Defence secretary criticises Russian disinformation, and says UK will review Chagos Islands deal

By BBC Politics

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The UK will set up a new centre to "stem the poisonous tide" of disinformation, including from Russia, and lead efforts to establish global safety standards for artificial intelligence, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said. In his first major international speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Burnham warned Russian agencies are using "every means at their disposal", including bots and fake websites, to "spread lies and disinformation". Meanwhile, the defence secretary tells BBC Breakfast that the UK is reviewing its deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Wes Streeting confirmed the deal was being looked at again after US President Donald Trump called it "terrible" at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. The original agreement would see the UK cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius and pay an average of £101m ($136m) per year to lease back a joint UK-US military base there, prized for its strategic location in the Indian Ocean. For the

Tags: bbc, news, Politics, UK Politics, Chagos islands, Russia, disinformation, defence, UK defence

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