Page 2 - Britain

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

Weakness brings more terrorism: Netanyahu on Manchester synagogue attack

The attack took place in Manchester's Crumpsall, where a car struck pedestrians and a man was stabbed, killing at least two and leaving three others critically injured

Two dead in car and stabbing attack at UK's synagogue, suspect shot

The attack was declared 'Plato', a code-word used by the UK police when responding to a marauding terror attack

UK govt makes new attempt to access Apple cloud storage to get user data

In August, Britain dropped a mandate for the iPhone maker to provide a "back door" that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American as well as British citizens

UK sanctions 70 people, groups with links to Iran's nuclear programme

The UK has sanctioned 70 people and organisations with links to Iran's nuclear programme. The sanctions come amid concerns the Islamic Republic is developing weapons, the British Foreign Office said Tuesday. The penalties aimed at 62 groups and nine people follow a decision by Britain, France and Germany last month to trigger the snapback mechanism to automatically reimpose all United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme. The three nations, known as the E3, said at the time that Iran had willfully departed from the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted the measures. Iran's nuclear programme has long been a serious concern to the international community, as a significant threat to global peace and security, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. This sanctions package sends a clear message to Tehran we will continue to take every step necessary to prevent Iran ever developing a nuclear weapon. The UN sanctions in effect before the deal included a conventional arms embargo,