Page 16 - Britain

Police clash with a violent crowd near site of UK stabbing attack

Far-right protesters fuelled by anger and false online rumours hurled bottles and stones at police, wounding more than 20 officers Tuesday outside a northwest England mosque near where three girls were fatally stabbed a day earlier. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the thuggery and said the crowd had hijacked what had earlier been a peaceful vigil attended by hundreds in the centre of Southport to mourn the dead and 10 surviving stabbing victims, seven of whom were in critical condition. Police said the violent crowd that torched a police van and several cars was believed to be supporters of the English Defence League, a far-right group, and the mayhem was inspired by rumours about the identity of the teenage suspect arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. There has been much speculation and hypothesis around the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets, ...

UK's new finance minister accuses last govt of multi-bn pound 'cover-up'

On becoming finance minister, Reeves ordered officials to conduct a fresh assessment of public funding needs which she will present to Parliament on Monday

Nation 'broke & broken', says new UK govt as it plans to repair economy

Britain's new left-leaning government said Sunday that the nation is broke and broken, blaming the situation on its predecessors ahead of a major speech on the state of the public finances that is widely expected to lay the groundwork for higher taxes. In a sweeping assessment three weeks after taking power, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office professed shock at the situation they inherited after 14 years of Conservative Party rule, while releasing a department-by-department analysis of the perceived failures of the previous government. The critique comes a day before Treasury chief Rachel Reeves is expected to outline a 20-billion-pound ($26 billion) shortfall in public finances during a speech to the House of Commons. We will not shy away from being honest with the public about the reality of what we have inherited," Pat McFadden, a senior member of the new Cabinet, said in a statement. We are calling time on the false promises that British people have had to put up with and we .

Viral Video: UK cop stamps on Pak national's head at airport, suspended

Manchester Airport Video: The incident, captured in an 18-second viral video, shows the officer pointing a Taser at the victim and kicking him forcefully while he is on the ground

UK faces fiscal hole if Labour govt grants above-inflation pay awards

Independent pay review bodies that represent more than 1.8 million teachers and National Health Service workers have recommended pay increases of about 5.5%, according to the Times

India FTA talks set to be revived with first major UK ministerial visit

The renewed parameters of the India-UK free trade agreement negotiations are set to be defined this week as UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected in India on Tuesday, the first high-profile visit under the newly elected Labour government in Britain. The free trade agreement (FTA) talks began in January 2022, under the then Conservative government, with a target to significantly boost the GBP 38.1 billion a year bilateral trading partnership but hit a block in the fourteenth round of negotiations to make way for general elections in both countries. A report in The Daily Telegraph' on Sunday quotes a New Delhi source to claim the Indian side would seek clarity on whether the Labour government intends to pick things up from where they were left off or start afresh in some way. India is keen to resume talks on a positive note, but the date needs clarity, the source told the newspaper. The trade deal was at the final stage in the previous government, and we want to see whether th

UK airports, trains, LSE, NHS impacted by global Microsoft outage

The UK's airports and trains experienced delays, with the London Stock Exchange and the National Health Service among the other organisations in the country dealing with the fallout of a global IT outage on Friday that has grounded planes and caused chaos around the world. The outage, believed to be related to an issue at US-headquartered prolific cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike and Microsoft, seems to be affecting Windows PCs globally and has also forced Sky News' off the air. London's biggest airport, Heathrow, said in a statement that its "flights are operational though we are experiencing delays". While the airport said it is implementing contingency plans to minimise impact, Gatwick Airport said passengers may experience some delays" when checking in and passing through security. Luton and Edinburgh Airport, meanwhile, switched to manual systems to support operations. The London Stock Exchange Group said trading continues to operate as normal while it is working on resolving an

Britain borrows more than expected, underscoring task for new government

Public sector net borrowing, excluding state-controlled banks, was a larger-than-expected $18.75 billion last month

Globally-mobile millionaires threaten to leave Britain over tax revamp

Starmer says the overhaul will make Britain's tax system fairer and raise funds for stretched public services

UK wage growth slows but remains high for Bank of England to curb inflation

The Office for National Statistics also said on Thursday it was delaying the switch to a new version of its Labour Force Survey which had been due to take place in September

UK inflation stays at 2% target in June, leaving rate cut on 'knife edge'

Inflation in the UK held steady at the Bank of England's target rate of 2% in the year to June, official figures showed Wednesday, in a development that could be enough for policymakers to cut borrowing costs next month. The Office for National Statistics said the largest upward contribution to the annualized inflation rate came from restaurants and hotels, with some economists attributing the increases to Taylor Swift's tour of the U.K. The biggest downward contribution came from clothing and footwear, with widespread sales during the month. The flat reading compared to June a year ago was a tad higher than expected. Most economists had anticipated a modest decline to 1.9%. The last time inflation was at 2% was in July 2021 before prices started to shoot up, first as a result of supply chain issues during the coronavirus pandemic and then because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which pushed up energy costs. Financial markets think it's going to be a close call as to whether the B

Ex-Rolls Royce design head Ian Cameron stabbed to death, suspect on run

Ian Cameron murder: The British car designer was stabbed at the doorstep of his $3 million mansion in Germany's Herrsching at Lake Ammersee on Friday evening

Trumpets & tradition on display as King Charles presides over Parl opening

King Charles III will officially open the new session of Parliament on Wednesday, donning his ceremonial robes and the crown of state to deliver a speech laying out the legislative program of the U.K.'s first left-leaning government in 14 years. The state opening of Parliament is one of the traditional set pieces of the political year, showcasing through carefully choreographed pageantry Britain's evolution from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy where real power is vested in the elected House of Commons. Here's a brief look at the history of the King's Speech and how it unfolds. What is the King's Speech? In simple terms, it is a speech that lays out the government's legislative program for the coming year. The speech is written by the elected government, currently led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and delivered by the king during a joint session of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The event is a symbol of the monarch's constitutional role as head of

King Charles III to visit Australia, Samoa as he recovers from cancer

King Charles III is preparing to visit Australia and Samoa in October, an itinerary that will span 12 time zones and test the monarch's stamina as he recovers from cancer treatment. The trip, announced on Sunday by Buckingham Palace, marks a watershed moment for the 75-year-old king, who has been slowly returning to public duties after taking a break following his cancer diagnosis in early February. The decision to undertake such a long journey will be seen as a sign of Charles' recovery, even though the program in Australia will be limited. The visit to Australia will be a critical moment for the king as he tries to shore up support for the monarchy at home and abroad. The trip will mark the first time since he ascended the throne that Charles will visit one of the 14 countries outside the United Kingdom where the British monarch remains head of state, a link that is a source of pride for some but an unwelcome reminder of Britain's colonial dominance for others. While he will ...

New UK PM Starmer offers strong support for Ukraine at Nato summit

Newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is making his maiden appearance on the international stage with a strong signal of support for Ukraine as he attends the NATO summit in Washington. After he and other European leaders met American lawmakers, Starmer sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. They embraced and leaned in close, smiling, before holding private talks. Afterward, he reaffirmed Britain's full-throated backing for Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion. Starmer said he and his new Labour government would use our opportunity here with our allies to make sure that that support is agreed by NATO's members. As he arrived for the summit, Starmer added that it was also important for him to "reinforce, in a sense as a message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, the resolve of NATO bigger now than it's ever been, more united than it's ever been and absolutely clear-eyed about the threat of Russian aggression. Starmer will also meet one o

Ukraine can use UK missiles to strike inside Russia, says PM Starmer

Starmer agreed that it was up to Ukraine how it used the Storm Shadow missiles donated by the UK

'Get Britain building again': Reeves unveils Labour govt's growth plan

Some developers say the only solution to Britain's housing shortage is to build homes on the green belt, strips of countryside surrounding villages, towns and cities where building is prohibited

New UK PM Starmer seeks to improve on 'botched' trade deal with EU

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is seeking to reset relations at home and abroad. During a visit Sunday to Edinburgh, that he billed as an immediate reset with the regional governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, Starmer said he would also seek to improve the UK's botched trade deal with the European Union. "I do think that we can get a much better deal than the botched deal that (former Prime Minister) Boris Johnson saddled the UK with, he said in reference to the pact negotiated after Brexit. Starmer said there were many discussions ahead to strengthen trading, research and defense ties with the EU. But he said those talks had begun as his top diplomat made his first visit abroad to Germany, Poland and Sweden. With two of Starmer's ministers in Europe ahead of a NATO meeting next week, the premier made a point of visiting the leaders of the regional governments in the UK following his party's landslide victory last week. Starmer, who said he has a mandate to do

India, UK to hold next round of talks on proposed trade pact this month

With the new government taking charge in Britain, senior officials of India and the UK will hold the next round of talks this month for the proposed free trade agreement to resolve the pending issues and close the negotiations, an official said. The India-UK talks for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) began in January 2022. The 14th round of talks stalled as the two nations stepped into their general election cycles. The official said the two sides are in touch, and the next round would start this month only. Britain's newly-elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and said he stood ready to conclude an FTA that worked for both sides. The two leaders agreed to work towards the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK FTA. There are pending issues in both the goods and services sectors. The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT and healthcare in the UK market, besi

Former British Indian MP Alok Sharma takes seat in House of Lords

Indian-origin former Conservative Party member of Parliament Alok Sharma, who had chosen not to seek re-election in this week's general election, will now take his seat in the House of Lords after being conferred a peerage by King Charles III. The 56-year-old Agra-born MP, who was knighted as Sir Alok in the King's New Year's Honours list last year for his contribution to tackling climate change through his leadership as president of the COP26 climate summit over two years ago, now becomes Lord Sharma. Sharma was among seven nominations made by outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak for his customary Dissolution Peerages, which also saw former Prime Minister Theresa May become a peer in the Upper House of the UK Parliament. Humbled to have been appointed to the House of Lords but so sorry to see many fine Conservative candidates lose, including in Reading West & Mid Berkshire, said Sharma in a post on X on Friday, as his party's disastrous general election results became evident. His