Page 3 - Britain

UK plans ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties: PM Starmer

British political parties will be banned from accepting donations in cryptocurrencies, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday, saying illicit finance poses a "stark" danger to the country's democracy. Starmer told lawmakers that "we will act decisively to protect our democracy" from outside meddling. "That will include a moratorium on all political donations made through cryptocurrencies," he said during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons. The move could be a financial blow to the hard-right party Reform UK. The party led by Nigel Farage is one of the few in Britain to accept cryptocurrency donations. The government also said it will put an annual cap of 100,000 pounds (USD 134,000) on donations by British voters living abroad. Reform has received 12 million pounds in the past year from Christopher Harborne, a British businessman based in Thailand, according to Electoral Commission figures. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said the ..

India, Britain are global AI superpowers, says former UK PM Rishi Sunak

He stressed that both countries share a similar philosophy toward artificial intelligence governance, favouring innovation-friendly policies over heavy regulation

What Iran's failed-to-hit strike on Diego Garcia base in Indian Ocean means

While there were no reports of damage or casualties, the significance of the episode lay less in the outcome and more in what it demonstrated

UK condemns Iran's 'reckless attacks' on Diego Garcia base in Indian Ocean

Britain has condemned "Iran's reckless attacks" after its military fired missiles at the UK-US air base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. UK officials have not given details of the attempted strike, which was unsuccessful. It's unclear how close the missiles came to the base, which is about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) from Iran. The Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that Iran's "lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies." Britain has not participated in US-Israeli attacks on Iran, but has allowed American bombers to use UK bases to attack Iran's missile sites. On Friday, the British government said US bombers can also use UK bases, including Diego Garcia, in operations to prevent Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran targeted the base before that UK statement.

Trump seeks allies' help in Strait of Hormuz. UK, Japan, Australia say no

US President Donald Trump has called on allies to send naval escorts to protect vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. However, key allies have declined Trump's request

UK weighing deployment of 'Octopus' interceptor drones to West Asia: Report

UK defence officials are evaluating the possibility of redirecting cutting-edge equipment initially intended for Eastern Europe to meet new regional demands

Trump says US will 'remember' as UK mulls support in war against Iran

Trump has repeatedly criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggesting this week that he helped "ruin" the countries' historically close relationship after London blocked the US's initial use

New scheme will pay failed asylum seekers thousands of pounds to leave UK

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Thursday unveiled a new pilot scheme that will offer some failed asylum seekers 10,000 pounds per person, capped at 40,000 pounds for families, to vacate British taxpayer-funded accommodation and leave the country. In a major policy speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank on immigration reforms in London, the South Asian heritage minister said refugees who refused to accept the "incentive payment" would face being forcibly deported. The Home Office said the scheme, inspired by a successful system in Denmark, is expected to target about 150 families in the first phase within a week, estimated to save 20 million pounds for the British taxpayers. "This government will now pilot a similar model for families who are failed asylum seekers. A small number of whom will now be offered an increased incentive payment of 10,000 pounds per person and up to a maximum of 40,000 pounds per family," said Mahmood. "To put that in ...

Drone that hit British military base caused limited damage: Cyprus

Cyprus' government spokesperson said an "incident" that happened at a British air base on the island nation's southern coastline involved an "unmanned drone which caused limited damage." Spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis said the incident at RAF Akrotiri occurred shortly after midnight Monday. He said "information received through various channels" indicated a drone strike. He didn't specify what kind of drone, where it was launched from or the extent of damage. Letymbiotis said Cypriot authorities have enacted security protocols and are monitoring the situation in coordination with the UK and its two military bases in Cyprus. The suspected drone strike occurred after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would help the US in the war against Iran.

Britain, France, and Germany ready to back US to stop Iran's strikes

Britain, France and Germany said they are ready to work with the US and partners to help stop Iran's retaliatory attacks. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a joint statement Sunday that they are "appalled" by Iran's "reckless" strikes on their allies, which are threatening their service members and citizens in the region. "We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran's capability to fire missiles and drones at their source. We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter," the statement said. It did not provide further details.

UK's Green Party wins parliamentary by-election, seizes Labour stronghold

The loss in one of Labour's safest seats, in the biggest electoral test in almost a year, puts further pressure on Starmer to prove that he should keep his job following weeks of political turmoil

Former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson released on bail in Epstein probe

Police in Britain said Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to the United States, has been released on bail after he was arrested in a misconduct probe stemming from his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein. It came days after a friendship with Epstein landed the former Prince Andrew in police custody. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement issued just after 2 a.m. Tuesday: "A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation. The man was not named, in keeping with British police practice, but the suspect in the case previously was identified as the former diplomat, who is 72. Mandelson was filmed being led from his London home to a car by plainclothes officers on Monday afternoon. Both Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, are suspected of improperly passing UK government information to the disgraced U.S. financier, and the high-profile British arrests are som

How Britain's royal family can weather former Prince Andrew's arrest

Britain's royal family now faces one of its biggest modern-era tests after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest

Former UK Prince Andrew arrested for 'misconduct in public office'

Thames Valley Police issued a statement confirming the arrest of a man in his sixties from Norfolk as part of an ongoing investigation

UK to force tech companies to take down abusive images in 48 hours

Companies that fail to remove the content in time could be fined as much as 10 per cent of their global revenue or have their service blocked in the UK, the government said

Indo-UK wind task force launched, India crosses 272 Gw green capacity

Union New & Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said India has over 272 GW non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation capacity, including 141 solar and 55 GW wind energy, at the launch of 'India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce'. This assumes significance in view of India's ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero emission target by 2070. UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron were present on the occasion. Addressing the official launch of the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce, Joshi said in the ongoing financial year, India added more than 35 GW of solar and 4.61 GW of wind capacity. Also, he said last year India achieved 50 per cent of its cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of our Nationally Determined Contribution commitment. "Today, India's installed non-fossil capacity stands at over 272 GW, with solar at more than 141 GW and wind at 55 GW... to

Facing pressures at home, UK universities set up campuses in India

Far from its sprawling green campuses in southern England, Southampton is the first of several ​British universities setting up in India to tap one of the world's fastest growing student markets

Work 'no longer a route out of poverty' for millions in UK: Think tank

Resolution's warning, comes with the incumbent Labour government in turmoil

UK PM Starmer under pressure as chief of staff quits over Mandelson row

Starmer's vulnerability was laid bare in the wake of McSweeney's departure, when two key Labour-linked groups suggested accountability shouldn't end with the chief of staff

US has right to secure, reinforce military presence on Diego Garcia: Trump

Trump described Diego Garcia as being of 'great importance' to US national security due to its central location in the Indian Ocean and its role in supporting American military operations