previous court order in 2019.

The court said it was imposing the maximum fine possible to “encourage” Portugal to bring the infringement to an end.

Foreign affairs committee report finds summit improved political relationship but efforts lack ‘strategic priorities’

Keir Starmer’s efforts to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU are lacking in “direction, definition and drive”, parliament’s foreign affairs committee has said.

A report based on months of expert witness testimony found the summit between the UK and the EU at Lancaster House last May had “substantially improved the overall political relationship” after years of Brussels-bashing by the Conservatives.