Page 17 - Britain

Who is Keir Starmer, the man on course to become new British Prime Minister

The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, has won 360 seats and crossed the majority mark of 326 seats to form the government in the UK

UK elections: Rishi Sunak concedes defeat as Labour Party crosses majority

Britain's opposition Labour Party has won a 326-seat majority in the parliamentary election, set to put an end to the 14-year-long rule of the Conservative Party

Labour Party leader Starmer thanks voters, says people ready for change

Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader on track to be the UK's new prime minister, on Friday thanked voters and said the people of the country are "ready for change" and to "end the politics of performance". Starmer, 61, in his victory speech after winning from Holborn and St Pancras, said whether people voted for him or not, "I'll serve every person in this constituency." According to the exit poll, which is often quite close to the final tally, Labour could win as many as 410 seats, comfortably crossing the half way 326 mark and notching up a 170-seat majority with the incumbent Tories led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak down to just 131 seats. "I will speak out for you, have your back, fight your corner every single day," he said, adding people are "ready for change" and to "end the politics of performance". "The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community, your future," he said. "You have voted. It's now time for us to deliver." Starmer thanked all tho

6th cyber dialogue: India, UK agree to deepen ties, build robust cyberspace

India and the United Kingdom have agreed to deepen cooperation between their cyber agencies in order to build a safe and robust cyberspace, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The Sixth Cyber Dialogue between the two sides was held here on Wednesday. "Discussions during the dialogue included cyber-threat assessment, internet governance, data protection, protection of critical infrastructure, capacity building and cooperation in multilateral fora, including the latest developments in the cyber realm at the United Nations," according to a statement issued by the MEA. "Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation between their respective cyber agencies in order to build a safe and robust cyberspace," the statement said. The dialogue was co-chaired by Amit A Shukla, Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, MEA, and Kat Jones, Head of Strategy and Engagement, Cyber Policy Department, The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK. The Indian delegat

9-yr-old Indian-origin girl chess prodigy to be youngest in England team

Bodhana Sivanandan, a nine-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl is set to make chess history after she became the youngest person selected to represent England internationally in any sport. Bodhana, from Harrow in north-west London, will join the England Women's Team at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in September. The others in her team are all in their 20s, 30s or 40s. "I found out yesterday after I came back from school when my dad told me. I was happy. I hope I'll do well and I'll get another title," she told the BBC on Wednesday. Malcolm Pein, manager of the England chess team, described the schoolgirl as one of the most remarkable British chess prodigies he has ever seen. "It's exciting she's on course to be one of the best British players ever," he said. Her father, Siva Sivanandan, says he remains mystified about where his daughter got her talent. "I'm an engineering graduate, as is my wife, but I'm not good at chess, he said. Bodhana first picked up chess during

Future of Rishi Sunak as PM hangs in balance as voting begins in UK polls

The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as polling booths opened across the UK on Thursday, with millions expected to turn out to cast their votes in the general election. Sunak, 44, is up against voter angst towards the incumbent Tories after 14 years in power and has had to contend with trailing far behind 61-year-old Keir Starmer led Labour Party throughout the six-week campaign. Both leaders wrapped up their poll pitches with contrasting messages Sunak urging voters to not hand tax-raising Labour a supermajority and Starmer playing down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low turnout impacting the final outcome. Candidates are being fielded for 650 constituencies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with 326 required for a majority in the first past the post system. Besides the two main parties, voters will be choosing from a list of candidates representing the Liberal Democrats,

UK to go to polls today; 46.5 mn voters to decide Rishi Sunak's fate

The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as the UK goes to the polls on Thursday. Around 46.5 million Britons are eligible to vote in the election. The electorate votes for members of Parliament across 650 constituencies with 326 required for a majority in the first past the post system. Sunak, 44, is up against voter angst against the incumbent Tories after 14 years in power and has had to contend with trailing far behind 61-year-old Keir Starmer-led Labour Party throughout the six-week campaign. Both leaders wrapped up their poll pitches with contrasting messages Sunak urging voters not to hand a "supermajority" to tax-raising Labour and Starmer playing down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low turnout impacting the final outcome. On Thursday, around 40,000 polling booths open across the country at 7 am local time as voters turn out to mark a cross next to their chosen candidate on a paper ballot

US ends fight against Titanic expedition, battle over future dives possible

The U.S. government has officially ended its legal fight against an upcoming expedition to the Titanic shipwreck after the company that owns the ship's salvage rights scaled back its dive plans. But the U.S. said in court filings last week that it may wage court battles over future expeditions if they break a federal law and an agreement with Great Britain to treat the wreck as a gravesite. The litigation began last year after RMS Titanic Inc. announced the expedition, which is now scheduled for mid-July. The Georgia-based company originally planned to take images inside the ocean liner's severed hull and to retrieve artifacts from the debris field. RMST also said it would possibly recover free-standing objects inside the Titanic, including from the room where the sinking ship broadcast its distress signals. The U.S. filed its legal challenge in August, arguing that entering the Titanic or physically altering or disturbing the wreck is regulated by the 2017 federal law and pact w

From courtroom to 10 Downing Street: Keir Starmer on cusp of power

The polls that predict his party will win a lopsided majority in Parliament on Thursday also suggest that he is unloved by British voters

British Indian group wants new UK govt to reshape relationship with India

As the UK general election campaign enters its final phase on Tuesday, a British Indian community group has called on the newly elected government to reshape its foreign policy priorities towards India. The Platform for Indian Democracy called on new British members of Parliament to prioritise democracy and human rights in the UK's foreign policy towards India and uphold democratic values in UK-India relations. "The UK government has a unique opportunity to reshape its foreign policy with India, aligning it with the values that British Indians hold dear, said Raul Lai, Coordinator of Platform for Indian Democracy. By advocating for human rights, democratic principles, and ethical diplomacy, the UK can strengthen its relationship with India while upholding the ideals that both nations strive to achieve, he said. As the largest ethnic minority group in the UK, British Indians wield significant influence in constituencies around the country. The Platform for Indian Democracy claims th

JD.com among possible bidders for British parcel company Evri: Report

JD.com is through to the second stage of bidding after submitting a non-binding offer last month, the people said

UK election: FTA with India on manifesto agenda for both Tory, Labour

As the UK enters the final phase of campaigning ahead of the general election on Thursday, a free trade agreement (FTA) with India is seen as high on the agenda no matter whether the verdict is in favour of the incumbent Tories or the Opposition Labour. Both sides have been working towards clinching a pact to enhance the GBP 38.1 billion bilateral trading partnership but with India's phased general election followed by Britain's, the negotiations remain stalled in the fourteenth round of negotiations. The FTA talks formally kicked off in January 2022 when Boris Johnson was the British prime minister and have since had to contend with political turmoil that first led to a short-lived Liz Truss premiership followed by Rishi Sunak as Britain's first Prime Minister of Indian heritage. We will finalise a free trade agreement with India, alongside a deeper strategic partnership on technology and defence, reads the Conservative Party manifesto, spelling out the British Indian leader's ...

BIS sends govt debt warning ahead of general elections in major countries

BIS General Manager Agustin Carstens said with interest rates not about to go back to ultra-low levels

Temple trail: Sunak, Starmer both try to woo British Hindu voters

On the final weekend of campaigning ahead of the UK general election on Thursday, both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the man who is fighting for his job at 10 Downing Street Labour Leader Keir Starmer, have hit the temple trail to woo British Hindu voters. While 44-year-old Sunak was at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden on Sunday to promise to keep trying to make the community proud, 61-year-old Starmer chose another north London Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury on Friday to reiterate his commitment to building a strategic partnership with India. The move follows a Hindu Manifesto' being launched by an umbrella group of British Hindu organisations for the first time ahead of a British general election, calling on elected representatives to take proactive steps to protect Hindu places of worship and tackle anti-Hindu hate. "This mandir stands as a great statement of the contributions that this community makes to Britain, said Sunak, in his speech at the iconic Neasden ..

UK's landmark postwar elections: When Thatcher became 1st female PM in 1979

Britain's upcoming general election is widely expected to lead to a change of government for the first time in 14 years. Many analysts believe it will be one of the country's most consequential elections since the end of World War II. Ahead of the July 4 vote, The Associated Press takes a look back at other landmark UK elections since the war. Britain's general election in 1979 is without doubt the most significant since 1945, with Margaret Thatcher becoming the country's first female prime minister on a radical Conservative economic agenda. At its heart, Thatcherism represented a total rethink over the role of the state. Since Labour's big victory in 1945, a so-called postwar consensus on the economy existed between the two main parties, Labour and the Conservatives. Despite the changes in power, their economic approaches aligned. Governments targeted full employment and would intervene in the economy to pursue that goal through tax and spending policies. That consensus was getti

UK's Labour Party vows to eliminate anti-India sentiments within its ranks

The UK's Opposition Labour Party, hoping to win a mandate to form a government after the July 4 general election, has committed itself to stamping out anti-India sentiments within its ranks and building a strong strategic partnership with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led administration. The party's resolution during an annual conference under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in favour of international intervention in Kashmir was widely seen as having cost it British Indian votes in the 2019 general election. There have also been concerns over some Labour councillors espousing pro-Khalistan views. At a Political Hustings' event for Britain's South Asian community organised by Asian Voice' in partnership with City Sikhs and City Hindus Network in London on Friday evening, Labour Party chair and shadow secretary of state for women and equalities Anneliese Dodds claimed that the party led by Keir Starmer is confident of having cleansed its ranks of any members with such extremist

Tata Steel UK begins legal action against union, fears plant closure

Tata Steel on Friday said it is being forced to commence legal action to challenge the validity of a steelworkers' union strike ballot, as it warned that its blast furnaces at Port Talbot may have to pause operations amid the industrial action. The Mumbai-headquartered steel major had originally planned to shut down one of the blast furnaces by the end of June and the second one by September. However, Unite the Union's proposed strike from July 8 could result in the closure being forced earlier. Following the announcement by the Unite Union to unilaterally call strike action from July 8, Tata Steel is unfortunately forced to commence legal action to challenge the validity of Unite's ballot, a Tata Steel spokesperson said. In the coming days, if we cannot be certain that we are able to continue to safely and stably operate our assets through the period of strike action, we will not have any choice but to pause or stop heavy end operations (including both blast furnaces) on the Port .

Jaipur Rugs opens store in UK, plans to open two more int'l stores in FY25

Handmade rugs maker Jaipur Rugs, which has opened its showroom in London this week, plans to add two more stores this fiscal taking the total count to five, said its Director Yogesh Chaudhary. The company, which is known for its hand-knotted rugs and carpets, would continue to expand in the domestic market by opening stores in tier I & II cities. The company plans to open five new stores in the domestic market this year to tap the fast-growing demand for luxury home decor solutions. In December 2021, Jaipur Rugs opened its first international store at Milan, Italy, the fashion capital of the world. The company opened its second international store in Dubai last year. "We are thrilled to expand our global footprint, building on our success in Milan and Dubai, as we showcase Indian design and craftsmanship to a global audience through our new showroom in London. This marks a significant milestone for our company and by the end of this fiscal year, we aim to open 2 or more ...

Yemen Houthi rebel attack targets ship as US aircraft carrier heads home

An attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a commercial ship travelling through the Gulf of Aden but apparently caused no damage, authorities said Saturday, in the latest strike on the shipping lane by the group. The Houthi attack comes after the sinking this week of the ship Tutor, which marked what appears to be a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their campaign of strikes on ships in the vital maritime corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, US officials reportedly ordered the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier leading America's response to the Houthi attacks, to return home after a twice-extended tour. The captain of the ship targeted late Friday saw explosions in the vicinity of the vessel, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. A later briefing by the US-overseen Joint Maritime Information Centre said the vessel initially reported two explosions off its port side and a third one later. Th

Hinduja Family: British-Indian Business Dynasty with Global Impact

The Hinduja Group, valued at $20 billion, operates across 11 sectors worldwide