Page 28 - Britain

UK stance on agri GI items remains hurdle in FTA talks with India

The UK's demand of a higher level of protection for its GI products from the agriculture sector under the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with India remains an unresolved issue as the talks for the pact are on to iron out differences, an official said. British GI (Geographical Indication) products include Scotch whisky, Stilton cheese and Cheddar cheese. A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin. Once a product gets this tag, any person or company cannot sell a similar item under that name. India normally provides general protection for violation of GI rules, but the UK is seeking a higher level of protection, the official, who did not wish to be named, said. "Negotiations are going on between the two countries. There are some issue

India raises concerns over potential carbon taxes in UK FTA talks: Report

Earlier this year, Britain initiated consultations with domestic stakeholders on measures such as a potential carbon border tax, which could mimic the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism.

EAM Jaishankar presides over repatriation of 2 stolen idols in UK

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday presided over a repatriation ceremony in London for two 8th-century temple idols stolen from India and discovered in England recently. The Yogini Chamunda and Yogini Gomukhi idols, stolen from a temple in Lokhari in Uttar Pradesh between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, were recovered by the High Commission of India in London with support from India Pride Project, and Art Recovery International. Jaishankar unveiled the idols at India House on the final day of his five-day visit to the UK and said he looked forward to their return to their home country. It is important today, as we look to appreciate each other's culture, to ensure that cultural exchanges are legal, transparent and rules-based, said Jaishankar. Where there have been deviations, whenever these are corrected I think this is something of great importance, not just in this case, but as a message that this is a practice which is not acceptable in this day and age, he

Jaishankar concludes timely visit to UK amid substantial progress on FTA

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar concluded his five-day visit to the UK on Wednesday, which he described as timely after a series of cross-party engagements amid substantial progress on the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations. During a media interaction at the High Commission of India in London before leaving, the EAM shared some insights from his discussions with the UK Cabinet ministers and Opposition leaders which covered a whole spectrum of global and bilateral issues. India's concerns regarding pro-Khalistan extremism in relation to the safety of its diplomats in the country were among the topics that came up during his meetings with UK Home Secretary James Cleverly and National Security Adviser (NSA) Tim Barrow. We have long-standing concerns about extremist and sometimes even violent activities of various forces, including those who propagate Khalistan, said Jaishankar. We have been trying to get the government here to understand that while we as a fellow democra

Big relief for Sunak as UK inflation drops to its lowest in 2 years to 4.6%

Inflation in the UK dropped sharply in October to its lowest level in two years largely because last year's steep rise in domestic energy bills dropped out of the annual comparison, official figures showed Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said consumer prices in the year to October were 4.6% higher than the year before, much lower than the 6.7% recorded in the previous month. The decline means Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to halve inflation this year has been met. Sunak made the pledge soon after becoming prime minister when inflation was more than 10%. I did that because it is, without a doubt, the best way to ease the cost of living and give families financial security, he said. "Today, we have delivered on that pledge. The government can take comfort from the decline but the main reason why inflation has fallen in that time is because of the big interest rate increases from the Bank of England, which is tasked with meeting a target inflation rate of 2%. Earl

Suella Braverman launches scathing attack on Rishi Sunak after being fired

Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman lashed out at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a day after he fired her, calling his approach uncertain, weak and a betrayal of his promises. In a resignation letter she published on Tuesday, Braverman said Sunak had manifestly and repeatedly failed to deliver on key pledges and alleged that he never had any intention of keeping them. Sunak sacked Braverman on Monday after she made a series of intemperate statements that deviated from the government line. In recent weeks she called homelessness a lifestyle choice and accused police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protests, which she called hate marches. On Saturday, far-right protesters scuffled with police and tried to confront a pro-Palestinian march by hundreds of thousands through the streets of London. Critics accused Braverman's language of helping to inflame tensions. In her letter, she said Sunak had rejected her calls to ban pro-Palestinian demonstrations calling for a ...

EAM Jaishankar to visit UK from November 11-15, set to meet counterpart

During his visit, Jaishankar will hold a meeting with his UK counterpart James Cleverly. He will also meet several other dignitaries

Rishi Sunak under pressure to sack minister Braverman over Palestine remark

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to sack his Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, as the row surrounding her controversial newspaper article attacking the Metropolitan Police over its handling of Israel-Hamas protests in London continues to gain momentum on Friday. While Sunak's official spokesperson at 10 Downing Street has said that he has full confidence in the Home Secretary, they did confirm that the contents of The Times' Op-Ed did not have the full clearance of her boss. The harshly worded piece on Wednesday attacked the Met Police for having double standards and playing favourites by not taking tougher action against pro-Palestinian protesters when they turned aggressive. "The words that she used are not words that I myself would have used," UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told broadcasters when asked about the row. While clearly distancing himself from her stance, the senior Cabinet minister stressed that he has a productive relationship with her as a colleague"

British economy flatlines in Jul-Sep quarter ahead of budget statement

The British economy flatlined in the third quarter of the year, official figures showed Friday ahead of a budget statement from the government later this month. The Office for National Statistics said growth in the July-to-September period was zero compared to the previous three-months. All sectors, such as manufacturing and construction, broadly showed the same subdued picture. Despite the uninspiring headline figure, the quarterly outcome was slightly ahead of analysts' expectations for a modest decline in output. The British economy, like many others particularly in the world, is struggling to grow in the face of higher interest rates, which are aimed at taming inflation. Last week, the Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at the 15-year high of 5.25% and indicated that borrowing costs will likely remain at these sort of elevated levels for a while. The Bank of England, like other central banks, raised interest rates aggressively from near zero as it sought to

UK to add India as 'safe state' to cut asylum claims amid migrant crisis

With this addition, all asylum claims from Indian nationals who arrive on small boats or illegally on other routes will be deemed inadmissible. There will be no appeals and they will be sent back.

Japan, UK look to boost security ties under new pact on sidelines of G7

Japanese and British foreign and defense ministers are to talk on Tuesday about deepening their military cooperation under a new security pact that allows their militaries to enter each other's turf for joint exercises. Japan and Britain have expanded their cooperation in recent years amid concern about China's growing influence. Japan, whose only treaty ally is the United States, has signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement with Australia and the UK so far, making them semi-allies. The talks in Tokyo among Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defense Secretary Grant Shapps are the first since the RAA took effect in mid-October. They are meeting on the sidelines of the meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced nations on Tuesday and Wednesday that are expected to focus on the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war and tension in the Indo-Pacific region. The four ministers' .

Russia to face trial in Britain over $60 billion unpaid dues to Yukos Oil

The Wednesday ruling is the latest staging post in a sprawling legal saga that's dragged on for two decades

India agrees to historic international AI collaboration pact at UK summit

Some of the countries who are publicly endorsing the Declaration include India, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates

India, United Kingdom negotiations for proposed FTA going on, says Official

Negotiations between senior officials of India and the UK on the proposed free trade agreement are going on with a view to bridge differences on issues related to goods and services sector, a senior government official said. "Talks on the 13th round is underway virtually. We have not talked about any deadlines to conclude talks," the official said. India and Britain launched the talks for Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) in January 2022, with an aim to conclude talks by Diwali (October 24, 2022), but the deadline was missed due to political developments in the UK. There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights. The investment treaty is being negotiated as a separate agreement between India and the UK. The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT, and healthcare in the UK market, besides market access for several goods at nil customs duties. On the other hand, the

BoE keeps main UK interest rate unchanged at 15-year high of 5.25%

The Bank of England has kept its main interest rate unchanged at the 15-year high of 5.25 per cent, as inflation across the UK is expected to fall further over the coming months. In a statement on Thursday, the bank's nine-member Monetary Policy Committee indicated that inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, is set to fall toward a 2 per cent target rate over the coming year. In the year to September, inflation stood at 6.7 per cent. Most economists expect a sizable decline over coming months as domestic energy bills fall. The bank in September ended a nearly two-year run of interest rate rises.

UK PM Sunak hails landmark Bletchley Declaration to tackle risks from AI

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is leading the talks on Thursday at the AI Safety Summit convened by the UK, hailed the Bletchley Declaration as a landmark agreement between 28 countries, including India, on the shared responsibility to address the risks associated with artificial intelligence. In the lead up to the two-day AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, Sunak had already announced the world's first AI Safety Institute to be set up in Britain to examine, evaluate, and test new types of AI to inform national and international policymaking. The summit is aimed at focussing on international priorities for artificial intelligence. Besides his discussions with government representatives from around the world on day two of the summit, Sunak will also hear from companies at the forefront of AI, academia and civil society, focused on the concrete action needed to ensure AI safety. Those attending include major AI business leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind

Zydus Lifesciences acquires UK-based LiqMeds Group for 68 million pounds

Zydus Lifesciences on Tuesday said it has acquired UK-based LiqMeds Group for GBP 68 million (around Rs 689 crore). The Ahmedabad-based group, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Zydus Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd, will also pay yearly earn-outs until 2026 depending on the achievement of certain agreed milestones towards the acquisition. LiqMeds Group of companies specialises in the development, manufacturing and supply of oral liquid products for global markets. The group's subsidiary LM Manufacturing Ltd has an oral liquids manufacturing site at Weedon, Northampton, UK, which supplies products to the US and UK markets. "Zydus will pay an upfront consideration of GBP 68 million and yearly earn-outs until 2026 depending on the achievement of certain agreed milestones towards the acquisition of the LiqMeds Group of companies," the company said in a regulatory filing. The transaction will be EPS accretive for Zydus from the first year of acquisition, it added. "We believe that liquid ora

Suspect in attack on Salman Rushdie scheduled for trial in January 2024

The accused, Hadi Matar is expected to stand trial on January 8, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt

India criticises safeguard measures on steel import by EU, UK at WTO meet

Certain WTO countries, including India, Switzerland, Russia, and Japan, have criticised the safeguard measures imposed by the EU and the UK on imports of certain steel products, stating it is inconsistent with global trade rules, an official said. The comments were made by these countries during the meeting of World Trade Organisation's (WTO's) Safeguards Committee on Wednesday. The Geneva-based official said, "Switzerland, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea, Russia and India criticised the European Union's decision to maintain its safeguard measure on imports of certain steel products, which was imposed by the EU after the US imposed additional duties on steel imports during the Trump administration. These members regretted the EU's decision not to terminate the measure during a recent review and argued the safeguard was inconsistent with WTO rules, the official said. However, the EU argued that the safeguard will expire at the end of June 2024. Further India, Korea, Switzerland, Japan,

Indian-origin academics among 30 winners of UK's 3 mn pound research prize

Indian-origin academics from the University of Oxford and a South Asian historian from King's College London are among 30 winners of the UK's 3-million-pound 2023 Leverhulme Trust award, which recognises exceptional research across different fields. Professor Amia Srinivasan from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Oxford has been recognised for her work on epistemology, social and political philosophy, feminism, metaphilosophy, and the history of philosophy. Fellow Oxford University Professor, Ridhi Kashyap, from the Department of Sociology, has been honoured for her work on demography, social statistics, computational social science, digital and computational demography, and gender inequalities. Oxford is an exciting place to conduct research at the intersection of demography and computational social science. I look forward to continuing my research in both substantive and methodological directions and contributing to the advancement of digital and computational ...