Britain

UK Treasury chief Reeves set to raise taxes again in her second budget

Following weeks of speculation, Britain's unpopular Labour government will deliver its second budget later Wednesday since it returned to power in a landslide election victory in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves, the first woman to hold the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer, is set to tell lawmakers that more tax-raising measures are necessary to plug a hole in the public finances. Reeves said much the same at her first budget a little more than a year ago. That budget, she had insisted, would be the one and only big tax-raising budget in this parliamentary term, which is due to run to 2029. Unfortunately for Reeves, the British economy, the world's sixth-largest, is not doing as well as she hoped, with many critics blaming her decision last year to slap taxes on business. Though there were signs that the economy was on the mend in the first half of the year when it was the fastest-growing among the Group of Seven leading industrial nations, it'

UK lawmakers grill BBC leadership on standards amid Trump lawsuit threat

The BBC's chairman acknowledged Monday that it was too slow in responding over a misleading edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump but rejected claims that the broadcaster's impartiality was being undermined from within its own board. Senior BBC leaders were quizzed by Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee amid a major crisis at the publicly funded corporation after its director general and head of news both quit earlier this month and Trump threatened to file a billion-dollar lawsuit. The BBC drew Trump's ire and deep public scrutiny after an internal memo compiled by one of its former external advisers was leaked to the British media. The memo criticised cases of alleged biased reporting over a documentary on Trump that was aired days before the 2024 US presidential election, as well as other BBC coverage including its stance on transgender issues, Gaza, and race. Chairman Samir Shah said the broadcaster should have acted much quicker in addressing the ...

UK cosmetics brand Lush returns to India after two decades amid luxury boom

The company has partnered with Bengaluru-based Bilberry Brands under a licensing deal, starting with an online launch before expanding into physical stores

UK unveils critical minerals strategy to cut reliance on foreign supply

Backed by up to 50 million pounds in new funding, the strategy seeks to ensure no more than 60 per cent of the UK's supply of any one critical mineral comes from a single country by 2035

Applying for PR in the UK? New rules extend eligibility criteria to 10 yrs

Government proposes sweeping changes to settlement rules, shifting the standard qualifying period to 10 years while adding new criteria and varied routes

UK announces drastic reduction in protection for asylum seekers, refugees

The measures, modelled on Denmark's strict asylum system, were announced late on Saturday (local time) as PM Starmer comes under pressure from surging popularity for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party

UK faces tough economic choices as policymakers confront debt, inflation

The central bank held interest rates steady on Thursday, a decision that came at a time when British policymakers and lawmakers are confronting economic challenges

UK enlists 60 big employers in drive to improve occupational healthcare

Aviva, Phoenix, EY and Google are among more than 60 large businesses taking part in a trial that aims to establish the best ways to cut sickness absence and improve return-to-work rates

UK train stabbings: Police release one suspect, praise 'heroic' rail worker

British police said Sunday that one of two men arrested in connection with a mass stabbing attack that spread fear and panic on a London-bound train a day earlier has been released without charge, and that one person, a heroic member of the railway staff, remains in a life-threatening condition. In a statement Sunday evening, police said the only remaining suspect is a 32-year-old British man who remains in custody on suspicion of attempted murder. A second man initially arrested as a suspect was released without charge after it was determined the 35-year-old was not involved. Police said they are not treating the stabbings as an act of terror and are confident they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack. They have not disclosed a possible motive or the type of knife used. Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident," said Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy of the British Transport

10 injured in stabbing attack on train in UK's Cambridgeshire, 2 arrested

Multiple people were stabbed on a train in the UK's Cambridgeshire, following which armed police intercepted the train and arrested two men in connection with the incident on Saturday evening, authorities said. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said its officers are working with British Transport Police (BTP) after they intercepted the train in Huntingdon and the injured were taken to hospital. We were called at 7:39 pm (local time) with reports that multiple people had been stabbed on a train, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said in a statement. Armed officers attended and the train was stopped at Huntingdon, where two men were arrested. A number of people have been taken to hospital, the police said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took to social media to condemn the appalling incident and urged people to follow police advice. "The appalling incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning, said Starmer. "My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emerge

King Charles III dedicates Britain's 1st national memorial to LGBTQ+ troops

King Charles III on Monday dedicated Britain's first national memorial to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops, 25 years after the UK ended a ban on homosexuality in the armed forces. The king, who is the ceremonial head of the armed forces, laid flowers at the monument in the National Memorial Arboretum in central England at a service attended by scores of serving troops and veterans. The sculpture takes the form of a crumpled bronze letter bearing words from personnel who were affected by the ban. Between 1967 and 2000, soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who were or were thought to be gay or transgender were labelled unfit to serve and dismissed or discharged from the forces. Some were stripped of medals or lost their pension rights, and many struggled with the stigma for decades. The government lifted the ban after a 1999 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights. In 2023 then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak formally apologised for what he called an appalling .

UK royals, govt face pressure to formally strip Prince Andrew of his titles

He won't call himself a duke anymore, but that is not enough for many of Prince Andrew's critics. Buckingham Palace and the British government were under pressure on Monday to formally strip Prince Andrew of his princely title and sumptuous home after new revelations about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After discussions with his elder brother King Charles III, Andrew agreed on Friday to stop using titles including Duke of York. It was the latest effort to insulate the monarchy from years of tawdry headlines about Andrew's suspicious business deals, inappropriate behaviour and controversial friendships. But he still technically holds the title of duke, bestowed by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. And as the son of a monarch, he remains a prince. Andrew's statement relinquishing some of his royal titles came after emails emerged showing he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted, and days before publication of a ...

London became a global hub for phone theft. Here's what's behind it

About 80,000 phones were stolen in the British capital last year. The police are finally discovering where many of them went

Aadhaar emerges as poster child for Starmer's upcoming UK digital ID plan

Last week, Starmer was visiting India and met with Aadhaar's architect, Nandan Nilekani - who is also the non-executive chairman of the IT services giant Infosys Ltd

Britain sees 50% spike in major cyberattacks as top firms targeted

Britain's National Cyber Security Center, part of its signals intelligence agency GCHQ, said it had dealt with 429 cyber incidents in the 12 months to the end of August.

UK's finance minister Reeves plans to build bigger budget buffer

Economic think tanks now expect Reeves to need to raise about 30 billion pounds in tax increases at the November 26 budget

UK PM Starmer welcomes moment of profound relief with Gaza peace plan

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is on an India visit, welcomed an agreement on the first phase of the Gaza peace plan to halt Israel-Hamas hostilities on Thursday as a moment of profound relief. The agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye will see the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the entry of aid into Gaza. I welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trump's peace plan for Gaza, said Starmer, in a statement released from 10 Downing Street in London. This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years, he said. The UK PM hailed the tireless diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the United States, supported by regional partners in ...

PM Modi holds talks with UK PM Starmer to boost trade, defence, tech ties

Starmer's visit to India came two-and-half months after the two countries inked a landmark free trade pact that will increase market access

UK's Vertu Motors sees up to $7.4 million hit from JLR cyberattack

Vertu, which operates 10 JLR dealerships, said about 2 million pounds of the profit impact was in September, with the full-year effect hinging on when JLR restores its systems

UK confronts rising long-term terror threat linked to ongoing Gaza conflict

The fatal Manchester attack by Jihad Al-Shamie has heightened UK security concerns since Oct. 7, 2023, though his motives and path to the standoff remain unclear