Britain

The British monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla, focused on economic and cultural exchanges on the third day of a visit timed to mark the 250th anniversary of America's independence

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would encourage King Charles III to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond. "If I was to speak to the King separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond," Mamdani said at a press conference Wednesday before he met the British monarch in the city later in the day. Mamdani was asked what he would say to the King, who visited New York City on the second day of his State Visit to the US. King Charles addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress Tuesday, as he and Queen Camilla were honoured at a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in the White House. King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the 9/11 Memorial in the city and paid their respects to the victims of the terror attack. They also visited Harlem Grown, a network of urban farms supporting children and families in Upper Manhattan. Mamdani met King Charles at the 9/11 memorial. The 105.6-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond was g

King Charles III gently pushed back against President Trump's attacks on Britain and Nato

Charles used his remarks to a joint session of Congress - the first such address by a British monarch in more than three decades - to argue for preserving the alliance between the UK and US

In his remarks, Trump stressed the bonds of friendship that have evolved between Britons and Americans since their days as adversaries during the War of Independence and the "wounds of war" it caused

The long-planned event is intended to mark the 250th anniversary of US's independence from Britain, though its diplomatic mission has taken on new urgency amid Trump's recent feud with PM Keir Starmer

Opponents of smoking got a breath of fresh air as Parliament passed a bill that will put cigarettes out of reach for future generations. "The end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain - it's inevitable," Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said after a decades-long campaign in favour of legislation approved Tuesday. Children born after December 31, 2008 will be banned from ever buying cigarettes under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The legislation that needs approval by King Charles III - a formality - before taking effect will also allow the government to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including flavours and packaging. It is currently illegal to sell cigarettes, tobacco products or vapes to people under 18. But most youths today will continue to face a ban their entire life as the minimum age to buy cigarettes rises each year. The passage gives the UK one of the toughest anti-smoking measures in the worl

The British central bank is expected to keep borrowing costs on hold on April 30 at the end of its next scheduled Monetary Policy Committee meeting

Planners from more than 30 countries will participate in the talks in a two-day conference in north London, which will "advance military plans to reopen the Strait

Macron, Starmer call for 'full' reopening of Strait; Trump says Israel won't be bombing Lebanon

The late Queen Elizabeth II believed the monarch had to be seen to be believed. And she made sure that was true even when Britain's famously changeable weather intervened, pioneering the use of a clear plastic raincoat so that a stodgy black umbrella didn't obscure her from public view. That raincoat is one of some 300 garments and other fashion artifacts that go on display Friday at the King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace in an exhibit that celebrates the late queen's life and reign as Britain prepares to mark the centenary of her birth. The most comprehensive exhibition of her style choices ever mounted, the show charts Elizabeth's story, and her impact on British fashion. "I think she had a definite sense of what suited her," exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut said. "She absolutely knew how she wanted to appear." An Olympian moment ============== Some of the items are easily recognisable since Elizabeth was one of the most photographed people ever. But the ball gowns, twee

The US government blacklisted Anthropic,designating the company a national-security supply-chain risk after it refused to allow the military to use AI chatbot Claude for US surveillance

Military opportunities are now being actively promoted in job centres around the country, with a particular focus on regions with high youth unemployment

London police are urgently investigating how armed protection officers guarding Mayor Sadiq Khan left a bag of guns outside his home. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement late Friday that five officers had been removed from front-line duties while inquiries were being carried out. The weapons cache, which according to The Sun newspaper included an MP5 semiautomatic Heckler and Koch carbine, a Glock pistol, Taser and ammunition, were found in south London Tuesday by a couple, who then informed the Metropolitan Police. Scaffolder Jordan Griffiths told the newspaper that his girlfriend found the bag by the curbside and said that he was in "shock" after discovering what was inside. "I could not believe my eyes and took some pictures as proof of what we had found," he said. "I called the police and told them what I had found and within a few minutes they turned up to collect the guns." The police Directorate of Professional Standards is reviewing what happened and confirmed that

Brexit was designed for control in a 'stable' world, but in a volatile one shaped by the Iran conflict, it is forcing the UK back towards the EU

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said the UK will host an international diplomatic conference this week on ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Starmer says 35 countries have signed a statement committing to work together on restoring maritime security to the key oil transport route. He said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will lead a conference on the issue, and military planners are also working on plans for security once the Iran war ends. Starmer said "a united front of military strength and diplomatic activity" is needed to restore stability.

Antitrust authorities in the European Union and the United States are also investigating the cloud computing market

Russia on Monday expelled a British diplomat on charges of espionage and ordered him to leave the country within two weeks, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said. "A decision has been made to revoke Janse Van Rensburg's accreditation, and he has been ordered to leave Russia within two weeks," the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said. On Monday, the British Charge d'Affaires in Russia, Danae Dholakia was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served a strong protest following revelations that one of the diplomatic staff at the British Embassy had "knowingly provided false information" about himself when obtaining entry into the country, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. During its counterintelligence activities, the FSB identified an undeclared UK intelligence presence under the guise of the British Embassy in Moscow, it said. "Due to the violation of Russian legislation and in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomat

Navy's official spokesperson said the interaction took place on Wednesday and focused on strengthening collaboration across maritime and aerospace domains

The London High Court on Wednesday rejected the petition of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi to reopen his case against his extradition to India, where he is wanted in connection with the Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, officials said. Modi had approached the High Court of Justice, King's Bench Division. The Crown Prosecution Service advocate, assisted by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, strongly put forth arguments against his petition. A team of CBI officials, including investigating officers, travelled to London for the hearing. "The reopening application had been filed on the basis of the (arms dealer Sanjay) Bhandari judgment. However, with sustained and coordinated efforts of the CBI, the challenge was successfully overcome," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement here. Rejecting Modi's petition, the court observed that the petition and the circumstances surrounding it were not exceptional to make it appropriate to reopen the case, the spokesperso