Friedrich Merz will meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, in his first official visit to the UK as German chancellor, to sign a deal on migration, defence and business. The two leaders are expected to carry out talks on security and the war in Ukraine, before unveiling an agreement to boost UK defence exports.

Germany is set to tighten its laws to crack down on gangs smuggling migrants to the UK by the end of the year, Downing Street has said. The announcement comes alongside a new agreement between the UK and Germany covering areas including migration,