Delighted to host a roundtable last week with the UK and Zambian High Commissioners, bringing together UK businesses from mining, renewable energy, agriculture and development to discuss our shared growth and critical minerals objectives.

The vital importance of our continued support for the BBC World Service was powerfully demonstrated by the courageous reporting from BBC Persian, which has provided millions of Iranians and people across the world with factual information during the recent conflict.

This week I had the privilege of visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the UK Trade Envoy. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the British Embassy team for their invaluable support and dedication throughout my visit, the DRC is a country of remarkable resilience, though it remains a complex environment in which to operate.

I recently met with the Foreign Secretary to address the urgent situation in Palestine. During our discussion, I conveyed the serious concerns of constituents regarding the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the Israeli blockade restricting aid access to Gaza.

Over the past days, it’s becoming ever harder to find the words to describe how appalling Israel’s actions have become. I have engaged so frequently with the government about this issue, and I know the efforts of the Minister and diplomats are genuine and heartfelt.

I welcome the Foreign Secretary’s strong condemnation of Israel’s actions, the suspension of trade talks and sanctions on the extremist settler movement. I hope that our joint statement with France and Canada, issued last night, will further step up pressure on Israel.

For three months now, Israel has blocked aid from reaching people in utterly dire need in Gaza. UN agencies and charities still operating...

Last week I led my first delegation of businesses as the UK’s Trade Envoy to southern Africa. We had a very productive and promising few days in Angola, which has massive potential for growth and for increased trade and investment links with the UK. 30+ UK business leaders and many more from Angola came together to identify the opportunities.

This week I met with Hamish Falconer, the government minister for the Middle East to talk about the situation in Palestine and Israel.