British arms exports to Israel reach record level
London, May 27: British defence contractors selling arms to Israel has reached a record level, new figures revealed on Sunday.
Figures from the Campaign Against Arms Trade revealed that last year the UK issued 221 million pounds ($294 million) worth of arms licences to defence companies exporting to Israel, reports the Guardian.
This made Israel the UK's eighth largest market for UK arms companies, a huge increase on the previous year's figure of 86 million pounds, a substantial rise from the 20 million pounds worth of arms licensed in 2015.
In total, over the past five years, Israel has bought more than 350 million pounds worth of UK military hardware.
Licences issued to UK defence contractors exporting to Israel last year include those for targeting equipment, small arms ammunition, missiles, weapon sights and sniper rifles.
In 2016 the UK issued licences for anti-armour ammunition, gun mountings, components for air-to-air missiles, targeting equipment, components for assault rifles, components for grenade-launchers and anti-riot shields.
The revelation comes just days after it was confirmed that Prince William will represent the UK government on a visit to Israel next month, the Guardian reported.
"After the appallingly excessive response of the Israeli security forces at the Gaza border, tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories are likely to be close to boiling point when Prince William makes this historic visit," said Kerry Moscogiuri, Amnesty International UK's Campaigns Director.
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Congress will force Centre to include caste count in national census: Revanth Reddy
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that Congress would force the Centre to include caste count in the national census next year to pave the way for providing "political, education and employment reservations" by breaching the 50 per cent cap on quotas.
Speaking at the Children's Day celebrations organised here on Thursday, he said the state government's ongoing caste survey should be made successful to realise its objectives, including increasing reservations and allocation of resources proportionate to population.
Some are spreading false information that the government benefits would be stopped if the details are furnished as part of the survey but the exercise would only increase the benefits to eligible beneficiaries, he said.
Describing the caste survey as a "mega health check up for the society", he said the government intends to provide welfare schemes to all after collecting relevant details from the people.
Highlighting the government's initiatives in education sector, Reddy asserted that those who supply inferior quality items to government residential schools would be sent to jail.
He said the government has increased the allocation of funds for providing food and other basic needs to the students of the residential schools. The Telangana government's "historic" comprehensive socio-economic, employment, political and caste survey, an election promise of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, got underway on November 6.
