Page 13 - Britain

UK property market strengthens, pressure on renters intensifies: RICS

Tarrant Parsons, RICS' head of market analytics, said the reduction in borrowing costs in August had helped to recover buyer demand

UK auction house pulls Naga 'Human Skull' from online sale after outcry

A UK auction house has withdrawn a Naga Human Skull' from its lots for a live online sale on Wednesday following outcry in India over the issue. The Swan auction house at Tetsworth in Oxfordshire had a series of skulls and other remains originating from around the world as part of The Curious Collector Sale, Antiquarian Books, Manuscripts & Paintings. The 19th Century Horned Naga Human Skull, Naga Tribe' was slotted as Lot No. 64 and resulted in protests in Nagaland, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio who sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to stop the hurtful sale. The news of the proposed auction of Naga human remains in the UK has been received by all sections in a negative manner as it is a highly emotional and sacred issue for our people. It has been a traditional custom of our people to give the highest respect and honour for the remains of the demised, said Rio in his letter. He urged the minister to take up the matter with the High Commission ..

British Foreign Secretary Lammy likely to visit China in bid to reset ties

Lammy, who has vowed to overhaul Britain's ties with China, will meet Chinese officials in Beijing and representatives of British firms in Shanghai

Following internal complaints in administration, Starmer replaces top aide

In an attempt to end the turbulence engulfing Britain's first Labour administration in 14 years, the prime minister on Sunday moved his chief of staff Sue Gray out of her role

British PM Starmer's chief of staff resigns over reports about salary

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff quit on Sunday, citing concerns that growing news reports about her role risked becoming a distraction to the government. Sue Gray's resignation came after recent reports about tensions between her and Starmer's chief adviser Morgan McSweeney, and that she was earning more than the prime minister. The BBC has reported that Gray's annual salary was 170,000 pounds ($223,000), about 3,000 pounds more than Starmer is paid. Gray said she accepted a new role as Starmer's envoy for the regions and nations. McSweeney will replace her as chief of staff at Downing Street. Throughout my career, my first interest has always been public service, Gray said in a statement. However, in recent weeks it has become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the government's vital work of change." Gray, a former senior civil servant, became a household name in Britain in 2022, when she led investigations

Jugnauth thanks PM Modi after UK announces to hand over Chagos Islands

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on Friday thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for completing our decolonisation a day after the UK government announced to hand over sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to the country. Jugnauth took to X to thank Modi as he wrote, Mauritius thanks the African Union @AfricanUnion, the Government of India @narendramodi and all friendly countries which have supported us in our fight for completing our decolonisation. The UK on Thursday announced a historic agreement that will see Britain hand over sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius while it retains the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) status of the disputed archipelago, made up of around 60 islands, has been in contention for many years and negotiations over its future began under the previous Conservative Party government in 2022. British Prime Minister Keir Starm

British auto industry set to miss 2024 EV sales target, warns trade body

Britain's ZEV mandate, introduced by the former Conservative government, requires at least 22 per cent of an automaker's new car sales to be purely EVs in 2024

Following freebies row, UK's PM Starmer pays back $8K worth of gifts

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday it is right that he has paid back more than 6,000 pounds (USD 8,000) worth of gifts and hospitality, following a row over freebies. For weeks, Starmer has faced criticism over the scale of the donations, which included clothes, eyeglasses and tickets to his beloved soccer team Arsenal, that he received over recent years. During the last parliamentary term from 2019 to 2024, Starmer received around 100,000 pounds worth of donations, substantially more than any other member of parliament. Though the donations were legal and properly filed with officials in the UK Parliament, the row has dented Starmer's popularity ratings. According to officials at his 10 Downing Street offices, Starmer has covered the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets at London's Wembley Stadium, four to a horse racing event and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife, Victoria Starmer. We are now going to bring forward principles fo

UK PM Starmer to meet sceptical investors in attempts to woo them

Years of Brexit-linked political chaos may have ended with his Labour Party's big election win, but the near-collapse of utility Thames Water has unsettled investors

UK economy grew more slowly than thought but outlook is improving

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party won power in July, is seeking to speed up economic growth

Labour Party members deal blow to Starmer day after his appeal for unity

Members of Britain's governing Labour Party dealt Prime Minister Keir Starmer a blow on Wednesday, rejecting his decision to cut payments that offset winter heating costs for millions of retirees. The vote on the final day of Labour's annual conference is not binding, but it's a setback to Starmer's efforts to unite his centre-left party around the contentious measure. Since winning office in July, Starmer has cautioned that the dire state of the public finances inherited from the last Conservative government means he must make hard choices such as ending the winter fuel allowance, worth between 200 and 300 pounds (USD 262 and USD 393), for all but the poorest pensioners. Trade unions that are among Labour's funders and allies organised resistance to the cut at the conference in Liverpool, northwest England. They forced a vote on a demand for the decision to be reversed. It was narrowly passed in a show-of-hands vote amid cheers and jeers in the conference hall. I do not understand

JLR plugs $669 mn into retooling UK plant for production of electric SUVs

JLR cautioned last month that its push into EVs will cost more than initially planned, citing weak consumer demand

Britain Treasury chief seeks to boost economic optimism after failed talks

British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves will pledge Monday not to return to an era of public spending cuts despite the dire state of the UK's national finances. Reeves plans to stress optimism in a speech to the Labour Party's annual conference, aiming to reassure party members, jittery despite a recent landslide election victory, that her first budget next month won't be all doom and gloom. The party said Reeves, the UK's first female finance minister, will stress that my optimism for Britain burns as bright as it ever has done. The centre-left party is gathering in the northwest England port city of Liverpool three months after winning power in Britain's July 4 election. While Labour's return to office after 14 years in opposition has many delegates buzzing, some are anxious about the government's faltering start and downbeat economic messaging. Prime Minister Keir Starmer won the election on a promise to banish years of turmoil and scandal under the Conservatives, get Britain's ...

Google urges tribunal to scrap $9.3 bn UK lawsuit over search 'dominance'

The lawyers asked the Competition Appeal Tribunal to certify the case to proceed towards a trial, a very early step in any mass lawsuit. Google, however, says the case is seriously flawed

Ex-BBC news anchor gets suspended for indecent images of children on phone

Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, once one of the most prominent media figures in Britain, was given a suspended prison sentence on Monday for indecent images of children on his phone. Edwards, 63, pleaded guilty in Westminster Magistrates' Court in July to three counts of making indecent images of children, a charge related to photos sent to him on the WhatsApp messaging service by a convicted pedophile. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring sentenced Edwards to a six-month prison term suspended for two years. It is not an exaggeration to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters, Goldspring said. Edwards' fall from grace over the past year has caused turmoil for the BBC after it was revealed the publicly funded broadcaster paid him about 200,000 pounds (USD 263,000) for five months of his salary after he had been arrested in November while on leave. The BBC has asked him to pay it back. Edwards had been one of the BBC's top earners when he was suspended in July 2023 over separa

Biden meets Britain's PM, brushes off Putin's threats about war with West

President Joe Biden brushed off a threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about war against the West if Ukraine's allies allow it to use weapons deeper inside Russia. It's a shift that Kyiv has pleaded for but does not appear likely to be announced following a meeting Friday between Biden and Britain's prime minister. Ukraine and many of its supporters in the US and Europe want Biden to lift restrictions on Western-provided long-range weapons, and there are signs Biden might shift the administration's policy. But the US, concerned about any step that could lead Russia to escalate the conflict, has moved cautiously before granting a series of earlier requests from Ukraine for specific arms, including advanced tanks, missiles and rocket systems, and F-16 fighter jets. Russian officials have issued similar threats before many of those past decisions. Ukraine was a key topic for Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer following this week's visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, w

Russia to expel 6 British diplomats over spying, subversive activities

Russia's Federal Security Service on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and said a decision has been made to withdraw their accreditation. Russian state TV quoted an official from the security service known as the FSB as saying that they will be expelled. The expulsions come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Washington for talks with President Joe Biden that will include Ukraine's request to use Western-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia. Starmer said on his way to the US that Britain does not seek any conflict with Russia. Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away, he told reporters. Ukraine has the right to self-defense and we've obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine's right to self-defense we're providing training capability, as you know. But we don't seek any conflict with Russia that's not our intention in the slightest, he said. The FSB said it received documents

Shahi Exports' Harish Ahuja pays $27 mn for home in London's Notting Hill

The property offering more than 20,000 square feet of space is a short walk from Kensington Gardens

Britain's Rightmove rejects $7.3 bn takeover offer from Murdoch's REA Group

REA, which is 62 per cent owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp , did not cite any reason for the offer's rejection by Rightmove

AppsForBharat raises $18 mn in series B funding from Nilekani's Fundamentum

Founded in November 2020 by Prashant Sachan, AppsForBharat operates the devotion platform Sri Mandir